Conducting Original Research at the High School Level--the Students' Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Marcus; VanNoord, Greg

1996-01-01

High school students discuss the process of conducting original scientific research in a high school biology course, including developing an idea, obtaining financial support, collecting data, and presenting findings. (MKR)

Geometry strategic competence of junior high school students based on sex difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraheni, Zahra; Budiyono, Slamet, Isnandar

2017-12-01

There are different structures of male and female brain as it caused the difference of spatial and mathematical ability. This study examined whether there was different geometry strategic competence between sexes. There were 60 students given scholastic task of geometry strategic competence. The score obtained was analyzed by using independent t-test to compare the mean value of score between two groups. To determine the natural differences in strategy use between sexes, the score obtained was classified into high, medium, and low level. Semi-structured interview was conducted to six students (3 girls and 3 boys) who represented each level as subjects. By quantitative analyzing, obtained that there was no different in geometry strategic competence between girl and boy. Further, by qualitative analyzing known that girl students had more positive attitude than boys toward mathematics problem in the low score level and had the same strategic competence with boys in the medium scorelevel. Then, in the high scorelevel, boy students were tend to use insight strategies to solve problems whereas girls likely to use algorithm strategies.

Mathematics Achievement in High- and Low-Achieving Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadpour, Ebrahim; Shekarchizadeh, Ahmadreza

2015-01-01

This paper identifies the amount of variance in mathematics achievement in high- and low-achieving schools that can be explained by school-level factors, while controlling for student-level factors. The data were obtained from 2679 Iranian eighth graders who participated in the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Of the…

Diffusion length measurement using the scanning electron microscope. [for silicon solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.

1975-01-01

The present work describes a measuring technique employing the scanning electron microscope in which values of the true bulk diffusion length are obtained. It is shown that surface recombination effects can be eliminated through application of highly doped surface field layers. The effects of high injection level and low-high junction current generation are investigated. Results obtained with this technique are compared to those obtained by a penetrating radiation (X-ray) method, and a close agreement is found. The SEM technique is limited to cells that contain a back surface field layer.

FT-Raman and NIR spectroscopy data fusion strategy for multivariate qualitative analysis of food fraud.

PubMed

Márquez, Cristina; López, M Isabel; Ruisánchez, Itziar; Callao, M Pilar

2016-12-01

Two data fusion strategies (high- and mid-level) combined with a multivariate classification approach (Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy, SIMCA) have been applied to take advantage of the synergistic effect of the information obtained from two spectroscopic techniques: FT-Raman and NIR. Mid-level data fusion consists of merging some of the previous selected variables from the spectra obtained from each spectroscopic technique and then applying the classification technique. High-level data fusion combines the SIMCA classification results obtained individually from each spectroscopic technique. Of the possible ways to make the necessary combinations, we decided to use fuzzy aggregation connective operators. As a case study, we considered the possible adulteration of hazelnut paste with almond. Using the two-class SIMCA approach, class 1 consisted of unadulterated hazelnut samples and class 2 of samples adulterated with almond. Models performance was also studied with samples adulterated with chickpea. The results show that data fusion is an effective strategy since the performance parameters are better than the individual ones: sensitivity and specificity values between 75% and 100% for the individual techniques and between 96-100% and 88-100% for the mid- and high-level data fusion strategies, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Procedures for estimating the frequency of commercial airline flights encountering high cabin ozone levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdeman, J. D.

1979-01-01

Three analytical problems in estimating the frequency at which commercial airline flights will encounter high cabin ozone levels are formulated and solved: namely, estimating flight-segment mean levels, estimating maximum-per-flight levels, and estimating the maximum average level over a specified flight interval. For each problem, solution procedures are given for different levels of input information - from complete cabin ozone data, which provides a direct solution, to limited ozone information, such as ambient ozone means and standard deviations, with which several assumptions are necessary to obtain the required estimates. Each procedure is illustrated by an example case calculation that uses simultaneous cabin and ambient ozone data obtained by the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program. Critical assumptions are discussed and evaluated, and the several solutions for each problem are compared. Example calculations are also performed to illustrate how variations in lattitude, altitude, season, retention ratio, flight duration, and cabin ozone limits affect the estimated probabilities.

Differences in acoustic and perceptual parameters of the voice between elderly and young women at habitual and high intensity.

PubMed

Mazzetto de Menezes, Keyla S; Master, Suely; Guzman, Marco; Bortnem, Cori; Ramos, Luiz Roberto

2014-01-01

The present study aimed to compare elderly and young female voices in habitual and high intensity. The effect of increased intensity on the acoustic and perceptual parameters was assessed. Sound pressure level, fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic to noise ratio were obtained at habitual and high intensity voice in a group of 30 elderly women and 30 young women. Perceptual assessment was also performed. Both groups demonstrated an increase in sound pressure level and fundamental frequency from habitual voice to high intensity voice. No differences were found between groups in any acoustic variables on samples recorded with habitual intensity level. No significant differences between groups were found in habitual intensity level for pitch, hoarseness, roughness, and breathiness. Asthenia and instability obtained significant higher values in elderly than young participants, whereas, the elderly demonstrated lower values for perceived tension and loudness than young subjects. Acoustic and perceptual measures do not demonstrate evident differences between elderly and young speakers in habitual intensity level. The parameters analyzed may lack the sensitivity necessary to detect differences in subjects with normal voices. Phonation with high intensity highlights differences between groups, especially in perceptual parameters. Therefore, high intensity should be included to compare elderly and young voice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Land use classification and change analysis using ERTS-1 imagery in CARETS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, R. H.

1973-01-01

Land use detail in the CARETS area obtainable from ERTS exceeds the expectations of the Interagency Steering Committee and the USGS proposed standardized classification, which presents Level 1 categories for ERTS and Level 2 for high altitude aircraft data. Some Levels 2 and 3, in addition to Level 1, categories were identified on ERTS data. Significant land use changes totaling 39.2 sq km in the Norfolk-Portsmouth SMSA were identified and mapped at Level 2 detail using a combination of procedures employing ERTS and high altitude aircraft data.

Method for generating high-energy and high repetition rate laser pulses from CW amplifiers

DOEpatents

Zhang, Shukui

2013-06-18

A method for obtaining high-energy, high repetition rate laser pulses simultaneously using continuous wave (CW) amplifiers is described. The method provides for generating micro-joule level energy in pico-second laser pulses at Mega-hertz repetition rates.

A synthetic promoter library for constitutive gene expression in Lactobacillus plantarum.

PubMed

Rud, Ida; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal; Naterstad, Kristine; Axelsson, Lars

2006-04-01

A synthetic promoter library (SPL) for Lactobacillus plantarum has been developed, which generalizes the approach for obtaining synthetic promoters. The consensus sequence, derived from rRNA promoters extracted from the L. plantarum WCFS1 genome, was kept constant, and the non-consensus sequences were randomized. Construction of the SPL was performed in a vector (pSIP409) previously developed for high-level, inducible gene expression in L. plantarum and Lactobacillus sakei. A wide range of promoter strengths was obtained with the approach, covering 3-4 logs of expression levels in small increments of activity. The SPL was evaluated for the ability to drive beta-glucuronidase (GusA) and aminopeptidase N (PepN) expression. Protein production from the synthetic promoters was constitutive, and the most potent promoters gave high protein production with levels comparable to those of native rRNA promoters, and production of PepN protein corresponding to approximately 10-15 % of the total cellular protein. High correlation was obtained between the activities of promoters when tested in L. sakei and L. plantarum, which indicates the potential of the SPL for other Lactobacillus species. The SPL enables fine-tuning of stable gene expression for various applications in L. plantarum.

High-affinity RNA aptamers to C-reactive protein (CRP): newly developed pre-elution methods for aptamer selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orito, N.; Umekage, S.; Sato, K.; Kawauchi, S.; Tanaka, H.; Sakai, E.; Tanaka, T.; Kikuchi, Y.

2012-03-01

We have developed a modified SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) method to obtain RNA aptamers with high affinity to C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a clinical biomarker present in plasma, the level of which increases in response to infections and noninfectious inflammation. The CRP level is also an important prognostic indicator in patients with several syndromes. At present, CRP content in blood is measured immunochemically using antibodies. To develop a more sensitive method using RNA aptamers, we have attempted to obtain high-affinity RNA aptamers to CRP. We succeeded in obtaining an RNA aptamer with high affinity to CRP using a CRP-immobilized Sepharose column and pre-elution procedure. Pre-elution is a method that removes the weak binding portion from a selected RNA population by washing for a short time with buffer containing CRP. By surface plasmon-resonance (SPR) analysis, the affinity constant of this aptamer for CRP was calculated to be KD = 2.25×10-9 (M). The secondary structure, contact sites with CRP protein, and application of this aptamer will be described.

Diffusion length measurements using the scanning electron microscope. [in semiconductor devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.

1975-01-01

A measurement technique employing the scanning electron microscope is described in which values of the true bulk diffusion length are obtained. It is shown that surface recombination effects can be eliminated through the application of highly doped surface field layers. The influence of high injection level effects and low-high junction current generation on the resulting measurement was investigated. Close agreement is found between the diffusion lengths measured by this method and those obtained using a penetrating radiation technique.

A New Method of High-Precision Positioning for an Indoor Pseudolite without Using the Known Point Initialization.

PubMed

Zhao, Yinzhi; Zhang, Peng; Guo, Jiming; Li, Xin; Wang, Jinling; Yang, Fei; Wang, Xinzhe

2018-06-20

Due to the great influence of multipath effect, noise, clock and error on pseudorange, the carrier phase double difference equation is widely used in high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning. The initial position is determined mostly by the known point initialization (KPI) method, and then the ambiguities can be fixed with the LAMBDA method. In this paper, a new method without using the KPI to achieve high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning is proposed. The initial coordinates can be quickly obtained to meet the accuracy requirement of the indoor LAMBDA method. The detailed processes of the method follows: Aiming at the low-cost single-frequency pseudolite system, the static differential pseudolite system (DPL) method is used to obtain the low-accuracy positioning coordinates of the rover station quickly. Then, the ambiguity function method (AFM) is used to search for the coordinates in the corresponding epoch. The real coordinates obtained by AFM can meet the initial accuracy requirement of the LAMBDA method, so that the double difference carrier phase ambiguities can be correctly fixed. Following the above steps, high-precision indoor pseudolite positioning can be realized. Several experiments, including static and dynamic tests, are conducted to verify the feasibility of the new method. According to the results of the experiments, the initial coordinates with the accuracy of decimeter level through the DPL can be obtained. For the AFM part, both a one-meter search scope and two-centimeter or four-centimeter search steps are used to ensure the precision at the centimeter level and high search efficiency. After dealing with the problem of multiple peaks caused by the ambiguity cosine function, the coordinate information of the maximum ambiguity function value (AFV) is taken as the initial value of the LAMBDA, and the ambiguities can be fixed quickly. The new method provides accuracies at the centimeter level for dynamic experiments and at the millimeter level for static ones.

Level of Skill Argued Students on Physics Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viyanti, V.; Cari, C.; Sunarno, W.; Prasetyo, Z. K.

2017-09-01

This study aims to analyze the prior knowledge of students to map the level of skills to argue floating and sinking material. Prior knowledge is the process of concept formation in cognitive processes spontaneously or based on student experience. The study population is high school students of class XI. The sample selection using cluster random sampling, obtained the number of sampel as many as 50 student. The research used descriptive survey method. The data were obtained through a multiple choice test both grounded and interviewed. The data analyzed refers to: alignment the concept and the activity of developing the skill of the argument. The result obtained by the average level of skill argue in terms of the prior knowladge of on “Level 2”. The data show that students have difficulty expressing simple arguments consisting of only one statement. This indicates a lack of student experience in cultivating argumentative skills in their learning. The skill level mapping argued in this study to be a reference for researchers to provide feedback measures to obtain positive change in cognitive conflict argued.

Who Will Succeed and Who Will Struggle? Predicting Early College Success with Indiana's Student Information System. REL 2015-078

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephan, Jennifer L.; Davis, Elisabeth; Lindsay, Jim; Miller, Shazia

2015-01-01

This study examined whether data on Indiana high school students, their high schools, and the Indiana public colleges and universities in which they enroll predict their academic success during the first two years in college. The researchers obtained student-level, school-level, and university-related data from Indiana's state longitudinal data…

Self consistent solution of Schrödinger Poisson equations and some electronic properties of ZnMgO/ZnO hetero structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uslu, Salih; Yarar, Zeki

2017-02-01

The epitaxial growth of quantum wells composed of high quality allows the production and application to their device of new structures in low dimensions. The potential profile at the junction is determined by free carriers and by the level of doping. Therefore, the shape of potential is obtained by the electron density. Energy level determines the number of electrons that can be occupied at every level. Energy levels and electron density values of each level must be calculated self consistently. Starting with V(z) test potential, wave functions and electron densities for each energy levels can be calculated to solve Schrödinger equation. If Poisson's equation is solved with the calculated electron density, the electrostatic potential can be obtained. The new V(z) potential can be calculated with using electrostatic potential found beforehand. Thus, the obtained values are calculated self consistently to a certain error criterion. In this study, the energy levels formed in the interfacial potential, electron density in each level and the wave function dependence of material parameters were investigated self consistently.

Focal Low and Global High Permeability Predict the Possibility, Risk, and Location of Hemorrhagic Transformation following Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis Therapy in Acute Stroke.

PubMed

Li, Y; Xia, Y; Chen, H; Liu, N; Jackson, A; Wintermark, M; Zhang, Y; Hu, J; Wu, B; Zhang, W; Tu, J; Su, Z; Zhu, G

2017-09-01

The contrast volume transfer coefficient ( K trans ), which reflects blood-brain barrier permeability, is influenced by circulation and measurement conditions. We hypothesized that focal low BBB permeability values can predict the spatial distribution of hemorrhagic transformation and global high BBB permeability values can predict the likelihood of hemorrhagic transformation. We retrospectively enrolled 106 patients with hemispheric stroke who received intra-arterial thrombolytic treatment. K trans maps were obtained with first-pass perfusion CT data. The K trans values at the region level, obtained with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score system, were compared to determine the differences between the hemorrhagic transformation and nonhemorrhagic transformation regions. The K trans values of the whole ischemic region based on baseline perfusion CT were obtained as a variable to hemorrhagic transformation possibility at the global level. Forty-eight (45.3%) patients had hemorrhagic transformation, and 21 (19.8%) had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. At the region level, there were 82 ROIs with hemorrhagic transformation and parenchymal hemorrhage with a mean K trans , 0.5 ± 0.5/min, which was significantly lower than that in the nonhemorrhagic transformation regions ( P < .01). The mean K trans value of 615 nonhemorrhagic transformation ROIs was 0.7 ± 0.6/min. At the global level, there was a significant difference ( P = .01) between the mean K trans values of patients with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (1.3 ± 0.9) and those without symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (0.8 ± 0.4). Only a high K trans value at the global level could predict the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage ( P < .01; OR = 5.04; 95% CI, 2.01-12.65). Global high K trans values can predict the likelihood of hemorrhagic transformation or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage at the patient level, whereas focal low K trans values can predict the spatial distributions of hemorrhagic transformation at the region level. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Continuous monitoring bed-level dynamics on an intertidal flat: introducing novel stand-alone high-resolution SED-sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhan; Lenting, Walther; van der Wal, Daphne; Bouma, Tjeerd

2015-04-01

Tidal flat morphology is continuously shaped by hydrodynamic force, resulting in highly dynamic bed elevations. The knowledge of short-term bed-level changes is important both for understanding sediment transport processes as well as for assessing critical ecological processes such as e.g. vegetation recruitment chances on tidal flats. Due to the labour involved, manual discontinuous measurements lack the ability to continuously monitor bed-elevation changes. Existing methods for automated continuous monitoring of bed-level changes lack vertical accuracy (e.g., Photo-Electronic Erosion Pin sensor and resistive rod) or limited in spatial application by using expensive technology (e.g., acoustic bed level sensors). A method provides sufficient accuracy with a reasonable cost is needed. In light of this, a high-accuracy sensor (2 mm) for continuously measuring short-term Surface-Elevation Dynamics (SED-sensor) was developed. This SED-sensor makes use of photovoltaic cells and operates stand-alone using internal power supply and data logging system. The unit cost and the labour in deployments is therefore reduced, which facilitates monitoring with a number of units. In this study, the performance of a group of SED-sensors is tested against data obtained with precise manual measurements using traditional Sediment Erosion Bars (SEB). An excellent agreement between the two methods was obtained, indicating the accuracy and precision of the SED-sensors. Furthermore, to demonstrate how the SED-sensors can be used for measuring short-term bed-level dynamics, two SED-sensors were deployed for 1 month at two sites with contrasting wave exposure conditions. Daily bed-level changes were obtained including a severe storm erosion event. The difference in observed bed-level dynamics at both sites was statistically explained by their different hydrodynamic conditions. Thus, the stand-alone SED-sensor can be applied to monitor sediment surface dynamics with high vertical and temporal resolutions, which provides opportunities to pinpoint morphological responses to various forces in a number of environments (e.g. tidal flats, beaches, rivers and dunes).

Direct drive digital servo press with high parallel control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Chikara; Yabe, Jun; Endou, Junichi; Hasegawa, Kiyoshi

2013-12-01

Direct drive digital servo press has been developed as the university-industry joint research and development since 1998. On the basis of this result, 4-axes direct drive digital servo press has been developed and in the market on April of 2002. This servo press is composed of 1 slide supported by 4 ball screws and each axis has linearscale measuring the position of each axis with high accuracy less than μm order level. Each axis is controlled independently by servo motor and feedback system. This system can keep high level parallelism and high accuracy even with high eccentric load. Furthermore the 'full stroke full power' is obtained by using ball screws. Using these features, new various types of press forming and stamping have been obtained by development and production. The new stamping and forming methods are introduced and 'manufacturing' need strategy of press forming with high added value and also the future direction of press forming are also introduced.

Students' Critical Thinking Ability: Description Based on Academic Level and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zetriuslita, Hj.; Ariawan, Rezi; Nufus, Hayatun

2016-01-01

This research aims to describe students' critical thinking ability based on the level academic and gender. The populations of this study were 132 students participating in five classes of Calculus course. The research data obtained through technical tests and interview techniques. This study found that the high level of capability, both male…

Improving self-regulated learning junior high school students through computer-based learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurjanah; Dahlan, J. A.

2018-05-01

This study is back grounded by the importance of self-regulated learning as an affective aspect that determines the success of students in learning mathematics. The purpose of this research is to see how the improvement of junior high school students' self-regulated learning through computer based learning is reviewed in whole and school level. This research used a quasi-experimental research method. This is because individual sample subjects are not randomly selected. The research design used is Pretest-and-Posttest Control Group Design. Subjects in this study were students of grade VIII junior high school in Bandung taken from high school (A) and middle school (B). The results of this study showed that the increase of the students' self-regulated learning who obtain learning with computer-based learning is higher than students who obtain conventional learning. School-level factors have a significant effect on increasing of the students' self-regulated learning.

High level tritiated water monitoring by Bremsstrahlung counting using a silicon drift detector

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

Niemes, S.; Sturm, M.; Michling, R.

2015-03-15

The β-ray induced X-ray spectrometry (BIXS) is a promising technique to monitor the tritium concentration in a fuel cycle of a fusion reactor. For in-situ measurements of high level tritiated water by Bremsstrahlung counting, the characteristics of a low-noise silicon drift detector (SDD) have been examined at the Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK). In static measurements with constant sample volume and tritium concentration, the Bremsstrahlung spectra of tritiated water samples in a concentration range of 0.02 to 15 MBq/ml have been obtained. The volume has been kept constant at 5 cm{sup 3}. The observed spectra are well above the noise threshold.more » In addition to X-rays induced by β-rays, the spectra feature X-ray fluorescence peaks of the surrounding materials. No indications of memory effects have been observed. A linear relation between the X-ray intensity and the tritium concentration was obtained and the lower detection limit of the setup has been determined to 1 MBq ml{sup -1}, assessed by the Curie criterion. In addition, the spectra obtained experimentally could be reproduced with high agreement by Monte-Carlo simulations using the GEANT4-tool-kit. It was found that the present detection system is applicable to non-invasive measurements of high-level tritiated water and the SDD is a convenient tool to detect the low energy Bremsstrahlung X-rays. (authors)« less

[Academic achievement, engagement and burnout among first year medical students].

PubMed

Gómez H, Paula; Pérez V, Cristhian; Parra P, Paula; Ortiz M, Liliana; Matus B, Olga; McColl C, Peter; Torres A, Graciela; Meyer K, Andrea

2015-07-01

Stress may affect the sense of wellbeing and academic achievement of university students. To assess the relationship of academic engagement and burnout with academic achievement among first year medical students. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student and Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS) were applied to 277 first year medical students of four universities. Their results were correlated with the grades obtained in the different courses. Moderately high engagement and low burnout levels were detected. There was a high level of satisfaction with studies and a moderate exhaustion level. Academic achievement was associated with the degree of engagement with studies but not with burnout. Conglomerate analysis detected a group of students with high levels of wellbeing, characterized by high levels of academic engagement and low burnout. Other group had moderate levels of engagement and lack of personal fulfilment. Other group, identified as extenuated, had high levels of personal exhaustion and depersonalization. Finally the disassociated group had a low academic engagement, low emotional exhaustion, high levels of depersonalization and lack of personal fulfillment. Academic achievement is associated with the level of engagement with studies but not with burnout.

Influence of spherical aberration, stimulus spatial frequency, and pupil apodisation on subjective refractions

PubMed Central

Bradley, Arthur; Xu, Renfeng; Thibos, Larry; Marin, Gildas; Hernandez, Martha

2014-01-01

Purpose To test competing hypotheses (Stiles Crawford pupil apodising or superior imaging of high spatial frequencies by the central pupil) for the pupil size independence of subjective refractions in the presence of primary spherical aberration. Methods Subjective refractions were obtained with a variety of test stimuli (high contrast letters, urban cityscape, high and low spatial frequency gratings) while modulating pupil diameter, levels of primary spherical aberration and pupil apodisation. Subjective refractions were also obtained with low-pass and high-pass stimuli and using “darker” and “sharper” subjective criteria. Results Subjective refractions for stimuli containing high spatial frequencies focus a near paraxial region of the pupil and are affected only slightly by level of Seidel spherical aberration, degree of pupil apodisation and pupil diameter, and generally focused a radius of about 1 to 1.5 mm from the pupil centre. Low spatial frequency refractions focus a marginal region of the pupil, and are significantly affected by level of spherical aberration, amount of pupil apodisation, and pupil size. Clinical refractions that employ the “darker” or “sharper” subjective criteria bias the patient to use lower or higher spatial frequencies respectively. Conclusions In the presence of significant levels of spherical aberration, the pupil size independence of subjective refractions occurs with or without Stiles Crawford apodisation for refractions that optimise high spatial frequency content in the image. If low spatial frequencies are optimised by a subjective refraction, spherical refractive error varies with spherical aberration, pupil size, and level of apodisation. As light levels drop from photopic to scotopic, therefore, we expect a shift from pupil size independent to pupil size dependent subjective refractions. Emphasising a “sharper” criterion during subjective refractions will improve image quality for high spatial frequencies and generate pupil size independent refractions. PMID:24397356

Scanning Probe Platform | Materials Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

level; this image obtained using a scanning tunneling microscope shows gray and white clusters of produce high-resolution color images or maps like this one obtained using scanning tunneling luminescence gray clusters. Gold substrate: (Left) STM image reveals the terraces of the H2 flamed substrate. (Right

Lifting as We Climb: A Multiple Case Study of Succession Planning in Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

The nation is facing a shortage of qualified, highly skilled workers. Higher education is not exempt from this phenomenon. In fact, it may be more greatly impacted by the relative age of its workforce and the level of credentials needed to obtain faculty and high-level administrative positions within colleges and universities. As the majority of…

Dietary Patterns and Fitness Level in Mexican Teenagers.

PubMed

Estrada-Reyes, César; Tlatempa-Sotelo, Patricia; Valdés-Ramos, Roxana; Cabañas-Armesilla, María; Manjarrez-Montes-de-Oca, Rafael

2018-01-01

Nowadays, the term "physical fitness" has evolved from sports performance to health status, and it has been considered a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease. In this sense, test batteries have been developed to evaluate physical fitness such as the ALPHA-FIT battery. On the other hand, the analysis of dietary patterns has emerged as an alternative method to study the relationship between diet and chronic noncommunicable diseases. However, the association between dietary patterns and the physical fitness level has not been evaluated in both adults and adolescents. This association is most important in adolescents due to the fact that establishing healthy dietary behaviors and a favorable nutritional profile in early stages of life prevents various chronic-degenerative diseases. To analyze the association between dietary patterns and the level of fitness in Mexican teenagers. We analyzed the relationship between dietary patterns and the fitness level of 42 teenage students in Toluca, Mexico. Students were weighed and measured, and their food intake was recorded for 2 weekdays and one weekend day. Dietary patterns were obtained by factorial analysis. The ALPHA-FIT battery was used to measure the fitness level. Fifty percent of the students were found to have a low fitness level (62.1% men; 37.9% women). There was no association ( X 2 = 0.83) between the dietary patterns "high in fat and sugar," "high in protein", and "low in fat and protein" and the level of physical condition in teens. In this study, all of teenagers with a very low level of fitness obtained a high dietary pattern in protein; however, 40% with a high level of physical condition resulted in the same pattern; that is why we did not find a relationship between the fitness level and the patterns investigated in this study.

Cost-Effective Method for Free-Energy Minimization in Complex Systems with Elaborated Ab Initio Potentials.

PubMed

Bistafa, Carlos; Kitamura, Yukichi; Martins-Costa, Marilia T C; Nagaoka, Masataka; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

2018-06-12

We describe a method to locate stationary points in the free-energy hypersurface of complex molecular systems using high-level correlated ab initio potentials. In this work, we assume a combined QM/MM description of the system although generalization to full ab initio potentials or other theoretical schemes is straightforward. The free-energy gradient (FEG) is obtained as the mean force acting on relevant nuclei using a dual level strategy. First, a statistical simulation is carried out using an appropriate, low-level quantum mechanical force-field. Free-energy perturbation (FEP) theory is then used to obtain the free-energy derivatives for the target, high-level quantum mechanical force-field. We show that this composite FEG-FEP approach is able to reproduce the results of a standard free-energy minimization procedure with high accuracy, while simultaneously allowing for a drastic reduction of both computational and wall-clock time. The method has been applied to study the structure of the water molecule in liquid water at the QCISD/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory, using the sampling from QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. The obtained values for the geometrical parameters and for the dipole moment of the water molecule are within the experimental error, and they also display an excellent agreement when compared to other theoretical estimations. The developed methodology represents therefore an important step toward the accurate determination of the mechanism, kinetics, and thermodynamic properties of processes in solution, in enzymes, and in other disordered chemical systems using state-of-the-art ab initio potentials.

Advanced Multidimensional Separations in Mass Spectrometry: Navigating the Big Data Deluge

PubMed Central

May, Jody C.; McLean, John A.

2017-01-01

Hybrid analytical instrumentation constructed around mass spectrometry (MS) are becoming preferred techniques for addressing many grand challenges in science and medicine. From the omics sciences to drug discovery and synthetic biology, multidimensional separations based on MS provide the high peak capacity and high measurement throughput necessary to obtain large-scale measurements which are used to infer systems-level information. In this review, we describe multidimensional MS configurations as technologies which are big data drivers and discuss some new and emerging strategies for mining information from large-scale datasets. A discussion is included on the information content which can be obtained from individual dimensions, as well as the unique information which can be derived by comparing different levels of data. Finally, we discuss some emerging data visualization strategies which seek to make highly dimensional datasets both accessible and comprehensible. PMID:27306312

The Effect of Prolonged Glucosamine Usage on HbA1c Levels and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Overweight and Obese Middle-Aged Women.

PubMed

Gommans, Yvonne M M; Runhaar, Jos; Jacobs, Marloes L; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita M A

2017-06-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a 2.5-year glucosamine sulfate intervention on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus over 6.5 years in middle-aged women with a body mass index ≥27 kg/m 2 . In total, 407 women were randomized into either oral crystalline glucosamine sulfate or placebo. At baseline, 1 year, 2.5 years, and 6.5 years, a blood sample for the HbA1c level was drawn and questionnaires were taken. After 6.5 years there were missing data for some variables, therefore, multiple imputation was used. With the imputed data, a generalized estimating equation was performed to analyze the effect of glucosamine sulfate usage over 6.5 years. Finally, these analyses were rerun for the 2 subgroups of participants with and without high HbA1c level (≥42 mmol/mol) at baseline. There was no significant effect of a 2.5-year glucosamine sulfate intervention on mean HbA1c level or on obtaining a high HbA1c level or new-onset diabetes mellitus over 6.5 years. The subgroup analyses of participants with and without high HbA1c level at baseline were also not statistically significant. However, participants with a high HbA1c level at baseline had higher odds ratios compared with the participants with a normal HbA1c at baseline. There was no effect of glucosamine sulfate on mean HbA1c level nor on obtaining a high HbA1c level or new-onset diabetes mellitus over 6.5 years, especially in participants with a normal HbA1c level at baseline. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation of the processes in the normal incidence tube for high acoustic pressure levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedotov, E. S.; Khramtsov, I. V.; Kustov, O. Yu.

2016-10-01

Numerical simulation of the acoustic processes in an impedance tube at high levels of acoustic pressure is a way to solve a problem of noise suppressing by liners. These studies used liner specimen that is one cylindrical Helmholtz resonator. The evaluation of the real and imaginary parts of the liner acoustic impedance and sound absorption coefficient was performed for sound pressure levels of 130, 140 and 150 dB. The numerical simulation used experimental data having been obtained on the impedance tube with normal incidence waves. At the first stage of the numerical simulation it was used the linearized Navier-Stokes equations, which describe well the imaginary part of the liner impedance whatever the sound pressure level. These equations were solved by finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics program in axisymmetric formulation. At the second stage, the complete Navier-Stokes equations were solved by direct numerical simulation in ANSYS CFX in axisymmetric formulation. As the result, the acceptable agreement between numerical simulation and experiment was obtained.

High-Level Disinfection of Otorhinolaryngology Clinical Instruments: An Evaluation of the Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Instrument Storage.

PubMed

Yalamanchi, Pratyusha; Yu, Jason; Chandler, Laura; Mirza, Natasha

2018-01-01

Objectives Despite increasing interest in individual instrument storage, risk of bacterial cross-contamination of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments has not been assessed. This study is the first to determine the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of standard high-level disinfection and clinic instrument storage. Methods To assess for cross-contamination, surveillance cultures of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments subject to standard high-level disinfection and storage were obtained at the start and end of the outpatient clinical workday. Rate of microorganism recovery was compared with cultures of instruments stored in individual peel packs and control cultures of contaminated instruments. Based on historical clinic data, the direct allocation method of cost accounting was used to determine aggregate raw material cost and additional labor hours required to process and restock peel-packed instruments. Results Among 150 cultures of standard high-level disinfected and co-located clinic instruments, 3 positive bacterial cultures occurred; 100% of control cultures were positive for bacterial species ( P < .001). There was no statistical difference between surveillance cultures obtained before and after the clinic day. While there was also no significant difference in rate of contamination between peel-packed and co-located instruments, peel packing all instruments requires 6250 additional labor hours, and conservative analyses place the cost of individual semicritical instrument storage at $97,852.50 per year. Discussion With in vitro inoculation of >200 otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments, this study demonstrates that standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally efficacious to more time-consuming and expensive individual instrument storage protocols, such as peel packing, with regard to bacterial contamination. Implications for Practice Standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally effective to labor-intensive and costly individual instrument storage protocols.

Variations in gravitoinertial force level affect the gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex - Implications of the etiology of space motion sickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lackner, J. R.; Graybiel, A.

1981-01-01

Recordings of horizontal nystagmus were obtained on 16 male subjects exposed to repeated patterns of horizontal angular acceleration, constant velocity rotation, and sudden-stop deceleration in the laboratory and in the free-fall and high-force periods of parabolic flight. Nystagmus intensity was a clear function of gravitoinertial force level: slow phase velocity and beat frequency increased during exposure to high force levels and decreased in free-fall compared to values obtained at 1 G. These findings indicate that the gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex decreases in free-fall. This fact likely accounts for the disorientation and dizziness sometimes experienced by astronauts when moving their heads in the early phases of orbital flight and again after splashdown. The implications of the present findings, both for the etiology and for the treatment of space motion sickness, are discussed.

High-temperature partition functions, specific heats and spectral radiative properties of diatomic molecules with an improved calculation of energy levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Z.; Zhao, J. M.; Liu, L. H.

2018-05-01

The level energies of diatomic molecules calculated by the frequently used Dunham expansion will become less accurate for high-lying vibrational and rotational levels. In this paper, the potential curves for the lower-lying electronic states with accurate spectroscopic constants are reconstructed using the Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) method, which are extrapolated to the dissociation limits by fitting of the theoretical potentials, and the rest of the potential curves are obtained from the ab-initio results in the literature. Solving the rotational dependence of the radial Schrödinger equation over the obtained potential curves, we determine the rovibrational level energies, which are then used to calculate the equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamic properties of N2, N2+, NO, O2, CN, C2, CO and CO+. The partition functions and the specific heats are systematically validated by available data in the literature. Finally, we calculate the radiative source strengths of diatomic molecules in thermodynamic equilibrium, which agree well with the available values in the literature. The spectral radiative intensities for some diatomic molecules in thermodynamic non-equilibrium are calculated and validated by available experimental data.

A high-order vertex-based central ENO finite-volume scheme for three-dimensional compressible flows

DOE PAGES

Charest, Marc R.J.; Canfield, Thomas R.; Morgan, Nathaniel R.; ...

2015-03-11

High-order discretization methods offer the potential to reduce the computational cost associated with modeling compressible flows. However, it is difficult to obtain accurate high-order discretizations of conservation laws that do not produce spurious oscillations near discontinuities, especially on multi-dimensional unstructured meshes. A novel, high-order, central essentially non-oscillatory (CENO) finite-volume method that does not have these difficulties is proposed for tetrahedral meshes. The proposed unstructured method is vertex-based, which differs from existing cell-based CENO formulations, and uses a hybrid reconstruction procedure that switches between two different solution representations. It applies a high-order k-exact reconstruction in smooth regions and a limited linearmore » reconstruction when discontinuities are encountered. Both reconstructions use a single, central stencil for all variables, making the application of CENO to arbitrary unstructured meshes relatively straightforward. The new approach was applied to the conservation equations governing compressible flows and assessed in terms of accuracy and computational cost. For all problems considered, which included various function reconstructions and idealized flows, CENO demonstrated excellent reliability and robustness. Up to fifth-order accuracy was achieved in smooth regions and essentially non-oscillatory solutions were obtained near discontinuities. The high-order schemes were also more computationally efficient for high-accuracy solutions, i.e., they took less wall time than the lower-order schemes to achieve a desired level of error. In one particular case, it took a factor of 24 less wall-time to obtain a given level of error with the fourth-order CENO scheme than to obtain the same error with the second-order scheme.« less

Relation of serum molindone levels to serum prolactin levels and antipsychotic response.

PubMed

Pandurangi, A K; Narasimhachari, N; Blackard, W G; Landa, B S

1989-10-01

The antipsychotic drug molindone is considered to be atypical in its mode of action and to have mild side effects. Currently no data are available on the range of serum levels of this drug during treatment. By means of a high performance liquid chromatographic technique, serum molindone levels were measured in 14 psychotic patients receiving a wide range of doses of this drug. Molindone levels as high as 350 ng/mL were obtained and were not associated with any toxic effects. Significant relations were noted between the serum level of the drug and both serum prolactin level and treatment response. The authors suggest that molindone may have a range of serum levels consistent with therapeutic benefit. Serum molindone and prolactin levels might help assess resistance to molindone treatment.

Personality Traits Associated with Altruistic Behavior of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Norman D.; Phillips, Beeman N.

1971-01-01

Among the results were that boys only showed negative" types of traits occurring with low and high levels of altruism, and that positive" types of traits occurred with in-between levels of altruism. Also, both rational-altruistic and conscientious-altruistic types of behavior were presented in the data obtained. (Author)

Ontology-Based High-Level Context Inference for Human Behavior Identification

PubMed Central

Villalonga, Claudia; Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Wajahat Ali; Pomares, Hector; Rojas, Ignacio; Lee, Sungyoung; Banos, Oresti

2016-01-01

Recent years have witnessed a huge progress in the automatic identification of individual primitives of human behavior, such as activities or locations. However, the complex nature of human behavior demands more abstract contextual information for its analysis. This work presents an ontology-based method that combines low-level primitives of behavior, namely activity, locations and emotions, unprecedented to date, to intelligently derive more meaningful high-level context information. The paper contributes with a new open ontology describing both low-level and high-level context information, as well as their relationships. Furthermore, a framework building on the developed ontology and reasoning models is presented and evaluated. The proposed method proves to be robust while identifying high-level contexts even in the event of erroneously-detected low-level contexts. Despite reasonable inference times being obtained for a relevant set of users and instances, additional work is required to scale to long-term scenarios with a large number of users. PMID:27690050

Effect of ammonia-generating diet on ovine serum and follicular fluid ammonia and urea levels, serum oestrogen and progesterone concentrations and granulosa cell functions.

PubMed

Nandi, S; Mondal, S; Pal, D T; Gupta, P S P

2016-04-01

This study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of ammonia-generating diet on serum and follicular fluid ammonia and urea levels, serum oestrogen and progesterone concentrations and granulosa cell growth and secretion parameters in ewes (Ovis aries). Ewes were fed with 14% CP diet (control) or ammonia-generating diet or ammonia-generating diet plus soluble sugar. The serum and follicular fluid ammonia and urea level, serum oestrogen and progesterone levels and granulosa cell (obtained from ovaries of slaughtered ewes) growth parameters and secretory activities were estimated. Ammonia-generating diet (high-protein diet) increased the serum ammonia and urea concentration. Supplementation of soluble sugar significantly reduced the ammonia concentration in serum with comparable levels as in control group; however, the urea level in the same group was higher than that observed in control group. Supplementation of soluble sugar significantly reduced the follicular fluid ammonia concentration; however, the level was significantly higher compared to control group. Supplementation of soluble sugar brought down the follicular fluid urea level comparable to that observed in control group. Oestrogen and progesterone levels remained unchanged in ewes fed with different types of diet. Oestrogen and progesterone secretion were significantly lowered from granulosa cells recovered from ewes fed with high ammonia-generating diet. Low metabolic activity and high incidence of apoptosis were observed in granulosa cells obtained from ovaries of ewes fed with ammonia-generating diet. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Monitoring visitor use in backcountry and wilderness: a review of methods

Treesearch

Steven J. Hollenhorst; Steven A. Whisman; Alan W. Ewert

1992-01-01

Obtaining accurate and usable visitor counts in backcountry and wilderness settings continues to be problematic for resource managers because use of these areas is dispersed and costs can be prohibitively high. An overview of the available methods for obtaining reliable data on recreation use levels is provided. Monitoring methods were compared and selection criteria...

AUTOMATED DECONVOLUTION OF COMPOSITE MASS SPECTRA OBTAINED WITH AN OPEN-AIR IONIZATIONS SOURCE BASED ON EXACT MASSES AND RELATIVE ISOTIPIC ABUNDANCES

EPA Science Inventory

Chemicals dispersed by accidental, deliberate, or weather-related events must be rapidly identified to assess health risks. Mass spectra from high levels of analytes obtained using rapid, open-air ionization by a Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART®) ion source often contain

A high resolution radiation hybrid map of wheat chromosome 4A

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bread wheat has a large and complex allohexaploid genome with low recombination level at chromosome centromeric and peri-centromeric regions. This significantly hampers ordering of markers, contigs of physical maps and sequence scaffolds and impedes obtaining of high-quality reference genome sequenc...

Vitamin D deficiency in patients with neuromuscular diseases with chronic respiratory failure.

PubMed

Badireddi, Sridhar; Bercher, Anita J; Holder, Jason B; Mireles-Cabodevila, Eduardo

2014-07-01

The prevalence and clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency have never been studied in patients with underlying neuromuscular diseases complicated with chronic respiratory failure. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, its relationship with other bone markers, and mode of nutrition. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels along with calcium, serum albumin, and phosphorus levels were obtained from 57 patients with chronic respiratory failure due to underlying neuromuscular diseases. These levels were obtained during their first visit to a chronic respiratory diseases clinic. Data with regard to nutrition, respiratory muscle function, and level of mobility were also obtained at the same time. Seventy-five percent of patients had serum 25(OH)D levels ≤ 30 ng/mL. There is a negative correlation between parathyroid hormone and 25(OH)D levels (P = .006) and corrected calcium levels (P = .066). Serum 25(OH)D levels varied with the mode of nutrition. Patients on enteral nutrition had the highest serum levels of 25(OH)D, whereas combined oral and tube feeds had the lowest 25(OH)D levels (P = .006). Low serum 25(OH)D levels are highly prevalent in patients with neuromuscular disease and chronic respiratory failure. The route of nutrition has an impact on these levels. © 2013 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

A dynamic multiarmed bandit-gene expression programming hyper-heuristic for combinatorial optimization problems.

PubMed

Sabar, Nasser R; Ayob, Masri; Kendall, Graham; Qu, Rong

2015-02-01

Hyper-heuristics are search methodologies that aim to provide high-quality solutions across a wide variety of problem domains, rather than developing tailor-made methodologies for each problem instance/domain. A traditional hyper-heuristic framework has two levels, namely, the high level strategy (heuristic selection mechanism and the acceptance criterion) and low level heuristics (a set of problem specific heuristics). Due to the different landscape structures of different problem instances, the high level strategy plays an important role in the design of a hyper-heuristic framework. In this paper, we propose a new high level strategy for a hyper-heuristic framework. The proposed high-level strategy utilizes a dynamic multiarmed bandit-extreme value-based reward as an online heuristic selection mechanism to select the appropriate heuristic to be applied at each iteration. In addition, we propose a gene expression programming framework to automatically generate the acceptance criterion for each problem instance, instead of using human-designed criteria. Two well-known, and very different, combinatorial optimization problems, one static (exam timetabling) and one dynamic (dynamic vehicle routing) are used to demonstrate the generality of the proposed framework. Compared with state-of-the-art hyper-heuristics and other bespoke methods, empirical results demonstrate that the proposed framework is able to generalize well across both domains. We obtain competitive, if not better results, when compared to the best known results obtained from other methods that have been presented in the scientific literature. We also compare our approach against the recently released hyper-heuristic competition test suite. We again demonstrate the generality of our approach when we compare against other methods that have utilized the same six benchmark datasets from this test suite.

Curriculum in Food Handling and Distribution; a Guide for Experimentation in High School and Post High School Vocational Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stiles, Philip G.; And Others

The project developed an experimental curriculum guide for training persons at the high school and post-high school levels in food handling and distribution. Data were gathered through interviews with over 200 food industries in Connecticut. Courses and curriculums were obtained from six secondary schools and seven post-secondary schools. Some of…

Multiscale assessment of landscape structure in heterogeneous forested area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simoniello, T.; Pignatti, S.; Carone, M. T.; Fusilli, L.; Lanfredi, M.; Coppola, R.; Santini, F.

2010-05-01

The characterization of landscape structure in space or time is fundamental to infer ecological processes (Ingegnoli, 2002). Landscape pattern arrangements strongly influence forest ecological functioning and biodiversity, as an example landscape fragmentation can induce habitat degradation reducing forest species populations or limiting their recolonization. Such arrangements are spatially correlated and scale-dependent, therefore they have distinctive operational-scales at which they can be best characterized (Wu, 2004). In addition, the detail of the land cover classification can have substantial influences on resulting pattern quantification (Greenberg et al.2001). In order to evaluate the influence of the observational scales and labelling details, we investigated a forested area (Pollino National Park; southern Italy) by analyzing the patch arrangement derived from three remote sensing sensors having different spectral and spatial resolutions. In particular, we elaborated data from the hyperspectral MIVIS (102 bands; ~7m) and Hyperion (220 bands; 30m), and the multispectral Landsat-TM (7 bands; 30m). Moreover, to assess the landscape evolution we investigated the hierarchical structure of the study area (landscape, class, patch) by elaborating two Landsat-TM acquired in 1987 and 1998. Preprocessed data were classified by adopting a supervised procedure based on the Minimum Distance classifier. The obtained labelling correspond to Corine level 5 for the high resolution MIVIS data, to Corine level 4 for Hyperion and to an intermediate level 4-3 for TM data. The analysis was performed by taking into account patch density, diversity and evenness at landscape level; mean patch size and interdispersion at class level; patch structure and perimeter regularity at patch level. The three sensors described a landscape with a quite high level of richness and distribution. The high spectral and spatial resolution of MIVIS data provided the highest diversity level (SHDI = 2.05), even if the results obtained for TM were not so different (1.93), Hyperion showed the lowest value (1.79). The obtained evenness index was similar for all the landscapes (~ 0.72). At class level, the interdispersion increases as the spatial and spectral resolution power decrease. Due to the low labelling detail, TM classes represent an aggregation of MIVIS and Hyperion classes; therefore they result larger and more diffused over the territory favouring higher interspersion values in the computation. The investigation of the patch structure highlighted the highest MIVIS capability in describing the patch articulation; Hyperion and TM showed quite similar situation. The historical analysis based on TM imagery showed a fragmentation process for some forested patches (mainly beeches): an increase of structure complexity (higher FRACT) is coupled with a higher patch number and an extension reduction. On the whole, the obtained results showed that the multispectral Landsat-TM images represent a good data source for supporting studies on landscape structure of forested areas and that for analyzing the articulation of particular species the high spectral resolution needs to be coupled with a high spatial resolution, i.e. Hyperion sampling is not adequate for such a purpose.

Effluent characterization from a conical pressurized fluid bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Priem, R. J.; Rollbuhler, R. J.; Patch, R. W.

1977-01-01

To obtain useable corrosion and erosion results it was necessary to have data with several levels of particulate matter in the hot gases. One level of particulate loading was as low as possible so that ideally no erosion and only corrosion occurred. A conical fluidized bed was used to obtain some degree of filtration through the top of the bed which would not be highly fluidized. This would minimize the filtration required for the hot gases or conversely the amount of particulate matter in the hot gases after a given level of filtration by cyclones and/or filters. The data obtained during testing characterized the effluent from the bed at different test conditions. A range of bed heights, coal flows, air flows, limestone flows, and pressure are represented. These tests were made to determine the best operating conditions prior to using the bed to determine erosion and corrosion rates of typical turbine blade materials.

The performance of hematite nanostructures in different humidity levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, W. R. W.; Mamat, M. H.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Khusaimi, Z.; Yusof, M. M.; Ismail, A. S.; Saidi, S. A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

In this study, hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanostructure were prepared in Schott vials on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate using the sonicated immersion method in aqueous solution with ferric chloride FeCl3ṡ6H2O as a precursor and urea NH2-CONH2 as a stabilizer. The samples were characterized for different level of humidity conditions within range 40% to 90% RH. Based on the results obtained, the hematite nanostructure exhibited good optical properties and virtuous sensor response with high sensitivity. The fabricated hematite nanostructure has revealed a good potential for humidity sensor application based on the results obtained under different levels of humidity.

Structural studies of RNA-protein complexes: A hybrid approach involving hydrodynamics, scattering, and computational methods.

PubMed

Patel, Trushar R; Chojnowski, Grzegorz; Astha; Koul, Amit; McKenna, Sean A; Bujnicki, Janusz M

2017-04-15

The diverse functional cellular roles played by ribonucleic acids (RNA) have emphasized the need to develop rapid and accurate methodologies to elucidate the relationship between the structure and function of RNA. Structural biology tools such as X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance are highly useful methods to obtain atomic-level resolution models of macromolecules. However, both methods have sample, time, and technical limitations that prevent their application to a number of macromolecules of interest. An emerging alternative to high-resolution structural techniques is to employ a hybrid approach that combines low-resolution shape information about macromolecules and their complexes from experimental hydrodynamic (e.g. analytical ultracentrifugation) and solution scattering measurements (e.g., solution X-ray or neutron scattering), with computational modeling to obtain atomic-level models. While promising, scattering methods rely on aggregation-free, monodispersed preparations and therefore the careful development of a quality control pipeline is fundamental to an unbiased and reliable structural determination. This review article describes hydrodynamic techniques that are highly valuable for homogeneity studies, scattering techniques useful to study the low-resolution shape, and strategies for computational modeling to obtain high-resolution 3D structural models of RNAs, proteins, and RNA-protein complexes. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-Level Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry, and Catalysis: Not just a Passing Fad.

PubMed

Neese, Frank

2017-09-04

Quantum chemistry can be used as a powerful link between theory and experiment for studying reactions in all areas of catalysis. The key feature of this approach is the combination of quantum chemistry with a range of high-level spectroscopic methods. This allows for conclusions to be reached that neither theory nor experiment would have been able to obtain in isolation. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of High-Pass Filtering on the Neonatal Auditory Brainstem Response to Air- and Bone-Conducted Clicks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Andrew; Yang, Edward Y.

1994-01-01

Simultaneous 3- channel recorded auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were obtained from 20 neonates with various high-pass filter settings and low intensity levels. Results support the advocacy of less restrictive high-pass filtering for neonatal and infant ABR screening to air-conducted and bone-conducted clicks. (Author/JDD)

High-Level Psychophysical Tuning Curves: Forward Masking in Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, David A.

1991-01-01

Forward-masked psychophysical tuning curves were obtained at multiple probe levels from 26 normal-hearing listeners and 24 ears of 21 hearing-impaired listeners with cochlear hearing loss. Results indicated that some cochlear hearing losses influence the sharp tuning capabilities usually associated with outer hair cell function. (Author/JDD)

Use of grape stalk, a waste of the viticulture industry, to obtain activated carbon.

PubMed

Deiana, A C; Sardella, M F; Silva, H; Amaya, A; Tancredi, N

2009-12-15

Grape stalk is an organic waste produced in great amounts in the industrialization processes of grape. This work presents the results of studies carried out to use this waste as raw material to prepare activated carbon through the physical and chemical route. The physicochemical characterization of this material suggests the presence of unusually high levels of ashes. Metal content was determined and high levels of potassium, sodium, iron, calcium and magnesium in carbonized and raw grape stalk were exhibited. This characteristic made difficult physical activation at high temperatures. A leaching step was included before the activation with steam, and adsorbents with surface areas between 700 and 900 m(2)/g were obtained. Physical activation was also performed at lower temperatures using carbonized grape stalk without leaching, leading to the development of some grade of porosity, with an area of 412 m(2)/g. These results would indicate the catalytic effect of the minerals present in this raw material. Chemical activation using phosphoric acid as activating agent seemed to be a very efficient method as final products with BET areas between 1000 and 1500 m(2)/g were obtained.

Pigment metabolism of 'Sikitita' olive ( Olea europaea L.): a new cultivar obtained by cross-breeding.

PubMed

Roca, María; León, Lorenzo; de la Rosa, Raúl

2011-03-09

The new olive cultivar 'Sikitita' was obtained from a cross between the 'Picual' and 'Arbequina' varieties. 'Sikitita' was selected for its features, making it particularly suited to high-density olive hedgerow orchards. From the standpoint of chloroplast pigment metabolism, the fruits of the 'Picual' and 'Arbequina' varieties have significant differences. It is therefore extremely interesting to analyze the descendants of both cultivars. With regard to chlorophyll catabolism, 'Sikitita' has proven to be a cultivar with low pigmentation and low levels of chlorophyllase activity. This is contrary to the findings obtained to date, where varieties with low pigmentation are a consequence of high chlorophyllase activity ('Arbequina') and highly pigmented fruits are due to low chlorophyllase activity ('Picual'). 'Arbequina' was, until recently, the only cultivar described that had developed a carotenogenic process, despite its anthocyanic ripening. However, from its father ('Arbequina'), the 'Sikitita' cultivar has inherited the pool of enzymes necessary to esterify xanthophylls at the chromoplast level. This makes 'Sikitita' a very interesting cultivar, with potential chemotaxonomic differences (such as esterified xanthophylls in the olive oils), and demonstrates the interest in genetic improvement programs for olive cultivars with different organoleptic characteristics.

Energy efficient engine: High pressure turbine uncooled rig technology report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, W. B.

1979-01-01

Results obtained from testing five performance builds (three vane cascades and two rotating rigs of the Energy Efficient Engine uncooled rig have established the uncooled aerodynamic efficiency of the high-pressure turbine at 91.1 percent. This efficiency level was attained by increasing the rim speed and annulus area (AN(2)), and by increasing the turbine reaction level. The increase in AN(2) resulted in a performance improvement of 1.15 percent. At the design point pressure ratio, the increased reaction level rig demonstrated an efficiency of 91.1 percent. The results of this program have verified the aerodynamic design assumptions established for the Energy Efficient Engine high-pressure turbine component.

A detailed analysis of the energy levels configuration existing in the band gap of supersaturated silicon with titanium for photovoltaic applications

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

Pérez, E.; Dueñas, S.; Castán, H.

2015-12-28

The energy levels created in supersaturated n-type silicon substrates with titanium implantation in the attempt to create an intermediate band in their band-gap are studied in detail. Two titanium ion implantation doses (10{sup 13 }cm{sup -2} and 10{sup 14 }cm{sup -2}) are studied in this work by conductance transient technique and admittance spectroscopy. Conductance transients have been measured at temperatures of around 100 K. The particular shape of these transients is due to the formation of energy barriers in the conduction band, as a consequence of the band-gap narrowing induced by the high titanium concentration. Moreover, stationary admittance spectroscopy results suggest the existencemore » of different energy level configuration, depending on the local titanium concentration. A continuum energy level band is formed when titanium concentration is over the Mott limit. On the other hand, when titanium concentration is lower than the Mott limit, but much higher than the donor impurity density, a quasi-continuum energy level distribution appears. Finally, a single deep center appears for low titanium concentration. At the n-type substrate, the experimental results obtained by means of thermal admittance spectroscopy at high reverse bias reveal the presence of single levels located at around E{sub c}-425 and E{sub c}-275 meV for implantation doses of 10{sup 13 }cm{sup −2} and 10{sup 14 }cm{sup −2}, respectively. At low reverse bias voltage, quasi-continuously distributed energy levels between the minimum of the conduction bands, E{sub c} and E{sub c}-450 meV, are obtained for both doses. Conductance transients detected at low temperatures reveal that the high impurity concentration induces a band gap narrowing which leads to the formation of a barrier in the conduction band. Besides, the relationship between the activation energy and the capture cross section values of all the energy levels fits very well to the Meyer-Neldel rule. As it is known, the Meyer-Neldel rule typically appears in processes involving multiple excitations, like carrier capture and emission in deep levels, and it is generally observed in disordered systems. The obtained Meyer-Neldel energy value, 15.19 meV, is very close to the value obtained in multicrystalline silicon samples contaminated with iron (13.65 meV), meaning that this energy value could be associated to the phonons energy in this kind of substrates.« less

29 CFR Appendix to Part 1630 - Interpretive Guidance on Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... persists in critical areas such as housing, public accommodations, education, transportation, communication... environment in which individuals must demonstrate an inappropriately high degree of functional limitation in... courts in numerous decisions, has created an inappropriately high level of limitation necessary to obtain...

76 FR 4549 - Testing of Certain High Production Volume Chemicals; Second Group of Chemicals; Technical Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... Testing of Certain High Production Volume Chemicals; Second Group of Chemicals; Technical Correction... production volume (HPV) chemical substances to obtain screening level data for health and environmental effects and chemical fate. This document is being issued to correct a typographical error concerning the...

Sodium reduction in starter-free Queso Fresco

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Creating lower sodium Queso Fresco (QF) for health conscious consumers is a challenge when this high-moisture, higher pH, starter-free cheese relies on high salt levels to control the microflora and to obtain its signature salty taste. In phase 1, QF made from pasteurized, homogenized bovine milk wi...

Are Public Subsidies to Higher Education Regressive?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, William R.

2006-01-01

This article estimates the dollar amount of public higher education subsidies received by U.S. youth and examines the distribution of subsidies and the taxes that finance them across parental and student income levels. Although youths from high-income families obtain more benefit from higher education subsidies, high-income households pay…

Career Pathways of Female High School Principals in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Tiffany Harris

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify the career pathways of female high school principals for women pursuing a career in educational leadership and female leaders interested in obtaining executive level leadership positions. Despite increased enrollment and of women in educational leadership programs, leadership certification programs, and…

Mean hemoglobin levels in venous blood samples and prevalence of anemia in Japanese elementary and junior high school students.

PubMed

Igarashi, Toru; Itoh, Yasuhiko; Maeda, Miho; Igarashi, Tsutomu; Fukunaga, Yoshitaka

2012-01-01

Screening for anemia has been performed in schools in Japan for over 30 years. The long-term effect of the nuclear power plant disaster on the prevalence of anemia in school age children is unknown. This research was performed to evaluate the prevalence of anemia in school age children and to determine grade-level and gender-related reference hemoglobin (Hb) levels prior to the nuclear disaster. Data for this research were obtained from results of screening for anemia obtained by venous blood sampling in schools in 2002. Mean Hb levels were calculated for each grade level (elementary school grades 1-6 and junior high school years 1-3) and according to gender, and the prevalence of anemia was determined. In our research, Tokyo Health Service Association guidelines were used to determine reference Hb levels for anemia. We demonstrated that Hb levels in boys increased with age during childhood and adolescence (from 13.1 ± 0.7 g/dL in 7 year olds to 14.9 ± 1.1 g/dL in 15 year olds); in girls, Hb levels peaked at menarche (13.7 ± 0.8 g/dL in 12 year olds), decreasing slightly thereafter (13.4 ± 1.1 g/dL in 15 year olds). The prevalence of anemia was 0.26% in elementary school boys, 0.27% in elementary school girls, and 1.21% in junior high school boys. The prevalence of anemia in second- and third-year junior high school girls was lower than that in first-year junior high school girls. Among all junior high school girls, 5.73% had mild anemia. Iron-deficiency anemia is the commonest type of anemia in high school girls, secondary to the relative lack of iron due to menstruation, the growth spurt and exercise. Appropriate dietary therapy and treatment of anemia, together with education about the dietary prevention of anemia, are important to reduce the prevalence of anemia in high school students. When complete blood counts are performed in regions thought to be affected by the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, our report can serve as a reference during evaluation of Hb levels.

Magnetospheric turbulence and substorm expansion phase onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonova, Elizaveta; Stepanova, Marina; Kirpichev, Igor; Pulinets, Maria; Znatkova, Svetlana; Ovchinnikov, Ilya; Kornilov, Ilya; Kornilova, Tatyana

Magnetosphere of the Earth is formed in the process of turbulent solar wind flow around the obstacle -magnetic field of the Earth. The level of turbulence in the magnetosheath and geo-magnetic tail is very high even during periods of comparatively stable solar wind parameters. Such situation requires checking of the most popular concepts of the nature of magnetospheric activity. Properties of magnetosheath and magnetospheric turbulence are analyzed in connec-tion with the problem of the nature of substorms and localization of substorm onset. The large-scale picture of the plasma velocity fluctuations obtained using data of INTERBALL and Geotail observations is analyzed. It is shown that it is possible to select surrounding the Earth at geocentric distances from 7Re till 10Re plasma ring with comparatively low level of fluctuations. Results of observations demonstrating isolated substorm onset inside this ring are summarized. It is shown that the non-contradictory picture of large-scale magnetospheric convection and substorm dynamics can be obtained taking into account high level of magne-tosheath and magnetospheric turbulence.

Selenium Biofortification in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) Sprouting: Effects on Se Yield and Nutritional Traits with Focus on Phenolic Acid Profile.

PubMed

D'Amato, Roberto; Fontanella, Maria Chiara; Falcinelli, Beatrice; Beone, Gian Maria; Bravi, Elisabetta; Marconi, Ombretta; Benincasa, Paolo; Businelli, Daniela

2018-04-25

The contents of total Se and of inorganic and organic Se species, as well as the contents of proteins, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phenolic acids, were measured in 10-day old sprouts of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) obtained with increasing levels (15, 45, 135, and 405 mg Se L -1 ) of sodium selenite and sodium selenate and with distilled water as control. Increasing Se levels increased organic and inorganic Se contents of sprouts, as well as the content of phenolic acids, especially in their soluble conjugated forms. Moderate levels of sodium selenite (i.e., not higher that 45 mg L -1 ) appeared the best compromise to obtain high Se and phenolic acid yields together with high proportion of organic Se while limiting residual Se in the germination substrate waste. Se biofortification of rice sprouts appears a feasible and efficient way to promote Se and phenolic acid intake in human diet, with well-known health benefits.

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Relationship Between Substance Misuse and Weapons Aggression in Urban Adolescents Seeking ED Care

PubMed Central

Goldstick, Jason Elliott; Lipton, Robert I.; Carter, Patrick; Stoddard, Sarah A.; Newton, Manya F.; Reischl, Thomas; Walton, Maureen; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Cunningham, Rebecca M.

2015-01-01

Background Frameworks for studying the ecology of human behavior suggest that multiple levels of the environment influence behavior and that these levels interact. Applied to studies of weapons aggression, this suggests proximal risk factor (e.g., substance use) effects may differ across neighborhoods. Objectives To estimate how the association between weapons aggression and substance use varies as a function of several community-level variables. Methods Individual-level measures (demographics, behavioral measures) were obtained from a survey of youth aged 14–24 years old seeking care at a Level-1 ED in Flint, Michigan. Community-level variables were obtained from public sources. Logistic generalized additive models were used to test whether community-level variables (crime rates, alcohol outlets, demographics) modify the link between individual-level substance use variables and the primary outcome measure: self-reported past 6-month weapon (firearm/knife) related aggression. Results The effect of marijuana misuse on weapons aggression varied significantly as a function of five community-level variables: racial composition, vacant housing rates, female headed household rates, density of package alcohol outlets, and nearby drug crime rates. The effect of high-risk alcohol use did not depend on any of the eight community variables tested. Conclusions The relationship between marijuana misuse and weapons aggression differed across neighborhoods with generally less association in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, while high-risk alcohol use showed a consistently high association with weapons aggression that did not vary across neighborhoods. The results aid in understanding the contributions of alcohol and marijuana use to the etiology of weapon-related aggression among urban youth, but further study in the general population is required. PMID:25607807

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Relationship Between Substance Misuse and Weapons Aggression in Urban Adolescents Seeking ED Care.

PubMed

Goldstick, Jason Elliott; Lipton, Robert I; Carter, Patrick; Stoddard, Sarah A; Newton, Manya F; Reischl, Thomas; Walton, Maureen; Zimmerman, Marc A; Cunningham, Rebecca M

2015-04-01

Frameworks for studying the ecology of human behavior suggest that multiple levels of the environment influence behavior and that these levels interact. Applied to studies of weapons aggression, this suggests proximal risk factor (e.g., substance use) effects may differ across neighborhoods. To estimate how the association between weapons aggression and substance use varies as a function of several community-level variables. Individual-level measures (demographics, behavioral measures) were obtained from a survey of youth aged 14-24 years old seeking care at a Level-1 ED in Flint, Michigan. Community-level variables were obtained from public sources. Logistic generalized additive models were used to test whether community-level variables (crime rates, alcohol outlets, demographics) modify the link between individual-level substance use variables and the primary outcome measure: self-reported past 6-month weapon (firearm/knife) related aggression. The effect of marijuana misuse on weapons aggression varied significantly as a function of five community-level variables: racial composition, vacant housing rates, female headed household rates, density of package alcohol outlets, and nearby drug crime rates. The effect of high-risk alcohol use did not depend on any of the eight community variables tested. The relationship between marijuana misuse and weapons aggression differed across neighborhoods with generally less association in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, while high-risk alcohol use showed a consistently high association with weapons aggression that did not vary across neighborhoods. The results aid in understanding the contributions of alcohol and marijuana use to the etiology of weapon-related aggression among urban youth, but further study in the general population is required.

Probabilistic Learning in Junior High School: Investigation of Student Probabilistic Thinking Levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasih, R.; Sujadi, I.

2017-09-01

This paper was to investigate level on students’ probabilistic thinking. Probabilistic thinking level is level of probabilistic thinking. Probabilistic thinking is thinking about probabilistic or uncertainty matter in probability material. The research’s subject was students in grade 8th Junior High School students. The main instrument is a researcher and a supporting instrument is probabilistic thinking skills test and interview guidelines. Data was analyzed using triangulation method. The results showed that the level of students probabilistic thinking before obtaining a teaching opportunity at the level of subjective and transitional. After the students’ learning level probabilistic thinking is changing. Based on the results of research there are some students who have in 8th grade level probabilistic thinking numerically highest of levels. Level of students’ probabilistic thinking can be used as a reference to make a learning material and strategy.

A laboratory study of subjective annoyance response to sonic booms and aircraft flyovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leatherwood, Jack D.; Sullivan, Brenda M.

1994-01-01

Three experiments were conducted to determine subjective equivalence of aircraft subsonic flyover noise and sonic booms. Two of the experiments were conducted in a loudspeaker-driven sonic boom simulator, and the third in a large room containing conventional loudspeakers. The sound generation system of the boom simulator had a frequency response extending to very low frequencies (about 1 Hz) whereas the large room loudspeakers were limited to about 20 Hz. Subjective equivalence between booms and flyovers was quantified in terms of the difference between the noise level of a boom and that of a flyover when the two were judged equally annoying. Noise levels were quantified in terms of the following noise descriptors: Perceived Level (PL), Perceived Noise Level (PNL), C-weighted sound exposure level (SELC), and A-weighted sound exposure level (SELA). Results from the present study were compared, where possible, to similar results obtained in other studies. Results showed that noise level differences depended upon the descriptor used, specific boom and aircraft noise events being compared and, except for the PNL descriptor, varied between the simulator and large room. Comparison of noise level differences obtained in the present study with those of other studies indicated good agreement across studies only for the PNL and SELA descriptors. Comparison of the present results with assessments of community response to high-energy impulsive sounds made by Working Group 84 of the National Research Council's Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics, and Biomechanics (CHABA) showed good agreement when boom/flyover noise level differences were based on SELA. However, noise level differences obtained by CHABA using SELA for aircraft flyovers and SELC for booms were not in agreement with results obtained in the present study.

Currently used dosage regimens of vancomycin fail to achieve therapeutic levels in approximately 40% of intensive care unit patients.

PubMed

Obara, Vitor Yuzo; Zacas, Carolina Petrus; Carrilho, Claudia Maria Dantas de Maio; Delfino, Vinicius Daher Alvares

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess whether currently used dosages of vancomycin for treatment of serious gram-positive bacterial infections in intensive care unit patients provided initial therapeutic vancomycin trough levels and to examine possible factors associated with the presence of adequate initial vancomycin trough levels in these patients. A prospective descriptive study with convenience sampling was performed. Nursing note and medical record data were collected from September 2013 to July 2014 for patients who met inclusion criteria. Eighty-three patients were included. Initial vancomycin trough levels were obtained immediately before vancomycin fourth dose. Acute kidney injury was defined as an increase of at least 0.3mg/dL in serum creatinine within 48 hours. Considering vancomycin trough levels recommended for serious gram-positive infection treatment (15 - 20µg/mL), patients were categorized as presenting with low, adequate, and high vancomycin trough levels (35 [42.2%], 18 [21.7%], and 30 [36.1%] patients, respectively). Acute kidney injury patients had significantly greater vancomycin trough levels (p = 0.0055, with significance for a trend, p = 0.0023). Surprisingly, more than 40% of the patients did not reach an effective initial vancomycin trough level. Studies on pharmacokinetic and dosage regimens of vancomycin in intensive care unit patients are necessary to circumvent this high proportion of failures to obtain adequate initial vancomycin trough levels. Vancomycin use without trough serum level monitoring in critically ill patients should be discouraged.

A simple but highly efficient multi-formyl phenol-amine system for fluorescence detection of peroxide explosive vapour.

PubMed

Xu, Wei; Fu, Yanyan; Gao, Yixun; Yao, Junjun; Fan, Tianchi; Zhu, Defeng; He, Qingguo; Cao, Huimin; Cheng, Jiangong

2015-07-11

A simple, highly stable, sensitive and selective fluorescent system for peroxide explosives was developed via an aromatic aldehyde oxidation reaction. The high efficiency arises from its higher HOMO level and multiple H-bonding. The sensitivity is obtained to be 0.1 ppt for H2O2 and 0.2 ppb for TATP.

Versatile Indolocarbazole-Isomer Derivatives as Highly Emissive Emitters and Ideal Hosts for Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent OLEDs with Alleviated Efficiency Roll-Off.

PubMed

Zhang, Dongdong; Song, Xiaozeng; Cai, Minghan; Kaji, Hironori; Duan, Lian

2018-02-01

Maintaining high efficiency at high brightness levels is an exigent challenge for real-world applications of thermally activated delayed fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (TADF-OLEDs). Here, versatile indolocarbazole-isomer derivatives are developed as highly emissive emitters and ideal hosts for TADF-OLEDs to alleviate efficiency roll-off. It is observed that photophysical and electronic properties of these compounds can be well modulated by varying the indolocarbazole isomers. A photoluminescence quantum yield (η PL ) approaching unity and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE max ) of 25.1% are obtained for the emitter with indolo[3,2-a]carbazolyl subunit. Remarkably, record-high EQE/power efficiency of 26.2%/69.7 lm W -1 at the brightness level of 5000 cd m -2 with a voltage of only 3.74 V are also obtained using the same isomer as the host in a green TADF-OLED. It is evident that TADF hosts with high η PL values, fast reverse intersystem crossing processes, and balanced charge transport properties may open the path toward roll-off-free TADF-OLEDs. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Generating high precision ionospheric ground-truth measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komjathy, Attila (Inventor); Sparks, Lawrence (Inventor); Mannucci, Anthony J. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture provide ionospheric ground-truth measurements for use in a wide-area augmentation system (WAAS). Ionospheric pseudorange/code and carrier phase data as primary observables is received by a WAAS receiver. A polynomial fit is performed on the phase data that is examined to identify any cycle slips in the phase data. The phase data is then leveled. Satellite and receiver biases are obtained and applied to the leveled phase data to obtain unbiased phase-leveled ionospheric measurements that are used in a WAAS system. In addition, one of several measurements may be selected and data is output that provides information on the quality of the measurements that are used to determine corrective messages as part of the WAAS system.

Study and optimisation of SIMS performed with He+ and Ne+ bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillatsch, L.; Vanhove, N.; Dowsett, D.; Sijbrandij, S.; Notte, J.; Wirtz, T.

2013-10-01

The combination of the high-brightness He+/Ne+ atomic level ion source with the detection capabilities of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) opens up the prospect of obtaining chemical information with high lateral resolution and high sensitivity on the Zeiss ORION helium ion microscope (HIM). A feasibility study with He+ and Ne+ ion bombardment is presented in order to determine the performance of SIMS analyses using the HIM. Therefore, the sputtering yields, useful yields and detection limits obtained for metallic (Al, Ni and W) as well as semiconductor samples (Si, Ge, GaAs and InP) were investigated. All the experiments were performed on a Cameca IMS4f SIMS instrument which was equipped with a caesium evaporator and oxygen flooding system. For most of the elements, useful yields in the range of 10-4 to 3 × 10-2 were measured with either O2 or Cs flooding. SIMS experiments performed directly on the ORION with a prototype secondary ion extraction and detection system lead to results that are consistent with those obtained on the IMS4f. Taking into account the obtained useful yields and the analytical conditions, such as the ion current and typical dwell time on the ORION HIM, detection limits in the at% range and better can be obtained during SIMS imaging at 10 nm lateral resolution with Ne+ bombardment and down to the ppm level when a lateral resolution of 100 nm is chosen. Performing SIMS on the HIM with a good detection limit while maintaining an excellent lateral resolution (<50 nm) is therefore very promising.

Estimating the discharge for ordinary high water levels in Kansas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

The water resource design community in Kansas, including the Kansas Department of Transportation : (KDOT), is required to obtain appropriate permits for construction projects. Projects that involve stream : modification, including drainage structures...

Learning and extinction of a passive avoidance response in mice with high levels of predisposition to catalepsy.

PubMed

Dubrovina, N I; Zinov'ev, D R; Zinov'eva, D V; Kulikov, A V

2009-06-01

This report presents results obtained from comparative analysis of learning and the dynamics of extinction of a conditioned passive avoidance response in ASC mice, which were bred for a high level of predisposition to catalepsy, and in CBA and AKR mice. The following findings were obtained: 1) impairments to the extinction of the memory of fear represent an important symptom of depression in ASC mice; 2) extinction is delayed in CBA mice; and 3) new inhibitory learning occurs quickly in AKR mice. Prolonged retention of the fear memory in ASC mice appears to be related to increased anxiety on prolonged testing without a punishment. The deficit of inhibition of the fear reaction in ASC mice allows this strain to be regarded as a genetic model of depression.

Single-photon-driven high-order sideband transitions in an ultrastrongly coupled circuit-quantum-electrodynamics system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhen; Wang, Yimin; Li, Tiefu; Tian, Lin; Qiu, Yueyin; Inomata, Kunihiro; Yoshihara, Fumiki; Han, Siyuan; Nori, Franco; Tsai, J. S.; You, J. Q.

2017-07-01

We report the experimental observation of high-order sideband transitions at the single-photon level in a quantum circuit system of a flux qubit ultrastrongly coupled to a coplanar waveguide resonator. With the coupling strength reaching 10% of the resonator's fundamental frequency, we obtain clear signatures of higher order red-sideband and first-order blue-sideband transitions, which are mainly due to the ultrastrong Rabi coupling. Our observation advances the understanding of ultrastrongly coupled systems and paves the way to study high-order processes in the quantum Rabi model at the single-photon level.

Professional Education and the Labor Market: Problems of Coordination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochetov, A. N.

2012-01-01

The increasing desire to obtain a higher education in Russia is causing a growing disparity between educational qualifications and the needs of the labor market. Blue-collar jobs of varying levels are difficult to fill, and the demand for the qualification of those with degrees is not sufficient to avoid high levels of unemployment. Ways need to…

How Much Hope Is Enough? Levels of Hope and Students' Psychological and School Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marques, Susana C.; Lopez, Shane J.; Fontaine, Anne Marie; Coimbra, Susana; Mitchell, Joanna

2015-01-01

This study investigated the characteristics of students who report extremely high levels of hope. A sample of 682 students (ages 11-17) completed measures of hope, school engagement, life satisfaction, self-worth, and mental health. Academic achievement was obtained from students' school records. Based on their hope scores, students were divided…

From Dimer to Crystal: Calculating the Cohesive Energy of Rare Gas Solids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpern, Arthur M.

2012-01-01

An upper-level undergraduate project is described in which students perform high-level ab initio computational scans of the potential energy curves for Ne[subscript 2] and Ar[subscript 2] and obtain the respective Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential parameters [sigma] and [epsilon] for the dimers. Using this information, along with the summation of…

Relationship of deoxynivalenol content in grain, chaff, and straw with Fusarium head blight severity in wheat varieties with various levels of resistance.

PubMed

Ji, Fang; Wu, Jirong; Zhao, Hongyan; Xu, Jianhong; Shi, Jianrong

2015-03-05

A total of 122 wheat varieties obtained from the Nordic Genetic Resource Center were infected artificially with an aggressive Fusariumasiaticum strain in a field experiment. We calculated the severity of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and determined the deoxynivalenol (DON) content of wheat grain, straw and glumes. We found DON contamination levels to be highest in the glumes, intermediate in the straw, and lowest in the grain in most samples. The DON contamination levels did not increase consistently with increased FHB incidence. The DON levels in the wheat varieties with high FHB resistance were not necessarily low, and those in the wheat varieties with high FHB sensitivity were not necessarily high. We selected 50 wheat genotypes with reduced DON content for future research. This study will be helpful in breeding new wheat varieties with low levels of DON accumulation.

Impact of high-performance work systems on individual- and branch-level performance: test of a multilevel model of intermediate linkages.

PubMed

Aryee, Samuel; Walumbwa, Fred O; Seidu, Emmanuel Y M; Otaye, Lilian E

2012-03-01

We proposed and tested a multilevel model, underpinned by empowerment theory, that examines the processes linking high-performance work systems (HPWS) and performance outcomes at the individual and organizational levels of analyses. Data were obtained from 37 branches of 2 banking institutions in Ghana. Results of hierarchical regression analysis revealed that branch-level HPWS relates to empowerment climate. Additionally, results of hierarchical linear modeling that examined the hypothesized cross-level relationships revealed 3 salient findings. First, experienced HPWS and empowerment climate partially mediate the influence of branch-level HPWS on psychological empowerment. Second, psychological empowerment partially mediates the influence of empowerment climate and experienced HPWS on service performance. Third, service orientation moderates the psychological empowerment-service performance relationship such that the relationship is stronger for those high rather than low in service orientation. Last, ordinary least squares regression results revealed that branch-level HPWS influences branch-level market performance through cross-level and individual-level influences on service performance that emerges at the branch level as aggregated service performance.

Digital analysis of changes by Plasmodium vivax malaria in erythrocytes.

PubMed

Edison, Maombi; Jeeva, J B; Singh, Megha

2011-01-01

Blood samples of malaria patients (n = 30), selected based on the severity of parasitemia, were divided into low (LP), medium (MP) and high (HP) parasitemia, which represent increasing levels of the disease severity. Healthy subjects (n = 10) without any history of disease were selected as a control group. By processing of erythrocytes images their contours were obtained and from these the shape parameters area, perimeter and form factor were obtained. The gray level intensity was determined by scanning of erythrocyte along its largest diameter. A comparison of these with that of normal cells showed a significant change in shape parameters. The gray level intensity decreases with the increase of severity of the disease. The changes in shape parameters directly and gray level intensity variation inversely are correlated with the increase in parasite density due to the disease.

RGCA: A Reliable GPU Cluster Architecture for Large-Scale Internet of Things Computing Based on Effective Performance-Energy Optimization

PubMed Central

Chen, Qingkui; Zhao, Deyu; Wang, Jingjuan

2017-01-01

This paper aims to develop a low-cost, high-performance and high-reliability computing system to process large-scale data using common data mining algorithms in the Internet of Things (IoT) computing environment. Considering the characteristics of IoT data processing, similar to mainstream high performance computing, we use a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) cluster to achieve better IoT services. Firstly, we present an energy consumption calculation method (ECCM) based on WSNs. Then, using the CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) Programming model, we propose a Two-level Parallel Optimization Model (TLPOM) which exploits reasonable resource planning and common compiler optimization techniques to obtain the best blocks and threads configuration considering the resource constraints of each node. The key to this part is dynamic coupling Thread-Level Parallelism (TLP) and Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP) to improve the performance of the algorithms without additional energy consumption. Finally, combining the ECCM and the TLPOM, we use the Reliable GPU Cluster Architecture (RGCA) to obtain a high-reliability computing system considering the nodes’ diversity, algorithm characteristics, etc. The results show that the performance of the algorithms significantly increased by 34.1%, 33.96% and 24.07% for Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell on average with TLPOM and the RGCA ensures that our IoT computing system provides low-cost and high-reliability services. PMID:28777325

[Radon levels in interiors in Valtellina, on the Angera hills and in the high valley of the Cervo river].

PubMed

Facchini, U; Valli, G; Vecchi, R; Dezzuto, C; Lainati, D; Trabucchi, M T; Bonetti, R; Capra, L

1992-10-01

The results are reported of an investigation carried out from 1988 to 1990 in many houses in various sites in Lombardy and Piedmont. Measurements were actually carried out in Valtellina, in Angera--on the Lombard side of lake Maggiore--and in the high valley of the river Cervo, north of Biella. The patterns of radon immission in houses due to buildings materials and also to soil emissions are described. Average values of radon levels were obtained using track-etch detectors, whereas fluctuations were recorded daily with a unit capable of detecting alpha particles in real time. Some of the values obtained in 28 Valtellina towns were quite high--e.g., about 1,000 Bq/m3 in towns along the Insubrica fault. The area around Bormio and the Masino valley did not exhibit high radioactivity levels. A total number of nearly 100 houses were investigated in Angera; the highest radon concentrations were observed in cellars and especially in the areas where fractures are bigger and more diffuse. One particular house was accurately examined with real-time analysis of radon fluctuations. Four small towns in the pluton area were investigated in the valley of the river Cervo. In this instance, values were generally high (mean concentration: 842 Bq/m3); the highest concentrations were found in cellars and in ground-floor rooms.

RGCA: A Reliable GPU Cluster Architecture for Large-Scale Internet of Things Computing Based on Effective Performance-Energy Optimization.

PubMed

Fang, Yuling; Chen, Qingkui; Xiong, Neal N; Zhao, Deyu; Wang, Jingjuan

2017-08-04

This paper aims to develop a low-cost, high-performance and high-reliability computing system to process large-scale data using common data mining algorithms in the Internet of Things (IoT) computing environment. Considering the characteristics of IoT data processing, similar to mainstream high performance computing, we use a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) cluster to achieve better IoT services. Firstly, we present an energy consumption calculation method (ECCM) based on WSNs. Then, using the CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) Programming model, we propose a Two-level Parallel Optimization Model (TLPOM) which exploits reasonable resource planning and common compiler optimization techniques to obtain the best blocks and threads configuration considering the resource constraints of each node. The key to this part is dynamic coupling Thread-Level Parallelism (TLP) and Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP) to improve the performance of the algorithms without additional energy consumption. Finally, combining the ECCM and the TLPOM, we use the Reliable GPU Cluster Architecture (RGCA) to obtain a high-reliability computing system considering the nodes' diversity, algorithm characteristics, etc. The results show that the performance of the algorithms significantly increased by 34.1%, 33.96% and 24.07% for Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell on average with TLPOM and the RGCA ensures that our IoT computing system provides low-cost and high-reliability services.

How to Analyze the Students’ Thinking Levels Based on SOLO Taxonomy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, U. H.; Mardiyana, M.; Saputro, D. R. S.

2017-09-01

This study aims to determine the extent to which the students ‘thinking level based on SOLO taxonomy in geometry learning viewed from students’ self efficacy (SE). This research utilizes descriptive research with qualitative approach. The data was collected by giving SE questionnaires to 32 students of grade VIII Junior High School which were then categorized into three (high, medium, and low). The subjects of the study were taken by one student in each SE category (high, medium, and low) which then given the problem solving test and the result was triangulated by interview. From this research, it is found that students with high SE can achieve uniructural-relational thinking level, subject with medium SE can be reach the level of unistructural-multistructural thinking, and subject with low SE able to reach unistructural-pristructural level. By paying attention to SE in learning, especially in problem solving process, it is expected that the educator can prepare the learning as well as possible so as to obtain optimal learning achievement.

Statistical analysis of low level atmospheric turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tieleman, H. W.; Chen, W. W. L.

1974-01-01

The statistical properties of low-level wind-turbulence data were obtained with the model 1080 total vector anemometer and the model 1296 dual split-film anemometer, both manufactured by Thermo Systems Incorporated. The data obtained from the above fast-response probes were compared with the results obtained from a pair of Gill propeller anemometers. The digitized time series representing the three velocity components and the temperature were each divided into a number of blocks, the length of which depended on the lowest frequency of interest and also on the storage capacity of the available computer. A moving-average and differencing high-pass filter was used to remove the trend and the low frequency components in the time series. The calculated results for each of the anemometers used are represented in graphical or tabulated form.

A "weight of evidence" approach for the integration of environmental "triad" data to assess ecological risk and biological vulnerability.

PubMed

Dagnino, Alessandro; Sforzini, Susanna; Dondero, Francesco; Fenoglio, Stefano; Bona, Elisa; Jensen, John; Viarengo, Aldo

2008-07-01

A new Expert Decision Support System (EDSS) that can integrate Triad data for assessing environmental risk and biological vulnerability at contaminated sites has been developed. Starting with ecosystem relevance, the EDSS assigns different weights to the results obtained from Triad disciplines. The following parameters have been employed: 1) chemical soil analyses (revealing the presence of potentially dangerous substances), 2) ecotoxicological bioassays (utilizing classical endpoints such as survival and reproduction rates), 3) biomarkers (showing sublethal pollutant effects), and 4) ecological parameters (assessing changes in community structure and functions). For each Triad discipline, the EDSS compares the data obtained at the studied field sites with reference values and calculates different 0-1 indexes (e.g., Chemical Risk Index, Ecotoxicological Risk Index, and Ecological Risk Index). The EDSS output consists of 3 indexes: 1) Environmental Risk index (EnvRI), quantifying the levels of biological damage at population-community level, 2) Biological Vulnerability Index (BVI), assessing the potential threats to biological equilibriums, and 3) Genotoxicity Index (GTI), screening genotoxicity effects. The EDSS has been applied in the integration of a battery of Triad data obtained during the European Union-funded Life Intervention in the Fraschetta Area (LINFA) project, which has been carried out in order to estimate the potential risk from soils of a highly anthropized area (Alessandria, Italy) mainly impacted by deposition of atmospheric pollutants. Results obtained during 4 seasonal sampling campaigns (2004-2005) show maximum values of EnvRI in sites A and B (characterized by industrial releases) and lower levels in site D (affected by vehicular traffic emissions). All 3 potentially polluted sites have shown high levels of BVI and GTI, suggesting a general change from reference conditions (site C).

High load of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA detected in the normal skin of Japanese patients with Merkel cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Hashida, Yumiko; Nakajima, Kimiko; Nakajima, Hideki; Shiga, Takeo; Tanaka, Moe; Murakami, Masanao; Matsuzaki, Shigenobu; Naganuma, Seiji; Kuroda, Naoki; Seki, Yasutaka; Katano, Harutaka; Sano, Shigetoshi; Daibata, Masanori

2016-09-01

Although Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) has the potential to cause Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), it is also found in the normal skin of healthy individuals. However, the mechanism for transformation of MCPyV to an oncogenic form is unknown. To investigate the levels of MCPyV infection in the normal skin patients with MCC compared with those in a control cohort. We studied a total of six Japanese patients with cutaneous MCC. Sun-exposed and sun-unexposed skin swabs were obtained and analyzed for MCPyV loads using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. At first, we found a patient with MCC carrying an extremely high load of MCPyV DNA in normal skin. This unique case prompted us to further explore the levels of MCPyV as skin microbiota in patients with MCC. We showed that MCPyV DNA levels were significantly higher in swabs obtained from normal skin samples of six patients with MCC compared with those from 30 age-matched healthy individuals and 19 patients with other cutaneous cancers. Whereas MCPyV strains obtained from the normal skin of patients with MCC had gene sequences without structural alterations, sequences of the tumor-derived strains showed truncating mutations or deletions. Although the number of patients with MCC studied was small, our findings suggest that MCC may occur with a background of high MCPyV load in the skin, and are expected to stimulate further studies on whether such skin virome levels could be one of predictive markers for the development of MCC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effects of coping on adjustment: Re-examining the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness.

PubMed

Masel, C N; Terry, D J; Gribble, M

1996-01-01

Abstract The primary aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which the effects of coping on adjustment are moderated by levels of event controllability. Specifically, the research tested two revisions to the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness. First, it was hypothesized that the effects of problem management coping (but not problem appraisal coping) would be moderated by levels of event controllability. Second, it was hypothesized that the effects of emotion-focused coping would be moderated by event controllability, but only in the acute phase of a stressful encounter. To test these predictions, a longitudinal study was undertaken (185 undergraduate students participated in all three stages of the research). Measures of initial adjustment (low depression and coping efficacy) were obtained at Time 1. Four weeks later (Time 2), coping responses to a current or a recent stressor were assessed. Based on subjects' descriptions of the event, objective and subjective measures of event controllability were also obtained. Measures of concurrent and subsequent adjustment were obtained at Times 2 and 3 (two weeks later), respectively. There was only weak support for the goodness of fit model of coping effectiveness. The beneficial effects of a high proportion of problem management coping (relative to total coping efforts) on Time 3 perceptions of coping efficacy were more evident in high control than in low control situations. Other results of the research revealed that, irrespective of the controllability of the event, problem appraisal coping strategies and emotion-focused strategies (escapism and self-denigration) were associated with high and low levels of concurrent adjustment, respectively. The effects of these coping responses on subsequent adjustment were mediated through concurrent levels of adjustment.

Heavy metals in soils along unpaved roads in south west Cameroon: Contamination levels and health risks.

PubMed

Ngole-Jeme, Veronica M

2016-04-01

Soils enriched with heavy metals from vehicular emission present a significant exposure route of heavy metals to individuals using unpaved roads. This study assessed the extent of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination of soils along unpaved roads in Cameroon, and the health risks presented by incidental ingestion and dermal contact with the soils using metal contamination factor (CF) pollution load index, hazard quotients (HQ) and chronic hazard index (CHI). CF values obtained (0.9-12.2) indicate moderate to high contamination levels. HQ values for Cr, Cd and Pb exceeded the reference doses. Moderate health hazard exists for road users in the areas with intense anthropogenic activities and high average daily traffic (ADT) volume according to CHI values (1-4) obtained. The economy and quality of life in cities with unpaved roads could be threatened by health challenges resulting from long-term exposure to heavy metal derived from high ADT volumes.

Design of a fast computer-based partial discharge diagnostic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliva, Jose R.; Karady, G. G.; Domitz, Stan

1991-01-01

Partial discharges cause progressive deterioration of insulating materials working in high voltage conditions and may lead ultimately to insulator failure. Experimental findings indicate that deterioration increases with the number of discharges and is consequently proportional to the magnitude and frequency of the applied voltage. In order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration produced by partial discharges, instrumentation capable of individual pulse resolution is required. A new computer-based partial discharge detection system was designed and constructed to conduct long duration tests on sample capacitors. This system is capable of recording large number of pulses without dead time and producing valuable information related to amplitude, polarity, and charge content of the discharges. The operation of the system is automatic and no human supervision is required during the testing stage. Ceramic capacitors were tested at high voltage in long duration tests. The obtained results indicated that the charge content of partial discharges shift towards high levels of charge as the level of deterioration in the capacitor increases.

Generation of Ince-Gaussian beams in highly efficient, nanosecond Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, J.; Ma, J.; Ren, Y. Y.; Xu, G. Z.; Kaminskii, A. A.

2013-08-01

Direct generation of higher-order Ince-Gaussian (IG) beams from laser-diode end-pumped Cr, Nd:YAG self-Q-switched microchip lasers was achieved with high efficiency and high repetition rate. An average output power of over 2 W was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 8.2 W a corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency of 25% was achieved. Various IG modes with nanosecond pulse width and peak power of over 2 kW were obtained in laser-diode pumped Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers under different pump power levels by applying a tilted, large area pump beam. The effect of the inversion population distribution induced by the tilted pump beam and nonlinear absorption of Cr4+-ions for different pump power levels on the oscillation of higher-order IG modes in Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers is addressed. The higher-order IG mode oscillation has a great influence on the laser performance of Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers.

Successful Students in an Open and Distance Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puspitasari, Kristanti Ambar; Oetoyo, Boedhi

2018-01-01

Learning in a higher education institution that applies an open and distance learning system requires the students to study as independent learners. This research is a survey research with the purpose of exploring the characteristics, habits and learning motivation of high-achiever students or those who obtained a high level of Grade Point Average…

Job strain and ambulatory work blood pressure in healthy young men and women.

PubMed

Light, K C; Turner, J R; Hinderliter, A L

1992-08-01

The effect of high job strain (defined as high psychological demands plus low decision latitude at work) on blood pressure was determined in 129 healthy, nonhypertensive men (n = 65) and women (n = 64). Blood pressure measures included mean screening levels obtained in a clinical environment, mean ambulatory levels from one 8-hour workday, and the change in levels from screening to mean work levels. In male workers, men with high and low job strain showed similar blood pressures at screening, but men with high job strain showed greater increases from screening to work, resulting in higher mean work blood pressure. Occupational status was unrelated to job strain or blood pressure in men. In female workers, women with high and low job strain did not differ in any measure of blood pressure; however, there were trends for higher occupational status and greater skill discretion to be associated with higher blood pressure responses at work in women.

Deep learning for studies of galaxy morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuccillo, D.; Huertas-Company, M.; Decencière, E.; Velasco-Forero, S.

2017-06-01

Establishing accurate morphological measurements of galaxies in a reasonable amount of time for future big-data surveys such as EUCLID, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope or the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope is a challenge. Because of its high level of abstraction with little human intervention, deep learning appears to be a promising approach. Deep learning is a rapidly growing discipline that models high-level patterns in data as complex multilayered networks. In this work we test the ability of deep convolutional networks to provide parametric properties of Hubble Space Telescope like galaxies (half-light radii, Sérsic indices, total flux etc..). We simulate a set of galaxies including point spread function and realistic noise from the CANDELS survey and try to recover the main galaxy parameters using deep-learning. We compare the results with the ones obtained with the commonly used profile fitting based software GALFIT. This way showing that with our method we obtain results at least equally good as the ones obtained with GALFIT but, once trained, with a factor 5 hundred time faster.

Comprehensive characterisation of flame retardants in textile furnishings by ambient high resolution mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and environmental forensic microscopy.

PubMed

Ionas, Alin C; Ballesteros Gómez, Ana; Uchida, Natsuyo; Suzuki, Go; Kajiwara, Natsuko; Takata, Kyoko; Takigami, Hidetaka; Leonards, Pim E G; Covaci, Adrian

2015-10-01

The presence and levels of flame retardants (FRs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), was determined in textile home furnishings, such as carpets and curtains from stores in Belgium. A comprehensive characterisation of FRs in textile was done by ambient high resolution mass spectrometry (qualitative screening), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (quantitation), and environmental forensic microscopy (surface distribution). Ambient ionisation coupled to a time-of-flight (TOF) high resolution mass spectrometer (direct probe-TOF-MS) was investigated for the rapid screening of FRs. Direct probe-TOF-MS proved to be useful for a first screening step of textiles to detect FRs below the levels required to impart flame retardancy and to reduce, in this way, the number of samples for further quantitative analysis. Samples were analysed by GC-MS to confirm the results obtained by ambient mass spectrometry and to obtain quantitative information. The levels of PBDEs and PFRs were typically too low to impart flame retardancy. Only high levels of BDE-209 (11-18% by weight) were discovered and investigated in localised hotspots by employing forensic microscopy techniques. Most of the samples were made of polymeric materials known to be inherently flame retarded to some extent, so it is likely that other alternative and halogen-free FR treatments/solutions are preferred for the textiles on the Belgian market. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating the discharge for ordinary high water levels in Kansas : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

The water resource design community in Kansas, including the Kansas Department : of Transportation (KDOT), is required to obtain appropriate permits for construction : projects. Projects that involve stream modification, including drainage structures...

Hypercalcemia

MedlinePlus

... located in the neck behind the thyroid gland. Vitamin D is obtained when the skin is exposed to sunlight, and from dietary sources. The most common cause of high calcium blood level is excess PTH released by the parathyroid glands. This excess ...

Changes in Triglyceride Levels Over Time and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Young Men

PubMed Central

Tirosh, Amir; Shai, Iris; Bitzur, Rafael; Kochba, Ilan; Tekes-Manova, Dorit; Israeli, Eran; Shochat, Tzippora; Rudich, Assaf

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE—The association between changes in triglyceride concentrations over time and diabetes is unknown. We assessed whether two triglyceride determinations obtained 5 years apart can predict incident type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Triglyceride levels at baseline (time 1) and 5 years later (time 2), followed by subsequent follow-up of 5.5 years, were measured in 13,953 apparently healthy men (age 26–45 years) with triglycerides <300 mg/dl (<3.39 mmol/l). RESULTS—During 76,742 person-years, 322 cases of diabetes occurred. A multivariate model adjusted for age, BMI, total cholesterol–to–HDL cholesterol ratio, family history of diabetes, fasting glucose, blood pressure, physical activity, and smoking status revealed a continuous independent rise in incident diabetes with increasing time 1 triglyceride levels (Ptrend < 0.001). Men in the lowest tertile of time 1 triglyceride levels who progressed to the highest tertile over follow-up (low-high) exhibited a hazard ratio (HR) of 12.62 (95% CI 3.52–31.34) compared with those remaining in the lowest tertile at both time points (reference group: low-low). Whereas men who were at the top triglyceride level tertile throughout follow-up (high-high) had a HR for diabetes of 7.08 (2.52–14.45), those whose triglyceride level decreased to the lowest tertile (high-low) exhibited a HR of 1.97 (0.67–6.13). Alterations in triglyceride levels during follow-up were associated with changes in BMI, physical activity, and eating breakfast habit (P < 0.05), but remained an independent modifier of diabetes risk even after adjustment for such changes. CONCLUSIONS—Two measurements of fasting triglyceride levels obtained 5 years apart can assist in identifying apparently healthy young men at increased risk for diabetes, independent of traditional risk factors and of associated changes in BMI and lifestyle parameters. PMID:18591400

Changes in triglyceride levels over time and risk of type 2 diabetes in young men.

PubMed

Tirosh, Amir; Shai, Iris; Bitzur, Rafael; Kochba, Ilan; Tekes-Manova, Dorit; Israeli, Eran; Shochat, Tzippora; Rudich, Assaf

2008-10-01

The association between changes in triglyceride concentrations over time and diabetes is unknown. We assessed whether two triglyceride determinations obtained 5 years apart can predict incident type 2 diabetes. Triglyceride levels at baseline (time 1) and 5 years later (time 2), followed by subsequent follow-up of 5.5 years, were measured in 13,953 apparently healthy men (age 26-45 years) with triglycerides <300 mg/dl (<3.39 mmol/l). During 76,742 person-years, 322 cases of diabetes occurred. A multivariate model adjusted for age, BMI, total cholesterol-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, family history of diabetes, fasting glucose, blood pressure, physical activity, and smoking status revealed a continuous independent rise in incident diabetes with increasing time 1 triglyceride levels (P(trend) < 0.001). Men in the lowest tertile of time 1 triglyceride levels who progressed to the highest tertile over follow-up (low-high) exhibited a hazard ratio (HR) of 12.62 (95% CI 3.52-31.34) compared with those remaining in the lowest tertile at both time points (reference group: low-low). Whereas men who were at the top triglyceride level tertile throughout follow-up (high-high) had a HR for diabetes of 7.08 (2.52-14.45), those whose triglyceride level decreased to the lowest tertile (high-low) exhibited a HR of 1.97 (0.67-6.13). Alterations in triglyceride levels during follow-up were associated with changes in BMI, physical activity, and eating breakfast habit (P < 0.05), but remained an independent modifier of diabetes risk even after adjustment for such changes. Two measurements of fasting triglyceride levels obtained 5 years apart can assist in identifying apparently healthy young men at increased risk for diabetes, independent of traditional risk factors and of associated changes in BMI and lifestyle parameters.

Alterations in hepatic one-carbon metabolism and related pathways following a high-fat dietary intervention.

PubMed

Rubio-Aliaga, Isabel; Roos, Baukje de; Sailer, Manuela; McLoughlin, Gerard A; Boekschoten, Mark V; van Erk, Marjan; Bachmair, Eva-Maria; van Schothorst, Evert M; Keijer, Jaap; Coort, Susan L; Evelo, Chris; Gibney, Michael J; Daniel, Hannelore; Muller, Michael; Kleemann, Robert; Brennan, Lorraine

2011-04-27

Obesity frequently leads to insulin resistance and the development of hepatic steatosis. To characterize the molecular changes that promote hepatic steatosis, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics technologies were applied to liver samples from C57BL/6J mice obtained from two independent intervention trials. After 12 wk of high-fat feeding the animals became obese, hyperglycemic, and insulin resistant, had elevated levels of blood cholesterol and VLDL, and developed hepatic steatosis. Nutrigenomic analysis revealed alterations of key metabolites and enzyme transcript levels of hepatic one-carbon metabolism and related pathways. The hepatic oxidative capacity and the lipid milieu were significantly altered, which may play a key role in the development of insulin resistance. Additionally, high choline levels were observed after the high-fat diet. Previous studies have linked choline levels with insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in conjunction with changes of certain metabolites and enzyme levels of one-carbon metabolism. The present results suggest that the coupling of high levels of choline and low levels of methionine plays an important role in the development of insulin resistance and liver steatosis. In conclusion, the complexities of the alterations induced by high-fat feeding are multifactorial, indicating that the interplay between several metabolic pathways is responsible for the pathological consequences.

Does bacteremia occur during high pressure lavage of contaminated wounds?

PubMed

Tabor, O B; Bosse, M J; Hudson, M C; Greene, K G; Nousiainen, M T; Meyer, R A; Sims, S H; Kellam, J F

1998-02-01

The risk of bacteremia secondary to high pressure lavage of contaminated wounds was assessed. Twenty canines were divided randomly into four treatment groups. A 10-cm incision was made over the left shoulder of each dog. The deltoideus muscle was disrupted and traumatized. Groups A and B (n = 8) had wound contamination with 1.4 x 10(9) Staphylococcus aureus followed 75 minutes later by high pressure lavage or bulb syringe irrigation, respectively. Groups C and D (n = 2) had no contamination, followed by the same treatment. Bacterial counts were obtained before and after wound irrigation. Blood cultures were obtained before, during, and 15 minutes after irrigation. Positive control cultures were obtained during injection of bacteria into the antecubital vein. A detectable bacteremia did not occur during or after high pressure lavage or bulb syringe irrigation of acute contaminated wounds but did occur in 18 of 20 positive controls. Bacterial levels were reduced by an average of 70% +/- 10% by high pressure lavage and 44% +/- 50% by bulb irrigation. Reduction of wound bacteria was achieved more consistently with high pressure lavage than with bulb syringe irrigation.

An Empirical Investigation of Differences between Mathematics Specialists and Non-Specialists at the High School Level in Cyprus: A Logistic Regression Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanastasiou, Elena C.; Zembylas, Michalinos

2006-01-01

The data obtained from high-school seniors for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) for the country of Cyprus appear to be contradictory. Although Cypriot students did not perform well in mathematics in elementary school, middle school, and in the non-advanced sectors of high school, students in advanced mathematics…

Application of orange peel waste in the production of solid biofuels and biosorbents.

PubMed

Santos, Carolina Monteiro; Dweck, Jo; Viotto, Renata Silva; Rosa, André Henrique; de Morais, Leandro Cardoso

2015-11-01

This work aimed to study the potential use of pyrolyzed orange peels as solid biofuels and biosorption of heavy metals. The dry biomass and the biofuel showed moderate levels of carbon (44-62%), high levels of oxygen (30-47%), lower levels of hydrogen (3-6%), nitrogen (1-2.6%), sulfur (0.4-0.8%) and ash with a maximum of 7.8%. The activation energy was calculated using Kissinger method, involving a 3 step process: volatilization of water, biomass degradation and volatilization of the degradation products. The calorific value obtained was 19.3MJ/kg. The studies of metal biosorption based on the Langmuir model obtained the best possible data fits. The results obtained in this work indicated that the potential use of waste orange peel as a biosorbent and as a solid biofuel are feasible, this product could be used in industrial processes, favoring the world economy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of a capability for aerodynamic testing of large-scale wing sections in a simulated natural rain environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bezos, Gaudy M.; Cambell, Bryan A.; Melson, W. Edward

1989-01-01

A research technique to obtain large-scale aerodynamic data in a simulated natural rain environment has been developed. A 10-ft chord NACA 64-210 wing section wing section equipped with leading-edge and trailing-edge high-lift devices was tested as part of a program to determine the effect of highly-concentrated, short-duration rainfall on airplane performance. Preliminary dry aerodynamic data are presented for the high-lift configuration at a velocity of 100 knots and an angle of attack of 18 deg. Also, data are presented on rainfield uniformity and rainfall concentration intensity levels obtained during the calibration of the rain simulation system.

Critical Thinking Skills of Students through Mathematics Learning with ASSURE Model Assisted by Software Autograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristianti, Y.; Prabawanto, S.; Suhendra, S.

2017-09-01

This study aims to examine the ability of critical thinking and students who attain learning mathematics with learning model ASSURE assisted Autograph software. The design of this study was experimental group with pre-test and post-test control group. The experimental group obtained a mathematics learning with ASSURE-assisted model Autograph software and the control group acquired the mathematics learning with the conventional model. The data are obtained from the research results through critical thinking skills tests. This research was conducted at junior high school level with research population in one of junior high school student in Subang Regency of Lesson Year 2016/2017 and research sample of class VIII student in one of junior high school in Subang Regency for 2 classes. Analysis of research data is administered quantitatively. Quantitative data analysis was performed on the normalized gain level between the two sample groups using a one-way anova test. The results show that mathematics learning with ASSURE assisted model Autograph software can improve the critical thinking ability of junior high school students. Mathematical learning using ASSURE-assisted model Autograph software is significantly better in improving the critical thinking skills of junior high school students compared with conventional models.

FOCUSING OF HIGH POWER ULTRASOUND BEAMS AND LIMITING VALUES OF SHOCK WAVE PARAMETERS

PubMed Central

Bessonova, O.V.; Khokhlova, V.A.; Bailey, M.R.; Canney, M.S.; Crum, L.A.

2009-01-01

In this work, the influence of nonlinear and diffraction effects on amplification factors of focused ultrasound systems is investigated. The limiting values of acoustic field parameters obtained by focusing of high power ultrasound are studied. The Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation was used for the numerical modeling. Solutions for the nonlinear acoustic field were obtained at output levels corresponding to both pre- and post- shock formation conditions in the focal area of the beam in a weakly dissipative medium. Numerical solutions were compared with experimental data as well as with known analytic predictions. PMID:20161349

FOCUSING OF HIGH POWER ULTRASOUND BEAMS AND LIMITING VALUES OF SHOCK WAVE PARAMETERS.

PubMed

Bessonova, O V; Khokhlova, V A; Bailey, M R; Canney, M S; Crum, L A

2009-07-21

In this work, the influence of nonlinear and diffraction effects on amplification factors of focused ultrasound systems is investigated. The limiting values of acoustic field parameters obtained by focusing of high power ultrasound are studied. The Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation was used for the numerical modeling. Solutions for the nonlinear acoustic field were obtained at output levels corresponding to both pre- and post- shock formation conditions in the focal area of the beam in a weakly dissipative medium. Numerical solutions were compared with experimental data as well as with known analytic predictions.

Focusing of high power ultrasound beams and limiting values of shock wave parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessonova, O. V.; Khokhlova, V. A.; Bailey, M. R.; Canney, M. S.; Crum, L. A.

2009-10-01

In this work, the influence of nonlinear and diffraction effects on amplification factors of focused ultrasound systems is investigated. The limiting values of acoustic field parameters obtained by focusing of high power ultrasound are studied. The Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation was used for the numerical modeling. Solutions for the nonlinear acoustic field were obtained at output levels corresponding to both pre- and post-shock formation conditions in the focal area of the beam in a weakly dissipative medium. Numerical solutions were compared with experimental data as well as with known analytic predictions.

High-resolution threshold photoionization of N2O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiedmann, R. T.; Grant, E. R.; Tonkyn, R. G.; White, M. G.

1991-01-01

Pulsed field ionization (PFI) has been used in conjunction with a coherent VUV source to obtain high-resolution threshold photoelectron spectra for the (000), (010), (020), and (100) vibrational states of the N2O(+) cation. Simulations for the rotational profiles of each vibronic level were obtained by fitting the Buckingham-Orr-Sichel equations using accurate spectroscopic constants for the ground states of the neutral and the ion. The relative branch intensities are interpreted in terms of the partial waves of the outgoing photoelectron to which the ionic core is coupled and in terms of the angular momentum transferred to the core.

Group III Acceptors with Shallow and Deep Levels in Silicon Carbide: ESR and ENDOR Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Il'in, I. V.; Uspenskaya, Yu. A.; Kramushchenko, D. D.; Muzafarova, M. V.; Soltamov, V. A.; Mokhov, E. N.; Baranov, P. G.

2018-04-01

Results of investigations of Group III acceptors (B, Al, and Ga) in crystals of silicon carbide using the most informative electron spin resonance and electron nuclear double resonance methods are presented. Structural models of the acceptors with shallow and deep levels are considered. In addition to the data obtained earlier, studies using high-frequency magnetic resonance were obtained, which allowed revealing orthorhombic deviations from the axial symmetry for the deep acceptors; theoretical analysis explains experimentally found shifts of g factors for the deep acceptors arising due to the orthorhombic deviations, which appear probably due to the Jahn-Teller effect.

Bilingual parallel programming

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

Foster, I.; Overbeek, R.

1990-01-01

Numerous experiments have demonstrated that computationally intensive algorithms support adequate parallelism to exploit the potential of large parallel machines. Yet successful parallel implementations of serious applications are rare. The limiting factor is clearly programming technology. None of the approaches to parallel programming that have been proposed to date -- whether parallelizing compilers, language extensions, or new concurrent languages -- seem to adequately address the central problems of portability, expressiveness, efficiency, and compatibility with existing software. In this paper, we advocate an alternative approach to parallel programming based on what we call bilingual programming. We present evidence that this approach providesmore » and effective solution to parallel programming problems. The key idea in bilingual programming is to construct the upper levels of applications in a high-level language while coding selected low-level components in low-level languages. This approach permits the advantages of a high-level notation (expressiveness, elegance, conciseness) to be obtained without the cost in performance normally associated with high-level approaches. In addition, it provides a natural framework for reusing existing code.« less

High-Level Football and Appropriations to Universities: Are Sports-Crazed Representatives Responsive to NCAA Divisional Affiliation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Willis A.

2015-01-01

Does fielding a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program help an institution of higher education obtain aid in the form of state appropriations? Two published studies have found some evidence of a positive correlation between having an FBS-level football program and the amount of appropriations received by public universities. This study looked to…

Cosmic Rays with Portable Geiger Counters: From Sea Level to Airplane Cruise Altitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanco, Francesco; La Rocca, Paola; Riggi, Francesco

2009-01-01

Cosmic ray count rates with a set of portable Geiger counters were measured at different altitudes on the way to a mountain top and aboard an aircraft, between sea level and cruise altitude. Basic measurements may constitute an educational activity even with high school teams. For the understanding of the results obtained, simulations of extensive…

Learning Experiment: Determine Effectiveness of Controlling Environmental Distractions at the Student Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumter, Paul Edward

The purpose of this study was to see if learning could be improved by controlling the environment at the individual student's level. A pretest, post-test, random choice design was chosen to obtain data from over 900 subjects of technical-vocational schools, area community colleges, and high schools of Iowa, with emphasis on grades 11 and 12 and…

Experimental Energy Levels and Partition Function of the 12C2 Molecule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furtenbacher, Tibor; Szabó, István; Császár, Attila G.; Bernath, Peter F.; Yurchenko, Sergei N.; Tennyson, Jonathan

2016-06-01

The carbon dimer, the 12C2 molecule, is ubiquitous in astronomical environments. Experimental-quality rovibronic energy levels are reported for 12C2, based on rovibronic transitions measured for and among its singlet, triplet, and quintet electronic states, reported in 42 publications. The determination utilizes the Measured Active Rotational-Vibrational Energy Levels (MARVEL) technique. The 23,343 transitions measured experimentally and validated within this study determine 5699 rovibronic energy levels, 1325, 4309, and 65 levels for the singlet, triplet, and quintet states investigated, respectively. The MARVEL analysis provides rovibronic energies for six singlet, six triplet, and two quintet electronic states. For example, the lowest measurable energy level of the {{a}}{}3{{{\\Pi }}}{{u}} state, corresponding to the J = 2 total angular momentum quantum number and the F 1 spin-multiplet component, is 603.817(5) cm-1. This well-determined energy difference should facilitate observations of singlet-triplet intercombination lines, which are thought to occur in the interstellar medium and comets. The large number of highly accurate and clearly labeled transitions that can be derived by combining MARVEL energy levels with computed temperature-dependent intensities should help a number of astrophysical observations as well as corresponding laboratory measurements. The experimental rovibronic energy levels, augmented, where needed, with ab initio variational ones based on empirically adjusted and spin-orbit coupled potential energy curves obtained using the Duo code, are used to obtain a highly accurate partition function, and related thermodynamic data, for 12C2 up to 4000 K.

Hundred-watt-level high power random distributed feedback Raman fiber laser at 1150 nm and its application in mid-infrared laser generation.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanwei; Zhou, Pu; Wang, Xiong; Du, Xueyuan; Xiao, Hu; Xu, Xiaojun

2015-06-29

Two kinds of hundred-watt-level random distributed feedback Raman fiber have been demonstrated. The optical efficiency can reach to as high as 84.8%. The reported power and efficiency of the random laser is the highest one as we know. We have also demonstrated that the developed random laser can be further used to pump a Ho-doped fiber laser for mid-infrared laser generation. Finally, 23 W 2050 nm laser is achieved. The presented laser can obtain high power output efficiently and conveniently and opens a new direction for high power laser sources at designed wavelength.

Epitaxial strain relaxation by provoking edge dislocation dipoles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soufi, A.; El-Hami, K.

2018-02-01

Thin solid films have been used in various devices and engineering systems such as rapid development of highly integrated electronic circuits, the use of surface coatings to protect structural materials in high temperature environments, and thin films are integral parts of many micro-electro-mechanical systems designed to serve as sensors, actuators. Among techniques of ultra-thin films deposition, the heteroepitaxial method becomes the most useful at nanoscale level to obtain performed materials in various applications areas. On the other hand, stresses that appeared during the elaboration of thin films could rise deformations and fractures in materials. The key solution to solve this problem at the nanoscale level is the nucleation of interface dislocations from free surfaces. By provoking edge dislocation dipoles we obtained a strain relaxation in thin films. Moreover, the dynamic of nucleation in edge dislocations from free lateral surfaces was also studied.

Polarization operator of a photon in a magnetic field

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

Katkov, V. M., E-mail: V.M.Katkov@inp.nsk.su

2016-08-15

The polarization operator of a photon in a static uniform magnetic field has been studied at photon energies both above and below the threshold of electron–positron pair production by a photon. In the first order of the fine-structure constant α, expressions for the refractive index of a photon with a certain polarization in both low and high fields as compared to the critical field H{sub 0} = 4.41 × 10{sup 13} G have been obtained. Both the purely quantum range of photon energies, where the particles of a pair are produced at the lowest Landau levels, and the region ofmore » applicability of the semiclassical approximation in the case of the population of high energy levels have been considered. A general spectral integral formula has been obtained with divergent threshold terms separated in an explicit form.« less

[Genetic polymorphism of Gentiana lutea L. (Gentianaceae) populations from Chornohora Ridge of Ukrainian Carpathians].

PubMed

Mosula, M Z; Konvaliuk, I I; Mel'nyk, V M; Drobyk, N M; Tsaryk, I V; Nesteruk, Iu I; Kunakh, V A

2014-01-01

The features of genetic structure and level of diversity were investigated for G. lutea populations from Chornohora Ridge of Ukrainian Carpathians using RAPD- and ISSR-PCR. We have shown a high level of genetic diversity for investigated populations. The differences between populations account for 59-72% of the total genetic variation, whereas intrapopulation polymorphism makes up 28-41%. The relationships among genetic variability level and ecological-geographical conditions as well as biological features of the species were assumed to be possible. The obtained results indicate the genetic isolation of G. lutea Chornohora populations from Ukrainian Carpathians. Pozhyzhevska agropopulation was characterized by a high level of polymorphism that means the possibility to use artificial plantings of the investigated species for its conservation.

Low power arcjet performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, Francis M.; Sarmiento, Charles J.

1990-01-01

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate arc jet operation at low power. A standard, 1 kW, constricted arc jet was run using nozzles with three different constrictor diameters. Each nozzle was run over a range of current and mass flow rates to explore stability and performance in the low power engine. A standard pulse-width modulated power processor was modified to accommodate the high operating voltages required under certain conditions. Stable, reliable operation at power levels below 0.5 kW was obtained at efficiencies between 30 and 40 percent. The operating range was found to be somewhat dependent on constrictor geometry at low mass flow rates. Quasi-periodic voltage fluctuations were observed at the low power end of the operating envelope, The nozzle insert geometry was found to have little effect on the performance of the device. The observed performance levels show that specific impulse levels above 350 seconds can be obtained at the 0.5 kW power level.

Low power arcjet performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, Francis M.; Sarmiento, Charles J.

1990-01-01

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate arcjet operation at low power. A standard, 1 kW, constricted arcjet was run using nozzles with three different constrictor diameters. Each nozzle was run over a range of current and mass flow rates to explore stability and performance in the low power regime. A standard pulse-width modulated power processor was modified to accommodate the high operating voltages required under certain conditions. Stable, reliable operation at power levels below 0.5 kW was obtained at efficiencies between 30 and 40 percent. The operating range was found to be somewhat dependent on constrictor geometry at low mass flow rates. Quasi-periodic voltage fluctuations were observed at the low power end of the operating envelope. The nozzle insert geometry was found to have little effect on the performance of the device. The observed performance levels show that specific impulse levels above 350 seconds can be obtained at the 0.5 kW power level.

Optics and Light Activities for Teachers of all Grade Levels from Easily Obtainable Supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindgren, Richard; Hendricks, Curtis; Lucatorto, Lynn; McNeilus, Thomas; Thornton, Stephen

2010-02-01

Several hands-on activities in light and optics covering selected topics will be discussed in the context of home labs and how such activities can be incorporated into a distance-learning or online web-based course utilizing the latest communication technologies and the Internet. The presentation will focus on activities that can be constructed from easy to obtain supplies as well as a commercially available kit that we are having made available. Activities for teachers at the elementary level will focus on understanding light rays, shadows, and reflection from plane surfaces; at the middle school level will focus on curved mirrors and lenses, dispersion, and drawing ray diagrams; at the high school level will focus on Snell's law, the lens equation, wave interference, polarization, Young's experiment, and diffraction. A distance-learning, web-based course based on these home labs will be described. )

Collaboration, Automation, and Information Management at Hanford High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms

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

Aurah, Mirwaise Y.; Roberts, Mark A.

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), operator of High Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Tank Farms at the Hanford Site, is taking an over 20-year leap in technology, replacing systems that were monitored with clipboards and obsolete computer systems, as well as solving major operations and maintenance hurdles in the area of process automation and information management. While WRPS is fully compliant with procedures and regulations, the current systems are not integrated and do not share data efficiently, hampering how information is obtained and managed.

A Survey of Theatre in American Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillespie, Patti; And Others

In a survey of the status of theatre in high schools throughout the United States, questionnaires were sent to a random sample of high schools stratified by state and by school size. Analysis of the responses obtained from 606 schools (20.2% return) indicated that most secondary-school drama programs operate on the cocurricular level and emphasize…

Opinions of High School Students Involved in Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaman, Ömer; Tomakin, Hasan; Kiliç, Ismet; Yilmaz, Erkan

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to assess the opinions of students in a variety of high schools at different class levels who received disciplinary punishment for violence. The research comprised 35 boys and 10 girls, for a total of 45 students. The data for the research were obtained with semi-structured interviews. The results show that the students…

Urban-hazard risk analysis: mapping of heat-related risks in the elderly in major Italian cities.

PubMed

Morabito, Marco; Crisci, Alfonso; Gioli, Beniamino; Gualtieri, Giovanni; Toscano, Piero; Di Stefano, Valentina; Orlandini, Simone; Gensini, Gian Franco

2015-01-01

Short-term impacts of high temperatures on the elderly are well known. Even though Italy has the highest proportion of elderly citizens in Europe, there is a lack of information on spatial heat-related elderly risks. Development of high-resolution, heat-related urban risk maps regarding the elderly population (≥ 65). A long time-series (2001-2013) of remote sensing MODIS data, averaged over the summer period for eleven major Italian cities, were downscaled to obtain high spatial resolution (100 m) daytime and night-time land surface temperatures (LST). LST was estimated pixel-wise by applying two statistical model approaches: 1) the Linear Regression Model (LRM); 2) the Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Total and elderly population density data were extracted from the Joint Research Centre population grid (100 m) from the 2001 census (Eurostat source), and processed together using "Crichton's Risk Triangle" hazard-risk methodology for obtaining a Heat-related Elderly Risk Index (HERI). The GAM procedure allowed for improved daytime and night-time LST estimations compared to the LRM approach. High-resolution maps of daytime and night-time HERI levels were developed for inland and coastal cities. Urban areas with the hazardous HERI level (very high risk) were not necessarily characterized by the highest temperatures. The hazardous HERI level was generally localized to encompass the city-centre in inland cities and the inner area in coastal cities. The two most dangerous HERI levels were greater in the coastal rather than inland cities. This study shows the great potential of combining geospatial technologies and spatial demographic characteristics within a simple and flexible framework in order to provide high-resolution urban mapping of daytime and night-time HERI. In this way, potential areas for intervention are immediately identified with up-to-street level details. This information could support public health operators and facilitate coordination for heat-related emergencies.

Urban-Hazard Risk Analysis: Mapping of Heat-Related Risks in the Elderly in Major Italian Cities

PubMed Central

Morabito, Marco; Crisci, Alfonso; Gioli, Beniamino; Gualtieri, Giovanni; Toscano, Piero; Di Stefano, Valentina; Orlandini, Simone; Gensini, Gian Franco

2015-01-01

Background Short-term impacts of high temperatures on the elderly are well known. Even though Italy has the highest proportion of elderly citizens in Europe, there is a lack of information on spatial heat-related elderly risks. Objectives Development of high-resolution, heat-related urban risk maps regarding the elderly population (≥65). Methods A long time-series (2001–2013) of remote sensing MODIS data, averaged over the summer period for eleven major Italian cities, were downscaled to obtain high spatial resolution (100 m) daytime and night-time land surface temperatures (LST). LST was estimated pixel-wise by applying two statistical model approaches: 1) the Linear Regression Model (LRM); 2) the Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Total and elderly population density data were extracted from the Joint Research Centre population grid (100 m) from the 2001 census (Eurostat source), and processed together using “Crichton’s Risk Triangle” hazard-risk methodology for obtaining a Heat-related Elderly Risk Index (HERI). Results The GAM procedure allowed for improved daytime and night-time LST estimations compared to the LRM approach. High-resolution maps of daytime and night-time HERI levels were developed for inland and coastal cities. Urban areas with the hazardous HERI level (very high risk) were not necessarily characterized by the highest temperatures. The hazardous HERI level was generally localized to encompass the city-centre in inland cities and the inner area in coastal cities. The two most dangerous HERI levels were greater in the coastal rather than inland cities. Conclusions This study shows the great potential of combining geospatial technologies and spatial demographic characteristics within a simple and flexible framework in order to provide high-resolution urban mapping of daytime and night-time HERI. In this way, potential areas for intervention are immediately identified with up-to-street level details. This information could support public health operators and facilitate coordination for heat-related emergencies. PMID:25985204

(Fe II) emission from high-density regions in the Orion Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bautista, Manuel A.; Pradhan, Anil K.; Osterbrock, Donald E.

1994-01-01

Direct spectroscopic evidence of high-density regions in the Orion Nebula, N(sub e) approximately equals 10(exp 5)-10(exp 7)/cu cm, is obtained from the forbidden optical and near-IR (Fe II) emission lines, using new atomic data. Calculations for level populations and line ratios are carried out using 16, 35, and 142 level collisional-radiative models for Fe II. Estimates of Fe(+) abundances derived from the near-infrared and the optical line intensities are consistent with a high density of 10(exp 6)/cu cm in the (Fe II) emitting regions. Important consequences for abundance determinations in the nebula are pointed out.

Ambient and at-the-ear occupational noise exposure and serum lipid levels.

PubMed

Arlien-Søborg, Mai C; Schmedes, Astrid S; Stokholm, Z A; Grynderup, M B; Bonde, J P; Jensen, C S; Hansen, Å M; Frederiksen, T W; Kristiansen, J; Christensen, K L; Vestergaard, J M; Lund, S P; Kolstad, H A

2016-10-01

Occupational and residential noise exposure has been related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Alteration of serum lipid levels has been proposed as a possible causal pathway. The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between ambient and at-the-ear occupational noise exposure and serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides when accounting for well-established predictors of lipid levels. This cross-sectional study included 424 industrial workers and 84 financial workers to obtain contrast in noise exposure levels. They provided a serum sample and wore portable dosimeters that every 5-s recorded ambient noise exposure levels during a 24-h period. We extracted measurements obtained during work and calculated the full-shift mean ambient noise level. For 331 workers who kept a diary on the use of a hearing protection device (HPD), we subtracted 10 dB from every noise recording obtained during HPD use and estimated the mean full-shift noise exposure level at the ear. Mean ambient noise level was 79.9 dB (A) [range 55.0-98.9] and the mean estimated level at the ear 77.8 dB (A) [range 55.0-94.2]. Ambient and at-the-ear noise levels were strongly associated with increasing levels of triglycerides, cholesterol-HDL ratio, and decreasing levels of HDL-cholesterol, but only in unadjusted analyses that did not account for HPD use and other risk factors. No associations between ambient or at-the-ear occupational noise exposure and serum lipid levels were observed. This indicates that a causal pathway between occupational and residential noise exposure and cardiovascular disease does not include alteration of lipid levels.

A new immunization procedure for the obtention of anti-leucine enkephalin antibodies. Part I. Immunization procedure and physicochemical characteristics of antibodies.

PubMed

Cupo, A; Vion-Dury, J; Jarry, T

1986-10-01

We described here a new immunization procedure to obtain high titre and high specific antibodies against Leu-enkephalin (LE). The immunogen form is composed of one part of LE conjugate and one part of LE-Arg6 conjugate. We have observed an increase of titre, affinity and specificity of the antibodies in the coimmunization procedure compared to those obtained by conventional immunization involving only the LE conjugate. The Leu-enkephalin antibodies exhibit a high affinity (KD 8 X 10(-12) M) and we are able to detect the Leu-enkephalin at the 10(-15) mole level. These LE antibodies are highly specific of the C part of LE peptide and cross-react weakly with Met-enkephalin (1%).

Diagnostics of psychophysiological states and motivation in elite athletes.

PubMed

Korobeynikov, G; Mazmanian, K; Korobeynikova, L; Jagiello, W

2011-01-01

Concepts explored in our study concerned identification of various types of motivation and their connection to psychophysiological states in elite judo and Greco-Roman wrestlers. We tried to figure out how do these different types of motivation interact to describe psychophysiological state in qualified wrestlers. Neuropsychological evaluation methods as simple (SRT) and choice reaction-time (CRT) tests, HRV measurements, psychological questionnaires. To explore obtained data methods of statistical analysis were used Obtained data show that different combinations of levels of motivation to achieve success and motivation to avoid failure provoke different psychophysiological states. Conducted experiment revealed that combination of high levels of both motivation to achievement of success and motivation to avoid failure provides better psychophysiological state in elite wrestlers compared to other groups with different combinations of motivational variables. Conducted experiment revealed that motivation to avoid failures had been formed as a personality formation, which compensates excessive tension, caused by high level of motivation to achieve and regulate the psychophysiological state. This can be viewed as an effect of training in athletes (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 38).

Assessment of craniometric traits in South Indian dry skulls for sex determination.

PubMed

Ramamoorthy, Balakrishnan; Pai, Mangala M; Prabhu, Latha V; Muralimanju, B V; Rai, Rajalakshmi

2016-01-01

The skeleton plays an important role in sex determination in forensic anthropology. The skull bone is considered as the second best after the pelvic bone in sex determination due to its better retention of morphological features. Different populations have varying skeletal characteristics, making population specific analysis for sex determination essential. Hence the objective of this investigation is to obtain the accuracy of sex determination using cranial parameters of adult skulls to the highest percentage in South Indian population and to provide a baseline data for sex determination in South India. Seventy adult preserved human skulls were taken and based on the morphological traits were classified into 43 male skulls and 27 female skulls. A total of 26 craniometric parameters were studied. The data were analyzed by using the SPSS discriminant function. The analysis of stepwise, multivariate, and univariate discriminant function gave an accuracy of 77.1%, 85.7%, and 72.9% respectively. Multivariate direct discriminant function analysis classified skull bones into male and female with highest levels of accuracy. Using stepwise discriminant function analysis, the most dimorphic variable to determine sex of the skull, was biauricular breadth followed by weight. Subjecting the best dimorphic variables to univariate discriminant analysis, high levels of accuracy of sexual dimorphism was obtained. Percentage classification of high accuracies were obtained in this study indicating high level of sexual dimorphism in the crania, setting specific discriminant equations for the gender determination in South Indian people. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Investigation of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine impregnated adsorbent tubes for the collection of airborne aldehydes

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

Holdren, M.W.; Smith, D.L.; Russell, N.K.

1988-06-01

The objective of the study was to investigate the use of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) impregnated adsorbents for sampling airborne aldehydes. Experimental results using a 17 cu m environmental chamber and various spiked amounts of aldehyde material (low ppb levels) showed that the DNPH coated cartridge and the DNPH/acetonitrile impinger methods gave equivalent results. Blank levels of the DNPH-coated cartridges were studied as a function of storage time using various containers and temperature conditions. Canisters pressurized with zero-grade nitrogen provided the best storage device. Lower blank levels were also obtained when the cartridges were stored at lower temperatures. Blank levels appear tomore » equilibrate after six days of storage. To assure that quality data will be obtained, cartridges should be grouped according to batch number and blank levels should be determined prior to any field monitoring effort. Blank cartridge levels should be an order of magnitude lower than sample cartridge level. High performance liquid chromatography with UV detection proved to be a sensitive and stable analytical method for the DNPH derivatives.« less

Rachiplusia nu larva as a biofactory to achieve high level expression of horseradish peroxidase.

PubMed

Romero, Lucía Virginia; Targovnik, Alexandra Marisa; Wolman, Federico Javier; Cascone, Osvaldo; Miranda, María Victoria

2011-05-01

A process based on orally-infected Rachiplusia nu larvae as biological factories for expression and one-step purification of horseradish peroxidase isozyme C (HRP-C) is described. The process allows obtaining high levels of pure HRP-C by membrane chromatography purification. The introduction of the partial polyhedrin homology sequence element in the target gene increased HRP-C expression level by 2.8-fold whereas it increased 1.8-fold when the larvae were reared at 27 °C instead of at 24 °C, summing up a 4.6-fold overall increase in the expression level. Additionally, HRP-C purification by membrane chromatography at a high flow rate greatly increase D the productivity without affecting the resolution. The V(max) and K(m) values of the recombinant HRP-C were similar to those of the HRP from Armoracia rusticana roots. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

New Fe i Level Energies and Line Identifications from Stellar Spectra. II. Initial Results from New Ultraviolet Spectra of Metal-poor Stars

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

Peterson, Ruth C.; Kurucz, Robert L.; Ayres, Thomas R., E-mail: peterson@ucolick.org

2017-04-01

The Fe i spectrum is critical to many areas of astrophysics, yet many of the high-lying levels remain uncharacterized. To remedy this deficiency, Peterson and Kurucz identified Fe i lines in archival ultraviolet and optical spectra of metal-poor stars, whose warm temperatures favor moderate Fe i excitation. Sixty-five new levels were recovered, with 1500 detectable lines, including several bound levels in the ionization continuum of Fe i. Here, we extend the previous work by identifying 59 additional levels, with 1400 detectable lines, by incorporating new high-resolution UV spectra of warm metal-poor stars recently obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope Imagingmore » Spectrograph. We provide gf values for these transitions, both computed as well as adjusted to fit the stellar spectra. We also expand our spectral calculations to the infrared, confirming three levels by matching high-quality spectra of the Sun and two cool stars in the H -band. The predicted gf values suggest that an additional 3700 Fe i lines should be detectable in existing solar infrared spectra. Extending the empirical line identification work to the infrared would help confirm additional Fe i levels, as would new high-resolution UV spectra of metal-poor turnoff stars below 1900 Å.« less

New Fe I Level Energies and Line Identifications from Stellar Spectra. II. Initial Results from New Ultraviolet Spectra of Metal-poor Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Ruth C.; Kurucz, Robert L.; Ayres, Thomas R.

2017-04-01

The Fe I spectrum is critical to many areas of astrophysics, yet many of the high-lying levels remain uncharacterized. To remedy this deficiency, Peterson & Kurucz identified Fe I lines in archival ultraviolet and optical spectra of metal-poor stars, whose warm temperatures favor moderate Fe I excitation. Sixty-five new levels were recovered, with 1500 detectable lines, including several bound levels in the ionization continuum of Fe I. Here, we extend the previous work by identifying 59 additional levels, with 1400 detectable lines, by incorporating new high-resolution UV spectra of warm metal-poor stars recently obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. We provide gf values for these transitions, both computed as well as adjusted to fit the stellar spectra. We also expand our spectral calculations to the infrared, confirming three levels by matching high-quality spectra of the Sun and two cool stars in the H-band. The predicted gf values suggest that an additional 3700 Fe I lines should be detectable in existing solar infrared spectra. Extending the empirical line identification work to the infrared would help confirm additional Fe I levels, as would new high-resolution UV spectra of metal-poor turnoff stars below 1900 Å.

High-performance perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 thin films for solar cells prepared by single-source physical vapour deposition

PubMed Central

Fan, Ping; Gu, Di; Liang, Guang-Xing; Luo, Jing-Ting; Chen, Ju-Long; Zheng, Zhuang-Hao; Zhang, Dong-Ping

2016-01-01

In this work, an alternative route to fabricating high-quality CH3NH3PbI3 thin films is proposed. Single-source physical vapour deposition (SSPVD) without a post-heat-treating process was used to prepare CH3NH3PbI3 thin films at room temperature. This new process enabled complete surface coverage and moisture stability in a non-vacuum solution. Moreover, the challenges of simultaneously controlling evaporation processes of the organic and inorganic sources via dual-source vapour evaporation and the heating process required to obtain high crystallization were avoided. Excellent composition with stoichiometry transferred from the powder material, a high level of tetragonal phase-purity, full surface coverage, well-defined grain structure, high crystallization and reproducibility were obtained. A PCE of approximately 10.90% was obtained with a device based on SSPVD CH3NH3PbI3. These initial results suggest that SSPVD is a promising method to significantly optimize perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 solar cell efficiency. PMID:27426686

The effect of elevated progesterone levels before oocyte retrieval in women undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF treatment on the genomic profile of peri-implantation endometrium.

PubMed

Liu, Liu; Huang, Jin; Li, Tin Chiu; Hong, Xu Tao; Laird, Susan; Dai, Yong Dong; Tong, Xiao Mei; Zhu, Hai Yan; Zhang, Songying

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effects of high progesterone prior to oocyte retrieval on the genomic profile of peri-implantation endometrium, we conducted this single-center, prospective cohort study. Depending on whether or not the progesterone level on the day of hCG administration and the day after hCG administration were elevated, a total of 20 women undergoing IVF treatment who did not have fresh embryo transfer were included: Group 1 refers to subjects with normal progesterone level on both days; Group 2 refers to subjects with normal progesterone level on the day of hCG administration and high progesterone level on the day after hCG administration; Group 3 refers to subjects with high progesterone level on the day of hCG administration and normal progesterone level on the day after hCG administration; Group 4 refers to subjects with high progesterone level on both days. Five subjects were included in each group. Endometrial samples were obtained 7days after hCG administration. We found that high progesterone level prior to oocyte retrieval predominantly affected components of the NK cell mediated cytotoxicity pathway in the endometrium and that significant differences were only seen when progesterone measurements on both the day of and day after hCG administration were considered together. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Composition and Density of Soil Fauna in the Region with Enhanced Radioactivity Level (Komi Republic, Vodnyi)].

PubMed

Kolesnikova, A A; Kudrin, A A; Konakova, T N; Taskaeva, A A

2015-01-01

Studies on the influence of high levels of radiation on soil fauna were carried out in 2012 in the territory formed as a result of the activity of the enterprise for extraction and production of radium from reservoir water and waste of uranium ore from 1931 to 1956. At present the local radioactive pollution in this area is caused by the presence of heavy natural radionuclides 226Ra, 238U and products of their disintegration in soils. The oppression of soil invertebrate.fauna in pine forests and meadows with high levels of radionuclides and heavy metals is revealed. Also shown is the decrease in the number and density of different taxonomic groups of invertebrates, reduction of the diversity and spectrum of trophic groups and vital forms in the area with a high content of radionuclides in soil. Our results are in agreement with the results obtained by the similar studies showing negative influence of high-level ionizing radiation on soil fauna.

Dengue-Immune Humans Have Higher Levels of Complement-Independent Enhancing Antibody than Complement-Dependent Neutralizing Antibody.

PubMed

Yamanaka, Atsushi; Konishi, Eiji

2017-09-25

Dengue is the most important arboviral disease worldwide. We previously reported that most inhabitants of dengue-endemic countries who are naturally immune to the disease have infection-enhancing antibodies whose in vitro activity does not decrease in the presence of complement (complement-independent enhancing antibodies, or CiEAb). Here, we compared levels of CiEAb and complement-dependent neutralizing antibodies (CdNAb) in dengue-immune humans. A typical antibody dose-response pattern obtained in our assay system to measure the balance between neutralizing and enhancing antibodies showed both neutralizing and enhancing activities depending on serum dilution factor. The addition of complement to the assay system increased the activity of neutralizing antibodies at lower dilutions, indicating the presence of CdNAb. In contrast, similar dose-response curves were obtained with and without complement at higher dilutions, indicating higher levels of CiEAb than CdNAb. For experimental support for the higher CiEAb levels, a cocktail of mouse monoclonal antibodies against dengue virus type 1 was prepared. The antibody dose-response curves obtained in this assay, with or without complement, were similar to those obtained with human serum samples when a high proportion of D1-V-3H12 (an antibody exhibiting only enhancing activity and thus a model for CiEAb) was used in the cocktail. This study revealed higher-level induction of CiEAb than CdNAb in humans naturally infected with dengue viruses.

DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF HIGH FAT DIETS ON SURVIVAL TIME OF X-IRRADIATED MICE

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

Ershoff, B.H.

1961-02-01

The effects of multiple sublethal doses of total body x-irradiation were determined on survival time of male mice fed either a purified fat-free ration or a similar diet supplemented with 2, 10, 20, or 30% cottonseed oil, marganine fat, or butter fat. The effects obtnined were dependent on the amount and source of dietary fat. At levels of 2 or 10% of the diet, cottonseed oil and margarine fat increased survival time over that on the fat-free ration. When these fats were fed at higher levels (i.e., 20 or 30% of the diet), however, survival time was decreased below thatmore » obtained at the lower levels of supplementation. In contrast to the results obtained with the cottonseed oil or margarine fat supplements, butter fat at levels of 2 or 10% of the diet did not prolong survival over that on the fat-free ration; nor did it decrease survival time when fed at higher levels in the diet. (auth)« less

Contrasting Methods for Measuring Evapotranspiration in Soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop scientists are often interested in canopy rather than leaf water fluxes. Canopy measurements are difficult to obtain because instrumentation is expensive, investigations require a high level of comprehension in micrometeorological methods, and treatment comparisons are usually limited. The obje...

The Effects of Using Stationary Bicycle Desks in Classrooms on Adolescents' Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedewa, Alicia L.; Abel, Mark; Erwin, Heather E.

2017-01-01

The high level of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has been termed a public health crisis and is associated with low levels of physical activity (PA). Experts recommend that youth engage in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous PA per day, yet two-thirds of adolescents do not obtain this goal. Schools have been identified as…

"Sub-Surf Rocks"! An A-Level Resource Developed through an Industry-Education Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mather, Hazel

2012-01-01

A free internet resource called "Sub-Surf Rocks"! was launched in 2010. Its aim is to use seismic data obtained by the oil industry for enhancing the teaching of structural and economic geology at A-level (ages 16-18) in the UK. Seismic data gives a unique insight into the sub-surface and the many high-quality images coupled with…

Fed-batch production of green coconut hydrolysates for high-gravity second-generation bioethanol fermentation with cellulosic yeast.

PubMed

Soares, Jimmy; Demeke, Mekonnen M; Van de Velde, Miet; Foulquié-Moreno, Maria R; Kerstens, Dorien; Sels, Bert F; Verplaetse, Alex; Fernandes, Antonio Alberto Ribeiro; Thevelein, Johan M; Fernandes, Patricia Machado Bueno

2017-11-01

The residual biomass obtained from the production of Cocos nucifera L. (coconut) is a potential source of feedstock for bioethanol production. Even though coconut hydrolysates for ethanol production have previously been obtained, high-solid loads to obtain high sugar and ethanol levels remain a challenge. We investigated the use of a fed-batch regime in the production of sugar-rich hydrolysates from the green coconut fruit and its mesocarp. Fermentation of the hydrolysates obtained from green coconut or its mesocarp, containing 8.4 and 9.7% (w/v) sugar, resulted in 3.8 and 4.3% (v/v) ethanol, respectively. However, green coconut hydrolysate showed a prolonged fermentation lag phase. The inhibitor profile suggested that fatty acids and acetic acid were the main fermentation inhibitors. Therefore, a fed-batch regime with mild alkaline pretreatment followed by saccharification, is presented as a strategy for fermentation of such challenging biomass hydrolysates, even though further improvement of yeast inhibitor tolerance is also needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-energy master oscillator power amplifier with near-diffraction-limited output based on ytterbium-doped PCF fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Rao; Qiao, Zhi; Wang, Xiaochao; Fan, Wei; Lin, Zunqi

2017-10-01

With the development of fiber technologies, fiber lasers are able to deliver very high power beams and high energy pulses which can be used not only in scientific researches but industrial fields (laser marking, welding,…). The key of high power fiber laser is fiber amplifier. In this paper, we present a two-level master-oscillator power amplifier system at 1053 nm based on Yb-doped photonic crystal fibers. The system is used in the front-end of high power laser facility for the amplification of nano-second pulses to meet the high-level requirements. Thanks to the high gain of the system which is over 50 dB, the pulse of more than 0.89 mJ energy with the nearly diffraction-limited beam quality has been obtained.

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

Cassingham, N.; Corkhill, C. L.; Backhouse, D. J.

The first comprehensive assessment of the dissolution kinetics of simulant Magnox–THORP blended UK high-level waste glass, obtained by performing a range of single-pass flow-through experiments, is reported here. Inherent forward rates of glass dissolution were determined over a temperature range of 23 to 70°C and an alkaline pH range of 8.0 to 12.0. Linear regression techniques were applied to the TST kinetic rate law to obtain fundamental parameters necessary to model the dissolution kinetics of UK high-level waste glass (the activation energy (Ea), pH power law coefficient (η) and the intrinsic rate constant (k0)), which is of importance to themore » post-closure safety case for the geological disposal of vitreous products. The activation energies based on B release ranged from 55 ± 3 to 83 ± 9 kJ mol–1, indicating that Magnox–THORP blend glass dissolution has a surface-controlled mechanism, similar to that of other high- level waste simulant glass compositions such as the French SON68 and LAW in the US. Forward dissolution rates, based on Si, B and Na release, suggested that the dissolution mechanism under dilute conditions, and pH and temperature ranges of this study, was not sensitive to composition as defined by HLW-incorporation rate.« less

[A case of GH and TSH secreting pituitary macroadenoma].

PubMed

Gołkowski, Filip; Buziak-Bereza, Monika; Stefańska, Agnieszka; Trofimiuk, Małgorzata; Pantofliński, Jacek; Huszno, Bohdan; Czepko, Ryszard; Adamek, Dariusz

2006-01-01

A case of GH and TSH secreting pituitary macroadenoma is reported. A 45-year-old female presented clinical features of acromegaly (the abnormal growth of the hands and feet, with lower jaw protrusion), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, nodular goiter and hyperthyroidism of unclear origin. NMR pituitary imaging revealed intra and extrasellar tumor. The laboratory examinations showed very high plasma levels of GH and IGF-1 and normal level of TSH coexisting with high plasma levels of free thyroid hormones. Pharmacological pretreatment with somatostatin analogues caused the substantial reduction of GH and TSH plasma levels. Histological and immunohistochemical examination of the tissue obtained at transsphenoidal surgery showed GH and TSH secreting adenoma. The laboratory examinations after surgery showed normal GH and IGF-1 plasma levels and reduced insulin requirement, what indicates radical operation. The very low plasma levels of TSH and free thyroid hormones after surgery and immunohistochemical examination suggest central hyperthyroidism due to TSH secreting pituitary tumor (thyrotropinoma).

Tungsten nanoparticles influence on radiation protection properties of polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrish, V. M.; Baranov, G. A.; Chayka, T. V.; Derbasova, N. M.; Lvov, A. V.; Matsuk, Y. M.

2016-02-01

In the presented article the results of the study of metal-polymer composites based on the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene GUR 4122 with the addition of superdispersed tungsten nanopowders with 5, 10, 20, 40, and 50 mass percent content levels are given, their thermophysical, radiation-shielding, and mechanical properties are shown, and the influence of content levels of tungsten superdispersed nanopowders on these properties is analyzed. The conducted studies have shown the increase in the listed properties depending on the content level of tungsten superdispersed and nanopowders in the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene GUR 4122. Owing to their properties, the obtained materials may be used in various fields, such as aviation, space technologies, mechanical engineering, etc.

Height Connections and Land Uplift Rates in West-Estonian Archipelago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jürgenson, H.; Liibusk, A.; Kall, T.

2012-04-01

Land uplift rates are largest in the western part of Estonia. The uplift is due to post-glacial rebound. In 2001-2011, the Estonian national high-precision levelling network was completely renewed and levelled. This was the third precise levelling campaign in the re-gion. The first one had taken place before the Second World War and the second one in the 1950s. The Estonian mainland was connected with the two largest islands (Saaremaa and Hiiumaa) in the west-Estonian archipelago using the water level monitoring (hydrody-namic levelling) method. Three pairs of automatic tide gauges were installed on opposite coasts of each waterway. The tide gauges were equipped with piezoresistive pressure sen-sors. This represented the first use of such kind of equipment in Estonia. The hydrodynamic levelling series span up to two calendar years. Nevertheless, the obtained hydrodynamic levelling results need to be additionally verified using alternative geodetic methods. The obtained results were compared with the previous high-precision levelling data from the 1960s and 1970s. As well, the new Estonian gravimetric geoid model and the GPS survey were used for GPS-levelling. All the three methods were analyzed, and the preliminary results coincided within a 1-2 cm margin. Additionally, the tide gauges on the mainland and on both islands were connected using high-precision levelling. In this manner, three hydrodynamic and three digital levelling height differences formed a closed loop with the length of 250 km. The closing error of the loop was less than 1 cm. Finally, the Fennoscandian post-glacial rebound was determined from repeated levelling as well as from repeated GPS survey. The time span between the two campaigns of the first-order GPS survey was almost 13 years. According to new calculations, the relative land uplift rates within the study area reached up to +2 mm/year. This is an area with a rela-tively small amount of input data for the Nordic models. In addition, a comparison with the Fennoscandian land uplift model NKG2005LU is presented. The results coincided with this model within a 1-mm range. Keywords: hydrodynamic levelling, post-glacial land uplift, GPS-levelling, West-Estonian archipelago.

Linear array transducer for high-power airborne ultrasound using flextensional structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Jun; Mizuno, Yosuke; Tabaru, Marie; Nakamura, Kentaro

2015-07-01

To change the direction of ultrasonic irradiation without moving a transducer, a high-power airborne ultrasonic transducer for a one-dimensional phased array system was designed and tested. A flextensional element transducer with higher-mode bending vibration was fabricated to obtain a high vibration amplitude over a wide aperture, where a phase-compensating stepped structure was employed. The width of the main lobe at half maximum and the sidelobe level were measured to be 14.3 deg and 0.78, respectively. The maximal sound pressure of 132 dB (0 dB re. 0.02 mPa) was obtained under the applied voltage of 4.0 V. The beam steering characteristics of a phased array using eight elements were compared with the simple theory.

Seasonal Changes of Bioluminescence in Photosynthetic and Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates at San Clemente Island

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

were calculated using n-2 degrees of freedom. 2.2 Nutrient and chlorophyll data Nitrate and Chl a levels were obtained from archived CalCOFI data...a later increase in photosynthetic biomass in the fall. However, Chl a levels were actually low during the period when bioluminescence was high and...for 1994-1995 which may suggest that as Chl a levels increased, so did bioluminescence cell-1 (Figure 7c). These field measurements support previous

Surveillance cultures of samples obtained from biopsy channels and automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The instrument channels of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may be heavily contaminated with bacteria even after high-level disinfection (HLD). The British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines emphasize the benefits of manually brushing endoscope channels and using automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for disinfecting endoscopes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of decontamination using reprocessors after HLD by comparing the cultured samples obtained from biopsy channels (BCs) of GI endoscopes and the internal surfaces of AERs. Methods We conducted a 5-year prospective study. Every month random consecutive sampling was carried out after a complete reprocessing cycle; 420 rinse and swabs samples were collected from BCs and internal surface of AERs, respectively. Of the 420 rinse samples collected from the BC of the GI endoscopes, 300 were obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes and 120 from BCs of colonoscopes. Samples were collected by flushing the BCs with sterile distilled water, and swabbing the residual water from the AERs after reprocessing. These samples were cultured to detect the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria. Results The number of culture-positive samples obtained from BCs (13.6%, 57/420) was significantly higher than that obtained from AERs (1.7%, 7/420). In addition, the number of culture-positive samples obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes (10.7%, 32/300) and colonoscopes (20.8%, 25/120) were significantly higher than that obtained from AER reprocess to gastroscopes (2.0%, 6/300) and AER reprocess to colonoscopes (0.8%, 1/120). Conclusions Culturing rinse samples obtained from BCs provides a better indication of the effectiveness of the decontamination of GI endoscopes after HLD than culturing the swab samples obtained from the inner surfaces of AERs as the swab samples only indicate whether the AERs are free from microbial contamination or not. PMID:22943739

Surveillance cultures of samples obtained from biopsy channels and automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes.

PubMed

Chiu, King-Wah; Tsai, Ming-Chao; Wu, Keng-Liang; Chiu, Yi-Chun; Lin, Ming-Tzung; Hu, Tsung-Hui

2012-09-03

The instrument channels of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may be heavily contaminated with bacteria even after high-level disinfection (HLD). The British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines emphasize the benefits of manually brushing endoscope channels and using automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for disinfecting endoscopes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of decontamination using reprocessors after HLD by comparing the cultured samples obtained from biopsy channels (BCs) of GI endoscopes and the internal surfaces of AERs. We conducted a 5-year prospective study. Every month random consecutive sampling was carried out after a complete reprocessing cycle; 420 rinse and swabs samples were collected from BCs and internal surface of AERs, respectively. Of the 420 rinse samples collected from the BC of the GI endoscopes, 300 were obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes and 120 from BCs of colonoscopes. Samples were collected by flushing the BCs with sterile distilled water, and swabbing the residual water from the AERs after reprocessing. These samples were cultured to detect the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria. The number of culture-positive samples obtained from BCs (13.6%, 57/420) was significantly higher than that obtained from AERs (1.7%, 7/420). In addition, the number of culture-positive samples obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes (10.7%, 32/300) and colonoscopes (20.8%, 25/120) were significantly higher than that obtained from AER reprocess to gastroscopes (2.0%, 6/300) and AER reprocess to colonoscopes (0.8%, 1/120). Culturing rinse samples obtained from BCs provides a better indication of the effectiveness of the decontamination of GI endoscopes after HLD than culturing the swab samples obtained from the inner surfaces of AERs as the swab samples only indicate whether the AERs are free from microbial contamination or not.

The intensity of physical activity influences bone mineral accrual in childhood: the childhood health, activity and motor performance school (the CHAMPS) study, Denmark.

PubMed

Heidemann, Malene; Mølgaard, Christian; Husby, Steffen; Schou, Anders J; Klakk, Heidi; Møller, Niels Chr; Holst, René; Wedderkopp, Niels

2013-03-02

Studies indicate genetic and lifestyle factors can contribute to optimal bone development. In particular, the intensity level of physical activity may have an impact on bone health. This study aims to assess the relationship between physical activity at different intensities and Bone Mineral Content (BMC), Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and Bone Area (BA) accretion. This longitudinal study is a part of The CHAMPS study-DK. Whole-body DXA scans were performed at baseline and after two years follows up. BMC, BMD, and BA were measured. The total body less head (TBLH) values were used. Physical activity (PA) was recorded by accelerometers (ActiGraph, model GT3X). Percentages of different PA intensity levels were calculated and log odds of two intensity levels of activity relative to the third level were calculated. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between the categories of physical activity and bone traits. Of 800 invited children, 742 (93%) accepted to participate. Of these, 682/742 (92%) participated at follow up. Complete datasets were obtained in 602/742 (81%) children. Mean (range) of age was 11.5 years (9.7-13.9). PA at different intensity levels was for boys and girls respectively, sedentary 62% and 64%, low 29% for both genders and moderate to high 9% and 7% of the total time. Mean (range) BMC, BMD, and BA was 1179 g (563-2326), 0.84 g/cm2 (0.64-1.15) and 1393 cm2 (851-2164), respectively. Valid accelerometer data were obtained for a mean of 6.1 days, 13 hours per day. There 7was a positive relationship between the log odds of moderate to high-level PA versus low level activity and BMC, BMD and BA. Children with an increased proportion of time in moderate to high-level activity as opposed to sedentary and low-level activity achieved positive effects on BMC, BMD and BA.

An exploration of the perceptions, developmental reasoning levels, differences in learning processes, and academic achievement levels of students in introductory college microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poole, Barbara Ann Matherly

1997-11-01

This study explored the relationship between the grades students earned in introductory college microbiology and American College Testing scores, sex, race, age, GED or high school diploma, full-time or part-time student status, developmental reasoning levels, memory tactics, and expected achievement. The study also explored student perceptions at the beginning and the end of the microbiology courses for science preparation, expected achievement, relevancy of microbiology, and expectations for the course. Archival records for 121 freshman level and 119 sophomore level microbiology students were accessed to obtain final grades, ACT scores, sex, race, age, GED or high school diploma and full-time or part-time status. The same information was obtained for the 113 freshman level and the 85 sophomore level students who participated in the study. The study groups were given the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking to assess their level of formal reasoning ability, the Inventory of Learning Processes-Revised to assess three memory techniques, an initial perception survey, and an exit perception survey. Academic achievement in microbiology could not be predicted using composites of the predictor variables. There were significant relationships between the GALT scores and the predicted grades with both the freshman and the sophomore final grades. The Self-Efficacy Fact Retention scores and the Literal Memorization scores had significant relationships to the final grades of the freshmen but not the sophomores. There was not a significant relationship between the Deep Semantic scores and the final grades in either group. Students indicated that high school science had given them only a medium to low level of preparation for college microbiology. The sophomores felt that previous college science classes had given them a much better preparation for microbiology than did the freshmen students. Both groups expressed the importance of the laboratory experience to the understanding of science and also the relevancy of microbiology both to their chosen professions and to their own personal lives.

Equivalent Noise Dose Obtained through Hearing Aids in the Classrooms of Hearing-Impaired Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilde, Ronald A.

1990-01-01

A commercial noise dose meter was used to estimate the equivalent noise dose received through high-gain hearing aids worn in four classrooms in a school for deaf children. There were no significant differences among nominal saturation sound pressure level (SSPL) settings, and all SSPL settings produced very high equivalent noise doses. (Author/JDD)

Variation in Student Skipping: A Study of Six High Schools. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duckworth, Kenneth; deJung, John

Data were obtained from six high schools in the Northwest during 1984 and 1985 to determine the variation in students' reports of the frequency with which they skip school and cut classes. The study was guided by the advice of school administrators and a theoretical model of the influences or levels of participation in work organizations. Evidence…

Comparing Sport Coaches' and Administrators' Perceptions of the National Standards for Sport Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedlund, David P.; Fletcher, Carol A.; Dahlin, Sean

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of sport coaches and administrators regarding the eight domains and 40 standards contained in the National Standards for Sport Coaches (NSSC). Data were primarily obtained from junior high school, high school, and college-level sport coaches (n = 308) and sport administrators (n = 99) in the…

Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness: Rights and Services under the McKinney-Vento Act. McKinney-Vento Law into Practice Brief Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE, 2012

2012-01-01

Migrant students often face significant educational challenges resulting from a highly mobile lifestyle lived in poverty-level conditions. Many migrant workers move frequently to obtain temporary or seasonal employment in agriculture, fishing, meat processing, or dairy work, leading to high residential and school mobility for their children. With…

Interior noise levels of two propeller-driven light aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catherines, J. J.; Mayes, W. H.

1975-01-01

The relationships between aircraft operating conditions and interior noise and the degree to which ground testing can be used in lieu of flight testing for performing interior noise research were studied. The results show that the noise inside light aircraft is strongly influenced by the rotational speed of the engine and propeller. Both the overall noise and low frequency spectra levels were observed to decrease with increasing high speed rpm operations during flight. This phenomenon and its significance is not presently understood. Comparison of spectra obtained in flight with spectra obtained on the ground suggests that identification of frequency components and relative amplitude of propeller and engine noise sources may be evaluated on stationary aircraft.

Causes of the triglyceride-lowering effect of exercise training in rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mondon, C. E.; Dolkas, C. B.; Tobey, T.; Reaven, G. M.

1984-01-01

Studies conducted with human subjects and laboratory animals have consistently shown a reduction in serum triglyceride (TG) in exercise-trained subjects. The obtained data have suggested that this decrease was due to a reduction in hepatic TG secretion. The present investigation, which was conducted with rats trained to attain a high level of spontaneous running activity, provides support for the earlier results. In addition, insights are obtained regarding the mechanism by which exercise lowers TG levels. Since the liver accounts for the vast majority of endogenous very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG secretion, the fall in TG secretion rate seen in exercise-trained (ET) rats must be due to a reduction in hepatic TG secretion.

Heterogeneous Expression and Functional Characterization of Cellulose-Degrading Enzymes from Aspergillus niger for Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Alkali Pretreated Bamboo Biomass.

PubMed

Ali, Nasir; Ting, Zhang; Li, Hailong; Xue, Yong; Gan, Lihui; Liu, Jian; Long, Minnan

2015-09-01

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass has caught much attention because of modest reaction conditions and environment friendly conditions. To reduce the cost and to achieve good quantity of cellulases, a heterologous expression system is highly favored. In this study, cellulose-degrading enzymes, GH3 family β-glucosidase (BGL), GH7 family-related cellobiohydrolases (CBHs), and endoglucanase (EG) from a newly isolated Aspergillus niger BE-2 are highly expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. The strain produced EG, CBHs, and BGL enzymatic concentration of 0.56, 0.11, and 22 IU/mL, respectively. Mode of actions of the recombinant enzymes for substrate specificity and end product analysis are verified and found specific for cellulose degradation. Bamboo biomass saccharification with A. niger cellulase released a high level of fermentable sugars. Hydrolysis parameters are optimized to obtain reducing sugars level of 3.18 g/L. To obtain reducing sugars from a cellulosic biomass, A. niger could be a good candidate for enzymes resource of cellulase to produce reducing sugars from a cellulosic biomass. This study also facilitates the development of highly efficient enzyme cocktails for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into monosaccharides and oligosaccharides.

State resolved vibrational relaxation modeling for strongly nonequilibrium flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Iain D.; Josyula, Eswar

2011-05-01

Vibrational relaxation is an important physical process in hypersonic flows. Activation of the vibrational mode affects the fundamental thermodynamic properties and finite rate relaxation can reduce the degree of dissociation of a gas. Low fidelity models of vibrational activation employ a relaxation time to capture the process at a macroscopic level. High fidelity, state-resolved models have been developed for use in continuum gas dynamics simulations based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). By comparison, such models are not as common for use with the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. In this study, a high fidelity, state-resolved vibrational relaxation model is developed for the DSMC technique. The model is based on the forced harmonic oscillator approach in which multi-quantum transitions may become dominant at high temperature. Results obtained for integrated rate coefficients from the DSMC model are consistent with the corresponding CFD model. Comparison of relaxation results obtained with the high-fidelity DSMC model shows significantly less excitation of upper vibrational levels in comparison to the standard, lower fidelity DSMC vibrational relaxation model. Application of the new DSMC model to a Mach 7 normal shock wave in carbon monoxide provides better agreement with experimental measurements than the standard DSMC relaxation model.

Interpersonal Values and Academic Performance Related to Delinquent Behaviors

PubMed Central

Molero Jurado, María Del Mar; Pérez Fuentes, María Del Carmen; Luque De La Rosa, Antonio; Martos Martínez, África; Barragán Martín, Ana Belén; Simón Márquez, María del Mar

2016-01-01

The present study analyzes the relation between delinquent behaviors, interpersonal values, and academic performance. It also analyzes the possible protective function of interpersonal values against delinquent behaviors. The Interpersonal Values Questionnaire (IVQ) was used to assess interpersonal values, and the Antisocial-Delinquent Behaviors Questionnaire (A-D) was employed to assess antisocial behaviors. The sample was made up of 885 students of Compulsory Secondary Education, aged from 14 to 17 years. The results show that individuals who fail a subject as well as those who repeat a course present higher means in delinquent behaviors. Repeaters present higher means in the values of recognition and leadership, and non-repeaters in the value stimulation, whereas students who do not fail obtain higher scores in the value benevolence. Students with high levels of recognition, independence, and leadership, as well as students with low levels of conformity and benevolence display significantly higher levels of delinquent behaviors. Lastly, the probability of presenting a high level of delinquent behaviors is greater in individuals with: high independence, high leadership, high recognition, low benevolence, and low conformity. PMID:27799914

Highway user expectations for ITD winter maintenance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

Providing a high Level of Service (LOS) to ensure the safety and mobility for the traveling public is a key objective for winter : maintenance operations. The goal of this research was to obtain a better understanding of Idaho highway users expect...

Long-term in vitro reactivity for HLA antibodies and comparison of detection using serum vs. plasma

PubMed Central

Norris, Philip J.; Lee, Jar-How; Carrick, Danielle M.; Gottschall, Jerome L.; Lebedeva, Mila; de Castro, B.R.; Kleinman, Steven H.; Busch, Michael P.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND HLA antibodies are a possible cause of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), and fluorescent bead assays are often used for antibody detection. Serum is the manufacturer’s recommended sample, but plasma may be easier to obtain for studies of HLA antibody prevalence and TRALI case investigations. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Specimens were obtained from 44 multiparous females positive for HLA antibodies by lymphocytotoxicity testing at least 13 years prior, and from 1,000 contemporary blood donors. Screening tests were performed using a Luminex-based assay. In addition to comparing results obtained with paired plasma and serum samples, the effects of storage at 4 °C for one week and of multiple freeze-thaw cycles were evaluated. RESULTS Of 42 evaluable subjects with HLA antibodies documented >13 years earlier, only 1 showed loss of detectable antibodies, with 39 (93%) positive in the screening assay for class I and 24 (57%) positive in the screening assay for HLA class II antibodies. In 968 evaluable contemporary donors, 291 screened positive for HLA class I and 206 for HLA class II antibodies using a low assay cut-off. Screening test concordance using paired plasma and serum samples was high, particularly for subjects with higher level antibodies. Refrigeration of samples for one week did not significantly affect assay results, while repeated freeze-thaw cycles caused a decrement in signal level. CONCLUSION Serum and plasma samples gave concordant results in the majority of cases, particularly for specimens with higher-level antibodies. High-level HLA antibodies were present in most individuals for over 13 years. PMID:18980615

HIGH SHEAR GRANULATION PROCESS: ASSESSING IMPACT OF FORMULATION VARIABLES ON GRANULES AND TABLETS CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH DRUG LOADING FORMULATION USING DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT METHODOLOGY.

PubMed

Fayed, Mohamed H; Abdel-Rahman, Sayed I; Alanazi, Fars K; Ahmed, Mahrous O; Tawfeek, Hesham M; Ali, Bahaa E

2017-03-01

High shear wet granulation is a significant component procedure in the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of two independent formulation variables; polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP) as a binder (X,) and croscarmellose sodium (CCS) as a disintegrant (X2) on the crit- ical quality attributes of acetaminophen granules and their corresponding tablets using design of experiment (DoE) approach. A two factor, three level (32) full factorial design has been applied; each variable was investi- gated at three levels to characterize their strength and interaction. The dried granules have been analyzed for their density, granule size and flowability. Additionally, the produced tablets have been investigated for: break- ing force, friability, disintegration time and t. of drug dissolution. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the two variables had a significant impact (p < 0.05) on granules and tablets characteristics, while only the binder concentration influenced the tablets friability. Furthermore, significant interactions (p < 0.05) between the two variables, for granules and tablets attributes, were also found. However, variables interaction showed minimal effect for granules flowability as well as tablets friability. Desirability function was carried out to opti- mize the variables under study to obtain product within the USP limit. It was found that the higher desirability (0.985) could be obtained at the medium level of PVP and low level of CCS. Ultimately, this study supplies the formulator with beneficial tools in selecting the proper level of binder and disintegrant to attain product with desired characteristics.

Inactivation of Bacillus spores inoculated in milk by Ultra High Pressure Homogenization.

PubMed

Amador Espejo, Genaro Gustavo; Hernández-Herrero, M M; Juan, B; Trujillo, A J

2014-12-01

Ultra High-Pressure Homogenization treatments at 300 MPa with inlet temperatures (Ti) of 55, 65, 75 and 85 °C were applied to commercial Ultra High Temperature treated whole milk inoculated with Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus sporothermodurans, Bacillus coagulans, Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus subtilis spores in order to evaluate the inactivation level achieved. Ultra High-Pressure Homogenization conditions at 300 MPa with Ti = 75 and 85 °C were capable of a spore inactivation of ∼5 log CFU/mL. Furthermore, under these processing conditions, commercial sterility (evaluated as the complete inactivation of the inoculated spores) was obtained in milk, with the exception of G. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis treated at 300 MPa with Ti = 75 °C. The results showed that G. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis have higher resistance to the Ultra High-Pressure Homogenization treatments applied than the other microorganisms inoculated and that a treatment performed at 300 MPa with Ti = 85 °C was necessary to completely inactivate these microorganisms at the spore level inoculated (∼1 × 10(6) CFU/mL). Besides, a change in the resistance of B. licheniformis, B. sporothermodurans, G. stearothermophilus and B. subtilis spores was observed as the inactivation obtained increased remarkably in treatments performed with Ti between 65 and 75 °C. This study provides important evidence of the suitability of UHPH technology for the inactivation of spores in high numbers, leading to the possibility of obtaining commercially sterile milk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collinear Latent Variables in Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

van de Schoot, Rens; Hox, Joop

2014-01-01

Because variables may be correlated in the social and behavioral sciences, multicollinearity might be problematic. This study investigates the effect of collinearity manipulated in within and between levels of a two-level confirmatory factor analysis by Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, the influence of the size of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and estimation method; maximum likelihood estimation with robust chi-squares and standard errors and Bayesian estimation, on the convergence rate are investigated. The other variables of interest were rate of inadmissible solutions and the relative parameter and standard error bias on the between level. The results showed that inadmissible solutions were obtained when there was between level collinearity and the estimation method was maximum likelihood. In the within level multicollinearity condition, all of the solutions were admissible but the bias values were higher compared with the between level collinearity condition. Bayesian estimation appeared to be robust in obtaining admissible parameters but the relative bias was higher than for maximum likelihood estimation. Finally, as expected, high ICC produced less biased results compared to medium ICC conditions. PMID:29795827

Collinear Latent Variables in Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A Comparison of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Estimations.

PubMed

Can, Seda; van de Schoot, Rens; Hox, Joop

2015-06-01

Because variables may be correlated in the social and behavioral sciences, multicollinearity might be problematic. This study investigates the effect of collinearity manipulated in within and between levels of a two-level confirmatory factor analysis by Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, the influence of the size of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and estimation method; maximum likelihood estimation with robust chi-squares and standard errors and Bayesian estimation, on the convergence rate are investigated. The other variables of interest were rate of inadmissible solutions and the relative parameter and standard error bias on the between level. The results showed that inadmissible solutions were obtained when there was between level collinearity and the estimation method was maximum likelihood. In the within level multicollinearity condition, all of the solutions were admissible but the bias values were higher compared with the between level collinearity condition. Bayesian estimation appeared to be robust in obtaining admissible parameters but the relative bias was higher than for maximum likelihood estimation. Finally, as expected, high ICC produced less biased results compared to medium ICC conditions.

Levels of thrombopoietin in aqueous humor of patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis

PubMed Central

Mondejar, José-Juan; Salom, David; Garcia-Delpech, Salvador; Diaz-Llopis, Manuel

2015-01-01

Purpose To measure thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in the serum and aqueous humors of patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis. Methods A prospective, comparative, controlled study. Serum and aqueous humors were obtained from the eyes of 16 patients with noninfectious acute anterior uveitis. TPO levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results obtained were compared with those of a control group. Results Serum concentrations of TPO were not significantly different between control individuals and patients with active anterior uveitis. Aqueous humor TPO levels were 54.46±16.24 pg/mL in the eyes of patients with uveitis, and 34.32±11.63 pg/mL in the eyes of controls. The difference between the two groups was significant (Mann–Whitney U-test for independent data, P=0.0008), with uveitis patients exhibiting significantly higher levels of TPO. Conclusion The high levels of TPO in the aqueous humors of uveitis patients points toward a cytoprotective role of this factor in inflammatory repair processes and the recovery of tissue homeostasis. PMID:26203218

Nucleophilic Addition of Reactive Dyes on Amidoximated Acrylic Fabrics

PubMed Central

El-Shishtawy, Reda M.; El-Zawahry, Manal M.; Abdelghaffar, Fatma; Ahmed, Nahed S. E.

2014-01-01

Seven reactive dyes judiciously selected based on chemical structures and fixation mechanisms were applied at 2% owf of shade on amidoximated acrylic fabrics. Amidoximated acrylic fabric has been obtained by a viable amidoximation process. The dyeability of these fabrics was evaluated with respect to the dye exhaustion, fixation, and colour strength under different conditions of temperature and dyeing time. Nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes show higher colour data compared to nucleophilic substitution ones. FTIR studies further implicate the binding of reactive dyes on these fabrics. A tentative mechanism is proposed to rationalize the high fixation yield obtained using nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes. Also, the levelling and fastness properties were evaluated for all dyes used. Excellent to good fastness and levelling properties were obtained for all samples irrespective of the dye used. The result of investigation offers a new method for a viable reactive dyeing of amidoximated acrylic fabrics. PMID:25258720

Blood creatinine level in postmortem cases.

PubMed

Nishida, Atsushi; Funaki, Hironao; Kobayashi, Masaki; Tanaka, Yuka; Akasaka, Yoshihisa; Kubo, Toshikazu; Ikegaya, Hiroshi

2015-05-01

Blood chemical analysis for the diagnosis of diseases in forensic cases should be conducted in the same way as for clinical cases. However, it is sometimes difficult to obtain serum samples in forensic cases because of postmortem changes such as hemolysis and putrefaction. This study aimed to evaluate renal function in postmortem cases by blood creatinine analysis. The blood creatinine level was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using whole blood samples taken from 77 postmortem cases, and the relationships between blood creatinine level, postmortem interval, and cause of death were examined. The median blood creatinine level was found to be 1.15 mg/dL, with no significant differences between blood samples taken from different parts of the body. The blood creatinine level was stable for 3 days after death and gradually increased after that period, in line with a previous study using enzymatic analysis that found the serum creatinine level was stable in the early postmortem period. The blood creatinine level was high in the cases of blunt injury, intoxication, and in deaths caused by fire. This was considered to reflect acute renal dysfunction. However, the postmortem blood creatinine level remained higher than the clinical normal value despite omitting cases with renal dysfunction from the analysis. Therefore, we next investigated the change in postmortem creatinine levels in mice and found that the blood creatinine level increased with the emergence of rigor mortis. Our findings indicate that HPLC is useful in the postmortem evaluation of renal function even in the cases where serum cannot be obtained. However, the presence of rigor mortis should be considered in the evaluation of blood creatinine values. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study between the radiopacity levels of high viscosity and of flowable composite resins, using digital imaging.

PubMed

Arita, Emiko S; Silveira, Gilson P; Cortes, Arthur R; Brucoli, Henrique C

2012-01-01

The development of countless types and trends of high viscosite and flowable composite resins, with different physical and chemical properties applicable to their broad use in dental clinics calls for further studies regarding their radiopacity level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiopacity levels of high viscosity and the flowable composite resins, using digital imaging. 96 composite resin discs 5 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick were radiographed and analyzed. The image acquisition system used was the Digora® Phosphor Storage System and the images were analyzed with the Digora software for Windows. The exposure conditions were: 70 kVp, 8 mA, and 0.2 s. The focal distance was 40 cm. The image densities were obtained with the pixel values of the materials in the digital image. Most of the high viscosity composite resins presented higher radiopacity levels than the flowable composite resins, with statistically significant differences between the trends and groups analyzed (P < 0.05). Among the high viscosity composite resins, Tetric®Ceram presented the highest radiopacity levels and Glacier® presented the lowest. Among the flowable composite resins, Tetric®Flow presented the highest radiopacity levels and Wave® presented the lowest.

[Geographical variation and related factors in prediabetes prevalence in Chinese adults in 2013].

PubMed

Zhao, Z P; Li, Y C; Wang, L M; Zhang, M; Huang, Z J; Zhang, X; Li, C; Deng, Q; Zhou, M G

2018-02-06

Objective: To investigate the geographical variation of prediabetes in adults in different regions of China, and to analyze the related factors of prediabetes. Methods: Data was obtained from China Chronic Disease and Related Risk Factor Surveillance in 2013. The surveillance adopted multiple-stage stratified cluster random sampling method, which sampled 177 099 residents aged above 18 years old among 298 surveillance points in 31 provinces of Chinese Mainland. Questionnaire interview was used to obtain demographic variables, personal living style, and socio-economical information. Physical examination was conducted and fasting venous blood sample and (oral glucose tolerance test-2 hours, OGTT-2 h) venous blood sample were obtained from the participants. A total of 171 567 residents aged 18 and above were included in the analysis. The prevalence of prediabetes was analyzed by provinces and by China's geographical regions, after complex weighting. Multilevel logistic models were established to explore the related factors of prediabetes on the area level and individual level. Results: The prevalence of prediabetes among residents aged 18 and above was 16.6% (95 %CI: 15.6%-17.6%) in China. The prevalence of prediabetes was the highest (18.3%) in the south China and lowest (13.1%) in the northwest area. The difference of the prevalence in different areas were not statistically significant ( P= 0.510). If categorized the prevalence of prediabetes into 5 groups by quintile, Hainan, Jilin, Shandong, Anhui, Hunan and Chongqing were in the highest group of prevalence of prediabetes (18.6%-22.7%), and Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Guizhou, and Jiangxi were in the lowest group (7.6%-12.6%). The variance of prevalence of prediabetes on the county level ( MOR : 1.60 (95 %CI: 1.53-1.67)) was more diverse than the province level ( MOR : 1.21(95 %CI :1.08-1.29)) and higher than the street level (1.23 (95 %CI :1.14-1.30)). Several factors increased risk of pre-diabetes, including smoking, hazardous drinking and harmful drinking, drinking in the past 30 days, overweight, obesity, central obesity, sugary drink intake, hypertension, high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P< 0.05). After adjusted the above variables, 92.5% of variance of prediabetes prevalence conld be explained on the provincial level. Conclusion: The geographical distribution of prediabetes in adults in China differed by geographic areas, and it significantly varied on the county level. The related variables included demographic variables, personal behavior, and geographic related variables.

Noise analysis in numerical modeling of crossed fields microwave tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

BłaŻejewicz, Mariusz; Woźniak, Martyna; Szkop, Emil; RóŻycki, Andrzej; Rychlewski, Michał; Baczewski, Dariusz; Laskowski, Dariusz

2018-04-01

One of the most important parameters that characterize microwave tubes with crossed fields, both amplifiers (CFA), and generating tubes like magnetrons is the noise level. This type of tubes are characterized by relatively high noise levels, which is the main factor limiting their current use in radar transmitters. The main source of noise in microwave tubes of this type is the dispersion of the energy of electrons that are in phase with the spatial wave of the electromagnetic field propagating in the delay line (in case of an amplitron) or in the resonant structure (in case of a magnetron).The results of the research presented in the article concern the technique of determination of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) based on the analysis of results obtained during the numerical simulations of the effect of electric charge on a high frequency electromagnetic field. Signal to noise ratio was determined by analysing in-phase and quadrature data recorded in the high frequency simulation. In order to assess the accuracy of the method under investigation, the results from the noise analysis obtained from numerical calculations were compared with the results obtained from real tube measurements performed by a spectrum analyser. On the basis of the research, it appears that performing analysis of noise generated in the interaction area may be useful for preliminary evaluation of the tube at the design stage.

Evaluation of a New System, VITEK 2, for Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Enterococci

PubMed Central

Garcia-Garrote, Fernando; Cercenado, Emilia; Bouza, Emilio

2000-01-01

We evaluated the new automated VITEK 2 system (bioMérieux) for the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of enterococci. The results obtained with the VITEK 2 system were compared to those obtained by reference methods: standard identification by the scheme of Facklam and Sahm [R. R. Facklam and D. F. Sahm, p. 308–314, in P. R. Murray et al., ed., Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 6th ed., 1995] and with the API 20 STREP system and, for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, broth microdilution and agar dilution methods by the procedures of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. The presence of vanA and vanB genes was determined by PCR. A total of 150 clinical isolates were studied, corresponding to 60 Enterococcus faecalis, 55 Enterococcus faecium, 26 Enterococcus gallinarum, 5 Enterococcus avium, 2 Enterococcus durans, and 2 Enterococcus raffinosus isolates. Among those isolates, 131 (87%) were correctly identified to the species level with the VITEK 2 system. Approximately half of the misidentifications were for E. faecium with low-level resistance to vancomycin, identified as E. gallinarum or E. casseliflavus; however, a motility test solved the discrepancies and increased the agreement to 94%. Among the strains studied, 66% were vancomycin resistant (57 VanA, 16 VanB, and 26 VanC strains), 23% were ampicillin resistant (MICs, ≥16 μg/ml), 31% were high-level gentamicin resistant, and 45% were high-level streptomycin resistant. Percentages of agreement for susceptibility and resistance to ampicillin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin and for high-level gentamicin resistance and high-level streptomycin resistance were 93, 95, 97, 97, and 96%, respectively. The accuracy of identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of enterococci with the VITEK 2 system, together with the significant reduction in handling time, will have a positive impact on the work flow of the clinical microbiology laboratory. PMID:10834961

Intended and Unintended Effects of State-Mandated High School Science and Mathematics Course Graduation Requirements on Educational Attainment

PubMed Central

Plunk, Andrew D.; Tate, William F.; Bierut, Laura J.; Grucza, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Mathematics and science course graduation requirement (CGR) increases in the 1980s and 1990s might have had both intended and unintended consequences. Using logistic regression with Census and American Community Survey (ACS) data (n = 2,892,444), we modeled CGR exposure on (a) high school dropout, (b) beginning college, and (c) obtaining any college degree. Possible between-groups differences were also assessed. We found that higher CGRs were associated with higher odds to drop out of high school, but results for the college-level outcomes varied by group. Some were less likely to enroll, whereas others who began college were more likely to obtain a degree. Increased high school dropout was consistent across the population, but some potential benefit was also observed, primarily for those reporting Hispanic ethnicity. PMID:25541563

A temporal and spatial analysis of anthropogenic noise sources affecting SNMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalgaard, E.; Christiansen, P.; Larsen, J. J.; Auken, E.

2014-11-01

One of the biggest challenges when using the surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) method in urban areas is a relatively low signal level compared to a high level of background noise. To understand the temporal and spatial behavior of anthropogenic noise sources like powerlines and electric fences, we have developed a multichannel instrument, noiseCollector (nC), which measures the full noise spectrum up to 10 kHz. Combined with advanced signal processing we can interpret the noise as seen by a SNMR instrument and also obtain insight into the more fundamental behavior of the noise. To obtain a specified acceptable noise level for a SNMR sounding the stack size can be determined by quantifying the different noise sources. Two common noise sources, electromagnetic fields stemming from powerlines and fences are analyzed and show a 1/r2 dependency in agreement with theoretical relations. A typical noise map, obtained with the nC instrument prior to a SNMR field campaign, clearly shows the location of noise sources, and thus we can efficiently determine the optimal location for the SNMR sounding from a noise perspective.

Determination of the N2 recombination rate coefficient in the ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orsini, N.; Torr, D. G.; Brinton, H. C.; Brace, L. H.; Hanson, W. B.; Hoffman, J. H.; Nier, A. O.

1977-01-01

Measurements of aeronomic parameters made by the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite are used to determine the recombination rate coefficient of N2(+) in the ionosphere. The rate is found to increase significantly with decreasing electron density. Values obtained range from approximately 1.4 x 10 to the -7th to 3.8 x 10 to the -7th cu cm/sec. This variation is explained in a preliminary way in terms of an increase in the rate coefficient with vibrational excitation. Thus, high electron densities depopulate high vibrational levels reducing the effective recombination rate, whereas, low electron densities result in an enhancement in the population of high vibrational levels, thus, increasing the effective recombination rate.

The correlation between urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and sperm quality in infertile men and rotating shift workers.

PubMed

Ortiz, Águeda; Espino, Javier; Bejarano, Ignacio; Lozano, Graciela M; Monllor, Fabián; García, Juan F; Pariente, José A; Rodríguez, Ana B

2010-11-08

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that modulates a wide range of neuroendocrine functions. However, excessive circulating serotonin levels may induce harmful effects in the male reproductive system. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the levels of urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIIA), a major serotonin metabolite, correlate with different classical seminal parameters. Human ejaculates were obtained from 40 men attending infertility counselling and rotating shift workers by masturbation after 4-5 days of abstinence. Urinary 5- HIIA concentration was quantified by using a commercial ELISA kit. Forward motility was assessed by a computer-aided semen analysis (CASA) system. Sperm concentration was determined using the haemocytometer method. Sperm morphology was evaluated after Diff-Quik staining, while sperm vitality was estimated after Eosin-Nigrosin vital staining. Our results show that urinary 5-HIIA levels obtained from a set of 20 volunteers negatively correlated with sperm concentration, forward motility, morphology normal range and sperm vitality. On the other hand, we checked the relationship between male infertility and urinary 5-HIIA levels in 20 night shift workers. Thus, urinary 5-HIIA levels obtained from 10 recently-proven fathers were significantly lower than those found in 10 infertile males. Additionally, samples from recent fathers exhibited higher sperm concentration, as well as better forward motility and normal morphology rate. In the light of our findings, we concluded that high serotonin levels, indirectly measured as urinary 5-HIIA levels, appear to play a role as an infertility determinant in male subjects.

Income inequality and child maltreatment in the United States.

PubMed

Eckenrode, John; Smith, Elliott G; McCarthy, Margaret E; Dineen, Michael

2014-03-01

To examine the relation between county-level income inequality and rates of child maltreatment. Data on substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect from 2005 to 2009 were obtained from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. County-level data on income inequality and children in poverty were obtained from the American Community Survey. Data for additional control variables were obtained from the American Community Survey and the Health Resources and Services Administration Area Resource File. The Gini coefficient was used as the measure of income inequality. Generalized additive models were estimated to explore linear and nonlinear relations among income inequality, poverty, and child maltreatment. In all models, state was included as a fixed effect to control for state-level differences in victim rates. Considerable variation in income inequality and child maltreatment rates was found across the 3142 US counties. Income inequality, as well as child poverty rate, was positively and significantly correlated with child maltreatment rates at the county level. Controlling for child poverty, demographic and economic control variables, and state-level variation in maltreatment rates, there was a significant linear effect of inequality on child maltreatment rates (P < .0001). This effect was stronger for counties with moderate to high levels of child poverty. Higher income inequality across US counties was significantly associated with higher county-level rates of child maltreatment. The findings contribute to the growing literature linking greater income inequality to a range of poor health and well-being outcomes in infants and children.

Investigation of gene expression and serum levels of PIN1 and eNOS with high blood pressure in patients with Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Azimi, Mina; Nikanfar, Masoud; Khakikhatibi, Fatemeh; Rahbarghazi, Reza; Nourazarian, Seyed Manuchehr; Biray Avci, Cigir; Nourazarian, Alireza

2017-09-01

According to evidence, Alzheimer's disease is known as one of the most serious neurodegenerative diseases, for which hypertension has been observed to be a key risk factor. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between the PIN1 and eNOS genes expression, as well as serum levels and hypertension in Alzheimer's disease sufferers. Blood samples were obtained from subjects who were divided into four groups: the control group, normotensive Alzheimer's patients, the Alzheimer's sufferers group with hypertension, and the healthy group with only hypertension, considering the inhibition of confounding factors. Thereafter, eNOS and PIN1 genes expression along with serum levels were studied. Based on the obtained results, a statistically significant correlation didn't exist between serum level of PIN1 and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, between serum level of eNOS and diastolic blood pressure in the norm tension Alzheimer's disease patients, between serum levels of PIN1, eNOS and systolic blood pressure, and between serum eNOS and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the patients with hypertension (p<0.05). According to the results obtained from this study, measuring the serum levels of eNOS and Pin1 may contribute to the prognosis, prevention, and monitoring of hypertension and also to the reduction of death rates from cardiovascular diseases in Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AIR Model Preflight Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tai, H.; Wilson, J. W.; Maiden, D. L.

2003-01-01

The atmospheric ionizing radiation (AIR) ER-2 preflight analysis, one of the first attempts to obtain a relatively complete measurement set of the high-altitude radiation level environment, is described in this paper. The primary thrust is to characterize the atmospheric radiation and to define dose levels at high-altitude flight. A secondary thrust is to develop and validate dosimetric techniques and monitoring devices for protecting aircrews. With a few chosen routes, we can measure the experimental results and validate the AIR model predictions. Eventually, as more measurements are made, we gain more understanding about the hazardous radiation environment and acquire more confidence in the prediction models.

[Study on simultaneous contamination of Salmonella and Campylobacter in retail chicken carcasses in Beijing].

PubMed

Hu, Yujie; Wang, Yeru; Li, Fengqin

2015-01-01

To elucidate the simultaneous contamination of Salmonella and Campylobacter in retail chicken carcasses in Beijing and to carry out the serological typing of all Salmonella isolates as well as the identification of Campylobacter at the species level. A total of 33 chicken carcasses were collected from Beijing supermarkets and farm's trade markets from May to July. All samples were enumerated for Salmonella and Campylobacter. All Salmonella isolates obtained were further serotyped and Campylobacter were identified at the species level. Totally, 19 samples (19/33, 57.6%) and 5 samples (5/33, 15.2%) were positive for Salmonella with the mean level of 119.4 MPN/100g and Campylobacter with the mean level of 58.6 CFU/g, respectively. In terms of Salmonella, 166 isolates with 14 serotypes were obtained. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most common serovar detected followed by S. Indiana. Serovar diversity was very high in all Salmonella isolates and various Salmonella serovars were detected in the same chicken carcass. A total of 11 serovar distribution spectrums were found and S. Enteritidis in combination with S. Indiana was the predominant. The retail chicken carcasses in Beijing collected from May to July were heavily contaminated by Salmonella with high serovar diversity.

A method for predicting DCT-based denoising efficiency for grayscale images corrupted by AWGN and additive spatially correlated noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubel, Aleksey S.; Lukin, Vladimir V.; Egiazarian, Karen O.

2015-03-01

Results of denoising based on discrete cosine transform for a wide class of images corrupted by additive noise are obtained. Three types of noise are analyzed: additive white Gaussian noise and additive spatially correlated Gaussian noise with middle and high correlation levels. TID2013 image database and some additional images are taken as test images. Conventional DCT filter and BM3D are used as denoising techniques. Denoising efficiency is described by PSNR and PSNR-HVS-M metrics. Within hard-thresholding denoising mechanism, DCT-spectrum coefficient statistics are used to characterize images and, subsequently, denoising efficiency for them. Results of denoising efficiency are fitted for such statistics and efficient approximations are obtained. It is shown that the obtained approximations provide high accuracy of prediction of denoising efficiency.

Automated survey of pavement distress based on 2D and 3D laser images.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-11-01

Despite numerous efforts in recent decades, currently most information on pavement surface distresses cannot be obtained automatically, at high-speed, and at acceptable precision and bias levels. This research provided seed funding to produce a funct...

Geo-referenced digital data acquisition and processing system using LiDAR technology.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-02-01

LiDAR technology, introduced in the late 90s, has received wide acceptance in airborne surveying as a leading : tool for obtaining high-quality surface data at decimeter-level vertical accuracy in an unprecedentedly short : turnaround time. State-of-...

Mutacins and bacteriocins like genes in Streptococcus mutans isolated from participants with high, moderate, and low salivary count.

PubMed

Soto, Carolina; Padilla, Carlos; Lobos, Olga

2017-02-01

To detect S. mutans producers of mutacins and bacteriocins like substances (BLIS) from saliva of participants with low, moderate, and high salivary counts. 123 strains of S. mutans were obtained from participants with low, moderate, and high salivary counts (age 18 and 20 years old) and their antibacterial capacity analyzed. By using PCR amplification, the expression levels of mutacins and BLIS genes were studied (expressed in arbitrary units/ml) in all three levels. S. mutans strains from participants with low salivary counts show high production of mutacins (63%). In contrast, participants with moderate and high salivary counts depict relatively low levels of mutacins (22 and 15%, respectively). Moreover, participants with low salivary counts showed high expression levels of genes encoding mutacins, a result that correlates with the strong antimicrobial activity of the group. Participants with moderate and high salivary counts however depict low expression levels of mutacin related genes, and little antimicrobial activity. No BLIS were detected in any of the groups studied. S. mutans isolated from the saliva of participants with low bacterial counts have significant antibacterial capacity compared to that of participants with moderate and high salivary counts. The superior lethality of S. mutans in participants with low salivary counts is likely due to the augmented expression of mutacin- related genes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyperspectral and multispectral satellite sensors for mapping chlorophyll content in a Mediterranean Pinus sylvestris L. plantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael Mª; Trujillo, Jesus; de la Orden, Manuel Sánchez; Hernández-Clemente, Rocío

2014-02-01

A new generation of narrow-band hyperspectral remote sensing data offers an alternative to broad-band multispectral data for the estimation of vegetation chlorophyll content. This paper examines the potential of some of these sensors comparing red-edge and simple ratio indices to develop a rapid and cost-effective system for monitoring Mediterranean pine plantations in Spain. Chlorophyll content retrieval was analyzed with the red-edge R750/R710 index and the simple ratio R800/R560 index using the PROSPECT-5 leaf model and the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) and experimental approach. Five sensors were used: AHS, CHRIS/Proba, Hyperion, Landsat and QuickBird. The model simulation results obtained with synthetic spectra demonstrated the feasibility of estimating Ca + b content in conifers using the simple ratio R800/R560 index formulated with different full widths at half maximum (FWHM) at the leaf level. This index yielded a r2 = 0.69 for a FWHM of 30 nm and r2 = 0.55 for a FWHM of 70 nm. Experimental results compared the regression coefficients obtained with various multispectral and hyperspectral images with different spatial resolutions at the stand level. The strongest relationships where obtained using high-resolution hyperspectral images acquired with the AHS sensor (r2 = 0.65) while coarser spatial and spectral resolution images yielded a lower root mean square error (QuickBird r2 = 0.42; Landsat r2 = 0.48; Hyperion r2 = 0.56; CHRIS/Proba r2 = 0.57). This study shows the need to estimate chlorophyll content in forest plantations at the stand level with high spatial and spectral resolution sensors. Nevertheless, these results also show the accuracy obtained with medium-resolution sensors when monitoring physiological processes. Generating biochemical maps at the stand level could play a critical rule in the early detection of forest decline processes enabling their use in precision forestry.

A perspective on high-frequency ultrasound for medical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamou, Jonathan; Aristizába, Orlando; Silverman, Ronald H.; Ketterling, Jeffrey A.

2010-01-01

High-frequency ultrasound (HFU, >15 MHz) is a rapidly developing field. HFU is currently used and investigated for ophthalmologic, dermatologic, intravascular, and small-animal imaging. HFU offers a non-invasive means to investigate tissue at the microscopic level with resolutions often better than 100 μm. However, fine resolution is only obtained over the limited depth-of-field (˜1 mm) of single-element spherically-focused transducers typically used for HFU applications. Another limitation is penetration depth because most biological tissues have large attenuation at high frequencies. In this study, two 5-element annular arrays with center frequencies of 17 and 34 MHz were fabricated and methods were developed to obtain images with increased penetration depth and depth-of-field. These methods were used in ophthalmologic and small-animal imaging studies. Improved blood sensitivity was obtained when a phantom mimicking a vitreous hemorrhage was imaged. Central-nervous systems of 12.5-day-old mouse embryos were imaged in utero and in three dimensions for the first time.

Multi-frequency inversion-charge pumping for charge separation and mobility analysis in high-k/InGaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

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

Djara, V.; Cherkaoui, K.; Negara, M. A.

2015-11-28

An alternative multi-frequency inversion-charge pumping (MFICP) technique was developed to directly separate the inversion charge density (N{sub inv}) from the trapped charge density in high-k/InGaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). This approach relies on the fitting of the frequency response of border traps, obtained from inversion-charge pumping measurements performed over a wide range of frequencies at room temperature on a single MOSFET, using a modified charge trapping model. The obtained model yielded the capture time constant and density of border traps located at energy levels aligned with the InGaAs conduction band. Moreover, the combination of MFICP and pulsed I{sub d}-V{sub g}more » measurements enabled an accurate effective mobility vs N{sub inv} extraction and analysis. The data obtained using the MFICP approach are consistent with the most recent reports on high-k/InGaAs.« less

Imaging with a small number of photons

PubMed Central

Morris, Peter A.; Aspden, Reuben S.; Bell, Jessica E. C.; Boyd, Robert W.; Padgett, Miles J.

2015-01-01

Low-light-level imaging techniques have application in many diverse fields, ranging from biological sciences to security. A high-quality digital camera based on a multi-megapixel array will typically record an image by collecting of order 105 photons per pixel, but by how much could this photon flux be reduced? In this work we demonstrate a single-photon imaging system based on a time-gated intensified camera from which the image of an object can be inferred from very few detected photons. We show that a ghost-imaging configuration, where the image is obtained from photons that have never interacted with the object, is a useful approach for obtaining images with high signal-to-noise ratios. The use of heralded single photons ensures that the background counts can be virtually eliminated from the recorded images. By applying principles of image compression and associated image reconstruction, we obtain high-quality images of objects from raw data formed from an average of fewer than one detected photon per image pixel. PMID:25557090

Atmospheric water vapor: Distribution and Empirical estimation in the atmosphere of Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phokate, S.

2017-09-01

Atmospheric water vapor is a crucial component of the Earth’s atmosphere, which is shown by precipitable water vapor. It is calculated from the upper air data. In Thailand, the data were collected from four measuring stations located in Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Bangkok, and Songkhla during the years 1998-2013. The precipitable water vapor obtained from this investigation were used to define an empirical model associated with the vapor pressure, which is a surface data at the same stations. The result shows that the relationship has a relatively high level of reliability. The precipitable water vapor obtained from the upper air data is nearly equal to the value from the model. The model was used to calculate the precipitable water vapor from the surface data 85 stations across the country. The result shows that seasonal change of the precipitable water vapor was low in the dry season (November-April) and high in the rainy season (May-October). In addition, precipitable water vapor varies along the latitudes of the stations. The high value obtains for low latitudes, but it is low for high latitudes.

Density-Functional Theory with Dispersion-Correcting Potentials for Methane: Bridging the Efficiency and Accuracy Gap between High-Level Wave Function and Classical Molecular Mechanics Methods.

PubMed

Torres, Edmanuel; DiLabio, Gino A

2013-08-13

Large clusters of noncovalently bonded molecules can only be efficiently modeled by classical mechanics simulations. One prominent challenge associated with this approach is obtaining force-field parameters that accurately describe noncovalent interactions. High-level correlated wave function methods, such as CCSD(T), are capable of correctly predicting noncovalent interactions, and are widely used to produce reference data. However, high-level correlated methods are generally too computationally costly to generate the critical reference data required for good force-field parameter development. In this work we present an approach to generate Lennard-Jones force-field parameters to accurately account for noncovalent interactions. We propose the use of a computational step that is intermediate to CCSD(T) and classical molecular mechanics, that can bridge the accuracy and computational efficiency gap between them, and demonstrate the efficacy of our approach with methane clusters. On the basis of CCSD(T)-level binding energy data for a small set of methane clusters, we develop methane-specific, atom-centered, dispersion-correcting potentials (DCPs) for use with the PBE0 density-functional and 6-31+G(d,p) basis sets. We then use the PBE0-DCP approach to compute a detailed map of the interaction forces associated with the removal of a single methane molecule from a cluster of eight methane molecules and use this map to optimize the Lennard-Jones parameters for methane. The quality of the binding energies obtained by the Lennard-Jones parameters we obtained is assessed on a set of methane clusters containing from 2 to 40 molecules. Our Lennard-Jones parameters, used in combination with the intramolecular parameters of the CHARMM force field, are found to closely reproduce the results of our dispersion-corrected density-functional calculations. The approach outlined can be used to develop Lennard-Jones parameters for any kind of molecular system.

Neighborhood disorder and telomeres: Connecting children’s exposure to community level stress and cellular response

PubMed Central

Theall, Katherine P.; Brett, Zoë H.; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.; Dunn, Erin C.; Drury, Stacy S.

2013-01-01

Our objective was to explore the utility of salivary telomere length (sTL) as an early indicator of neighborhood level social environmental risk during child development. We therefore tested the hypothesis that sTL would be associated with markers of social stress exposure in children. Children age 4–14 from 87 neighborhoods were recruited through five urban schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Data were collected at the level of the child, family/household, and neighborhood. DNA was obtained from saliva using commercially available kits and sTL was determined for 104 children using quantitative PCR. Analysis was performed on 99 children who had complete data including sTL, social environmental stress, and additional covariates. The mean sTL value was 7.4 T/S (telomere signal/single copy signal) ratio units (± 2.4, range=2.5–18.0), and 4.7% of the variance in sTL was attributed to differences across neighborhoods. Children living in neighborhoods characterized by high disorder had an sTL value 3.2 units lower than children not living in high disordered environments (p<0.05) and their odds of having low relative sTL (defined as < 1 standard deviation below standardized z score mean) values was 3.43 times that of children not living in high disorder environments (adjusted OR=3.43, 95% CI=1.22, 9.62). Our findings are consistent with previous studies in adults demonstrating a strong link between psychosocial stress and sTL obtained from peripheral blood, consistent with previous studies in youth demonstrating an association between early life stress and sTL obtained from buccal cell DNA and offer increased support for the hypothesis that sTL represents a non-invasive biological indicator of psychosocial stress exposure (i.e., neighborhood disorder) able to reflect differences in stress exposure levels even in young children. PMID:23540366

Sea-Level Rise and Flood Potential along the California Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delepine, Q.; Leung, C.

2013-12-01

Sea-level rise is becoming an ever-increasing problem in California. Sea-level is expected to rise significantly in the next 100 years, which will raise flood elevations in coastal communities. This will be an issue for private homeowners, businesses, and the state. One study suggests that Venice Beach could lose a total of at least $440 million in tourism spending and tax dollars from flooding and beach erosion if sea level rises 1.4 m by 2100. In addition, several airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, are located in coastal regions that have flooded in the past and will likely be flooded again in the next 30 years, but sea-level rise is expected to worsen the effects of flooding in the coming decades It is vital for coastal communities to understand the risks associated with sea-level rise so that they can plan to adapt to it. By obtaining accurate LiDAR elevation data from the NOAA Digital Coast Website (http://csc.noaa.gov/dataviewer/?keyword=lidar#), we can create flood maps to simulate sea level rise and flooding. The data are uploaded to ArcGIS and contour lines are added for different elevations that represent future coastlines during 100-year flooding. The following variables are used to create the maps: 1. High-resolution land surface elevation data - obtained from NOAA 2. Local mean high water level - from USGS 3. Local 100-year flood water level - from the Pacific Institute 4. Sea-level rise projections for different future dates (2030, 2050, and 2100) - from the National Research Council The values from the last three categories are added to represent sea-level rise plus 100-year flooding. These values are used to make the contour lines that represent the projected flood elevations, which are then exported as KML files, which can be opened in Google Earth. Once these KML files are made available to the public, coastal communities will gain an improved understanding of how flooding and sea-level rise might affect them in the future. This would allow them to plan ahead to reduce the level of risk to homes, industry, and infrastructure San Francisco International Airport will be most likely be flooded in the next 30 years. Blue lines indicate current Mean High Water Levels. Yellow lines indicate the Mean High Water level combined with flood levels for 2030. Green, 2050, and Red lines, 2100

An empirical investigation of differences between mathematics specialists and non-specialists at the high school level in Cyprus: A Logistic regression Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papanastasiou, Elena C.; Zembylas, Michalinos

2006-12-01

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MATHEMATICS SPECIALISTS AND NON-SPECIALISTS AT THE HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL in Cyprus - The data obtained from high-school seniors for the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) for the country of Cyprus appear to be contradictory. Although Cypriot students did not perform well in mathematics in elementary school, middle school, and in the non-advanced sectors of high school, students in advanced mathematics courses in high school managed to perform exceptionally well. In seeking to account for this apparent disparity, the present study examines the differences between mathematics specialists and non-specialists at the high-school level and discusses the implications that these have for teaching practice. It shows how students educated in an environment that might not be optimal for producing high-achieving students in mathematics and science in elementary and middle school (according to the TIMSS) might nonetheless manage to excel in these fields at the end of their schooling. In conclusion, the authors address the implications of their study for similar educational systems in other developing countries.

Sensitivity of the meteorological model WRF-ARW to planetary boundary layer schemes during fog conditions in a coastal arid region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaouch, Naira; Temimi, Marouane; Weston, Michael; Ghedira, Hosni

2017-05-01

In this study, we intercompare seven different PBL schemes in WRF in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and we assess their impact on the performance of the simulations. The study covered five fog events reported in 2014 at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The analysis of Synoptic conditions indicated that during all examined events, the UAE was under a high geopotential pressure and light wind that does not exceed 7 m/s at 850 hPa ( 1.5 km). Seven PBL schemes, namely, Yonsei University (YSU), Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ), Moller-Yamada Nakanishi and Niino (MYNN) level 2.5, Quasi-Normal Scale Elimination (QNSE-EDMF), Asymmetric Convective Model (ACM2), Grenier-Bretherton-McCaa (GBM) and MYNN level 3 were tested. In situ observations used in the model's assessment included radiosonde data from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and surface measurements of relative humidity (RH), dew point temperature, wind speed, and temperature profiles. Overall, all the tested PBL schemes showed comparable skills with relatively higher performance with the QNSE scheme. The average RH Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and BIAS for all PBLs were 15.75% and - 9.07%, respectively, whereas the obtained RMSE and BIAS when QNSE was used were 14.65% and - 6.3% respectively. Comparable skills were obtained for the rest of the variables. Local PBL schemes showed better performance than non-local schemes. Discrepancies between simulated and observed values were higher at the surface level compared to high altitude values. The sensitivity to lead time showed that best simulation performances were obtained when the lead time varies between 12 and 18 h. In addition, the results of the simulations show that better performance is obtained when the starting condition is dry.

Reproducibility and interoperator reliability of obtaining images and measurements of the cervix and uterus with brachytherapy treatment applicators in situ using transabdominal ultrasound.

PubMed

van Dyk, Sylvia; Garth, Margaret; Oates, Amanda; Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas; Schneider, Michal; Bernshaw, David; Narayan, Kailash

2016-01-01

To validate interoperator reliability of brachytherapy radiation therapists (RTs) in obtaining an ultrasound image and measuring the cervix and uterine dimensions using transabdominal ultrasound. Patients who underwent MRI with applicators in situ after the first insertion were included in the study. Imaging was performed by three RTs (RT1, RT2, and RT3) with varying degrees of ultrasound experience. All RTs were required to obtain a longitudinal planning image depicting the applicator in the uterine canal and measure the cervix and uterus. The MRI scan, taken 1 hour after the ultrasound, was used as the reference standard against which all measurements were compared. Measurements were analyzed with intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. All RTs were able to obtain a suitable longitudinal image for each patient in the study. Mean differences (SD) between MRI and ultrasound measurements obtained by RTs ranged from 3.5 (3.6) to 4.4 (4.23) mm and 0 (3.0) to 0.9 (2.5) mm on the anterior and posterior surface of the cervix, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficient for absolute agreement between MRI and RTs was >0.9 for all posterior measurement points in the cervix and ranged from 0.41 to 0.92 on the anterior surface. Measurements were not statistically different between RTs at any measurement point. RTs with variable training attained high levels of interoperator reliability when using transabdominal ultrasound to obtain images and measurements of the uterus and cervix with brachytherapy applicators in situ. Access to training and use of a well-defined protocol assist in achieving these high levels of reliability. Copyright © 2016 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection and Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus in Self-Obtained Cervicovaginal Samples by Using the FTA Cartridge: New Possibilities for Cervical Cancer Screening ▿

PubMed Central

Lenselink, Charlotte H.; de Bie, Roosmarie P.; van Hamont, Dennis; Bakkers, Judith M. J. E.; Quint, Wim G. V.; Massuger, Leon F. A. G.; Bekkers, Ruud L. M.; Melchers, Willem J. G.

2009-01-01

This study assesses human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping in self-sampled genital smears applied to an indicating FTA elute cartridge (FTA cartridge). The study group consisted of 96 women, divided into two sample sets. All samples were analyzed by the HPV SPF10-Line Blot 25. Set 1 consisted of 45 women attending the gynecologist; all obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear, which was applied to an FTA cartridge. HPV results were compared to a cervical smear (liquid based) taken by a trained physician. Set 2 consisted of 51 women who obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear at home, which was applied to an FTA cartridge and to a liquid-based medium. DNA was obtained from the FTA cartridges by simple elution as well as extraction. Of all self-obtained samples of set 1, 62.2% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement between self- and physician-obtained samples was 93.3%, in favor of the self-obtained samples. In sample set 2, 25.5% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement for high-risk HPV presence between the FTA cartridge and liquid-based medium and between DNA elution and extraction was 100%. This study shows that HPV detection and genotyping in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples applied to an FTA cartridge is highly reliable. It shows a high level of overall agreement with HPV detection and genotyping in physician-obtained cervical smears and liquid-based self-samples. DNA can be obtained by simple elution and is therefore easy, cheap, and fast. Furthermore, the FTA cartridge is a convenient medium for collection and safe transport at ambient temperatures. Therefore, this method may contribute to a new way of cervical cancer screening. PMID:19553570

Detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples by using the FTA cartridge: new possibilities for cervical cancer screening.

PubMed

Lenselink, Charlotte H; de Bie, Roosmarie P; van Hamont, Dennis; Bakkers, Judith M J E; Quint, Wim G V; Massuger, Leon F A G; Bekkers, Ruud L M; Melchers, Willem J G

2009-08-01

This study assesses human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping in self-sampled genital smears applied to an indicating FTA elute cartridge (FTA cartridge). The study group consisted of 96 women, divided into two sample sets. All samples were analyzed by the HPV SPF(10)-Line Blot 25. Set 1 consisted of 45 women attending the gynecologist; all obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear, which was applied to an FTA cartridge. HPV results were compared to a cervical smear (liquid based) taken by a trained physician. Set 2 consisted of 51 women who obtained a self-sampled cervicovaginal smear at home, which was applied to an FTA cartridge and to a liquid-based medium. DNA was obtained from the FTA cartridges by simple elution as well as extraction. Of all self-obtained samples of set 1, 62.2% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement between self- and physician-obtained samples was 93.3%, in favor of the self-obtained samples. In sample set 2, 25.5% tested HPV positive. The overall agreement for high-risk HPV presence between the FTA cartridge and liquid-based medium and between DNA elution and extraction was 100%. This study shows that HPV detection and genotyping in self-obtained cervicovaginal samples applied to an FTA cartridge is highly reliable. It shows a high level of overall agreement with HPV detection and genotyping in physician-obtained cervical smears and liquid-based self-samples. DNA can be obtained by simple elution and is therefore easy, cheap, and fast. Furthermore, the FTA cartridge is a convenient medium for collection and safe transport at ambient temperatures. Therefore, this method may contribute to a new way of cervical cancer screening.

[Influence wheat bran on organism vitamin (experiment on rats)].

PubMed

Beketova, N A; Kodentsova, V M; Vrzhesinskaia, O A; Kosheleva, O V; Pereverzeva, O G; Isaeva, V A; Pozdniakov, A L

2011-01-01

The inclusion of wheat bran (at a dose of 2,3 and 4,6% of the dry weight) in the semi-synthetic diet of rats under combined deficiency of vitamins (20 and 50% of the adequate level) did not have a significant effect on vitamins C, B1 and B2 liver levels, riboflavin blood plasma level, and thiamine and riboflavin urinary excretion. The consumption of bran in high dose has been accompanied by a decrease of retinol blood plasma level on 19-28% but it has no effect on liver retinol palmitate content. Bran intake in both doses resulted in a deterioration of rats sufficiency with vitamin E, which had been confirmed by a simultaneous significant decrease of blood plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration on 31-40%, and its liver level on 23-43%. The results obtained indicate the advisability of vitamin E enrichment of diets with a high content of dietary fiber.

A Improved and Highly Effective Seabed Surface Sand Sampling Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ying

2017-04-01

In marine geology research, it is necessary to obtain a sufficient quantity of seabed surface samples, while also ensuring that the samples are in their original state. Currently, there are a number of seabed surface sampling devices available, but it is very difficult to obtain sand samples using ordinary seabed surface sampling devices, whereas machine-controlled seabed surface sampling devices are unable to dive into deeper regions of water. To obtain larger quantities of samples in their original states, many researchers have tried to improve seabed surface sampling devices, but these efforts have generally produced ambiguous results. To resolve the aforementioned issue, we have designed an improved and highly effective seabed surface sand sampling device, which incorporates the strengths of a variety of sampling devices; it is capable of diving into deeper water regions to obtain sand samples, and is also suited for use in streams, rivers, lakes and seas with varying levels of flow velocities and depth.

A modified dual-level algorithm for large-scale three-dimensional Laplace and Helmholtz equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junpu; Chen, Wen; Fu, Zhuojia

2018-01-01

A modified dual-level algorithm is proposed in the article. By the help of the dual level structure, the fully-populated interpolation matrix on the fine level is transformed to a local supported sparse matrix to solve the highly ill-conditioning and excessive storage requirement resulting from fully-populated interpolation matrix. The kernel-independent fast multipole method is adopted to expediting the solving process of the linear equations on the coarse level. Numerical experiments up to 2-million fine-level nodes have successfully been achieved. It is noted that the proposed algorithm merely needs to place 2-3 coarse-level nodes in each wavelength per direction to obtain the reasonable solution, which almost down to the minimum requirement allowed by the Shannon's sampling theorem. In the real human head model example, it is observed that the proposed algorithm can simulate well computationally very challenging exterior high-frequency harmonic acoustic wave propagation up to 20,000 Hz.

Cyclic fatigue of a high-strength corrosion-resistant sheet TRIP steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terent'ev, V. F.; Alekseeva, L. E.; Korableva, S. A.; Prosvirnin, D. V.; Pankova, M. N.; Filippov, G. A.

2014-04-01

The mechanical properties of 0.3- and 0.8-mm-thick high-strength corrosion-resistant TRIP steel having various levels of strength properties are studied during static and cyclic loading in the high-cycle fatigue range. The fatigue fracture surface is analyzed by fractography, and the obtained results demonstrate ductile and quasi-brittle fracture mechanisms of this steel depending on the strength properties of the steel and the content of deformation martensite in it.

Addition of Garlic Extract in Ration to Reduce Cholesterol Level of Broiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utami, M. M. D.; Pantaya, D.; Agus, A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to know the effect of garlic extract (GE) in reducing cholesterol level of broiler chicken by analyzing cholesterol level of broiler chicken blood. Two hundred one day broiler age were used in this study for 35 days. The chickens were randomly divided into four treatments, each treatment consist of five replications and each repetition consist of ten chickens. This research is used completely randomized design, such as: T0: 0% EBP, T1: 2%, T2: 4% and T3: 6%. Furthermore, at age 35 days each chicken was taken blood to be analyzed cholesterol levels, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and calculated the ratio of LDL and HDL levels. The data obtained were analyzed using software from Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS 16.0). The results of significant analysis continued by Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test. Addition of GE from the 2% level decreases (P <0.05) of LDL and total cholesterol, and increases HDL and HDL-LDL ratio. The conclusions is obtained garlic extract plays an important role in lowering cholesterol levels of broiler meat.

In-flight measurement of propeller noise on the fuselage of an airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pla, Frederic G.; Ranaudo, Richard; Woodward, Richard P.

1989-01-01

In-flight measurements of propeller noise on the fuselage of an OV-10A aircraft were obtained using a horizontal and a vertical microphone array. A wide range of flight conditions were tested including changes in angle of attack, sideslip angle, power coefficient, helical tip Mach number and advance ratio, and propeller direction of rotation. Results show a dependence of the level and directivity of the tones on the angle of attack and on the sideslip angle with the propeller direction of rotation, which is similar to results obtained in wind tunnel tests with advanced propeller designs. The level of the tones at each microphone increases with increasing angle of attack for inboard-down propeller rotation and decreases for inboard-up rotation. The level also increases with increasing slideslip angle for both propeller directions of rotation. Increasing the power coefficient results in a slight increase in the level of the tones. A strong shock wave is generated by the propeller blades even at relatively low helical tip Mach numbers resulting in high harmonic levels. As the helical tip Mach number and the advance ratio are increased, the level of the higher harmonics increases much faster than the level of the blade passage frequency.

The Solid Phase Curing Time Effect of Asbuton with Texapon Emulsifier at the Optimum Bitumen Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarwono, D.; Surya D, R.; Setyawan, A.; Djumari

2017-07-01

Buton asphalt (asbuton) could not be utilized optimally in Indonesia. Asbuton utilization rate was still low because the processed product of asbuton still have impracticable form in the term of use and also requiring high processing costs. This research aimed to obtain asphalt products from asbuton practical for be used through the extraction process and not requiring expensive processing cost. This research was done with experimental method in laboratory. The composition of emulsify asbuton were 5/20 grain, premium, texapon, HCl, and aquades. Solid phase was the mixture asbuton 5/20 grain and premium with 3 minutes mixing time. Liquid phase consisted texapon, HCl and aquades. The aging process was done after solid phase mixing process in order to reaction and tie of solid phase mixed become more optimal for high solubility level of asphalt production. Aging variable time were 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes. Solid and liquid phase was mixed for emulsify asbuton production, then extracted for 25 minutes. Solubility level of asphalt, water level, and asphalt characteristic was tested at extraction result of emulsify asbuton with most optimum ashphal level. The result of analysis tested data asphalt solubility level at extract asbuton resulted 94.77% on 120 minutes aging variable time. Water level test resulted water content reduction on emulsify asbuton more long time on occurring of aging solid phase. Examination of asphalt characteristic at extraction result of emulsify asbuton with optimum asphalt solubility level, obtain specimen that have rigid and strong texture in order that examination result have not sufficient ductility and penetration value.

Solubility from the Femtoscale to the Macroscale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollock, David W.; Truong, Giovanna T.; Bonjour, Jessica L.; Frost, John A.

2018-01-01

Solubility is frequently introduced at the high school and introductory college levels through the symbolic domain using net ionic equations and solubility product constants. Students may become proficient with spectator ion cancellation and skilled with algorithmic mathematical applications of solubility without obtaining a deeper understanding…

Vocation Units. Career Development Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moses, Elizabeth

The units contain suggestions for various approaches to the study of specific careers and career clusters at the junior high school level, and provide 13 lessons covering the areas of: obtaining career information, creative writing, journalism, health, environmental control, personal services and government, job application techniques, writing…

The Energy Budget at the Earth’s Surface: Photosynthesis Under Field Condition: Solar Radiation Balance and Photosynthetic Efficiency.

DTIC Science & Technology

40-cm level in corn that is 300 cm high. Calculations indicate maximum thermal efficiency of photosynthesis under the experimental conditions to be 40 percent of the yield obtained from laboratory grown chlorella . (Author)

Pretreatment with ethanol as an alternative to improve steviol glycosides extraction and purification from a new variety of stevia.

PubMed

Formigoni, Maysa; Milani, Paula Gimenez; da Silva Avíncola, Alexandre; Dos Santos, Vanessa Jorge; Benossi, Livia; Dacome, Antônio Sergio; Pilau, Eduardo Jorge; da Costa, Silvio Claudio

2018-02-15

Leaves of a new variety of Stevia rebaudiana with a high content of rebaudioside A were pretreated with ethanol. The ethanolic extract showed high antioxidant potential and 39 compounds were identified, by UPLC/HRMS, among them one not yet mentioned in the literature for stevia leaves. From the in natura leaves and pretreated leaves, the conditions of aqueous extraction of steviol glycosides were investigated using response surface methodology. The aqueous extracts obtained were purified by ion exchange chromatography techniques and membrane separation methods. The recuperation of steviol glycosides was 4.02g for pretreated leaves and 2.20g for in natura leaves. The level of purity was, respectively, 87% and 84.8%. The results obtained demonstrate that pretreatment increases the yield and purity level of stevia sweeteners by the use of environmentally friendly methodologies and the final product presented acceptable sensory characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compatibility Grab Sampling and Analysis Plan for FY 2000

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

SASAKI, L.M.

1999-12-29

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) identifies characterization objectives pertaining to sample collection, laboratory analytical evaluation, and reporting requirements for grab samples obtained to address waste compatibility. It is written in accordance with requirements identified in Data Quality Objectives for Tank Farms Waste Compatibility Program (Mulkey et al. 1999) and Tank Farm Waste Transfer Compatibility Program (Fowler 1999). In addition to analyses to support Compatibility, the Waste Feed Delivery program has requested that tank samples obtained for Compatibility also be analyzed to confirm the high-level waste and/or low-activity waste envelope(s) for the tank waste (Baldwin 1999). The analytical requirements tomore » confirm waste envelopes are identified in Data Quality Objectives for TWRS Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T is an Appropriate Feed Source for Low-Activity Waste Feed Batch X (Nguyen 1999a) and Data Quality Objectives for RPP Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T is an Appropriate Feed Source for High-Level Waste Feed Batch X (Nguyen 1999b).« less

Comparison Between HDL-C Levels in Argentine Indigenous Children Living at High Altitudes and U.S. Children.

PubMed

Hirschler, Valeria; Gonzalez, Claudio; Maccallini, Gustavo; Hidalgo, Mariana; Molinari, Claudia

2016-04-01

Studies have shown low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in indigenous children versus urban children from Argentina. We hypothesized that indigenous children living at high altitudes might have lower HDL-C levels compared with U.S. children, probably due to ambient hypoxia, lifestyle conditions, or ethnicity. This study was designed (1) to compare HDL-C levels in Argentinean indigenous children with those reported in the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for U.S. children and (2) to determine the association between HDL-C and adiposity in both groups. A cross-sectional study of 1,232 (631 females) Argentinean indigenous schoolchildren (4-14 years old) from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC) was performed between November 2011 and November 2014. Anthropometric measures were performed in the whole group and compared with those of 2,151 U.S. children (1,034 females). However, HDL-C concentrations were measured in 905 SAC children and compared with those of 1,451 U.S. children. Analyses were done incorporating sampling weights for age in both samples to obtain unbiased estimates. In the case of NHANES the weights provided by each individual in the 2011-2012 NHANES demographic file were used, whereas in the SAC sample the weights were obtained using the census data provided by the 2010 National Statistics and Censuses Institute of Argentina. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was significantly lower in SAC (135/1,232; 11%) than in the United States (759/2,151; 35%). However, the prevalence of low levels of HDL-C was significantly higher in SAC (298/905; 33%) than in the United States (142/1,451; 10%). The prevalence of low levels of HDL-C increased significantly in both groups as body mass index categories increased. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that SAC children had nine and a half times the odds of having low levels of HDL-C compared with U.S. children, adjusted for confounding variables (odds ratio = 9.55; 95% confidence interval, 7.18-12.71). This study shows a high prevalence of low levels of HDL-C in indigenous Argentinean children 4-14 years of age living at high altitudes compared with U.S. children.

Variation in food availability mediate the impact of density on cannibalism, growth, and survival in larval yellow spotted mountain newts (Neurergus microspilotus): Implications for captive breeding programs.

PubMed

Vaissi, Somaye; Sharifi, Mozafar

2016-11-01

In this study, we examined cannibalistic behavior, growth, metamorphosis, and survival in larval and post-metamorph endangered yellow spotted mountain newts Neurergus microspilotus hatched and reared in a captive breeding facility. We designed a 2 × 2 factorial experiment, crossing two levels of food with two levels of density including high food/high density, high food/low density, low food/high density, and low food/low density. The level of cannibalistic behavior (including the loss of fore and hind limbs, missing toes, tail, gills, body damage, and whole body consumption) changed as the larvae grew, from a low level during the first 4 weeks, peaking from weeks 7 to 12, and then dropped during weeks 14-52. Both food level and density had a significant effect on cannibalism. The highest frequency of cannibalism was recorded for larvae reared in the low food/high density and lowest in high food/low density treatments. Growth, percent of larval metamorphosed, and survival were all highest in the high food/low density and lowest in low food/high density treatment. Food level had a significant effect on growth, metamorphosis, and survival. However, the two levels of density did not influence growth and metamorphosis but showed a significant effect on survival. Similarly, combined effects of food level and density showed significant effects on growth, metamorphosis, and survival over time. Information obtained from current experiment could improve productivity of captive breeding facilities to ensure the release of adequate numbers of individuals for reintroduction programs. Zoo Biol. 35:513-521, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. Zoo Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors. Zoo Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Measurement of the status of trace elements in cattle using liver biopsy samples].

PubMed

Ouweltjes, W; de Zeeuw, A C; Moen, A; Counotte, G H M

2007-02-01

Serum, plasma, or urine samples are usually used for the measurement of the trace elements copper; zinc, iron, selenium, because these samples are easy to obtain; however; these samples are not always appropriate. For example, it is not possible to measure molybdenum, the major antagonist of copper; in blood or urine. Therefore measurement of trace elements in liver tissue is considered the gold standard. For the assessment of selenium the method of choice remains determination of glutathion peroxidase in erythrocytes and for the assessment of magnesium determination of magnesium in urine. We determined the accuracy and repeatability of measuring trace elements in liver biopsies and whole liver homogenates. The levels of trace elements measured were similar in both preparations (92% agreement). Liver biopsy in live animals is a relatively simple procedure but not common in The Netherlands. Reference levels of trace elements, classified as too low, low, adequate, high, and too high, were established on the basis of our research and information in the literature. In a second study we investigated the practical aspects of obtaining liver tissue samples and their use. Samples were collected from cattle on a commercial dairy farm. Liver biopsy provided additional information to that obtained from serum and urine samples. We prepared a biopsy protocol and a test package, which we tested on 14 farms where an imbalance of trace minerals was suspected. Biopsy samples taken from 4 to 6 animals revealed extreme levels of trace elements.

Line Lists for LiF and LiCl in the X^{1}Σ^{+} State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittner, Dror M.; Bernath, Peter F.

2017-06-01

Alkali-containing molecules are expected to be present in the atmospheres of exoplanets such as rocky super-Earths as well as in cool dwarf stars. Line lists for LiF and LiCl in their X^{1}Σ^{+} ground states have been calculated using LeRoy's LEVEL program. The potential energy functions, including the effects of the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, are obtained by direct fitting the experimental infrared vibration-rotation and microwave pure rotation data with extended Morse oscillator potentials using LeRoy's dPotFit program. The transition dipole matrix elements and line intensities were obtained with LEVEL using a dipole moment function from a high level ab initio calculation. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 372, 20130087 (2014) Astrophys. J. 519, 793 (1999) J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 186, 167 (2017) J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 186, 179 (2017)

A multiple indicator, multiple cause method for representing social capital with an application to psychological distress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Congdon, Peter

2010-03-01

This paper describes a structural equation methodology for obtaining social capital scores for survey subjects from multiple indicators of social support, neighbourhood and trust perceptions, and memberships of organizations. It adjusts for variation that is likely to occur in levels of social capital according to geographic context (e.g. level of area deprivation, geographic region, level of urbanity) and demographic group. Social capital is used as an explanatory factor for psychological distress using data from the 2006 Health Survey for England. A highly significant effect of social capital in reducing the chance of psychiatric caseness is obtained after controlling for other individual and geographic risk factors. Allowing for social capital has considerable effects on the impacts on psychiatric health of other risk factors. In particular, the impact of area deprivation category is much reduced. There is also evidence of significant differentiation in social capital between population categories and geographic contexts.

Experimental clean combustor program: Diesel no. 2 fuel addendum, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gleason, C. C.; Bahr, D. W.

1979-01-01

A CF6-50 engine equipped with an advanced, low emission, double annular combustor was operated 4.8 hours with No. 2 diesel fuel. Fourteen steady-state operating conditions ranging from idle to full power were investigated. Engine/combustor performance and exhaust emissions were obtained and compared to JF-5 fueled test results. With one exception, fuel effects were very small and in agreement with previously obtained combustor test rig results. At high power operating condition, the two fuels produced virtually the same peak metal temperatures and exhaust emission levels. At low power operating conditions, where only the pilot stage was fueled, smoke levels tended to be significantly higher with No. 2 diesel fuel. Additional development of this combustor concept is needed in the areas of exit temperature distribution, engine fuel control, and exhaust emission levels before it can be considered for production engine use.

Effect of nearest-neighbor ions on excited ionic states, emission spectra, and line profiles in hot and dense plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salzmann, D.; Stein, J.; Goldberg, I. B.; Pratt, R. H.

1991-01-01

The effect of the cylindrical symmetry imposed by the nearest-neighbor ions on the ionic levels and the emission spectra of a Li-like Kr ion immersed in hot and dense plasmas is investigated using the Stein et al. (1989) two-centered model extended to include computations of the line profiles, shifts, and widths, as well as the energy-level mixing and the forbidden transition probabilities. It is shown that the cylindrical symmetry mixes states with different orbital quantum numbers l, particularly for highly excited states, and, thereby, gives rise to forbidden transitions in the emission spectrum. Results are obtained for the variation of the ionic level shifts and mixing coefficients with the distance to the nearest neighbor. Also obtained are representative computed spectra that show the density effects on the spectral line profiles, shifts, and widths, and the forbidden components in the spectrum.

Synchrotron-based far-infrared spectroscopy of furan: Rotational analysis of the ν 14 , ν 11 , ν 18 and ν 19 vibrational levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokaryk, D. W.; Culligan, S. D.; Billinghurst, B. E.; van Wijngaarden, J. A.

2011-11-01

Four vibrational levels of the five-membered ring molecule furan (C 4H 4O) have been rotationally analyzed from far-infrared Fourier transform spectra obtained at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. We found that the low-lying ν14 and ν11 levels at 602.9 and 599.6 cm -1 interact through a second-order Coriolis resonance. This perturbation was characterized through a coupled analysis of the ν14 and ν18 fundamental spectra and the ν18- ν11 band. The ν19 fundamental spectrum was analyzed as well, and the data for all observed bands were combined with previously reported microwave transitions to produce the final fit. The spectra are an excellent demonstration of the high quality of data that can be obtained when far-infrared synchrotron radiation is used as the radiation source in Fourier transform spectroscopy experiments.

+2 Valence Metal Concentrations in Lion Creek, Oakland, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazquez, P.; Zedd, T.; Chagolla, R.; Dutton-Starbuck, M.; Negrete, A.; Jinham, M.; Lapota, M.

2012-12-01

Seven major creeks exist within the City of Oakland, California. These creeks all flow in the southwest direction from forested hills down through densely populated streets where they become susceptible to urban runoff. Lion Creek has been diverted to engineered channels and underground culverts and runs directly under our school (Roots International) before flowing into the San Leandro Bay. One branch of the creek begins near an abandoned sulfur mine. Previous studies have shown that extremely high levels of lead, arsenic and iron exist in this portion of the creek due to acid mine drainage. In this study +2 valence heavy metals concentration data was obtained from samples collected from a segment of the creek located approximately 2.8 miles downstream from the mine. Concentrations in samples collected at three different sites along this segment ranged between 50 ppb and 100 ppb. We hypothesize that these levels are related to the high concentration of +2 valence heavy metals at the mining site. To test this hypothesis, we have obtained samples from various locations along the roughly 3.75 miles of Lion Creek that are used to assess changes in heavy metals concentration levels from the mining site to the San Leandro Bay.

Value addition of vegetable wastes by solid-state fermentation using Aspergillus niger for use in aquafeed industry.

PubMed

Rajesh, N; Imelda-Joseph; Raj, R Paul

2010-11-01

Vegetable waste typically has high moisture content and high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals. Its value as an agricultural feed can be enhanced through solid-state fermentation (SSF). Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional status of the products derived by SSF of a mixture of dried vegetable waste powder and oil cake mixture (soybean flour, wheat flour, groundnut oil cake and sesame oil cake at 4:3:2:1 ratio) using fungi Aspergillus niger S(1)4, a mangrove isolate, and A. niger NCIM 616. Fermentation was carried out for 9 days at 35% moisture level and neutral pH. Significant (p<0.05) increase in crude protein and amino acids were obtained in both the trials. The crude fat and crude fibre content showed significant reduction at the end of fermentation. Nitrogen free extract (NFE) showed a gradual decrease during the fermentation process. The results of the study suggest that the fermented product obtained on days 6 and 9 in case of A. niger S(1)4 and A. niger NCIM 616 respectively contained the highest levels of crude protein. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The model test of restoration project of the gravel beach of Chen Village fishing port

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, D. X.; Gui, J. S.; Sun, J. W.

2016-08-01

Gravel beach is a case in coastal landform by wave action. It is more and more crucial for the environment of coastal engineering in recent years. However, it is poorly studied for it in China. And this paper which is based on the model test of Restoration Project of the Gravel Beach of Chen Village Fishing Port, uses two dimensional normal physical models, aiming at exploring the movement of gravel beach under wave action and verifying the stability of the gravel beach section. The test depends on different water levels (designed high water level, designed low water level, and extreme high water level) and return periods (2, 5, 10, 25, 50 years once). Finally, two distinct experimental sections are got under the changed conditions and the movement law of gravels is obtained.

Image segmentation via foreground and background semantic descriptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ding; Qiang, Jingjing; Yin, Jihao

2017-09-01

In the field of image processing, it has been a challenging task to obtain a complete foreground that is not uniform in color or texture. Unlike other methods, which segment the image by only using low-level features, we present a segmentation framework, in which high-level visual features, such as semantic information, are used. First, the initial semantic labels were obtained by using the nonparametric method. Then, a subset of the training images, with a similar foreground to the input image, was selected. Consequently, the semantic labels could be further refined according to the subset. Finally, the input image was segmented by integrating the object affinity and refined semantic labels. State-of-the-art performance was achieved in experiments with the challenging MSRC 21 dataset.

Water Level Monitoring on Tibetan Lakes Based on Icesat and Envisat Data Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H. W.; Qiao, G.; Wu, Y. J.; Cao, Y. J.; Mi, H.

2017-09-01

Satellite altimetry technique is an effective method to monitor the water level of lakes in a wide range, especially in sparsely populated areas, such as the Tibet Plateau (TP). To provide high quality data for time-series change detection of lake water level, an automatic and efficient algorithm for lake water footprint (LWF) detection in a wide range is used. Based on ICESat GLA14 Release634 data and ENVISat GDR 1Hz data, water level of 167 lakes were obtained from ICESat data series, and water level of 120 lakes were obtained from ENVISat data series. Among them, 67 lakes contained two data series. Mean standard deviation of all lakes is 0.088 meters (ICESat), 0.339 meters (ENVISat). Combination of multi-source altimetry data is helpful for us to get longer and more dense periods cover water level, study the lake level changes, manage water resources and understand the impacts of climate change better. In addition, the standard deviation of LWF elevation used to calculate the water level were analyzed by month. Based on lake data set for the TP from the 1960s, 2005, and 2014 in Scientific Data, it is found that the water level changes in the TP have a strong spatial correlation with the area changes.

Certified Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) Solving for System Verification

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

the compositionality of trustworthiness is also a critical capability: tools must be able to trust and use the results of other tools. One approach for...multiple reasoners to work together. Thus, the compositionality of trustworthiness is also a critical capability: tools must be able to trust and use the...level of confidence in the results returned by the underlying SMT solver. Unfortunately, obtaining the high level of trust required for, e.g., safety

Plants and men in space - A new field in plant physiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andre, M.; Macelroy, R. D.

1990-01-01

Results are presented on a comparison of nutritional values of and human psychological responses to algae and of higher plants considered for growth as food on long-term missions in space, together with the technological complexities of growing these plants. The comparison shows the advantages of higher plants, with results suggesting that a high level of material recycling can be obtained. It is noted that the issue of space gravity may be not a major problem for plants because of the possibility that phototropism can provide an alternative sense of direction. Problems of waste recycling can be solved in association with plant cultivation, and a high degree of autonomy of food production can be obtained.

Exposure level of ergonomic risk factors in hotel industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrull Abdol Rahman, Mohd; Syahir Muhamad Jaffar, Mohd; Fahrul Hassan, Mohd; Zamani Ngali, Mohd; Pauline, Ong

2017-08-01

Ergonomic Risk Factors (ERFs) which contribute to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) among room attendants were considered as a problem or trouble since these ERFs would affect their work performance for hotel industries. The purpose of this study was to examine the exposure level of ERFs among room attendants in hotel industries. 65 of respondents were obtained from selected hotels in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected by direct observation via Workplace Ergonomic Risk Assessment (WERA) and Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC). There were 36 males and 29 females room attendants involved throughout the research. Most of room attendants experienced high exposure level for back, leg, forceful and vibration based on the exposure level evaluation through WERA while QEC results showed that all room attendants were found to have moderate exposure level for risk factors including back for movement use, shoulders/arms, wrists/hands and neck. All the results obtained showed that the related ERFs for MSDs were associated and essential ergonomic interventions are needed in order to eliminate risk of exposures to MSDs among room attendants in hotel industries.

Investigation of Noise Field and Velocity Profiles of an Afterburning Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

North, Warren J.; Callaghan, E. E.; Lanzo, C. D.

1954-01-01

Sound pressure levels, frequency spectrum, and jet velocity profiles are presented for an engine-afterburner combination at various values of afterburner fuel - air ratio. At the high fuel-air ratios, severe low-frequency resonance was encountered which represented more than half the total energy in the sound spectrum. At similar thrust conditions, lower sound pressure levels were obtained from a current fighter air craft with a different afterburner configuration. The lower sound pressure levels are attributed to resonance-free afterburner operation and thereby indicate the importance of acoustic considerations in afterburner design.

Mist characterization in drilling 1018 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, Ian

Minimum quantity lubrication replaces the traditional method of flood cooling with small amounts of high-efficient lubrication. Limited studies have been performed to determine the characteristics of mist produced during MQL. This study investigated the mist concentration levels produced while drilling 1018 steel using a vegetable based lubricant. ANOVA was performed to determine whether speed and feed rates or their interactions have a significant effect on mist concentration levels and particle diameter. It was observed that the concentration levels obtained under all four speed and feed rate combinations studied exceeded the current OSHA and NIOSH standards.

Progressive Vector Quantization on a massively parallel SIMD machine with application to multispectral image data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manohar, Mareboyana; Tilton, James C.

1994-01-01

A progressive vector quantization (VQ) compression approach is discussed which decomposes image data into a number of levels using full search VQ. The final level is losslessly compressed, enabling lossless reconstruction. The computational difficulties are addressed by implementation on a massively parallel SIMD machine. We demonstrate progressive VQ on multispectral imagery obtained from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer instrument and other Earth observation image data, and investigate the trade-offs in selecting the number of decomposition levels and codebook training method.

Relationships between coronary heart disease risk factors and serum ionized calcium in Kennedy Space Center Cohort

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodwin, Lisa Ann; Frey, Mary Anne Bassett; Merz, Marion P.; Alford, William R.

1987-01-01

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) employees are reported to be at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Risk factors for CHD include high serum total cholesterol levels, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), elevated triglyceride, smoking, inactivity, high blood pressure, being male, and being older. Higher dietary and/or serum calcium Ca(++) may be related to a lower risk for CHD. Fifty men and 37 women participated. Subjects were tested in the morning after fasting 12 hours. Information relative to smoking and exercise habits was obtained; seated blood pressures were measured; and blood drawn. KCS men had higher risk values than KCS women as related to HDLC, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Smoking and nonsmoking groups did not differ for other risk factors or for serum Ca(++) levels. Exercise and sedentary groups differed in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Serum Ca(++) levels were related to age, increasing with age in the sedentary group and decreasing in the exercisers, equally for men and women. It is concluded that these relationships may be significant to the risk of CHD and/or the risk of bone demineralization in an aging population.

CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 6: Cost, accuracy and consistency comparisons of land use maps made from high-altitude aircraft photography and ERTS imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Fitzpatrick, K. A.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Level 2 land use maps produced at three scales (1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000) from high altitude photography were compared with each other and with point data obtained in the field. The same procedures were employed to determine the accuracy of the Level 1 land use maps produced at 1:250,000 from high altitude photography and color composite ERTS imagery. Accuracy of the Level 2 maps was 84.9 percent at 1:24,000, 77.4 percent at 1:100,000 and 73.0 percent at 1:250,000. Accuracy of the Level 1 1:250,000 maps was 76.5 percent for aerial photographs and 69.5 percent for ERTS imagery. The cost of Level 2 land use mapping at 1:24,000 was found to be high ($11.93 per sq km). The cost of mapping at 1:100,000 ($1.75) was about two times as expensive as mapping at 1:250,000 ($.88), and the accuracy increased by only 4.4 percent.

Comparisons of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels and the 21-gene recurrence score in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.

PubMed

Ahn, Sung Gwe; Cha, Yoon Jin; Bae, Soon June; Yoon, Chanik; Lee, Hak Woo; Jeong, Joon

2018-03-24

Recent studies have shown that tumors with extensive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have a higher probability of pathologic complete response, even in luminal/human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. We compared TIL levels and the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. We evaluated the percentage of stromal TILs in 198 ER-positive/HER2-negative patients in whom RS was obtained by examining slides of surgical specimens by standardized methodology proposed by the international TIL Working Group. TIL levels were categorized as high (≥ 60%), intermediate (11-59%), or low (≤ 10%). All tumors were treatment-naïve. Ninety-seven (49.0%), 88 (44.4%), and 13 patients (6.6%) had low, intermediate, and high TIL levels, respectively. There was a significant but weak correlation between continuous RS and continuous TIL levels (Pearson's R = 0.201, p = 0.004). The mean RS was significantly highest in high TIL tumors (17.8 ± 10.7 in low TIL tumors, 19.4 ± 8.7 in intermediate TIL tumors, and 26.2 ± 8.2 in high TIL tumors; p = 0.014). However, when we compared categorized RS and TIL levels, we found that tumors with high TIL levels tended to have higher RS (≥ 26) but it was not significant (p = 0.155). Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that high RS was not an independent factor associated with high TIL levels. Chemo-endocrine therapy was more frequently performed among patients with high TILs and less frequently among those with low or intermediate TILs (p <  0.001). Despite of a weak correlation between continuous TIL levels and RS, we found that tumors with high TIL levels tended to have a higher RS in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. Further study is warranted considering the clinical outcomes.

Cross-evidence for hypnotic susceptibility through nonlinear measures on EEGs of non-hypnotized subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiarucci, Riccardo; Madeo, Dario; Loffredo, Maria I.; Castellani, Eleonora; Santarcangelo, Enrica L.; Mocenni, Chiara

2014-07-01

Assessment of hypnotic susceptibility is usually obtained through the application of psychological instruments. A satisfying classification obtained through quantitative measures is still missing, although it would be very useful for both diagnostic and clinical purposes. Aiming at investigating the relationship between the cortical brain activity and the hypnotic susceptibility level, we propose the combined use of two methodologies - Recurrence Quantification Analysis and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis - both inherited from nonlinear dynamics. Indicators obtained through the application of these techniques to EEG signals of individuals in their ordinary state of consciousness allowed us to obtain a clear discrimination between subjects with high and low susceptibility to hypnosis. Finally a neural network approach was used to perform classification analysis.

Experimental studies of toroidal correlations of plasma density fluctuations along the magnetic field lines in the T-10 tokamak and first results of numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buldakov, M. A.; Vershkov, V. A.; Isaev, M. Yu; Shelukhin, D. A.

2017-10-01

The antenna system of reflectometry diagnostics at the T-10 tokamak allows to study long-range toroidal correlations of plasma density fluctuations along the magnetic field lines. The antenna systems are installed in two poloidal cross-sections of the vacuum chamber separated by a 90° angle in the toroidal direction. The experiments, which were conducted at the low field side, showed that the high level of toroidal correlations is observed only for quasi-coherent fluctuations. However, broadband and stochastic low frequency fluctuations are not correlated. Numerical modeling of the plasma turbulence structure in the T-10 tokamak was conducted to interpret the experimental results and take into account non-locality of reflectometry measurements. In the model used, it was assumed that the magnitudes of density fluctuations are constant along the magnetic field lines. The 2D full-wave Tamic-RTH code was used to model the reflectometry signals. High level of correlations for quasi-coherent fluctuations was obtained during the modeling, which agrees with the experimental observations. However, the performed modeling also predicts high level of correlations for broadband fluctuations, which contradicts the experimental data. The modeling showed that the effective reflection radius, from which the information on quasi-coherent plasma turbulence is obtained, is shifted outwards from the reflection radius by approximately 7 mm.

The impact of high progesterone levels on the day of HCG administration in assisted human reproduction treatments.

PubMed

Tanada, Michelli S; Yoshida, Ivan H; Santos, Monise; Berton, Caroline Z; Souto, Elen; Carvalho, Waldemar P de; Cordts, Emerson B; Barbosa, Caio P

2018-06-01

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that acts on the endometrium. It is known for producing physical and mood-related side effects. Few studies have looked into how progesterone levels affect embryo development and quality. This study aimed to find a cutoff level for serum progesterone on the day of HCG administration from which embryo quality is impaired. The study included 145 cycles, from which 885 oocytes and 613 embryos were obtained. All patients had their serum progesterone levels measured on the day of HCG administration. Data sets were collected from patient medical records. The chi-square test was used to assess qualitative variables and the Mann-Whitney test to evaluate quantitative variables. Statistical analysis revealed that serum progesterone levels and reproductive variables were not significantly associated. In regards to oocyte maturity, however, when progesterone levels were greater than 1.3 ng/mL the probability of oocytes being immature increased by 12.7%. The fragmentation rate of embryos categorized as "top quality" in D3 increased proportionately to increases in progesterone levels (12.23%). High progesterone levels appeared to be correlated with increased embryo fragmentation rates, but high serum levels of the hormone on the day of HCG administration had no impact on reproductive variables and were not associated with impaired embryo development.

Problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents.

PubMed

Sahin, Ummugulsum; Adana, Filiz

2016-01-01

To determine problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a city west of Turkey (Bursa) in a public high school and the population was 774 and the sampling was 394 students. Students to be included in the study were selected using the multiple sampling method. A personal Information Form with 23 questions, Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used as data collection tools in the study. Basic statistical analyses, t-test, Kruskall Wallis-H, One Way Anova and Pearson Correlation test were used to evaluate the data. Necessary permissions were obtained from the relevant institution, students, parents and the ethical committee. The study found significant differences between "problem solving level" and family type, health assessment, life quality and mothers', fathers' siblings' closeness level; between "loneliness level" and gender, family income, health assessment, life quality and mothers', fathers', siblings' closeness level; between "depression level" and life quality, family income, fathers' closeness level. Unfavorable socio-economic and cultural conditions can have an effect on the problem solving, loneliness and depression levels of adolescents. Providing structured education to adolescents at risk under school mental health nursing practices is recommended.

The enhancement of students’ mathematical representation in junior high school using cognitive apprenticeship instruction (CAI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusepa, B. G. P.; Kusumah, Y. S.; Kartasasmita, B. G.

2018-03-01

This study aims to get an in-depth understanding of the enhancement of students’ mathematical representation. This study is experimental research with pretest-posttest control group design. The subject of this study is the students’ of the eighth grade from junior high schools in Bandung: high-level and middle-level. In each school, two parallel groups were chosen as a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group was given cognitive apprenticeship instruction (CAI) treatment while the control group was given conventional learning. The results show that the enhancement of students’ mathematical representation who obtained CAI treatment was better than the conventional one, viewed which can be observed from the overall, mathematical prior knowledge (MPK), and school level. It can be concluded that CAI can be used as a good alternative learning model to enhance students’ mathematical representation.

GPR21 KO mice demonstrate no resistance to high fat diet induced obesity or improved glucose tolerance.

PubMed

Wang, Jinghong; Pan, Zheng; Baribault, Helene; Chui, Danny; Gundel, Caroline; Véniant, Murielle

2016-01-01

Gpr21 KO mice generated with Gpr21 KO ES cells obtained from Deltagen showed improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity when fed a high fat diet. Further mRNA expression analysis revealed changes in Rabgap1 levels and raised the possibility that Rabgap1 gene may have been modified. To assess this hypothesis a new Gpr21 KO mouse line using TALENS technology was generated. Gpr21 gene deletion was confirmed by PCR and Gpr21 and Rabgap1 mRNA expression levels were determined by RT-PCR. The newly generated Gpr21 KO mice when fed a normal or high fat diet chow did not maintain their improved metabolic phenotype. In conclusion, Rabgap1 disturbance mRNA expression levels may have contributed to the phenotype of the originally designed Gpr21 KO mice.

Combination Treatment with High-Dose Vitamin C and Alpha-Tocopherol does not Enhance Respiratory-Tract Lining Fluid Vitamin C Levels in Asthmatics

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Michelle; Zhou, Haibo; Zhou, Bingqing; Robinette, Carole; Crissman, Kay; Hatch, Gary; Alexis, Neil E; Peden, David

2011-01-01

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in allergic airway inflammation. Supplementation with alpha-tocopherol (alone or combined with ascorbate/vitamin C) has been assessed as an intervention for allergic airway diseases with conflicting results. Enhancing levels of airway antioxidants with oral supplements has been suggested as an intervention to protect individuals from the effect of inhaled oxidants, although it is unclear whether supplementation changes tocopherol or vitamin C levels in both serum and airway fluids. Our objective was to obtain pilot safety and dosing data from 14 allergic asthmatic volunteers examining the effect of daily combination oral therapy with 500 mg alpha-tocopherol (αT) and 2 g vitamin C for 12 wk. We examined serum and airway fluid and cellular levels of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol (γT) and vitamin C to plan for future studies of these agents in asthma and allergic rhinitis. Six volunteers completed 12 wk of active treatment with αT and vitamin C and 8 completed placebo. Blood and sputum samples were obtained at baseline and at 6 wk and 12 wk of therapy and were analyzed for αT, γT, and vitamin C levels in the serum, sputum supernatant, and sputum cells. Combination treatment increased serum vitamin C and significantly decreased sputum αT and serum γT levels. No changes were found in sputum supernatant or sputum cell vitamin C or serum αT levels in the active treatment group. In conclusion, supplementation with αT and high-dose vitamin C does not augment vitamin C levels in the respiratory-tract lining fluid. PMID:18932058

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor for the Early Prediction of Infarct Size

PubMed Central

Chan, William; White, David A.; Wang, Xin‐Yu; Bai, Ru‐Feng; Liu, Yang; Yu, Hai‐Yi; Zhang, You‐Yi; Fan, Fenling; Schneider, Hans G.; Duffy, Stephen J.; Taylor, Andrew J.; Du, Xiao‐Jun; Gao, Wei; Gao, Xiao‐Ming; Dart, Anthony M.

2013-01-01

Background Early diagnosis and knowledge of infarct size is critical for the management of acute myocardial infarction (MI). We evaluated whether early elevated plasma level of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is useful for these purposes in patients with ST‐elevation MI (STEMI). Methods and Results We first studied MIF level in plasma and the myocardium in mice and determined infarct size. MI for 15 or 60 minutes resulted in 2.5‐fold increase over control values in plasma MIF levels while MIF content in the ischemic myocardium reduced by 50% and plasma MIF levels correlated with myocardium‐at‐risk and infarct size at both time‐points (P<0.01). In patients with STEMI, we obtained admission plasma samples and measured MIF, conventional troponins (TnI, TnT), high sensitive TnI (hsTnI), creatine kinase (CK), CK‐MB, and myoglobin. Infarct size was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Patients with chronic stable angina and healthy volunteers were studied as controls. Of 374 STEMI patients, 68% had elevated admission MIF levels above the highest value in healthy controls (>41.6 ng/mL), a proportion similar to hsTnI (75%) and TnI (50%), but greater than other biomarkers studied (20% to 31%, all P<0.05 versus MIF). Only admission MIF levels correlated with CMR‐derived infarct size, ventricular volumes and ejection fraction (n=42, r=0.46 to 0.77, all P<0.01) at 3 day and 3 months post‐MI. Conclusion Plasma MIF levels are elevated in a high proportion of STEMI patients at the first obtainable sample and these levels are predictive of final infarct size and the extent of cardiac remodeling. PMID:24096574

Pixel-based image fusion with false color mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Mao, Shiyi

2003-06-01

In this paper, we propose a pixel-based image fusion algorithm that combines the gray-level image fusion method with the false color mapping. This algorithm integrates two gray-level images presenting different sensor modalities or at different frequencies and produces a fused false-color image. The resulting image has higher information content than each of the original images. The objects in the fused color image are easy to be recognized. This algorithm has three steps: first, obtaining the fused gray-level image of two original images; second, giving the generalized high-boost filtering images between fused gray-level image and two source images respectively; third, generating the fused false-color image. We use the hybrid averaging and selection fusion method to obtain the fused gray-level image. The fused gray-level image will provide better details than two original images and reduce noise at the same time. But the fused gray-level image can't contain all detail information in two source images. At the same time, the details in gray-level image cannot be discerned as easy as in a color image. So a color fused image is necessary. In order to create color variation and enhance details in the final fusion image, we produce three generalized high-boost filtering images. These three images are displayed through red, green and blue channel respectively. A fused color image is produced finally. This method is used to fuse two SAR images acquired on the San Francisco area (California, USA). The result shows that fused false-color image enhances the visibility of certain details. The resolution of the final false-color image is the same as the resolution of the input images.

Biogeochemistry of silica in Devils Lake: Implications for diatom preservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lent, R.M.; Lyons, B.

2001-01-01

Diatom-salinity records from sediment cores have been used to construct climate records of saline-lake basins. In many cases, this has been done without thorough understanding of the preservation potential of the diatoms in the sediments through time. The purpose of this study was to determine the biogeochemistry of silica in Devils Lake and evaluate the potential effects of silica cycling on diatom preservation. During the period of record, 1867-1999, lake levels have fluctuated from 427 m above sea level in 1940 to 441.1 m above sea level in 1999. The biogeochemistry of silica in Devils Lake is dominated by internal cycling. During the early 1990s when lake levels were relatively high, about 94% of the biogenic silica (BSi) produced in Devils Lake was recycled in the water column before burial. About 42% of the BSi that was incorporated in bottom sediments was dissolved and diffused back into the lake, and the remaining 58% was buried. Therefore, the BSi accumulation rate was about 3% of the BSi assimilation rate. Generally, the results obtained from this study are similar to those obtained from studies of the biogeochemistry of silica in large oligotrophic lakes and the open ocean where most of the BSi produced is recycled in surface water. During the mid 1960s when lake levels were relatively low, BSi assimilation and water-column dissolution rates were much higher than when lake levels were high. The BSi assimilation rate was as much as three times higher during low lake levels. Even with the much higher BSi assimilation rate, the BSi accumulation rate was about three times lower because the BSi water-column dissolution rate was more than 99% of the BSi assimilation rate compared to 94% during high lake levels. Variations in the biogeochemistry of silica with lake level have important implications for paleolimnologic studies. Increased BSi water-column dissolution during decreasing lake levels may alter the diatom-salinity record by selectively removing the less resistant diatoms. Also, BSi accumulation may be proportional to the amount of silica input from tributary sources. Therefore, BSi accumulation chronologies from sediment cores may be effective records of tributary inflow.

TRYPTOPHAN SYNTHETASE LEVELS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI, SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE, AND TRANSDUCTION HYBRIDS

PubMed Central

Eisenstein, Richard B.; Yanofsky, Charles

1962-01-01

Eisenstein, Richard B. (Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio) and Charles Yanofsky. Tryptophan synthetase levels in Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, and transduction hybrids. J. Bacteriol. 83:193–204. 1962—Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli, strains K-12 and B, were found to produce low levels of tryptophan synthetase, although some hybrids, formed by the introduction of the gene cluster concerned with tryptophan synthesis from S. dysenteriae into E. coli, produced high levels of this enzyme system. A revertant obtained from a tryptophan-requiring mutant also formed high levels of tryptophan synthetase. The gene or genes responsible for high enzyme production in these strains was shown to be linked to the cluster of genes concerned with tryptophan synthesis. The cause of high enzyme production was investigated. Various lines of evidence, including stimulation of growth by tryptophan precursors, sensitivity to inhibition by 5-methyltryptophan, absence of accumulation of tryptophan, and repression of enzyme formation by anthranilic acid and tryptophan, suggested that high enzyme production in the strains examined results from a partial block in the tryptophan pathway and not from resistance to repression by tryptophan. The conversion of shikimic acid-5-phosphate to anthranilic acid appears to be the partially blocked reaction in the strains studied. PMID:13889700

A land use and environmental impact analysis of the Norfolk-Portsmouth SMSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchel, W. B.; Berlin, G. L.

1973-01-01

The feasibility of using remote sensing techniques for land use and environmental assessment in the Norfolk-Portsmouth area is discussed. Data cover the use of high altitude aircraft and satellite remote sensing data for: (1) identifying various heirarchial levels of land use, (2) monitoring land use changes for repetitive basis, (3) assessing the impact of competing land uses, and (4) identifying areas of potential environmental deterioration. High altitude aircraft photographs (scale 1:120,000) acquired in 1959, 1970, and 1972, plus Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) color composite images acquired in 1972 were used for the land use and environmental assessments. The high altitude aircraft photography, as expected, was successfully used to map Level 1, Level 2, as well as some urban Level 3 land use categories. However, the detail of land use analysis obtainable from the ERTS imagery exceeded the expectations for the U.S. Geological Survey's land use classification scheme. Study results are consistent with the initial investigation which determined Level 1 land use change to be 16.7 square km per year.

Results of Total Mercury Analysis in Salt Marsh Invertebrates

EPA Science Inventory

Analysis of blood samples obtained from saltmarsh sparrows revealed high levels (> 1.0 µg/g(wet)) of mercury (Hg) in sparrows inhabiting a salt marsh site in the Narrow River, RI (also known as Pettaquamscutt River). These analyses were conducted by Oksana Lane at the Biodiversit...

10 CFR 60.181 - Violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Violations. 60.181 Section 60.181 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC REPOSITORIES Violations § 60.181 Violations. (a) The Commission may obtain an injunction or other court order to prevent a...

REMEDIATING PESTICIDE CONTAMINATED SOILS USING SOLVENT EXTRACTION

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale solvent extraction studies were performed on soil samples obtained from a Superfund site contaminated with high levels of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD,, p,p'-DDE and toxaphene. The effectiveness of the solvent extraction process was assessed using methanol and 2-propanol as sol...

Robust Adaptive Thresholder For Document Scanning Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsing, To R.

1982-12-01

In document scanning applications, thresholding is used to obtain binary data from a scanner. However, due to: (1) a wide range of different color backgrounds; (2) density variations of printed text information; and (3) the shading effect caused by the optical systems, the use of adaptive thresholding to enhance the useful information is highly desired. This paper describes a new robust adaptive thresholder for obtaining valid binary images. It is basically a memory type algorithm which can dynamically update the black and white reference level to optimize a local adaptive threshold function. The results of high image quality from different types of simulate test patterns can be obtained by this algorithm. The software algorithm is described and experiment results are present to describe the procedures. Results also show that the techniques described here can be used for real-time signal processing in the varied applications.

Lande gJ factors for even-parity electronic levels in the holmium atom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanska, D.; Werbowy, S.; Krzykowski, A.; Furmann, B.

2018-05-01

In this work the hyperfine structure of the Zeeman splitting for 18 even-parity levels in the holmium atom was investigated. The experimental method applied was laser induced fluorescence in a hollow cathode discharge lamp. 20 spectral lines were investigated involving odd-parity levels from the ground multiplet, for which Lande gJ factors are known with high precision, as the lower levels; this greatly facilitated the evaluation of gJ factors for the upper levels. The gJ values for the even-parity levels considered are reported for the first time. They proved to compare fairly well with the values obtained recently in a semi-empirical analysis for the even-parity level system of Ho I.

Analyzing Reliability and Performance Trade-Offs of HLS-Based Designs in SRAM-Based FPGAs Under Soft Errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tambara, Lucas Antunes; Tonfat, Jorge; Santos, André; Kastensmidt, Fernanda Lima; Medina, Nilberto H.; Added, Nemitala; Aguiar, Vitor A. P.; Aguirre, Fernando; Silveira, Marcilei A. G.

2017-02-01

The increasing system complexity of FPGA-based hardware designs and shortening of time-to-market have motivated the adoption of new designing methodologies focused on addressing the current need for high-performance circuits. High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools can generate Register Transfer Level (RTL) designs from high-level software programming languages. These tools have evolved significantly in recent years, providing optimized RTL designs, which can serve the needs of safety-critical applications that require both high performance and high reliability levels. However, a reliability evaluation of HLS-based designs under soft errors has not yet been presented. In this work, the trade-offs of different HLS-based designs in terms of reliability, resource utilization, and performance are investigated by analyzing their behavior under soft errors and comparing them to a standard processor-based implementation in an SRAM-based FPGA. Results obtained from fault injection campaigns and radiation experiments show that it is possible to increase the performance of a processor-based system up to 5,000 times by changing its architecture with a small impact in the cross section (increasing up to 8 times), and still increasing the Mean Workload Between Failures (MWBF) of the system.

High-Speed, Low-Cost Workstation for Computation-Intensive Statistics. Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-20

routine implementation and performance. 5 The two compiled versions given in the table were coded in an attempt to obtain an optimized compiled version...level statistics and linear algebra routines (BSAS and BLAS) that have been prototyped in this study. For each routine, both the C code ( Turbo C...OISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Unlimited distribution 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) High-performance and low-cost

Correcting haemoglobin cut-offs to define anaemia in high-altitude pregnant women in Peru reduces adverse perinatal outcomes.

PubMed

Gonzales, Gustavo F; Tapia, Vilma; Gasco, Manuel

2014-07-01

To determine if correction of cut-offs of haemoglobin levels to define anaemia at high altitudes affects rates of adverse perinatal outcomes. Data were obtained from 161,909 mothers and newborns whose births occurred between 1,000 and 4,500 m above sea level (masl). Anaemia was defined with or without correction of haemoglobin (Hb) for altitude as Hb <11 g/dL. Correction of haemoglobin per altitude was performed according to guidelines from the World Health Organization. Rates of stillbirths and preterm births were also calculated. Stillbirth and preterm rates were significantly reduced in cases of anaemia calculated after correction of haemoglobin for altitude compared to values obtained without Hb correction. At high altitudes (3,000-4,500 masl), after Hb correction, the rate of stillbirths was reduced from 37.7 to 18.3 per 1,000 live births (p < 0.01); similarly, preterm birth rates were reduced from 13.1 to 8.76 % (p < 0.01). The odds ratios for stillbirths and for preterm births were also reduced after haemoglobin correction. At high altitude, correction of maternal haemoglobin should not be performed to assess the risks for preterm birth and stillbirth. In fact, using low altitude Hb cut-off is associated with predicting those at risk.

Genetic analysis of fumonisin production and virulence of Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (Fusarium moniliforme) on maize (Zea mays) seedlings.

PubMed Central

Desjardins, A E; Plattner, R D; Nelsen, T C; Leslie, J F

1995-01-01

The phytopathogenic fungus Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (anamorph, Fusarium moniliforme) produces fumonisins, which are toxic to a wide range of plant and animal species. Previous studies of field strains have identified a genetic locus, designated fum1, that can determine whether fumonisins are produced. To test the relationship between fumonisin production and virulence on maize seedlings, a cross between a fum1+ field strain that had a high degree of virulence and a fum1- field strain that had a low degree of virulence was made, and ascospore progeny were scored for these traits. Although a range of virulence levels was recovered among the progeny, high levels of virulence were associated with production of fumonisins, and highly virulent, fumonisin-nonproducing progeny were not obtained. A survey of field strains did identify a rare fumonisin-nonproducing strain that was quite high in virulence. Also, the addition of purified fumonisin B1 to virulence assays did not replicate all of the seedling blight symptoms obtained with autoclaved culture material containing fumonisin. These results support the hypothesis that fumonisin plays a role in virulence but also indicate that fumonisin production is not necessary or sufficient for virulence on maize seedlings. PMID:7887628

Structure and properties of corrosion and wear resistant Cr-Mn-N steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenel, U. R.; Knott, B. R.

1987-06-01

Steels containing about 12 pct Cr, 10 pct Mn, and 0.2 pct N have been shown to have an unstable austenitic microstructure and have good ductility, extreme work hardening, high fracture strength, excellent toughness, good wear resistance, and moderate corrosion resistance. A series of alloys containing 9.5 to 12.8 pct Cr, 5.0 to 10.4 pct Mn, 0.16 to 0.32 pct N, 0.05 pct C, and residual elements typical of stainless steels was investigated by microstructural examination and mechanical, abrasion, and corrosion testing. Microstructures ranged from martensite to unstable austenite. The unstable austenitic steels transformed to α martensite on deformation and displayed very high work hardening, exceeding that of Hadfield’s manganese steels. Fracture strengths similar to high carbon martensitic stainless steels were obtained while ductility and toughness values were high, similar to austenitic stainless steels. Resistance to abrasive wear exceeded that of commercial abrasion resistant steels and other stainless steels. Corrosion resistance was similar to that of other 12 pct Cr steels. Properties were not much affected by minor compositional variations or rolled-in nitrogen porosity. In 12 pct Cr-10 pct Mn alloys, ingot porosity was avoided when nitrogen levels were below 0.19 pet, and austenitic microstructures were obtained when nitrogen levels exceeded 0.14 pct.

A novel imaging method for photonic crystal fiber fusion splicer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Weihong; Fu, Guangwei; Guo, Xuan

2007-01-01

Because the structure of Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) is very complex, and it is very difficult that traditional fiber fusion splice obtains optical axial information of PCF. Therefore, we must search for a bran-new optical imaging method to get section information of Photonic Crystal Fiber. Based on complex trait of PCF, a novel high-precision optics imaging system is presented in this article. The system uses a thinned electron-bombarded CCD (EBCCD) which is a kind of image sensor as imaging element, the thinned electron-bombarded CCD can offer low light level performance superior to conventional image intensifier coupled CCD approaches, this high-performance device can provide high contrast high resolution in low light level surveillance imaging; in order to realize precision focusing of image, we use a ultra-highprecision pace motor to adjust position of imaging lens. In this way, we can obtain legible section information of PCF. We may realize further concrete analysis for section information of PCF by digital image processing technology. Using this section information may distinguish different sorts of PCF, compute some parameters such as the size of PCF ventage, cladding structure of PCF and so on, and provide necessary analysis data for PCF fixation, adjustment, regulation, fusion and cutting system.

Methemoglobin reduction in crocodile blood: are high levels of MetHb typical of healthy reptiles?

PubMed

Gruca, M; Grigg, G C

1980-08-01

In 82 wild-caught Crocodylus porosus, levels of NADH-MetHb reductase and GSH seem adequate to maintain hemoglobin in its reduced functional state. Studies of C. porosus erythrocytes in vitro show reduction of metHb in the presence of lactate, glucose and plasma, but not pyruvate. These findings, together with recent data which show low metHb in a variety of reptiles, cast doubt on the accepted view that high levels of MetHb are typical of healthy reptiles. One explanation for the sharp contrast between earlier and more recent data could be technical. We found low metHb in Crocodylus johnstoni, Chelodina longicollis and Sphenomorphus quoyi. However, high and variable vales reminiscent of many of the earlier data were obtained by omitting final centrifugation prior to spectrophotometry. Interestingly, this step is not part of the standard clinical method but is necessary in analyses of blood with nucleated red cells. These observations suggest that high metHb may not be typical of reptiles after all.

[Psychoeducational intervention in high ability: intellectual functioning and extracurricular enrichment].

PubMed

Sastre-Riba, Sylvia

2014-02-24

The 'new paradigm' defines the high intellectual ability as a potential that should crystallize progressively throughout development. Its main feature is a high intellectual initial multidimensional potential, which is transformed so that, being a person with high intellectual ability is the result of a developmental process from a neurobiological substrate and the incidence of variables (psychosocial and education) which determines its manifestation more or less stable and optimal to excellence. It is interesting to know the effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention of the extracurricular enrichment programs and their effects on the expression of differential functioning and the optimization of the management of cognitive resources that lead to excellence. An extracurricular enrichment program is described and evaluated through: 1) the stability of the intellectual measures; 2) the satisfaction level of participants and families. Participants are 58 high ability students on the enrichment program and 25 parents. Intellectual profiles are obtained on T1-T2 and calculated their stability by regression analysis, the CSA and CSA-P questionnaires were applied in order to know the participants and families' satisfaction measure. Results show the basic stability of intellectual profiles with five cases of instability among the 58 profiles obtained, and a high satisfaction with the results obtained in the domain of cognitive and personal management among the participants.

Dynamic kinetic asymmetric cross-benzoin additions of β-stereogenic α-keto esters.

PubMed

Goodman, C Guy; Johnson, Jeffrey S

2014-10-22

The dynamic kinetic resolution of β-halo α-keto esters via an asymmetric cross-benzoin reaction is described. A chiral N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzes the umpolung addition of aldehydes to racemic α-keto esters. The resulting fully substituted β-halo glycolic ester products are obtained with high levels of enantio- and diastereocontrol. The high chemoselectivity observed is a result of greater electrophilicity of the α-keto ester toward the Breslow intermediate. The reaction products are shown to undergo highly diastereoselective substrate-controlled reduction to give highly functionalized stereotriads.

Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Cross-Benzoin Additions of β-Stereogenic α-Keto Esters

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The dynamic kinetic resolution of β-halo α-keto esters via an asymmetric cross-benzoin reaction is described. A chiral N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzes the umpolung addition of aldehydes to racemic α-keto esters. The resulting fully substituted β-halo glycolic ester products are obtained with high levels of enantio- and diastereocontrol. The high chemoselectivity observed is a result of greater electrophilicity of the α-keto ester toward the Breslow intermediate. The reaction products are shown to undergo highly diastereoselective substrate-controlled reduction to give highly functionalized stereotriads. PMID:25299730

The correlation between urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and sperm quality in infertile men and rotating shift workers

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that modulates a wide range of neuroendocrine functions. However, excessive circulating serotonin levels may induce harmful effects in the male reproductive system. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the levels of urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIIA), a major serotonin metabolite, correlate with different classical seminal parameters. Methods Human ejaculates were obtained from 40 men attending infertility counselling and rotating shift workers by masturbation after 4-5 days of abstinence. Urinary 5- HIIA concentration was quantified by using a commercial ELISA kit. Forward motility was assessed by a computer-aided semen analysis (CASA) system. Sperm concentration was determined using the haemocytometer method. Sperm morphology was evaluated after Diff-Quik staining, while sperm vitality was estimated after Eosin-Nigrosin vital staining. Results Our results show that urinary 5-HIIA levels obtained from a set of 20 volunteers negatively correlated with sperm concentration, forward motility, morphology normal range and sperm vitality. On the other hand, we checked the relationship between male infertility and urinary 5-HIIA levels in 20 night shift workers. Thus, urinary 5-HIIA levels obtained from 10 recently-proven fathers were significantly lower than those found in 10 infertile males. Additionally, samples from recent fathers exhibited higher sperm concentration, as well as better forward motility and normal morphology rate. Conclusions In the light of our findings, we concluded that high serotonin levels, indirectly measured as urinary 5-HIIA levels, appear to play a role as an infertility determinant in male subjects. PMID:21059225

Scalable and massively parallel Monte Carlo photon transport simulations for heterogeneous computing platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Leiming; Nina-Paravecino, Fanny; Kaeli, David; Fang, Qianqian

2018-01-01

We present a highly scalable Monte Carlo (MC) three-dimensional photon transport simulation platform designed for heterogeneous computing systems. Through the development of a massively parallel MC algorithm using the Open Computing Language framework, this research extends our existing graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated MC technique to a highly scalable vendor-independent heterogeneous computing environment, achieving significantly improved performance and software portability. A number of parallel computing techniques are investigated to achieve portable performance over a wide range of computing hardware. Furthermore, multiple thread-level and device-level load-balancing strategies are developed to obtain efficient simulations using multiple central processing units and GPUs.

Carrier removal and defect behavior in p-type InP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, I.; Swartz, C. K.; Drevinsky, P. J.

1992-01-01

A simple expression, obtained from the rate equation for defect production, was used to relate carrier removal to defect production and hole trapping rates in p-type InP after irradiation by 1-MeV electrons. Specific contributions to carrier removal from defect levels H3, H4, and H5 were determined from combined deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and measured carrier concentrations. An additional contribution was attributed to one or more defects not observed by the present DLTS measurements. The high trapping rate observed for H5 suggests that this defect, if present in relatively high concentration, could be dominant in p-type InP.

High variation of individual soluble serum CD30 levels of pre-transplantation patients: sCD30 a feasible marker for prediction of kidney allograft rejection?

PubMed

Altermann, Wolfgang; Schlaf, Gerald; Rothhoff, Anita; Seliger, Barbara

2007-10-01

Previous studies have suggested that the pre-transplant levels of the soluble CD30 molecule (sCD30) represent a non-invasive tool which can be used as a biomarker for the prediction of kidney allograft rejections. In order to evaluate the feasibility of sCD30 for pre-transplantation monitoring the sera of potential kidney recipients (n = 652) were collected four times in a 3 months interval. Serum from healthy blood donors (n = 203) served as controls. The sCD30 concentrations of all samples were determined using a commercially available ELISA. This strategy allowed the detection of possible variations of individual sCD30 levels over time. Heterogeneous sCD30 concentrations were found in the samples obtained from individual putative kidney transplant recipients when quarterly measured over 1 year. Total 95% of serum samples obtained from healthy controls exhibited sCD30 values <30 U/ml, whereas most recipients displayed higher serum levels (>30 U/ml). Total 524 patients (80.4%) constantly exhibited serum concentrations of <100 U/ml during the period investigated, whereas 109 patients (16.7%) showed variations by exceeding the proposed 'cut off' of 100 U/ml for one to three times. The frequency of samples exhibiting sCD30 values >100 U/ml was significantly lower than that previously reported. The high degree of variation does not allow the stratification of patients into high and low immunological risk groups based on a single sCD30 value > 100 U/ml. Due to the heterogeneity of sCD30 levels during time course and the high values of SD, its implementation as a pre-transplant marker cannot be justified to generate special provisions for the organ allocation to patients with single sCD30 values > 100 U/ml.

Maximal exercise and muscle oxygen extraction in acclimatizing lowlanders and high altitude natives

PubMed Central

Lundby, Carsten; Sander, Mikael; van Hall, Gerrit; Saltin, Bengt; Calbet, José A L

2006-01-01

The tight relation between arterial oxygen content and maximum oxygen uptake () within a given person at sea level is diminished with altitude acclimatization. An explanation often suggested for this mismatch is impairment of the muscle O2 extraction capacity with chronic hypoxia, and is the focus of the present study. We have studied six lowlanders during maximal exercise at sea level (SL) and with acute (AH) exposure to 4100 m altitude, and again after 2 (W2) and 8 weeks (W8) of altitude sojourn, where also eight high altitude native (Nat) Aymaras were studied. Fractional arterial muscle O2 extraction at maximal exercise was 90.0 ± 1.0% in the Danish lowlanders at sea level, and remained close to this value in all situations. In contrast to this, fractional arterial O2 extraction was 83.2 ± 2.8% in the high altitude natives, and did not change with the induction of normoxia. The capillary oxygen conductance of the lower extremity, a measure of oxygen diffusing capacity, was decreased in the Danish lowlanders after 8 weeks of acclimatization, but was still higher than the value obtained from the high altitude natives. The values were (in ml min−1 mmHg−1) 55.2 ± 3.7 (SL), 48.0 ± 1.7 (W2), 37.8 ± 0.4 (W8) and 27.7 ± 1.5 (Nat). However, when correcting oxygen conductance for the observed reduction in maximal leg blood flow with acclimatization the effect diminished. When calculating a hypothetical leg at altitude using either the leg blood flow or the O2 conductance values obtained at sea level, the former values were almost completely restored to sea level values. This would suggest that the major determinant for not to increase with acclimatization is the observed reduction in maximal leg blood flow and O2 conductance. PMID:16581864

Investigations of Spectroscopic Factors and Sum Rules from the Single Neutron Transfer Reaction 111Cd(overrightarrow {{d}} ,p)112Cd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamieson, D. S.; Garrett, P. E.; Ball, G. C.; Demand, G. A.; Faestermann, T.; Finlay, P.; Green, K. L.; Hertenberger, R.; Krücken, R.; Leach, K. G.; Phillips, A. A.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Triambak, S.; Wirth, H.-F.

2014-03-01

Cadmium isotopes have been presented for decades as excellent examples of vibrational nuclei, with low-lying levels interpreted as multi-phonon quadrupole, octupole, and mixed-symmetry states. A large amount of spectroscopic data has been obtained through various experimental studies of cadmiumisotopes. In the present work, the 111Cd(overrightarrow {{d}} ,p)112Cd reaction was used to investigate the single-particle structure of the 112Cd nucleus. A 22 MeV beam of polarized deuterons was obtained at the Maier-Leibnitz laboratory in Garching, Germany. The reaction ejectiles were momentum analyzed using a Q3D spectrograph, and 130 levels have been identified up to 4.2 MeV of excitation energy. Using DWBA analysis with optical model calculations, spin-parity assignments have been made for observed levels, and spectroscopic factors have been extracted from the experimental angular distributions of differential cross section and analyzing power. In this high energy resolution investigation, many additional levels have been observed compared with the previous (d,p) study using 8 MeV deuterons [1]. There were a total of 44 new levels observed, and the parity assignments of 34 levels were improved.

Extraction Optimization for Obtaining Artemisia capillaris Extract with High Anti-Inflammatory Activity in RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cells

PubMed Central

Jang, Mi; Jeong, Seung-Weon; Kim, Bum-Keun; Kim, Jong-Chan

2015-01-01

Plant extracts have been used as herbal medicines to treat a wide variety of human diseases. We used response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the Artemisia capillaris Thunb. extraction parameters (extraction temperature, extraction time, and ethanol concentration) for obtaining an extract with high anti-inflammatory activity at the cellular level. The optimum ranges for the extraction parameters were predicted by superimposing 4-dimensional response surface plots of the lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced PGE2 and NO production and by cytotoxicity of A. capillaris Thunb. extracts. The ranges of extraction conditions used for determining the optimal conditions were extraction temperatures of 57–65°C, ethanol concentrations of 45–57%, and extraction times of 5.5–6.8 h. On the basis of the results, a model with a central composite design was considered to be accurate and reliable for predicting the anti-inflammation activity of extracts at the cellular level. These approaches can provide a logical starting point for developing novel anti-inflammatory substances from natural products and will be helpful for the full utilization of A. capillaris Thunb. The crude extract obtained can be used in some A. capillaris Thunb.-related health care products. PMID:26075271

Preliminary data on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in farmed fish tissues (Salmo salar) and fish feed in Southern Chile.

PubMed

Montory, Mónica; Barra, Ricardo

2006-05-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have become an issue of global concern. Recent studies have shown that farmed salmon can accumulate high levels of brominated compounds in their tissues and consequently there is a growing concern on its industrial and public health impacts. Little information is found in the international literature on PBDEs in the biotic compartment of the Southern Hemisphere. This paper reports the levels of several PBDE congeners found in the tissues of farmed fish from five different farming areas of Southern Chile. PBDEs were analyzed by HRGC-MS. More analytical data were obtained by analyzing these same pollutants in fish feed. Our results indicate a general trend of PBDE levels averaging 1.46 ng g(-1) wet weight (wwt). The observed congeneric distribution that resulted was quite similar to data previously reported in the open literature. PBDE profiles were found to be dominated by BDE 47. No correlation was observed between levels found in the tissues and the lipid content in such tissues, although a high correlation with the fish feed data was observed indicating that this could probably be the main PDBE entry source into fish, although other sources cannot be excluded. Even though the samples were obtained from different geographical areas, they presented fairly similar profiles, indicating a potential common source. We concluded that PBDE levels in the farmed Chilean salmon are in the low average range of values published in the open literature.

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

Lopez, A.L.; Kohrs, M.B.; Horwitz, D.L.

To determine the effect of glucose loading on serum zinc concentrations, 34 elderly subjects aged 60-86 y were studied. Anthropometric data, medical and dietary histories were obtained. Serum zinc and glucose concentrations were obtained fasting and 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, 2 and 3 h after 75 g oral glucose load; glycohemoglobin and fasting serum lipids were also determined. For comparison, the subjects were categorized as: normal or low serum zinc concentrations; normal or high body mass index BMI; normal or high sum of skinfolds and normal or high serum cholesterol. Results showed that low serum zinc concentrations increased significantly overmore » baseline values after the glucose load and did not return to fasting levels. On the other hand, mean serum zinc concentrations significantly declined without recovery for those with normal zinc values. For the total group, no significant differences were noted between fasting values and subsequent time periods. No correlations were noted between fasting serum zinc and area under the curve for zinc except in the high BMI group (positive correlation observed). For the high BMI group, fasting serum zinc differed significantly from the succeeding measurements except for 30 min. For the group as a whole, mean serum zinc concentration was within normal limits (76.9 +/- 2.8 mcg/ml): mean zinc intake was less than 2/3rds the RDA. They conclude that glucose ingestion may alter serum zinc and should be considered in interpreting these levels.« less

Low-level arsenic exposure from drinking water is associated with prostate cancer in Iowa.

PubMed

Roh, Taehyun; Lynch, Charles F; Weyer, Peter; Wang, Kai; Kelly, Kevin M; Ludewig, Gabriele

2017-11-01

Inorganic arsenic is a toxic naturally occurring element in soil and water in many regions of the US including the Midwest. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men in Iowa, surpassed only by non-melanotic skin cancer. Epidemiology studies have evaluated arsenic exposure from drinking water and prostate cancer, but most have focused on high-level exposures outside the US. As drinking water from groundwater sources is a major source of arsenic exposure, we conducted an ecologic study to evaluate prostate cancer and arsenic in drinking water from public water sources and private wells in Iowa, where exposure levels are low, but duration of exposure can be long. Arsenic data from public water systems were obtained from the Iowa Safe Drinking Water Information System for the years 1994-2003 and for private wells from two Iowa Well Water Studies, the Iowa Community Private Well Study (ICPWS, 2002-2003) and Iowa Statewide Rural Well Water Survey Phase 2 (SWIRL2, 2006-2008) that provided data for 87 Iowa counties. Prostate cancer incidence data from 2009 to 2013 for Iowa were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results' SEER*Stat software. County averages of water arsenic levels varied from 1.08 to 18.6 ppb, with three counties above the current 10 ppb limit. Based on the tertiles of arsenic levels, counties were divided into three groups: low (1.08-2.06 ppb), medium (2.07-2.98 ppb), and high (2.99-18.6 ppb). Spatial Poisson regression modeling was conducted to estimate the risk ratios (RR) of prostate cancer by tertiles of arsenic level at a county level, adjusted for demographic and risk factors. The RR of prostate cancer were 1.23 (95% CI, 1.16-1.30) and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.21-1.35) in the medium and high groups, respectively, compared to the low group after adjusting for risk factors. The RR increased to 1.36 (95% CI, 1.28-1.45) in the high group when analyses were restricted to aggressive prostate cancers (Gleason score ≥ 7). This study shows a significant dose-dependent association between low-level arsenic exposure and prostate cancer, and if this result is replicated in future individual-level studies, may suggest that 10 ppb is not protective for human health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of isometric motor tasks and effort levels based on high-density EMG in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordanić, Mislav; Rojas-Martínez, Mónica; Mañanas, Miguel Angel; Francesc Alonso, Joan

2016-08-01

Objective. The development of modern assistive and rehabilitation devices requires reliable and easy-to-use methods to extract neural information for control of devices. Group-specific pattern recognition identifiers are influenced by inter-subject variability. Based on high-density EMG (HD-EMG) maps, our research group has already shown that inter-subject muscle activation patterns exist in a population of healthy subjects. The aim of this paper is to analyze muscle activation patterns associated with four tasks (flexion/extension of the elbow, and supination/pronation of the forearm) at three different effort levels in a group of patients with incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (iSCI). Approach. Muscle activation patterns were evaluated by the automatic identification of these four isometric tasks along with the identification of levels of voluntary contractions. Two types of classifiers were considered in the identification: linear discriminant analysis and support vector machine. Main results. Results show that performance of classification increases when combining features extracted from intensity and spatial information of HD-EMG maps (accuracy = 97.5%). Moreover, when compared to a population with injuries at different levels, a lower variability between activation maps was obtained within a group of patients with similar injury suggesting stronger task-specific and effort-level-specific co-activation patterns, which enable better prediction results. Significance. Despite the challenge of identifying both the four tasks and the three effort levels in patients with iSCI, promising results were obtained which support the use of HD-EMG features for providing useful information regarding motion and force intention.

High energy x-ray phase contrast CT using glancing-angle grating interferometers

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

Sarapata, A., E-mail: adrian.sarapata@tum.de; Stayman, J. W.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

Purpose: The authors present initial progress toward a clinically compatible x-ray phase contrast CT system, using glancing-angle x-ray grating interferometry to provide high contrast soft tissue images at estimated by computer simulation dose levels comparable to conventional absorption based CT. Methods: DPC-CT scans of a joint phantom and of soft tissues were performed in order to answer several important questions from a clinical setup point of view. A comparison between high and low fringe visibility systems is presented. The standard phase stepping method was compared with sliding window interlaced scanning. Using estimated dose values obtained with a Monte-Carlo code themore » authors studied the dependence of the phase image contrast on exposure time and dose. Results: Using a glancing angle interferometer at high x-ray energy (∼45 keV mean value) in combination with a conventional x-ray tube the authors achieved fringe visibility values of nearly 50%, never reported before. High fringe visibility is shown to be an indispensable parameter for a potential clinical scanner. Sliding window interlaced scanning proved to have higher SNRs and CNRs in a region of interest and to also be a crucial part of a low dose CT system. DPC-CT images of a soft tissue phantom at exposures in the range typical for absorption based CT of musculoskeletal extremities were obtained. Assuming a human knee as the CT target, good soft tissue phase contrast could be obtained at an estimated absorbed dose level around 8 mGy, similar to conventional CT. Conclusions: DPC-CT with glancing-angle interferometers provides improved soft tissue contrast over absorption CT even at clinically compatible dose levels (estimated by a Monte-Carlo computer simulation). Further steps in image processing, data reconstruction, and spectral matching could make the technique fully clinically compatible. Nevertheless, due to its increased scan time and complexity the technique should be thought of not as replacing, but as complimentary to conventional CT, to be used in specific applications.« less

A Graph Oriented Approach for Network Forensic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wei

2010-01-01

Network forensic analysis is a process that analyzes intrusion evidence captured from networked environment to identify suspicious entities and stepwise actions in an attack scenario. Unfortunately, the overwhelming amount and low quality of output from security sensors make it difficult for analysts to obtain a succinct high-level view of complex…

A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF FINE-ROOT BIOMASS FROM STAND DATA IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON

EPA Science Inventory

Because of the high spatial variability of fine roots in natural forest stands, accurate estimates of stand-level fine root biomass are difficult and expensive to obtain by standard coring methods. This study compares two different approaches that employ aboveground tree metrics...

Higher Education Administrators Roles in Fortification of Information Security Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyadat, Mohammad S.

2015-01-01

Information systems produce significant benefits to organizations. Therefore, organizations invest tremendous amount of money and time to obtain and manage information in order to maintain a high level of performance and to remain competitive. There are many factors that can impact the organizational information management and performance. One of…

7 CFR 170.12 - What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... referred to the Internal Revenue Service or a tax advisor. Receipts for donated foods may be obtained from... Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices... Farmers Market? The selection criteria are designed to ensure a consistently high level of quality and...

24 CFR 3280.309 - Health Notice on formaldehyde emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... efficiency standards may allow formaldehyde and other contaminants to accumulate in the indoor air. Additional ventilation to dilute the indoor air may be obtained from a passive or mechanical ventilation... offered with this home. High indoor temperatures and humidity raise formaldehyde levels. When a home is to...

Increased CSF Homocysteine in Pathological Gamblers Compared with Healthy Controls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordin, Conny; Sjodin, Ingemar

2009-01-01

Neurocognitive disturbances suggesting a frontal lobe dysfunction have been observed in pathological gamblers and alcohol dependents. Given that a high homocysteine level has been suggested to be a mediating factor in alcohol-related cognitive decline, we have determined homocysteine and cobalamine in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from 11…

Trajectories of Peer-Nominated Aggression: Risk Status, Predictors and Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Lier, Pol A.C.; Crijnen, Alfons A.M.

2005-01-01

Developmental trajectories of peer-nominated aggression, risk factors at baseline, and outcomes were studied. Peer nominations of aggression were obtained annually from grades 1 to 3. Three developmental trajectories were identified: an early-onset/increasers trajectory with high levels of peer-nominated aggression at elementary school entry and…

A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE FINE ROOT BIOMASS FROM STAND DATA IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

EPA Science Inventory

High spatial variability of fine roots in natural forest stands makes accurate estimates of stand-level fine root biomass difficult and expensive to obtain by standard coring methods. This study uses aboveground tree metrics and spatial relationships to improve core-based estima...

Achieving Quality in e-Learning through Relational Coordination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margalina, Vasilica Maria; De-Pablos-Heredero, Carmen; Montes-Botella, Jose Luis

2017-01-01

In this research, the relational coordination model has been applied to prove learners' and instructors' high levels of satisfaction in e-learning. According to the model, organizations can obtain better results in terms of satisfaction by providing shared knowledge, shared goals and mutual respect mechanisms, supported by a frequent, timely and…

Attention Functioning among Adolescents with Multiple Learning, Attentional, Behavioral, and Emotional Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shalev, Lilach; Kolodny, Tamar; Shalev, Nir; Mevorach, Carmel

2016-01-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by high levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; however, these symptoms can result from a variety of reasons. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the various difficulties of individuals with ADHD, especially when co-occurrence difficulties are present, it is…

SOLVENT EXTRACTION AND SOIL WASHING TREATMENT OF CONTAMINATED SOILS FROM WOOD PRESERVING SITES: BENCH SCALE STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale solvent extraction and soil washing studies were performed on soil samples obtained from three abandoned wood preserving sites that included in the NPL. The soil samples from these sites were contaminated with high levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pentachlo...

Rater Training to Support High-Stakes Simulation-Based Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Moshe; Lazzara, Elizabeth H.; Vanderbilt, Allison A.; DiazGranados, Deborah

2012-01-01

Competency-based assessment and an emphasis on obtaining higher-level outcomes that reflect physicians' ability to demonstrate their skills has created a need for more advanced assessment practices. Simulation-based assessments provide medical education planners with tools to better evaluate the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical…

An adaptive narrow band frequency modulation voice communication system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wishna, S.

1972-01-01

A narrow band frequency modulation communication system is described which provides for the reception of good quality voice at low carrier-to-noise ratios. The high level of performance is obtained by designing a limiter and phase lock loop combination as a demodulator, so that the bandwidth of the phase lock loop decreases as the carrier level decreases. The system was built for the position location and aircraft communication equipment experiment of the ATS 6 program.

The Improved Power of the Central Lobe in the Beam Combination and High Power Output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hou-Kang; Xue, Yu-Hao; Li, Zhen; He, Bing; Zhou, Jun; Ding, Ya-Qian; Jiao, Meng-Li; Liu, Chi; Qi, Yun-Feng; Wei, Yun-Rong; Dong, Jing-Xing; Lou, Qi-Hong

2012-04-01

In order to increase the power fraction of the central lobe in the coherent beam combination of lasers in an array, the effects of the distance factor of near-field distribution on far-field interference patterns are calculated and demonstrated experimentally. An improved beam array of interwoven distribution is demonstrated to enable the power in the central lobe to reach 41%. An optimized mirror array is carefully designed to obtain a high duty ratio, which is up to 53.3% at a high power level. By using these optimized methods and designs, the passive phase locking of eight Yb-doped fiber amplifiers with ring cavities are obtained, and a pleasing interference pattern with 87% visibility is observed. The maximum coherent output power of the system is up to 1066 W.

High-Altitude Flight Cooling Investigation of a Radial Air-Cooled Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manganiello, Eugene J; Valerino, Michael F; Bell, E Barton

1947-01-01

An investigation of the cooling of an 18-cylinder, twin-row, radial, air-cooled engine in a high-performance pursuit airplane has been conducted for variable engine and flight conditions at altitudes ranging from 5000 to 35,000 feet in order to provide a basis for predicting high-altitude cooling performance from sea-level or low altitude experimental results. The engine cooling data obtained were analyzed by the usual NACA cooling-correlation method wherein cylinder-head and cylinder-barrel temperatures are related to the pertinent engine and cooling-air variables. A theoretical analysis was made of the effect on engine cooling of the change of density of the cooling air across the engine (the compressibility effect), which becomes of increasing importance as altitude is increased. Good agreement was obtained between the results of the theoretical analysis and the experimental data.

A new low voltage level-shifted FVF current mirror with enhanced bandwidth and output resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aggarwal, Bhawna; Gupta, Maneesha; Gupta, Anil Kumar; Sangal, Ankur

2016-10-01

This paper proposes a new high-performance level-shifted flipped voltage follower (LSFVF) based low-voltage current mirror (CM). The proposed CM utilises the low-supply voltage and low-input resistance characteristics of a flipped voltage follower (FVF) CM. In the proposed CM, level-shifting configuration is used to obtain a wide operating current range and resistive compensation technique is employed to increase the operating bandwidth. The peaking in frequency response is reduced by using an additional large MOSFET. Moreover, a very high output resistance (in GΩ range) along with low-current transfer error is achieved through super-cascode configuration for a wide current range (0-440 µA). Small signal analysis is carried out to show the improvements achieved at each step. The proposed CM is simulated by Mentor Graphics Eldospice in TSMC 0.18 µm CMOS, BSIM3 and Level 53 technology. In the proposed CM, a bandwidth of 6.1799 GHz, 1% settling time of 0.719 ns, input and output resistances of 21.43 Ω and 1.14 GΩ, respectively, are obtained with a single supply voltage of 1 V. The layout of the proposed CM has been designed and post-layout simulation results have been shown. The post-layout simulation results for Monte Carlo and temperature analysis have also been included to show the reliability of the CM against the variations in process parameters and temperature changes.

Novel approaches to analysis of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol esters in vegetable oils.

PubMed

Moravcova, Eliska; Vaclavik, Lukas; Lacina, Ondrej; Hrbek, Vojtech; Riddellova, Katerina; Hajslova, Jana

2012-03-01

A sensitive and accurate method utilizing ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (U-HPLC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry based on orbitrap technology (orbitrapMS) for the analysis of nine 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) diesters in vegetable oils was developed. To remove the interfering triacylglycerols that induce strong matrix effects, a clean-up step on silica gel column was used. The quantitative analysis was performed with the use of deuterium-labeled internal standards. The lowest calibration levels estimated for the respective analytes ranged from 2 to 5 μg kg(-1). Good recovery values (89-120%) and repeatability (RSD 5-9%) was obtained at spiking levels of 2 and 10 mg kg(-1). As an alternative, a novel ambient desorption ionization technique, direct analysis in real time (DART), hyphenated with orbitrapMS, was employed for no separation, high-throughput, semi-quantitative screening of 3-MCPD diesters in samples obtained by chromatographic fractionation. Additionally, the levels of 3-MCPD diesters measured in reallife vegetable oil samples (palm oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil) using both methods are reported. Relatively good agreement of the data generated by U-HPLC-orbitrapMS and DART-orbitrapMS were observed. With regard to a low ionization yield achieved for 3-MCPD monoesters, the methods presented in this paper were not yet applicable for the analysis of these contaminants at the naturally occurring levels.

Volatile halocarbons in butter: elevated tetrachloroethylene levels in samples obtained in close proximity to dry-cleaning establishments

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

Miller, L.J.; Uhler, A.D.

1988-09-01

In recent years materials not directly associated with food production, such as polychlorinated and brominated biphenyls, have been found in foods. According to the criteria to evaluate the likelihood for a chemical to contaminate food, the volatile halocarbons (VHCs) were selected as target compounds in an examination for potential contaminants in selected foods. The technique of multiple headspace extraction (MHE) was used in this study to minimize sample handling, and thereby reduce the potential for laboratory contamination and maximize throughput. Recently this laboratory reported findings of several VHCs in margarine, including PCE in four samples at levels above the usualmore » background findings. Those samples had been obtained from a food store located immediately next to a dry-cleaning establishment. Follow-up investigation was conducted to determine the frequency of occurrence and levels of PCE that may be present in fatty foods purchased from stores located both near and distant from dry cleaners. Butter was chosen as a model food because it is a highly uniform product of very high fat content, which would be expected to act as a good absorber of the lipophilic VHCs. This paper presents results of these analyses and correlations between level of VHCs in butter and the proximity to dry cleaners of the food store where the butter was purchased.« less

Biomarkers for lymphoma

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

Zangar, Richard C.; Varnum, Susan M.

A biomarker, method, test kit, and diagnostic system for detecting the presence of lymphoma in a person are disclosed. The lymphoma may be Hodgkin's lymphoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The person may be a high-risk subject. In one embodiment, a plasma sample from a person is obtained. The level of at least one protein listed in Table S3 in the plasma sample is measured. The level of at least one protein in the plasma sample is compared with the level in a normal or healthy subject. The lymphoma is diagnosed based upon the level of the at least one protein inmore » the plasma sample in comparison to the normal or healthy level.« less

High-Order Discontinuous Galerkin Level Set Method for Interface Tracking and Re-Distancing on Unstructured Meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Patrick; Nourgaliev, Robert; Schofield, Sam

2015-11-01

A new sharp high-order interface tracking method for multi-material flow problems on unstructured meshes is presented. The method combines the marker-tracking algorithm with a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) level set method to implicitly track interfaces. DG projection is used to provide a mapping from the Lagrangian marker field to the Eulerian level set field. For the level set re-distancing, we developed a novel marching method that takes advantage of the unique features of the DG representation of the level set. The method efficiently marches outward from the zero level set with values in the new cells being computed solely from cell neighbors. Results are presented for a number of different interface geometries including ones with sharp corners and multiple hierarchical level sets. The method can robustly handle the level set discontinuities without explicit utilization of solution limiters. Results show that the expected high order (3rd and higher) of convergence for the DG representation of the level set is obtained for smooth solutions on unstructured meshes. High-order re-distancing on irregular meshes is a must for applications were the interfacial curvature is important for underlying physics, such as surface tension, wetting and detonation shock dynamics. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. Information management release number LLNL-ABS-675636.

11.4% Efficiency non-fullerene polymer solar cells with trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer as donor

PubMed Central

Bin, Haijun; Gao, Liang; Zhang, Zhi-Guo; Yang, Yankang; Zhang, Yindong; Zhang, Chunfeng; Chen, Shanshan; Xue, Lingwei; Yang, Changduk; Xiao, Min; Li, Yongfang

2016-01-01

Simutaneously high open circuit voltage and high short circuit current density is a big challenge for achieving high efficiency polymer solar cells due to the excitonic nature of organic semdonductors. Herein, we developed a trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer with the highest occupied molecular orbital level down-shifted by Si–C bond interaction. The polymer solar cells obtained by pairing this polymer with a non-fullerene acceptor demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency of 11.41% with both high open circuit voltage of 0.94 V and high short circuit current density of 17.32 mA cm−2 benefitted from the complementary absorption of the donor and acceptor, and the high hole transfer efficiency from acceptor to donor although the highest occupied molecular orbital level difference between the donor and acceptor is only 0.11 eV. The results indicate that the alkylsilyl substitution is an effective way in designing high performance conjugated polymer photovoltaic materials. PMID:27905397

11.4% Efficiency non-fullerene polymer solar cells with trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer as donor.

PubMed

Bin, Haijun; Gao, Liang; Zhang, Zhi-Guo; Yang, Yankang; Zhang, Yindong; Zhang, Chunfeng; Chen, Shanshan; Xue, Lingwei; Yang, Changduk; Xiao, Min; Li, Yongfang

2016-12-01

Simutaneously high open circuit voltage and high short circuit current density is a big challenge for achieving high efficiency polymer solar cells due to the excitonic nature of organic semdonductors. Herein, we developed a trialkylsilyl substituted 2D-conjugated polymer with the highest occupied molecular orbital level down-shifted by Si-C bond interaction. The polymer solar cells obtained by pairing this polymer with a non-fullerene acceptor demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency of 11.41% with both high open circuit voltage of 0.94 V and high short circuit current density of 17.32 mA cm -2 benefitted from the complementary absorption of the donor and acceptor, and the high hole transfer efficiency from acceptor to donor although the highest occupied molecular orbital level difference between the donor and acceptor is only 0.11 eV. The results indicate that the alkylsilyl substitution is an effective way in designing high performance conjugated polymer photovoltaic materials.

Functional Sub-states by High-pressure Macromolecular Crystallography.

PubMed

Dhaussy, Anne-Claire; Girard, Eric

2015-01-01

At the molecular level, high-pressure perturbation is of particular interest for biological studies as it allows trapping conformational substates. Moreover, within the context of high-pressure adaptation of deep-sea organisms, it allows to decipher the molecular determinants of piezophily. To provide an accurate description of structural changes produced by pressure in a macromolecular system, developments have been made to adapt macromolecular crystallography to high-pressure studies. The present chapter is an overview of results obtained so far using high-pressure macromolecular techniques, from nucleic acids to virus capsid through monomeric as well as multimeric proteins.

Oxalates in oca (New Zealand yam) (Oxalis tuberosa Mol.).

PubMed

Ross, A B; Savage, G P; Martin, R J; Vanhanen, L

1999-12-01

Oca (Oxalis tuberosa Mol.) or New Zealand yam, in common with other members of this genus, contains oxalate, an antinutritive factor. Twelve South American and two New Zealand cultivars of oca were analyzed for total and soluble oxalate contents of the tubers. The range of total oxalate levels was 92-221 mg/100 g of fresh weight. Levels of soluble and total oxalate extracted from the tubers were not significantly different, suggesting that no calcium oxalate is formed in the tubers. The oxalate concentrations obtained in this study for oca suggest that previously reported values are too low and that oca is a moderately high oxalate-containing food. This is the first report of a tuber crop containing moderate to high levels of soluble oxalates in the tubers and no insoluble oxalates.

Improvement in production and quality of gellan gum by Sphingomonas paucimobilis under high dissolved oxygen tension levels.

PubMed

Banik, R M; Santhiagu, A

2006-09-01

The effect of agitation rate and dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) on growth and gellan production by Sphingomonas paucimobilis was studied. Higher cell growth of 5.4 g l(-1) was obtained at 700 rpm but maximum gellan (15 g l(-1)) was produced at 500 rpm. DOT levels above 20% had no effect on cell growth but gellan yield was increased to 23 g l(-1 )with increase in DOT level to 100%. Higher DOT levels improved the viscosity and molecular weight of the polymer with change in acetate and glycerate content of the polymer.

Comparison Between CCCM and CloudSat Radar-Lidar (RL) Cloud and Radiation Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ham, Seung-Hee; Kato, Seiji; Rose, Fred G.; Sun-Mack, Sunny

2015-01-01

To enhance cloud properties, LaRC and CIRA developed each combination algorithm for obtained properties from passive, active and imager in A-satellite constellation. When comparing global cloud fraction each other, LaRC-produced CERES-CALIPSO-CloudSat-MODIS (CCCM) products larger low-level cloud fraction over tropic ocean, while CIRA-produced Radar-Lidar (RL) shows larger mid-level cloud fraction for high latitude region. The reason for different low-level cloud fraction is due to different filtering method of lidar-detected cloud layers. Meanwhile difference in mid-level clouds is occurred due to different priority of cloud boundaries from lidar and radar.

The intensity of physical activity influences bone mineral accrual in childhood: the childhood health, activity and motor performance school (the CHAMPS) study, Denmark

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Studies indicate genetic and lifestyle factors can contribute to optimal bone development. In particular, the intensity level of physical activity may have an impact on bone health. This study aims to assess the relationship between physical activity at different intensities and Bone Mineral Content (BMC), Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and Bone Area (BA) accretion. Methods This longitudinal study is a part of The CHAMPS study-DK. Whole-body DXA scans were performed at baseline and after two years follows up. BMC, BMD, and BA were measured. The total body less head (TBLH) values were used. Physical activity (PA) was recorded by accelerometers (ActiGraph, model GT3X). Percentages of different PA intensity levels were calculated and log odds of two intensity levels of activity relative to the third level were calculated. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between the categories of physical activity and bone traits. Results Of 800 invited children, 742 (93%) accepted to participate. Of these, 682/742 (92%) participated at follow up. Complete datasets were obtained in 602/742 (81%) children. Mean (range) of age was 11.5 years (9.7-13.9). PA at different intensity levels was for boys and girls respectively, sedentary 62% and 64%, low 29% for both genders and moderate to high 9% and 7% of the total time. Mean (range) BMC, BMD, and BA was 1179 g (563–2326), 0.84 g/cm2 (0.64-1.15) and 1393 cm2 (851–2164), respectively. Valid accelerometer data were obtained for a mean of 6.1 days, 13 hours per day. Conclusions There 7was a positive relationship between the log odds of moderate to high-level PA versus low level activity and BMC, BMD and BA. Children with an increased proportion of time in moderate to high-level activity as opposed to sedentary and low-level activity achieved positive effects on BMC, BMD and BA. PMID:23452342

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

Not Available

Exhaust emission and fuel economy tests (1975 Federal Test Procedure) were performed on a 1972 Plymouth Cricket equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder stratified charge engine (Texaco Controlled Combustion System) and an exhaust catalyst. The tests were conducted for three different fuels; unleaded gasoline, number 2 diesel fuel, and a wide boiling range distillate fuel supplied by Texaco. Average hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide emissions (without throttling) obtained with diesel fuel were 0.89, 1.88, and 1.91 g/mi, respectively. Hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide levels of 0.88, 0.97, and 1.61 g/mi, respectively, were obtained with the wide boiling range fuel;more » and emission levels of 1.37, 0.50, and 1.84 g/mi, respectively, were obtained with the unleaded gasoline. Average fuel economies for the diesel fuel, wide boiling range fuel, and unleaded gasoline were 30.8, 29.7, and 28.4 mi/gal., respectively. Thus, the turbocharged catalyst equipped stratified charge engine demonstrated the ability to meet 1975 interim levels on three different fuels with high fuel economy. Compliance with the 1977 hydrocarbon standard of 0.41 g/mi will require additional control devices or basic combustion improvement.« less

Ab Initio Computations and Active Thermochemical Tables Hand in Hand: Heats of Formation of Core Combustion Species.

PubMed

Klippenstein, Stephen J; Harding, Lawrence B; Ruscic, Branko

2017-09-07

The fidelity of combustion simulations is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the underlying thermochemical properties for the core combustion species that arise as intermediates and products in the chemical conversion of most fuels. High level theoretical evaluations are coupled with a wide-ranging implementation of the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach to obtain well-validated high fidelity predictions for the 0 K heat of formation for a large set of core combustion species. In particular, high level ab initio electronic structure based predictions are obtained for a set of 348 C, N, O, and H containing species, which corresponds to essentially all core combustion species with 34 or fewer electrons. The theoretical analyses incorporate various high level corrections to base CCSD(T)/cc-pVnZ analyses (n = T or Q) using H 2 , CH 4 , H 2 O, and NH 3 as references. Corrections for the complete-basis-set limit, higher-order excitations, anharmonic zero-point energy, core-valence, relativistic, and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer effects are ordered in decreasing importance. Independent ATcT values are presented for a subset of 150 species. The accuracy of the theoretical predictions is explored through (i) examination of the magnitude of the various corrections, (ii) comparisons with other high level calculations, and (iii) through comparison with the ATcT values. The estimated 2σ uncertainties of the three methods devised here, ANL0, ANL0-F12, and ANL1, are in the range of ±1.0-1.5 kJ/mol for single-reference and moderately multireference species, for which the calculated higher order excitations are 5 kJ/mol or less. In addition to providing valuable references for combustion simulations, the subsequent inclusion of the current theoretical results into the ATcT thermochemical network is expected to significantly improve the thermochemical knowledge base for less-well studied species.

Ab Initio Computations and Active Thermochemical Tables Hand in Hand: Heats of Formation of Core Combustion Species

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

Klippenstein, Stephen J.; Harding, Lawrence B.; Ruscic, Branko

Here, the fidelity of combustion simulations is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the underlying thermochemical properties for the core combustion species that arise as intermediates and products in the chemical conversion of most fuels. High level theoretical evaluations are coupled with a wide-ranging implementation of the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach to obtain well-validated high fidelity predictions for the 0 K heat of formation for a large set of core combustion species. In particular, high level ab initio electronic structure based predictions are obtained for a set of 348 C, N, O, and H containing species, which corresponds tomore » essentially all core combustion species with 34 or fewer electrons. The theoretical analyses incorporate various high level corrections to base CCSD(T)/cc-pVnZ analyses (n = T or Q) using H 2, CH 4, H 2O, and NH 3 as references. Corrections for the complete-basis-set limit, higher-order excitations, anharmonic zeropoint energy, core–valence, relativistic, and diagonal Born–Oppenheimer effects are ordered in decreasing importance. Independent ATcT values are presented for a subset of 150 species. The accuracy of the theoretical predictions is explored through (i) examination of the magnitude of the various corrections, (ii) comparisons with other high level calculations, and (iii) through comparison with the ATcT values. The estimated 2σ uncertainties of the three methods devised here, ANL0, ANL0-F12, and ANL1, are in the range of ±1.0–1.5 kJ/mol for single-reference and moderately multireference species, for which the calculated higher order excitations are 5 kJ/mol or less. In addition to providing valuable references for combustion simulations, the subsequent inclusion of the current theoretical results into the ATcT thermochemical network is expected to significantly improve the thermochemical knowledge base for less-well studied species.« less

Ab Initio Computations and Active Thermochemical Tables Hand in Hand: Heats of Formation of Core Combustion Species

DOE PAGES

Klippenstein, Stephen J.; Harding, Lawrence B.; Ruscic, Branko

2017-07-31

Here, the fidelity of combustion simulations is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the underlying thermochemical properties for the core combustion species that arise as intermediates and products in the chemical conversion of most fuels. High level theoretical evaluations are coupled with a wide-ranging implementation of the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach to obtain well-validated high fidelity predictions for the 0 K heat of formation for a large set of core combustion species. In particular, high level ab initio electronic structure based predictions are obtained for a set of 348 C, N, O, and H containing species, which corresponds tomore » essentially all core combustion species with 34 or fewer electrons. The theoretical analyses incorporate various high level corrections to base CCSD(T)/cc-pVnZ analyses (n = T or Q) using H 2, CH 4, H 2O, and NH 3 as references. Corrections for the complete-basis-set limit, higher-order excitations, anharmonic zeropoint energy, core–valence, relativistic, and diagonal Born–Oppenheimer effects are ordered in decreasing importance. Independent ATcT values are presented for a subset of 150 species. The accuracy of the theoretical predictions is explored through (i) examination of the magnitude of the various corrections, (ii) comparisons with other high level calculations, and (iii) through comparison with the ATcT values. The estimated 2σ uncertainties of the three methods devised here, ANL0, ANL0-F12, and ANL1, are in the range of ±1.0–1.5 kJ/mol for single-reference and moderately multireference species, for which the calculated higher order excitations are 5 kJ/mol or less. In addition to providing valuable references for combustion simulations, the subsequent inclusion of the current theoretical results into the ATcT thermochemical network is expected to significantly improve the thermochemical knowledge base for less-well studied species.« less

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 levels are increased in patients with IgA nephropathy

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

Tokunaga, Koki; Uto, Hirofumi, E-mail: hirouto@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp; Takami, Yoichiro

2010-08-20

Research highlights: {yields} IGFBP-1 mRNA over express in kidneys obtained from mice model of IgA nephropathy. {yields} Serum IGFBP-1 levels are high in patients with IgA nephropathy. {yields} Serum IGFBP-1 levels correlate with renal function and the severity of renal injury. -- Abstract: The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (IgAN) are not well understood. In this study, we examined gene expression profiles in kidneys obtained from mice with high serum IgA levels (HIGA mice), which exhibit features of human IgAN. Female inbred HIGA, established from the ddY line, were used in these experiments. Serum IgA levels,more » renal IgA deposition, mesangial proliferation, and glomerulosclerosis were increased in 32-week-old HIGA mice in comparison to ddY animals. By microarray analysis, five genes were observed to be increased by more than 2.5-fold in 32-week-old HIGA in comparison to 16-week-old HIGA; these same five genes were decreased more than 2.5-fold in 32-week-old ddY in comparison to 16-week-old ddY mice. Of these five genes, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (IGFBP)-1 exhibited differential expression between these mouse lines, as confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, serum IGFBP-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with IgAN than in healthy controls. In patients with IgAN, these levels correlated with measures of renal function, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), but not with sex, age, serum IgA, C3 levels, or IGF-1 levels. Pathologically, serum IGFBP-1 levels were significantly associated with the severity of renal injury, as assessed by mesangial cell proliferation and interstitial fibrosis. These results suggest that increased IGFBP-1 levels are associated with the severity of renal pathology in patients with IgAN.« less

RANK Expression and Osteoclastogenesis in Human Monocytes in Peripheral Blood from Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

PubMed

Nanke, Yuki; Kobashigawa, Tsuyoshi; Yago, Toru; Kawamoto, Manabu; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Kotake, Shigeru

2016-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) appears as inflammation of synovial tissue and joint destruction. Receptor activator of NF- κ B (RANK) is a member of the TNF receptor superfamily and a receptor for the RANK ligand (RANKL). In this study, we examined the expression of RANK high and CCR6 on CD14 + monocytes from patients with RA and healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from both the RA patients and the healthy volunteers. Osteoclastogenesis from monocytes was induced by RANKL and M-CSF in vitro . To study the expression of RANK high and CCR6 on CD14 + monocytes, two-color flow cytometry was performed. Levels of expression of RANK on monocytes were significantly correlated with the level of osteoclastogenesis in the healthy volunteers. The expression of RANK high on CD14 + monocyte in RA patients without treatment was elevated and that in those receiving treatment was decreased. In addition, the high-level expression of RANK on CD14 + monocytes was correlated with the high-level expression of CCR6 in healthy volunteers. Monocytes expressing both RANK and CCR6 differentiate into osteoclasts. The expression of CD14 + RANK high in untreated RA patients was elevated. RANK and CCR6 expressed on monocytes may be novel targets for the regulation of bone resorption in RA and osteoporosis.

A comparative analysis of fertility differentials in Ghana and Nigeria.

PubMed

Olatoregun, Oluwaseun; Fagbamigbe, Adeniyi Francis; Akinyemi, Odunayo Joshua; Yusuf, Oyindamola Bidemi; Bamgboye, Elijah Afolabi

2014-09-01

Nigeria and Ghana are the most densely populated countries in the West African sub-region with fertility levels above world average. Our study compared the two countries' fertility levels and their determinants as well as the differentials in the effect of these factors across the two countries. We carried out a retrospective analysis of data from the Nigeria and Ghana Demographic Health Surveys, 2008. The sample of 33,385 and 4,916 women aged 15-49 years obtained in Nigeria and Ghana respectively was stratified into low, medium and high fertility using reported children ever born. Data was summarized using appropriate descriptive statistics. Factors influencing fertility were identified using ordinal logistic regression at 5% significance level. While unemployment significantly lowers fertility in Nigeria, it wasn't significant in Ghana. In both countries, education, age at first marriage, marital status, urban-rural residence, wealth index and use of oral contraception were the main factors influencing high fertility levels.

Identifying and engineering promoters for high level and sustainable therapeutic recombinant protein production in cultured mammalian cells.

PubMed

Ho, Steven C L; Yang, Yuansheng

2014-08-01

Promoters are essential on plasmid vectors to initiate transcription of the transgenes when generating therapeutic recombinant proteins expressing mammalian cell lines. High and sustained levels of gene expression are desired during therapeutic protein production while gene expression is useful for cell engineering. As many finely controlled promoters exhibit cell and product specificity, new promoters need to be identified, optimized and carefully evaluated before use. Suitable promoters can be identified using techniques ranging from simple molecular biology methods to modern high-throughput omics screenings. Promoter engineering is often required after identification to either obtain high and sustained expression or to provide a wider range of gene expression. This review discusses some of the available methods to identify and engineer promoters for therapeutic recombinant protein expression in mammalian cells.

Ascorbic acid treatment elevates follicle stimulating hormone and testosterone plasma levels and enhances sperm quality in albino Wistar rats.

PubMed

Okon, Uduak Akpan; Utuk, Ikponoabasi Ibanga

2016-01-01

Infertility issues have been linked to the effect of oxidative reaction in the reproductive system. This study evaluated the effect of ascorbic acid, on fertility parameters of male albino Wistar rats was studied. Eighteen albino Wistar rats weighed between 178 g and 241 g were used, randomly assigned into three groups. Group 1 was the control group; oral gavaged 5 ml of distilled water; Groups 2 and 3 were administered medium dose (250 mg/kg) and high dose of ascorbic acid (400 mg/kg), respectively; twice daily for 21 days. Blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture, and blood serum was obtained for hormonal assay, and the testes were harvested for sperm analysis. Follicle stimulating hormone levels significantly increased in the high-dose group as compared to both the control and medium dose groups. Luteinizing hormone levels in the medium dose group decreased significantly as compared to the control group. Testosterone significantly increased in both the medium- and high-dose groups as compared to the control group. Sperm motility increased significantly in the high-dose group as compared to both control and medium-dose groups. Percentage sperm concentration decreased significantly in the medium-dose group when compared to the control and increased significantly in the high-dose group as compared to the medium-dose group. For percentage normal morphology, there was a dose-dependent increase in the test groups when compared to control group. These results are indicative of a positive influence of ascorbic acid on male fertility modulators and may therefore, serve as a potential adjuvant treatment for male infertility cases.

Small Molecules-Big Data.

PubMed

Császár, Attila G; Furtenbacher, Tibor; Árendás, Péter

2016-11-17

Quantum mechanics builds large-scale graphs (networks): the vertices are the discrete energy levels the quantum system possesses, and the edges are the (quantum-mechanically allowed) transitions. Parts of the complete quantum mechanical networks can be probed experimentally via high-resolution, energy-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The complete rovibronic line list information for a given molecule can only be obtained through sophisticated quantum-chemical computations. Experiments as well as computations yield what we call spectroscopic networks (SN). First-principles SNs of even small, three to five atomic molecules can be huge, qualifying for the big data description. Besides helping to interpret high-resolution spectra, the network-theoretical view offers several ideas for improving the accuracy and robustness of the increasingly important information systems containing line-by-line spectroscopic data. For example, the smallest number of measurements necessary to perform to obtain the complete list of energy levels is given by the minimum-weight spanning tree of the SN and network clustering studies may call attention to "weakest links" of a spectroscopic database. A present-day application of spectroscopic networks is within the MARVEL (Measured Active Rotational-Vibrational Energy Levels) approach, whereby the transitions information on a measured SN is turned into experimental energy levels via a weighted linear least-squares refinement. MARVEL has been used successfully for 15 molecules and allowed to validate most of the transitions measured and come up with energy levels with well-defined and realistic uncertainties. Accurate knowledge of the energy levels with computed transition intensities allows the realistic prediction of spectra under many different circumstances, e.g., for widely different temperatures. Detailed knowledge of the energy level structure of a molecule coming from a MARVEL analysis is important for a considerable number of modeling efforts in chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Psychological Balance in High Level Athletes: Gender-Based Differences and Sport-Specific Patterns

PubMed Central

Schaal, Karine; Tafflet, Muriel; Nassif, Hala; Thibault, Valérie; Pichard, Capucine; Alcotte, Mathieu; Guillet, Thibaut; El Helou, Nour; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Simon, Serge; Toussaint, Jean-François

2011-01-01

Objectives Few epidemiological studies have focused on the psychological health of high level athletes. This study aimed to identify the principal psychological problems encountered within French high level athletes, and the variations in their prevalence based on sex and the sport practiced. Methods Multivariate analyses were conducted on nationwide data obtained from the athletes' yearly psychological evaluations. Results A representative sample of 13% of the French athlete population was obtained. 17% of athletes have at least one ongoing or recent disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most prevalent (6%), followed by non-specific eating disorders (4.2%). Overall, 20.2% of women had at least one psychopathology, against 15.1% in men. This female predominance applied to anxiety and eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and self-harming behaviors. The highest rates of GAD appeared in aesthetic sports (16.7% vs. 6.8% in other sports for men and 38.9% vs. 10.3% for women); the lowest prevalence was found in high risk sports athletes (3.0% vs. 3.5%). Eating disorders are most common among women in racing sports (14% vs. 9%), but for men were found mostly in combat sports (7% vs. 4.8%). Discussion This study highlights important differences in psychopathology between male and female athletes, demonstrating that the many sex-based differences reported in the general population apply to elite athletes. While the prevalence of psychological problems is no higher than in the general population, the variations in psychopathology in different sports suggest that specific constraints could influence the development of some disorders. PMID:21573222

Psychological balance in high level athletes: gender-based differences and sport-specific patterns.

PubMed

Schaal, Karine; Tafflet, Muriel; Nassif, Hala; Thibault, Valérie; Pichard, Capucine; Alcotte, Mathieu; Guillet, Thibaut; El Helou, Nour; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Simon, Serge; Toussaint, Jean-François

2011-05-04

Few epidemiological studies have focused on the psychological health of high level athletes. This study aimed to identify the principal psychological problems encountered within French high level athletes, and the variations in their prevalence based on sex and the sport practiced. Multivariate analyses were conducted on nationwide data obtained from the athletes' yearly psychological evaluations. A representative sample of 13% of the French athlete population was obtained. 17% of athletes have at least one ongoing or recent disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most prevalent (6%), followed by non-specific eating disorders (4.2%). Overall, 20.2% of women had at least one psychopathology, against 15.1% in men. This female predominance applied to anxiety and eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and self-harming behaviors. The highest rates of GAD appeared in aesthetic sports (16.7% vs. 6.8% in other sports for men and 38.9% vs. 10.3% for women); the lowest prevalence was found in high risk sports athletes (3.0% vs. 3.5%). Eating disorders are most common among women in racing sports (14% vs. 9%), but for men were found mostly in combat sports (7% vs. 4.8%). This study highlights important differences in psychopathology between male and female athletes, demonstrating that the many sex-based differences reported in the general population apply to elite athletes. While the prevalence of psychological problems is no higher than in the general population, the variations in psychopathology in different sports suggest that specific constraints could influence the development of some disorders.

An e-health system for the elderly (Butler Project): a pilot study on acceptance and satisfaction.

PubMed

Botella, Cristina; Etchemendy, Ernestina; Castilla, Diana; Baños, Rosa María; García-Palacios, Azucena; Quero, Soledad; Alcañiz, Mariano; Lozano, José Antonio

2009-06-01

The Butler Project is a technological e-health platform that uses the Internet to connect various users; it was designed to deliver health care to the elderly. The Butler platform has three levels of implementation: diagnosis (mood monitoring, alert system, management reports), therapy (training in inducing positive moods, memory work), and entertainment (e-mail, chat, video, photo albums, music, friend forums, accessibility to the Internet). The objective of this work is to describe the psychological aspects of the platform and to present data obtained from four users. Results show that after using the system, the participants increased their positive emotions and decreased their negative ones; in addition, they obtained high levels of satisfaction and experienced little difficulty in using the system.

Wind tunnel investigation of rotor lift and propulsive force at high speed: Data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mchugh, F.; Clark, R.; Soloman, M.

1977-01-01

The basic test data obtained during the lift-propulsive force limit wind tunnel test conducted on a scale model CH-47b rotor are analyzed. Included are the rotor control positions, blade loads and six components of rotor force and moment, corrected for hub tares. Performance and blade loads are presented as the rotor lift limit is approached at fixed levels of rotor propulsive force coefficients and rotor tip speeds. Performance and blade load trends are documented for fixed levels of rotor lift coefficient as propulsive force is increased to the maximum obtainable by the model rotor. Test data is also included that defines the effect of stall proximity on rotor control power. The basic test data plots are presented in volumes 2 and 3.

High-rate RTK and PPP multi-GNSS positioning for small-scale dynamic displacements monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paziewski, Jacek; Sieradzki, Rafał; Baryła, Radosław; Wielgosz, Pawel

2017-04-01

The monitoring of dynamic displacements and deformations of engineering structures such as buildings, towers and bridges is of great interest due to several practical and theoretical reasons. The most important is to provide information required for safe maintenance of the constructions. High temporal resolution and precision of GNSS observations predestine this technology to be applied to most demanding application in terms of accuracy, availability and reliability. GNSS technique supported by appropriate processing methodology may meet the specific demands and requirements of ground and structures monitoring. Thus, high-rate multi-GNSS signals may be used as reliable source of information on dynamic displacements of ground and engineering structures, also in real time applications. In this study we present initial results of application of precise relative GNSS positioning for detection of small scale (cm level) high temporal resolution dynamic displacements. Methodology and algorithms applied in self-developed software allowing for relative positioning using high-rate dual-frequency phase and pseudorange GPS+Galileo observations are also given. Additionally, an approach was also made to use the Precise Point Positioning technique to such application. In the experiment were used the observations obtained from high-rate (20 Hz) geodetic receivers. The dynamic displacements were simulated using specially constructed device moving GNSS antenna with dedicated amplitude and frequency. The obtained results indicate on possibility of detection of dynamic displacements of the GNSS antenna even at the level of few millimetres using both relative and Precise Point Positioning techniques after suitable signals processing.

The DeStress for Success Program: effects of a stress education program on cortisol levels and depressive symptomatology in adolescents making the transition to high school.

PubMed

Lupien, S J; Ouellet-Morin, I; Trépanier, L; Juster, R P; Marin, M F; Francois, N; Sindi, S; Wan, N; Findlay, H; Durand, N; Cooper, L; Schramek, T; Andrews, J; Corbo, V; Dedovic, K; Lai, B; Plusquellec, P

2013-09-26

Various studies have shown that increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can predict the onset of adolescent depressive symptomatology. We have previously shown that adolescents making the transition to high school present a significant increase in cortisol levels, the main product of HPA axis activation. In the present study, we evaluated whether a school-based education program developed according to the current state of knowledge on stress in psychoneuroendocrinology decreases cortisol levels and/or depressive symptoms in adolescents making the transition to high school. Participants were 504 Year 7 high school students from two private schools in the Montreal area. Adolescents of one school were exposed to the DeStress for Success Program while adolescents from the other school served as controls. Salivary cortisol levels and depressive symptomatology were measured before, immediately after as well as 3 months after exposure to the program. Measures of negative mood were obtained at baseline in order to determine whether adolescents starting high school with specific negative moods were differentially responsive to the program. The results show that only adolescents starting high school with high levels of anger responded to the intervention with a significant decrease in cortisol levels. Moreover, we found that adolescents who took part in the intervention and showed decreasing cortisol levels following the intervention (responders) were 2.45 times less at risk to suffer from clinical and subclinical depressive states three months post-intervention in comparison to adolescents who showed increasing cortisol levels following the intervention (nonresponders). This study provides the first evidence that a school-based program on stress is effective at decreasing cortisol levels and depressive symptomatology in adolescents making the transition to high school and it helps explain which adolescents are sensitive to the program and what are some of the characteristics of these individuals. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cardiac troponin T determination by a highly sensitive assay in postmortem serum and pericardial fluid.

PubMed

González-Herrera, Lucas; Valenzuela, Aurora; Ramos, Valentín; Blázquez, Antonia; Villanueva, Enrique

2016-06-01

The main objective of this study was to test, for the first time, a highly sensitive cardiac troponin T (cTnThs) assay in postmortem serum and pericardial fluid and to evaluate cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels and their stability after death at different postmortem intervals, in an attempt to determine the viability of the cTnThs assay in the postmortem diagnosis of the cause of death. cTnT levels were determined in serum and pericardial fluid samples taken from 58 cadavers at known postmortem intervals, whose causes of death were categorized into the following groups: (1) sudden cardiac deaths, (2) multiple trauma, (3) mechanical asphyxia, and (4) other natural deaths. cTnT was determined by inmunoassay, using the Troponin T highly sensitive STAT assay (Roche(®)). Average cTnT levels measured by a highly sensitive assay in postmortem serum were markedly higher than clinical serum levels. Moreover, similar results, higher cTnT levels in postmortem pericardial fluid, were obtained when compared to levels found in pericardial fluid taken from two living patients during coronary artery bypass surgery. cTnT levels in both postmortem fluids remained stable for up to 34 h after death. No differences in cTnT levels in either postmortem fluid by sex and age were detected. Levels of cTnT found in pericardial fluid in the other natural deaths group were significantly lower than the cTnT levels found in that postmortem fluid from any of the other causes of death groups. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that determination of cTnT by a highly sensitive assay in pericardial fluid can provide forensic pathologists with a complementary test to the diagnosis of cause of death.

[Efficiency of early diagnosis and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in industrial workers (prospective observation results)].

PubMed

Bobrov, S V; Shpagina, L A; Kuznetsova, G V; Burganova, M R

2011-01-01

Examination of workers engaged into major industrial enterprises of Novosibirsk demonstrated high prevalence of bronchial obstruction in individuals contacting industrial aerosol. The workers with long length of service proved high level of tobacco addiction and marked psychologic dependence on smoking. Based on the data obtained, the authors specified a program for early diagnosis and prevention of occupational bronchitis among the workers of major industrial enterprises.

Partial discharge testing under direct voltage conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bever, R. S.; Westrom, J. L.

1982-01-01

DC partial discharge (PD) (corona) testing is performed using a multichannel analyzer for pulse storing, and data is collected during increase of voltage and at quiescent voltage levels. Thus high voltage ceramic disk capacitors were evaluated by obtaining PD data interspersed during an accelerated life test. Increased PD activity was found early in samples that later failed catastrophically. By this technique, trends of insulation behavior are revealed sensitively and nondestructively in high voltage dc components.

Proof-of-Concept of a Revolutionary Cooling Shirt with a Thermal Manikin

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

involving high levels of physical activity or exposure to high temperature environments including military, fire protection, and sports . Battlefield...spandex. Pockets of the same material were created to fully encapsulate the lightweight cryotherapy pad. The cooling medium is flame resistant to 815°C...effect on the manikin. Per manufacturer recommendation, the cryotherapy pads were stored in a refrigerator at 10°C to obtain a maximum effect. New pads

The vibro-acoustic mapping of low gravity trajectories on a Learjet aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grodsinsky, C. M.; Sutliff, T. J.

1990-01-01

Terrestrial low gravity research techniques have been employed to gain a more thorough understanding of basic science and technology concepts. One technique frequently used involves flying parabolic trajectories aboard the NASA Lewis Research Center Learjet aircraft. A measurement program was developed to support an isolation system conceptual design. This program primarily was intended to measure time correlated high frequency accelerations (up to 100 Hz) present at various locations throughout the Learjet during a series of trajectories and flights. As suspected, the measurements obtained revealed that the environment aboard such an aircraft can not simply be described in terms of the static level low gravity g vector obtained, but that it also must account for both rigid body and high frequency vibro-acoustic dynamics.

Durability of bends in high-temperature steam lines under the conditions of long-term operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katanakha, N. A.; Semenov, A. S.; Getsov, L. B.

2015-04-01

The article presents the results of stress-strain state computations and durability of bent and steeply curved branches of high-temperature steam lines carried out on the basis of the finite element method using the modified Soderberg formula for describing unsteady creep processes with taking the accumulation of damage into account. The computations were carried out for bends made of steel grades that are most widely used for manufacturing steam lines (12Kh1MF, 15Kh1M1F, and 10Kh9MFB) and operating at different levels of inner pressure and temperature. The solutions obtained using the developed creep model are compared with those obtained using the models widely used in practice.

Effects of Negative Emotions and Life Events on Women's Missed Miscarriage.

PubMed

Xing, Huilin; Luo, Yaping; Wang, Shouying

2018-02-01

To investigate the effects of negative emotions and life events on women's missed miscarriage. Overall, 214 women diagnosed with a missed miscarriage by prenatal examination from 2016-2017 in Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Xiamen, China were selected as the observation group compared to 214 women as control group. The general data of the patients were investigated by self-programmed questionnaires. Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Center Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; Life Events Scale for Pregnant Women were used conduct the study. General data, anxiety, depression and life events were compared between the two groups of patients, and statistically different factors were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis. There were statistically significant differences in the educational level, pre-pregnancy health status, planned pregnancy, pre-pregnancy or gestational gynecological inflammation and the initiative to obtain knowledge of prenatal and postnatal care between the two groups of pregnant women ( P <0.01); there were also statistically significant differences in score of life events, score of anxiety and score of depression between them ( P <0.01). The high educational level, good health status before pregnancy and the initiative to obtain the knowledge of prenatal and postnatal care were taken as the independent protective factors for the missed miscarriage in pregnant women, while life events, anxiety and depression were independent risk factors for it. Negative emotions and life events increase the risk of women's missed miscarriage, and the high educational level, good health status before pregnancy and the initiative to obtain the knowledge of prenatal and postnatal care reduce the risk of women's missed miscarriage.

A two-level stochastic collocation method for semilinear elliptic equations with random coefficients

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

Chen, Luoping; Zheng, Bin; Lin, Guang

In this work, we propose a novel two-level discretization for solving semilinear elliptic equations with random coefficients. Motivated by the two-grid method for deterministic partial differential equations (PDEs) introduced by Xu, our two-level stochastic collocation method utilizes a two-grid finite element discretization in the physical space and a two-level collocation method in the random domain. In particular, we solve semilinear equations on a coarse meshmore » $$\\mathcal{T}_H$$ with a low level stochastic collocation (corresponding to the polynomial space $$\\mathcal{P}_{P}$$) and solve linearized equations on a fine mesh $$\\mathcal{T}_h$$ using high level stochastic collocation (corresponding to the polynomial space $$\\mathcal{P}_p$$). We prove that the approximated solution obtained from this method achieves the same order of accuracy as that from solving the original semilinear problem directly by stochastic collocation method with $$\\mathcal{T}_h$$ and $$\\mathcal{P}_p$$. The two-level method is computationally more efficient, especially for nonlinear problems with high random dimensions. Numerical experiments are also provided to verify the theoretical results.« less

Childhood lead poisoning prevention through prenatal housing inspection and remediation in St. Louis, MO.

PubMed

Berg, Daniel R; Eckstein, Erin T; Steiner, Matt S; Gavard, Jeffrey A; Gross, Gilad A

2012-03-01

We assessed the screening and remediation of home lead hazards prenatally in a high-risk population, hypothesizing that average blood-lead level and the number of poisonings would drop by 25%. One hundred fifty-two women underwent prenatal home inspections by certified lead inspectors. The hazards that were identified were remediated. The blood-lead levels of children of participating women were compared with matched control subjects. Blood-lead levels were obtained from 60 children and compared with matched control subjects. The average blood-lead level of children in the treatment group was 2.70 μg/dL vs 3.73 μg/dL in control subjects (P = .019). The percentage of children with levels >10 μg/dL in the treatment group was 0% vs 4.2% in control subjects (P = .128). Screening and remediation of houses of pregnant women is effective to reduce the average blood-lead level and number of children that exceed the federal level of concern for lead poisoning in a high-risk population. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sea level side loads in high-area-ratio rocket engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nave, L. H.; Coffey, G. A.

1973-01-01

An empirical separation and side load model to obtain applied aerodynamic loads has been developed based on data obtained from full-scale J-2S (265K-pound-thrust engine with an area ratio of 40:1) engine and model testing. Experimental data include visual observations of the separation patterns that show the dynamic nature of the separation phenomenon. Comparisons between measured and applied side loads are made. Correlations relating the separation location to the applied side loads and the methods used to determine the separation location are given.

Modeling of exposure to carbon monoxide in fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cagliostro, D. E.

1980-01-01

A mathematical model is developed to predict carboxyhemoglobin concentrations in regions of the body for short exposures to carbon monoxide levels expected during escape from aircraft fires. The model includes the respiratory and circulatory dynamics of absorption and distribution of carbon monoxide and carboxyhemoglobin. Predictions of carboxyhemoglobin concentrations are compared to experimental values obtained for human exposures to constant high carbon monoxide levels. Predictions are within 20% of experimental values. For short exposure times, transient concentration effects are predicted. The effect of stress is studied and found to increase carboxyhemoglobin levels substantially compared to a rest state.

A comparison of heart rate responses in racquet games.

PubMed Central

Docherty, D.

1982-01-01

The present study investigated the heart rate response to playing tennis with special reference to the skill levels and ages of the participants. Data obtained in a similar manner during earlier studies of badminton and squash players were compared with that obtained during tennis. The number of rallies, mean rally time and actual playing time in 30 minutes of play was also compared for the different skill levels and sports. Results showed that playing tennis raised the players' heart rates to 68-70% of their predicted maximum heart rate (PMHR). Playing squash and badminton could raise heart rates to 80-85% of the players' PMHR which was significantly higher than the values obtained for tennis. The actual skill level of the participants within their chosen sport did not have a significant effect in predicting the physical demands of squash or tennis but was important in predicting the heart rate response of badminton players. The more skillful the badminton player the greater the cardiac response as a result of game play. Analysis of time spent in actual play revealed that tennis players were involved in play for only five of the thirty minutes of game play, compared to 15 and 10 min respectively for squash and badminton. Skill level within each sport was only a significant factor in predicting length of play for squash players in which the medium and highly skilled groups played significantly longer than those of a lower level of skill. Images p96-a PMID:7104564

Reduction of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli by process and recipe optimisation in dry-fermented sausages.

PubMed

Heir, E; Holck, A L; Omer, M K; Alvseike, O; Høy, M; Måge, I; Axelsson, L

2010-07-15

Outbreaks of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) linked to dry-fermented sausages (DFSs) have emphasized the need for DFS manufacturers to introduce measures to obtain enhanced safety and still maintain the sensory qualities of their products. To our knowledge no data have yet been reported on non-O157:H7 VTEC survival in DFS. Here, the importance of recipe and process variables on VTEC (O157:H7 and O103:H25) reductions in two types of DFS, morr and salami, was determined through three statistically designed experiments. Linear regression and ANOVA analyses showed that no single variable had a dominant effect on VTEC reductions. High levels of NaCl, NaNO(2), glucose (low pH) and fermentation temperature gave enhanced VTEC reduction, while high fat and large casing diameter (a(w)) gave the opposite effect. Interaction effects were small. The process and recipe variables showed similar effects in morr and salami. In general, recipes combining high batter levels of salt (NaCl and NaNO(2)) and glucose along with high fermentation temperature that gave DFS with low final pH and a(w), provided approximately 3 log(10) reductions compared to approximately 1.5 log(10) reductions obtained for standard recipe DFS. Storage at 4 degrees C for 2 months provided log(10) 0.33-0.95 additional VTEC reductions and were only marginally affected by recipe type. Sensory tests revealed only small differences between the various recipes of morr and salami. By optimisation of recipe and process parameters, it is possible to obtain increased microbial safety of DFS while maintaining the sensory qualities of the sausages. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relative amplitude of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances as deduced from global GPS network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voeykov, S. V.; Afraimovich, E. L.; Kosogorov, E. A.; Perevalova, N. P.; Zhivetiev, I. V.

We worked out a new method for estimation of relative amplitude dI I of total electron content TEC variations corresponding to medium-scale 30-300 km traveling ionospheric disturbances MS TIDs Daily and latitudinal dependences of dI I and dI I probability distributions are obtained for 52 days of 1999-2005 with different level of geomagnetic activity Statistical estimations were obtained for the analysis of 10 6 series of TEC with 2 3-hour duration To obtain statistically significant results three latitudinal regions were chosen North America high-latitudinal region 50-80 r N 200-300 r E 59 GPS receivers North America mid-latitudinal region 20-50 r N 200-300 r E 817 receivers equatorial belt -20 20 r N 0-360 r E 76 receivers We found that average daily value of the relative amplitude of TEC variations dI I changes from 0 3 to 10 proportionally to the value of geomagnetic index Kp This dependence is strong at high latitudes dI I 0 37 cdot Kp 1 5 and it is some weaker at mid latitudes dI I 0 2 cdot Kp 0 35 At the equator belt we found the weakest dependence dI I on the geomagnetic activity level dI I 0 1 cdot Kp 0 6 The most important and the most interesting result of our work is that during geomagnetic quiet conditions the relative amplitude of TEC variations at night considerably exceeds daily values by 3-5 times at equatorial and at high latitudes and by 2 times at mid latitudes But during strong magnetic storms the relative amplitude dI I at high

Combined Effect of Levels in Personal Self-Regulation and Regulatory Teaching on Meta-Cognitive, on Meta-Motivational, and on Academic Achievement Variables in Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

de la Fuente, Jesús; Sander, Paul; Martínez-Vicente, José M; Vera, Mariano; Garzón, Angélica; Fadda, Salvattore

2017-01-01

The Theory of Self- vs . Externally-Regulated Learning™ (SRL vs. ERL) proposed different types of relationships among levels of variables in Personal Self-Regulation (PSR) and Regulatory Teaching (RT) to predict the meta-cognitive, meta-motivational and -emotional variables of learning, and of Academic Achievement in Higher Education. The aim of this investigation was empirical in order to validate the model of the combined effect of low-medium-high levels in PSR and RT on the dependent variables. For the analysis of combinations, a selected sample of 544 undergraduate students from two Spanish universities was used. Data collection was obtained from validated instruments, in Spanish versions. Using an ex-post-facto design, different Univariate and Multivariate Analyses (3 × 1, 3 × 3, and 4 × 1) were conducted. Results provide evidence for a consistent effect of low-medium-high levels of PSR and of RT, thus giving significant partial confirmation of the proposed rational model. As predicted, (1) the levels of PSR and positively and significantly effected the levels of learning approaches, resilience, engagement, academic confidence, test anxiety, and procedural and attitudinal academic achievement; (2) the most favorable type of interaction was a high level of PSR with a high level RT process. The limitations and implications of these results in the design of effective teaching are analyzed, to improve university teaching-learning processes.

Combined Effect of Levels in Personal Self-Regulation and Regulatory Teaching on Meta-Cognitive, on Meta-Motivational, and on Academic Achievement Variables in Undergraduate Students

PubMed Central

de la Fuente, Jesús; Sander, Paul; Martínez-Vicente, José M.; Vera, Mariano; Garzón, Angélica; Fadda, Salvattore

2017-01-01

The Theory of Self- vs. Externally-Regulated Learning™ (SRL vs. ERL) proposed different types of relationships among levels of variables in Personal Self-Regulation (PSR) and Regulatory Teaching (RT) to predict the meta-cognitive, meta-motivational and -emotional variables of learning, and of Academic Achievement in Higher Education. The aim of this investigation was empirical in order to validate the model of the combined effect of low-medium-high levels in PSR and RT on the dependent variables. For the analysis of combinations, a selected sample of 544 undergraduate students from two Spanish universities was used. Data collection was obtained from validated instruments, in Spanish versions. Using an ex-post-facto design, different Univariate and Multivariate Analyses (3 × 1, 3 × 3, and 4 × 1) were conducted. Results provide evidence for a consistent effect of low-medium-high levels of PSR and of RT, thus giving significant partial confirmation of the proposed rational model. As predicted, (1) the levels of PSR and positively and significantly effected the levels of learning approaches, resilience, engagement, academic confidence, test anxiety, and procedural and attitudinal academic achievement; (2) the most favorable type of interaction was a high level of PSR with a high level RT process. The limitations and implications of these results in the design of effective teaching are analyzed, to improve university teaching-learning processes. PMID:28280473

Comparative higher-order structure analysis of antibody biosimilars using combined bottom-up and top-down hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Pan, Jingxi; Zhang, Suping; Borchers, Christoph H

2016-12-01

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful technique for higher-order structural characterization of antibodies. Although the peptide-based bottom-up HDX approach and the protein-based top-down HDX approach have complementary advantages, the work done so far on biosimilars has involved only one or the other approach. Herein we have characterized the structures of two bevacizumab (BEV) biosimilars and compared them to the reference BEV using both methods. A sequence coverage of 87% was obtained for the heavy chain and 74% for the light chain in the bottom-up approach. The deuterium incorporation behavior of the peptic peptides from the three BEVs were compared side by side and showed no differences at various HDX time points. Top-down experiments were carried out using subzero temperature LC-MS, and the deuterium incorporation of the intact light chain and heavy chain were obtained. Top-down ETD was also performed to obtain amino acid-level HDX information that covered 100% of the light chain, but only 50% coverage is possible for the heavy chain. Consistent with the intact subunit level data, no differences were observed in the amino acid level HDX data. All these results indicate that there are no differences between the three BEV samples with respect to their high-order structures. The peptide level information from the bottom-up approach, and the residue level and intact subunit level information from the top-down approach were complementary and covered the entire antibody. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the effects of higher order coupling terms on fits using a second order Jahn-Teller Hamiltonian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Henry K.; Stanton, John F.; Miller, Terry A.

2018-01-01

The limitations associated with the common practice of fitting a quadratic Hamiltonian to vibronic levels of a Jahn-Teller system have been explored quantitatively. Satisfactory results for the prototypical X∼2E‧ state of Li3 are obtained from fits to both experimental spectral data and to an "artificial" spectrum calculated by a quartic Hamiltonian which accurately reproduces the adiabatic potential obtained from state-of-the-art quantum chemistry calculations. However the values of the Jahn-Teller parameters, stabilization energy, and pseudo-rotation barrier obtained from the quadratic fit differ markedly from those associated with the ab initio potential. Nonetheless the RMS deviations of the fits are not strikingly different. Guidelines are suggested for comparing parameters obtained from fits to experiment to those obtained by direct calculation, but a principal conclusion of this work is that such comparisons must be done with a high degree of caution.

An innovative recycling process to obtain pure polyethylene and polypropylene from household waste.

PubMed

Serranti, Silvia; Luciani, Valentina; Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Hu, Bin; Rem, Peter C

2015-01-01

An innovative recycling process, based on magnetic density separation (MDS) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI), to obtain high quality polypropylene and polyethylene as secondary raw materials, is presented. More in details, MDS was applied to two different polyolefin mixtures coming from household waste. The quality of the two separated PP and PE streams, in terms of purity, was evaluated by a classification procedure based on HSI working in the near infrared range (1000-1700 nm). The classification model was built using known PE and PP samples as training set. The results obtained by HSI were compared with those obtained by classical density analysis carried in laboratory on the same polymers. The results obtained by MDS and the quality assessment of the plastic products by HSI showed that the combined action of these two technologies is a valid solution that can be implemented at industrial level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A gauge-independent zeroth-order regular approximation to the exact relativistic Hamiltonian—Formulation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filatov, Michael; Cremer, Dieter

2005-01-01

A simple modification of the zeroth-order regular approximation (ZORA) in relativistic theory is suggested to suppress its erroneous gauge dependence to a high level of approximation. The method, coined gauge-independent ZORA (ZORA-GI), can be easily installed in any existing nonrelativistic quantum chemical package by programming simple one-electron matrix elements for the quasirelativistic Hamiltonian. Results of benchmark calculations obtained with ZORA-GI at the Hartree-Fock (HF) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) level for dihalogens X2 (X=F,Cl,Br,I,At) are in good agreement with the results of four-component relativistic calculations (HF level) and experimental data (MP2 level). ZORA-GI calculations based on MP2 or coupled-cluster theory with single and double perturbations and a perturbative inclusion of triple excitations [CCSD(T)] lead to accurate atomization energies and molecular geometries for the tetroxides of group VIII elements. With ZORA-GI/CCSD(T), an improved estimate for the atomization energy of hassium (Z=108) tetroxide is obtained.

The Effect of Experimental Geometry and Initial Conditions on the Shape of Coherent Population Trapping Resonances on the Fine Structure Levels of Thallium Atoms

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

Karagodova, T.Ya.

2005-06-15

Specific features of the coherent population trapping effect are considered in the generalized {lambda} system whose lower levels are the magnetic sublevels of the fine structure levels of the thallium atom. Numerical experiments were performed aimed at examination of the coherent population trapping for the case of nontrivial, but feasible, initial populations of the upper metastable fine structure level. Such populations may be obtained, for example, due to the photodissociation of TlBr molecules. The possibility of reducing the number of resonances of the coherent population trapping in a multilevel system, which may be useful for high-resolution spectroscopy, is demonstrated. Itmore » is shown that the magnitude and shape of the resonances can be controlled by varying the orientation of the polarization vectors of the light field components with respect to each other and to a magnetic field. In addition, studying the shape of the coherent population trapping resonances for the atoms obtained by photodissociation of molecules may provide information about these molecules.« less

Composition of RF-sputtered refractory compounds determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, D. R.; Brainard, W. A.

1978-01-01

RF-sputtered coatings of CrB2, MoSi2, Mo2C, TiC, and MoS2 were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Data on stoichiometry, impurity content, and chemical bonding were obtained. The influences of sputtering target history, deposition time, RF power level, and substrate bias were studied. Significant deviations from stoichiometry and high oxide levels were related to target outgassing. The effect of substrate bias depended on the particular coating material studied.

Polymer-Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Composites for Potential Spacecraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, C.; Ounaies, Z.; Watson, K. A.; Pawlowski, K.; Lowther, S. E.; Connell, J. W.; Siochi, E. J.; Harrison, J. S.; St.Clair, T. L.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Polymer-single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) composite films were prepared and characterized as part of an effort to develop polymeric materials with improved combinations of properties for potential use on future spacecraft. Next generation spacecraft will require ultra-lightweight materials that possess specific and unique combinations of properties such as radiation and atomic oxygen resistance, low solar absorptivity, high thermal emissitivity, electrical conductivity, tear resistance, ability to be folded and seamed, and good mechanical properties. The objective of this work is to incorporate sufficient electrical conductivity into space durable polyimides to mitigate static charge build-up. The challenge is to obtain this level of conductivity (10(exp -8) S/cm) without degrading other properties of importance, particularly optical transparency. Several different approaches were attempted to fully disperse the SWNTs into the polymer matrix. These included high shear mixing, sonication, and synthesizing the polymers in the presence of pre-dispersed SWNTs. Acceptable levels of conductivity were obtained at loading levels less than one tenth weight percent SWNT without significantly sacrificing optical properties. Characterization of the nanocomposite films and the effect of SWNT concentration and dispersion on the conductivity, solar absorptivity, thermal emissivity, mechanical and thermal properties were discussed. Fibers and non-woven porous mats of SWNT reinforced polymer nanocomposite were produced using electrospinning.

Assessing the infection risk of enteropathogens from consumption of raw vegetables washed with contaminated water in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

PubMed

Shrestha, S; Haramoto, E; Shindo, J

2017-11-01

To assess diarrhoeal risks from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Giardia and Cryptosporidium from consuming raw spinach, cabbage, carrots and tomatoes in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The annual infection risk was quantified using the probabilistic Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment approach, which considered 12 vegetable washing combinations. A new model was used to estimate dose of pathogens per exposure comprising parameters such as pathogen concentration in vegetable wash water before selling and eating, vegetable consumption rate, remaining pathogen ratio after washing, remaining water on vegetables after washing and water treatment removal efficiency. When all washing combinations were considered, high infection risks above the acceptable level of -4 log 10 infection per person per year were obtained, whereas the risk was reduced when other sources excluding river water were used. Assuming use of water treated with ceramic filters by all consumers, a 0-2 log 10 reduction in the estimated risks was obtained, which was insufficient to achieve the required risk level. High risk of diarrhoea prevails among raw vegetable consumers in the valley. It is needed to protect vegetable washing water sources and establish advanced water treatment methods to achieve the required level of public health risk. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Investigation of two-phase phenomena occurring within moisture separator reheater high-level reactor trips at the Maanshan nuclear power plant

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

Ferng, Y.M.; Liao, L.Y.

1996-01-01

During the operating history of the Maanshan nuclear power plant (MNPP), five reactor trips have occurred as a result of the moisture separator reheater (MSR) high-level signal. These MSR high-level reactor trips have been a very serious concern, especially during the startup period of MNPP. Consequently, studying the physical phenomena of this particular event is worthwhile, and analytical work is performed using the RELAP5/MOD3 code to investigate the thermal-hydraulic phenomena of two-phase behaviors occurring within the MSR high-level reactor trips. The analytical model is first assessed against the experimental data obtained from several test loops. The same model can thenmore » be applied with confidence to the study of this topic. According to the present calculated results, the phenomena of liquid droplet accumulation ad residual liquid blowing in the horizontal section of cross-under-lines can be modeled. In addition, the present model can also predict the different increasing rates of inlet steam flow rate affecting the liquid accumulation within the cross-under-lines. The calculated conclusion is confirmed by the revised startup procedure of MNPP.« less

Different source image fusion based on FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xiao; Piao, Yan

2016-03-01

The fusion technology of video image is to make the video obtained by different image sensors complementary to each other by some technical means, so as to obtain the video information which is rich in information and suitable for the human eye system. Infrared cameras in harsh environments such as when smoke, fog and low light situations penetrating power, but the ability to obtain the details of the image is poor, does not meet the human visual system. Single visible light imaging can be rich in detail, high resolution images and for the visual system, but the visible image easily affected by the external environment. Infrared image and visible image fusion process involved in the video image fusion algorithm complexity and high calculation capacity, have occupied more memory resources, high clock rate requirements, such as software, c ++, c, etc. to achieve more, but based on Hardware platform less. In this paper, based on the imaging characteristics of infrared images and visible light images, the software and hardware are combined to obtain the registration parameters through software matlab, and the gray level weighted average method is used to implement the hardware platform. Information fusion, and finally the fusion image can achieve the goal of effectively improving the acquisition of information to increase the amount of information in the image.

RNAi-mediated resistance to rice black-streaked dwarf virus in transgenic rice.

PubMed

Ahmed, Mohamed M S; Bian, Shiquan; Wang, Muyue; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Bingwei; Liu, Qiaoquan; Zhang, Changquan; Tang, Shuzhu; Gu, Minghong; Yu, Hengxiu

2017-04-01

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), a member of the genus Fijivirus in the family Reoviridae, causes significant economic losses in rice production in China and many other Asian countries. Development of resistant varieties by using conventional breeding methods is limited, as germplasm with high level of resistance to RBSDV have not yet been found. One of the most promising methods to confer resistance against RBSDV is the use of RNA interference (RNAi) technology. RBSDV non-structural protein P7-2, encoded by S7-2 gene, is a potential F-box protein and involved in the plant-virus interaction through the ubiquitination pathway. P8, encoded by S8 gene, is the minor core protein that possesses potent active transcriptional repression activity. In this study, we transformed rice calli using a mini-twin T-DNA vector harboring RNAi constructs of the RBSDV genes S7-2 or S8, and obtained plants harboring the target gene constructs and the selectable marker gene, hygromycin phosphotransferase (HPT). From the offspring of these transgenic plants, we obtained selectable marker (HPT gene)-free plants. Homozygous T 5 transgenic lines which harbored either S7-2-RNAi or S8-RNAi exhibited high level resistance against RBSDV under field infection pressure from indigenous viruliferous small brown planthoppers. Thus, our results showed that RNA interference with the expression of S7-2 or S8 genes seemed an effective way to induce high level resistance in rice against RBSD disease.

Antioxidant capacity and vasodilatory properties of Mediterranean food: the case of Cannonau wine, myrtle berries liqueur and strawberry-tree honey.

PubMed

Tuberoso, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni; Boban, Mladen; Bifulco, Ersilia; Budimir, Danijela; Pirisi, Filippo Maria

2013-10-15

The aim of this work was to use different assays to evaluate the antioxidant and vasodilatory properties of three typical food products from the Mediterranean area and to correlate these activities with their phenolic content. For this purpose, red wines Cannonau, liqueurs obtained by cold maceration of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) berries and bitter honeys obtained from strawberry-tree flowers (Arbutus unedo L.) were analysed. The total phenolic (TP) content was measured spectrophotometrically with a modified Folin-Ciocalteau method and phenolic compounds were identified and dosed by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activities were evaluated with DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays and the in vitro vasodilatory effects were assessed using norepinephrine precontracted rat aortic rings. Cannonau wines and myrtle liqueurs showed high levels of TP (1978±279 and 1741±150mg GAE/L, respectively), linearly correlated to the results of FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays. Their maximal vasodilatory activity was 61.7±4.1% and 53.0±3.0%, respectively. Although strawberry-tree honey contained relatively high levels of phenolic compounds (922±38mg GAE/kg), it did not induce vasodilation, even at the highest dose tested (0.206g/L). These results indicate that foods with high levels of phenolic compounds should be studied using several different biological assays before being recommended to the general public as functional foods. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of hydrogen sulfide on high glucose-induced glomerular podocyte injury in mice

PubMed Central

Liu, Ye; Zhao, Huichen; Qiang, Ye; Qian, Guanfang; Lu, Shengxia; Chen, Jicui; Wang, Xiangdong; Guan, Qingbo; Liu, Yuantao; Fu, Yuqin

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of hydrogen sulfide on high glucose-induced mouse podocyte (MPC) injury and the underlying mechanisms. Mouse podocytes were randomly divided into 4 groups, including high glucose (HG), normal glucose (NG), normal glucose + DL-propargylglycine (PPG), and high glucose + NaHS (HG + NaHS) groups for treatment. Then, ZO-2, nephrin, β-catenin, and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) protein expression levels were determined by western blot. We found that high glucose significantly reduced nephrin, ZO-2, and CSE expression levels (P<0.05), and overtly elevated β-catenin amounts (P<0.05), in a time-dependent manner. Likewise, PPG at different concentrations in normal glucose resulted in significantly lower CSE, ZO-2, and nephrin levels (P<0.05), and increased β-catenin amounts (P<0.05). Interestingly, significantly increased ZO-2 and nephrin levels, and overtly reduced β-catenin amounts were observed in the HG + NaHS group compared with HG treated cells (P<0.01). Compared with NG treated cells, decreased ZO-2 and nephrin levels and higher β-catenin amounts were obtained in the HG + NaHS group. In conclusion,CSE downregulation contributes to hyperglycemia induced podocyte injury, which is alleviated by exogenous H2S possibly through ZO-2 upregulation and the subsequent suppression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. PMID:26261567

Enthalpy effects on hypervelocity boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Philippe H.

Shots with air and carbon dioxide were carried out in the T5 shock tunnel at GALCIT to study enthalpy effects on hypervelocity boundary layers. The model tested was a 1-meter long, 5-deg half-angle cone. It was instrumented with 51 chromel-constantan coaxial thermocouples and the surface heat transfer rate was computed to deduce the state of the boundary layer. Transitional boundary layers obtained confirm the stabilizing effect of enthalpy. As the reservoir enthalpy is increased, the transition Reynolds number evaluated at the reference conditions increases. This stabilizing effect is more rapid in gases with lower dissociation energy and it seems to level off when no further dissociation can be achieved. Normalizing the reservoir enthalpy with the edge enthalpy appears to collapse the data for all gases onto a single curve. A similar collapse is obtained when normalizing both the transition location and the reservoir enthalpy with the maximum temperature conditions obtained with BLIMPK, a nonequilibrium boundary layer code. The observation that reference conditions are more appropriate to normalize high enthalpy transition data was taken a step further by comparing the tunnel data with results from a reentry experiment. When the edge conditions are used, the tunnel and flight data are around an order of magnitude apart. This is commonly attributed to high disturbance levels in tunnels that cause the boundary layer to transition early. However, when the reference conditions are used instead, the tunnel and flight data come within striking distance of one another although the trends with enthalpy are reversed. This difference could be due to the cone bending and nose blunting. Experimental laminar heat transfer levels were compared to numerical results obtained with BLIMPK. Results for air indicate that the reactions are probably in nonequilibrium and that the wall is catalytic. The catalycity is seen to yield higher surface heat transfer rates than the noncatalytic and frozen chemistry models. The results for carbon dioxide, however, are inconclusive. This is, perhaps, because of inadequate modeling of the reactions. Experimentally, an anomalous yet repeatable, rise in the laminar heat transfer level can be seen at medium enthalpies in carbon dioxide boundary layers.

Sedentary and Physical Activity Patterns in Adults with Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

Oviedo, Guillermo R; Travier, Noémie; Guerra-Balic, Myriam

2017-09-07

Little is known about the patterns of sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) levels throughout the week among adults and older adults with Intellectual Disability (ID). We analyzed ST and PA patterns of adults and older adults with ID. Forty-two adults and 42 older adults with mild to severe ID participated in this study. Height and weight were obtained to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Body fat and fat-free mass percentages were also obtained. Patterns of PA levels and ST were assessed with GT3X Actigraph accelerometers. Adults performed higher amounts of total PA and moderate to vigorous PA than older adults during the week, on weekdays and in center time (all p > 0.05). No differences between males and females were found for either PA levels or ST. Only 10.7% of the participants met the global recommendations on PA for health. The participants of the current study showed low PA levels and a high prevalence of ST. Interestingly, when comparing age and/or sex groups, no differences were observed for ST. Our findings provide novel and valuable information to be considered in future interventions aiming to increase PA levels and reduce ST.

Sedentary and Physical Activity Patterns in Adults with Intellectual Disability

PubMed Central

Oviedo, Guillermo R.; Travier, Noémie; Guerra-Balic, Myriam

2017-01-01

Little is known about the patterns of sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) levels throughout the week among adults and older adults with Intellectual Disability (ID). We analyzed ST and PA patterns of adults and older adults with ID. Forty-two adults and 42 older adults with mild to severe ID participated in this study. Height and weight were obtained to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Body fat and fat-free mass percentages were also obtained. Patterns of PA levels and ST were assessed with GT3X Actigraph accelerometers. Adults performed higher amounts of total PA and moderate to vigorous PA than older adults during the week, on weekdays and in center time (all p > 0.05). No differences between males and females were found for either PA levels or ST. Only 10.7% of the participants met the global recommendations on PA for health. The participants of the current study showed low PA levels and a high prevalence of ST. Interestingly, when comparing age and/or sex groups, no differences were observed for ST. Our findings provide novel and valuable information to be considered in future interventions aiming to increase PA levels and reduce ST. PMID:28880236

Food Web Assembly Rules for Generalized Lotka-Volterra Equations.

PubMed

Haerter, Jan O; Mitarai, Namiko; Sneppen, Kim

2016-02-01

In food webs, many interacting species coexist despite the restrictions imposed by the competitive exclusion principle and apparent competition. For the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations, sustainable coexistence necessitates nonzero determinant of the interaction matrix. Here we show that this requirement is equivalent to demanding that each species be part of a non-overlapping pairing, which substantially constrains the food web structure. We demonstrate that a stable food web can always be obtained if a non-overlapping pairing exists. If it does not, the matrix rank can be used to quantify the lack of niches, corresponding to unpaired species. For the species richness at each trophic level, we derive the food web assembly rules, which specify sustainable combinations. In neighboring levels, these rules allow the higher level to avert competitive exclusion at the lower, thereby incorporating apparent competition. In agreement with data, the assembly rules predict high species numbers at intermediate levels and thinning at the top and bottom. Using comprehensive food web data, we demonstrate how omnivores or parasites with hosts at multiple trophic levels can loosen the constraints and help obtain coexistence in food webs. Hence, omnivory may be the glue that keeps communities intact even under extinction or ecological release of species.

Food Web Assembly Rules for Generalized Lotka-Volterra Equations

PubMed Central

Haerter, Jan O.; Mitarai, Namiko; Sneppen, Kim

2016-01-01

In food webs, many interacting species coexist despite the restrictions imposed by the competitive exclusion principle and apparent competition. For the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations, sustainable coexistence necessitates nonzero determinant of the interaction matrix. Here we show that this requirement is equivalent to demanding that each species be part of a non-overlapping pairing, which substantially constrains the food web structure. We demonstrate that a stable food web can always be obtained if a non-overlapping pairing exists. If it does not, the matrix rank can be used to quantify the lack of niches, corresponding to unpaired species. For the species richness at each trophic level, we derive the food web assembly rules, which specify sustainable combinations. In neighboring levels, these rules allow the higher level to avert competitive exclusion at the lower, thereby incorporating apparent competition. In agreement with data, the assembly rules predict high species numbers at intermediate levels and thinning at the top and bottom. Using comprehensive food web data, we demonstrate how omnivores or parasites with hosts at multiple trophic levels can loosen the constraints and help obtain coexistence in food webs. Hence, omnivory may be the glue that keeps communities intact even under extinction or ecological release of species. PMID:26828363

78 FR 46908 - Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels for the Assistance to High Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... materials. DATES: You may submit completed grant applications on paper or electronically according to the... materials may be obtained electronically through: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UEP_Our_Grant_Programs.html... other materials. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristi Kubista-Hovis, Senior Policy Advisor, Rural...

40 CFR 142.62 - Variances and exemptions from the maximum contaminant levels for organic and inorganic chemicals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... be required to convert Arsenic III to Arsenic V. 5 To obtain high removals, iron to arsenic ratio... Exchange 6=Lime Softening (not BAT for systems Corrosion... corrosion control treatment requirements for lead and copper in §§ 141.81 and 141.82 to avoid an...

Characteristics and Quality of Autism Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichow, Brian; Halpern, Jason I.; Steinhoff, Timothy B.; Letsinger, Nicole; Naples, Adam; Volkmar, Fred R.

2012-01-01

The World Wide Web is a common method for obtaining information on autism spectrum disorders, however, there are no guidelines for finding websites with high quality. We conducted two studies examining the characteristics and/or quality of autism websites in 2009 and 2010. We found websites with a .gov top-level domain had a statistically…

CLEANING UP PESTICIDE CONTAMINATED SOILS: COMPARING EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION WITH SOLVENT EXTRACTION AND LOW TEMPERATURE THERMAL DESORPTION

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) studies were performed on soil samples obtained from a Superfund site that is contaminated with high levels of p,p,-DDT, p,p,-DDD, p,p,-DDE, toxaphene and hexachlorocyclohexane. The effectiveness of supercritical fluid extraction ...

A study of noise metric and tone correction accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, B. M.; Mabry, J. E.

1982-01-01

Methods currently used to measure human response to aircraft flyover noise were investigated. Response to high level aircraft noise usually experienced outdoors was obtained. Response to aircraft flyover noise typical of indoor exposure was also investigated. It was concluded that current methods for evaluating response to aircraft flyover are more accurate for outdoor noise.

Application of LANDSAT images to the study of level soils for recognizing drainage areas. Thesis Paper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Espinoza, M. U.

1977-01-01

Photographic images from LANDSAT 1 were applied to the study of soil in Desaguadero, Bolivia, in order to locate areas with high agricultural and livestock potential. Photointerpretation techniques were emphasized and advantages of information obtained via multispectral satellite images in various bands and combinations were demonstrated.

Parental Trust and Parent-School Relationships in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beycioglu, Kadir; Ozer, Niyazi; Sahin, Semiha

2013-01-01

This study examined the degree and levels of parent trust and involvement in lower secondary and high schools in Turkey. Survey data were obtained from 429 participants working for state schools during the 2012-2013 education years. We used zero-order correlation coefficient, independent samples t test, and, when significant differences were…

Understanding quantum phenomena without solving the Schrödinger equation: the case of the finite square well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barsan, Victor

2015-11-01

An approximate formula for the energy levels of the bound states of a particle in a finite square well are obtained, without using the Schrödinger equation. The physics and mathematics involved in this approach are accessible to a gifted high school student.

NT-pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels and the Risk of Death in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

PubMed Central

Machado, Roberto F.; Hildesheim, Mariana; Mendelsohn, Laurel; Remaley, Alan T.; Kato, Gregory J.; Gladwin, Mark T.

2011-01-01

Epidemiological studies support a hypothesis that pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that is associated with a high risk of death and evolves as a complication of haemolytic anaemia. This fundamental hypothesis has been recently challenged and remains controversial. In order to further test this hypothesis in a large and independent cohort of SCD patients we obtained plasma samples from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) for analysis of a biomarker, N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which is elevated in the setting of pulmonary arterial and venous hypertension. A NT-pro-BNP value previously identified to predict PH in adults with SCD was used to determine the association between the risk of mortality in 758 CSSCD participants (428 children and 330 adults). An abnormally high NT-proBNP level ≥160 ng/l was present in 27.6 % of adult SCD patients. High levels were associated with markers of haemolytic anaemia, such as low haemoglobin level (P<0.001), high lactate dehydrogenase (P<0.001), and high total bilirubin levels (P<0.007). A NT-proBNP level ≥160 ng/l was an independent predictor of mortality (RR 6.24, 95% CI 2.9–13.3, P<0.0001). These findings provide further support for an association between haemolytic anaemia and cardiovascular complications in this patient population. PMID:21689089

NT-pro brain natriuretic peptide levels and the risk of death in the cooperative study of sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Machado, Roberto F; Hildesheim, Mariana; Mendelsohn, Laurel; Remaley, Alan T; Kato, Gregory J; Gladwin, Mark T

2011-08-01

Epidemiological studies support a hypothesis that pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that is associated with a high risk of death and evolves as a complication of haemolytic anaemia. This fundamental hypothesis has been recently challenged and remains controversial. In order to further test this hypothesis in a large and independent cohort of SCD patients we obtained plasma samples from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) for analysis of a biomarker, N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which is elevated in the setting of pulmonary arterial and venous hypertension. A NT-pro-BNP value previously identified to predict PH in adults with SCD was used to determine the association between the risk of mortality in 758 CSSCD participants (428 children and 330 adults). An abnormally high NT-proBNP level ≥160ng/l was present in 27·6% of adult SCD patients. High levels were associated with markers of haemolytic anaemia, such as low haemoglobin level (P<0·001), high lactate dehydrogenase (P<0·001), and high total bilirubin levels (P<0·007). A NT-proBNP level ≥160ng/l was an independent predictor of mortality (RR 6·24, 95% CI 2·9-13·3, P<0·0001). These findings provide further support for an association between haemolytic anaemia and cardiovascular complications in this patient population. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Metal(loid) accumulation in aquatic plants of a mining area: Potential for water quality biomonitoring and biogeochemical prospecting.

PubMed

Favas, Paulo J C; Pratas, João; Rodrigues, Nelson; D'Souza, Rohan; Varun, Mayank; Paul, Manoj S

2018-03-01

Aquatic bryophytes can accumulate extremely high levels of chemical elements because of their unique morphology and physiology which is markedly different from vascular plants. Four aquatic mosses-Fontinalis squamosa, Brachythecium rivulare, Platyhypnidium riparioides, Thamnobryum alopecurum-and a freshwater red alga Lemanea fluviatilis along with water samples from the streams of Góis mine region in Central Portugal were analyzed for 46 elements. Despite being below detection levels in the water samples, the elements Zr, V, Cr, Mo, Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pt, Ag, Ge and Bi were obtained in the plant samples. The moss T. alopecurum had the highest mean concentrations of 19 elements followed by B. rivulare (15 elements). Maximum accumulation of Rb, Ta and Au, however, was seen in the alga L. fluviatilis. Bioconcentration factors > 10 6 were obtained for a few metals. The investigation confirms that aquatic bryophytes can be suitable for water quality biomonitoring and biogeochemical prospecting in fresh water bodies owing to their high accumulative capacity of multi-elements from their aquatic ambient. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of violence and depression: the case of adolescents in Turkey.

PubMed

Çiftçi, Ali; Kasapoglu, Aytul

2015-11-01

Violence is a leading problem that has a negative impact on daily living. Today, it continues to be an important topic owing to its widespread occurrence, especially among the youth. The main objective of this study is to specify the predictors that influence violence and depression observed among youth aged 15-18 years. While some of these factors are individual (age, gender, flirting, sports. etc.), the subjects' background, such as the family's education level, sibling number, etc., were investigated as social and environmental factors. In the survey, data were obtained from 109 high school students receiving education in a private teaching institution using a structured questionnaire technique. With regards the reliability of the survey, equal numbers of boys and girls were chosen from each year in high school lasting for 4 years. After asking questions that aim to obtain students' sociodemographic features, their depression level was surveyed using the Beck Depression Scale; meanwhile, the Violence Tendency Scale was used to survey their tendency to be violent. Findings revealed that some individual and domestic features of adolescents have significant impacts on their tendencies towards violence and depression.

PubMed Central

Wassef, H. H.; Fox, E.; Abbatte, E. A.; Tolédo, J. F.; Rodier, G.

1989-01-01

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an increasing public health problem in Djibouti. The authors have attempted to obtain basic information on the level of knowledge concerning STDs and on the sexual behaviour of highly sexually promiscuous individuals for use in the organization of future STD control programmes; the information was obtained from a population of 213 bar hostesses, 66 unlicensed prostitutes, and 115 male sufferers from STDs. The level of knowledge of these diseases was very high among the prostitutes and the bar hostesses, except that little was known about syphilis by the bar hostesses; the male sufferers were relatively ignorant concerning both syphilis and AIDS. Medical and paramedical personnel do not figure among the sources given for knowledge of STDs. On the other hand, friends play an important role in this knowledge, especially among unlicensed prostitutes. The second most frequently instanced source was radio and TV. The bar hostesses and the unlicensed prostitutes often exhibited distinct social characteristics. Neither education nor marriage appeared to prevent men from contracting STDs. The use of condoms is extremely rare among STD patients and not very common among unlicensed prostitutes. Half the bar hostesses report their frequent use. PMID:2611976

Utilization of tannery fleshings: Optimization of conditions for fermenting delimed tannery fleshings using Enterococcus faecium HAB01 by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kumar Rai, Amit; General, Thiyam; Bhaskar, N; Suresh, P V; Sakhare, P Z; Halami, P M; Gowda, Lalitha R; Mahendrakar, N S

2010-03-01

Conditions for fermentation of delimed tannery fleshings--to obtain higher degree of protein hydrolysis and reasonably better antioxidant activity--using Enterococcus faecium HAB01 (GenBank #FJ418568) were optimized. Three independent variables--viz., inoculum level (X1), glucose level (X2) and fermentation time (X3)--were optimized using response surface method considering degree of hydrolysis (DH; %) and total titrable acidity (TTA) as response variables. The optimized conditions were found to be 12.5% (v/w) inoculum, 17.5% (w/w) glucose and 96h of fermentation at 37+/-1 degrees C to obtain a maximum DH%. The usefulness of the predicted model was further validated by considering random combinations of the independent factors. The chemical score of the hydrolysate revealed an excess amount of essential amino acids, viz., arginine and leucine compared to reference protein. The liquor portion had relatively high antioxidant activities, indicating its potential for use as a high value feed ingredient. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled environment life support system: Growth studies with potatoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tibbitts, T. W.; Wheeler, R. M.

1986-01-01

Results of experiments conducted to maximize the productivity of potatoes grown under controlled environmental conditions are discussed. A variety of parameters is examined which affect potato growth, specifically, photoperiod, light intensity, temperature, nitrogen nutrition, carbon dioxide concentration and culture techniques. These experiments were conducted using five different cultivars, Russet Burbank, Norchip, Superior, Kennebec and Norland. To achieve high productivity, three specific objectives were explored: (1) to develop effective cultural procedures, (2) to determine the most effective photoperiod and (3) to develop a mist culture system. It is felt that the productivity obtained in this study is below the maximum that can be obtained. High irradiance levels coupled with tuber-promoting conditions such as cooler temperatures, increased CO2 levels and lowered nitrogen concentrations should allow increases in tuber production. Tuberization appears to be accelerated by short daylengths although final yields are not increased. Mist culture techniques have not yet produced fully developed tubers. The use of supporting media and alteration of the nitrogen content of the mist solution are being explored as a way to allow tubers to develop to maturity.

Effect of third-order aberrations on dynamic accommodation.

PubMed

López-Gil, Norberto; Rucker, Frances J; Stark, Lawrence R; Badar, Mustanser; Borgovan, Theodore; Burke, Sean; Kruger, Philip B

2007-03-01

We investigate the potential for the third-order aberrations coma and trefoil to provide a signed cue to accommodation. It is first demonstrated theoretically (with some assumptions) that the point spread function is insensitive to the sign of spherical defocus in the presence of odd-order aberrations. In an experimental investigation, the accommodation response to a sinusoidal change in vergence (1-3D, 0.2Hz) of a monochromatic stimulus was obtained with a dynamic infrared optometer. Measurements were obtained in 10 young visually normal individuals with and without custom contact lenses that induced low and high values of r.m.s. trefoil (0.25, 1.03 microm) and coma (0.34, 0.94 microm). Despite variation between subjects, we did not find any statistically significant increase or decrease in the accommodative gain for low levels of trefoil and coma, although effects approached or reached significance for the high levels of trefoil and coma. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the presence of Zernike third-order aberrations on the eye does not seem to play a crucial role in the dynamics of the accommodation response.

Spectroscopy of X-ray Photoionized Plasmas in the Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liedahl, Duane A.; Loisel, Guillaume; Bailey, James E.; Nagayama, Taisuke; Hansen, Stephanie B.; Rochau, Gregory; Fontes, Christopher J.; Mancini, Roberto; Kallman, Timothy R.

2018-06-01

The physical processes operating in astrophysical plasmas --- heating, cooling, ionization, recombination, level population kinetics, and radiation transport --- are all accessible to observation in the laboratory. What distinguishes X-ray photoionized plasmas from the more common case of high-temperature collisionally-ionized plasmas is the elevated level of importance of the radiation/matter interaction. The advent of laboratory facilities with the capability to generate high-powered X-ray sources has provided the means by which to study this interaction, which is also fundamental to active galactic nuclei and other accretion-powered objects. We discuss recent and ongoing experiments, with an emphasis on X-ray spectroscopic measurements of silicon plasmas obtained at the Sandia Z Pulsed Power Facility.

Highly stable families of soliton molecules in fiber-optic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moubissi, A.-B.; Tchofo Dinda, P.; Nse Biyoghe, S.

2018-04-01

We develop an efficient approach to the design of families of single solitons and soliton molecules most suited to a given fiber system. The obtained solitonic entities exhibit very high stability, with a robustness which allows them to propagate over thousands of kilometers and to survive collisions with other solitonic entities. Our approach enables the generation of a large number of solitonic entities, including families of single solitons and two-soliton molecules, which can be distinguished sufficiently by their respective profiles or energy levels, and so can be easily identifiable and detectable without ambiguity. We discuss the possible use of such solitonic entities as symbols of a multi-level modulation format in fiber-optic communication systems.

Infection of Aotus azarae boliviensis monkeys with different strains of Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed

Collins, W E; Skinner, J C; Broderson, J R; Huong, A Y; Mehaffey, P C; Stanfill, P S; Sutton, B B

1986-08-01

Eleven strains of Plasmodium falciparum from Asia, Africa, and Central America were inoculated into a total of 58 splenectomized Aotus azarae boliviensis monkeys. Eight of the strains produced high-level parasitemias, whereas 3 (2 from Honduras and 1 from Zaire) produced only low-level parasitemias. Mosquito infections were only obtained during the first 2 linear passages of the Santa Lucia strain from El Salvador. The results indicate that this species of Aotus monkey is highly susceptible to infection with strains of P. falciparum from different geographic areas, and therefore may be useful for a number of chemotherapeutic or immunologic studies. Its usefulness for mosquito infection studies is very limited.

Ionic liquids. Combination of combustion calorimetry with high-level quantum chemical calculations for deriving vaporization enthalpies.

PubMed

Emel'yanenko, Vladimir N; Verevkin, Sergey P; Heintz, Andreas; Schick, Christoph

2008-07-10

In this work, the molar enthalpies of formation of the ionic liquids [C2MIM][NO3] and [C4MIM][NO3] were measured by means of combustion calorimetry. The molar enthalpy of fusion of [C2MIM][NO3] was measured using differential scanning calorimetry. Ab initio calculations of the enthalpy of formation in the gaseous phase have been performed for the ionic species using the G3MP2 theory. We have used a combination of traditional combustion calorimetry with modern high-level ab initio calculations in order to obtain the molar enthalpies of vaporization of a series of the ionic liquids under study.

[Psychological approaches in hypertension management].

PubMed

Abgrall-Barbry, Gaëlle; Consoli, Silla M

2006-06-01

Stress factors, especially high levels of occupational stress, are associated with hypertension. Several so-called psychological techniques have been applied to hypertension: biofeedback, relaxation techniques (Schultz' autogenic training, Jacobson's progressive relaxation), transcendental meditation, and cognitive behavioral techniques for stress management. Randomized studies show that the best results come from cognitive behavioral methods, whether or not they include relaxation techniques. Other forms of psychotherapy (such as psychoanalysis) may be useful, although their benefits for blood pressure have not been tested in controlled trials. Patients should be informed about the personal benefits they may obtain from psychological treatment. Indications are hyperreactivity to stress, high levels of occupational stress, and difficulty in tolerating or complying with antihypertensive drugs.

High-level pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanogenium P16 isolated from mangrove system.

PubMed

Ma, Zai-Chao; Fu, Wen-Juan; Liu, Guang-Lei; Wang, Zhi-Peng; Chi, Zhen-Ming

2014-06-01

After over 100 strains of Aureobasidium spp. isolated from mangrove system were screened for their ability to produce exopolysaccharide (EPS), it was found that Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanogenium P16 strain among them could produce high level of EPS. Under the optimal conditions, 65.3 g/L EPS was produced by the P16 strain within 120 h at flask level. During 10-L batch fermentation, when the medium contained 120.0 g/L sucrose, 67.4 g/L of EPS and 23.1 g/L of cell dry weight in the culture were obtained within 120 h, leaving 0.78 g/L of reducing sugar and 11.4 g/L of total sugar in the fermented medium. It should be stressed that during the fermentation, no melanin was observed. After purification, the purified EPS was confirmed to be pullulan. This is the first time to report that A. pullulans var. melanogenium P16 strain isolated from the mangrove system can produce high level of pullulan.

Neutron energy determination with a high-purity germanium detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Gene A.

1992-01-01

Two areas that are related to planetary gamma-ray spectrometry are investigated. The first task was the investigation of gamma rays produced by high-energy charged particles and their secondaries in planetary surfaces by means of thick target bombardments. The second task was the investigation of the effects of high-energy neutrons on gamma-ray spectral features obtained with high-purity Ge-detectors. For both tasks, as a function of the funding level, the experimental work was predominantly tied to that of other researchers, whenever there was an opportunity to participate in bombardment experiments at large or small accelerators for charged particles.

Strategies for high-precision Global Positioning System orbit determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichten, Stephen M.; Border, James S.

1987-01-01

Various strategies for the high-precision orbit determination of the GPS satellites are explored using data from the 1985 GPS field test. Several refinements to the orbit determination strategies were found to be crucial for achieving high levels of repeatability and accuracy. These include the fine tuning of the GPS solar radiation coefficients and the ground station zenith tropospheric delays. Multiday arcs of 3-6 days provided better orbits and baselines than the 8-hr arcs from single-day passes. Highest-quality orbits and baselines were obtained with combined carrier phase and pseudorange solutions.

Selection of sorption material for tests of pesticide permeation through protective clothing fabrics.

PubMed

Krzemińska, Sylwia; Nazimek, Teresa

2004-01-01

The paper presents the results of studies on selecting a solid sorption material for absorbing liquid crop protection agents which permeate samples of protective clothing fabrics. The sorption materials were investigated and selected with an assumption that they should have a high recovery coefficient for biologically active substances, used as active ingredients in crop protection agents, at a presumed, acceptably high level. The selected substances were determined with a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (dichlorvos, cypermethrin and 2,4-D) and a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (carbofuran). The tests demonstrated that polypropylene melt-blown type unwoven cloth had high recovery coefficients for all 4 active ingredients proposed for the study. The highest recovery coefficient, -.97, was obtained for carbofuran. The recovery coefficients obtained for the 3 remaining substances were lower: .89 for cypermethrin and 2,4-D, and .84 for dichlorvos.

Nano-imaging of single cells using STIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minqin, Ren; van Kan, J. A.; Bettiol, A. A.; Daina, Lim; Gek, Chan Yee; Huat, Bay Boon; Whitlow, H. J.; Osipowicz, T.; Watt, F.

2007-07-01

Scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) is a technique which utilizes the energy loss of high energy (MeV) ions passing through a sample to provide structural images. In this paper, we have successfully demonstrated STIM imaging of single cells at the nano-level using the high resolution capability of the proton beam writing facility at the Centre for Ion Beam Applications, National University of Singapore. MCF-7 breast cancer cells (American Type Culture Collection [ATCC]) were seeded on to silicon nitride windows, backed by a Hamamatsu pin diode acting as a particle detector. A reasonable contrast was obtained using 1 MeV protons and excellent contrast obtained using 1 MeV alpha particles. In a further experiment, nano-STIM was also demonstrated using cells seeded on to the pin diode directly, and high quality nano-STIM images showing the nucleus and multiple nucleoli were extracted before the detector was significantly damaged.

Low leakage current gate dielectrics prepared by ion beam assisted deposition for organic thin film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chang Su; Jo, Sung Jin; Kim, Jong Bok; Ryu, Seung Yoon; Noh, Joo Hyon; Baik, Hong Koo; Lee, Se Jong; Kim, Youn Sang

2007-12-01

This communication reports on the fabrication of low operating voltage pentacene thin-film transistors with high-k gate dielectrics by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). These densely packed dielectric layers by IBAD show a much lower level of leakage current than those created by e-beam evaporation. These results, from the fact that those thin films deposited with low adatom mobility, have an open structure, consisting of spherical grains with pores in between, that acts as a significant path for leakage current. By contrast, our results demonstrate the potential to limit this leakage. The field effect mobility, on/off current ratio, and subthreshold slope obtained from pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) were 1.14 cm2/V s, 105, and 0.41 V/dec, respectively. Thus, the high-k gate dielectrics obtained by IBAD show promise in realizing low leakage current, low voltage, and high mobility pentacene TFTs.

Photoexcitation of lasers and chemical reactions for NASA missions: A theoretical study. [optical pumping in high pressure gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Javan, A.; Guerra, M.

1981-01-01

The possibility of obtaining CW laser oscillation by optical pumping in the infrared at an elevated gas pressure is reviewed. A specific example utilizing a mixture of CO and NO gases is included. The gas pressures considered are in excess of several atmospheres. Laser frequency tuning over a broad region becomes possible at such elevated gas pressures due to collisional broadening of the amplifying transitions. The prior-rate and surprisal analysis are applied to obtain detailed VV and VT rates for CO and NO molecules and the transfer rates in a CO-NO gas mixture. The analysis is capable of giving temperature dependence of the rate constants. Computer estimates of the rates are presented for vibrational levels up to v = 50. The results show that in the high-lying vibrational states the VV transfer rates with Delta nu = 2 become appreciable.

Status of linear boundary-layer stability and the e to the nth method, with emphasis on swept-wing applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hefner, J. N.; Bushnell, D. M.

1980-01-01

The-state-of-the-art for the application of linear stability theory and the e to the nth power method for transition prediction and laminar flow control design are summarized, with analyses of previously published low disturbance, swept wing data presented. For any set of transition data with similar stream distrubance levels and spectra, the e to the nth power method for estimating the beginning of transition works reasonably well; however, the value of n can vary significantly, depending upon variations in disturbance field or receptivity. Where disturbance levels are high, the values of n are appreciably below the usual average value of 9 to 10 obtained for relatively low disturbance levels. It is recommended that the design of laminar flow control systems be based on conservative estimates of n and that, in considering the values of n obtained from different analytical approaches or investigations, the designer explore the various assumptions which entered into the analyses.

Can laboratory findings on eyewitness testimony be generalized to the real world? An archival analysis of the influence of violence, weapon presence, and age on eyewitness accuracy.

PubMed

Wagstaff, Graham F; MacVeigh, Jo; Boston, Richard; Scott, Lisa; Brunas-Wagstaff, Jo; Cole, Jon

2003-01-01

The authors conducted 2 studies to assess the effects of levels of violence, the presence of a weapon, and the age of the witness on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony in real-life crime situations. Descriptions of offenders were taken from eyewitnesses' statements obtained by the police and were compared with the actual details of the same offenders obtained on arrest. The results showed that eyewitnesses tended to recall the offenders' hairstyle and hair color most accurately. None of the effects for the level of violence, the presence of a weapon, or age approached statistical significance, with the exception that, in the 1st study, accuracy in describing hair color was better when associated with high levels of violence and in cases of rape. It is argued that caution must be exercised in generalizing from laboratory studies of eyewitness testimony to actual crime situations.

A study on experimental characteristic of microwave-assisted pyrolysis of microalgae.

PubMed

Hu, Zhifeng; Ma, Xiaoqian; Chen, Chunxiang

2012-03-01

The microwave-assisted pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris was carried out under different microwave power levels, catalysts and contents of activated carbon and solid residue. The products, pyrolysis temperature and temperature rising rate were analyzed in order to obtain the optimal conditions. The results indicated that the higher the microwave power level was, the higher the maximum temperature rising rate and pyrolysis temperature were. The maximum bio-oil yield (35.83 wt.%) and gas yield (52.37%) were achieved under the microwave power of 1500 W and 2250 W, respectively. And 2250 W was the optimal power to obtain bio-fuel product. High microwave power level and catalyst can enhance the production of gas. Catalysts can promote the pyrolysis of C. vulgaris, and activated carbon was the best among the tested catalysts followed by the solid residue. The optimal content of activated carbon is 5% with the maximum bio-fuel yield of 87.47%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hybrid Density Functional Study of the Local Structures and Energy Levels of CaAl2O4:Ce3.

PubMed

Lou, Bibo; Jing, Weiguo; Lou, Liren; Zhang, Yongfan; Yin, Min; Duan, Chang-Kui

2018-05-03

First-principles calculations were carried out for the electronic structures of Ce 3+ in calcium aluminate phosphors, CaAl 2 O 4 , and their effects on luminescence properties. Hybrid density functional approaches were used to overcome the well-known underestimation of band gaps of conventional density functional approaches and to calculate the energy levels of Ce 3+ ions more accurately. The obtained 4f-5d excitation and emission energies show good consistency with measured values. A detailed energy diagram of all three sites is obtained, which explains qualitatively all of the luminescent phenomena. With the results of energy levels calculated by combining the hybrid functional of Heyd, Scuseria, and Ernzerhof (HSE06) and the constraint occupancy approach, we are able to construct a configurational coordinate diagram to analyze the processes of capture of a hole or an electron and luminescence. This approach can be applied for systematic high-throughput calculations in predicting Ce 3+ activated luminescent materials with a moderate computing requirement.

Experimental investigation of optimum beam size for FSO uplink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushal, Hemani; Kaddoum, Georges; Jain, Virander Kumar; Kar, Subrat

2017-10-01

In this paper, the effect of transmitter beam size on the performance of free space optical (FSO) communication has been determined experimentally. Irradiance profile for varying turbulence strength is obtained using optical turbulence generating (OTG) chamber inside laboratory environment. Based on the results, an optimum beam size is investigated using the semi-analytical method. Moreover, the combined effects of atmospheric scintillation and beam wander induced pointing errors are considered in order to determine the optimum beam size that minimizes the bit error rate (BER) of the system for a fixed transmitter power and link length. The results show that the optimum beam size for FSO uplink depends upon Fried parameter and outer scale of the turbulence. Further, it is observed that the optimum beam size increases with the increase in zenith angle but has negligible effect with the increase in fade threshold level at low turbulence levels and has a marginal effect at high turbulence levels. Finally, the obtained outcome is useful for FSO system design and BER performance analysis.

Anti–odor activity of milk kefir on organosulphur polysulfide cyclic compounds in petai (parkia speciosa hassk)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniati, T.; Windayani, N.; Listiawati, M.

2018-05-01

This study aims to assess the activity of milk kefir whey in neutralizing odor-causing cyclic polysulfide compounds in petai (Parkia speciosa Hassk.). RAL designs used to determine the optimum fermentation conditions. The data obtained were processed using SPSS 20. Results showed the characteristics of the microbes in the kefir grains include lactic acid bacteria consisting of genus Lactobacillus and yeast of the genus Candida and Saccharomyces. The optimum fermentation conditions using cow’s milk kefir grain starter obtained in the fermentation time of 24 hours at a concentration of 5% kefir grain. Whey kefir which is produced have high levels of fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and lactic acid respectively 1.81; 4.35; 5.59; 0.26 and 0.16%, pH 4.4; a density of 1.0628 g/mL and 7.9368 cP viscosity. Kefir milk whey actively reduced the level of petai smell significantly different at the level of α = 0.05.

The effects of acceleration stress on human workload and manual control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, R. T.; Albery, W. B.; Ward, S. L.

1986-01-01

The effects of +Gz stress on operator task performance and workload were assessed. Subjects were presented a two dimensional maze and were required to solve it as rapidly as possible (by moving a light dot through it via a trim switch on a control stick) while under G-stress at levels from +1 Gz to +6 Gz. The G-stress was provided by a human centrifuge. The effects of this stress were assessed by two techniques; (1) objective performance measures on the primary maze-solving task, and (2) subjective workload measures obtained using the subjective workload assessment technique (SWAT). It was found that while neither moderate (+3 Gz) nor high (+5 Gz and +6 Gz) levels of G-stress affected maze solving performance, the high G levels did increase significantly the subjective workload of the maze task.

An ACC Design Method for Achieving Both String Stability and Ride Comfort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamura, Yoshinori; Seto, Yoji; Nishira, Hikaru; Kawabe, Taketoshi

An investigation was made of a method for designing adaptive cruise control (ACC) so as to achieve a headway distance response that feels natural to the driver while at the same time obtaining high levels of both string stability and ride comfort. With this design method, the H∞ norm is adopted as the index of string stability. Additionally, two norms are introduced for evaluating ride comfort and natural vehicle behavior. The relationship between these three norms and headway distance response characteristics was analyzed, and an evaluation method was established for achieving high levels of the various performance characteristics required of ACC. An ACC system designed with this method was evaluated in driving tests conducted on a proving ground course, and the results confirmed that it achieved the targeted levels of string stability, ride comfort and natural vehicle behavior.

Effects of escin mixture from the seeds of Aesculus hippocastanum on obesity in mice fed a high fat diet.

PubMed

Avci, Gülcan; Küçükkurt, Ismail; Küpeli Akkol, Esra; Yeşilada, Erdem

2010-03-01

Escins, a triterpene glycoside mixture obtained from the ethanol extract of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Hippocastanaceae) seed, was evaluated for its in vivo effects on the plasma levels of some hormones (leptin, insulin, FT(3), FT(4)) and biochemical parameters (glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C concentrations) in mice fed with a high fat diet for 5 weeks. A high fat diet induced a remarkable increment in the plasma leptin (p <0.01), total cholesterol (p <0.01) and LDL-C (p <0.001) concentrations compared to control group animals. Combined administration of a high-fat diet with escins decreased leptin (31.6%) (p<0.05) and FT(4) (36.0%) (p<0.05) levels, increased HDL-C concentration (17.0%), while remained ineffective on LDL-C concentration in mice. Results have shown that escins may have beneficial effects in the understanding of obesity.

Modeling conductive heat transfer during high-pressure thawing processes: determination of latent heat as a function of pressure.

PubMed

Denys, S; Van Loey, A M; Hendrickx, M E

2000-01-01

A numerical heat transfer model for predicting product temperature profiles during high-pressure thawing processes was recently proposed by the authors. In the present work, the predictive capacity of the model was considerably improved by taking into account the pressure dependence of the latent heat of the product that was used (Tylose). The effect of pressure on the latent heat of Tylose was experimentally determined by a series of freezing experiments conducted at different pressure levels. By combining a numerical heat transfer model for freezing processes with a least sum of squares optimization procedure, the corresponding latent heat at each pressure level was estimated, and the obtained pressure relation was incorporated in the original high-pressure thawing model. Excellent agreement with the experimental temperature profiles for both high-pressure freezing and thawing was observed.

High energy efficient solid state laser sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byer, Robert L.

1987-01-01

Diode-laser-pumped solid-state laser oscillators and nonlinear processes were investigated. A new generation on nonplanar oscillator was fabricated, and it is anticipated that passive linewidths will be pushed to the kilohertz regime. A number of diode-pumped laser transitions were demonstrated in the rod configuration. Second-harmonic conversion efficiencies as high as 15% are routinely obtained in a servo-locked external resonant doubling crystal at 15 mW cw input power levels at 1064 nm.

A high performance three-phase enzyme electrode based on superhydrophobic mesoporous silicon nanowire arrays for glucose detection.

PubMed

Xu, Chenlong; Song, Zhiqian; Xiang, Qun; Jin, Jian; Feng, Xinjian

2016-04-14

We describe here a high performance oxygen-rich three-phase enzyme electrode based on superhydrophobic mesoporous silicon nanowire arrays for glucose detection. We demonstrate that its linear detection upper limit is 30 mM, more than 15 times higher than that can be obtained on the normal enzyme-electrode. Notably, the three-phase enzyme electrode output is insensitive to the significant oxygen level fluctuation in analyte solution.

Effect of Broadband Nature of Marine Mammal Echolocation Clicks on Click-Based Population Density Estimates

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

sonar sound and therefore of high relevance to the US Navy, and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) clicks, whose high source level assures long...beaked whale, and Zimmer (2011) for the sperm whale. 5 For background noise we used measurements obtained with the Delphinus towed array at the US...Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), where both Blainville’s beaked whales and sperm whales are commonly present. Analysis of the

Correcting for the effects of pupil discontinuities with the ACAD method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazoyer, Johan; Pueyo, Laurent; N'Diaye, Mamadou; Mawet, Dimitri; Soummer, Rémi; Norman, Colin

2016-07-01

The current generation of ground-based coronagraphic instruments uses deformable mirrors to correct for phase errors and to improve contrast levels at small angular separations. Improving these techniques, several space and ground based instruments are currently developed using two deformable mirrors to correct for both phase and amplitude errors. However, as wavefront control techniques improve, more complex telescope pupil geometries (support structures, segmentation) will soon be a limiting factor for these next generation coronagraphic instruments. The technique presented in this proceeding, the Active Correction of Aperture Discontinuities method, is taking advantage of the fact that most future coronagraphic instruments will include two deformable mirrors, and is proposing to find the shapes and actuator movements to correct for the effect introduced by these complex pupil geometries. For any coronagraph previously designed for continuous apertures, this technique allow to obtain similar performance in contrast with a complex aperture (with segmented and secondary mirror support structures), with high throughput and flexibility to adapt to changing pupil geometry (e.g. in case of segment failure or maintenance of the segments). We here present the results of the parametric analysis realized on the WFIRST pupil for which we obtained high contrast levels with several deformable mirror setups (size, separation between them), coronagraphs (Vortex charge 2, vortex charge 4, APLC) and spectral bandwidths. However, because contrast levels and separation are not the only metrics to maximize the scientific return of an instrument, we also included in this study the influence of these deformable mirror shapes on the throughput of the instrument and sensitivity to pointing jitters. Finally, we present results obtained on another potential space based telescope segmented aperture. The main result of this proceeding is that we now obtain comparable performance than the coronagraphs previously designed for WFIRST. First result from the parametric analysis strongly suggest that the 2 deformable mirror set up (size and distance between them) have a important impact on the performance in contrast and throughput of the final instrument.

Development of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 Simulator and Preliminary Sensitivity Analysis for CO2 Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamei, A.; Yoshida, Y.; Dupuy, E.; Hiraki, K.; Yokota, Y.; Oishi, Y.; Murakami, K.; Morino, I.; Matsunaga, T.

2013-12-01

The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite-2 (GOSAT-2), which is a successor mission to the GOSAT, is planned to be launched in FY 2017. The Fourier Transform Spectrometer-2 (FTS-2) onboard the GOSAT-2 is a primary sensor to observe infrared light reflected and emitted from the Earth's surface and atmosphere. The FTS-2 obtains high-spectral resolution spectra with four bands from near to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) region and one band in the thermal infrared (TIR) region. The column amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are retrieved from the obtained radiance spectra with SWIR bands. Compared to the FTS onboard the GOSAT, the FTS-2 includes an additional SWIR band to allow for carbon monoxide (CO) measurement. We have been developing a tool, named GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator, which is capable of simulating the spectral radiance data observed by the FTS-2 using the Pstar2 radiative transfer code. The purpose of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator is to obtain data which is exploited in the sensor specification, the optimization of parameters for Level 1 processing, and the improvement of Level 2 algorithms. The GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator, composed of the six components: 1) Overall control, 2) Onboarding platform, 3) Spectral radiance calculation, 4) Fourier transform, 5) L1B processing, and 6) L1B data output, has been installed on the GOSAT Research Computation Facility (GOSAT RCF), which is a large-scale, high-performance, and energy-efficient computer. We present the progress in the development of the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator and the preliminary sensitivity analysis, relating to the engineering parameters, the aerosols and clouds, and so on, on the Level 1 processing for CO2 retrieval from the obtained data by simulating the FTS-2 SWIR observation using the GOSAT-2 FTS-2 simulator.

Job control and burnout across occupations.

PubMed

Taris, Toon W; Stoffelsen, Jeroen; Bakker, Arnold B; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; van Dierendonck, Dirk

2005-12-01

Researchers have reported that, for individual workers, low job control is associated with high burnout; however, as yet it is unclear whether this association holds for occupations as well. Whether differences in job control between occupations as assessed by eight expert judges could account for individual-level and occupational-level differences in burnout rates. Data were obtained from 9,503 incumbents of 28 occupations in The Netherlands (M age = 37.9 yr., SD = 8.7; 50% were men). Burnout was measured on the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Occupational-level job control was inversely correlated with burnout, explaining 16% of the variation in occupational-level burnout. Thus, between-occupation differences in job control are somewhat systematically related to burnout.

ACE, APOA5, and MTP Gene Polymorphisms Analysis in Relation to Triglyceride and Insulin Levels in Pediatric Patients.

PubMed

Carranza-González, Lilia; León-Cachón, Rafael B R; González-Zavala, María Antonia; Ríos-Ibarra, Clara; Morlett-Chávez, Jesús; Sánchez-Domínguez, Celia; Cepeda-Nieto, Ana; Salinas-Santander, Mauricio

2018-04-25

Obesity is a complex, chronic, and multifactorial disease that has become a major, and worldwide, public health problem contributing to an increased number of pathologies, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome, thus suggesting a commolon origin. A diet high in sugar and fats coupled with a sedentary lifestyle has a major role in the development of obesity. However, the genetic background has also been associated with body fat accumulation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect ofACE-rs4646994, APOA5-rs662799, and MTP-rs1800591 gene polymorphisms on clinical and biochemical parameters and to evaluate the association with body phenotypes in children and adolescent population of Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. Anthropometric, clinical, biochemical parameters and BMI were obtained from 405 children and adolescents. The BMI was used to determine the body phenotype. The rs4646994 gene polymorphism was determined by PCR, whereas rs662799 and rs1800591 were determined by PCR-RFLP. The obtained results were analyzed to determine their association of these single nucleotide polymorphisms with body phenotype and biochemical parameters. TT genotype for APOA5-rs662799 was associated with increased levels of HDL-C in the analyzed population (p <0.05). The ACErs4646994gene polymorphism is associated with high Insulin levels, HOMAIR index, and triglyceride levels, mainly when presenting a I/I genotype (p <0.05). The polymorphic allele of the ACE gene is capable of modulating triglyceride levels, insulin levels and HOMA-IR index in the evaluated population; it must be highlighted that this has not been reported in other studied populations elsewhere. Copyright © 2018 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The association between serum C-reactive protein and macronutrients and antioxidants intake in hemodialysis patients

PubMed Central

Kooshki, A; Samadipour, E; Akbarzadeh, R

2015-01-01

Background:Despite the high levels of inflammation in hemodialysis patients and the effects of diet on systemic inflammation, such as the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, few studies have evaluated the relationship of macronutrients and antioxidants intake with serum C-reactive protein (CRP). Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between serum high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) with macronutrients and antioxidants intake and serum albumin. Methods:This cross-sectional study used census sampling to select 75 hemodialysis patients (35 men and 40 women) who attended the hemodialysis department of Vaseie Hospital of Sabzevar, Iran. After obtaining the written consent, all the patients were interviewed and dietary data was collected by using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire including 160 food items. Diet analysis was performed with Nutritionist IV. Before being connected to the dialysis machine, 5 cc fasting blood samples were obtained from all participants and serum hs-CRP and albumin levels were measured. All the statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS -for Windows, version 16.0. Results:The patients’ mean body mass index was 20.09 ± 3.27 kg/ m2. The participants’ intake of antioxidants and all macronutrients, except for carbohydrates and proteins, was less than the standard levels. Moreover, the hs-CRP had significant inverse relationships with serum albumin (P=0.0001) and vitamin E and C intakes but was not significant. Also, a significant relationship was observed between hs-CRP levels and the intake of energy (P=0.002) and protein (P=0.0001). Conclusion:Our findings indicated hs-CRP levels of hemodialysis patients to have significant inverse relationships with serum albumin and vitamin E and C intakes but was not significant. Also, a significant relationship was observed between hs-CRP levels and the intake of energy and protein. PMID:28255396

The association between serum C-reactive protein and macronutrients and antioxidants intake in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Kooshki, A; Samadipour, E; Akbarzadeh, R

2015-01-01

Background: Despite the high levels of inflammation in hemodialysis patients and the effects of diet on systemic inflammation, such as the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, few studies have evaluated the relationship of macronutrients and antioxidants intake with serum C-reactive protein (CRP). Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between serum high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) with macronutrients and antioxidants intake and serum albumin. Methods: This cross-sectional study used census sampling to select 75 hemodialysis patients (35 men and 40 women) who attended the hemodialysis department of Vaseie Hospital of Sabzevar, Iran. After obtaining the written consent, all the patients were interviewed and dietary data was collected by using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire including 160 food items. Diet analysis was performed with Nutritionist IV. Before being connected to the dialysis machine, 5 cc fasting blood samples were obtained from all participants and serum hs-CRP and albumin levels were measured. All the statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS -for Windows, version 16.0. Results: The patients' mean body mass index was 20.09 ± 3.27 kg/ m2. The participants' intake of antioxidants and all macronutrients, except for carbohydrates and proteins, was less than the standard levels. Moreover, the hs-CRP had significant inverse relationships with serum albumin (P=0.0001) and vitamin E and C intakes but was not significant. Also, a significant relationship was observed between hs-CRP levels and the intake of energy (P=0.002) and protein (P=0.0001). Conclusion: Our findings indicated hs-CRP levels of hemodialysis patients to have significant inverse relationships with serum albumin and vitamin E and C intakes but was not significant. Also, a significant relationship was observed between hs-CRP levels and the intake of energy and protein.

Statistical wave climate projections for coastal impact assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camus, P.; Losada, I. J.; Izaguirre, C.; Espejo, A.; Menéndez, M.; Pérez, J.

2017-09-01

Global multimodel wave climate projections are obtained at 1.0° × 1.0° scale from 30 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global circulation model (GCM) realizations. A semi-supervised weather-typing approach based on a characterization of the ocean wave generation areas and the historical wave information from the recent GOW2 database are used to train the statistical model. This framework is also applied to obtain high resolution projections of coastal wave climate and coastal impacts as port operability and coastal flooding. Regional projections are estimated using the collection of weather types at spacing of 1.0°. This assumption is feasible because the predictor is defined based on the wave generation area and the classification is guided by the local wave climate. The assessment of future changes in coastal impacts is based on direct downscaling of indicators defined by empirical formulations (total water level for coastal flooding and number of hours per year with overtopping for port operability). Global multimodel projections of the significant wave height and peak period are consistent with changes obtained in previous studies. Statistical confidence of expected changes is obtained due to the large number of GCMs to construct the ensemble. The proposed methodology is proved to be flexible to project wave climate at different spatial scales. Regional changes of additional variables as wave direction or other statistics can be estimated from the future empirical distribution with extreme values restricted to high percentiles (i.e., 95th, 99th percentiles). The statistical framework can also be applied to evaluate regional coastal impacts integrating changes in storminess and sea level rise.

Assessing contamination of smoked sprats (Sprattus sprattus) with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and changes in its level during storage in various types of packaging.

PubMed

Kuźmicz, Kamila; Ciemniak, Artur

2018-01-02

The analysis of material used in this study demonstrated that the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked sprats varies from the level below the lowest detection limit in muscles up to 9.99 µg kg -1 of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in fish skin. Such a high level of PAHs in skin was reported only in one of six batches of sprats, while mean BaP level was at 1.69 µg kg -1 . Regardless such a high BaP level in skin, its concentration in muscles did not exceed the maximum acceptable level. The study objective was to assess to what extent packaging materials adsorb PAH compounds from food. Changes in the PAH levels were monitored in fish during their storage in packages made of various materials. The storage time was from 0 to 168 hours. The obtained results varied considerably, therefore their scatter did not allow to confirm unequivocally the preliminary hypothesis about the reduction of PAHs due to their migration to packaging material. However, analysis of the packaging used in this study demonstrated a significant increase in the level of total 16 PAHs. When high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging was analysed, a six-fold increase in the total 16 PAHs was observed comparing to the blank sample.

Delta-like ligand 4: A predictor of poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

PubMed Central

WANG, WEI; YU, YI; WANG, YA; LI, XIAOMING; BAO, JUNSHENG; WU, GONGJIN; CHANG, HONG; SHI, TINGKAI; YUE, ZHONGJIN

2014-01-01

Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4)-Notch signaling is important in tumor angiogenesis; however, the prognostic value of D114 detection in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) remains unclear. The present study aimed to determine whether the presence of high Dll4 expression levels was correlated with poor prognosis in CCRCC following curative resection. The D114 expression levels in four paired samples of CCRCC tissues and adjacent normal renal tissues were assayed by western blotting. Surgical specimens comprised 121 CCRCC tissue samples and 65 normal renal tissue samples, obtained from patients with CCRCC. The specimens were immunohistochemically assessed to determine Dll4 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression levels. The prognostic significance of Dll4 expression levels was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. The correlation between Dll4 expression levels and VEGFR-2 expression levels, tumor stage, tumor grade and metastasis, was examined by χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression. As determined by the western blotting results, Dll4 protein expression levels were significantly increased in CCRCC tissues compared with those in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. From the analysis of the surgical specimens, 53 (43.8%) CCRCC patients exhibited immunohistochemically high Dll4 expression levels and 68 (56.2%) patients exhibited low Dll4 expression levels. The survival curves revealed that the patients with high Dll4 expression levels had significantly shorter survival times than the patients with low Dll4 expression levels (P<0.001). Multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that the presence of high Dll4 expression levels was independently associated with reduced overall survival and progression-free survival times (P=0.021 and 0.034, respectively). A positive correlation was also identified between Dll4 and VEGFR-2 expression levels (P=0.001). In conclusion, the results show that the presence of high Dll4 expression levels was clearly associated with high VEGFR-2 expression levels, tumor grade, tumor stage and poor prognosis in CCRCC patients. Therefore, inhibition of Dll4 may exert potent growth inhibitory effects on tumors resistant to anti-VEGF therapies for CCRCC. PMID:25364440

Functional imaging of the human brain using a modular, fibre-less, high-density diffuse optical tomography system.

PubMed

Chitnis, Danial; Cooper, Robert J; Dempsey, Laura; Powell, Samuel; Quaggia, Simone; Highton, David; Elwell, Clare; Hebden, Jeremy C; Everdell, Nicholas L

2016-10-01

We present the first three-dimensional, functional images of the human brain to be obtained using a fibre-less, high-density diffuse optical tomography system. Our technology consists of independent, miniaturized, silicone-encapsulated DOT modules that can be placed directly on the scalp. Four of these modules were arranged to provide up to 128, dual-wavelength measurement channels over a scalp area of approximately 60 × 65 mm 2 . Using a series of motor-cortex stimulation experiments, we demonstrate that this system can obtain high-quality, continuous-wave measurements at source-detector separations ranging from 14 to 55 mm in adults, in the presence of hair. We identify robust haemodynamic response functions in 5 out of 5 subjects, and present diffuse optical tomography images that depict functional haemodynamic responses that are well-localized in all three dimensions at both the individual and group levels. This prototype modular system paves the way for a new generation of wearable, wireless, high-density optical neuroimaging technologies.

All-fiber high-power monolithic femtosecond laser at 1.59 µm with 63-fs pulse width

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hekmat, M. J.; Omoomi, M.; Gholami, A.; Yazdabadi, A. Bagheri; Abdollahi, M.; Hamidnejad, E.; Ebrahimi, A.; Normohamadi, H.

2018-01-01

In this research, by adopting an alternative novel approach to ultra-short giant pulse generation which basically originated from difficulties with traditional employed methods, an optimized Er/Yb co-doped double-clad fiber amplifier is applied to boost output average power of single-mode output pulses to a high level of 2-W at 1.59-µm central wavelength. Output pulses of approximately 63-fs pulse width at 52-MHz repetition rate are obtained in an all-fiber monolithic laser configuration. The idea of employing parabolic pulse amplification for stretching output pulses together with high-power pulse amplification using Er/Yb co-doped active fibers for compressing and boosting output average power plays crucial role in obtaining desired results. The proposed configuration enjoys massive advantages over previously reported literature which make it well-suited for high-power precision applications such as medical surgery. Detailed dynamics of pulse stretching and compressing in active fibers with different GVD parameters are numerically and experimentally investigated.

Collaborate and share: an experimental study of the effects of task and reward interdependencies in online games.

PubMed

Choi, Boreum; Lee, Inseong; Choi, Dongseong; Kim, Jinwoo

2007-08-01

Today millions of players interact with one another in online games, especially massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These games promote interaction among players by offering interdependency features, but to date few studies have asked what interdependency design factors of MMORPGs make them fun for players, produce experiences of flow, or enhance player performance. In this study, we focused on two game design features: task and reward interdependency. We conducted a controlled experiment that compared the interaction effects of low and high task-interdependency conditions and low and high reward-interdependency conditions on three dependent variables: fun, flow, and performance. We found that in a low task-interdependency condition, players had more fun, experienced higher levels of flow, and perceived better performance when a low reward-interdependency condition also obtained. In contrast, in a high task-interdependency condition, all of these measures were higher when a high reward-interdependency condition also obtained.

High accuracy electronic material level sensor

DOEpatents

McEwan, T.E.

1997-03-11

The High Accuracy Electronic Material Level Sensor (electronic dipstick) is a sensor based on time domain reflectometry (TDR) of very short electrical pulses. Pulses are propagated along a transmission line or guide wire that is partially immersed in the material being measured; a launcher plate is positioned at the beginning of the guide wire. Reflected pulses are produced at the material interface due to the change in dielectric constant. The time difference of the reflections at the launcher plate and at the material interface are used to determine the material level. Improved performance is obtained by the incorporation of: (1) a high accuracy time base that is referenced to a quartz crystal, (2) an ultrawideband directional sampler to allow operation without an interconnect cable between the electronics module and the guide wire, (3) constant fraction discriminators (CFDs) that allow accurate measurements regardless of material dielectric constants, and reduce or eliminate errors induced by triple-transit or ``ghost`` reflections on the interconnect cable. These improvements make the dipstick accurate to better than 0.1%. 4 figs.

High accuracy electronic material level sensor

DOEpatents

McEwan, Thomas E.

1997-01-01

The High Accuracy Electronic Material Level Sensor (electronic dipstick) is a sensor based on time domain reflectometry (TDR) of very short electrical pulses. Pulses are propagated along a transmission line or guide wire that is partially immersed in the material being measured; a launcher plate is positioned at the beginning of the guide wire. Reflected pulses are produced at the material interface due to the change in dielectric constant. The time difference of the reflections at the launcher plate and at the material interface are used to determine the material level. Improved performance is obtained by the incorporation of: 1) a high accuracy time base that is referenced to a quartz crystal, 2) an ultrawideband directional sampler to allow operation without an interconnect cable between the electronics module and the guide wire, 3) constant fraction discriminators (CFDs) that allow accurate measurements regardless of material dielectric constants, and reduce or eliminate errors induced by triple-transit or "ghost" reflections on the interconnect cable. These improvements make the dipstick accurate to better than 0.1%.

Space storable propellant performance program coaxial injector characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burick, R. J.

1972-01-01

An experimental program was conducted to characterize the circular coaxial injector concept for application with the space-storable gas/liquid propellant combination FLOX(82.6% F2)/CH4(g) at high pressure. The primary goal of the program was to obtain high characteristic velocity efficiency in conjunction with acceptable injector/chamber compatibility. A series of subscale (single element) cold flow and hot fire experiments was employed to establish design criteria for a 3000-lbf (sea level) engine operating at 500 psia. The subscale experiments characterized both high performance core elements and peripheral elements with enhanced injector/chamber compatibility. The full-scale injector which evolved from the study demonstrated a performance level of 99 percent of the theoretical shifting characteristic exhaust velocity with low chamber heat flux levels. A 44-second-duration firing demonstrated the durability of the injector. Parametric data are presented that are applicable for the design of circular, coaxial injectors that operate with injection dynamics (fuel and oxidizer velocity, etc.) similar to those employed in the work reported.

Measuring e-Commerce service quality from online customer review using sentiment analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kencana Sari, Puspita; Alamsyah, Andry; Wibowo, Sulistyo

2018-03-01

The biggest e-Commerce challenge to understand their market is to chart their level of service quality according to customer perception. The opportunities to collect user perception through online user review is considered faster methodology than conducting direct sampling methodology. To understand the service quality level, sentiment analysis methodology is used to classify the reviews into positive and negative sentiment for five dimensions of electronic service quality (e-Servqual). As case study in this research, we use Tokopedia, one of the biggest e-Commerce service in Indonesia. We obtain the online review comments about Tokopedia service quality during several month observations. The Naïve Bayes classification methodology is applied for the reason of its high-level accuracy and support large data processing. The result revealed that personalization and reliability dimension required more attention because have high negative sentiment. Meanwhile, trust and web design dimension have high positive sentiments that means it has very good services. The responsiveness dimension have balance sentiment positive and negative.

High-dose vitamin B6 decreases homocysteine serum levels in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Miodownik, Chanoch; Lerner, Vladimir; Vishne, Tali; Sela, Ben-Ami; Levine, Joseph

2007-01-01

Vitamin B6 plays an essential role in the normal functioning of the central nervous system. Normal homocysteine (Hcy) serum level is maintained by remethylation of Hcy to methionine by enzymes that require folic acid and vitamin B12 and by catabolism to cysteine by a vitamin B6-dependent enzyme. These findings may be consistent with the hypothesis that the vitamin B6 status may influence plasma Hcy levels. The aims of this preliminary study were (1) to determine whether a correlation exists between Hcy and vitamin B6 levels in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders and (2) to investigate whether treatment with high-dose vitamin B6 may reduce Hcy levels in these patients. In this preliminary study, we enrolled 11 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders (7 men and 4 women; mean age +/- SD, 50 +/- 12 years) receiving high doses of vitamin B6 treatment (1200 mg/d) for 12 weeks. Blood samples for the assessment of pyridoxal-5-phosphate and Hcy serum levels were obtained at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Age was significantly positively correlated with Hcy levels at baseline (r = 0.392, P = 0.004). All other parameters, including diagnosis, disease duration, and pyridoxal-5-phosphate serum level, were not correlated with Hcy serum levels at baseline. After vitamin B6 treatment, Hcy serum levels significantly decreased (14.2 +/- 3.4 vs. 11.8 +/- 2.0 micromol/L, respectively, t = 2.679, P = 0.023); this decrease being statistically significant in men but not in women. High doses of vitamin B6 lead to a decrease in Hcy serum level in male patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Estimating the vibration level of an L-shaped beam using power flow techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuschieri, J. M.; Mccollum, M.; Rassineux, J. L.; Gilbert, T.

1986-01-01

The response of one component of an L-shaped beam, with point force excitation on the other component, is estimated using the power flow method. The transmitted power from the source component to the receiver component is expressed in terms of the transfer and input mobilities at the excitation point and the joint. The response is estimated both in narrow frequency bands, using the exact geometry of the beams, and as a frequency averaged response using infinite beam models. The results using this power flow technique are compared to the results obtained using finite element analysis (FEA) of the L-shaped beam for the low frequency response and to results obtained using statistical energy analysis (SEA) for the high frequencies. The agreement between the FEA results and the power flow method results at low frequencies is very good. SEA results are in terms of frequency averaged levels and these are in perfect agreement with the results obtained using the infinite beam models in the power flow method. The narrow frequency band results from the power flow method also converge to the SEA results at high frequencies. The advantage of the power flow method is that detail of the response can be retained while reducing computation time, which will allow the narrow frequency band analysis of the response to be extended to higher frequencies.

Dynamical photoionization observables of the CS molecule: The role of electron correlation

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

Ponzi, Aurora; Coriani, Sonia; Decleva, Piero

2014-05-28

Highly correlated calculations are performed on the primary ionic states and the prominent satellite present in the outer valence photoelectron spectrum of carbon monosulfide (CS). Dyson orbitals are coupled to accurate one particle continuum orbitals to provide a correlated description of energy dependent cross sections, asymmetry parameters, branching ratios, and molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions. The comparison with results obtained at the Hartree-Fock and Density Functional Theory level shows the strong sensitivity of these observables to details of the correlation in the bound states. The behaviour of the well characterized satellite state is analyzed in detail, and shows differences frommore » the relevant primary states, revealing the limitations of a simple intensity borrowing mechanism. The results resolve the intensity disagreement with experiment obtained at the level of the sudden approximation.« less

Detection of high-frequency energy level changes in speech and singing

PubMed Central

Monson, Brian B.; Lotto, Andrew J.; Story, Brad H.

2014-01-01

Previous work has shown that human listeners are sensitive to level differences in high-frequency energy (HFE) in isolated vowel sounds produced by male singers. Results indicated that sensitivity to HFE level changes increased with overall HFE level, suggesting that listeners would be more “tuned” to HFE in vocal production exhibiting higher levels of HFE. It follows that sensitivity to HFE level changes should be higher (1) for female vocal production than for male vocal production and (2) for singing than for speech. To test this hypothesis, difference limens for HFE level changes in male and female speech and singing were obtained. Listeners showed significantly greater ability to detect level changes in singing vs speech but not in female vs male speech. Mean differences limen scores for speech and singing were about 5 dB in the 8-kHz octave (5.6–11.3 kHz) but 8–10 dB in the 16-kHz octave (11.3–22 kHz). These scores are lower (better) than those previously reported for isolated vowels and some musical instruments. PMID:24437780

Effect of a pre-treatment of milk with high pressure homogenization on yield as well as on microbiological, lipolytic and proteolytic patterns of "Pecorino" cheese.

PubMed

Vannini, Lucia; Patrignani, Francesca; Iucci, Luciana; Ndagijimana, Maurice; Vallicelli, Melania; Lanciotti, Rosalba; Guerzoni, Maria Elisabetta

2008-12-10

The principal aim of this work was to compare Pecorino cheeses obtained from ewes' milk previously subjected to high pressure homogenization (HPH) at 100 MPa with those produced from raw and heat treated ewes' milk. The HPH milk treatment induced a significant increase of the cheese yield and caused a reduction of enterococci, lactococci and yeasts in the curds. Enterococci cell loads remained at lower levels in cheeses obtained from HPH milk over the ripening period. Analyses of free fatty acids, Sodium Dodecil Sulphate (SDS)-PAGE profiles, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Solid Phase Microextraction (GC-MS-SPME) measurements of volatile compounds and sensory traits evidenced that the pressure treatment can be regarded also as a useful tool to differentiate products obtained from the same raw material. In fact such a milk treatment induced a marked lipolysis, an early proteolysis, a relevant modification of the volatile molecule profiles and sensory properties of Pecorino cheese.

Second-generation ethanol production from elephant grass at high total solids.

PubMed

Menegol, Daiane; Fontana, Roselei Claudete; Dillon, Aldo José Pinheiro; Camassola, Marli

2016-07-01

The enzymatic hydrolysis of Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) was evaluated at high total solid levels (from 4% to 20% (w/v)) in a concomitant ball milling treatment in a rotating hydrolysis reactor (RHR). The greatest glucose yield was 20.17% when 4% (w/v) untreated biomass was employed. When sugars obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis were submitted to fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the greatest ethanol yield was 22.61% when 4% (w/v) untreated biomass was employed; however, the highest glucose concentration (12.47g/L) was obtaining using 20% (w/v) solids and highest ethanol concentration (6.1g/L) was obtained using 16% (w/v) solids. When elephant grass was hydrolyzed in the rotating hydrolysis reactor, ethanol production was about double that was produced when the biomass was hydrolyzed in a static reactor (SR). These data indicate that it is possible to produce ethanol from elephant grass when milling treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are performed at the same time. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ballistic impact to access the high-rate behaviour of individual silk fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drodge, Daniel R.; Mortimer, Beth; Holland, Chris; Siviour, Clive R.

2012-10-01

A revision of a classic transverse fibre impact technique is presented, as applied to the problem of obtaining the high strain-rate constitutive behaviour of commercial Bombyx mori silk. Medium tenacity nylon was also studied. Two approaches are presented: firstly a fixed pre-stress, varied impact velocity method that derives stress-strain behaviour by inverse fit; and secondly a fixed impact velocity, varied pre-stress approach, assuming basic elastic jump conditions to obtain a locus of post-impact states. The post-impact stress-strain states obtained using the two approaches converge for silk but diverge for nylon. This we attribute to silk's fine structure being able to homogenise energy dissipation at static and dynamic deformation rates. However, the coarser microstructure of nylon results in a different loading path dependence, thus divergence in the two approaches. It was also noted that silk exhibited a comparatively stable level of impact energy absorption under varying pre-stress, when compared to nylon.

Inhibitory effect of microwaved thinned nectarine extracts on polyphenol oxidase activity.

PubMed

Redondo, Diego; Venturini, María E; Oria, Rosa; Arias, Esther

2016-04-15

By-products from agricultural practices or from the fruit processing industry are a source of bioactive compounds that could be used in the food industry. Such by-products include thinned fruits, which are expected to contain high quantities of interesting compounds. One possible application of this fruits is the prevention of the enzymatic browning suffered by fruits and vegetables after minimal processing. The aim of this study is to determine the in vitro and in vivo activity of microwaved extracts obtained from thinned nectarines. It has been observed that in vitro the extracts obtained after the application of high microwave power levels (500, 1000 and 1500 W) are mixed type inhibitors of polyphenoloxidase enzyme, showing an irreversible inactivation. This inhibition could be attributed to the Maillard reaction products formed during the microwave treatment. In vivo, a solution of 2% of the extract obtained at 1500 W inhibited the enzymatic browning in minimally processed peaches for 8 days of storage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of emotion on prospection during decision-making.

PubMed

Worthy, Darrell A; Byrne, Kaileigh A; Fields, Sherecce

2014-01-01

In two experiments we examined the role of emotion, specifically worry, anxiety, and mood, on prospection during decision-making. Worry is a particularly relevant emotion to study in the context of prospection because high levels of worry may make individuals more aversive toward the uncertainty associated with the prospect of obtaining future improvements in rewards or states. Thus, high levels of worry might lead to reduced prospection during decision-making and enhance preference for immediate over delayed rewards. In Experiment 1 participants performed a two-choice dynamic decision-making task where they were required to choose between one option (the decreasing option) which provided larger immediate rewards but declines in future states, and another option (the increasing option) which provided smaller immediate rewards but improvements in future states, making it the optimal choice. High levels of worry were associated with poorer performance in the task. Additionally, fits of a sophisticated reinforcement-learning model that incorporated both reward-based and state-based information suggested that individuals reporting high levels of worry gave greater weight to the immediate rewards they would receive on each trial than to the degree to which each action would lead to improvements in their future state. In Experiment 2 we found that high levels of worry were associated with greater delay discounting using a standard delay discounting task. Combined, the results suggest that high levels of worry are associated with reduced prospection during decision-making. We attribute these results to high worriers' aversion toward the greater uncertainty associated with attempting to improve future rewards than to maximize immediate reward. These results have implications for researchers interested in the effects of emotion on cognition, and suggest that emotion strongly affects the focus on temporal outcomes during decision-making.

Comparison of depopulation and S19-RB51 vaccination strategies for control of bovine brucellosis in high prevalence areas.

PubMed

Saez, J L; Sanz, C; Durán, M; García, P; Fernandez, F; Minguez, O; Carbajo, L; Mardones, F; Perez, A; Gonzalez, S; Dominguez, L; Alvarez, J

2014-06-21

RB51 vaccination can minimise the diagnostic problems associated with S19 vaccination of adult cattle, but its use for bovine brucellosis (BB) control remains controversial. Here, the evolution of BB prevalence in five high prevalence areas in Spain subjected to different control measures is described: herd depopulation of infected herds (I-III) or mass vaccination with RB51 and S19-RB51 vaccination of replacement heifers (IV-V). Annual data from the eradication campaigns were analysed at the special incidence area (SIA) level and the time to obtain herd prevalence levels of <1 per cent ('controlled status') was obtained at the local veterinary unit (LVU) level and compared using Cox's proportional hazard model. A higher annual rate of decrease in herd prevalence was observed in the SIAs subjected to vaccination (46.9%, 95% CI 43.5% to 50.0%) compared with those managed using stamping out (14.9%, 95% CI 9.6% to 19.9%). No significant differences in the time to achieve controlled status were observed between the stamping-out and vaccination strategies used at the LVU level, with median times of 60 (stamping-out LVUs) and 63 (vaccination LVUs) months. These results suggest that RB51 mass vaccination, in combination with the S19-RB51 vaccination of replacement heifers and strict implementation of other eradication measures, may provide results at least comparable with those resulting from a herd depopulation based strategy. British Veterinary Association.

Isolation of Rhizobium Bacteria from Forage Legumes for the Development of Ruminant Feed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuskhah, E.; Purbajanti, E. D.; Anwar, S.

2018-02-01

The aimed of the study was to explore the presence of Rhizobium bacteria along the northern coast of Central Java, to develop a saline-resistant legumes. Rhizobium bacteria is a mutualistic bacterium capable of symbiosis with legumes so that legumes crop yields increase. The research begins with sampling of soil and root nodule of forage legumes along the Northern Coast of Central Java including Tegal, Pekalongan, Semarang, Demak, Pati. Soil samples were analysed for salinity, Total Dissolved Solids, and pH. Rhizobium bacteria were isolated from the acquired root nodule, then identified by biochemical test to ensure that the isolates obtained were Rhizobium bacteria. The results showed that the five districts/municipal sites sampled by the soil have very low salinity to very high levels. The highest level of soil salinity was found in Demak (Sayung) which has an electrical conductivity value (EC) of 17.77 mmhos/cm. The EC values of legumes overgrown soils showed a low salinity level while bare soils have high salinity levels. Feed crops legumes that could be found in the northern coast of Central Java were Centrosema pubescens, Calopogonium mucunoides, Leucaena leucocephala, and Sesbania grandiflora. The study obtained 6 kinds of isolates of rhizobium bacteria isolated from forage legumes, included 1) Centrosema pubescens isolated from Pekalongan, 2) Centrosema pubescens isolated from Tegal, 3) Calopogonium mucunoides isolated from Pekalongan, 4) Leucaenaleucocephala isolated from Tegal, 5) Leucaena leucocephala isolated from Semarang, 6) Sesbania grandiflora isolated from Tegal.

Thermal Diffusivity of High-Density Polyethylene Samples of Different Crystallinity Evaluated by Indirect Transmission Photoacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesic, M.; Popovic, M.; Rabasovic, M.; Milicevic, D.; Suljovrujic, E.; Markushev, D.; Stojanovic, Z.

2018-02-01

In this work, thermal diffusivity of crystalline high-density polyethylene samples of various thickness, and prepared using different procedures, was evaluated by transmission gas-microphone frequency photoacoustics. The samples' composition analysis and their degree of crystallinity were determined from the wide-angle X-ray diffraction, which confirmed that high-density polyethylene samples, obtained by slow and fast cooling, were equivalent in composition but with different degrees of crystallinity. Structural analysis, performed by differential scanning calorimetry, demonstrated that all of the used samples had different levels of crystallinity, depending not only on the preparing procedure, but also on sample thickness. Therefore, in order to evaluate the samples' thermal diffusivity, it was necessary to modify standard photoacoustic fitting procedures (based on the normalization of photoacoustic amplitude and phase characteristics on two thickness levels) for the interpretation of photoacoustic measurements. The calculated values of thermal diffusivity were in the range of the expected literature values. Besides that, the obtained results indicate the unexpected correlation between the values of thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity with the degree of crystallinity of the investigated geometrically thin samples. The results indicate the necessity of additional investigation of energy transport in macromolecular systems, as well as the possible employment of the photoacoustic techniques in order to clarify its mechanism.

Skeletal fluorosis in relation to drinking water in rural areas of West Azerbaijan, Iran.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Ali Akbar; Yousefi, Mahmood; Yaseri, Mehdi; Jalilzadeh, Mohsen; Mahvi, Amir Hossein

2017-12-11

Skeletal fluorosis resulting from high fluoride level in drinking water is a major public health problem. The present study evaluated the association between exposures to drinking water fluoride and skeletal fluorosis in 5 villages of Poldasht County, Iran. All the data and information on the prevalence of bone diseases were obtained from the Health Record Department, Poldasht Health Centre. To obtain the odds ratio of bone disease problem in different risk factors, when considering the cluster effect of rural area, logistic regression in a multilevel model was used. Results showed that skeletal fluorosis of people who live in areas with high fluoride concentration is 18.1% higher than that of individuals who live in areas with low fluoride concentration. Skeletal fluorosis (54.5%) was observed in the age group of 71 years and above, and was more commonly found in females than males. According to Unadjusted, individuals who consume ≤3 unit milk and dairy products per week have almost the same level of bone diseases as compared to those that consume more than 3 units. This study indicated that, skeletal fluorosis is a general health problem in these rural areas because the results revealed that high percentage of the studied population had symptoms of skeletal fluorosis.

ONIOM Study of Chemical Reactions in Microsolvation Clusters: (H2O)(n)CH3Cl+OH-(H2O)(m) (n+m = 1 and 2)

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

Re, Suyong; Morokuma, Keiji

2001-07-07

The reliability of the two-layered ONIOM (our own N-layered molecular orbital + molecular mechanics) method was examined for the investigation of the SN2 reaction pathway (reactants, reactant complexes, transition states, product complexes, and products) between CH3Cl and an OH- ion in microsolvation clusters with one or two water molecules. Only the solute part, CH3Cl and OH-, was treated at a high level of molecular orbital (MO) theory, and all solvent water molecules were treated at a low MO level. The ONIOM calculation at the MP2 (Moller-Plesset second order perturbation)/aug-cc-pVDZ (augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set) level of theory asmore » the high level coupled with the B3LYP (Becke 3 parameter-Lee-Yag-Parr)/6-31+G(d) as the low level was found to reasonably reproduce the "target"geometries at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The energetics can be further improved to an average absolute error of <1.0 kcal/mol per solvent water molecule relative to the target CCSD(T) (coupled cluster singles and doubles with triples by perturbation)/aug-cc-pVDZ level by using the ONIOM method in which the high level was CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ level with the low level of MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ. The present results indicate that the ONIOM method would be a powerful tool for obtaining reliable geometries and energetics for chemical reactions in larger microsolvated clusters with a fraction of cost of the full high level calculation, when an appropriate combination of high and low level methods is used. The importance of a careful test is emphasized.« less

Hematopoietic lineage cell-specific protein 1 immunoreactivity indicates an increased risk of poor overall survival in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

PubMed

Liu, Wenting; Kajiyama, Hiroaki; Shibata, Kiyosumi; Koya, Yoshihiro; Senga, Takeshi; Kikkawa, Fumitaka

2018-06-01

Hematopoietic lineage cell-specific protein 1 (HS1) is a 75-kDa intracellular protein that is expressed primarily in hematopoietic cells. Several previous studies have demonstrated the association between HS1 expression and a poor prognosis in hematopoietic malignancies; however, in solid tumors, no studies not been reported. The present study examined the distribution and expression of HS1 in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) to determine its clinical significance. Paraffin sections were obtained from EOC tissues and immunostained with HS1 antibody, and then the staining intensities were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) was determined using the Kaplan-Meier estimator method, and multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards analysis. In total, 195 patients with EOC (median age, 56 years) were enrolled into the present study. HS1 immunoreactivity was categorized based on expression levels: Low (89/195; 45.6%) and high (106/195; 54.4%). Results demonstrated no association between expression level(s) and any clinicopathological parameter including age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, type of chemotherapy or type of surgery received. The 5-year OS rates of patients who demonstrated low (n=89) and high (n=106) HS1 expression were 90.4 and 66.7%, respectively. The OS times for patients with high HS1 expression were significantly shorter compared with those for patients exhibiting low HS1 expression (P=0.0065). Results obtained from the multivariate analysis demonstrated that the FIGO stage and the amount of HS1 expressed were significant independent prognostic markers for poorer OS (hazard ratio, 3.539; 95% confidence interval, 1.221-12.811; P=0.0187). High HS1 expression levels may serve as a useful biomarker in patients with EOC who are likely to exhibit an unfavorable clinical outcome.

Experimental study of a generic high-speed civil transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belton, Pamela S.; Campbell, Richard L.

1992-01-01

An experimental study of generic high-speed civil transport was conducted in the NASA Langley 8-ft Transonic Pressure Tunnel. The data base was obtained for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of various levels of computational analysis. Two models differing only in wingtip geometry were tested with and without flow-through nacelles. The baseline model has a curved or crescent wingtip shape, while the second model has a more conventional straight wingtip shape. The study was conducted at Mach numbers from 0.30 to 1.19. Force data were obtained on both the straight wingtip model and the curved wingtip model. Only the curved wingtip model was instrumented for measuring pressures. Selected longitudinal, lateral, and directional data are presented for both models. Selected pressure distributions for the curved wingtip model are also presented.

Multiple doping of silicon-germanium alloys for thermoelectric applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleurial, Jean-Pierre; Vining, Cronin B.; Borshchevsky, Alex

1989-01-01

It is shown that heavy doping of n-type Si/Ge alloys with phosphorus and arsenic (V-V doping interaction) by diffusion leads to a significant enhancement of their carrier concentration and possible improvement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. High carrier concentrations were achieved by arsenic doping alone, but for a same doping level higher carrier mobilities and lower resistivities are obtained through phosphorus doping. By combining the two dopants with the proper diffusion treatments, it was possible to optimize the different properties, obtaining high carrier concentration, good carrier mobility and low electrical resistivity. Similar experiments, using the III-V doping interaction, were conducted on boron-doped p-type samples and showed the possibility of overcompensating the samples by diffusing arsenic, in order to get n-type behavior.

Effect of the γ-radiation on phenol fractions obtained from the leaves of Echinodorus macrophyllus Mich.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, T. M.; Dias, M. D.; Pereira, M. T.; Takahashi, J. A.; Ferraz, V. P.; Piló-Veloso, D.; Alcântara, A. F. C.

2012-01-01

Echinodorus macrophyllus Mich. (Chapéu-de-couro) is popularly used as diuretic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-rheumatic agents. Leaves of this species are largely commercialized and show high level of microbiological contamination (bacteria and fungi). This work describes the effect of the 60Co γ-radiation on the phenol fractions obtained from the leaves of E. macrophyllus. trans-Ferulic acid, ( E)-caffeoyltartronic acid, 6- C-(1 -hexitol)-apigenin, and 6- C-(1 -hexitol)-luteolin were isolated by preparative HPLC. HPLC chromatograms showed concentration changes of some phenolic constituents, suggesting the formation of radiolytic products. The phenol fractions were active against Bacillus subitilis and Staphylococcus aureus and showed high antioxidant activity. However, the antibacterial and antioxidant activities reduced when the absorbed dose was increased.

Production of laccase from Trametes versicolor by solid-state fermentation using olive leaves as a phenolic substrate.

PubMed

Aydinoğlu, Tuğba; Sargin, Sayit

2013-02-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether olive leaves were feasible as a substrate for laccase production by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor FPRL 28A INI under solid-state fermentation conditions. Different experiments were conducted to select the variables that allow obtaining high levels of laccase activity. In particular, the effects of the initial moisture content, substrate particle size, supplementation with inorganic and organic nitrogen sources were evaluated. Highest laccase activity (276.62 ± 25.67 U/g dry substrate) was achieved with 80 % initial moisture content and 1.4-1.6 mm particle size of the substrate supplemented with yeast extract (1 % (w/w) nitrogen). Such a high activity was obtained without any addition of inducers.

Progress of OLED devices with high efficiency at high luminance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Carmen; Ingram, Grayson; Lu, Zhenghong

2014-03-01

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have progressed significantly over the last two decades. For years, OLEDs have been promoted as the next generation technology for flat panel displays and solid-state lighting due to their potential for high energy efficiency and dynamic range of colors. Although high efficiency can readily be obtained at low brightness levels, a significant decline at high brightness is commonly observed. In this report, we will review various strategies for achieving highly efficient phosphorescent OLED devices at high luminance. Specifically, we will provide details regarding the performance and general working principles behind each strategy. We will conclude by looking at how some of these strategies can be combined to produce high efficiency white OLEDs at high brightness.

High dynamic range CMOS-based mammography detector for FFDM and DBT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Inge M.; Smit, Chiel; Miller, James J.; Lomako, Andrey

2016-03-01

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) requires excellent image quality in a dynamic mode at very low dose levels while Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) is a static imaging modality that requires high saturation dose levels. These opposing requirements can only be met by a dynamic detector with a high dynamic range. This paper will discuss a wafer-scale CMOS-based mammography detector with 49.5 μm pixels and a CsI scintillator. Excellent image quality is obtained for FFDM as well as DBT applications, comparing favorably with a-Se detectors that dominate the X-ray mammography market today. The typical dynamic range of a mammography detector is not high enough to accommodate both the low noise and the high saturation dose requirements for DBT and FFDM applications, respectively. An approach based on gain switching does not provide the signal-to-noise benefits in the low-dose DBT conditions. The solution to this is to add frame summing functionality to the detector. In one X-ray pulse several image frames will be acquired and summed. The requirements to implement this into a detector are low noise levels, high frame rates and low lag performance, all of which are unique characteristics of CMOS detectors. Results are presented to prove that excellent image quality is achieved, using a single detector for both DBT as well as FFDM dose conditions. This method of frame summing gave the opportunity to optimize the detector noise and saturation level for DBT applications, to achieve high DQE level at low dose, without compromising the FFDM performance.

Turbopump Design and Analysis Approach for Nuclear Thermal Rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Shu-cheng S.; Veres, Joseph P.; Fittje, James E.

2006-01-01

A rocket propulsion system, whether it is a chemical rocket or a nuclear thermal rocket, is fairly complex in detail but rather simple in principle. Among all the interacting parts, three components stand out: they are pumps and turbines (turbopumps), and the thrust chamber. To obtain an understanding of the overall rocket propulsion system characteristics, one starts from analyzing the interactions among these three components. It is therefore of utmost importance to be able to satisfactorily characterize the turbopump, level by level, at all phases of a vehicle design cycle. Here at NASA Glenn Research Center, as the starting phase of a rocket engine design, specifically a Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine design, we adopted the approach of using a high level system cycle analysis code (NESS) to obtain an initial analysis of the operational characteristics of a turbopump required in the propulsion system. A set of turbopump design codes (PumpDes and TurbDes) were then executed to obtain sizing and performance characteristics of the turbopump that were consistent with the mission requirements. A set of turbopump analyses codes (PUMPA and TURBA) were applied to obtain the full performance map for each of the turbopump components; a two dimensional layout of the turbopump based on these mean line analyses was also generated. Adequacy of the turbopump conceptual design will later be determined by further analyses and evaluation. In this paper, descriptions and discussions of the aforementioned approach are provided and future outlooks are discussed.

Sustained sympathetic activity in altitude acclimatizing lowlanders and high-altitude natives.

PubMed

Lundby, C; Calbet, J; van Hall, G; Saltin, B; Sander, M

2018-03-01

Combined results from different independent studies suggest that acclimatization to high altitude induces a slowly developing sympathetic activation, even at levels of hypoxia that cause no acute chemoreflex-mediated sympathoexcitation. We here provide direct neurophysiological evidence for this phenomenon. In eight Danish lowlanders, we quantified mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), twice at sea level (normoxia and with acute hypoxic exposure to 12.6% O 2 ) and twice at high altitude (after 10 and 50 days of exposure to 4100 m). Measurements were also obtained in eight Bolivian highlanders on one occasion at high altitude. Acute hypoxic exposure caused no increase in MSNA (15 ± 2 vs 16 ± 2 bursts per min, respectively, and also MAP and HR remained stable). In contrast, from sea level to 10 and 50 days in high-altitude increases were observed in MAP: 72 ± 2 vs 78 ± 2 and 75 ± 2 mm Hg; HR: 54 ± 3 vs 67 ± 3 and 65 ± 3 beats per min; MSNA: 15 ± 2 vs 42 ± 5 and 42 ± 5 bursts per min, all P < .05. Bolivian subjects had high levels of MSNA: 34 ± 4 bursts per min. The simultaneous increase in MAP, HR, and MSNA suggests high altitude-induced sympathetic activity, which is sustained in well-acclimatized lowlanders. The high MSNA levels in the Bolivian highlanders suggest lifelong sympathetic activation at high altitude. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Three-dimensional potential energy surface of selected carbohydrates' CH/π dispersion interactions calculated by high-level quantum mechanical methods.

PubMed

Kozmon, Stanislav; Matuška, Radek; Spiwok, Vojtěch; Koča, Jaroslav

2011-05-09

In this study we present the first systematic computational three-dimensional scan of carbohydrate hydrophobic patches for the ability to interact through CH/π dispersion interactions. The carbohydrates β-d-glucopyranose, β-d-mannopyranose and α-l-fucopyranose were studied in a complex with a benzene molecule, which served as a model of the CH/π interaction in carbohydrate/protein complexes. The 3D relaxed scans were performed at the SCC-DFTB-D level with 3 757 grid points for both carbohydrate hydrophobic sides. The interaction energy of all grid points was recalculated at the DFT-D BP/def2-TZVPP level. The results obtained clearly show highly delimited and separated areas around each CH group, with an interaction energy up to -5.40 kcal mol(-1) . The results also show that with increasing H⋅⋅⋅π distance these delimited areas merge and form one larger region, which covers all hydrogen atoms on that specific carbohydrate side. Simultaneously, the interaction becomes weaker with an energy of -2.5 kcal mol(-1) . All local energy minima were optimized at the DFT-D BP/def2-TZVPP level and the interaction energies of these complexes were refined by use of the high-level ab initio computation at the CCSD(T)/CBS level. Results obtained from the optimization suggest that the CH group hydrogen atoms are not equivalent and the interaction energy at the CCSD(T)/CBS level range from -3.54 to -5.40 kcal mol(-1) . These results also reveal that the optimal H⋅⋅⋅π distance for the CH/π dispersion interaction is approximately (2.310±0.030) Å, and the angle defined as carbon-hydrogen-benzene geometrical centre is (180±30)°. These results reveal that whereas the dispersion interactions with the lowest interaction energies are quite strictly located in space, the slightly higher interaction energy regions adopt a much larger space. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Minimalistic optic flow sensors applied to indoor and outdoor visual guidance and odometry on a car-like robot.

PubMed

Mafrica, Stefano; Servel, Alain; Ruffier, Franck

2016-11-10

Here we present a novel bio-inspired optic flow (OF) sensor and its application to visual  guidance and odometry on a low-cost car-like robot called BioCarBot. The minimalistic OF sensor was robust to high-dynamic-range lighting conditions and to various visual patterns encountered thanks to its M 2 APIX auto-adaptive pixels and the new cross-correlation OF algorithm implemented. The low-cost car-like robot estimated its velocity and steering angle, and therefore its position and orientation, via an extended Kalman filter (EKF) using only two downward-facing OF sensors and the Ackerman steering model. Indoor and outdoor experiments were carried out in which the robot was driven in the closed-loop mode based on the velocity and steering angle estimates. The experimental results obtained show that our novel OF sensor can deliver high-frequency measurements ([Formula: see text]) in a wide OF range (1.5-[Formula: see text]) and in a 7-decade high-dynamic light level range. The OF resolution was constant and could be adjusted as required (up to [Formula: see text]), and the OF precision obtained was relatively high (standard deviation of [Formula: see text] with an average OF of [Formula: see text], under the most demanding lighting conditions). An EKF-based algorithm gave the robot's position and orientation with a relatively high accuracy (maximum errors outdoors at a very low light level: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] over about [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) despite the low-resolution control systems of the steering servo and the DC motor, as well as a simplified model identification and calibration. Finally, the minimalistic OF-based odometry results were compared to those obtained using measurements based on an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a motor's speed sensor.

Experimental reinfection of BALB/c mice with different recombinant type I/III strains of Toxoplasma gondii: involvement of IFN-gamma and IL-10.

PubMed

Brandão, Geane Peroni; Melo, Maria Norma; Gazzinelli, Ricardo Tostes; Caetano, Braulia Costa; Ferreira, Adriana Melo; Silva, Letícia Azevedo; Vitor, Ricardo Wagner Almeida

2009-03-01

To assess reinfection of BALB/c mice with different Toxoplasma gondii strains, the animals were prime infected with the non-virulent D8 strain and challenged with virulent recombinant strains. Thirty days after challenge, brain cysts were obtained from surviving BALB/c mice and inoculated in Swiss mice to obtain tachyzoites for DNA extraction and PCR-RFLP analysis to distinguish the different T. gondii strains present in possible co-infections. Anti-Toxoplasma immune responses were evaluated in D8-primed BALB/c mice by detecting IFN-gamma and IL-10 produced by T cells and measuring immunoglobulin levels in serum samples. PCR-RFLP demonstrated that BALB/c mice were reinfected with the EGS strain at 45 days post prime infection (dpi) and with the EGS and CH3 strains at 180 dpi. High levels of IFN-gamma were detected after D8 infection, with no significant difference between 45 and 180-day intervals. However, higher IL-10 levels and higher plasmatic IgG1 and IgA were detected from samples obtained 180 days after infection. BALB/c mice were susceptible to reinfection with different recombinant T. gondii strains and this susceptibility correlated with enhancement of IL-10 production.

Development of Amplified 16S Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis for Identification of Actinomyces Species and Comparison with Pyrolysis-Mass Spectrometry and Conventional Biochemical Tests

PubMed Central

Hall, Val; O’Neill, G. L.; Magee, J. T.; Duerden, B. I.

1999-01-01

Identification of Actinomyces spp. by conventional phenotypic methods is notoriously difficult and unreliable. Recently, the application of chemotaxonomic and molecular methods has clarified the taxonomy of the group and has led to the recognition of several new species. A practical and discriminatory identification method is now needed for routine identification of clinical isolates. Amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was applied to reference strains (n = 27) and clinical isolates (n = 36) of Actinomyces spp. and other gram-positive rods. Clinical strains were identified initially to the species level by conventional biochemical tests. However, given the low degree of confidence in conventional methods, the findings obtained by ARDRA were also compared with those obtained by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry. The ARDRA profiles generated by the combination of HaeIII and HpaII endonuclease digestion differentiated all reference strains to the species or subspecies level. The profiles correlated well with the findings obtained by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and by conventional tests and enabled the identification of 31 of 36 clinical isolates to the species level. ARDRA was shown to be a simple, rapid, cost-effective, and highly discriminatory method for routine identification of Actinomyces spp. of clinical origin. PMID:10364594

Validation of Shock Layer Radiation: Perspectives for Test Cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandis, Aaron

2012-01-01

This paper presents a review of the analysis and measurement of radiation data obtained in the NASA Ames Research Center's Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility. The goal of these experiments was to measure the level of radiation encountered during atmospheric entry. The data obtained from these experiments is highlighted by providing the first spectrally and spatially resolved data for high speed Earth entry and measurements of the CO 4th positive band for conditions relevant to Mars entry. Comparisons of the EAST data with experimental results obtained from shock tunnels at JAXA and the University of Queensland are presented. Furthermore, the paper will detail initial analyses in to the influence and characterization of the measure non-equilibrium radiation.

A Procedure for High Resolution Satellite Imagery Quality Assessment

PubMed Central

Crespi, Mattia; De Vendictis, Laura

2009-01-01

Data products generated from High Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI) are routinely evaluated during the so-called in-orbit test period, in order to verify if their quality fits the desired features and, if necessary, to obtain the image correction parameters to be used at the ground processing center. Nevertheless, it is often useful to have tools to evaluate image quality also at the final user level. Image quality is defined by some parameters, such as the radiometric resolution and its accuracy, represented by the noise level, and the geometric resolution and sharpness, described by the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). This paper proposes a procedure to evaluate these image quality parameters; the procedure was implemented in a suitable software and tested on high resolution imagery acquired by the QuickBird, WorldView-1 and Cartosat-1 satellites. PMID:22412312

VERITAS Upper Limit on the Very High Energy Emission from the Radio Galaxy NGC 1275

DOE PAGES

Acciari, V. A.; Aliu, E.; Arlen, T.; ...

2009-11-16

We report the recent detection by the Fermi γ-ray space telescope of high-energy γ-rays from the radio galaxy NGC 1275 that makes the observation of the very high energy (VHE: E>100 GeV) part of its broadband spectrum particularly interesting, especially for the understanding of active galactic nuclei with misaligned multi-structured jets. The radio galaxy NGC 1275 was recently observed by VERITAS at energies above 100 GeV for about 8 hr. No VHE γ-ray emission was detected by VERITAS from NGC 1275. Finally, a 99% confidence level upper limit of 2.1% of the Crab Nebula flux level is obtained at themore » decorrelation energy of approximately 340 GeV, corresponding to 19% of the power-law extrapolation of the Fermi Large Area Telescope result.« less

High Detent Torque Rotary Actuator Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, I.; Sainz, I.; Allegranza, C.

2015-09-01

In the frame of an ESA ARTES 5 Contract, SENER has performed the design, manufacturing and testing at component and mechanism levels of a High Detent Torque Rotary Actuator (DTA in short), i.e. with high capability to hold a payload when unpowered.Two configurations were developed to allow the use on specific application flight opportunity; both are identical in terms of architecture, lubrication, structural and thermal design. The exception is the angular position sensor type: the DTA 100 with contactless sensors and the DTA 120 with potentiometers.The DTA is a fully european technology. This paper provides a synthesis of the obtained parameters in front of the requirements, the evolution from the initial concept to the final configuration and the results of the extensive test campaign (DTA 120). Lessons learned and the readiness for use at upper level are also highlighted.

Career Performance Trajectories in Track and Field Jumping Events from Youth to Senior Success: The Importance of Learning and Development.

PubMed

Boccia, Gennaro; Moisè, Paolo; Franceschi, Alberto; Trova, Francesco; Panero, Davide; La Torre, Antonio; Rainoldi, Alberto; Schena, Federico; Cardinale, Marco

2017-01-01

The idea that early sport success can be detrimental for long-term sport performance is still under debate. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine the career trajectories of Italian high and long jumpers to provide a better understanding of performance development in jumping events. The official long-jump and high-jump rankings of the Italian Track and Field Federation were collected from the age of 12 to career termination, for both genders from the year 1994 to 2014. Top-level athletes were identified as those with a percentile of their personal best performance between 97 and 100. The age of entering competitions of top-level athletes was not different than the rest of the athletic population, whereas top-level athletes performed their personal best later than the rest of the athletes. Top-level athletes showed an overall higher rate of improvement in performance from the age of 13 to the age of 18 years when compared to all other individuals. Only 10-25% of the top-level adult athletes were top-level at the age of 16. Around 60% of the top-level young at the age of 16 did not maintain the same level of performance in adulthood. Female high-jump represented an exception from this trend since in this group most top-level young become top-level adult athletes. These findings suggest that performance before the age of 16 is not a good predictor of adult performance in long and high jump. The annual rate of improvements from 13 to 18 years should be included as a predictor of success rather than performance per se. Coaches should be careful about predicting future success based on performances obtained during youth in jumping events.

Neither the internist nor the Internet: use of and trust in health information sources by people with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Maguire, Paul A; Reay, Rebecca E; Looi, Jeffrey C L; Cubis, Jeff; Byrne, Gerard J; Raphael, Beverley

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore health information sources accessed by people with schizophrenia and the level of trust invested in them. A cross-sectional survey was performed comparing the responses of 71 adults with schizophrenia (recruited from both community and inpatient settings) with 238 general practice attendees on their use of television, radio, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, family and friends, and doctor to obtain information on health matters, and their levels of trust in these sources. People with schizophrenia most commonly reported using a doctor, family and friends, and television to obtain information on health matters. However, compared with general practice attendees, they gained less health information from doctors and the Internet, and had less trust in doctors. Within-group analysis revealed that in people with schizophrenia: living alone increased the likelihood of obtaining health information from television; a higher level of education increased the odds of trusting the Internet as a health information source; a higher estimated household income was associated with an increased likelihood of trusting newspapers; and women with schizophrenia were considerably more likely than men with schizophrenia to trust family and friends as providers of health information. For both groups, there were significant positive correlations between the amount of health information obtained from a given information source and the level of trust invested in it. There are significant differences in the reported utilization and trust of health information sources between people with schizophrenia and attendees at general practice settings. Those with schizophrenia are less likely to trust and obtain information from a doctor, and less likely to access the Internet. Further research is required to explore this disparity. This is critical given the high rates of comorbid physical illness and reduced longevity in people suffering from schizophrenia.

A Novel Method of High Accuracy, Wavefront Phase and Amplitude Correction for Coronagraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowers, Charles W.; Woodgate, Bruce E.; Lyon, Richard G.

2003-01-01

Detection of extra-solar, and especially terrestrial-like planets, using coronagraphy requires an extremely high level of wavefront correction. For example, the study of Woodruff et al. (2002) has shown that phase uniformity of order 10(exp -4)lambda(rms) must be achieved over the critical range of spatial frequencies to produce the approx. 10(exp 10) contrast needed for the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) mission. Correction of wavefront phase errors to this level may be accomplished by using a very high precision deformable mirror (DM). However, not only phase but also amplitude uniformity of the same scale (approx. 10(exp -4)) and over the same spatial frequency range must be simultaneously obtained to remove all residual speckle in the image plane. We present a design for producing simultaneous wavefront phase and amplitude uniformity to high levels from an input wavefront of lower quality. The design uses a dual Michelson interferometer arrangement incorporating two DM and a single, fixed mirror (all at pupils) and two beamsplitters: one with unequal (asymmetric) beam splitting and one with symmetric beam splitting. This design allows high precision correction of both phase and amplitude using DM with relatively coarse steps and permits a simple correction algorithm.

Project SOL: Shining Light on Teaching Secondary Level, Spanish-Dominant English Learners Using "Colegio De Bachilleres" Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrero, Lourdes R.

2009-01-01

This qualitative research study focused on the eight bilingual, content area high school teachers implementing Project SOL (Secondary Online Learning) in Southern California during the 2008-2009 school year. It documents their effort to integrate an online curriculum from the "Colegio de Bachilleres" in Mexico obtained through the UCLA…

Policy Changes in Brunei Teacher Education: Implications for the Selection of Trainee Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundia, Lawrence

2012-01-01

To improve quality, teacher education programs in Brunei were recently eliminated at the undergraduate level and changed to master of teaching degree courses. Prospective teachers are required to obtain content-rich initial degrees prior to applying for teacher training. This study argues that the high entry qualification to teaching may, in…

Structural and Thermodynamic Properties of the Argon Dimer: A Computational Chemistry Exercise in Quantum and Statistical Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpern, Arthur M.

2010-01-01

Using readily available computational applications and resources, students can construct a high-level ab initio potential energy surface (PES) for the argon dimer. From this information, they can obtain detailed molecular constants of the dimer, including its dissociation energy, which compare well with experimental determinations. Using both…

Development of Objective Standard Setting Using Rasch Measurement Model in Malaysian Institution of Higher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khatimin, Nuraini; Aziz, Azrilah Abdul; Zaharim, Azami; Yasin, Siti Hanani Mat

2013-01-01

Measurement and evaluation of students' achievement are an important aspect to make sure that students really understand the course content and monitor students' achievement level. Performance is not only reflected from the numbers of high achievers of the students, but also on quality of the grade obtained; does the grade "A" truly…

Assessing and Addressing Safe Food Handling Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of College Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Susan E.; Dirks, Brian P.; Quinlan, Jennifer J.

2010-01-01

The authors determined the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of undergraduates (n = 1122) on an urban college campus using a previously piloted survey tool. Data obtained found that while students reported high levels of confidence in their ability to engage in safe food handling practices, their knowledge and self-reported behaviors…

Workforce Planning for the Community Services and Health Industry. Occasional Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karmel, Tom; Blomberg, Davinia

2009-01-01

This paper aims to provide a picture of the occupations in the community services and health industry, and how the workforce obtains the required skills. The authors argue that planning for the industry should concentrate on occupations specific to the industry and those which require high skill levels. Findings suggest that the qualification…

Investigation of Plasma Focus in Coaxial Accelerator with Pre-Ionization of Gas,

DTIC Science & Technology

appears that when the accelerating current beyond the end of the central electrodes has sufficiently high levels a plasma focus is formed which is...obtained from an investigation of the main properties of the plasma focus in a system with a pre-ionized gas, achieved by means of an inductive electrical field.

Predictors of Treatment Response in Depressed Mothers Receiving In-Home Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Concurrent Home Visiting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammerman, Robert T.; Peugh, James L.; Putnam, Frank W.; Van Ginkel, Judith B.

2012-01-01

Home visiting is a child abuse prevention strategy that seeks to optimize child development by providing mothers with support, training, and parenting information. Research has consistently found high rates of depression in mothers participating in home visiting programs and low levels of obtaining mental health treatment in the community.…

Wideband Low Side Lobe Aperture Coupled Patch Phased Array Antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poduval, Dhruva

Low profile printed antenna arrays with wide bandwidth, high gain, and low Side Lobe Level (SLL) are in great demand for current and future commercial and military communication systems and radar. Aperture coupled patch antennas have been proposed to obtain wide impedance bandwidths in the past. Aperture coupling is preferred particularly for phased arrays because of their advantage of integration to other active devices and circuits, e.g. phase shifters, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, mixers etc. However, when designing such arrays, the interplay between array performance characteristics, such as gain, side lobe level, back lobe level, mutual coupling etc. must be understood and optimized under multiple design constraints, e.g. substrate material properties and thicknesses, element to element spacing, and feed lines and their orientation and arrangements with respect to the antenna elements. The focus of this thesis is to investigate, design, and develop an aperture coupled patch array with wide operating bandwidth (30%), high gain (17.5 dBi), low side lobe level (20 dB), and high Forward to Backward (F/B) ratio (21.8 dB). The target frequency range is 2.4 to 3 GHz given its wide application in WLAN, LTE (Long Term Evolution) and other communication systems. Notwithstanding that the design concept can very well be adapted at other frequencies. Specifically, a 16 element, 4 by 4 planar microstrip patch array is designed using HFSS and experimentally developed and tested. Starting from mutual coupling minimization a corporate feeding scheme is designed to achieve the needed performance. To reduce the SLL the corporate feeding network is redesigned to obtain a specific amplitude taper. Studies are conducted to determine the optimum location for a metallic reflector under the feed line to improve the F/B. An experimental prototype of the antenna was built and tested validating and demonstrating the performance levels expected from simulation predictions. Finally, simulated beam scanning in several angles of the array is shown considering specific phases for each antenna element in the array.

Investigation of the turbulent wind field below 500 feet altitude at the Eastern Test Range, Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackadar, A. K.; Panofsky, H. A.; Fiedler, F.

1974-01-01

A detailed analysis of wind profiles and turbulence at the 150 m Cape Kennedy Meteorological Tower is presented. Various methods are explored for the estimation of wind profiles, wind variances, high-frequency spectra, and coherences between various levels, given roughness length and either low-level wind and temperature data, or geostrophic wind and insolation. The relationship between planetary Richardson number, insolation, and geostrophic wind is explored empirically. Techniques were devised which resulted in surface stresses reasonably well correlated with the surface stresses obtained from low-level data. Finally, practical methods are suggested for the estimation of wind profiles and wind statistics.

Electromechanical, acoustical and thermodynamical characterization of a low-frequency sonotrode-type transducer in a small sonoreactor at different excitation levels and loading conditions.

PubMed

Petošić, Antonio; Horvat, Marko; Režek Jambrak, Anet

2017-11-01

The paper reports and compares the results of the electromechanical, acoustical and thermodynamical characterization of a low-frequency sonotrode-type ultrasonic device inside a small sonoreactor, immersed in three different loading media, namely, water, juice and milk, excited at different excitation levels, both below and above the cavitation threshold. The electroacoustic efficiency factor determined at system resonance through electromechanical characterization in degassed water as the reference medium is 88.7% for the device in question. This efficiency can be reduced up to three times due to the existence of a complex sound field in the reactor in linear driving conditions below the cavitation threshold. The behaviour of the system is more stable at higher excitation levels than in linear operating conditions. During acoustical characterization, acoustic pressure is spatially averaged, both below and above the cavitation threshold. The standing wave patterns inside the sonoreactor have a stronger influence on the variation of the spatially distributed RMS pressure in linear operating conditions. For these conditions, the variation of ±1.7dB was obtained, compared to ±1.4dB obtained in highly nonlinear regime. The acoustic power in the sonoreactor was estimated from the magnitude of the averaged RMS pressure, and from the reverberation time of the sonoreactor as the representation of the losses. The electroacoustic efficiency factors obtained through acoustical and electromechanical characterization are in a very good agreement at low excitation levels. The irradiated acoustic power estimated in nonlinear conditions differs from the dissipated acoustic power determined with the calorimetric method by several orders of magnitude. The number of negative pressure peaks that represent transient cavitation decreases over time during longer treatments of a medium with high-power ultrasound. The number of negative peaks decreases faster when the medium and the vessel are allowed to heat up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Full-dimensional, high-level ab initio potential energy surfaces for H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) and H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} with application to hydrogen clathrate hydrates

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

Homayoon, Zahra; Conte, Riccardo; Qu, Chen

2015-08-28

New, full-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs), obtained using precise least-squares fitting of high-level electronic energy databases, are reported for intrinsic H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) two-body and H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} three-body potentials. The database for H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) consists of approximately 44 000 energies at the coupled cluster singles and doubles plus perturbative triples (CCSD(T))-F12a/haQZ (aug-cc-pVQZ for O and cc-pVQZ for H) level of theory, while the database for the three-body interaction consists of more than 36 000 energies at the CCSD(T)-F12a/haTZ (aug-cc-pVTZ for O, cc-pVTZ for H) level of theory. Two precise potentials are based on the invariant-polynomial technique and are comparedmore » to computationally faster ones obtained via “purified” symmetrization. All fits use reduced permutational symmetry appropriate for these non-covalent interactions. These intrinsic potentials are employed together with existing ones for H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, and (H{sub 2}O){sub 2}, to obtain full PESs for H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) and H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}. Properties of these full PESs are presented, including a diffusion Monte Carlo calculation of the zero-point energy and wavefunction, and dissociation energy of the H{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) dimer. These PESs together with an existing one for water clusters are used in a many-body representation of the PES of hydrogen clathrate hydrates, illustrated for H{sub 2}@(H{sub 2}O){sub 20}. An analysis of this hydrate is presented, including the electronic dissociation energy to remove H{sub 2} from the calculated equilibrium structure.« less

Alternative Measurement Configurations for Extracting Bulk Optical Properties Using an Integrating Sphere Setup.

PubMed

Thennadil, Suresh N; Chen, Yi-Chieh

2017-02-01

The usual approach for estimating bulk optical properties using an integrating sphere measurement setup is by acquiring spectra from three measurement modes namely collimated transmittance (T c ), total transmittance (T d ), and total diffuse reflectance (R d ), followed by the inversion of these measurements using the adding-doubling method. At high scattering levels, accurate acquisition of T c becomes problematic due to the presence of significant amounts of forward-scattered light in this measurement which is supposed to contain only unscattered light. In this paper, we propose and investigate the effectiveness of using alternative sets of integrating sphere measurements that avoid the use of T c and could potentially increase the upper limit of concentrations of suspensions at which bulk optical property measurements can be obtained in the visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) region of the spectrum. We examine the possibility of replacing T c with one or more reflectance measurements at different sample thicknesses. We also examine the possibility of replacing both the collimated (T c ) and total transmittance (T d ) measurements with reflectance measurements taken from different sample thicknesses. The analysis presented here indicates that replacing T c with a reflectance measurement can reduce the errors in the bulk scattering properties when scattering levels are high. When only multiple reflectance measurements are used, good estimates of the bulk optical properties can be obtained when the absorption levels are low. In addition, we examine whether there is any advantage in using three measurements instead of two to obtain the reduced bulk scattering coefficient and the bulk absorption coefficient. This investigation is made in the context of chemical and biological suspensions which have a much larger range of optical properties compared to those encountered with tissue.

Follicular development and hormonal levels following highly purified or recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone administration in ovulatory women undergoing ovarian stimulation after pituitary suppression for in vitro fertilization: implications for implantation potential.

PubMed

Balasch, J; Fábregues, F; Creus, M; Peñarrubia, J; Vidal, E; Carmona, F; Puerto, B; Vanrell, J A

2000-01-01

The main goal in the present study was to compare follicular development and estradiol levels after ovarian stimulation in pituitary suppressed normally ovulating women undergoing IVF, using highly purified urinary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (u-FSH-HP) and recombinant FSH (rec-FSH). A secondary variable in our study was embryo implantation potential, which is closely related to appropriate follicular development and oocyte competence. For the main purpose of this study, 30 IVF patients (group 1) were treated during IVF consecutive cycles, using the same stimulation protocol, with u-FSH-HP in the first treatment study cycle and rec-FSH in the second one. As a control group (group 2) for implantation rates obtained in cycles treated with rec-FSH, 30 additional IVF patients were included who underwent a second IVF attempt again with u-FSH-HP. The total dose of FSH used and ovarian response obtained in terms of estradiol plasma levels and the total number of growing follicles on the day of human chronic gonadotropin (HCG) injection were similar in both treatment cycles in group 1 but better follicular dynamics and oocyte maturity were obtained with rec-FSH. The implantation rate was significantly higher in rec-FSH treated cycles in patients in group 1 than in control women (group 2). rec-FSH is more efficacious than u-FSH-HP when used in the same patient in inducing multiple follicular development in down-regulated cycles as indicated by ovarian performance and oocyte maturity. In addition, rec-FSH yields significantly higher implantation rates than u-FSH-HP when used in patients undergoing their second IVF attempt.

[Research survey on the information gathering methods, attitudes, and requests from care managers about the pharmaceutical service by pharmacists in home care].

PubMed

Nanaumi, Yoko; Onda, Mitsuko; Sakurai, Hidehiko; Tanaka, Rie; Tsubota, Kenichi; Matoba, Shunya; Mukai, Yusuke; Arakawa, Yukio; Hayase, Yukitoshi

2011-01-01

Care Managers (CMs) were surveyed to clarify the issues involving the promotion of cooperation between care managers and pharmacists in long-term-care and explore solutions. The length of work experience, occupational background, experience of pharmaceutical service; pharmacist visit patients' home for providing medicine and pharmaceutical care into a care plan, degree of understanding on pharmaceutical service, and awareness of work involved in pharmaceutical service were studied to see whether there made differences in the requests from CMs for information on pharmacists and for information gathering methods. The χ(2) test was used to this end. The opinions and requests described by the CMs were validated through text mining. More CMs tended to obtain information and knowledge through training sessions and professional magazines than those who did so through cooperation with pharmacists on a practical level. However, the survey strongly indicated that CMs with high level of understanding and awareness of pharmaceutical service wished to obtain information on pharmacists through cooperation with them on a practical level, and CMs with low level of understanding and awareness of pharmaceutical service wished to obtain such information through training sessions and professional magazines. Results of text mining showed that CMs wished pharmacists to strengthen the cooperation with physicians and provide information on pharmaceutical service. These findings have led to the conclusion that the issues surrounding the promotion of cooperation between CMs and pharmacists centered around "work cooperation on a practical level" and "provision of information to CMs about the roles of pharmacies and pharmacists and their work."

Spectrum of sodiumlike selenium - Se XXIV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, C. M.; Seely, J. F.; Feldman, U.; Richardson, M. C.; Behring, W. E.; Cohen, L.

1986-01-01

High-resolution spectra of Se XXIV have been obtained with a 3-m grazing-incidence spectrograph. Thin plastic foils coated with selenium were irradiated with four or eight beams of the OMEGA laser in a line-focus configuration. Spectrograms were obtained by viewing the plasma axially. Prominent in the spectra were the 3s-3p and 3p-3d transitions in the 150-240-A region and the transitions nl-(n + 1)l-prime with n = 3, 4 in the 24-80-A region. The energy levels and ionization limit derived from the measured wavelengths are also presented.

Aerodynamic and acoustic performance of ejectors for engine-under-the-wing concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonglahn, U.; Goodykoontz, J. H.; Groesbeck, D.

1974-01-01

Subsonic thrust augmentation, exhaust plume velocity contours and acoustic characteristics of a small-scale, 6-tube mixer nozzle with ejector were obtained with and without a wing. Thrust augmentation up to 30 percent was achieved. Aerodynamic results showed that at a given location, greater downstream velocities are obtained with an ejector than with the baseline nozzle. Ejectors reduce high frequency noise; however, low frequency noise amplification also occurs. Acoustic reflections off the wing increase the noise level to a ground observer. With an ejector, the acoustic benefits of forward velocity may be significantly reduced compared with the baseline nozzle.

Unstable matter and the 1-0 MeV gamma-ray background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daly, Ruth A.

1988-01-01

The spectrum of photons produced by an unstable particle which decayed while the universe was young is calculated. This spectrum is compared to that of the 1-10 MeV shoulder, a feature of the high-energy, extragalactic gamma-ray background, whose origin has not yet been determined. The calculated spectrum contains two parameters which are adjusted to obtain a maximal fit to the observed spectrum; the fit thus obtained is accurate to the 99 percent confidence level. The implications for the mass, lifetime, initial abundance, and branching ratio of the unstable particle are discussed.

Wetlands delineation by spectral signature analysis and legal implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderon, R. R.; Carter, V.

1972-01-01

High altitude analysis of wetland resources and the use of such information in an operational mode to address specific problems of wetland preservation at a state level are discussed. Work efforts were directed toward: (1) developing techniques for using large scale color IR photography in state wetlands mapping program, (2) developing methods for obtaining wetlands ecology information from high altitude photography, (3) developing means by which spectral data can be more accurately analyzed visually, and (4) developing spectral data for automatic mapping of wetlands.

Investigation of the Low Power Stage of an 1178 nm Raman System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-23

LEANNE HENRY, DR-III, DAF KENTON T. WOOD, DR-IV, DAF Work Unit Manager Chief, Laser Division This report is published in the...and 1069 nm pumped Raman laser system where the second Stokes is amplified in a 1121 nm resonator defined by high reflector fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs...the gratings was found to impact the performance of the laser and needs to be dealt with in order to obtain high 1178 nm output power levels. In order

Durability of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Lenses Used in Concentrating Photovoltaic Technology (Revised) (Presentation)

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

Miller, D. C.; Carloni, J. D.; Pankow, J. W.

2012-01-01

Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology recently gained interest based on its expected low levelized cost of electricity, high efficiency, and scalability. Many CPV systems employ Fresnel lenses composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to obtain a high optical flux density on the cell. The optical and mechanical durability of these lenses, however, is not well established relative to the desired surface life of 30 years. Our research aims to quantify the expected lifetime of PMMA in key market locations (FL, AZ, and CO).

Neutron detection in a high gamma-ray background with EJ-301 and EJ-309 liquid scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevanato, L.; Cester, D.; Nebbia, G.; Viesti, G.

2012-10-01

Using a fast digitizer, the neutron-gamma discrimination capability of the new liquid scintillator EJ-309 is compared with that obtained using standard EJ-301. Moreover the capability of both the scintillation detectors to identify a weak neutron source in a high gamma-ray background is demonstrated. The probability of neutron detection is PD=95% at 95% confidence level for a gamma-ray background corresponding to a dose rate of 100 μSv/h.

Classical and alternative macrophages have impaired function during acute and chronic HIV-1 infection.

PubMed

Galvão-Lima, Leonardo J; Espíndola, Milena S; Soares, Luana S; Zambuzi, Fabiana A; Cacemiro, Maira; Fontanari, Caroline; Bollela, Valdes R; Frantz, Fabiani G

Three decades after HIV recognition and its association with AIDS development, many advances have emerged - especially related to prevention and treatment. Undoubtedly, the development of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) dramatically changed the future of the syndrome that we know today. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on macrophage function and its relevance to HIV pathogenesis. PBMCs were isolated from blood samples and monocytes (CD14+ cells) were purified. Monocyte-Derived Macrophages (MDMs) were activated on classical (M GM-CSF+IFN-γ ) or alternative (M IL-4+IL13 ) patterns using human recombinant cytokines for six days. After this period, Monocyte-Derived Macrophages were stimulated with TLR2/Dectin-1 or TLR4 agonists and we evaluated the influence of HIV-1 infection and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on the release of cytokines/chemokines by macrophages. The data were obtained using Monocyte-Derived Macrophages derived from HIV naïve or from patients on regular Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. Classically Monocyte-Derived Macrophages obtained from HIV-1 infected patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy released higher levels of IL-6 and IL-12 even without PAMPs stimuli when compared to control group. On the other hand, alternative Monocyte-Derived Macrophages derived from HIV-1 infected patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy released lower levels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IP-10 and RANTES after LPS stimuli when compared to control group. Furthermore, healthy individuals have a complex network of cytokines/chemokines released by Monocyte-Derived Macrophages after PAMP stimuli, which was deeply affected in MDMs obtained from naïve HIV-1 infected patients and only partially restored in MDMs derived from HIV-1 infected patients even on regular Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. Our therapy protocols were not effective in restoring the functional alterations induced by HIV, especially those found on macrophages. These findings indicate that we still need to develop new approaches and improve the current therapy protocols, focusing on the reestablishment of cellular functions and prevention/treatment of opportunistic infections. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant activity, cytotoxic activity and metabolic profiling of juices obtained from saffron (Crocus sativus L.) floral by-products.

PubMed

Tuberoso, Carlo I G; Rosa, Antonella; Montoro, Paola; Fenu, Maurizio Antonio; Pizza, Cosimo

2016-05-15

Juices obtained from cold-pressed saffron (Crocus sativus L.) floral by-products were evaluated as a potential source of compounds with antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Floral by-products were split in two batches for extraction 24 and 48h after flower harvesting, respectively. The in vitro anti-oxidant activity of these extracts was tested using the FRAP and DPPH assays, and two biological models of lipid oxidation (activity in preventing cholesterol degradation and protection against Cu(2+)-mediated degradation of the liposomal unsaturated fatty acids). The cytotoxic activity was evaluated using the MTT assay. The results show that extracts obtained 48h post-harvest contained higher levels of total polar phenols and had the highest antioxidant activity in all of the performed assays. The LC-DAD and LC-ESI-(HR)MS(n) metabolic profiles showed high levels of kaempferol derivatives and anthocyanins. This study suggests that juices from saffron floral by-products could potentially be used to develop new products for the food and health industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A demonstration of centimeter-level monitoring of polar motion with the Global Positioning System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindqwister, U. J.; Freedman, A. P.; Blewitt, G.

1992-01-01

Daily estimates of the Earth's pole position were obtained with the Global Positioning System (GPS) by using measurements obtained during the GPS IERS (International Earth Rotation Service) and Geodynamics (GIG'91) experiment from 22 Jan. to 13 Feb. 1991. Data from a globally distributed network consisting of 21 Rogue GPS receivers were chosen for the analysis. A comparison of the GPS polar motion series with nine 24-hour very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) estimates yielded agreement in the day-to-day pole position of about 1.5 cm for both X and Y polar motion. A similar comparison of GPS and satellite laser ranging (SLR) data showed agreement to about 1.0 cm. These preliminary results indicate that polar motion can be determined by GPS independent of, and at a level comparable to, that which is obtained from either VLBI or SLR. Furthermore, GPS can provide these data with a daily frequency that neither alternative technique can readily achieve. Thus, GPS promises to be a powerful tool for determining high-frequency platform parameter variation, essential for the ultraprecise spacecraft-tracking requirements of the coming years.

Comparison of 32 x 128 and 32 x 32 Geiger-mode APD FPAs for single photon 3D LADAR imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itzler, Mark A.; Entwistle, Mark; Owens, Mark; Patel, Ketan; Jiang, Xudong; Slomkowski, Krystyna; Rangwala, Sabbir; Zalud, Peter F.; Senko, Tom; Tower, John; Ferraro, Joseph

2011-05-01

We present results obtained from 3D imaging focal plane arrays (FPAs) employing planar-geometry InGaAsP/InP Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GmAPDs) with high-efficiency single photon sensitivity at 1.06 μm. We report results obtained for new 32 x 128 format FPAs with 50 μm pitch and compare these results to those obtained for 32 x 32 format FPAs with 100 μm pitch. We show excellent pixel-level yield-including 100% pixel operability-for both formats. The dark count rate (DCR) and photon detection efficiency (PDE) performance is found to be similar for both types of arrays, including the fundamental DCR vs. PDE tradeoff. The optical crosstalk due to photon emission induced by pixel-level avalanche detection events is found to be qualitatively similar for both formats, with some crosstalk metrics for the 32 x 128 format found to be moderately elevated relative to the 32 x 32 FPA results. Timing jitter measurements are also reported for the 32 x 128 FPAs.

Determination of the aflatoxin AFB1 from corn by direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS).

PubMed

Busman, Mark; Liu, Jihong; Zhong, Hongjian; Bobell, John R; Maragos, Chris M

2014-01-01

Direct analysis in real time (DART) ionisation coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer (MS) was used for screening of aflatoxins from a variety of surfaces and the rapid quantitative analysis of a common form of aflatoxin, AFB1, extracted from corn. Sample preparation procedure and instrument parameter settings were optimised to obtain sensitive and accurate determination of aflatoxin AFB1. 84:16 acetonitrile water extracts of corn were analysed by DART-MS. The lowest calibration level (LCL) for aflatoxin AFB1 was 4 μg kg⁻¹. Quantitative analysis was performed with the use of matrix-matched standards employing the ¹³C-labelled internal standard for AFB1. DART-MS of spiked corn extracts gave linear response in the range 4-1000 μg kg⁻¹. Good recoveries (94-110%) and repeatabilities (RSD = 0.7-6.9%) were obtained at spiking levels of 20 and 100 μg kg⁻¹ with the use of an isotope dilution technique. Trueness of data obtained for AFB1 in maize by DART-MS was demonstrated by analysis of corn certified reference materials.

Development of lasers optimized for pumping Ti:Al2O3 lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rines, Glen A.; Schwarz, Richard A.

1994-01-01

Laboratory demonstrations that were completed included: (1) an all-solid-state, broadly tunable, single-frequency, Ti:Al2O3 master oscillator, and (2) a technique for obtaining 'long' (nominally 100- to 200-ns FWHM) laser pulses from a Q-switched, Nd oscillator at energy levels commensurate with straightforward amplification to the joule level. A diode-laser-pumped, Nd:YLF laser with intracavity SHG was designed, constructed, and evaluated. With this laser greater than 0.9 W of CW, output power at 523.5 nm with 10 W of diode-laser pump power delivered to the Nd:YLF crystal was obtained. With this laser as a pump source, for the first time, to our knowledge, an all solid-state, single frequency, Ti:Al203 laser with sufficient output power to injection seed a high-energy oscillator over a 20-nm bandwidth was demonstrated. The pulsed laser work succeeded in demonstrating pulse-stretching in a Q-switched Nd:YAG oscillator. Pulse energies greater than 50-mJ were obtained in pulses with 100- to 200-ns pulsewidths (FWHM).

A Statistical Study of Serum Cholesterol Level by Gender and Race.

PubMed

Tharu, Bhikhari Prasad; Tsokos, Chris P

2017-07-25

Cholesterol level (CL) is growing concerned as health issue in human health since it is considered one of the causes in heart diseases. A study of cholesterol level can provide insight about its nature and characteristics. A cross-sectional study. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANS) II was conducted on a probability sample of approximately 28,000 persons in the USA and cholesterol level is obtained from laboratory results. Samples were selected so that certain population groups thought to be at high risk of malnutrition. Study included 11,864 persons for CL cases with 9,602 males and 2,262 females with races: whites, blacks, and others. Non-parametric statistical tests and goodness of fit test have been used to identify probability distributions. The study concludes that the cholesterol level exhibits significant racial and gender differences in terms of probability distributions. The study has concluded that white people are relatively higher at risk than black people to have risk line and high risk cholesterol. The study clearly indicates that black males normally have higher cholesterol. Females have lower variation in cholesterol than males. There exists gender and racial discrepancies in cholesterol which has been identified as lognormal and gamma probability distributions. White individuals seem to be at a higher risk of having high risk cholesterol level than blacks. Females tend to have higher variation in cholesterol level than males.

The HST Frontier Fields: Complete High-Level Science Data Products for All 6 Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koekemoer, Anton M.; Mack, Jennifer; Lotz, Jennifer M.; Borncamp, David; Khandrika, Harish G.; Lucas, Ray A.; Martlin, Catherine; Porterfield, Blair; Sunnquist, Ben; Anderson, Jay; Avila, Roberto J.; Barker, Elizabeth A.; Grogin, Norman A.; Gunning, Heather C.; Hilbert, Bryan; Ogaz, Sara; Robberto, Massimo; Sembach, Kenneth; Flanagan, Kathryn; Mountain, Matt; HST Frontier Fields Team

2017-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields program (PI: J. Lotz) is a large Director's Discretionary program of 840 orbits, to obtain ultra-deep observations of six strong lensing clusters of galaxies, together with parallel deep blank fields, making use of the strong lensing amplification by these clusters of distant background galaxies to detect the faintest galaxies currently observable in the high-redshift universe. The entire program has now completed successfully for all 6 clusters, namely Abell 2744, Abell S1063, Abell 370, MACS J0416.1-2403, MACS J0717.5+3745 and MACS J1149.5+2223,. Each of these was observed over two epochs, to a total depth of 140 orbits on the main cluster and an associated parallel field, obtaining images in ACS (F435W, F606W, F814W) and WFC3/IR (F105W, F125W, F140W, F160W) on both the main cluster and the parallel field in all cases. Full sets of high-level science products have been generated for all these clusters by the team at STScI, including cumulative-depth data releases during each epoch, as well as full-depth releases after the completion of each epoch. These products include all the full-depth distortion-corrected drizzled mosaics and associated products for each cluster, which are science-ready to facilitate the construction of lensing models as well as enabling a wide range of other science projects. Many improvements beyond default calibration for ACS and WFC3/IR are implemented in these data products, including corrections for persistence, time-variable sky, and low-level dark current residuals, as well as improvements in astrometric alignment to achieve milliarcsecond-level accuracy. The full set of resulting high-level science products and mosaics are publicly delivered to the community via the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) to enable the widest scientific use of these data, as well as ensuring a public legacy dataset of the highest possible quality that is of lasting value to the entire community.

The HST Frontier Fields: Complete Observations and High-Level Science Data Products for All 6 Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koekemoer, Anton M.; Mack, Jennifer; Lotz, Jennifer M.; Borncamp, David; Khandrika, Harish G.; Lucas, Ray A.; Martlin, Catherine; Martlin, Catherine; Porterfield, Blair; Sunnquist, Ben; Anderson, Jay; Avila, Roberto J.; Barker, Elizabeth A.; Grogin, Norman A.; Gunning, Heather C.; Hilbert, Bryan; Ogaz, Sara; Robberto, Massimo; Sembach, Kenneth; Flanagan, Kathryn; Mountain, Matt; HST Frontier Fields Team

2017-06-01

The Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields program is a large Director's Discretionary program of 840 orbits, to obtain ultra-deep observations of six strong lensing clusters of galaxies, together with parallel deep blank fields, making use of the strong lensing amplification by these clusters of distant background galaxies to detect the faintest galaxies currently observable in the high-redshift universe. The entire program has now completed successfully for all 6 clusters, namely Abell 2744, Abell S1063, Abell 370, MACS J0416.1-2403, MACS J0717.5+3745 and MACS J1149.5+2223,. Each of these was observed over two epochs, to a total depth of 140 orbits on the main cluster and an associated parallel field, obtaining images in ACS (F435W, F606W, F814W) and WFC3/IR (F105W, F125W, F140W, F160W) on both the main cluster and the parallel field in all cases. Full sets of high-level science products have been generated for all these clusters by the team at STScI, including cumulative-depth data releases during each epoch, as well as full-depth releases after the completion of each epoch. These products include all the full-depth distortion-corrected drizzled mosaics and associated products for each cluster, which are science-ready to facilitate the construction of lensing models as well as enabling a wide range of other science projects. Many improvements beyond default calibration for ACS and WFC3/IR are implemented in these data products, including corrections for persistence, time-variable sky, and low-level dark current residuals, as well as improvements in astrometric alignment to achieve milliarcsecond-level accuracy. The full set of resulting high-level science products and mosaics are publicly delivered to the community via the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) to enable the widest scientific use of these data, as well as ensuring a public legacy dataset of the highest possible quality that is of lasting value to the entire community.

Socioeconomic and environmental determinants of adolescent asthma in urban Latin America: an ecological analysis.

PubMed

Fattore, Gisel Lorena; Santos, Carlos Antonio de Souza Teles; Barreto, Mauricio Lima

2015-11-01

The prevalence of asthma is high in urban areas of many Latin-American countries where societies show high levels of inequality and different levels of development. This study aimed to examine the relationship between asthma symptoms prevalence in adolescents living in Latin American urban centers and socioeconomic and environmental determinants measured at the ecological level. Asthma prevalence symptoms were obtained from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase III. A hierarchical conceptual framework was defined and the explanatory variables were organized in three levels: distal, intermediate, proximal. Linear regression models weighed by sample size were undertaken between asthma prevalence and the selected variables. Asthma prevalence was positively associated with Gini index, water supply and homicide rate, and inversely associated with the Human Development Index, crowding and adequate sanitation. This study provides evidence of the potential influence of poverty and social inequalities on current wheezing in adolescents in a complex social context like Latin America.

The Diamond Beamline Controls and Data Acquisition Software Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rees, N.

2010-06-01

The software for the Diamond Light Source beamlines[1] is based on two complementary software frameworks: low level control is provided by the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) framework[2][3] and the high level user interface is provided by the Java based Generic Data Acquisition or GDA[4][5]. EPICS provides a widely used, robust, generic interface across a wide range of hardware where the user interfaces are focused on serving the needs of engineers and beamline scientists to obtain detailed low level views of all aspects of the beamline control systems. The GDA system provides a high-level system that combines an understanding of scientific concepts, such as reciprocal lattice coordinates, a flexible python syntax scripting interface for the scientific user to control their data acquisition, and graphical user interfaces where necessary. This paper describes the beamline software architecture in more detail, highlighting how these complementary frameworks provide a flexible system that can accommodate a wide range of requirements.

Validation and transferability study of a method based on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for the detection and quantification of ergot bodies in cereals.

PubMed

Vermeulen, Ph; Fernández Pierna, J A; van Egmond, H P; Zegers, J; Dardenne, P; Baeten, V

2013-09-01

In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging has proved its suitability for quality and safety control in the cereal sector by allowing spectroscopic images to be collected at single-kernel level, which is of great interest to cereal control laboratories. Contaminants in cereals include, inter alia, impurities such as straw, grains from other crops, and insects, as well as undesirable substances such as ergot (sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea). For the cereal sector, the presence of ergot creates a high toxicity risk for animals and humans because of its alkaloid content. A study was undertaken, in which a complete procedure for detecting ergot bodies in cereals was developed, based on their NIR spectral characteristics. These were used to build relevant decision rules based on chemometric tools and on the morphological information obtained from the NIR images. The study sought to transfer this procedure from a pilot online NIR hyperspectral imaging system at laboratory level to a NIR hyperspectral imaging system at industrial level and to validate the latter. All the analyses performed showed that the results obtained using both NIR hyperspectral imaging cameras were quite stable and repeatable. In addition, a correlation higher than 0.94 was obtained between the predicted values obtained by NIR hyperspectral imaging and those supplied by the stereo-microscopic method which is the reference method. The validation of the transferred protocol on blind samples showed that the method could identify and quantify ergot contamination, demonstrating the transferability of the method. These results were obtained on samples with an ergot concentration of 0.02% which is less than the EC limit for cereals (intervention grains) destined for humans fixed at 0.05%.