C. elegans network biology: a beginning.

PubMed Central

Piano, Fabio; Gunsalus, Kristin C; Hill, David E; Vidal, Marc

2006-01-01

The architecture and dynamics of molecular networks can provide an understanding of complex biological processes complementary to that obtained from the in-depth study of single genes and proteins. With a completely sequenced and well-annotated genome, a fully characterized cell lineage, and powerful tools available to dissect development, Caenorhabditis elegans, among metazoans, provides an optimal system to bridge cellular and organismal biology with the global properties of macromolecular networks. This chapter considers omic technologies available for C. elegans to describe molecular networks--encompassing transcriptional and phenotypic profiling as well as physical interaction mapping--and discusses how their individual and integrated applications are paving the way for a network-level understanding of C. elegans biology. PMID:18050437

Optimal joint measurements of complementary observables by a single trapped ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, T. P.; Yan, L. L.; Ma, Z. H.; Zhou, F.; Chen, L.; Yang, W. L.; Feng, M.; Busch, P.

2017-06-01

The uncertainty relations, pioneered by Werner Heisenberg nearly 90 years ago, set a fundamental limitation on the joint measurability of complementary observables. This limitation has long been a subject of debate, which has been reignited recently due to new proposed forms of measurement uncertainty relations. The present work is associated with a new error trade-off relation for compatible observables approximating two incompatible observables, in keeping with the spirit of Heisenberg’s original ideas of 1927. We report the first direct test and confirmation of the tight bounds prescribed by such an error trade-off relation, based on an experimental realisation of optimal joint measurements of complementary observables using a single ultracold {}40{{{Ca}}}+ ion trapped in a harmonic potential. Our work provides a prototypical determination of ultimate joint measurement error bounds with potential applications in quantum information science for high-precision measurement and information security.

American Academy of Pediatrics. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics.

PubMed

Kemper, Kathi J; Vohra, Sunita; Walls, Richard

2008-12-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics is dedicated to optimizing the well-being of children and advancing family-centered health care. Related to these goals, the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and, as a result, the need to provide information and support for pediatricians. From 2000 to 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics convened and charged the Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine to address issues related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and to develop resources to educate physicians, patients, and families. One of these resources is this report describing complementary and alternative medicine services, current levels of utilization and financial expenditures, and associated legal and ethical considerations. The subject of complementary and alternative medicine is large and diverse, and consequently, an in-depth discussion of each method of complementary and alternative medicine is beyond the scope of this report. Instead, this report will define terms; describe epidemiology; outline common types of complementary and alternative medicine therapies; review medicolegal, ethical, and research implications; review education and training for complementary and alternative medicine providers; provide resources for learning more about complementary and alternative medicine; and suggest communication strategies to use when discussing complementary and alternative medicine with patients and families.

Complementary-encoding holographic associative memory using a photorefractive crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, ShiFu; Wu, Minxian; Yan, Yingbai; Jin, Guofan

1996-06-01

We present a holographic implementation of accurate associative memory with only one holographic memory system. In the implementation, the stored and test images are coded by using complementary-encoding method. The recalled complete image is also a coded image that can be decoded with a decoding mask to get an original image or its complement image. The experiment shows that the complementary encoding can efficiently increase the addressing accuracy in a simple way. Instead of the above complementary-encoding method, a scheme that uses complementary area-encoding method is also proposed for the holographic implementation of gray-level image associative memory with accurate addressing.

Optimal advertising and pricing decisions for complementary products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taleizadeh, Ata Allah; Charmchi, Masoud

2015-03-01

Cooperative advertising is an agreement between a manufacturer and a retailer to share advertising cost at the local level. Previous studies have not investigated cooperative advertising for complementary products and their main focus was only on one good. In this paper, we study a two-echelon supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and one retailer with two complementary goods. The demand of each good is influenced not only by its price but also by the price of the other product. We use two game theory approaches to model this problem; Stackelberg manufacturer and Stackelberg retailer.

Which missing value imputation method to use in expression profiles: a comparative study and two selection schemes.

PubMed

Brock, Guy N; Shaffer, John R; Blakesley, Richard E; Lotz, Meredith J; Tseng, George C

2008-01-10

Gene expression data frequently contain missing values, however, most down-stream analyses for microarray experiments require complete data. In the literature many methods have been proposed to estimate missing values via information of the correlation patterns within the gene expression matrix. Each method has its own advantages, but the specific conditions for which each method is preferred remains largely unclear. In this report we describe an extensive evaluation of eight current imputation methods on multiple types of microarray experiments, including time series, multiple exposures, and multiple exposures x time series data. We then introduce two complementary selection schemes for determining the most appropriate imputation method for any given data set. We found that the optimal imputation algorithms (LSA, LLS, and BPCA) are all highly competitive with each other, and that no method is uniformly superior in all the data sets we examined. The success of each method can also depend on the underlying "complexity" of the expression data, where we take complexity to indicate the difficulty in mapping the gene expression matrix to a lower-dimensional subspace. We developed an entropy measure to quantify the complexity of expression matrixes and found that, by incorporating this information, the entropy-based selection (EBS) scheme is useful for selecting an appropriate imputation algorithm. We further propose a simulation-based self-training selection (STS) scheme. This technique has been used previously for microarray data imputation, but for different purposes. The scheme selects the optimal or near-optimal method with high accuracy but at an increased computational cost. Our findings provide insight into the problem of which imputation method is optimal for a given data set. Three top-performing methods (LSA, LLS and BPCA) are competitive with each other. Global-based imputation methods (PLS, SVD, BPCA) performed better on mcroarray data with lower complexity, while neighbour-based methods (KNN, OLS, LSA, LLS) performed better in data with higher complexity. We also found that the EBS and STS schemes serve as complementary and effective tools for selecting the optimal imputation algorithm.

Attitudes towards and personal use of complementary and alternative medicine amongst clinicians working in audiovestibular disciplines.

PubMed

Crundwell, G; Baguley, D M

2016-08-01

Literature indicates that complementary and alternative medicine is used by patients with auditory and vestibular symptoms. This study sought to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine uptake, and examine attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in clinicians working with audiovestibular disorder patients. The Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire and a devised questionnaire about recent and lifetime use of complementary and alternative medicine were used. Fifty-four individuals, including audiologists, ENT surgeons, nurses and rehabilitationists, completed the questionnaires (67 per cent response rate). Lifetime prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine uptake was 44 per cent, and 12-month prevalence was 22 per cent. Uptake was more common in females, but there was no significant difference in use when comparing age, seniority or profession. Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine were mildly adverse, but sizeable standard deviation indicates wide-ranging attitudes. Clinicians working with patients with audiovestibular disorders have a range of attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine. Personal uptake of complementary and alternative medicine was lower than that of the general UK population, but remains sizeable.

Multimodal Microchannel and Nanowell-Based Microfluidic Platforms for Bioimaging

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

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Zhu, Ying

2017-03-30

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes. However, limitations for unicellular organism trapping, culturing and long-term imaging can preclude complete understanding of how such microorganisms respond to perturbations in their local environment or linking single-cell variability to whole population dynamics. We have developed microfluidic platforms to overcome prior technical bottlenecks to allow both chemostat and compartmentalized cellular growth conditions using the same device. Additionally, a nanowell-based platform enables a high throughput approach to scale up compartmentalized imaging optimized within the microfluidic device. These channel and nanowell platforms are complementary, and both provide fine control over the localmore » environment as well as the ability to add/replace media components at any experimental time point.« less

Optimization of the nutrient content and protein quality of cereal-legume blends for use as complementary foods in Ghana.

PubMed

Suri, Devika J; Tano-Debrah, Kwaku; Ghosh, Shibani A

2014-09-01

Nutritionally adequate complementary foods made from locally available ingredients are of high priority in developing countries, including Ghana. The majority of complementary foods in these countries are cereal-based and are unable to meet the nutrient intakes recommended by the World Health Organization. To evaluate the nutrient content and protein quality of local cereal-legume blends for complementary foods against recommendations and to determine the quantities of additional ingredients required to meet needs by using linear programming. Nine cereal-legume combinations (maize, sorghum, or millet combined with cowpea, peanut, or soybean) and koko (a traditional Ghanaian maize-based complementary food) were evaluated based on the macronutrient targets for a daily ration of complementary food for the age group 12 to 24 months: 264 kcal, 6.5 g of protein, and 8.2 to 11.7 g of fat. Protein quality was assessed by the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). Linear programming was then used to determine the amounts of additional oil, sugar, and lysine needed to meet macronutrient requirements. No traditional cereal-legume food met all complementary food macronutrient requirements on its own. Cereal-legume blends made with peanut or cowpeas were low in quality protein, while those with soybean were low in fat. Lysine was the limiting amino acid (PDCAAS 0.50 to 0.82) in all blends. Adding lysine increased utilizable protein by 1% to 10% in soybean blends, 35% to 40% in peanut blends, and 14% to 24% in cowpea blends. Peanut-maize, peanut-millet, and all soybean-cereal blends were able to meet macronutrient targets; most micronutrients remained below recommended levels. Traditional cereal-legume blends made from locally available ingredients do not meet energy, quality protein, and fat recommendations for complementary foods; however, such complementary food blends may be optimized to meet nutrient requirements by using linear programming as a tool to determine the exact levels of fortificants to be added (including, but not limited to, added fat, amino acids, and micronutrients).

Complementary feeding adequacy in relation to nutritional status among early weaned breastfed children who are born to HIV-infected mothers: ANRS 1201/1202 Ditrame Plus, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

PubMed

Becquet, Renaud; Leroy, Valériane; Ekouevi, Didier K; Viho, Ida; Castetbon, Katia; Fassinou, Patricia; Dabis, François; Timite-Konan, Marguerite

2006-04-01

In high HIV prevalence resource-constrained settings, exclusive breastfeeding with early cessation is one of the conceivable interventions aimed at the prevention of HIV through breast milk. Nevertheless, this intervention has potential adverse effects, such as the inappropriateness of complementary feeding to take over breast milk. The purpose of our study first was to describe the nature and the ages of introduction of complementary feeding among early weaned breastfed infants up to their first birthday and second was to assess the nutritional adequacy of these complementary foods by creating a child feeding index and to investigate its association with child nutritional status. A prospective cohort study in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, was conducted in HIV-infected pregnant women who were willing to breastfeed and had received a perinatal antiretroviral prophylaxis. They were requested to practice exclusive breastfeeding and initiate early cessation of breastfeeding from the fourth month to reduce breast milk HIV transmission. Nature and ages of introductory complementary feeding were described in infants up to their first birthday by longitudinal compilation of 24-hour and 7-day recall histories. These recalls were done weekly until 6 weeks of age, monthly until 9 months of age, and then quarterly. We created an index to synthesize the nutritional adequacy of infant feeding practices (in terms of quality of the source of milk, dietary diversity, food, and meal frequencies) ranging from 0 to 12. The association of this feeding index with growth outcomes in children was investigated. Among the 262 breastfed children included, complete cessation of breastfeeding occurred in 77% by their first birthday, with a median duration of 4 months. Most of the complementary foods were introduced within the seventh month of life, except for infant food and infant formula that were introduced at age 4 months. The feeding index was relatively low (5 of 12) at age 6 months, mainly as a result of insufficient dietary diversity, but was improved in the next 6 months (8.5 of 12 at 12 months of age). Inadequate complementary feeding at age 6 months was associated with impaired growth during the next 12 months, with a 37% increased probability of stunting. Adequate feeding practices around the weaning period are crucial to achieving optimal child growth. HIV-infected women should turn to early cessation of breastfeeding only when they are counseled properly to provide adequate complementary feeding to take over breast milk. Our child feeding index could contribute to the assessment of the nutritional adequacy of complementary feeding around the weaning period and therefore help to detect children who are at risk for malnutrition.

Have complementary therapies demonstrated effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis?

PubMed

Fernández-Llanio Comella, Nagore; Fernández Matilla, Meritxell; Castellano Cuesta, Juan Antonio

2016-01-01

In recent decades the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has improved thanks to the use of highly effective drugs. However, patients usually require long term therapy, which is not free of side effects. Therefore RA patients often demand complementary medicine, they seek additional sources of relief and/or less side effects. In fact 30-60% of rheumatic patients use some form of complementary medicine. Therefore, from conventional medicine, if we want to optimally treat our patients facilitating communication with them we must know the most commonly used complementary medicines. The aim of this review is to assess, based on published scientific research, what complementary therapies commonly used by patients with RA are effective and safe. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

An Evidence-Based Course in Complementary Medicines

PubMed Central

Hughes, Jeff

2012-01-01

Objective. To evaluate the impact of an evidence-based course in complementary medicines on the attitudes, knowledge, and professional practice behavior of undergraduate pharmacy students. Design. A required 12-week evidence-based complementary medicine course was designed and introduced into the third-year undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. The course included a combination of traditional lectures, interactive tutorial sessions, and a range of formal assessments. Assessment. Pre- and post-course survey instruments were administered to assess changes in students’ attitudes, perceptions, knowledge, and the likelihood they would recommend the use of complementary medicines in a pharmacy practice environment. Conclusion. Completion of a required evidence-based complementary medicines course resulted in a positive change in pharmacy students’ perceptions of the value of various complementary medicines as well as in their willingness to recommend them, and provided students with the required knowledge to make patient-centered recommendations for use of complementary medicines in a professional pharmacy practice setting. These findings support the need for greater evidence-based complementary medicine education within pharmacy curricula to meet consumer demand and to align with pharmacists’ professional responsibilities. PMID:23275665

Percutaneous transendocardial delivery of self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6 achieves global cardiac gene transfer in canines

PubMed Central

Bish, Lawrence T.; Sleeper, Meg M.; Brainard, Benjamin; Cole, Stephen; Russell, Nicholas; Withnall, Elanor; Arndt, Jason; Reynolds, Caryn; Davison, Ellen; Sanmiguel, Julio; Wu, Di; Gao, Guangping; Wilson, James M.; Sweeney, H. Lee

2011-01-01

Achieving efficient cardiac gene transfer in a large animal model has proven to be technically challenging. Prior strategies have employed cardio-pulmonary bypass or dual catheterization with the aid of vasodilators to deliver vectors, such as adenovirus, adeno-associated virus or plasmid DNA. While single stranded adeno-associated virus vectors have shown the greatest promise, they suffer from delayed expression, which might be circumvented by using self-complementary vectors. We sought to optimize cardiac gene transfer using a percutaneous transendocardial injection catheter to deliver adeno-associated virus vectors to the canine myocardium. Four vectors were evaluated—single stranded adeno-associated virus 9, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 9, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 8, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6—so that comparison could be made between single stranded and self complementary vectors as well as among serotypes 9, 8, and 6. We demonstrate that self-complementary adeno-associated virus is superior to single stranded adeno-associated virus and that adeno-associated virus 6 is superior to other serotypes evaluated. Biodistribution studies revealed that vector genome copies were 15 to 4000 times more abundant in the heart than in any other organ for self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6. Percutaneous transendocardial injection of self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6 is a safe, effective method for achieving efficient cardiac gene transfer. PMID:18813281

Predicting mothers' decisions to introduce complementary feeding at 6 months. An investigation using an extended theory of planned behaviour.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kyra; Daniels, Lynne; White, Katherine M; Murray, Nicole; Walsh, Anne

2011-06-01

In Australia and other developed countries there is poor adherence to guidelines recommending the introduction of complementary feeding to infants at 6 months of age. We aimed to investigate, via adopting a theory of planned behaviour framework and incorporating additional normative and demographic influences, mothers' complementary feeding intentions and behaviour. Participants were 375 primiparas who completed an initial questionnaire (infant age 13±3 weeks) that assessed the theory of planned behaviour constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, as well as group norm and additional maternal and infant variables of mothers' age, education level, weight status perception, current maternal feeding practices, and infant birth weight. Approximately, 3 months after completion of the main questionnaire, mothers completed a follow-up questionnaire that assessed the age in months at which the infant was first introduced to solids. The theory of planned behaviour variables of attitude and subjective norm, along with group norm, predicted intentions, with intention, mothers' age (older more likely), and weight status perception (overweight less likely) predicting behaviour. Overall, the results highlight the importance of attitudes, normative influences, and individual characteristics in complementary feeding decision-making which should be considered when designing interventions aimed at improving adherence to current maternal feeding guidelines. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining Complementary Properties with Quantum Clones.

PubMed

Thekkadath, G S; Saaltink, R Y; Giner, L; Lundeen, J S

2017-08-04

In a classical world, simultaneous measurements of complementary properties (e.g., position and momentum) give a system's state. In quantum mechanics, measurement-induced disturbance is largest for complementary properties and, hence, limits the precision with which such properties can be determined simultaneously. It is tempting to try to sidestep this disturbance by copying the system and measuring each complementary property on a separate copy. However, perfect copying is physically impossible in quantum mechanics. Here, we investigate using the closest quantum analog to this copying strategy, optimal cloning. The coherent portion of the generated clones' state corresponds to "twins" of the input system. Like perfect copies, both twins faithfully reproduce the properties of the input system. Unlike perfect copies, the twins are entangled. As such, a measurement on both twins is equivalent to a simultaneous measurement on the input system. For complementary observables, this joint measurement gives the system's state, just as in the classical case. We demonstrate this experimentally using polarized single photons.

Determining Complementary Properties with Quantum Clones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thekkadath, G. S.; Saaltink, R. Y.; Giner, L.; Lundeen, J. S.

2017-08-01

In a classical world, simultaneous measurements of complementary properties (e.g., position and momentum) give a system's state. In quantum mechanics, measurement-induced disturbance is largest for complementary properties and, hence, limits the precision with which such properties can be determined simultaneously. It is tempting to try to sidestep this disturbance by copying the system and measuring each complementary property on a separate copy. However, perfect copying is physically impossible in quantum mechanics. Here, we investigate using the closest quantum analog to this copying strategy, optimal cloning. The coherent portion of the generated clones' state corresponds to "twins" of the input system. Like perfect copies, both twins faithfully reproduce the properties of the input system. Unlike perfect copies, the twins are entangled. As such, a measurement on both twins is equivalent to a simultaneous measurement on the input system. For complementary observables, this joint measurement gives the system's state, just as in the classical case. We demonstrate this experimentally using polarized single photons.

Pricing in a two-echelon supply chain with different market powers: game theory approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esmaeilzadeh, Afshin; Taleizadeh, Ata Allah

2016-03-01

In this research, the optimal pricing decisions for two complementary products in a two-echelon supply chain under two scenarios are studied. The proposed supply chain in each echelon includes one retailer and two manufacturers and the same complementary products are produced. In the first scenario, we assume the unit manufacturing costs of the complementary products in each echelon are the same, while in the second one the different unit manufacturing costs are supposed and lead to demand leakage from the echelon with the higher unit manufacturing cost to the echelon with the lower unit manufacturing cost. Moreover, under the second scenario, the products with lower price are replaced with the higher price products. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of different market powers between the manufacturers and the retailer and the demand leakage on the optimal wholesale and retail prices and also on the profit of the chain. The relationships between the manufacturers and the retailer are modeled by the MS-Stackelberg and MS-Bertrand game-theoretic approach where the manufacturers are leaders and the retailers are followers.

Shape reconstruction of irregular bodies with multiple complementary data sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaasalainen, M.; Viikinkoski, M.

2012-07-01

We discuss inversion methods for shape reconstruction with complementary data sources. The current main sources are photometry, adaptive optics or other images, occultation timings, and interferometry, and the procedure can readily be extended to include range-Doppler radar and thermal infrared data as well. We introduce the octantoid, a generally applicable shape support that can be automatically used for surface types encountered in planetary research, including strongly nonconvex or non-starlike shapes. We present models of Kleopatra and Hermione from multimodal data as examples of this approach. An important concept in this approach is the optimal weighting of the various data modes. We define the maximum compatibility estimate, a multimodal generalization of the maximum likelihood estimate, for this purpose. We also present a specific version of the procedure for asteroid flyby missions, with which one can reconstruct the complete shape of the target by using the flyby-based map of a part of the surface together with other available data. Finally, we show that the relative volume error of a shape solution is usually approximately equal to the relative shape error rather than its multiple. Our algorithms are trivially parallelizable, so running the code on a CUDA-enabled graphics processing unit is some two orders of magnitude faster than the usual single-processor mode.

The prevalence of dietary-related complementary and alternative therapies and their perceived usefulness among cancer patients.

PubMed

van Tonder, E; Herselman, M G; Visser, J

2009-12-01

The present study aimed to directly assess and compare the usage, benefits and side-effects of dietary-related complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among adult cancer patients and non-cancer adults in Norwich, UK. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 98 cancer patients and 92 non-cancer adults to compare demographics, types of CAM usage with reasons, benefits, side-effects and CAM information sources. The groups were matched for gender, age, marital status, education and household income. The mean ages were 62.7 and 59.7 years, respectively, with slightly more female than male participants. CAM use was high in both groups (47% in cancer and 53% in non-cancer respondents, P > 0.05). The most widely-used diet-related CAM among both groups was the large intake of fruit, vegetables and juice, multivitamins, fish oils and glucosamine. Fish oil intake was significantly higher in the non-cancer group (P < 0.05), whereas selenium and beta-carotene supplements were significantly higher in the cancer group (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The main reasons for using CAM were to boost the immune system and to improve quality of life (P > 0.05). Reported benefits included increased optimism and hope for the cancer group and increased optimism and pain relief for the non-cancer group. Diet-related CAM is used frequently by both cancer patients and non-cancer adults, with many reported benefits and few reported side-effects. Significant differences between the groups included a higher prevalence of fish oil used by the non-cancer group, and a higher use of selenium and beta-carotene supplements in the cancer group.

Improved Space Surveillance Network (SSN) Scheduling using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stottler, D.

There are close to 20,000 cataloged manmade objects in space, the large majority of which are not active, functioning satellites. These are tracked by phased array and mechanical radars and ground and space-based optical telescopes, collectively known as the Space Surveillance Network (SSN). A better SSN schedule of observations could, using exactly the same legacy sensor resources, improve space catalog accuracy through more complementary tracking, provide better responsiveness to real-time changes, better track small debris in low earth orbit (LEO) through efficient use of applicable sensors, efficiently track deep space (DS) frequent revisit objects, handle increased numbers of objects and new types of sensors, and take advantage of future improved communication and control to globally optimize the SSN schedule. We have developed a scheduling algorithm that takes as input the space catalog and the associated covariance matrices and produces a globally optimized schedule for each sensor site as to what objects to observe and when. This algorithm is able to schedule more observations with the same sensor resources and have those observations be more complementary, in terms of the precision with which each orbit metric is known, to produce a satellite observation schedule that, when executed, minimizes the covariances across the entire space object catalog. If used operationally, the results would be significantly increased accuracy of the space catalog with fewer lost objects with the same set of sensor resources. This approach inherently can also trade-off fewer high priority tasks against more lower-priority tasks, when there is benefit in doing so. Currently the project has completed a prototyping and feasibility study, using open source data on the SSN's sensors, that showed significant reduction in orbit metric covariances. The algorithm techniques and results will be discussed along with future directions for the research.

Complementary and conventional providers in cancer care: experience of communication with patients and steps to improve communication with other providers.

PubMed

Stub, Trine; Quandt, Sara A; Arcury, Thomas A; Sandberg, Joanne C; Kristoffersen, Agnete E

2017-06-08

Effective interdisciplinary communication is important to achieve better quality in health care. The aims of this study were to compare conventional and complementary providers' experience of communication about complementary therapies and conventional medicine with their cancer patients, and to investigate how they experience interdisciplinary communication and cooperation. This study analyzed data from a self-administrated questionnaire. A total of 606 different health care providers, from four counties in Norway, completed the questionnaire. The survey was developed to describe aspects of the communication pattern among oncology doctors, nurses, family physicians and complementary therapists (acupuncturists, massage therapists and reflexologists/zone-therapists). Between-group differences were analyzed using chi-square, ANOVA and Fisher's exact tests. Significance level was defined as p < 0.05 without adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conventional providers and complementary therapists had different patterns of communication with their cancer patients regarding complementary therapies. While complementary therapists advised their patients to apply both complementary and conventional modalities, medical doctors were less supportive of their patients' use of complementary therapies. Of conventional providers, nurses expressed more positive attitudes toward complementary therapies. Opportunities to improve communication between conventional and complementary providers were most strongly supported by complementary providers and nurses; medical doctors were less supportive of such attempts. A number of doctors showed lack of respect for complementary therapists, but asked for more research, guidelines for complementary modalities and training in conventional medicine for complementary therapists. For better quality of care, greater communication about complementary therapy use is needed between cancer patients and their conventional and complementary providers. In addition, more communication between conventional and complementary providers is needed. Nurses may have a crucial role in facilitating communication, as they are positive toward complementary therapies and they have more direct communication with patients about their treatment preferences.

Virtual Human Analogs to Rodent Spatial Pattern Separation and Completion Memory Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paleja, Meera; Girard, Todd A.; Christensen, Bruce K.

2011-01-01

Spatial pattern separation (SPS) and spatial pattern completion (SPC) have played an increasingly important role in computational and rodent literatures as processes underlying associative memory. SPS and SPC are complementary processes, allowing the formation of unique representations and the reconstruction of complete spatial environments based…

Application of LANDSAT data to delimitation of avalanche hazards in Montane, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knepper, D. H. (Principal Investigator); Summer, R.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. With rare exceptions, avalanche areas cannot be identified on LANDSAT imagery. Avalanche hazard mapping on a regional scale is best conducted using LANDSAT imagery in conjunction with complementary data sources. Level of detail of such maps will be limited by the amount and completeness of the complementary information used.

Dipolar modulation in the size of galaxies: the effect of Doppler magnification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonvin, Camille; Andrianomena, Sambatra; Bacon, David; Clarkson, Chris; Maartens, Roy; Moloi, Teboho; Bull, Philip

2017-12-01

Objects falling into an overdensity appear larger on its near side and smaller on its far side than other objects at the same redshift. This produces a dipolar pattern of magnification, primarily as a consequence of the Doppler effect. At low redshift, this Doppler magnification completely dominates the usual integrated gravitational lensing contribution to the lensing magnification. We show that one can optimally observe this pattern by extracting the dipole in the cross-correlation of number counts and galaxy sizes. This dipole allows us to almost completely remove the contribution from gravitational lensing up to redshift ≲0.5, and even at high redshift z ≃ 1, the dipole picks up the Doppler magnification predominantly. Doppler magnification should be easily detectable in current and upcoming optical and radio surveys; by forecasting for telescopes such as the SKA, we show that this technique is competitive with using peculiar velocities via redshift-space distortions to constrain dark energy. It produces similar yet complementary constraints on the cosmological model to those found using measurements of the cosmic shear.

Absolute determination of single-stranded and self-complementary adeno-associated viral vector genome titers by droplet digital PCR.

PubMed

Lock, Martin; Alvira, Mauricio R; Chen, Shu-Jen; Wilson, James M

2014-04-01

Accurate titration of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector genome copies is critical for ensuring correct and reproducible dosing in both preclinical and clinical settings. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the current method of choice for titrating AAV genomes because of the simplicity, accuracy, and robustness of the assay. However, issues with qPCR-based determination of self-complementary AAV vector genome titers, due to primer-probe exclusion through genome self-annealing or through packaging of prematurely terminated defective interfering (DI) genomes, have been reported. Alternative qPCR, gel-based, or Southern blotting titering methods have been designed to overcome these issues but may represent a backward step from standard qPCR methods in terms of simplicity, robustness, and precision. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is a new PCR technique that directly quantifies DNA copies with an unparalleled degree of precision and without the need for a standard curve or for a high degree of amplification efficiency; all properties that lend themselves to the accurate quantification of both single-stranded and self-complementary AAV genomes. Here we compare a ddPCR-based AAV genome titer assay with a standard and an optimized qPCR assay for the titration of both single-stranded and self-complementary AAV genomes. We demonstrate absolute quantification of single-stranded AAV vector genomes by ddPCR with up to 4-fold increases in titer over a standard qPCR titration but with equivalent readout to an optimized qPCR assay. In the case of self-complementary vectors, ddPCR titers were on average 5-, 1.9-, and 2.3-fold higher than those determined by standard qPCR, optimized qPCR, and agarose gel assays, respectively. Droplet digital PCR-based genome titering was superior to qPCR in terms of both intra- and interassay precision and is more resistant to PCR inhibitors, a desirable feature for in-process monitoring of early-stage vector production and for vector genome biodistribution analysis in inhibitory tissues.

Tuning resistance states by thickness control in an electroforming-free nanometallic complementary resistance random access memory

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

Yang, Xiang; Lu, Yang; Lee, Jongho

2016-01-04

Tuning low resistance state is crucial for resistance random access memory (RRAM) that aims to achieve optimal read margin and design flexibility. By back-to-back stacking two nanometallic bipolar RRAMs with different thickness into a complementary structure, we have found that its low resistance can be reliably tuned over several orders of magnitude. Such high tunability originates from the exponential thickness dependence of the high resistance state of nanometallic RRAM, in which electron wave localization in a random network gives rise to the unique scaling behavior. The complementary nanometallic RRAM provides electroforming-free, multi-resistance-state, sub-100 ns switching capability with advantageous characteristics formore » memory arrays.« less

A compact 5.5 GHz band-rejected UWB antenna using complementary split ring resonators.

PubMed

Islam, M M; Faruque, M R I; Islam, M T

2014-01-01

A band-removal property employing microwave frequencies using complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) is applied to design a compact UWB antenna wishing for the rejection of some frequency band, which is meanwhile exercised by the existing wireless applications. The reported antenna comprises optimization of a circular radiating patch, in which slotted complementary SRRs are implanted. It is printed on low dielectric FR4 substrate material fed by a partial ground plane and a microstrip line. Validated results exhibit that the reported antenna shows a wide bandwidth covering from 3.45 to more than 12 GHz, with a compact dimension of 22 × 26 mm(2), and VSWR < 2, observing band elimination of 5.5 GHz WLAN band.

Disclosure of complementary health approaches among low income and racially diverse safety net patients with diabetes.

PubMed

Chao, M T; Handley, M A; Quan, J; Sarkar, U; Ratanawongsa, N; Schillinger, D

2015-11-01

Patient-provider communication about complementary health approaches can support diabetes self-management by minimizing risk and optimizing care. We sought to identify sociodemographic and communication factors associated with disclosure of complementary health approaches to providers by low-income patients with diabetes. We used data from San Francisco Health Plan's SMARTSteps Program, a trial of diabetes self-management support for low-income patients (n=278) through multilingual automated telephone support. Interviews collected use and disclosure of complementary health approaches in the prior month, patient-physician language concordance, and quality of communication. Among racially, linguistically diverse participants, half (47.8%) reported using complementary health practices (n=133), of whom 55.3% disclosed use to providers. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, nativity, education, income, and health literacy were not associated with disclosure. In adjusted analyses, disclosure was associated with language concordance (AOR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.05, 4.67), physicians' interpersonal communication scores (AOR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.19), shared decision making (AOR=1.74, 95% CI: 1.33, 2.29), and explanatory-type communication (AOR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.09). Safety net patients with diabetes commonly use complementary health approaches and disclose to providers with higher patient-rated quality of communication. Patient-provider language concordance and patient-centered communication can facilitate disclosure of complementary health approaches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting via specific homo- and complementary-duplex formations

PubMed Central

Makiguchi, Wataru; Tanabe, Junki; Yamada, Hidekazu; Iida, Hiroki; Taura, Daisuke; Ousaka, Naoki; Yashima, Eiji

2015-01-01

Self-recognition and self-discrimination within complex mixtures are of fundamental importance in biological systems, which entirely rely on the preprogrammed monomer sequences and homochirality of biological macromolecules. Here we report artificial chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting of chiral dimeric strands bearing carboxylic acid or amidine groups joined by chiral amide linkers with different sequences through homo- and complementary-duplex formations. A mixture of carboxylic acid dimers linked by racemic-1,2-cyclohexane bis-amides with different amide sequences (NHCO or CONH) self-associate to form homoduplexes in a completely sequence-selective way, the structures of which are different from each other depending on the linker amide sequences. The further addition of an enantiopure amide-linked amidine dimer to a mixture of the racemic carboxylic acid dimers resulted in the formation of a single optically pure complementary duplex with a 100% diastereoselectivity and complete sequence specificity stabilized by the amidinium–carboxylate salt bridges, leading to the perfect chirality- and sequence-selective duplex formation. PMID:26051291

Detection of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) Using a Porous Silicon Optical Biosensor Based on a Multilayered Double Bragg Mirror Structure.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongyan; Lv, Jie; Jia, Zhenhong

2018-01-01

We successfully demonstrate a porous silicon (PS) double Bragg mirror by electrochemical etching at room temperature as a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) label-free biosensor for detecting ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Compared to various other one-dimension photonic crystal configurations of PS, the double Bragg mirror structure is quite easy to prepare and exhibits interesting optical properties. The width of high reflectivity stop band of the PS double Bragg mirror is about 761 nm with a sharp and deep resonance peak at 1328 nm in the reflectance spectrum, which gives a high sensitivity and distinguishability for sensing performance. The detection sensitivity of such a double Bragg mirror structure is illustrated through the investigation of AOB DNA hybridization in the PS pores. The redshifts of the reflectance spectra show a good linear relationship with both complete complementary and partial complementary DNA. The lowest detection limit for complete complementary DNA is 27.1 nM and the detection limit of the biosensor for partial complementary DNA is 35.0 nM, which provides the feasibility and effectiveness for the detection of AOB in a real environment. The PS double Bragg mirror structure is attractive for widespread biosensing applications and provides great potential for the development of optical applications.

Review of complementary and alternative medicine and selected nutraceuticals: background for a pilot study on nutrigenomic intervention in patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Varker, Kimberly A; Ansel, Adam; Aukerman, Glen; Carson, William E

2012-01-01

As commonly defined, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad category that includes biologically based practices, mind-body medicine, manipulative and bodybased practices, and energy medicine as well as complete medical systems such as naturopathy, homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine. Several CAM methodologies show promise for the treatment of chronic conditions such as depression and pain disorders or have demonstrated effects upon the immune response in experimental studies. There is growing interest in the use of integrative medicine the combination of CAM methodologies with a conventional medical approach-for the optimization of treatment of various cancers. The Ohio State University Center for Integrative Medicine has developed a specialized nutrigenomic protocol for integrative cancer care. The center uses a comprehensive nutritional and medical evaluation, including a panel of proinflammatory molecules and physiologic parameters, to guide a program of individualized dietary interventions. Dietary supplementation is a current focus of study, including: (1) Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins, which are thought to play important roles in immunomodulation; (2) Magnesium oxide, which has been shown to decrease inflammation and improve insulin resistance and lipid profiles; and (3) Cinnamon extract, which reportedly decreases serum glucose levels. This article presents a brief overview of CAM and integrative medicine and a discussion of the relevant nutraceuticals.

MetroBeta: Beta Spectrometry with Metallic Magnetic Calorimeters in the Framework of the European Program of Ionizing Radiation Metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loidl, M.; Beyer, J.; Bockhorn, L.; Enss, C.; Györi, D.; Kempf, S.; Kossert, K.; Mariam, R.; Nähle, O.; Paulsen, M.; Rodrigues, M.; Schmidt, M.

2018-05-01

MetroBeta is a European project aiming at the improvement of the knowledge of the shapes of beta spectra, both in terms of theoretical calculations and measurements. It is part of a common European program of ionizing radiation metrology. Metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) with the beta emitter embedded in the absorber have in the past proven to be among the best beta spectrometers, in particular for low-energy beta transitions. Within this project, new designs of MMCs optimized for five different beta energy ranges were developed. A new detector module with thermal decoupling of MMC and SQUID chips was designed. An important aspect of the research and development concerns the source/absorber preparation techniques. Four beta spectra with maximum energies ranging from 76 to 709 keV will be measured. Improved theoretical calculation methods and complementary measurement techniques complete the project.

Design of a Sample Recovery Assembly for Magnetic Ramp-Wave Loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chantrenne, S.; Wise, J. L.; Asay, J. R.; Kipp, M. E.; Hall, C. A.

2009-06-01

Characterization of material behavior under dynamic loading requires studies at strain rates ranging from quasi-static to the limiting values of shock compression. For completeness, these studies involve complementary time-resolved data, which define the mechanical constitutive properties, and microstructural data, which reveal physical mechanisms underlying the observed mechanical response. Well-preserved specimens must be recovered for microstructural investigations. Magnetically generated ramp waves produce strain rates lower than those associated with shock waves, but recovery methods have been lacking for this type of loading. We adapted existing shock recovery techniques for application to magnetic ramp loading using 2-D and 3-D ALEGRA MHD code calculations to optimize the recovery design for mitigation of undesired late-time processing of the sample due to edge effects and secondary stress waves. To assess the validity of our simulations, measurements of sample deformation were compared to wavecode predictions.

Exposure to benevolent sexism and complementary gender stereotypes: consequences for specific and diffuse forms of system justification.

PubMed

Jost, John T; Kay, Aaron C

2005-03-01

Many have suggested that complementary gender stereotypes of men as agentic (but not communal) and women as communal (but not agentic) serve to increase system justification, but direct experimental support has been lacking. The authors exposed people to specific types of gender-related beliefs and subsequently asked them to complete measures of gender-specific or diffuse system justification. In Studies 1 and 2, activating (a) communal or complementary (communal + agentic) gender stereotypes or (b) benevolent or complementary (benevolent + hostile) sexist items increased support for the status quo among women. In Study 3, activating stereotypes of men as agentic also increased system justification among men and women, but only when women's characteristics were associated with higher status. Results suggest that complementary stereotypes psychologically offset the one-sided advantage of any single group and contribute to an image of society in which everyone benefits through a balanced dispersion of benefits. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

[Role of complementary medicine in type 1 diabetes mellitus in two Swiss centres].

PubMed

Scheidegger, U A; Flück, C E; Scheidegger, K; Diem, P; Mullis, P E

2009-09-09

Insulin replacement is the only effective treatment of type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Nevertheless, many complementary treatments are in use for T1DM. In this study we assessed by questionnaire that out of 342 patients with T1DM, 48 (14%; 13.4% adult, 18.5% paediatric; 20 male, 28 female) used complementary medicine (CM) in addition to their insulin therapy. The purpose of the use of CM was to improve general well-being, ameliorate glucose homeostasis, reduce blood glucose levels as well as insulin doses, improve physical fitness, reduce the frequency of hypoglycaemia, and control appetite. The modalities most frequently used are cinnamon, homeopathy, magnesium and special beverages (mainly teas). Thus, good collaboration between health care professionals will allow optimal patient care.

A Compact 5.5 GHz Band-Rejected UWB Antenna Using Complementary Split Ring Resonators

PubMed Central

Islam, M. M.; Faruque, M. R. I.; Islam, M. T.

2014-01-01

A band-removal property employing microwave frequencies using complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) is applied to design a compact UWB antenna wishing for the rejection of some frequency band, which is meanwhile exercised by the existing wireless applications. The reported antenna comprises optimization of a circular radiating patch, in which slotted complementary SRRs are implanted. It is printed on low dielectric FR4 substrate material fed by a partial ground plane and a microstrip line. Validated results exhibit that the reported antenna shows a wide bandwidth covering from 3.45 to more than 12 GHz, with a compact dimension of 22 × 26 mm2, and VSWR < 2, observing band elimination of 5.5 GHz WLAN band. PMID:24971379

Optimizing the multicycle subrotational internal cooling of diatomic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aroch, A.; Kallush, S.; Kosloff, R.

2018-05-01

Subrotational cooling of the AlH+ ion to the miliKelvin regime, using optimally shaped pulses, is computed. The coherent electromagnetic fields induce purity-conserved transformations and do not change the sample temperature. A decrease in a sample temperature, manifested by an increase of purity, is achieved by the complementary uncontrolled spontaneous emission which changes the entropy of the system. We employ optimal control theory to find a pulse that stirs the system into a population configuration that will result in cooling, upon multicycle excitation-emission steps. The obtained optimal transformation was shown capable to cool molecular ions to the subkelvins regime.

Automation of On-Board Flightpath Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erzberger, H.

1981-01-01

The status of concepts and techniques for the design of onboard flight path management systems is reviewed. Such systems are designed to increase flight efficiency and safety by automating the optimization of flight procedures onboard aircraft. After a brief review of the origins and functions of such systems, two complementary methods are described for attacking the key design problem, namely, the synthesis of efficient trajectories. One method optimizes en route, the other optimizes terminal area flight; both methods are rooted in optimal control theory. Simulation and flight test results are reviewed to illustrate the potential of these systems for fuel and cost savings.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with lysosomal storage diseases.

PubMed

Balwani, Manisha; Fuerstman, Laura; Desnick, Robert J; Buckley, Brian; McGovern, Margaret M

2009-10-01

To evaluate the extent of complementary and alternative medicine use and perceived effectiveness in patients with lysosomal storage diseases. A 26-item survey was distributed to 495 patients with type 1 Gaucher, Fabry, and type B Niemann-Pick diseases who were seen at the Lysosomal Storage Disease Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Survey responses were entered into an access database and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Surveys were completed by 167 respondents with an overall response rate of 34%. Complementary and alternative medicines were used by 45% of patients with type 1 Gaucher disease, 41% of patients with Fabry disease, and 47% of patients with type B Niemann-Pick for symptoms related to their disease. Complementary and alternative medicines were used most frequently by adult females (55%), in patients who reported having one or more invasive procedures due to their disease, patients who use one or more conventional medical therapies, or those with depression and/or anxiety. Overall perceived effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine supplements was low; however, complementary and alternative medicine therapies were perceived as effective. Complementary and alternative medicines are commonly used among patients with lysosomal storage diseases. Assessment of the effectiveness of these approaches in the lysosomal storage diseases is needed, and physicians should be aware of complementary and alternative medicine therapies used by patients to evaluate safety and possible drug interactions.

[Guidelines for complementary feeding in healthy infants].

PubMed

Romero-Velarde, Enrique; Villalpando-Carrión, Salvador; Pérez-Lizaur, Ana Berta; Iracheta-Gerez, Ma de la Luz; Alonso-Rivera, Carlos Gilberto; López-Navarrete, Gloria Elena; García-Contreras, Andrea; Ochoa-Ortiz, Erika; Zarate-Mondragón, Flora; López-Pérez, Gerardo Tiburcio; Chávez-Palencia, Clío; Guajardo-Jáquez, Manuel; Vázquez-Ortiz, Salvador; Pinzón-Navarro, Beatriz Adriana; Torres-Duarte, Karely Noemy; Vidal-Guzmán, José Domingo; Michel-Gómez, Pedro Luis; López-Contreras, Iris Nallely; Arroyo-Cruz, Liliana Verenice; Almada-Velasco, Pamela; Saltigeral-Simental, Patricia; Ríos-Aguirre, Alejandro; Domínguez-Pineda, Lorena; Rodríguez-González, Perla; Crabtree-Ramírez, Úrsula; Hernández-Rosiles, Vanessa; Pinacho-Velázquez, José Luis

A proper nutrition during the first two years of life is critical to reach the full potential of every human being; now, this period is recognized as a critical window for promoting optimal growth, development, and good health. Therefore, adequate feeding at this stage of life has an impact on health, nutritional status, growth and development of children; not only in the short term, but in the medium and long term. This paper provides recommendations on complementary feeding (CF) presented as questions or statements that are important for those who take care for children during this stage of life. For example: When to start complementary feedings: 4 or 6 months of age?; Exposure to potentially allergenic foods; Introduction of sweetened beverages; Use of artificial sweeteners and light products; Food introduction sequence; Food consistency changes according to neurological maturation; Number of days to test acceptance and tolerance to new foods; Amounts for each meal; Inadequate complementary feeding practices; Myths and realities of complementary feeding; Developmental milestones; Practice of "Baby Led Weaning" and practice of vegetarianism. Copyright © 2016 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

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

Singer, M.; Daley, R.

This report focuses on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) fiscal year (FY) 2012 effort that used the NREL Optimal Vehicle Acquisition (NOVA) analysis to identify optimal vehicle acquisition recommendations for eleven diverse federal agencies. Results of the study show that by following a vehicle acquisition plan that maximizes the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, significant progress is also made toward the mandated complementary goals of acquiring alternative fuel vehicles, petroleum use reduction, and alternative fuel use increase.

A situational review of infant and young child feeding practices and interventions in Viet Nam.

PubMed

Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima; Ruel, Mariel; Hajeebhoy, Nemat

2011-01-01

Sub-optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are likely a significant contributor to high undernutrition rates in Viet Nam. To date, however, there has been no comprehensive review of IYCF practices in Viet Nam. The objectives of this paper were to review: 1) patterns/trends in IYCF in Viet Nam; 2) the barriers and facilitators to IYCF practices; and 3) interventions and policies and their effectiveness. Methods used include reviewing and analyzing existing data, summarizing and organizing the evidence into broad themes based on a pre-defined conceptual framework. Findings show that the proportion of children ever breastfed is almost universal and the median duration of breastfeeding is 13-18 months. However, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is low (8-17%) and appears to be declining over time. Information on complementary feeding is limited, but two key challenges are: early introduction, and low nutrient quality of complementary foods. Facilitators of optimal IYCF were support from 1) government progressive policies, 2) non-profit organizations and 3) family members. Barriers to optimal IYCF included 1) the lack of enforcement of, and compliance with the code of marketing breast milk substitutes, 2) inadequate knowledge among health care providers; and 3) maternal poor knowledge. These findings indicate that the evidence base on complementary feeding is weak in Viet Nam and needs to be strengthened. The review also reinforces that program and policy actions to improve IYCF in Viet Nam must target multiple stakeholders at different levels: the family, the health system and the private sector.

Hyperspectral Analysis of Soil Total Nitrogen in Subsided Land Using the Local Correlation Maximization-Complementary Superiority (LCMCS) Method.

PubMed

Lin, Lixin; Wang, Yunjia; Teng, Jiyao; Xi, Xiuxiu

2015-07-23

The measurement of soil total nitrogen (TN) by hyperspectral remote sensing provides an important tool for soil restoration programs in areas with subsided land caused by the extraction of natural resources. This study used the local correlation maximization-complementary superiority method (LCMCS) to establish TN prediction models by considering the relationship between spectral reflectance (measured by an ASD FieldSpec 3 spectroradiometer) and TN based on spectral reflectance curves of soil samples collected from subsided land which is determined by synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) technology. Based on the 1655 selected effective bands of the optimal spectrum (OSP) of the first derivate differential of reciprocal logarithm ([log{1/R}]'), (correlation coefficients, p < 0.01), the optimal model of LCMCS method was obtained to determine the final model, which produced lower prediction errors (root mean square error of validation [RMSEV] = 0.89, mean relative error of validation [MREV] = 5.93%) when compared with models built by the local correlation maximization (LCM), complementary superiority (CS) and partial least squares regression (PLS) methods. The predictive effect of LCMCS model was optional in Cangzhou, Renqiu and Fengfeng District. Results indicate that the LCMCS method has great potential to monitor TN in subsided lands caused by the extraction of natural resources including groundwater, oil and coal.

Legislation should support optimal breastfeeding practices and access to low-cost, high-quality complementary foods: Indonesia provides a case study.

PubMed

Soekarjo, Damayanti; Zehner, Elizabeth

2011-10-01

It is important to support women to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months and continue breastfeeding for 24 months and beyond. It is also necessary to provide the poor with access to affordable ways to improve the quality of complementary foods. Currently, many countries do not have the legal and policy environment necessary to support exclusive and continued breastfeeding. Legislative and policy changes are also necessary for introducing complementary food supplements, allowing them to be marketed to those who need them, and ensuring that marketing remains appropriate and in full compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. This paper aims to illustrate the above with examples from Indonesia and to identify legislative requirements for supporting breastfeeding and enabling appropriate access to high-quality complementary food supplements for children 6-24 months of age. Requirements include improved information, training, monitoring and enforcement systems for the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; implementation and monitoring of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative; establishment of a registration category for complementary food supplements to enhance availability of high-quality, low-cost fortified products to help improve young child feeding; clear identification and marketing of these products as complementary food supplements for 6-24-month-olds so as to promote proper use and not interfere with breastfeeding. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Complementary feeding recommendations based on locally available foods in Indonesia.

PubMed

Fahmida, Umi; Santika, Otte; Kolopaking, Risatianti; Ferguson, Elaine

2014-12-01

Affordable, locally contextual complementary feeding recommendations (CFRs) that take into account cultural diversity and differences in food availability will be more likely to result in long-term improvements in complementary feeding practices than general recommendations. More objective approaches, such as linear programming (LP), have been recommended to identify optimal but CFRs to meet nutrient requirements given local food availability, food patterns, food portions, and cost. To present results of our previous studies in which we developed CFRs using LP and to provide an example of how these CFRs can be put into practice in a community intervention trial in Indonesia. Dietary data were obtained using single 24-hour dietary recall or 1-day weighed diet record combined with 1-day 24-hour recall and 5-day food intake tally. With the use of the LP approach, nutrient intakes were optimized while ensuring that a realistic diet was selected by using constraints such as the diet's energy content, food patterns, food portions, and cost. The price per 100 g of edible portion was obtained from market surveys in two or three local markets in each study area. LP analysis was performed using Super Solver in MS Excel or Optifood software. Iron, zinc, calcium, and niacin were problem nutrients in all age groups of children (6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 23 months) in both rural and periurban areas, except among children of higher socioeconomic status in urban areas. Thiamin and folate were also problem nutrients found in some settings. Animal-source foods (meat, fish, poultry, and eggs [MFPE] and fortified foods were the nutrient-dense foods identified by LP to fill the nutrient gaps of these problem nutrients. Iron, calcium, zinc, niacin, and potentially folate and thiamine are typical "problem nutrients" in complementary foods of Indonesian children. However, the extent of dietary inadequacy varies across age groups, area, and socioeconomic level. MFPE and fortified foods can improve micronutrient adequacy in complementary feeding diets and should be promoted in CFRs.

Integrating complementary medicine and health care services into practice.

PubMed Central

LaValley, J W; Verhoef, M J

1995-01-01

Complementary medicine and health care services constitute a significant proportion of the use of health care services in Canada, despite a history of limited acceptance of these therapies by the medical profession. However, physician attitudes appear to be changing. A survey of a random sample of general practitioners in Quebec (see page 29 of this issue) shows that four out of five general practitioners perceive at least one of three complementary health care services to be useful. Similar surveys of samples in Alberta and Ontario suggest that physicians there, although somewhat less enthusiastic than their counterparts in Quebec, have also begun to be more open-minded about these types of therapies. However, physicians have reported little understanding of complementary health care services, which suggests the need for more research on and education about these services. The Medical Society of Nova Scotia has responded to this need by establishing a Section of Complementary Medicine. The authors believe that fair, accountable, scientific and rigorous research on complementary therapies will benefit physicians and patients. The problems inherent in applying reductionist analysis to a holistic approach to care can be largely circumvented by focusing on outcomes research. In light of the popularity of these therapies, inquiry into patient use of complementary health care services should become a part of a complete patient history. This measure would promote greater patient-physician communication and integration of complementary health care services into patient care. PMID:7796375

Dispositional predictors of placebo responding: a motivational interpretation of flower essence and gratitude therapy.

PubMed

Hyland, Michael E; Whalley, Ben; Geraghty, Adam W A

2007-03-01

The aim of this study was to test a motivational interpretation of placebo responding using two different types of placebo therapy, one using flower essences and the other a nonspecific psychological therapy. The motivational concordance interpretation is that therapeutic rituals that are consistent with self-defining or self-actualizing goals have a nonspecific therapeutic benefit independently of expectancy. Study 1 was a replication of an earlier flower essence outcome study but with additional outcome and predictor variables: 167 people completed questionnaires in return for free flower essence treatment. Predictor variables consisted of two measures of spirituality, optimism, expectancy, and attitudes and beliefs to complementary medicine. Outcome was assessed after 3 weeks. In Study 2, 90 people took part in "gratitude therapy" for improved sleep quality over one night in return for questionnaire completion (trait gratitude, spirituality, and expectancy). Study 1 confirmed previous research: Trait spirituality predicted perceived improvement. This improvement was independent of optimism (P<.001), cannot be explained by acquiescence or social desirability, and was independent of a highly conservative test of expectancy (P=.02). In Study 2, trait gratitude predicted perceived sleep improvement independently of expectancy (P=.01): Spirituality did not correlate with improvement. These data suggest that in addition to expectations, degree of engagement in a positive, therapeutic ritual determines the extent of the placebo response. The placebo response depends in part on the interaction (i.e., the degree of concordance) between the type of therapy and the participant's personality: Dispositional predictors vary with the type of placebo therapy.

Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate and Complementary Feeding Indicators in China: A National Representative Survey in 2013.

PubMed

Duan, Yifan; Yang, Zhenyu; Lai, Jianqiang; Yu, Dongmei; Chang, Suying; Pang, Xuehong; Jiang, Shan; Zhang, Huanmei; Bi, Ye; Wang, Jie; Scherpbier, Robert W; Zhao, Liyun; Yin, Shian

2018-02-22

Appropriate infant and young child feeding could reduce morbidity and mortality and could improve cognitive development of children. However, nationwide data on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding status in China are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess current exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding status in China. A national representative survey (Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey) of children aged under 6 years was done in 2013. Stratified multistage cluster sampling was used to select study participants. World Health Organization (WHO) infant and young child feeding indicators were firstly used to assess exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practice nationwide. In total, 14,458 children aged under two years (0 to <730 days) were studied from 55 counties in 30 provinces in China. The crude exclusive breastfeeding rate under 6 months was 20.7% (908/4381) and the weighted exclusive breastfeeding rate was 18.6%. The crude prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet were 52.5% (5286/10,071), 69.8% (7027/10,071), and 27.4% (2764/10,071) among children aged 6-23 months, respectively. The weighted rate was 53.7%, 69.1%, and 25.1%, respectively. Residential area, household income and maternal education were positively associated with the three complementary feeding indicators. The exclusive breastfeeding rate under 6 months was low and complementary feeding practice was not optimal in China. Residential area, household income and maternal education might be used to target infants and young children to improve complementary feeding practice.

Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate and Complementary Feeding Indicators in China: A National Representative Survey in 2013

PubMed Central

Duan, Yifan; Yang, Zhenyu; Lai, Jianqiang; Yu, Dongmei; Chang, Suying; Pang, Xuehong; Jiang, Shan; Zhang, Huanmei; Bi, Ye; Wang, Jie; Scherpbier, Robert W.; Zhao, Liyun; Yin, Shian

2018-01-01

Appropriate infant and young child feeding could reduce morbidity and mortality and could improve cognitive development of children. However, nationwide data on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding status in China are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess current exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding status in China. A national representative survey (Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey) of children aged under 6 years was done in 2013. Stratified multistage cluster sampling was used to select study participants. World Health Organization (WHO) infant and young child feeding indicators were firstly used to assess exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practice nationwide. In total, 14,458 children aged under two years (0 to <730 days) were studied from 55 counties in 30 provinces in China. The crude exclusive breastfeeding rate under 6 months was 20.7% (908/4381) and the weighted exclusive breastfeeding rate was 18.6%. The crude prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet were 52.5% (5286/10,071), 69.8% (7027/10,071), and 27.4% (2764/10,071) among children aged 6–23 months, respectively. The weighted rate was 53.7%, 69.1%, and 25.1%, respectively. Residential area, household income and maternal education were positively associated with the three complementary feeding indicators. The exclusive breastfeeding rate under 6 months was low and complementary feeding practice was not optimal in China. Residential area, household income and maternal education might be used to target infants and young children to improve complementary feeding practice. PMID:29470415

Complementary feeding: clinically relevant factors affecting timing and composition.

PubMed

Krebs, Nancy F; Hambidge, K Michael

2007-02-01

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 mo of life followed by optimal complementary feeding are critical public health measures for reducing and preventing morbidity and mortality in young children. Clinical factors, such as birth weight, prematurity, and illness, that affect the iron and zinc requirements of younger infants are discussed. Maternal diet and nutritional status do not have a strong effect on the mineral content of human milk, but physiologic changes in milk and the infants' status determine the dependence of the infant on complementary foods in addition to human milk to meet iron and zinc requirements after 6 mo. The nature of zinc absorption, which is suitably characterized by saturation response modeling, dictates that plant-based diets, which are low in zinc, are associated with low absolute daily absorbed zinc, which is inadequate to meet requirements. Foods with a higher zinc content, such as meats, are much more likely to be sufficient to meet dietary requirements. Current plant-based complementary feeding patterns for older fully breastfed infants in both developed and developing countries pose a risk of zinc deficiency. The strong rationale for the potential benefits of providing meat as an early complementary food, and the examples of successful intervention programs, provide potent incentives to pursue broader implementation programs, with concurrent rigorous evaluation of both efficacy and effectiveness.

Strengthening health services to deliver nutrition education to promote complementary feeding and healthy growth of infants and young children: formative research for a successful intervention in peri-urban Trujillo, Peru.

PubMed

Robert, Rebecca C; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary M; Villasante, Ruben; Narro, M Rocio; Penny, Mary E

2017-04-01

Formative research is critical for developing effective nutrition-specific interventions to improve infant and young child (IYC) feeding practices and promote healthy growth. Health workers interact with caregivers during health facility visits, yet there is limited research about how to optimize delivery of such interventions during these visits. The extensive reach of IYC health services globally calls for research to address this gap. In Trujillo, Peru, formative research was conducted to explore complementary feeding practices with caregivers as well as health worker routines and interactions with caregivers related to feeding and healthy growth; results informed the development and delivery of an educational intervention. Multiple qualitative methods were used to collect data on a purposive sample of health workers and caregivers from three health facilities and communities: household trials followed. Complementary feeding messages with doable behaviours were developed, and three were selected as key to promote based on their nutritional impact and cultural acceptability. In the health facilities, medical consultation, well-child visits and nutrition consultation all dealt with aspects of IYC nutrition/growth during their interactions with caregivers but were independent and inconsistent in approach. A nutrition education strategy was developed based on consistency, quality and coverage in the IYC health services. We conclude that formative research undertaken in the community and IYC health services was critical to developing a successful and culturally relevant intervention to promote optimal complementary feeding practices and healthy growth during interactions between health workers and caregivers at routine health facility visits. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Standards, options, and recommendations for initial management of patients with malignant ovarian epithelial tumors].

PubMed

Kerbrat, P; Lhommé, C; Fervers, B; Guastalla, J P; Thomas, L; Basuyau, J P; Duvillard, P; Cohen-Solal, C; Dauplat, J; Tournemaine, N

2000-12-09

Suprapubic and transvaginal pelvic ultrasound exploration is indicated for suspected ovarian tumor (standard). Diagnosis and search for extension require surgery and pathology examination. Systematic preoperative computed tomography is not recommended (standard). Surgery for cancer of the ovary is a specialized procedure requiring skill in cancer, gynecology, visceral surgery and laparoscopic surgery. If the patient is referred to a specialized center after a primary procedure considered to be inadequate, a new procedure is recommended for staging. Residual tumor volume after the primary procedure has prognostic value. Systematic second look procedures are not recommended for routine practice (standard). For patients with grade IA G1 tumors, there is no indication for complementary treatment (standard). For patients with grade IA G2-3 or clear cell tumors, IB, IC, IIA, there is no standard. no complementary treatment, complementary chemotherapy using platinum, complementary external abdominopelvic radiotherapy. A complementary treatment is recommended for grades IC and IIA. Complementary treatment for grades IIB (no residual tissue), IIC (with residual tissue), III (no residual tissue), is based on: complementary chemotherapy with platinium, complementary external abdominopelvic radiotherapy (options). Complementary treatment for advanced forms (IIB (with residual tissue), IIC (with residual tissue), III (with residual tissue) and IV) is based on polychemotherapy with platinium (standard). platinium combined with paclitaxel (intravenous), platinium combined with cyclophosphamide and/or doxorubicin (intravenous) or intraperitoneal cisplatin combined with cyclophosphamide (intravenous). The chemotherapy work-up includes physical examination, assay of serum markers (particularly CA125) and abdominopelvic computed tomography (proof level B) (standard). Physical examination is recommended for monitoring patients in complete remission with no sign of suspected recurrence (standard). This document was reviewed in April 1977. The working group again validated the Standards, OPTIONS and Recommendations, without modifications in June 1999.

Holographic metasurface systems for beam-forming and imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, David R.

2016-09-01

Metamaterials offer an alternative perspective for the design of new materials and devices. The advantage of the metamaterial description is that certain device solutions can more easily be recognized. Here, we discuss broadly the impact of the metamaterial design philosophy on quasi-optical apertures based on patterned holographic metasurfaces. In a guided wave format, in which radiating complementary metamaterial irises are patterned on the upper plate of a microstrip or parallel plate waveguide, the reference wave is equivalent to the guided wave and the entire structure becomes a compact, efficient holographic, aperture antenna. We have developed a millimeter-wave imaging system that makes use of a set of complementary metamaterial waveguide panels to form a frequency-diverse aperture. In this context, the metamaterial aperture produces a complex radiation pattern that varies spatially as a function of the driving frequency; a frequency sweep over a selected bandwidth thus illuminates a region of space with a set of distinct radiation patterns. Collecting the returned signal reflected by illuminated objects within the scene, a set of measurements can be made from which an image of the scene can be reconstructed. This imaging application provides a useful example of the introduction, integration and optimization of a metamaterial aperture into a complete system, where all other aspects of the system—including algorithms, calibration, software and electronics—must be tailored for the particulars of the metamaterial component. As metamaterials transition from science to technology, these aspects may prove just as challenging and interesting as the underlying metamaterial components.

Asteroid models from photometry and complementary data sources

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

Kaasalainen, Mikko

I discuss inversion methods for asteroid shape and spin reconstruction with photometry (lightcurves) and complementary data sources such as adaptive optics or other images, occultation timings, interferometry, and range-Doppler radar data. These are essentially different sampling modes (generalized projections) of plane-of-sky images. An important concept in this approach is the optimal weighting of the various data modes. The maximum compatibility estimate, a multi-modal generalization of the maximum likelihood estimate, can be used for this purpose. I discuss the fundamental properties of lightcurve inversion by examining the two-dimensional case that, though not usable in our three-dimensional world, is simple to analyze,more » and it shares essentially the same uniqueness and stability properties as the 3-D case. After this, I review the main aspects of 3-D shape representations, lightcurve inversion, and the inclusion of complementary data.« less

Vertical Isolation for Photodiodes in CMOS Imagers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pain, Bedabrata

2008-01-01

In a proposed improvement in complementary metal oxide/semi conduct - or (CMOS) image detectors, two additional implants in each pixel would effect vertical isolation between the metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and the photodiode of the pixel. This improvement is expected to enable separate optimization of the designs of the photodiode and the MOSFETs so as to optimize their performances independently of each other. The purpose to be served by enabling this separate optimization is to eliminate or vastly reduce diffusion cross-talk, thereby increasing sensitivity, effective spatial resolution, and color fidelity while reducing noise.

[Analysis of Conformational Features of Watson-Crick Duplex Fragments by Molecular Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics Methods].

PubMed

Poltev, V I; Anisimov, V M; Sanchez, C; Deriabina, A; Gonzalez, E; Garcia, D; Rivas, F; Polteva, N A

2016-01-01

It is generally accepted that the important characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex originate from the molecular structure of its subunits. However, it still remains to elucidate what properties of each subunit are responsible for the significant characteristic features of the DNA structure. The computations of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions using density functional theory revealed a pivotal role of DNA conformational properties of single-chain minimal fragments in the development of unique features of the Watson-Crick duplex. We found that directionality of the sugar-phosphate backbone and the preferable ranges of its torsion angles, combined with the difference between purines and pyrimidines. in ring bases, define the dependence of three-dimensional structure of the Watson-Crick duplex on nucleotide base sequence. In this work, we extended these density functional theory computations to the minimal' fragments of DNA duplex, complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions. Using several computational methods and various functionals, we performed a search for energy minima of BI-conformation for complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with different nucleoside sequences. Two sequences are optimized using ab initio method at the MP2/6-31++G** level of theory. The analysis of torsion angles, sugar ring puckering and mutual base positions of optimized structures demonstrates that the conformational characteristic features of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions remain within BI ranges and become closer to the corresponding characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex crystals. Qualitatively, the main characteristic features of each studied complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complex remain invariant when different computational methods are used, although the quantitative values of some conformational parameters could vary lying within the limits typical for the corresponding family. We observe that popular functionals in density functional theory calculations lead to the overestimated distances between base pairs, while MP2 computations and the newer complex functionals produce the structures that have too close atom-atom contacts. A detailed study of some complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes with Na-ions highlights the existence of several energy minima corresponding to BI-conformations, in other words, the complexity of the relief pattern of the potential energy surface of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes. This accounts for variability of conformational parameters of duplex fragments with the same base sequence. Popular molecular mechanics force fields AMBER and CHARMM reproduce most of the conformational characteristics of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates and their complementary complexes with Na-ions but fail to reproduce some details of the dependence of the Watson-Crick duplex conformation on the nucleotide sequence.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liptak, Gregory S.

2005-01-01

The optimal practice of medicine includes integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research. This article reviews nine treatment modalities used for children who have cerebral palsy (CP), including hyperbaric oxygen, the Adeli Suit, patterning, electrical stimulation, conductive education,…

Complementary Feeding: Critical Considerations to Optimize Growth, Nutrition, and Feeding Behavior

PubMed Central

Young, Bridget E.; Krebs, Nancy F.

2014-01-01

This review focuses on complementary feeding (CF) in westernized settings where primary health concerns are risk of obesity and micronutrient inadequacy. The current evidence is reviewed for: (1) when CF should be introduced, (2) what foods (nutrients and food types) should be prioritized and avoided, and (3) how the infant should be fed. Special attention is paid to the underlying physiological differences between breast- and formula-fed infants that often result in distinctly different nutritional and health risks. This difference is particularly acute in the case of micronutrient inadequacy, specifically iron and zinc, but is also relevant to optimal energy and macronutrient intakes. Emphasis is placed on the complex interplay among infants’ early dietary exposures; relatively high energy and nutrient requirements; rapid physical, social and emotional development; and the feeding environment—all of which interact to impact health outcomes. This complexity needs to be considered at both individual and population levels and in both clinical and research settings. PMID:25105082

Hyperspectral Analysis of Soil Total Nitrogen in Subsided Land Using the Local Correlation Maximization-Complementary Superiority (LCMCS) Method

PubMed Central

Lin, Lixin; Wang, Yunjia; Teng, Jiyao; Xi, Xiuxiu

2015-01-01

The measurement of soil total nitrogen (TN) by hyperspectral remote sensing provides an important tool for soil restoration programs in areas with subsided land caused by the extraction of natural resources. This study used the local correlation maximization-complementary superiority method (LCMCS) to establish TN prediction models by considering the relationship between spectral reflectance (measured by an ASD FieldSpec 3 spectroradiometer) and TN based on spectral reflectance curves of soil samples collected from subsided land which is determined by synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) technology. Based on the 1655 selected effective bands of the optimal spectrum (OSP) of the first derivate differential of reciprocal logarithm ([log{1/R}]′), (correlation coefficients, p < 0.01), the optimal model of LCMCS method was obtained to determine the final model, which produced lower prediction errors (root mean square error of validation [RMSEV] = 0.89, mean relative error of validation [MREV] = 5.93%) when compared with models built by the local correlation maximization (LCM), complementary superiority (CS) and partial least squares regression (PLS) methods. The predictive effect of LCMCS model was optional in Cangzhou, Renqiu and Fengfeng District. Results indicate that the LCMCS method has great potential to monitor TN in subsided lands caused by the extraction of natural resources including groundwater, oil and coal. PMID:26213935

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping provides a feasible way to improve yield and economic incomes in farming and pastoral areas of northeast China.

PubMed

Sun, Baoru; Peng, Yi; Yang, Hongyu; Li, Zhijian; Gao, Yingzhi; Wang, Chao; Yan, Yuli; Liu, Yanmei

2014-01-01

Given the growing challenges to food and eco-environmental security as well as sustainable development of animal husbandry in the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China, it is crucial to identify advantageous intercropping modes and some constraints limiting its popularization. In order to assess the performance of various intercropping modes of maize and alfalfa, a field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with five treatments: maize monoculture in even rows, maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows, alfalfa monoculture, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows and maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in wide rows. Results demonstrate that maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows performed best for light transmission, grain yield and output value, compared to in even rows. When intercropped, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows was identified as the optimal strategy and the largely complementary ecological niches of alfalfa and maize were shown to account for the intercropping advantages, optimizing resource utilization and improving yield and economic incomes. These findings suggest that alfalfa/maize intercropping has obvious advantages over monoculture and is applicable to the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/Maize (Zea mays L.) Intercropping Provides a Feasible Way to Improve Yield and Economic Incomes in Farming and Pastoral Areas of Northeast China

PubMed Central

Sun, Baoru; Peng, Yi; Yang, Hongyu; Li, Zhijian; Gao, Yingzhi; Wang, Chao; Yan, Yuli; Liu, Yanmei

2014-01-01

Given the growing challenges to food and eco-environmental security as well as sustainable development of animal husbandry in the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China, it is crucial to identify advantageous intercropping modes and some constraints limiting its popularization. In order to assess the performance of various intercropping modes of maize and alfalfa, a field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with five treatments: maize monoculture in even rows, maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows, alfalfa monoculture, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows and maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in wide rows. Results demonstrate that maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows performed best for light transmission, grain yield and output value, compared to in even rows. When intercropped, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows was identified as the optimal strategy and the largely complementary ecological niches of alfalfa and maize were shown to account for the intercropping advantages, optimizing resource utilization and improving yield and economic incomes. These findings suggest that alfalfa/maize intercropping has obvious advantages over monoculture and is applicable to the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China. PMID:25329376

Long Life, Low Power, Multi-Cell Battery

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-28

complementary glass structures that provide for the containment walls that hold the electrolyte. B. Major task will involve the use...of an anodic bonding approach to fuse the silicon substrate containing the micro channels to the glass grid wall structures described above...Completion August 2010 Task B. completed, anodic bonding approach used on top glass and silicon layers

Fully Associative, Nonisothermal, Potential-Based Unified Viscoplastic Model for Titanium-Based Matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

A number of titanium matrix composite (TMC) systems are currently being investigated for high-temperature air frame and propulsion system applications. As a result, numerous computational methodologies for predicting both deformation and life for this class of materials are under development. An integral part of these methodologies is an accurate and computationally efficient constitutive model for the metallic matrix constituent. Furthermore, because these systems are designed to operate at elevated temperatures, the required constitutive models must account for both time-dependent and time-independent deformations. To accomplish this, the NASA Lewis Research Center is employing a recently developed, complete, potential-based framework. This framework, which utilizes internal state variables, was put forth for the derivation of reversible and irreversible constitutive equations. The framework, and consequently the resulting constitutive model, is termed complete because the existence of the total (integrated) form of the Gibbs complementary free energy and complementary dissipation potentials are assumed a priori. The specific forms selected here for both the Gibbs and complementary dissipation potentials result in a fully associative, multiaxial, nonisothermal, unified viscoplastic model with nonlinear kinematic hardening. This model constitutes one of many models in the Generalized Viscoplasticity with Potential Structure (GVIPS) class of inelastic constitutive equations.

Characterization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine-Related Consultations in an Academic Drug Information Service.

PubMed

Gregory, Philip J; Jalloh, Mohamed A; Abe, Andrew M; Hu, James; Hein, Darren J

2016-12-01

To characterize requests received through an academic drug information consultation service related to complementary and alternative medicines. A retrospective review and descriptive analysis of drug information consultations was conducted. A total of 195 consultations related to complementary and alternative medicine were evaluated. All consultation requests involved questions about dietary supplements. The most common request types were related to safety and tolerability (39%), effectiveness (38%), and therapeutic use (34%). Sixty-eight percent of the requests were from pharmacists. The most frequent consultation requests from pharmacists were questions related to drug interactions (37%), therapeutic use (37%), or stability/compatibility/storage (34%). Nearly 60% of complementary and alternative medicine-related consultation requests were able to be completely addressed using available resources. Among review sources, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Clinical Pharmacology, Micromedex, and Pharmacist's Letter were the most common resources used to address consultations. Utilization of a drug information service may be a viable option for health care professionals to help answer a complementary and alternative medicine-related question. Additionally, pharmacists and other health care professionals may consider acquiring resources identified to consistently answering these questions. © The Author(s) 2015.

A General Approach to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit Mission Recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faber, Nicolas; Aresini, Andrea; Wauthier, Pascal; Francken, Philippe

2007-01-01

This paper discusses recovery scenarios for geosynchronous satellites injected in a non-nominal orbit due to a launcher underperformance. The theory on minimum-fuel orbital transfers is applied to develop an operational tool capable to design a recovery mission. To obtain promising initial guesses for the recovery three complementary techniques are used: p-optimized impulse function contouring, a numerical impulse function minimization and the solutions to the switching equations. The tool evaluates the feasibility of a recovery with the on-board propellant of the spacecraft and performs the complete mission design. This design takes into account for various mission operational constraints such as e.g., the requirement of multiple finite-duration burns, third-body orbital perturbations, spacecraft attitude constraints and ground station visibility. In a final case study, we analyze the consequences of a premature breakdown of an upper rocket stage engine during injection on a geostationary transfer orbit, as well as the possible recovery solution with the satellite on-board propellant.

The timing of introduction of complementary foods and later health.

PubMed

Agostoni, Carlo; Przyrembel, Hildegard

2013-01-01

Complementary food is needed when human milk (or infant formula) alone is no longer sufficient for nutritional reasons. The timing of introduction needs to be determined on an individual basis although 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding can be recommended for most healthy term infants. Solid foods are intended to 'complement' ongoing breastfeeding with those dietary items whose intake has become marginal or insufficient. Both breastfeeding and complementary feeding can have direct or later consequences on health. Possible short-term health effects concern growth velocity and infections while possible long-term effects may relate to obesity, cardiovascular disease, autoimmunity (celiac disease and type 1 diabetes) and atopic disorders. For most of these it is impossible on the basis of the available evidence to conclude on the age when risks related to the start of complementary feeding are lowest or highest, with the possible exception of infections and early growth velocity. For undesirable health consequences, whilst potential mechanisms are recognized, the evidence from mostly observational studies is insufficient and requires more and prospective research. While the 6-month goal is desirable, introduction of suitable complementary food after 4 completed months with ongoing breastfeeding can be considered without adverse health consequences for infants living in affluent countries. Even less evidence on the consequences of the timing of complementary food introduction is available for formula-fed infants. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Multiple Shells Around Wolf-Rayet Stars: Space Based Astrometric Observing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marston, Anthony P.

1995-01-01

The completion of a complementary optical emission-line survey of the nebulae associated with Wolf-Rayet stars in the southern sky is reported, along with the completion of a survey the large-scale environments of Wolf-Rayet stars using IRAS Skyflux data. HIRES IRAS maps in the four IRAS wavebands for appoximately half of all galactic Wolf-Rayet stars are created.

Through Increasing "Information Literacy" Capital and Habitus (Agency): The Complementary Impact on Composition Skills When Appropriately Sequenced

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karas, Timothy

2017-01-01

Through a case study approach of a cohort of community college students at a single community college, the impact on success rates in composition courses was analyzed based on the sequence of completing an information literacy course. Two student cohorts were sampled based on completing an information literacy course prior to, or concurrently with…

High Performance Complementary Circuits Based on p-SnO and n-IGZO Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiawei; Yang, Jia; Li, Yunpeng; Wilson, Joshua; Ma, Xiaochen; Xin, Qian; Song, Aimin

2017-03-21

Oxide semiconductors are regarded as promising materials for large-area and/or flexible electronics. In this work, a ring oscillator based on n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) and p-type tin monoxide (SnO) is presented. The IGZO thin-film transistor (TFT) shows a linear mobility of 11.9 cm²/(V∙s) and a threshold voltage of 12.2 V. The SnO TFT exhibits a mobility of 0.51 cm²/(V∙s) and a threshold voltage of 20.1 V which is suitable for use with IGZO TFTs to form complementary circuits. At a supply voltage of 40 V, the complementary inverter shows a full output voltage swing and a gain of 24 with both TFTs having the same channel length/channel width ratio. The three-stage ring oscillator based on IGZO and SnO is able to operate at 2.63 kHz and the peak-to-peak oscillation amplitude reaches 36.1 V at a supply voltage of 40 V. The oxide-based complementary circuits, after further optimization of the operation voltage, may have wide applications in practical large-area flexible electronics.

High Performance Complementary Circuits Based on p-SnO and n-IGZO Thin-Film Transistors

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiawei; Yang, Jia; Li, Yunpeng; Wilson, Joshua; Ma, Xiaochen; Xin, Qian; Song, Aimin

2017-01-01

Oxide semiconductors are regarded as promising materials for large-area and/or flexible electronics. In this work, a ring oscillator based on n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) and p-type tin monoxide (SnO) is presented. The IGZO thin-film transistor (TFT) shows a linear mobility of 11.9 cm2/(V∙s) and a threshold voltage of 12.2 V. The SnO TFT exhibits a mobility of 0.51 cm2/(V∙s) and a threshold voltage of 20.1 V which is suitable for use with IGZO TFTs to form complementary circuits. At a supply voltage of 40 V, the complementary inverter shows a full output voltage swing and a gain of 24 with both TFTs having the same channel length/channel width ratio. The three-stage ring oscillator based on IGZO and SnO is able to operate at 2.63 kHz and the peak-to-peak oscillation amplitude reaches 36.1 V at a supply voltage of 40 V. The oxide-based complementary circuits, after further optimization of the operation voltage, may have wide applications in practical large-area flexible electronics. PMID:28772679

Suppression of mutants aberrant in light intensity responses of complementary chromatic adaptation.

PubMed Central

Casey, E S; Kehoe, D M; Grossman, A R

1997-01-01

Complementary chromatic adaptation is a process in which cyanobacteria alter the pigment protein (phycocyanin and phycoerythrin) composition of their light-harvesting complexes, the phycobilisomes, to help optimize the absorbance of prevalent wavelengths of light in the environment. Several classes of mutants that display aberrant complementary chromatic adaptation have been isolated. One of the mutant classes, designated "blue" or FdB, accumulates high levels of the blue chromoprotein phycocyanin in low-intensity green light, a condition that normally suppresses phycocyanin synthesis. We demonstrate here that the synthesis of the phycocyanin protein and mRNA in the FdB mutants can be suppressed by increasing the intensity of green light. Hence, these mutants have a decreased sensitivity to green light with respect to suppression of phycocyanin synthesis. Although we were unable to complement the blue mutants, we did isolate genes that could suppress the mutant phenotype. These genes, which have been identified previously, encode a histidine kinase sensor and response regulator protein that play key roles in controlling complementary chromatic adaptation. These findings are discussed with respect to the mechanism by which light quality and quantity control the biosynthesis of the phycobilisome. PMID:9226271

Comparison of multiple gene assembly methods for metabolic engineering

Treesearch

Chenfeng Lu; Karen Mansoorabadi; Thomas Jeffries

2007-01-01

A universal, rapid DNA assembly method for efficient multigene plasmid construction is important for biological research and for optimizing gene expression in industrial microbes. Three different approaches to achieve this goal were evaluated. These included creating long complementary extensions using a uracil-DNA glycosylase technique, overlap extension polymerase...

Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods to US Infants, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014.

PubMed

Barrera, Chloe M; Hamner, Heather C; Perrine, Cria G; Scanlon, Kelley S

2018-03-01

Although there has been inconsistency in recommendations regarding the optimal time for introducing complementary foods, most experts agree that introduction should not occur before 4 months. Despite recommendations, studies suggest that 20% to 40% of US infants are introduced to foods at younger than 4 months. Previous studies focused on the introduction of solid foods and are not nationally representative. Our aims were to provide a nationally representative estimate of the timing of introduction of complementary foods and to describe predictors of early (<4 months) introduction. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. The study included 1,482 children aged 6 to 36 months. Timing of first introduction to complementary foods (anything other than breast milk or formula) was analyzed. Prevalence estimates of first introduction to complementary foods are presented by month. Logistic regression was used to assess characteristics associated with early (<4 months) introduction. In this sample, 16.3% of US infants were introduced to complementary foods at <4 months, 38.3% between 4 and <6 months, 32.5% between 6 and <7 months, and 12.9% at ≥7 months of age. In unadjusted analyses, early introduction varied by breastfeeding status; race/Hispanic origin; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participation; and maternal age. In adjusted analyses, only breastfeeding status remained significant; infants who never breastfed or stopped at <4 months were more likely (odds ratio 2.27; 95% CI 1.62 to 3.18) to be introduced to complementary foods early than infants who breastfed ≥4 months. Despite using a broader definition of complementary foods, this analysis found a lower prevalence of early introduction in this nationally representative sample than previous studies that included only solids. However, many young children were still introduced to complementary foods earlier than recommended. Strategies to support caregivers to adhere to infant feeding guidelines may be needed. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D toxicity of dietary origin in cats fed a natural complementary kitten food

PubMed Central

Crossley, Victoria J; Bovens, Catherine PV; Pineda, Carmen; Hibbert, Angie; Finch, Natalie C

2017-01-01

Case series summary This case series describes two young sibling cats and an additional unrelated cat, from two separate households, that developed hypercalcaemia associated with hypervitaminosis D. Excessive vitamin D concentrations were identified in a natural complementary tinned kitten food that was fed to all three cats as part of their diet. In one of the cases, there was clinical evidence of soft tissue mineralisation. The hypercalcaemia and soft tissue mineralisation resolved following withdrawal of the affected food and medical management of the hypercalcaemia. Relevance and novel information This case series demonstrates the importance of obtaining a thorough dietary history in patients presenting with hypercalcaemia and the measurement of vitamin D metabolites when investigating such cases. Complementary foods may have the potential to induce nutritional toxicity even when fed with complete, nutritionally balanced diets. PMID:29270305

Weaning practices among pastoralists: New evidence of infant feeding patterns from Bronze Age Eurasia.

PubMed

Ventresca Miller, Alicia; Hanks, Bryan K; Judd, Margaret; Epimakhov, Andrey; Razhev, Dmitry

2017-03-01

This paper investigates infant feeding practices through stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen from Kamennyi Ambar 5, a Middle Bronze Age cemetery located in central Eurasia. The results presented are unique for the time period and region, as few cemeteries have been excavated to reveal a demographic cross-section of the population. Studies of weaning among pastoral societies are infrequent and this research adds to our knowledge of the timing, potential supplementary foods, and cessation of breastfeeding practices. Samples were collected from 41 subadults (<15 years) and 27 adults (15+ years). Isotopic reference sets from adult humans as well as faunal remains were utilized as these form the primary and complementary foods fed to infants. Slight shifts in δ 13 C and δ 15 N values revealed that weaning was a multi-stage process (breastfeeding, weaning, and complete cessation of nursing) that began at 6 months of age, occurred over several years of early childhood, and was completed by 4 years of age. Our results indicate that weaning was a multi-stage process that was unique among late prehistoric pastoralist groups in Eurasia that were dependent on milk products as a supplementary food. Our discussion centers on supporting this hypothesis with modern information on central and east Eurasian herding societies including the age at which complementary foods are introduced, the types of complementary foods, and the timing of the cessation of breastfeeding. Integral to this work is the nature of pastoral economies and their dependence on animal products, the impact of complementary foods on nutrition and health, and how milk processing may have affected nutrition content and digestibility of foods. This research on Eurasian pastoralists provides insights into the complexities of weaning among prehistoric pastoral societies as well as the potential for different complementary foods to be incorporated into infant diets in the past. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transition in Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in India.

PubMed

Puri, Seema

2017-01-01

Optimal infant and young child feeding, which includes initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for first six months, age appropriate complementary feeding after six months along with continued breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond, is a public health intervention to prevent child morbidity, mortality and malnutrition [1]. In India, even though institutional delivery rates are increasing, only 44% women are able to breastfeed their babies within one hour of delivery. While 65% children are exclusively breast fed for the first six months, the median duration of breastfeeding is 24.4 months and complementary feeding rates are 50%. To achieve optimal IYCF practices, each woman should have access to a community based IYCF counseling support system. Efforts are therefore needed to upgrade skill based training of health workers and revive and update the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). To promote and sustain breastfeeding amongst working women, it is essential to ensure adequate maternity leave, crèches at work place, flexible working hours, and provision of physical space for breast feeding at work place. It is imperative to also create public awareness about the dangers of bottle and formula feeding and to provide accurate information on the appropriate complementary food to be given to infants. In conclusion, India needs to make serious efforts to overcome malnutrition with not only prioritized IYCF policies but also their effective implementation in place. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Solar Water Splitting with a Hydrogenase Integrated in Photoelectrochemical Tandem Cells.

PubMed

Nam, Dong Heon; Zhang, Jenny; Andrei, Virgil; Kornienko, Nikolay; Heidary, Nina; Wagner, Andreas; Nakanishi, Kenichi; Sokol, Katarzyna; Slater, Barnaby; Zebger, Ingo; Hofmann, Stephan; Fontecilla-Camps, Juan; Park, Chan Beum; Reisner, Erwin

2018-06-11

Hydrogenases (H2ases) are benchmark electrocatalysts in H2 production, both in biology and (photo)catalysis in vitro. We report the tailoring of a p-type Si photocathode for optimal loading and wiring of H2ase by the introduction of a hierarchical inverse opal (IO) TiO2 interlayer. This proton reducing Si|IO-TiO2|H2ase photocathode is capable of driving overall water splitting in combination with a complementary photoanode. We demonstrate unassisted (bias-free) water-splitting by wiring Si|IO-TiO2|H2ase to a modified BiVO4 photoanode in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell during several hours of irradiation. Connecting the Si|IO-TiO2|H2ase to a photosystem II (PSII) photoanode provides proof-of-concept for an engineered Z-scheme that replaces the non-complementary, natural light absorber photosystem I with a complementary abiotic silicon photocathode. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

RNA unrestrained molecular dynamics ensemble improves agreement with experimental NMR data compared to single static structure: a test case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckman, Robert A.; Moreland, David; Louise-May, Shirley; Humblet, Christine

2006-05-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides structural and dynamic information reflecting an average, often non-linear, of multiple solution-state conformations. Therefore, a single optimized structure derived from NMR refinement may be misleading if the NMR data actually result from averaging of distinct conformers. It is hypothesized that a conformational ensemble generated by a valid molecular dynamics (MD) simulation should be able to improve agreement with the NMR data set compared with the single optimized starting structure. Using a model system consisting of two sequence-related self-complementary ribonucleotide octamers for which NMR data was available, 0.3 ns particle mesh Ewald MD simulations were performed in the AMBER force field in the presence of explicit water and counterions. Agreement of the averaged properties of the molecular dynamics ensembles with NMR data such as homonuclear proton nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE)-based distance constraints, homonuclear proton and heteronuclear 1H-31P coupling constant ( J) data, and qualitative NMR information on hydrogen bond occupancy, was systematically assessed. Despite the short length of the simulation, the ensemble generated from it agreed with the NMR experimental constraints more completely than the single optimized NMR structure. This suggests that short unrestrained MD simulations may be of utility in interpreting NMR results. As expected, a 0.5 ns simulation utilizing a distance dependent dielectric did not improve agreement with the NMR data, consistent with its inferior exploration of conformational space as assessed by 2-D RMSD plots. Thus, ability to rapidly improve agreement with NMR constraints may be a sensitive diagnostic of the MD methods themselves.

An Optimized Microplate Assay System for Quantitative Evaluation of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzyme Activity of Fungal Culture Extracts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Developing enzyme cocktails for cellulosic biomass hydrolysis complementary to current cellulase systems is a critical step needed for economically viable biofuels production. Recent genomic analysis indicates that some plant pathogenic fungi are likely a largely untapped resource in which to prospe...

Surveillance of Space - Optimal Use of Complementary Sensors for Maximum Efficiency

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

as track - before - detect [4] have been shown to allow improved sensitivity. This technique employs fast running algorithms and computing power to pre...Multifunction Radar” IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, January 2006. [4] Wallace W R “The Use of Track - Before - Detect in Pulse-Doppler Radar” IEE 490, Radar

Differentiation of individual selves facilitates group-level benefits of ultrasociality.

PubMed

Ainsworth, Sarah E; Baumeister, Roy F; Vohs, Kathleen D

2016-01-01

Gowdy & Krall's target article complements our recent theorizing on group behavior. In our comment, we elucidate complementary aspects of the two theories and highlight the importance of differentiation of selves for human groups to reap the benefits of ultrasociality. We propose that achieving optimal group outcomes depends on the differentiation of individual selves.

Role of Active Versus Passive Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in Pain Management.

PubMed

Cosio, David; Lin, Erica

2018-01-01

A general conclusion about the treatment of chronic, noncancer pain is that the results from traditional, passive modalities are disheartening. Perhaps this may be due to the propensity of patients to seek out passive versus active treatments. In pain management, active treatments should be the primary focus, with passive interventions as an adjunct. The current study tested the hypotheses that Veterans would report a greater significant increase in active versus transitional and active versus passive complementary and integrative health (CIH) utilization after completing a formal pain education program. The current study is a secondary analysis of existing data from an original study. The current study used a quasi-experimental, 1-group, pre-/posttest design. One hundred three Veterans completed a 12-week, "Pain Education School" program at a Midwestern VA Medical Center between November 4, 2011, and October 26, 2012. As part of the introduction and conclusion of the program, all Veterans completed a pre- and posteducation assessment which included an adaptation of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire©, SECTION A: Use of Alternative Health Care Providers measure. Significant differences were found between the pre- and posttest measures of use of active ( P  = .000) ( p <.001), transitional ( P  = .011), and passive ( P  = .007) CIH modalities. The current findings suggest that an educational intervention in conjunction with the availability of treatment options has the potential to increase the use of those treatments. The current pain education program also seems to be aligned with the goal of pain self-management, which is to utilize more active interventions as a primary therapy.

Introduction of new food textures during complementary feeding: Observations in France.

PubMed

Marduel Boulanger, A; Vernet, M

2018-01-01

Complementary feeding plays a crucial role in the development of infants and toddlers and studies suggest benefits specific to the introduction of food textures. Evaluate the recommendations given to parents, their practices, and their attitudes towards the introduction of food textures during complementary feeding in France. This was a cross-sectional pilot study conducted in 2013. One hundred and eighty-one parents with at least one child aged 6-36 months living in France completed an ad hoc questionnaire. Eighty-eight percent of the parents surveyed received oral information on complementary feeding, but only 46% received such information on the introduction of food textures. Pediatricians were the most frequently listed source of oral information on complementary feeding. More than half the parents also looked for additional information in books and on the internet. While oral recommendations matched parents' practices, they seemed to occur at a later age compared to infants' physiological ability to handle new textures. The quality of information on food texture advice available in paper and electronic formats evaluated using a 4-point scale was found to be limited. Introducing new food texture was spontaneously reported as the most common difficulty in complementary feeding (16%). Fear of choking when first introducing food pieces was reported by 54% of the parents. The parents' lack of information on the introduction of food textures, as well as their fear that their child may choke, should encourage providing new recommendations in France. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nutritional status of infants and young children and characteristics of their diets.

PubMed

Lutter, Chessa K; Rivera, Juan A

2003-09-01

Adoption of the recommended breast-feeding and complementary feeding behaviors and access to the appropriate quality and quantity of foods are essential components of optimal nutrition for infants and young children between ages 6 and 24 mo. Iron, zinc and vitamin B-6 are deficient in complementary food diets in Bangladesh, Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. Low intakes of iron are consistent with a high prevalence of anemia seen in this age group. The adequacy of observed intakes for calcium, vitamin A, thiamin, folate and vitamin C depends on the age range in question and the set of requirements used in the assessment. The lipid content of many complementary food diets is low. In addition to providing essential fatty acids, lipids are needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and also enhance the texture, flavor and aroma of foods, which may lead to increased intake. The relative roles of palatability, micronutrient deficiency and morbidity-induced anorexia in the appetite of infants and young children are not known. However, even among children who were growth retarded and had a total energy deficit compared with requirements, up to 25% of food offered was not consumed. This indicates that dietary quality rather than quantity is the key aspect of complementary food diets that needs to be improved. Targeted fortification or the production of complementary foods fortified with micronutrients and of an adequate macro- and micronutrient composition is one approach to help meet nutritional requirements during the vulnerable period of 6-24 mo.

High consumption of commercial food products among children less than 24 months of age and product promotion in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

PubMed Central

Huffman, Sandra L.; Adhikary, Indu; Upreti, Senendra Raj; Dhungel, Shrid; Champeny, Mary; Zehner, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Abstract Commercially produced complementary foods can help improve nutritional status of young children if they are appropriately fortified and of optimal nutrient composition. However, other commercially produced snack food products may be nutritionally detrimental, potentially increasing consumption of foods high in salt or sugar and displacing consumption of other more nutritious options. Helen Keller International, in collaboration with the Nepal government, implemented a study to assess mothers' utilization of commercial food products for child feeding and exposure to commercial promotions for these products. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 309 mothers of children less than 24 months of age across 15 health facilities. Utilization of breastmilk substitutes was low, having been consumed by 6.2% of children 0–5 months of age and 7.5% of children 6–23 months of age. Approximately one‐fourth (24.6%) of children 6–23 months age had consumed a commercially produced complementary food in the prior day. Twenty‐eight percent of mothers reported observing a promotion for breastmilk substitutes, and 20.1% reported promotions for commercially produced complementary foods. Consumption of commercially produced snack food products was high at 74.1% of children 6–23 months. Promotions for these same commercially produced snack food products were highly prevalent in Kathmandu Valley, reported by 85.4% of mothers. In order to improve diets during the complementary feeding period, development of national standards for complementary food products is recommended. Nutritious snack options should be promoted for the complementary feeding period; consumption of commercially produced snack food products high in sugar and salt and low in nutrients should be discouraged. PMID:27061954

High consumption of commercial food products among children less than 24 months of age and product promotion in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

PubMed

Pries, Alissa M; Huffman, Sandra L; Adhikary, Indu; Upreti, Senendra Raj; Dhungel, Shrid; Champeny, Mary; Zehner, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

Commercially produced complementary foods can help improve nutritional status of young children if they are appropriately fortified and of optimal nutrient composition. However, other commercially produced snack food products may be nutritionally detrimental, potentially increasing consumption of foods high in salt or sugar and displacing consumption of other more nutritious options. Helen Keller International, in collaboration with the Nepal government, implemented a study to assess mothers' utilization of commercial food products for child feeding and exposure to commercial promotions for these products. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 309 mothers of children less than 24 months of age across 15 health facilities. Utilization of breastmilk substitutes was low, having been consumed by 6.2% of children 0-5 months of age and 7.5% of children 6-23 months of age. Approximately one-fourth (24.6%) of children 6-23 months age had consumed a commercially produced complementary food in the prior day. Twenty-eight percent of mothers reported observing a promotion for breastmilk substitutes, and 20.1% reported promotions for commercially produced complementary foods. Consumption of commercially produced snack food products was high at 74.1% of children 6-23 months. Promotions for these same commercially produced snack food products were highly prevalent in Kathmandu Valley, reported by 85.4% of mothers. In order to improve diets during the complementary feeding period, development of national standards for complementary food products is recommended. Nutritious snack options should be promoted for the complementary feeding period; consumption of commercially produced snack food products high in sugar and salt and low in nutrients should be discouraged. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[How I treat: from specialized pharmacology to drug therapy: a plea for an optimal educational program for rational therapeutics, from decision making to drug prescription].

PubMed

Scheen, A J

2000-09-01

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics are two complementary disciplines which should lead the medical student, through an optimized training, to a rational prescription of drugs, ultimate and important step of the medical approach. Such a learning should occur progressively throughout the medical education, focusing, first, on the therapeutic reasoning ("why?") and, second, on the practical application leading to the prescription ("how?"). The medical student should learn the difficult task of integrating disease, drug and patient, in order to optimize the benefit/risk ratio, while being informed about new concepts such as "Evidence-Based Medicine" and pharmacoeconomics.

Thermal lensing effects in rod-based Tm3+: YLF amplifiers versus pump and cooling conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolly, A.; Vidal, S.; Boullet, J.

2018-06-01

We report on a comprehensive study of the thermal-lensing penalties in rod-based, end-pumped amplifiers made of thulium-doped YLF. Aiming to optimize the beam quality under optimized pump and cooling conditions, this applies to the definition of highly efficient laser designs with operation up to the saturation of the gain. Single-pass and double-pass pump schemes are benchmarked by means of an innovative modeling process, to determine the appropriate rod’s length and the complete set of input data which determines the spatial transfer function of a given rod. This is done in the form of an equivalent, pump-dependent, thick GRIN lens. The characteristics of this highly astigmatic and basically divergent lens are computed thanks to complementary 3D-FEM thermo-mechanical modeling. To benchmark the different contributors to natural thermal-lensing phenomena, we refer to the situation of uniform side-cooling. The computational results are parameterized in a broad range of operating conditions. Then we suggest non-uniform side-cooling, as a possible option of interest for cancelling the astigmatism. The development of YLF-based amplifiers of a new generation taking advantage of a highly stable and easily controllable beam quality, either using rod-based or slab-based architectures, will be part of the potential applications of this fairly generic modeling approach.

Alternative and complementary reinforcers as mechanisms linking adolescent conduct problems and substance use.

PubMed

Khoddam, Rubin; Leventhal, Adam M

2016-10-01

The present study tested the hypothesis that teens who engage in conduct problems are more likely to use substances because they engage in fewer alternative reinforcing (i.e., pleasurable) substance-free activities and more complementary reinforcing substance-associated activities. In a cross-sectional, correlational design, 9th grade students (N = 3,383; mean age = 14.6 years) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. completed surveys in 2013 measuring conduct problems (e.g., stealing, lying, getting in fights); alternative and complementary reinforcement; use of a number of licit, illicit, and prescription drugs; and other cofactors. Conduct problems were positively associated with past 6-month use of any substance (yes/no) among the overall sample and past 30-day use frequency on a composite index that included 6 substances among past 6-month users. These associations were statistically mediated by diminished alternative reinforcement and increased complementary reinforcement when adjusting for relevant covariates. Conduct problems were associated with lower engagement in alternative reinforcers and increased engagement in complementary reinforcers, which, in turn, were associated with greater likelihood and frequency of substance use. Most mediational relations persisted adjusting for demographic, environmental, and intrapersonal cofactors and generalized to alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, although, complementary reinforcers did not significantly mediate the relation of conduct problems with alcohol use frequency. These results point to diminished alternative reinforcement and increased complementary reinforcement as mechanisms linking conduct problems and adolescent substance use. Interventions that increase access to and engagement in a diverse set of alternative substance-free activities and deter activities that complement use may prevent substance use in adolescents who engage in conduct problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Alternative and Complementary Reinforcers as Mechanisms Linking Adolescent Conduct Problems and Substance Use

PubMed Central

Khoddam, Rubin; Leventhal, Adam M.

2016-01-01

The present study tested the hypothesis that teens who engage in conduct problems are more likely to use substances because they engage in fewer alternative reinforcing (i.e., pleasurable) substance-free activities and more complementary reinforcing substance-associated activities. In a cross-sectional, correlational design, ninth grade students (N=3,396; mean age=14.6 years) in Los Angeles, California, USA completed surveys in 2013 measuring conduct problems (e.g., stealing, lying, getting in fights), alternative and complementary reinforcement, use of a number of licit, illicit, and prescription drugs, and other co-factors. Conduct problems were positively associated with past six-month use of any substance (yes/no) among the overall sample and past 30-day use frequency on a composite index that included six substances among past six-month users. These associations were statistically mediated by diminished alternative reinforcement and increased complementary reinforcement when adjusting for relevant covariates. Conduct problems were associated with lower engagement in alternative reinforcers and increased engagement in complementary reinforcers, which, in turn, was associated with greater likelihood and frequency of substance use. Most mediational relations persisted adjusting for demographic, environmental, and intrapersonal co-factors and generalized to alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use; though, complementary reinforcers did not significantly mediate the relation of CPs with alcohol use frequency. These results point to diminished alternative reinforcement and increased complementary reinforcement as mechanisms linking conduct problems and adolescent substance use. Interventions that increase access to and engagement in a diverse set of alternative substance-free activities and deter activities that complement use may prevent substance use in adolescents who engage in conduct problems. PMID:27690501

Complete coverage and covering completely: Breast feeding and complementary feeding: Knowledge, attitude, and practices of mothers.

PubMed

Jain, Sunil; Thapar, R K; Gupta, R K

2018-01-01

Knowing current trends for timely comprehensive action for health promotion practices is an important prerequisite for medical practitioners and policy makers. A survey of mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital in central India. On the knowledge front >83.75% of the mothers studied showed good knowledge about breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Similar, but not as encouraging, were the results about attitude, with 76.25% of mothers having a positive attitude. The results of the practices part were varied. The WHO indicators assessed were 'early initiation of breastfeeding' (68.75%), 'exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months' (85%) (however exclusive breast feeding for first 6 months was carried out by only 36.25%), 'introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods' (48.75%), 'continued breastfeeding at 1 year' (63.75%) and 'continued breastfeeding at 2 years' (6.25%). There is a discrepancy between knowledge and practices. The exclusive breast feeding rates are far from the ideal and there is a decline of continued breast feeding beyond 15 months. This calls for sustained efforts with the aim - 'cover all and cover completely'. The ideal WHO indicator for exclusive breast feeding should be 'exclusive breastfeeding for first 6 months' which will provide information about the completeness of this ideal practice.

Intelligent complementary sliding-mode control for LUSMS-based X-Y-theta motion control stage.

PubMed

Lin, Faa-Jeng; Chen, Syuan-Yi; Shyu, Kuo-Kai; Liu, Yen-Hung

2010-07-01

An intelligent complementary sliding-mode control (ICSMC) system using a recurrent wavelet-based Elman neural network (RWENN) estimator is proposed in this study to control the mover position of a linear ultrasonic motors (LUSMs)-based X-Y-theta motion control stage for the tracking of various contours. By the addition of a complementary generalized error transformation, the complementary sliding-mode control (CSMC) can efficiently reduce the guaranteed ultimate bound of the tracking error by half compared with the slidingmode control (SMC) while using the saturation function. To estimate a lumped uncertainty on-line and replace the hitting control of the CSMC directly, the RWENN estimator is adopted in the proposed ICSMC system. In the RWENN, each hidden neuron employs a different wavelet function as an activation function to improve both the convergent precision and the convergent time compared with the conventional Elman neural network (ENN). The estimation laws of the RWENN are derived using the Lyapunov stability theorem to train the network parameters on-line. A robust compensator is also proposed to confront the uncertainties including approximation error, optimal parameter vectors, and higher-order terms in Taylor series. Finally, some experimental results of various contours tracking show that the tracking performance of the ICSMC system is significantly improved compared with the SMC and CSMC systems.

Complementary effects of cereal and pulse polyphenols and dietary fiber on chronic inflammation and gut health.

PubMed

Awika, Joseph M; Rose, Devin J; Simsek, Senay

2018-03-01

Cereal grains and grain pulses are primary staples often consumed together, and contribute a major portion of daily human calorie and protein intake globally. Protective effects of consuming whole grain cereals and grain pulses against various inflammation-related chronic diseases are well documented. However, potential benefits of combined intake of whole cereals and pulses beyond their complementary amino acid nutrition is rarely considered in literature. There is ample evidence that key bioactive components of whole grain cereals and pulses are structurally different and thus may be optimized to provide synergistic/complementary health benefits. Among the most important whole grain bioactive components are polyphenols and dietary fiber, not only because of their demonstrated biological function, but also their major impact on consumer choice of whole grain/pulse products. This review highlights the distinct structural differences between key cereal grain and pulse polyphenols and non-starch polysaccharides (dietary fiber), and the evidence on specific synergistic/complementary benefits of combining the bioactive components from the two commodities. Interactive effects of the polyphenols and fiber on gut microbiota and associated benefits to colon health, and against systemic inflammation, are discussed. Processing technologies that can be used to further enhance the interactive benefits of combined cereal-pulse bioactive compounds are highlighted.

Introduction of complementary foods in Sweden and impact of maternal education on feeding practices.

PubMed

Klingberg, Sofia; Ludvigsson, Johnny; Brekke, Hilde K

2017-04-01

To describe the introduction of complementary foods in a population-based cohort in relation to recommendations and explore the possible impact of maternal education on infant feeding practices. Prospective data from the All Babies in Southeast Sweden (ABIS) cohort study were used. The ABIS study invited all infants born in south-east Sweden during October 1997-October 1999 (n 21 700) to participate. A questionnaire was completed for 16 022 infants. During the infants' first year parents continuously filed in a diary covering introduction of foods. Sweden. Infants (n 9727) with completed food diaries. Potatoes, vegetables, fruits/berries and porridge were the foods first introduced, with a median introduction between 19 and 22 weeks, followed by introduction of meat, cow's milk, follow-on formula and sour milk/yoghurt between 24 and 27 weeks. Early introduction of any food, before 16 weeks, occurred for 27 % of the infants and was more common in infants of mothers with low education. Overall, potatoes (14·7 %), vegetables (11·1 %), fruits/berries (8·5 %), porridge (7·4 %) and follow-on formula (2·7 %) were the foods most frequently introduced early. The majority of infants (≥70 %) were introduced to potatoes, vegetables, fruits/berries and porridge during concurrent breast-feeding, but introduction during concurrent breast-feeding was less common in infants of mothers with low education. Most infants were introduced to complementary foods timely in relation to recommendations. Low maternal education was associated with earlier introduction of complementary foods and less introduction during concurrent breast-feeding. Still, the results indicated exposure to fewer foods at 12 months in infants of mothers with low education.

Optimizing Telehealth Strategies for Subspecialty Care: Recommendations from Rural Pediatricians

PubMed Central

Demirci, Jill R.; Bogen, Debra L.; Mehrotra, Ateev; Miller, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Telehealth offers strategies to improve access to subspecialty care for children in rural communities. Rural pediatrician experiences and preferences regarding the use of these telehealth strategies for children's subspecialty care needs are not known. We elicited rural pediatrician experiences and preferences regarding different pediatric subspecialty telehealth strategies. Materials and Methods: Seventeen semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with rural pediatricians from 17 states within the United States. Interviewees were recruited by e-mails to a pediatric rural health listserv and to rural pediatricians identified through snowball sampling. Themes were identified through thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Results: Rural pediatricians identified several telehealth strategies to improve access to subspecialty care, including physician access hotlines, remote electronic medical record access, electronic messaging systems, live video telemedicine, and telehealth triage systems. Rural pediatricians provided recommendations for optimizing the utility of each of these strategies based on their experiences with different systems. Rural pediatricians preferred specific telehealth strategies for specific clinical contexts, resulting in a proposed framework describing the complementary role of different telehealth strategies for pediatric subspecialty care. Finally, rural pediatricians identified additional benefits associated with the use of telehealth strategies and described a desire for telehealth systems that enhanced (rather than replaced) personal relationships between rural pediatricians and subspecialists. Conclusions: Rural pediatricians described complementary roles for different subspecialty care telehealth strategies. Additionally, rural pediatricians provided recommendations for optimizing individual telehealth strategies. Input from rural pediatricians will be crucial for optimizing specific telehealth strategies and designing effective telehealth systems. PMID:25919585

An integrated nutrition and health program package on IYCN improves breastfeeding but not complementary feeding and nutritional status in rural northern India: A quasi-experimental randomized longitudinal study.

PubMed

Singh, Veena; Ahmed, Saifuddin; Dreyfuss, Michele L; Kiran, Usha; Chaudhery, Deepika N; Srivastava, Vinod K; Ahuja, Ramesh C; Baqui, Abdullah H; Darmstadt, Gary L; Santosham, Mathuram; West, Keith P

2017-01-01

Undernutrition below two years of age remains a major public health problem in India. We conducted an evaluation of an integrated nutrition and health program that aimed to improve nutritional status of young children by improving breast and complementary feeding practices over that offered by the Government of India's standard nutrition and health care program. In Uttar Pradesh state, through multi-stage cluster random sampling, 81 villages in an intervention district and 84 villages in a comparison district were selected. A cohort of 957 third trimester pregnant women identified during house-to-house surveys was enrolled and, following childbirth, mother-child dyads were followed every three months from birth to 18 months of age. The primary outcomes were improvements in weight-for-age and length-for-age z scores, with improved breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices as intermediate outcomes. Optimal breastfeeding practices were higher among women in intervention than comparison areas, including initiating breastfeeding within one hour of delivery (17.4% vs. 2.7%, p<0.001), feeding colostrum (34.7% vs. 8.4%, p<0.001), avoiding pre-lacteals (19.6% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001) and exclusively breastfeeding up to 6 months (24.1% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.001). However, differences were few and mixed between study arms with respect to complementary feeding practices. The mean weight-for-age z-score was higher at 9 months (-2.1 vs. -2.4, p = 0.0026) and the prevalence of underweight status was lower at 12 months (58.5% vs. 69.3%, p = 0.047) among intervention children. The prevalence of stunting was similar between study arms at all ages. Coefficients to show the differences between the intervention and comparison districts (0.13 cm/mo) suggested significant faster linear growth among intervention district infants at earlier ages (0-5 months). Mothers participating in the intervention district were more likely to follow optimal breast, although not complementary feeding practices. The program modestly improved linear growth in earlier age and weight gain in late infancy. Comprehensive nutrition and health interventions are complex; the implementation strategies need careful examination to improve feeding practices and thus impact growth. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00198835.

An integrated nutrition and health program package on IYCN improves breastfeeding but not complementary feeding and nutritional status in rural northern India: A quasi-experimental randomized longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Saifuddin; Dreyfuss, Michele L.; Srivastava, Vinod K.; Ahuja, Ramesh C.; Baqui, Abdullah H.; Darmstadt, Gary L.; Santosham, Mathuram; West, Keith P.

2017-01-01

Background Undernutrition below two years of age remains a major public health problem in India. We conducted an evaluation of an integrated nutrition and health program that aimed to improve nutritional status of young children by improving breast and complementary feeding practices over that offered by the Government of India’s standard nutrition and health care program. Methods In Uttar Pradesh state, through multi-stage cluster random sampling, 81 villages in an intervention district and 84 villages in a comparison district were selected. A cohort of 957 third trimester pregnant women identified during house-to-house surveys was enrolled and, following childbirth, mother-child dyads were followed every three months from birth to 18 months of age. The primary outcomes were improvements in weight-for-age and length-for-age z scores, with improved breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices as intermediate outcomes. Findings Optimal breastfeeding practices were higher among women in intervention than comparison areas, including initiating breastfeeding within one hour of delivery (17.4% vs. 2.7%, p<0.001), feeding colostrum (34.7% vs. 8.4%, p<0.001), avoiding pre-lacteals (19.6% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001) and exclusively breastfeeding up to 6 months (24.1% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.001). However, differences were few and mixed between study arms with respect to complementary feeding practices. The mean weight-for-age z-score was higher at 9 months (-2.1 vs. -2.4, p = 0.0026) and the prevalence of underweight status was lower at 12 months (58.5% vs. 69.3%, p = 0.047) among intervention children. The prevalence of stunting was similar between study arms at all ages. Coefficients to show the differences between the intervention and comparison districts (0.13 cm/mo) suggested significant faster linear growth among intervention district infants at earlier ages (0–5 months). Interpretation Mothers participating in the intervention district were more likely to follow optimal breast, although not complementary feeding practices. The program modestly improved linear growth in earlier age and weight gain in late infancy. Comprehensive nutrition and health interventions are complex; the implementation strategies need careful examination to improve feeding practices and thus impact growth. Trial registration The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00198835. PMID:28931088

Timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors among children aged 6 to 12 months in Northern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life is critical for the wellbeing of the child. In the mean while, timely initiation and starting nutritionally-adequate, safe, age-appropriate complementary feeding at six months is recommended for the better health and development of infants. According to the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2011, timely initiation of complementary feeding in Ethiopia at the 6th month was only 51%. The purpose of this study is to determine the magnitude of timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors in Mekelle town, Northern Ethiopia. Methods An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 422 mothers of infants aged from six months to one year selected from six public health facilities. Sample size proportional to the patient flow rate of each institution was allocated and systematic random sampling method was used to get the study participant. An exit interview using structured questionnaire was conducted about their experience on complementary feeding and related experience. The questionnaire was pretested among 21 mothers. Data were entered with EPI info version 3.5.1 and cleaning and analysis was done by using SPSS version 16. Frequencies distribution, binary and multiple logistic regressions were done. OR and 95% confidence interval was computed. Result The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding at sixth month was 62.8% (265/422, 95% C.I: 58.1, 67.31%). Educational level, occupation of mother, parity, having ANC follow up, and birth preparedness were found to be independent predictor of timely initiation of complementary feeding. Conclusions Almost two-third of mothers initiated complementary feeding at six month of child’ age as recommended. This was relatively higher prevalence than most developing countries. However, significant proportion of mothers still did not initiate complementary feeding timely. Mothers who are illiterate and completed only primary school need more attention. All mothers must be encouraged to make antenatal care follow up. PMID:24195592

Hertz's special relativity and physical reality.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mocanu, C. I.

Maxwell-Hertz electrodynamics (MHE), valid for nonuniform motions as they occur in physical reality and which holds for the noninertial reference frame of our laboratory at small velocities only, is extended to relativistic velocities. The new theory, called Hertz's relativistic electrodynamics (HRE), is completely independent and built-up in a completely different way than Einstein's special relativity (ESR). HRE, a coordinate-free formulation, does not need postulates, but confirms the constancy principle of the speed of light in a vacuum. All experiments of first and second order in v2/c2 are correctly interpreted. To this theory a Hertzian kinematics and dynamics are associated. HRE with its corresponding mechanics form Hertz's special relativity (HSR) as a theory complementary to ESR. According to the principle of complementarity and neglecting gravitational effects, extended special relativity (ExSR) is a double-faced theory which becomes either ESR when the motion is inertial or HSR when the motion is noninertial. The complementarity of both theories assumes that the two descriptions cannot be employed for the same motion, being mutually exclusive. Consequently, to every statement of ExSR, a complementary statement of the other ExSR corresponds. The completeness of ESR with HSR ensures an extended view over relativity in our physical world.

A mixed-methods evaluation of complementary therapy services in palliative care: yoga and dance therapy.

PubMed

Selman, L E; Williams, J; Simms, V

2012-01-01

To inform service provision and future research, we evaluated two complementary therapy services: yoga classes and dance therapy [The Lebed Method (TLM)]. Both were run as 6-week group courses. Patients completed the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing questionnaire pre- and post-course. Mean change over time was calculated for patient-nominated concern and well-being scores. Qualitative data regarding factors affecting health other than the therapy and benefits of the service were analysed using content analysis. Eighteen patients participated (mean age 63.8 years; 16 female; 14 cancer diagnoses); 10 were doing yoga, five TLM, and three both yoga and TLM; 14 completed more than one assessed course. Patients' most prevalent concerns were: mobility/fitness (n= 20), breathing problems (n= 20), arm, shoulder and neck problems (n= 18), difficulty relaxing (n= 8), back/postural problems (n= 8), fear/anxiety (n= 5). Factors affecting patients' health other than the therapy were prevalent and predominantly negative (e.g. treatment side effects). Patients reported psycho-spiritual, physical and social benefits. Concern scores improved significantly (P < 0.001) for both therapies; improved well-being was clinically significant for yoga. Evaluations of group complementary therapy services are feasible, can be conducted effectively and have implications for future research. Yoga and TLM may be of benefit in this population. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Final report on LDRD project : narrow-linewidth VCSELs for atomic microsystems.

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

Chow, Weng Wah; Geib, Kent Martin; Peake, Gregory Merwin

2011-09-01

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are well suited for emerging photonic microsystems due to their low power consumption, ease of integration with other optical components, and single frequency operation. However, the typical VCSEL linewidth of 100 MHz is approximately ten times wider than the natural linewidth of atoms used in atomic beam clocks and trapped atom research, which degrades or completely destroys performance in those systems. This report documents our efforts to reduce VCSEL linewidths below 10 MHz to meet the needs of advanced sub-Doppler atomic microsystems, such as cold-atom traps. We have investigated two complementary approaches to reduce VCSEL linewidth:more » (A) increasing the laser-cavity quality factor, and (B) decreasing the linewidth enhancement factor (alpha) of the optical gain medium. We have developed two new VCSEL devices that achieved increased cavity quality factors: (1) all-semiconductor extended-cavity VCSELs, and (2) micro-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (MECSELs). These new VCSEL devices have demonstrated linewidths below 10 MHz, and linewidths below 1 MHz seem feasible with further optimization.« less

Targeting the r(CGG) repeats that cause FXTAS with modularly assembled small molecules and oligonucleotides.

PubMed

Tran, Tuan; Childs-Disney, Jessica L; Liu, Biao; Guan, Lirui; Rzuczek, Suzanne; Disney, Matthew D

2014-04-18

We designed small molecules that bind the structure of the RNA that causes fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), an incurable neuromuscular disease. FXTAS is caused by an expanded r(CGG) repeat (r(CGG)(exp)) that inactivates a protein regulator of alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Our designed compounds modulate r(CGG)(exp) toxicity in cellular models of FXTAS, and pull-down experiments confirm that they bind r(CGG)(exp) in vivo. Importantly, compound binding does not affect translation of the downstream open reading frame (ORF). We compared molecular recognition properties of our optimal compound to oligonucleotides. Studies show that r(CGG)(exp)'s self-structure is a significant energetic barrier for oligonucleotide binding. A fully modified 2'-OMethyl phosphorothioate is incapable of completely reversing an FXTAS-associated splicing defect and inhibits translation of the downstream ORF, which could have deleterious effects. Taken together, these studies suggest that a small molecule that recognizes structure may be more well suited for targeting highly structured RNAs that require strand invasion by a complementary oligonucleotide.

Targeting the r(CGG) Repeats That Cause FXTAS with Modularly Assembled Small Molecules and Oligonucleotides

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We designed small molecules that bind the structure of the RNA that causes fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), an incurable neuromuscular disease. FXTAS is caused by an expanded r(CGG) repeat (r(CGG)exp) that inactivates a protein regulator of alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Our designed compounds modulate r(CGG)exp toxicity in cellular models of FXTAS, and pull-down experiments confirm that they bind r(CGG)expin vivo. Importantly, compound binding does not affect translation of the downstream open reading frame (ORF). We compared molecular recognition properties of our optimal compound to oligonucleotides. Studies show that r(CGG)exp’s self-structure is a significant energetic barrier for oligonucleotide binding. A fully modified 2′-OMethyl phosphorothioate is incapable of completely reversing an FXTAS-associated splicing defect and inhibits translation of the downstream ORF, which could have deleterious effects. Taken together, these studies suggest that a small molecule that recognizes structure may be more well suited for targeting highly structured RNAs that require strand invasion by a complementary oligonucleotide. PMID:24506227

Status and Perspectives of Neutron Imaging Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, E.; Trtik, P.; Ridikas, D.

The methodology and the application range of neutron imaging techniques have been significantly improved at numerous facilities worldwide in the last decades. This progress has been achieved by new detector systems, the setup of dedicated, optimized and flexible beam lines and the much better understanding of the complete imaging process thanks to complementary simulations. Furthermore, new applications and research topics were found and implemented. However, since the quality and the number of neutron imaging facilities depend much on the access to suitable beam ports, there is still an enormous potential to implement state-of-the-art neutron imaging techniques at many more facilities. On the one hand, there are prominent and powerful sources which do not intend/accept the implementation of neutron imaging techniques due to the priorities set for neutron scattering and irradiation techniques exclusively. On the other hand, there are modern and useful devices which remain under-utilized and have either not the capacity or not the know-how to develop attractive user programs and/or industrial partnerships. In this overview of the international status of neutron imaging facilities, we will specify details about the current situation.

Four dimensional hybrid ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging via passive element optical excitation in a hand-held probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehm, Thomas Felix; Deán-Ben, Xosé Luís; Razansky, Daniel

2014-10-01

Ultrasonography and optoacoustic imaging share powerful advantages related to the natural aptitude for real-time image rendering with high resolution, the hand-held operation, and lack of ionizing radiation. The two methods also possess very different yet highly complementary advantages of the mechanical and optical contrast in living tissues. Nonetheless, efficient integration of these modalities remains challenging owing to the fundamental differences in the underlying physical contrast, optimal signal acquisition, and image reconstruction approaches. We report on a method for hybrid acquisition and reconstruction of three-dimensional pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic images in real time based on passive ultrasound generation with an optical absorber, thus avoiding the hardware complexity of active ultrasound generation. In this way, complete hybrid datasets are generated with a single laser interrogation pulse, resulting in simultaneous rendering of ultrasound and optoacoustic images at an unprecedented rate of 10 volumetric frames per second. Performance is subsequently showcased in phantom experiments and in-vivo measurements from a healthy human volunteer, confirming general clinical applicability of the method.

Four dimensional hybrid ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging via passive element optical excitation in a hand-held probe

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

Fehm, Thomas Felix; Razansky, Daniel, E-mail: dr@tum.de; Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich

2014-10-27

Ultrasonography and optoacoustic imaging share powerful advantages related to the natural aptitude for real-time image rendering with high resolution, the hand-held operation, and lack of ionizing radiation. The two methods also possess very different yet highly complementary advantages of the mechanical and optical contrast in living tissues. Nonetheless, efficient integration of these modalities remains challenging owing to the fundamental differences in the underlying physical contrast, optimal signal acquisition, and image reconstruction approaches. We report on a method for hybrid acquisition and reconstruction of three-dimensional pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic images in real time based on passive ultrasound generation with an opticalmore » absorber, thus avoiding the hardware complexity of active ultrasound generation. In this way, complete hybrid datasets are generated with a single laser interrogation pulse, resulting in simultaneous rendering of ultrasound and optoacoustic images at an unprecedented rate of 10 volumetric frames per second. Performance is subsequently showcased in phantom experiments and in-vivo measurements from a healthy human volunteer, confirming general clinical applicability of the method.« less

Integrating family medicine and complementary medicine in cancer care: a cross-cultural perspective.

PubMed

Ben-Arye, Eran; Israely, Pesi; Baruch, Erez; Dagash, Jamal

2014-10-01

In this paper, we describe the case study of a 27 year-old Arab female patient receiving palliative care for advanced breast cancer who was referred to complementary medicine (CM) consultation provided within a conventional oncology department. We explore the impact of the integrative CM practitioners' team of three family physicians and one Chinese medicine practitioner on the patient's well-being and specifically on the alleviation of her debilitating hot flashes and insomnia. This quality of life improvement is also affirmed by comparing the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Measure Yourself Concerns and Well-being (MYCAW) questionnaires administered at the initial and follow-up assessment sessions. In conclusion, we suggest that family physicians trained in evidence-based complementary medicine are optimal integrators of holistic patient-centered supportive care. The inclusion of trained CM practitioners in a multi-disciplinary integrative team may enhance the bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective, and provide additional practical therapies that improve the quality of life of patients confronting cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complementary and alternative medicine use in a pediatric neurology clinic.

PubMed

Aburahma, Samah K; Khader, Yousef S; Alzoubi, Karem; Sawalha, Noor

2010-08-01

To evaluate the frequency and determinants of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children attending a pediatric neurology clinic in North Jordan, a parent completed questionnaire survey of children attending the pediatric neurology clinic at King Abdullah University Hospital from March to July 2008 was conducted. A review of 176 completed questionnaires showed that 99 parents (56%) had used CAM for their child's specific neurological illness. The most common modalities were prayer/reciting the Quran (77%), religious healers (30%), massage with olive oil (32%), and consumption of honey products (29%). The most common reason was religious beliefs in 68%. None reported lack of trust in conventional medicine as the reason behind seeking CAM. Factors significantly associated with CAM use were speech delay, belief in its usefulness, father's age more than 30 years, and mothers with education less than high school. CAM had a supplementary role in relation to traditional western medicine use. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the thermodynamic framework of generalized coupled thermoelastic-viscoplastic-damage modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, S. M.; Saleeb, A. F.

1991-01-01

A complete potential based framework using internal state variables is put forth for the derivation of reversible and irreversible constitutive equations. In this framework, the existence of the total (integrated) form of either the (Helmholtz) free energy or the (Gibbs) complementary free energy are assumed a priori. Two options for describing the flow and evolutionary equations are described, wherein option one (the fully coupled form) is shown to be over restrictive while the second option (the decoupled form) provides significant flexibility. As a consequence of the decoupled form, a new operator, i.e., the Compliance operator, is defined which provides a link between the assumed Gibb's and complementary dissipation potential and ensures a number of desirable numerical features, for example the symmetry of the resulting consistent tangent stiffness matrix. An important conclusion reached, is that although many theories in the literature do not conform to the general potential framework outlined, it is still possible in some cases, by slight modifications of the used forms, to restore the complete potential structure.

Development of an optimized electrochemical process for subsequent coating of 316 stainless steel for stent applications.

PubMed

Haïdopoulos, M; Turgeon, S; Sarra-Bournet, C; Laroche, G; Mantovani, D

2006-07-01

Metallic endovascular stents are used as medical devices to scaffold biological lumen, most often diseased arteries, after balloon angioplasty. They are commonly made of 316L stainless steel or Nitinol, two alloys containing nickel, an element classified as potentially toxic and carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although they are largely implanted, the long-term safety of such metallic elements is still controversial, since the corrosion processes may lead to the release of several metallic ions, including nickel ions in diverse oxidation states. To avoid metallic ion release in the body, the strategy behind this work was to develop a process aiming the complete isolation of the stainless steel device from the body fluids by a thin, cohesive and strongly adherent coating of RF-plasma-polymerized fluoropolymer. Nevertheless, prior to the polymer film deposition, an essential aspect was the development of a pre-treatment for the metallic substrate, based on the electrochemical polishing process, aiming the removal of any fragile interlayer, including the native oxide layer and the carbon contaminated layer, in order to obtain a smooth, defect-free surface to optimize the adhesion of the plasma-deposited thin film. In this work, the optimized parameters for electropolishing, such as the duration and the temperature of the electrolysis, and the complementary acid dipping were presented and accurately discussed. Their effects on roughness as well as on the evolution of surface topography were investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy, stylus profilometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The modifications induced on the surface atomic concentrations were studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The improvements in terms of the surface morphology after the pre-treatment were also emphasized, as well as the influence of the original stainless steel surface finish.

Design and performance of an integrated ground and space sensor web for monitoring active volcanoes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahusen, Richard; Song, Wenzhan; Kedar, Sharon; Shirazi, Behrooz; Chien, Steve; Doubleday, Joshua; Davies, Ashley; Webb, Frank; Dzurisin, Dan; Pallister, John

2010-05-01

An interdisciplinary team of computer, earth and space scientists collaborated to develop a sensor web system for rapid deployment at active volcanoes. The primary goals of this Optimized Autonomous Space In situ Sensorweb (OASIS) are to: 1) integrate complementary space and in situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensor web; 2) advance sensor web power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enable scalability for seamless addition sensors and other satellites into the sensor web. This three-year project began with a rigorous multidisciplinary interchange that resulted in definition of system requirements to guide the design of the OASIS network and to achieve the stated project goals. Based on those guidelines, we have developed fully self-contained in situ nodes that integrate GPS, seismic, infrasonic and lightning (ash) detection sensors. The nodes in the wireless sensor network are linked to the ground control center through a mesh network that is highly optimized for remote geophysical monitoring. OASIS also features an autonomous bidirectional interaction between ground nodes and instruments on the EO-1 space platform through continuous analysis and messaging capabilities at the command and control center. Data from both the in situ sensors and satellite-borne hyperspectral imaging sensors stream into a common database for real-time visualization and analysis by earth scientists. We have successfully completed a field deployment of 15 nodes within the crater and on the flanks of Mount St. Helens, Washington. The demonstration that sensor web technology facilitates rapid network deployments and that we can achieve real-time continuous data acquisition. We are now optimizing component performance and improving user interaction for additional deployments at erupting volcanoes in 2010.

A Hybrid Template-Based Composite Classification System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

Hybrid Classifier: Forced Decision . . . . 116 5.3.2 Forced Decision Experimental Results . . . . . 119 5.3.3 Test for Statistical Significance ...Results . . . . . . . . . . 127 5.4.2 Test for Statistical Significance : NDEC Option 129 5.5 Implementing the Hyrid Classifier with OOL Targets . 130...comple- mentary in nature . Complementary classifiers are observed by finding an optimal method for partitioning the problem space. For example, the

Modern drug discovery technologies: opportunities and challenges in lead discovery.

PubMed

Guido, Rafael V C; Oliva, Glaucius; Andricopulo, Adriano D

2011-12-01

The identification of promising hits and the generation of high quality leads are crucial steps in the early stages of drug discovery projects. The definition and assessment of both chemical and biological space have revitalized the screening process model and emphasized the importance of exploring the intrinsic complementary nature of classical and modern methods in drug research. In this context, the widespread use of combinatorial chemistry and sophisticated screening methods for the discovery of lead compounds has created a large demand for small organic molecules that act on specific drug targets. Modern drug discovery involves the employment of a wide variety of technologies and expertise in multidisciplinary research teams. The synergistic effects between experimental and computational approaches on the selection and optimization of bioactive compounds emphasize the importance of the integration of advanced technologies in drug discovery programs. These technologies (VS, HTS, SBDD, LBDD, QSAR, and so on) are complementary in the sense that they have mutual goals, thereby the combination of both empirical and in silico efforts is feasible at many different levels of lead optimization and new chemical entity (NCE) discovery. This paper provides a brief perspective on the evolution and use of key drug design technologies, highlighting opportunities and challenges.

Convergence in parameters and predictions using computational experimental design.

PubMed

Hagen, David R; White, Jacob K; Tidor, Bruce

2013-08-06

Typically, biological models fitted to experimental data suffer from significant parameter uncertainty, which can lead to inaccurate or uncertain predictions. One school of thought holds that accurate estimation of the true parameters of a biological system is inherently problematic. Recent work, however, suggests that optimal experimental design techniques can select sets of experiments whose members probe complementary aspects of a biochemical network that together can account for its full behaviour. Here, we implemented an experimental design approach for selecting sets of experiments that constrain parameter uncertainty. We demonstrated with a model of the epidermal growth factor-nerve growth factor pathway that, after synthetically performing a handful of optimal experiments, the uncertainty in all 48 parameters converged below 10 per cent. Furthermore, the fitted parameters converged to their true values with a small error consistent with the residual uncertainty. When untested experimental conditions were simulated with the fitted models, the predicted species concentrations converged to their true values with errors that were consistent with the residual uncertainty. This paper suggests that accurate parameter estimation is achievable with complementary experiments specifically designed for the task, and that the resulting parametrized models are capable of accurate predictions.

C-MOS array design techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feller, A.

1978-01-01

The entire complement of standard cells and components, except for the set-reset flip-flop, was completed. Two levels of checking were performed on each device. Logic cells and topological layout are described. All the related computer programs were coded and one level of debugging was completed. The logic for the test chip was modified and updated. This test chip served as the first test vehicle to exercise the standard cell complementary MOS(C-MOS) automatic artwork generation capability.

Preferred delivery method and acceptability of Wheat-Soy Blend (WSB++) as a daily complementary food supplement in northwest Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Hanif, Abu A M; Merrill, Rebecca D; Campbell, Rebecca K; Kumkum, Mehnaz Alam; Shaikh, Saijuddin; de Pee, Saskia; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Parveen, Monira; Mehra, Sucheta; Klemm, Rolf D W; Labrique, Alain B; West, Keith P; Christian, Parul

2015-01-01

Fortified blended foods (FBFs) are widely used to prevent undernutrition in early childhood in food-insecure settings. We field tested enhanced Wheat Soy Blend (WSB++)-a FBF fortified with micronutrients, milk powder, sugar, and oil-in preparation for a complementary food supplement (CFS) trial in rural northwestern Bangladesh. Formative work was conducted to determine the optimal delivery method (cooked vs. not) for this CFS, to examine mothers' child feeding practices with and acceptance of the WSB++, and to identify potential barriers to adherence. Our results suggest WSB++ is an acceptable CFS in rural Bangladesh and the requirement for mothers to cook WSB++ at home is unlikely to be a barrier to its daily use as a CFS in this population.

The colour preference control based on two-colour combinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Ji Young; Kwak, Youngshin; Park, Du-Sik; Kim, Chang Yeong

2008-02-01

This paper proposes a framework of colour preference control to satisfy the consumer's colour related emotion. A colour harmony algorithm based on two-colour combinations is developed for displaying the images with several complementary colour pairs as the relationship of two-colour combination. The colours of pixels belonging to complementary colour areas in HSV colour space are shifted toward the target hue colours and there is no colour change for the other pixels. According to the developed technique, dynamic emotions by the proposed hue conversion can be improved and the controlled output image shows improved colour emotions in the preference of the human viewer. The psychophysical experiments are conducted to investigate the optimal model parameters to produce the most pleasant image to the users in the respect of colour emotions.

Complementary Feeding Diets Made of Local Foods Can Be Optimized, but Additional Interventions Will Be Needed to Meet Iron and Zinc Requirements in 6- to 23-Month-Old Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

Osendarp, Saskia J M; Broersen, Britt; van Liere, Marti J; De-Regil, Luz M; Bahirathan, Lavannya; Klassen, Eva; Neufeld, Lynnette M

2016-12-01

The question whether diets composed of local foods can meet recommended nutrient intakes in children aged 6 to 23 months living in low- and middle-income countries is contested. To review evidence of studies evaluating whether (1) macro- and micronutrient requirements of children aged 6 to 23 months from low- and middle-income countries are met by the consumption of locally available foods ("observed intake") and (2) nutrient requirements can be met when the use of local foods is optimized, using modeling techniques ("modeled intake"). Twenty-three articles were included after conducting a systematic literature search. To allow for comparisons between studies, findings of 15 observed intake studies were compared against their contribution to a standardized recommended nutrient intake from complementary foods. For studies with data on intake distribution, %< estimated average requirements were calculated. Data from the observed intake studies indicate that children aged 6 to 23 months meet requirements of protein, while diets are inadequate in calcium, iron, and zinc. Also for energy, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and vitamin C, children did not always fulfill their requirements. Very few studies reported on vitamin B6, B12, and magnesium, and no conclusions can be drawn for these nutrients. When diets are optimized using modeling techniques, most of these nutrient requirements can be met, with the exception of iron and zinc and in some settings calcium, folate, and B vitamins. Our findings suggest that optimizing the use of local foods in diets of children aged 6 to 23 months can improve nutrient intakes; however, additional cost-effective strategies are needed to ensure adequate intakes of iron and zinc. © The Author(s) 2016.

Multi-segment detector array for hybrid reflection-mode ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merčep, Elena; Burton, Neal C.; Deán-Ben, Xosé Luís.; Razansky, Daniel

2017-02-01

The complementary contrast of the optoacoustic (OA) and pulse-echo ultrasound (US) modalities makes the combined usage of these imaging technologies highly advantageous. Due to the different physical contrast mechanisms development of a detector array optimally suited for both modalities is one of the challenges to efficient implementation of a single OA-US imaging device. We demonstrate imaging performance of the first hybrid detector array whose novel design, incorporating array segments of linear and concave geometry, optimally supports image acquisition in both reflection-mode ultrasonography and optoacoustic tomography modes. Hybrid detector array has a total number of 256 elements and three segments of different geometry and variable pitch size: a central 128-element linear segment with pitch of 0.25mm, ideally suited for pulse-echo US imaging, and two external 64-elements segments with concave geometry and 0.6mm pitch optimized for OA image acquisition. Interleaved OA and US image acquisition with up to 25 fps is facilitated through a custom-made multiplexer unit. Spatial resolution of the transducer was characterized in numerical simulations and validated in phantom experiments and comprises 230 and 300 μm in the respective OA and US imaging modes. Imaging performance of the multi-segment detector array was experimentally shown in a series of imaging sessions with healthy volunteers. Employing mixed array geometries allows at the same time achieving excellent OA contrast with a large field of view, and US contrast for complementary structural features with reduced side-lobes and improved resolution. The newly designed hybrid detector array that comprises segments of linear and concave geometries optimally fulfills requirements for efficient US and OA imaging and may expand the applicability of the developed hybrid OPUS imaging technology and accelerate its clinical translation.

Large-Scale Optimization for Bayesian Inference in Complex Systems

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

Willcox, Karen; Marzouk, Youssef

2013-11-12

The SAGUARO (Scalable Algorithms for Groundwater Uncertainty Analysis and Robust Optimization) Project focused on the development of scalable numerical algorithms for large-scale Bayesian inversion in complex systems that capitalize on advances in large-scale simulation-based optimization and inversion methods. The project was a collaborative effort among MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Sandia National Laboratories. The research was directed in three complementary areas: efficient approximations of the Hessian operator, reductions in complexity of forward simulations via stochastic spectral approximations and model reduction, and employing large-scale optimization concepts to accelerate sampling. The MIT--Sandia component of themore » SAGUARO Project addressed the intractability of conventional sampling methods for large-scale statistical inverse problems by devising reduced-order models that are faithful to the full-order model over a wide range of parameter values; sampling then employs the reduced model rather than the full model, resulting in very large computational savings. Results indicate little effect on the computed posterior distribution. On the other hand, in the Texas--Georgia Tech component of the project, we retain the full-order model, but exploit inverse problem structure (adjoint-based gradients and partial Hessian information of the parameter-to-observation map) to implicitly extract lower dimensional information on the posterior distribution; this greatly speeds up sampling methods, so that fewer sampling points are needed. We can think of these two approaches as ``reduce then sample'' and ``sample then reduce.'' In fact, these two approaches are complementary, and can be used in conjunction with each other. Moreover, they both exploit deterministic inverse problem structure, in the form of adjoint-based gradient and Hessian information of the underlying parameter-to-observation map, to achieve their speedups.« less

28nm node process optimization: a lithography centric view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seltmann, Rolf

2014-10-01

Many experts claim that the 28nm technology node will be the most cost effective technology node forever. This results from primarily from the cost of manufacturing due to the fact that 28nm is the last true Single Patterning (SP) node. It is also affected by the dramatic increase of design costs and the limited shrink factor of the next following nodes. Thus, it is assumed that this technology still will be alive still for many years. To be cost competitive, high yields are mandatory. Meanwhile, leading edge foundries have optimized the yield of the 28nm node to such a level that that it is nearly exclusively defined by random defectivity. However, it was a long way to go to come to that level. In my talk I will concentrate on the contribution of lithography to this yield learning curve. I will choose a critical metal patterning application. I will show what was needed to optimize the process window to a level beyond the usual OPC model work that was common on previous nodes. Reducing the process (in particular focus) variability is a complementary need. It will be shown which improvements were needed in tooling, process control and design-mask-wafer interaction to remove all systematic yield detractors. Over the last couple of years new scanner platforms were introduced that were targeted for both better productivity and better parametric performance. But this was not a clear run-path. It needed some extra affords of the tool suppliers together with the Fab to bring the tool variability down to the necessary level. Another important topic to reduce variability is the interaction of wafer none-planarity and lithography optimization. Having an accurate knowledge of within die topography is essential for optimum patterning. By completing both the variability reduction work and the process window enhancement work we were able to transfer the original marginal process budget to a robust positive budget and thus ensuring high yield and low costs.

MUSE: MUlti-atlas region Segmentation utilizing Ensembles of registration algorithms and parameters, and locally optimal atlas selection

PubMed Central

Ou, Yangming; Resnick, Susan M.; Gur, Ruben C.; Gur, Raquel E.; Satterthwaite, Theodore D.; Furth, Susan; Davatzikos, Christos

2016-01-01

Atlas-based automated anatomical labeling is a fundamental tool in medical image segmentation, as it defines regions of interest for subsequent analysis of structural and functional image data. The extensive investigation of multi-atlas warping and fusion techniques over the past 5 or more years has clearly demonstrated the advantages of consensus-based segmentation. However, the common approach is to use multiple atlases with a single registration method and parameter set, which is not necessarily optimal for every individual scan, anatomical region, and problem/data-type. Different registration criteria and parameter sets yield different solutions, each providing complementary information. Herein, we present a consensus labeling framework that generates a broad ensemble of labeled atlases in target image space via the use of several warping algorithms, regularization parameters, and atlases. The label fusion integrates two complementary sources of information: a local similarity ranking to select locally optimal atlases and a boundary modulation term to refine the segmentation consistently with the target image's intensity profile. The ensemble approach consistently outperforms segmentations using individual warping methods alone, achieving high accuracy on several benchmark datasets. The MUSE methodology has been used for processing thousands of scans from various datasets, producing robust and consistent results. MUSE is publicly available both as a downloadable software package, and as an application that can be run on the CBICA Image Processing Portal (https://ipp.cbica.upenn.edu), a web based platform for remote processing of medical images. PMID:26679328

Numerical approach to describe complementary drying of banana slices osmotically dehydrated

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva Júnior, Aluízio Freire; da Silva, Wilton Pereira; de Farias Aires, Juarez Everton; Farias Aires, Kalina Lígia C. A.

2018-02-01

In this work, diffusion model was used to describe the water loss in the complementary drying process of cylindrical slices of banana pretreated by osmotic dehydration. A numerical solution has been proposed for the diffusion equation in cylindrical coordinates, which was obtained through the Finite Volume Method. The diffusion equation was discretized assuming that the effective water diffusivity and the dimensions of a finite cylinder may vary; also considering the boundary condition of the third kind. The banana slices were cut in length of about 1.00 cm and average radius 1.70 cm before osmotic pretreatment, and completed the pretreatment with length of about 0.74 cm and average radius 1.40 cm. The complementary drying was carried out in a kiln with circulation and air exchange. Drying temperatures were the same as used in the osmotic pretreatment (40 to 70 °C). The proposed model described well the water loss, with good statistical indicators for all fits.

Library-based illumination synthesis for critical CMOS patterning.

PubMed

Yu, Jue-Chin; Yu, Peichen; Chao, Hsueh-Yung

2013-07-01

In optical microlithography, the illumination source for critical complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor layers needs to be determined in the early stage of a technology node with very limited design information, leading to simple binary shapes. Recently, the availability of freeform sources permits us to increase pattern fidelity and relax mask complexities with minimal insertion risks to the current manufacturing flow. However, source optimization across many patterns is often treated as a design-of-experiments problem, which may not fully exploit the benefits of a freeform source. In this paper, a rigorous source-optimization algorithm is presented via linear superposition of optimal sources for pre-selected patterns. We show that analytical solutions are made possible by using Hopkins formulation and quadratic programming. The algorithm allows synthesized illumination to be linked with assorted pattern libraries, which has a direct impact on design rule studies for early planning and design automation for full wafer optimization.

Fatty acid supply with complementary foods and LC-PUFA status in healthy infants: results of a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Libuda, Lars; Mesch, Christina M; Stimming, Madlen; Demmelmair, Hans; Koletzko, Berthold; Warschburger, Petra; Blanke, Katharina; Reischl, Eva; Kalhoff, Hermann; Kersting, Mathilde

2016-06-01

Introduction of complementary food usually leads to decreasing intakes of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), compared to full breastfeeding. In the randomised controlled PINGU intervention trial, we tested the effects of complementary foods with different contents of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on term infant LC-PUFA status. Healthy infants born at term were randomised to receive from the introduction of complementary feeding at the age of 4 to 6 months until age of 10 months ready-made complementary meals either with ALA-rich rapeseed oil (intervention group (IG)-R), with salmon twice weekly to provide preformed DHA (IG-F), or with linoleic acid-rich corn oil (control group, CG). Fatty acid composition was assessed in erythrocyte (RBC) and plasma glycerophospholipids. Complete data of fatty acids in RBC (plasma) were available from 158 (155) infants. After intervention, infants assigned to IG-F showed higher RBC and plasma percentages of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), DHA, and total n-3 LC-PUFA than CG (each p < 0.001). In IG-R, levels of ALA and the ratio of ALA to LA in plasma and RBC (all p < 0.0001) as well as RBC-EPA (p < 0.0001) were higher than in CG, while DHA levels did not differ between IG-R and CG. Regular fish consumption during complementary feeding enhances infant EPA and DHA status. The usage of rapeseed oil in small amounts concordant with EU-law for commercial meals enhances endogenic EPA-synthesis, but does not affect DHA status. Provision of oily fish with complementary feeds is advisable to prevent a decline of DHA status. www.clinicaltrials.gov , identifier: NCT01487889, title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids in child nutrition-a German multimodal optimisation study (PINGU).

Effect of structure variation of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe on the performance of displacement-based electrochemical aptamer sensors.

PubMed

Pang, Jie; Zhang, Ziping; Jin, Haizhu

2016-03-15

Electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors employing electrode-immobilized, redox-tagged aptamer probes have emerged as a promising platform for the sensitive and quick detection of target analytes ranging from small molecules to proteins. Signal generation in this class of sensor is linked to change in electron transfer efficiency upon binding-induced change in flexibility/conformation of the aptamer probe. Because of this signaling mechanism, signal gains of these sensors can be improved by employing a displacement-based recognition system, which links target binding with a large-scale flexibility/conformation shift from the aptamer-DNA duplex to the single-stranded DNA or the native aptamer. Despite the relatively large number of displacement-based E-AB sensor samples, little attention has been paid to the structure variation of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe. Here we detail the effects of complementary length and position of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe on the performance of a model displacement-based E-AB sensor for ATP. We find that, greater background suppression and signal gain are observed with longer complementary length of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe. However, sensor equilibration time slows monotonically with increasing complementary length; and with too many target binding sites in aptamer sequence being occupied by the complementary DNA, the aptamer-target binding does not occur and no signal gain observed. We also demonstrate that signal gain of the displacement-based E-AB sensor is strongly dependent on the complementary position of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe, with complementary position located at the electrode-attached or redox-tagged end of the duplex probe, larger background suppression and signal increase than that of the middle position are observed. These results highlight the importance of rational structure design of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe and provide new insights into the optimization of displacement-based E-AB sensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the complementary relationship between marginal nitrogen and water-use efficiencies among Pinus taeda leaves grown under ambient and CO2-enriched environments

PubMed Central

Palmroth, Sari; Katul, Gabriel G.; Maier, Chris A.; Ward, Eric; Manzoni, Stefano; Vico, Giulia

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Water and nitrogen (N) are two limiting resources for biomass production of terrestrial vegetation. Water losses in transpiration (E) can be decreased by reducing leaf stomatal conductance (gs) at the expense of lowering CO2 uptake (A), resulting in increased water-use efficiency. However, with more N available, higher allocation of N to photosynthetic proteins improves A so that N-use efficiency is reduced when gs declines. Hence, a trade-off is expected between these two resource-use efficiencies. In this study it is hypothesized that when foliar concentration (N) varies on time scales much longer than gs, an explicit complementary relationship between the marginal water- and N-use efficiency emerges. Furthermore, a shift in this relationship is anticipated with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration (ca). Methods Optimization theory is employed to quantify interactions between resource-use efficiencies under elevated ca and soil N amendments. The analyses are based on marginal water- and N-use efficiencies, λ = (∂A/∂gs)/(∂E/∂gs) and η = ∂A/∂N, respectively. The relationship between the two efficiencies and related variation in intercellular CO2 concentration (ci) were examined using A/ci curves and foliar N measured on Pinus taeda needles collected at various canopy locations at the Duke Forest Free Air CO2 Enrichment experiment (North Carolina, USA). Key Results Optimality theory allowed the definition of a novel, explicit relationship between two intrinsic leaf-scale properties where η is complementary to the square-root of λ. The data support the model predictions that elevated ca increased η and λ, and at given ca and needle age-class, the two quantities varied among needles in an approximately complementary manner. Conclusions The derived analytical expressions can be employed in scaling-up carbon, water and N fluxes from leaf to ecosystem, but also to derive transpiration estimates from those of η, and assist in predicting how increasing ca influences ecosystem water use. PMID:23299995

Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life for optimal growth, development and health. Breastfeeding should continue up to two years or more and nutritionally adequate, safe, and appropriately-fed complementary foods should be introduced at the age of six months to meet the evolving needs of the growing infant. Little evidence exists on breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim was to assess breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in Nairobi slums with reference to WHO recommendations. Methods Data from a longitudinal study conducted in two Nairobi slums are used. The study used information on the first year of life of 4299 children born between September 2006 and January 2010. All women who gave birth during this period were interviewed on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices at recruitment and this information was updated twice, at four-monthly intervals. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine factors associated with cessation of breastfeeding in infancy and early introduction of complementary foods. Results There was universal breastfeeding with almost all children (99%) having ever been breastfed. However, more than a third (37%) were not breastfed in the first hour following delivery, and 40% were given something to drink other than the mothers' breast milk within 3 days after delivery. About 85% of infants were still breastfeeding by the end of the 11th month. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months was rare as only about 2% of infants were exclusively breastfed for six months. Factors associated with sub-optimal infant breastfeeding and feeding practices in these settings include child's sex; perceived size at birth; mother's marital status, ethnicity; education level; family planning (pregnancy desirability); health seeking behaviour (place of delivery) and; neighbourhood (slum of residence). Conclusions The study indicates poor adherence to WHO recommendations for breastfeeding and infant feeding practices. Interventions and further research should pay attention to factors such as cultural practices, access to and utilization of health care facilities, child feeding education, and family planning. PMID:21615957

Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya.

PubMed

Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth W; Madise, Nyovani J; Fotso, Jean-Christophe; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Mutua, Martin K; Gitau, Tabither M; Yatich, Nelly

2011-05-26

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life for optimal growth, development and health. Breastfeeding should continue up to two years or more and nutritionally adequate, safe, and appropriately-fed complementary foods should be introduced at the age of six months to meet the evolving needs of the growing infant. Little evidence exists on breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim was to assess breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in Nairobi slums with reference to WHO recommendations. Data from a longitudinal study conducted in two Nairobi slums are used. The study used information on the first year of life of 4299 children born between September 2006 and January 2010. All women who gave birth during this period were interviewed on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices at recruitment and this information was updated twice, at four-monthly intervals. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine factors associated with cessation of breastfeeding in infancy and early introduction of complementary foods. There was universal breastfeeding with almost all children (99%) having ever been breastfed. However, more than a third (37%) were not breastfed in the first hour following delivery, and 40% were given something to drink other than the mothers' breast milk within 3 days after delivery. About 85% of infants were still breastfeeding by the end of the 11th month. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months was rare as only about 2% of infants were exclusively breastfed for six months. Factors associated with sub-optimal infant breastfeeding and feeding practices in these settings include child's sex; perceived size at birth; mother's marital status, ethnicity; education level; family planning (pregnancy desirability); health seeking behaviour (place of delivery) and; neighbourhood (slum of residence). The study indicates poor adherence to WHO recommendations for breastfeeding and infant feeding practices. Interventions and further research should pay attention to factors such as cultural practices, access to and utilization of health care facilities, child feeding education, and family planning.

Reciprocal and Complementary Sibling Interactions: Relations with Socialization Outcomes in the Kindergarten Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrist, Amanda W.; Achacoso, Joseph A.; John, Aesha; Pettit, Gregory S.; Bates, John E.; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2014-01-01

Research Findings: In this examination of associations between sibling interaction patterns and later social outcomes in single- and 2-parent families, 113 kindergarteners took part in naturalistic observations at home with siblings, classmates participated in sociometric interviews, and teachers completed behavior ratings. Sibling interactions…

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Mozart Effect on Childhood Epilepsy--A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brackney, Dana E.; Brooks, Jessica L.

2018-01-01

This systematic review examines the effectiveness of Mozart's music in decreasing seizures in children with epilepsy (Mozart Effect) using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice rating scale©. A search for articles with "Mozart Effect," "child*," and "epilepsy" was conducted in CINAHL Complete, Science…

Waking and Dreaming Need Profiles: An Exploratory Study of Adaptive Functioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, Robert Linton, II

Research has defined the various adaptive, compensatory and complementary functions of dreams. To investigate the evidence of adaptive functioning in the dream state, 30 medical students (21 males, 9 females) from St. George's University, Grenada, completed personal surveys, a waking psychological profile, and a dreaming psychological profile…

Subspace-based optimization method for inverse scattering problems with an inhomogeneous background medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xudong

2010-07-01

This paper proposes a version of the subspace-based optimization method to solve the inverse scattering problem with an inhomogeneous background medium where the known inhomogeneities are bounded in a finite domain. Although the background Green's function at each discrete point in the computational domain is not directly available in an inhomogeneous background scenario, the paper uses the finite element method to simultaneously obtain the Green's function at all discrete points. The essence of the subspace-based optimization method is that part of the contrast source is determined from the spectrum analysis without using any optimization, whereas the orthogonally complementary part is determined by solving a lower dimension optimization problem. This feature significantly speeds up the convergence of the algorithm and at the same time makes it robust against noise. Numerical simulations illustrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. The algorithm presented in this paper finds wide applications in nondestructive evaluation, such as through-wall imaging.

Nutritional status and complementary feeding among HIV-exposed infants: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Kamenju, Pili; Liu, Enju; Hertzmark, Ellen; Spiegelman, Donna; Kisenge, Rodrick; Kupka, Roland; Aboud, Said; Manji, Karim P; Duggan, Christopher; Fawzi, Wafaie W

2017-07-01

Complementary feeding is crucial for improving child survival and promoting growth and development, particularly among HIV-exposed children who have higher risk of morbidity and mortality than their un-exposed peers. This prospective study employed an infant and child feeding index (ICFI) to measure complementary feeding and determine its association with nutritional status among 2092 HIV-exposed infants followed from 6 to 24 months of age in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The ICFI measured both quality and quantity of complementary feeding, including current breastfeeding status, food consistency, dietary diversity scores (DDS), food group frequency score, and meal frequency. The ICFI score ranged from 0 to 9; the median score was 6 (Inter-Quartile Range, IQR= 4-7). After adjusting for potential confounders, high ICFI scores were associated with reduced risk of stunting (high vs. low tertile hazard ratio, HR: 0.72; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.57, 0.91; P< 0.01) and underweight (high vs. low tertile HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.02; P= 0.07). Low DDS were associated with higher risk of stunting (low vs. high tertile HR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.07; P< 0.01) and underweight (low vs. high tertile HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.96; P= 0.01). In this setting, high DDS and ICFI scores were protective of stunting and underweight. We recommend for nutrition programs in low-income countries to emphasize educating HIV-exposed children's caregivers on the importance of dietary diversity and optimal complementary feeding to improve nutritional status in this important subpopulation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optima Nutrition: an allocative efficiency tool to reduce childhood stunting by better targeting of nutrition-related interventions.

PubMed

Pearson, Ruth; Killedar, Madhura; Petravic, Janka; Kakietek, Jakub J; Scott, Nick; Grantham, Kelsey L; Stuart, Robyn M; Kedziora, David J; Kerr, Cliff C; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Shekar, Meera; Wilson, David P

2018-03-20

Child stunting due to chronic malnutrition is a major problem in low- and middle-income countries due, in part, to inadequate nutrition-related practices and insufficient access to services. Limited budgets for nutritional interventions mean that available resources must be targeted in the most cost-effective manner to have the greatest impact. Quantitative tools can help guide budget allocation decisions. The Optima approach is an established framework to conduct resource allocation optimization analyses. We applied this approach to develop a new tool, 'Optima Nutrition', for conducting allocative efficiency analyses that address childhood stunting. At the core of the Optima approach is an epidemiological model for assessing the burden of disease; we use an adapted version of the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Six nutritional interventions have been included in the first release of the tool: antenatal micronutrient supplementation, balanced energy-protein supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding promotion, promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, public provision of complementary foods, and vitamin A supplementation. To demonstrate the use of this tool, we applied it to evaluate the optimal allocation of resources in 7 districts in Bangladesh, using both publicly available data (such as through DHS) and data from a complementary costing study. Optima Nutrition can be used to estimate how to target resources to improve nutrition outcomes. Specifically, for the Bangladesh example, despite only limited nutrition-related funding available (an estimated $0.75 per person in need per year), even without any extra resources, better targeting of investments in nutrition programming could increase the cumulative number of children living without stunting by 1.3 million (an extra 5%) by 2030 compared to the current resource allocation. To minimize stunting, priority interventions should include promotion of improved IYCF practices as well as vitamin A supplementation. Once these programs are adequately funded, the public provision of complementary foods should be funded as the next priority. Programmatic efforts should give greatest emphasis to the regions of Dhaka and Chittagong, which have the greatest number of stunted children. A resource optimization tool can provide important guidance for targeting nutrition investments to achieve greater impact.

Efficiency of broadband terahertz rectennas based on self-switching nanodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briones, Edgar; Cortes-Mestizo, Irving E.; Briones, Joel; Droopad, Ravindranath; Espinosa-Vega, Leticia I.; Vilchis, Heber; Mendez-Garcia, Victor H.

2017-04-01

The authors investigate the efficiency of a series of broadband rectennas designed to harvest the free-propagating electromagnetic energy at terahertz frequencies. We analyze by simulations the case of self-complementary square- and Archimedean-spiral antennas coupled to L-shaped self-switching diodes (L-SSDs). First, the geometry (i.e., the width and length of the channel) of the L-SSD was optimized to obtain a remarkable diode-like I-V response. Subsequently, the optimized L-SSD geometry was coupled to both types of spiral antennas and their characteristic impedance was studied. Finally, the energy conversion efficiency was evaluated for both rectenna architectures.

Sensitivity of Optimal Solutions to Control Problems for Second Order Evolution Subdifferential Inclusions.

PubMed

Bartosz, Krzysztof; Denkowski, Zdzisław; Kalita, Piotr

In this paper the sensitivity of optimal solutions to control problems described by second order evolution subdifferential inclusions under perturbations of state relations and of cost functionals is investigated. First we establish a new existence result for a class of such inclusions. Then, based on the theory of sequential [Formula: see text]-convergence we recall the abstract scheme concerning convergence of minimal values and minimizers. The abstract scheme works provided we can establish two properties: the Kuratowski convergence of solution sets for the state relations and some complementary [Formula: see text]-convergence of the cost functionals. Then these two properties are implemented in the considered case.

Inverse Diffusion Curves Using Shape Optimization.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuang; Durand, Fredo; Zheng, Changxi

2018-07-01

The inverse diffusion curve problem focuses on automatic creation of diffusion curve images that resemble user provided color fields. This problem is challenging since the 1D curves have a nonlinear and global impact on resulting color fields via a partial differential equation (PDE). We introduce a new approach complementary to previous methods by optimizing curve geometry. In particular, we propose a novel iterative algorithm based on the theory of shape derivatives. The resulting diffusion curves are clean and well-shaped, and the final image closely approximates the input. Our method provides a user-controlled parameter to regularize curve complexity, and generalizes to handle input color fields represented in a variety of formats.

An analytic model for footprint dispersions and its application to mission design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, J. R. Jagannatha; Chen, Yi-Chao

1992-01-01

This is the final report on our recent research activities that are complementary to those conducted by our colleagues, Professor Farrokh Mistree and students, in the context of the Taguchi method. We have studied the mathematical model that forms the basis of the Simulation and Optimization of Rocket Trajectories (SORT) program and developed an analytic method for determining mission reliability with a reduced number of flight simulations. This method can be incorporated in a design algorithm to mathematically optimize different performance measures of a mission, thus leading to a robust and easy-to-use methodology for mission planning and design.

Nutrition and the science of disease prevention: a systems approach to support metabolic health

PubMed Central

Bennett, Brian J.; Hall, Kevin D.; Hu, Frank B.; McCartney, Anne L.; Roberto, Christina

2017-01-01

Progress in nutritional science, genetics, computer science, and behavioral economics can be leveraged to address the challenge of noncommunicable disease. This report highlights the connection between nutrition and the complex science of preventing disease and discusses the promotion of optimal metabolic health, building on input from several complementary disciplines. The discussion focuses on (1) the basic science of optimal metabolic health, including data from gene–diet interactions, microbiome, and epidemiological research in nutrition, with the goal of defining better targets and interventions, and (2) how nutrition, from pharma to lifestyle, can build on systems science to address complex issues. PMID:26415028

The Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties of Primary School Children with Poor Attendance Records

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, H. C. M.

2013-01-01

Two complementary studies of poor and better attenders are presented. To measure emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) different teacher-completed rating scales were employed, and to determine social difficulties, the studies used sociometry and some items from the scales. One study had a longitudinal design. It revealed that, after…

Reaching the Underserved: Complementary Models of Effective Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeStefano, Joseph; Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh; Balwanz, David; Hartwell, Ash

2007-01-01

Many countries that have undergone expansion of access to public education still face significant disparities in school enrollment and attendance rates at sub-national levels, and fail to reach a high proportion of children who are outside of the government system. Completion and student learning have also continued to be system-wide challenges…

Sensitivity analysis of hybrid thermoelastic techniques

Treesearch

W.A. Samad; J.M. Considine

2017-01-01

Stress functions have been used as a complementary tool to support experimental techniques, such as thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) and digital image correlation (DIC), in an effort to evaluate the complete and separate full-field stresses of loaded structures. The need for such coupling between experimental data and stress functions is due to the fact that...

Complementary concept for an image archive and communication system in a cardiological department based on CD-medical, an online archive, and networking facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oswald, Helmut; Mueller-Jones, Kay; Builtjes, Jan; Fleck, Eckart

1998-07-01

The developments in information technologies -- computer hardware, networking and storage media -- has led to expectations that these advances make it possible to replace 35 mm film completely by digital techniques in the catheter laboratory. Besides the role of an archival medium, cine film is used as the major image review and exchange medium in cardiology. None of the today technologies can fulfill completely the requirements to replace cine film. One of the major drawbacks of cine film is the single access in time and location. For the four catheter laboratories in our institutions we have designed a complementary concept combining the CD-R, also called CD-medical, as a single patient storage and exchange medium, and a digital archive for on-line access and image review of selected frames or short sequences on adequate medical workstations. The image data from various modalities as well as all digital documents regarding to a patient are part of an electronic patient record. The access, the processing and the display of documents is supported by an integrated medical application.

Bi-level Multi-Source Learning for Heterogeneous Block-wise Missing Data

PubMed Central

Xiang, Shuo; Yuan, Lei; Fan, Wei; Wang, Yalin; Thompson, Paul M.; Ye, Jieping

2013-01-01

Bio-imaging technologies allow scientists to collect large amounts of high-dimensional data from multiple heterogeneous sources for many biomedical applications. In the study of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), neuroimaging data, gene/protein expression data, etc., are often analyzed together to improve predictive power. Joint learning from multiple complementary data sources is advantageous, but feature-pruning and data source selection are critical to learn interpretable models from high-dimensional data. Often, the data collected has block-wise missing entries. In the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), most subjects have MRI and genetic information, but only half have cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures, a different half has FDG-PET; only some have proteomic data. Here we propose how to effectively integrate information from multiple heterogeneous data sources when data is block-wise missing. We present a unified “bi-level” learning model for complete multi-source data, and extend it to incomplete data. Our major contributions are: (1) our proposed models unify feature-level and source-level analysis, including several existing feature learning approaches as special cases; (2) the model for incomplete data avoids imputing missing data and offers superior performance; it generalizes to other applications with block-wise missing data sources; (3) we present efficient optimization algorithms for modeling complete and incomplete data. We comprehensively evaluate the proposed models including all ADNI subjects with at least one of four data types at baseline: MRI, FDG-PET, CSF and proteomics. Our proposed models compare favorably with existing approaches. PMID:23988272

Bi-level multi-source learning for heterogeneous block-wise missing data.

PubMed

Xiang, Shuo; Yuan, Lei; Fan, Wei; Wang, Yalin; Thompson, Paul M; Ye, Jieping

2014-11-15

Bio-imaging technologies allow scientists to collect large amounts of high-dimensional data from multiple heterogeneous sources for many biomedical applications. In the study of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), neuroimaging data, gene/protein expression data, etc., are often analyzed together to improve predictive power. Joint learning from multiple complementary data sources is advantageous, but feature-pruning and data source selection are critical to learn interpretable models from high-dimensional data. Often, the data collected has block-wise missing entries. In the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), most subjects have MRI and genetic information, but only half have cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures, a different half has FDG-PET; only some have proteomic data. Here we propose how to effectively integrate information from multiple heterogeneous data sources when data is block-wise missing. We present a unified "bi-level" learning model for complete multi-source data, and extend it to incomplete data. Our major contributions are: (1) our proposed models unify feature-level and source-level analysis, including several existing feature learning approaches as special cases; (2) the model for incomplete data avoids imputing missing data and offers superior performance; it generalizes to other applications with block-wise missing data sources; (3) we present efficient optimization algorithms for modeling complete and incomplete data. We comprehensively evaluate the proposed models including all ADNI subjects with at least one of four data types at baseline: MRI, FDG-PET, CSF and proteomics. Our proposed models compare favorably with existing approaches. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimized Routing of Intelligent, Mobile Sensors for Dynamic, Data-Driven Sampling

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-27

nonstationary random process that requires nonuniform sampling. The ap- proach incorporates complementary representations of an unknown process: the first...lookup table as follows. A uniform grid is created in the r-domain and mapped to the R-domain, which produces a nonuniform grid of locations in the R...vehicle coverage algorithm that invokes the coor- dinate transformation from the previous section to generate nonuniform sampling trajectories [54]. We

Dynamic Nanocomposite Self-Deactivating Fabrics for the Individual and Collective Protection

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

poly-ß-cyclodextrins (PCDs) and poly- trehalose (PTH) as polymeric supports, the incorporated enzymes will be able to repair themselves through a re...POLY- TREHALOSE (PTH) In a similar manner, polymeric trehalose (PTH) was also prepared in a different molar ratio optimized to maximize...MPT), polymeric trehalose (PTH) particles were prepared as a complementary substrate to poly-ß- CD particles in various aspects serving as an

Contribution of inappropriate complementary foods to the salt intake of 8-month-old infants.

PubMed

Cribb, V L; Warren, J M; Emmett, P M

2012-01-01

Complementary feeding is a critical developmental time for establishing variety, and appropriate feeding practices are important. These include recommendations for a maximum intake of sodium (salt), because of the potential harmful effect of excessive intake on the developing kidneys and blood pressure in later life. Sodium intakes were examined to establish, if inappropriate complementary feeding practices were contributing to high intakes. Data were collected from a cohort of 1178 8-month-old infants born in 1991/92, participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, using a 3-day dietary records completed by their mothers. Sodium and energy intakes were calculated and infants were categorised into quartiles of sodium intake. Majority of infants were first introduced to solids around 3-4 months, with plain baby rice, rusks and other cereals being the first foods consumed during complementary feeding. In the whole sample, 70% consumed in excess, of 400 mg sodium per day, the maximum UK recommendation for children up to age 12 months. The mean sodium intake for the highest quartile was 1060 mg per day. Infants in this quartile were often consuming cows' milk as a main drink; eating three times the amount of bread compared with the lowest quartile and used salty flavourings such as yeast extract and gravy. Sodium intakes in this cohort of infants were higher than recommendations. Clear and practical education is needed on complementary feeding practice for mothers highlighting what foods to introduce and when. Manufacturers have a responsibility to reduce the sodium content of food products.

An exploration of complementary feeding of infants and young children in the rural area of Muhoroni, Nyanza province, Kenya: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Harvey, Sophie; Callaby, Jo; Roberts, Lesley

2017-08-01

Inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices contribute to malnutrition, infection and long-term development limitation. To explore complementary feeding and food safety in Muhoroni District, Nyanza Province in rural Kenya. To compare practices with the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines, and identify associations with inappropriate practices. Between January and April 2014, a questionnaire completed by primary caregivers of children aged 6-23 months asked about foods the child had received in the previous 24 hours, the introduction of complementary foods, and the food hygiene practices undertaken by the caregiver. The most recent World Health Organization IYCF core indicators (continued breastfeeding at 1 year; minimum dietary diversity; minimum meal frequency; minimum acceptable diet) were determined for 400 children. These indicators were compared with demographic indicators in multivariate analyses to identify associations with appropriate complementary feeding practices. A total of 55.2% of children aged 12-15 months continued to be breastfed at the time of questioning. Of the study population, 61.5% achieved minimum dietary diversity, 70.8% achieved minimum meal frequency and 43.0% achieved minimum acceptable diet. Older children were more likely to achieve minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet; however, they were also less likely to achieve minimum meal frequency. High levels of hygiene practices were reported in all areas of food safety. Complementary feeding indicators were higher than nationally, although less than half of children (43.0%) were receiving a minimum acceptable diet. Further work should explore the potential relationship between age and adequate infant feeding.

Complementary DNA sequences encoding the multimammate rat MHC class II DQ alpha and beta chains and cross-species sequence comparison in rodents.

PubMed

de Bellocq, J Goüy; Leirs, H

2009-09-01

Sequences of the complete open reading frame (ORF) for rodents major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are rare. Multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the alpha and beta chains of MHC class II DQ gene was cloned from a rapid amplifications of cDNA Emds (RACE) cDNA library. The ORFs consist of 801 and 771 bp encoding 266 and 256 amino acid residues for DQB and DQA, respectively. The genomic structure of Mana-DQ genes is globally analogous to that described for other rodents except for the insertion of a serine residue in the signal peptide of Mana-DQB, which is unique among known rodents.

Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) LC/NMR Applied to the Structural Analysis of Extractable Compounds from a Pharmaceutical Packaging Material of Construction.

PubMed

Norwood, Daniel L; Mullis, James O; Davis, Mark; Pennino, Scott; Egert, Thomas; Gonnella, Nina C

2013-01-01

The structural analysis (i.e., identification) of organic chemical entities leached into drug product formulations has traditionally been accomplished with techniques involving the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. These include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for volatile and semi-volatile compounds, and various forms of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS or HPLC/MS) for semi-volatile and relatively non-volatile compounds. GC/MS and LC/MS techniques are complementary for structural analysis of leachables and potentially leachable organic compounds produced via laboratory extraction of pharmaceutical container closure/delivery system components and corresponding materials of construction. Both hyphenated analytical techniques possess the separating capability, compound specific detection attributes, and sensitivity required to effectively analyze complex mixtures of trace level organic compounds. However, hyphenated techniques based on mass spectrometry are limited by the inability to determine complete bond connectivity, the inability to distinguish between many types of structural isomers, and the inability to unambiguously determine aromatic substitution patterns. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) does not have these limitations; hence it can serve as a complement to mass spectrometry. However, NMR technology is inherently insensitive and its ability to interface with chromatography has been historically challenging. This article describes the application of NMR coupled with liquid chromatography and automated solid phase extraction (SPE-LC/NMR) to the structural analysis of extractable organic compounds from a pharmaceutical packaging material of construction. The SPE-LC/NMR technology combined with micro-cryoprobe technology afforded the sensitivity and sample mass required for full structure elucidation. Optimization of the SPE-LC/NMR analytical method was achieved using a series of model compounds representing the chemical diversity of extractables. This study demonstrates the complementary nature of SPE-LC/NMR with LC/MS for this particular pharmaceutical application. The identification of impurities leached into drugs from the components and materials associated with pharmaceutical containers, packaging components, and materials has historically been done using laboratory techniques based on the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. Such analytical techniques are widely recognized as having the selectivity and sensitivity required to separate the complex mixtures of impurities often encountered in such identification studies, including both the identification of leachable impurities as well as potential leachable impurities produced by laboratory extraction of packaging components and materials. However, while mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques have limitations for this application, newer analytical techniques based on the combination of chromatography with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provide an added dimension of structural definition. This article describes the development, optimization, and application of an analytical technique based on the combination of chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to the identification of potential leachable impurities from a pharmaceutical packaging material. The complementary nature of the analytical techniques for this particular pharmaceutical application is demonstrated.

Optimal approaches for balancing invasive species eradication and endangered species management.

PubMed

Lampert, Adam; Hastings, Alan; Grosholz, Edwin D; Jardine, Sunny L; Sanchirico, James N

2014-05-30

Resolving conflicting ecosystem management goals-such as maintaining fisheries while conserving marine species or harvesting timber while preserving habitat-is a widely recognized challenge. Even more challenging may be conflicts between two conservation goals that are typically considered complementary. Here, we model a case where eradication of an invasive plant, hybrid Spartina, threatens the recovery of an endangered bird that uses Spartina for nesting. Achieving both goals requires restoration of native Spartina. We show that the optimal management entails less intensive treatment over longer time scales to fit with the time scale of natural processes. In contrast, both eradication and restoration, when considered separately, would optimally proceed as fast as possible. Thus, managers should simultaneously consider multiple, potentially conflicting goals, which may require flexibility in the timing of expenditures. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Scalable large format 3D displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Nelson L.; Damera-Venkata, Niranjan

2010-02-01

We present a general framework for the modeling and optimization of scalable large format 3-D displays using multiple projectors. Based on this framework, we derive algorithms that can robustly optimize the visual quality of an arbitrary combination of projectors (e.g. tiled, superimposed, combinations of the two) without manual adjustment. The framework creates for the first time a new unified paradigm that is agnostic to a particular configuration of projectors yet robustly optimizes for the brightness, contrast, and resolution of that configuration. In addition, we demonstrate that our algorithms support high resolution stereoscopic video at real-time interactive frame rates achieved on commodity graphics hardware. Through complementary polarization, the framework creates high quality multi-projector 3-D displays at low hardware and operational cost for a variety of applications including digital cinema, visualization, and command-and-control walls.

[Correlation of codon biases and potential secondary structures with mRNA translation efficiency in unicellular organisms].

PubMed

Vladimirov, N V; Likhoshvaĭ, V A; Matushkin, Iu G

2007-01-01

Gene expression is known to correlate with degree of codon bias in many unicellular organisms. However, such correlation is absent in some organisms. Recently we demonstrated that inverted complementary repeats within coding DNA sequence must be considered for proper estimation of translation efficiency, since they may form secondary structures that obstruct ribosome movement. We have developed a program for estimation of potential coding DNA sequence expression in defined unicellular organism using its genome sequence. The program computes elongation efficiency index. Computation is based on estimation of coding DNA sequence elongation efficiency, taking into account three key factors: codon bias, average number of inverted complementary repeats, and free energy of potential stem-loop structures formed by the repeats. The influence of these factors on translation is numerically estimated. An optimal proportion of these factors is computed for each organism individually. Quantitative translational characteristics of 384 unicellular organisms (351 bacteria, 28 archaea, 5 eukaryota) have been computed using their annotated genomes from NCBI GenBank. Five potential evolutionary strategies of translational optimization have been determined among studied organisms. A considerable difference of preferred translational strategies between Bacteria and Archaea has been revealed. Significant correlations between elongation efficiency index and gene expression levels have been shown for two organisms (S. cerevisiae and H. pylori) using available microarray data. The proposed method allows to estimate numerically the coding DNA sequence translation efficiency and to optimize nucleotide composition of heterologous genes in unicellular organisms. http://www.mgs.bionet.nsc.ru/mgs/programs/eei-calculator/.

Flexible non-volatile memory devices based on organic semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosseddu, Piero; Casula, Giulia; Lai, Stefano; Bonfiglio, Annalisa

2015-09-01

The possibility of developing fully organic electronic circuits is critically dependent on the ability to realize a full set of electronic functionalities based on organic devices. In order to complete the scene, a fundamental element is still missing, i.e. reliable data storage. Over the past few years, a considerable effort has been spent on the development and optimization of organic polymer based memory elements. Among several possible solutions, transistor-based memories and resistive switching-based memories are attracting a great interest in the scientific community. In this paper, a route for the fabrication of organic semiconductor-based memory devices with performances beyond the state of the art is reported. Both the families of organic memories will be considered. A flexible resistive memory based on a novel combination of materials is presented. In particular, high retention time in ambient conditions are reported. Complementary, a low voltage transistor-based memory is presented. Low voltage operation is allowed by an hybrid, nano-sized dielectric, which is also responsible for the memory effect in the device. Thanks to the possibility of reproducibly fabricating such device on ultra-thin substrates, high mechanical stability is reported.

Biohydrogen production by co-fermentation of crude glycerol and apple pomace hydrolysate using co-culture of Enterobacter aerogenes and Clostridium butyricum.

PubMed

Pachapur, Vinayak Laxman; Sarma, Saurabh Jyoti; Brar, Satinder Kaur; Le Bihan, Yann; Buelna, Gerardo; Verma, Mausam

2015-10-01

Co-substrate utilization of various wastes with complementary characteristics can provide a complete medium for higher hydrogen production. This study evaluated potential of apple pomace hydrolysate (APH) co-fermented with crude glycerol (CG) for increased H2 production and decreased by-products formation. The central composite design (CCD) along with response surface methodology (RSM) was used as tool for optimization and 15 g/L of CG, 5 g/L of APH and 15% (v/v) inoculum were found to be optimum to produce as high as 26.07 ± 1.57 mmol H2/L of medium. The p-value of 0.0017 indicated that APH at lower concentration had a significant effect on H2 production. By using CG as sole carbon source, reductive pathway of glycerol metabolism was favored with 19.46 mmol H2/L. However, with APH, oxidative pathway was favored with higher H2 production (26.07 ± 1.57 mmol/L) and decrease in reduced by-products (1,3-propanediol and ethanol) formation. APH inclusion enhanced H2 production, and decreased substrate inhibition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimized structural designs for stretchable silicon integrated circuits.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Liu, Zhuangjian; Kim, Yun-Soung; Wu, Jian; Song, Jizhou; Kim, Hoon-Sik; Huang, Yonggang; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zhang, Yongwei; Rogers, John A

2009-12-01

Materials and design strategies for stretchable silicon integrated circuits that use non-coplanar mesh layouts and elastomeric substrates are presented. Detailed experimental and theoretical studies reveal many of the key underlying aspects of these systems. The results shpw, as an example, optimized mechanics and materials for circuits that exhibit maximum principal strains less than 0.2% even for applied strains of up to approximately 90%. Simple circuits, including complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor inverters and n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor differential amplifiers, validate these designs. The results suggest practical routes to high-performance electronics with linear elastic responses to large strain deformations, suitable for diverse applications that are not readily addressed with conventional wafer-based technologies.

Factors influencing first-time mothers' introduction of complementary foods: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Walsh, Anne; Kearney, Lauren; Dennis, Nicole

2015-09-22

Optimal infant nutrition comprises exclusive breastfeeding, with complementary foods introduced from six months of age. How parents make decisions regarding this is poorly studied. This study begins to address the dearth of research into the decision-making processes used by first-time mothers relating to the introduction of complementary foods. This qualitative explorative study was conducted using interviews (13) and focus groups (3). A semi-structured interview guide based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The TPB, a well-validated decision-making model, identifies the key determinants of a behaviour through behavioural beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control over the behaviour. It is purported that these beliefs predict behavioural intention to perform the behaviour, and performing the behaviour. A purposive, convenience, sample of 21 metropolitan parents recruited through advertising at local playgroups and childcare centres, and electronically through the University community email list self-selected to participate. Data were analysed thematically within the theoretical constructs: behavioural beliefs, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Data relating to sources of information about the introduction of complementary foods were also collected. Overall, first-time mothers found that waiting until six months was challenging despite knowledge of the WHO recommendations and an initial desire to comply with this guideline. Beliefs that complementary foods would assist the infants' weight gain, sleeping patterns and enjoyment at meal times were identified. Barriers preventing parents complying with the recommendations included subjective and group norms, peer influences, infant cues indicating early readiness and food labelling inconsistencies. The most valued information source was from peers who had recently introduced complementary foods. First-time mothers in this study did not demonstrate a good understanding of the rationale behind the WHO recommendations, nor did they understand fully the signs of readiness of infants to commence solid foods. Factors that assisted waiting until six months were a trusting relationship with a health professional whose practice and advice was consistent with the recommendations and/or when their infant was developmentally ready for complementary foods at six months and accepted them with ease and enthusiasm. Barriers preventing parents complying with the recommendations included subjective and group norms, peer influences, infant cues indicating early readiness and food labelling inconsistencies.

A Comprehensive Review of Tourette Syndrome and Complementary Alternative Medicine.

PubMed

Kumar, Ashutosh; Duda, L; Mainali, G; Asghar, S; Byler, D

2018-01-01

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric condition defined by both motor and phonic tics over a period of at least 1 year with the onset before 18 years of age. The purpose of this article is to review the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in children and adults with Tourette syndrome with emphasis on recent research. Most patients do not tell their physician about the use of CAM unless if specifically asked. Of the studies reviewed, description of the treatment and the frequency of use were most often reported. Few studies examine the role or effectiveness of CAM in the treatment of TS specifically. Practitioners should be aware of current research regarding various CAM modalities used for TS patients, including efficacy, potential adverse effects, and interactions with medications. Robust data about the use of CAM, efficacy, and potential side effects is lacking and requires further research to clarify optimal use.

Self-Determination Theory and Motivational Interviewing: Complementary Models to Elicit Voluntary Engagement by Partner-Abusive Men

PubMed Central

NEIGHBORS, CLAYTON; WALKER, DENISE D.; ROFFMAN, ROGER A.; MBILINYI, LYUNGAI F.; EDLESON, JEFFREY L.

2012-01-01

Research examining intimate partner violence (IPV) has lacked a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding and treating behavior. The authors propose two complementary models, a treatment approach (Motivational Interviewing, MI) informed by a theory (Self-Determination Theory; SDT), as a way of integrating existing knowledge and suggesting new directions in intervening early with IPV perpetrators. MI is a client-centered clinical intervention intended to assist in strengthening motivation to change and has been widely implemented in the substance abuse literature. SDT is a theory that focuses on internal versus external motivation and considers elements that impact optimal functioning and psychological well-being. These elements include psychological needs, integration of behavioral regulations, and contextual influences on motivation. Each of these aspects of SDT is described in detail and in the context of IPV etiology and intervention using motivational interviewing. PMID:22593609

Design and measurement of fully digital ternary content addressable memory using ratioless static random access memory cells and hierarchical-AND matching comparator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishikata, Daisuke; Ali, Mohammad Alimudin Bin Mohd; Hosoda, Kento; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Kazuyuki

2018-04-01

A 36-bit × 32-entry fully digital ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) using the ratioless static random access memory (RL-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed. Since its fully complementary and digital operation enables the effect of device variabilities to be avoided, it can operate with a quite low supply voltage. A test chip incorporating a conventional TCAM and a proposed 24-transistor ratioless TCAM (RL-TCAM) cells and HAMCs was developed using a 0.18 µm CMOS process. The minimum operating voltage of 0.25 V of the developed RL-TCAM, which is less than half of that of the conventional TCAM, was measured via the conventional CMOS push–pull output buffers with the level-shifting and flipping technique using optimized pull-up voltage and resistors.

Views and experiences of healthcare professionals towards the use of African traditional, complementary and alternative medicines among patients with HIV infection: the case of eThekwini health district, South Africa.

PubMed

Nlooto, Manimbulu

2015-06-06

Many patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection use traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines and other practices to combat the disease, with some also using prescribed antiretroviral therapy provided by the public health sector. This study aimed to establish the awareness of public sector biomedical health care providers on the use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines by HIV-infected patients who also used highly active antiretroviral therapy, and to determine whether this was based on patients seen or cases being reported to them. Potential risks of interactions between the prescribed antiretroviral and non-prescribed medication therapies may pose safety and effectiveness issues in patients using both types of treatment. A descriptive cross-sectional study, using a researcher administered semi-structured questionnaire, was conducted from June to August 2013 at ten public sector antiretroviral clinics in five regional, three specialised and two district hospitals in eThekwini Health District, South Africa. Questionnaires were administered through face-to face interview to 120 eligible participants consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and post-basic pharmacist assistants in HIV clinical practice. The results are presented as percent or proportion with standard error (SE), or as frequency. Ninety-four respondents completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 78.3 %. Almost half (48/94) were aware of patients using African traditional herbal medicines, over-the-counter supplements, unnamed complementary Ayurveda medicines and acupuncture. Twenty-three of the 94 respondents (24.4 %) said they had consulted patients who were using both antiretroviral therapy and certain types of non-prescribed medication in the previous three months. Awareness among healthcare providers on patient use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines was relatively high. Few respondents had seen patients who used mostly African traditional medicines, over-the counter supplements, and negligible complementary Ayurveda medicines and acupuncture, with caution being advised in the interpretation of the former. Further research is needed to investigate communication between healthcare providers and patients in this regard, and levels of acceptance of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines by biomedical health care workers in HIV public sector practice.

Report from the Second International Conference of Traditional and Complementary Medicine on Health 2015

PubMed Central

Isidoro, Ciro; Huang, Chia-Chi; Sheen, Lee-Yan

2016-01-01

The Second International Conference of Traditional and Complementary Medicine on Health was held from October 24th through 27th at the GIS National Taiwan University Convention Center in Taipei. Twenty-seven invited speakers, representative of fourteen Countries, delivered their lecture in front of an audience of more than two hundreds of attendees. In addition, a poster exhibition with seventy-two presenters completed the scientific sessions. The leitmotif of the Conference was to promote a common platform in which all medical knowledge is integrated to improve the health care system. Traditional medicine and complementary medicine are characterized by a holistic approach to prevent and cure diseases, making use of natural products and/or physical manipulations. In this context, the Conference emphasized the importance of the Quality Control and of standardized methods for the authentication, preparation and characterization of the herbal products and nutrient supplements, as well as the need for controlled clinical trials and for experimental studies to demonstrate the efficacy and to understand the underlying mechanisms of the preventive and curative treatments. In this report, we highlight the novel findings and the perspectives in Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM; 傳統暨互補醫學 chuán tǒng jì hù bǔ yī xué) that emerged during the conference. PMID:26870692

A practical globalization of one-shot optimization for optimal design of tokamak divertors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blommaert, Maarten; Dekeyser, Wouter; Baelmans, Martine; Gauger, Nicolas R.; Reiter, Detlev

2017-01-01

In past studies, nested optimization methods were successfully applied to design of the magnetic divertor configuration in nuclear fusion reactors. In this paper, so-called one-shot optimization methods are pursued. Due to convergence issues, a globalization strategy for the one-shot solver is sought. Whereas Griewank introduced a globalization strategy using a doubly augmented Lagrangian function that includes primal and adjoint residuals, its practical usability is limited by the necessity of second order derivatives and expensive line search iterations. In this paper, a practical alternative is offered that avoids these drawbacks by using a regular augmented Lagrangian merit function that penalizes only state residuals. Additionally, robust rank-two Hessian estimation is achieved by adaptation of Powell's damped BFGS update rule. The application of the novel one-shot approach to magnetic divertor design is considered in detail. For this purpose, the approach is adapted to be complementary with practical in parts adjoint sensitivities. Using the globalization strategy, stable convergence of the one-shot approach is achieved.

Optimal Design of Calibration Signals in Space-Borne Gravitational Wave Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nofrarias, Miquel; Karnesis, Nikolaos; Gibert, Ferran; Armano, Michele; Audley, Heather; Danzmann, Karsten; Diepholz, Ingo; Dolesi, Rita; Ferraioli, Luigi; Ferroni, Valerio;

Optimal Design of Calibration Signals in Space Borne Gravitational Wave Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nofrarias, Miquel; Karnesis, Nikolaos; Gibert, Ferran; Armano, Michele; Audley, Heather; Danzmann, Karsten; Diepholz, Ingo; Dolesi, Rita; Ferraioli, Luigi; Thorpe, James I.

2014-01-01

Future space borne gravitational wave detectors will require a precise definition of calibration signals to ensure the achievement of their design sensitivity. The careful design of the test signals plays a key role in the correct understanding and characterization of these instruments. In that sense, methods achieving optimal experiment designs must be considered as complementary to the parameter estimation methods being used to determine the parameters describing the system. The relevance of experiment design is particularly significant for the LISA Pathfinder mission, which will spend most of its operation time performing experiments to characterize key technologies for future space borne gravitational wave observatories. Here we propose a framework to derive the optimal signals in terms of minimum parameter uncertainty to be injected to these instruments during its calibration phase. We compare our results with an alternative numerical algorithm which achieves an optimal input signal by iteratively improving an initial guess. We show agreement of both approaches when applied to the LISA Pathfinder case.

Self-Reported Student Confidence in Troubleshooting Ability Increases after Completion of an Inquiry-Based PCR Practical

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Anthony L.; Snow, Elizabeth T.; Binns, Henrica; Cook, Peta S.

2015-01-01

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) activities are complementary to the processes of laboratory discovery, as both are focused on producing new findings through research and inquiry. Here, we describe the results of student surveys taken pre- and postpractical to an IBL undergraduate practical on PCR. Our analysis focuses primarily student perceptions of…

Promoting and Protecting Mental Health as Flourishing: A Complementary Strategy for Improving National Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keyes, Corey L. M.

2007-01-01

This article summarizes the conception and diagnosis of the mental health continuum, the findings supporting the two continua model of mental health and illness, and the benefits of flourishing to individuals and society. Completely mentally healthy adults--individuals free of a 12-month mental disorder and flourishing--reported the fewest missed…

A Dual System for Indexing Library and Information Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborn, Andrew D.

Two overall levels of bibliographical control are desirable: one should be as complete as possible; the other should be a selection of prime items whose titles are organized for ease and effectiveness of consultation and decision making about the texts which are worth looking up; and this selection should be the aim of a complementary computer…

Web Consulting for Non-Academic Educational Missions: How Instructional Design Offers a Competitive Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cates, Ward Mitchell; Mattke, Paige Hawkins

2013-01-01

Based on a recently completed study of education directors at science museums, this article addresses how design-and-development consultants might use those findings to enhance the way in which they propose and deliver Website services to non-academic organizations with either primary or complementary educational missions. After a very brief…

Optimal design of implants for magnetically mediated hyperthermia: A wireless power transfer approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Hans-Dieter; Sarris, Costas D.

2017-09-01

In magnetically mediated hyperthermia (MMH), an externally applied alternating magnetic field interacts with a mediator (such as a magnetic nanoparticle or an implant) inside the body to heat up the tissue in its proximity. Producing heat via induced currents in this manner is strikingly similar to wireless power transfer (WPT) for implants, where power is transferred from a transmitter outside of the body to an implanted receiver, in most cases via magnetic fields as well. Leveraging this analogy, a systematic method to design MMH implants for optimal heating efficiency is introduced, akin to the design of WPT systems for optimal power transfer efficiency. This paper provides analytical formulas for the achievable heating efficiency bounds as well as the optimal operating frequency and the implant material. Multiphysics simulations validate the approach and further demonstrate that optimization with respect to maximum heating efficiency is accompanied by minimizing heat delivery to healthy tissue. This is a property that is highly desirable when considering MMH as a key component or complementary method of cancer treatment and other applications.

A two-phase sampling survey for nonresponse and its paradata to correct nonresponse bias in a health surveillance survey.

PubMed

Santin, G; Bénézet, L; Geoffroy-Perez, B; Bouyer, J; Guéguen, A

2017-02-01

The decline in participation rates in surveys, including epidemiological surveillance surveys, has become a real concern since it may increase nonresponse bias. The aim of this study is to estimate the contribution of a complementary survey among a subsample of nonrespondents, and the additional contribution of paradata in correcting for nonresponse bias in an occupational health surveillance survey. In 2010, 10,000 workers were randomly selected and sent a postal questionnaire. Sociodemographic data were available for the whole sample. After data collection of the questionnaires, a complementary survey among a random subsample of 500 nonrespondents was performed using a questionnaire administered by an interviewer. Paradata were collected for the complete subsample of the complementary survey. Nonresponse bias in the initial sample and in the combined samples were assessed using variables from administrative databases available for the whole sample, not subject to differential measurement errors. Corrected prevalences by reweighting technique were estimated by first using the initial survey alone and then the initial and complementary surveys combined, under several assumptions regarding the missing data process. Results were compared by computing relative errors. The response rates of the initial and complementary surveys were 23.6% and 62.6%, respectively. For the initial and the combined surveys, the relative errors decreased after correction for nonresponse on sociodemographic variables. For the combined surveys without paradata, relative errors decreased compared with the initial survey. The contribution of the paradata was weak. When a complex descriptive survey has a low response rate, a short complementary survey among nonrespondents with a protocol which aims to maximize the response rates, is useful. The contribution of sociodemographic variables in correcting for nonresponse bias is important whereas the additional contribution of paradata in correcting for nonresponse bias is questionable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

WFIRST: Exoplanet Target Selection and Scheduling with Greedy Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keithly, Dean; Garrett, Daniel; Delacroix, Christian; Savransky, Dmitry

2018-01-01

We present target selection and scheduling algorithms for missions with direct imaging of exoplanets, and the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) in particular, which will be equipped with a coronagraphic instrument (CGI). Optimal scheduling of CGI targets can maximize the expected value of directly imaged exoplanets (completeness). Using target completeness as a reward metric and integration time plus overhead time as a cost metric, we can maximize the sum completeness for a mission with a fixed duration. We optimize over these metrics to create a list of target stars using a greedy optimization algorithm based off altruistic yield optimization (AYO) under ideal conditions. We simulate full missions using EXOSIMS by observing targets in this list for their predetermined integration times. In this poster, we report the theoretical maximum sum completeness, mean number of detected exoplanets from Monte Carlo simulations, and the ideal expected value of the simulated missions.

Role of cytochrome P450 IA2 in acetanilide 4-hydroxylation as determined with cDNA expression and monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Liu, G; Gelboin, H V; Myers, M J

1991-02-01

The role of P450 IA2 in the hydroxylation of acetanilide was examined using an inhibitory monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1-7-1 and vaccinia cDNA expression producing murine P450 IA1 (mIA1), murine P450 IA2 (mIA2), or human P450 IA2 (hIA2). Acetanilide hydroxylase (AcOH) activity was measured using an HPLC method with more than 500-fold greater sensitivity than previously described procedures. This method, which does not require the use of radioactive acetanilide, was achieved by optimizing both the gradient system and the amount of enzyme needed to achieve detection by uv light. MAb 1-7-1 inhibits up to 80% of the AcOH activity in both rat liver microsomes and cDNA expressed mouse and human P450 IA2. MAb 1-7-1, which recognizes both P450 IA1 and P450 IA2, completely inhibits the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity of cDNA expressed in IA1. The inhibition of only 80% of the AHH activity present in MC liver microsomes by MAb 1-7-1 suggests that additional P450 forms are contributing to the overall AHH activity present in methylcholanthrene (MC)-liver microsomes as MAb 1-7-1 almost completely inhibits the AHH activity of expressed mIA1. Maximal inhibition of IA2 by 1-7-1 results in an 80% decrease in acetanilide hydroxylase activity in both liver microsomes and expressed mouse and human IA2. The capacity of MAb 1-7-1 to produce identical levels of inhibition of acetanilide hydroxylase activity in rat MC microsomes (80%) and in expressed mouse (81%) and human P450 IA2 (80%) strongly suggests that P450 IA2 is the major and perhaps the only enzyme responsible for the metabolism of acetanilide. These results demonstrate the complementary utility of monoclonal antibodies and cDNA expression for defining the contribution of specific P450 enzymes to the metabolism of a given substrate. This complementary approach allows for a more precise determination of the inhibitory capacity of MAb with respect to the metabolic capacity of the target P450.

Methamphetamine Vaccines: Improvement through Hapten Design.

PubMed

Collins, Karen C; Schlosburg, Joel E; Bremer, Paul T; Janda, Kim D

2016-04-28

Methamphetamine (MA) addiction is a serious public health problem, and current methods to abate addiction and relapse are currently ineffective for mitigating this growing global epidemic. Development of a vaccine targeting MA would provide a complementary strategy to existing behavioral therapies, but this has proven challenging. Herein, we describe optimization of both hapten design and formulation, identifying a vaccine that elicited a robust anti-MA immune response in mice, decreasing methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity.

Design of a candidate flutter suppression control law for DAST ARW-2. [Drones for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing Aeroelastic Research Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, W. M., Jr.; Tiffany, S. H.

1983-01-01

A control law is developed to suppress symmetric flutter for a mathematical model of an aeroelastic research vehicle. An implementable control law is attained by including modified LQG (linear quadratic Gaussian) design techniques, controller order reduction, and gain scheduling. An alternate (complementary) design approach is illustrated for one flight condition wherein nongradient-based constrained optimization techniques are applied to maximize controller robustness.

The effect of complementary and alternative medicine on quality of life, depression, anxiety, and fatigue levels among cancer patients during active oncology treatment: phase II study.

PubMed

Bar-Sela, Gil; Danos, Sara; Visel, Bella; Mashiach, Tanya; Mitnik, Inbal

2015-07-01

During the past decade, there has been growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among cancer patients and it is being integrated more frequently within conventional cancer centers. The long-term effect of mind-body therapies on quality of life (QoL), depression, anxiety, and fatigue was tested prospectively in this study. Cancer patients who received six weekly sessions of CAM during their oncological treatments participated in the study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and QoL-EORTC-C30 were completed during the intervention and follow-up period. Over a two-year period, 163 patients entered the study, 135 of whom completed all six CAM sessions. An improvement was demonstrated in the median of BFI from 4.8 to 3.9 (p < 0.001), HADS-Anxiety from 8 to 7 (p < 0.001) and HADS-Depression from 7 to 6 (p < 0.001) after 12 weeks. In addition, the median of global QoL improved from 50 to 67 (p < 0.001), and a significant improvement was noticed in several parameters on the functioning and symptoms scales of the QoL-EORTC-C30. Cancer patients who completed six weekly sessions of CAM improved significantly on measured outcomes, regardless of their demographic characteristics.

The effect of dropout on the efficiency of D-optimal designs of linear mixed models.

PubMed

Ortega-Azurduy, S A; Tan, F E S; Berger, M P F

2008-06-30

Dropout is often encountered in longitudinal data. Optimal designs will usually not remain optimal in the presence of dropout. In this paper, we study D-optimal designs for linear mixed models where dropout is encountered. Moreover, we estimate the efficiency loss in cases where a D-optimal design for complete data is chosen instead of that for data with dropout. Two types of monotonically decreasing response probability functions are investigated to describe dropout. Our results show that the location of D-optimal design points for the dropout case will shift with respect to that for the complete and uncorrelated data case. Owing to this shift, the information collected at the D-optimal design points for the complete data case does not correspond to the smallest variance. We show that the size of the displacement of the time points depends on the linear mixed model and that the efficiency loss is moderate.

Novel Process of Simultaneous Removal of Nitric Oxide and Sulfur Dioxide Using a Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV)-Activated O2/H2O/H2O2 System in A Wet VUV-Spraying Reactor.

PubMed

Liu, Yangxian; Wang, Qian; Pan, Jianfeng

2016-12-06

A novel process for NO and SO 2 simultaneous removal using a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, with 185 nm wavelength)-activated O 2 /H 2 O/H 2 O 2 system in a wet VUV-spraying reactor was developed. The influence of different process variables on NO and SO 2 removal was evaluated. Active species (O 3 and ·OH) and liquid products (SO 3 2- , NO 2 - , SO 4 2- , and NO 3 - ) were analyzed. The chemistry and routes of NO and SO 2 removal were investigated. The oxidation removal system exhibits excellent simultaneous removal capacity for NO and SO 2 , and a maximum removal of 96.8% for NO and complete SO 2 removal were obtained under optimized conditions. SO 2 reaches 100% removal efficiency under most of test conditions. NO removal is obviously affected by several process variables. Increasing VUV power, H 2 O 2 concentration, solution pH, liquid-to-gas ratio, and O 2 concentration greatly enhances NO removal. Increasing NO and SO 2 concentration obviously reduces NO removal. Temperature has a dual impact on NO removal, which has an optimal temperature of 318 K. Sulfuric acid and nitric acid are the main removal products of NO and SO 2 . NO removals by oxidation of O 3 , O·, and ·OH are the primary routes. NO removals by H 2 O 2 oxidation and VUV photolysis are the complementary routes. A potential scaled-up removal process was also proposed initially.

Breastfeeding, Infant Formula, and Introduction to Complementary Foods-Comparing Data Obtained by Questionnaires and Health Visitors' Reports to Weekly Short Message Service Text Messages.

PubMed

Bruun, Signe; Buhl, Susanne; Husby, Steffen; Jacobsen, Lotte Neergaard; Michaelsen, Kim F; Sørensen, Jan; Zachariassen, Gitte

2017-11-01

Studies on prevalence and effects of breastfeeding call for reliable and precise data collection to optimize infant nutrition, growth, and health. Data on breastfeeding and infant nutrition are at risk of, for example, recall bias or social desirability bias. The aim of the present analysis was to compare data on infant nutrition, that is, breastfeeding, use of infant formula, and introduction to complementary foods, obtained by four different methods. We assumed that weekly short message service (SMS) questions were the most reliable method, to which the other methods were compared. The study population was part of the Odense Child Cohort. The four methods used were: (a) self-administered questionnaire 3 months postpartum, (b) self-administered questionnaire 18 months postpartum, (c) registrations from health visitors visiting the families several times within the first year of life, and (d) weekly SMS questions introduced shortly after birth. In total, 639 singleton mothers with data from all four methods were included. The proportion of mothers initiating breastfeeding varied from 86% to 97%, the mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding from 12 to 19 weeks, and the mean age when introduced to complementary foods from 19 to 21 weeks. The mean duration of any breastfeeding was 33 weeks across methods. Compared with the weekly SMS questions, the self-administered questionnaires and the health visitors' reports resulted in a greater proportion of mothers with an unknown breastfeeding status, a longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding and later introduction to complementary foods, while the duration of any breastfeeding did not differ.

Adherence with early infant feeding and complementary feeding guidelines in the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study.

PubMed

O'Donovan, Sinéad M; Murray, Deirdre M; Hourihane, Jonathan O'B; Kenny, Louise C; Irvine, Alan D; Kiely, Mairead

2015-10-01

To describe adherence with infant feeding and complementary feeding guidelines. Prospective study of infant feeding and complementary feeding practices were collected as part of the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study. Cork, Ireland. Data are described for the 823 infants for whom a diary was completed. Breast-feeding was initiated in 81 % of infants, and 34 %, 14 % and 1 % of infants were exclusively breast-fed at hospital discharge, 2 and 6 months, respectively. Stage one infant formula decreased from 71 % at 2 months to 13 % at 12 months. The majority of infants (79 %) were introduced to solids between 17 and 26 weeks and 18 % were given solid foods before 17 weeks. Mothers of infants who commenced complementary feeding prior to 17 weeks were younger (29·8 v. 31·5 years; P<0·001) and more likely to smoke (18 v. 8 %; P=0·004). The first food was usually baby rice (69 %), infant breakfast cereals (14 %) or fruit/vegetables (14 %). Meals were generally home-made (49 %), cereal-based (35 %), manufactured (10 %), dairy (3 %) and dessert-based (3 %). The median gap between the first-second, second-third, third-fourth and fourth-fifth new foods was 4, 2, 2 and 2 d, respectively. We present the largest prospective cohort study to date on early infant feeding in Ireland. The rate of breast-feeding is low by international norms. Most mothers introduce complementary foods between 4 and 6 months with lengthy gaps between each new food/food product. There is a high prevalence of exposure to infant breakfast cereals, which are composite foods, among the first foods introduced.

Complete complementary DNA-derived amino acid sequence of canine cardiac phospholamban.

PubMed Central

Fujii, J; Ueno, A; Kitano, K; Tanaka, S; Kadoma, M; Tada, M

1987-01-01

Complementary DNA (cDNA) clones specific for phospholamban of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes have been isolated from a canine cardiac cDNA library. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA sequence indicates that phospholamban consists of 52 amino acid residues and lacks an amino-terminal signal sequence. The protein has an inferred mol wt 6,080 that is in agreement with its apparent monomeric mol wt 6,000, estimated previously by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Phospholamban contains two distinct domains, a hydrophilic region at the amino terminus (domain I) and a hydrophobic region at the carboxy terminus (domain II). We propose that domain I is localized at the cytoplasmic surface and offers phosphorylatable sites whereas domain II is anchored into the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. PMID:3793929

Directional, seamless, and restriction enzyme-free construction of random-primed complementary DNA libraries using phosphorothioate-modified primers.

PubMed

Howland, Shanshan W; Poh, Chek-Meng; Rénia, Laurent

2011-09-01

Directional cloning of complementary DNA (cDNA) primed by oligo(dT) is commonly achieved by appending a restriction site to the primer, whereas the second strand is synthesized through the combined action of RNase H and Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (PolI). Although random primers provide more uniform and complete coverage, directional cloning with the same strategy is highly inefficient. We report that phosphorothioate linkages protect the tail sequence appended to random primers from the 5'→3' exonuclease activity of PolI. We present a simple strategy for constructing a random-primed cDNA library using the efficient, size-independent, and seamless In-Fusion cloning method instead of restriction enzymes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conjugate gradient based projection - A new explicit methodology for frictional contact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamma, Kumar K.; Li, Maocheng; Sha, Desong

1993-01-01

With special attention towards the applicability to parallel computation or vectorization, a new and effective explicit approach for linear complementary formulations involving a conjugate gradient based projection methodology is proposed in this study for contact problems with Coulomb friction. The overall objectives are focussed towards providing an explicit methodology of computation for the complete contact problem with friction. In this regard, the primary idea for solving the linear complementary formulations stems from an established search direction which is projected to a feasible region determined by the non-negative constraint condition; this direction is then applied to the Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient method resulting in a powerful explicit methodology which possesses high accuracy, excellent convergence characteristics, fast computational speed and is relatively simple to implement for contact problems involving Coulomb friction.

Rotating electrical machines: Poynting flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donaghy-Spargo, C.

2017-09-01

This paper presents a complementary approach to the traditional Lorentz and Faraday approaches that are typically adopted in the classroom when teaching the fundamentals of electrical machines—motors and generators. The approach adopted is based upon the Poynting vector, which illustrates the ‘flow’ of electromagnetic energy. It is shown through simple vector analysis that the energy-flux density flow approach can provide insight into the operation of electrical machines and it is also shown that the results are in agreement with conventional Maxwell stress-based theory. The advantage of this approach is its complementary completion of the physical picture regarding the electromechanical energy conversion process—it is also a means of maintaining student interest in this subject and as an unconventional application of the Poynting vector during normal study of electromagnetism.

Risk assessment in man and mouse.

PubMed

Balci, Fuat; Freestone, David; Gallistel, Charles R

2009-02-17

Human and mouse subjects tried to anticipate at which of 2 locations a reward would appear. On a randomly scheduled fraction of the trials, it appeared with a short latency at one location; on the complementary fraction, it appeared after a longer latency at the other location. Subjects of both species accurately assessed the exogenous uncertainty (the probability of a short versus a long trial) and the endogenous uncertainty (from the scalar variability in their estimates of an elapsed duration) to compute the optimal target latency for a switch from the short- to the long-latency location. The optimal latency was arrived at so rapidly that there was no reliably discernible improvement over trials. Under these nonverbal conditions, humans and mice accurately assess risks and behave nearly optimally. That this capacity is well-developed in the mouse opens up the possibility of a genetic approach to the neurobiological mechanisms underlying risk assessment.

Risk assessment in man and mouse

PubMed Central

Balci, Fuat; Freestone, David; Gallistel, Charles R.

2009-01-01

Human and mouse subjects tried to anticipate at which of 2 locations a reward would appear. On a randomly scheduled fraction of the trials, it appeared with a short latency at one location; on the complementary fraction, it appeared after a longer latency at the other location. Subjects of both species accurately assessed the exogenous uncertainty (the probability of a short versus a long trial) and the endogenous uncertainty (from the scalar variability in their estimates of an elapsed duration) to compute the optimal target latency for a switch from the short- to the long-latency location. The optimal latency was arrived at so rapidly that there was no reliably discernible improvement over trials. Under these nonverbal conditions, humans and mice accurately assess risks and behave nearly optimally. That this capacity is well-developed in the mouse opens up the possibility of a genetic approach to the neurobiological mechanisms underlying risk assessment. PMID:19188592

What could infant and young child nutrition learn from sweatshops?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Adequate infant and young child nutrition demands high rates of breastfeeding and good access to nutrient rich complementary foods, requiring public sector action to promote breastfeeding and home based complementary feeding, and private sector action to refrain from undermining breastfeeding and to provide affordable, nutrient rich complementary foods. Unfortunately, due to a lack of trust, the public and private sectors, from both the North and the South, do not work well together in achieving optimal infant and young child nutrition. Discussion As the current debate in infant and young child nutrition is reminiscent of the "sweatshop" debate fifteen years ago, we argue that lessons from the sweatshops debate regarding cooperation between public and private sectors - and specific organizational experiences such as the Ethical Trading Initiative in which companies, trade unions, and civil society organizations work together to enhance implementation of labour standards and address alleged allegations - could serve as a model for improving cooperation and trust between public, civil society and private groups, and ultimately health, in infant and young child nutrition. Summary Lessons from the sweatshops debate could serve as a model to promote cooperation and trust between public and private groups, such that they learn to work together towards their common goal of improving infant and young child nutrition. PMID:21545745

Antagonistic Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum C11: Two New Two-Peptide Bacteriocins, Plantaricins EF and JK, and the Induction Factor Plantaricin A

PubMed Central

Anderssen, Erlend L.; Diep, Dzung Bao; Nes, Ingolf F.; Eijsink, Vincent G. H.; Nissen-Meyer, Jon

1998-01-01

Six bacteriocinlike peptides (plantaricin A [PlnA], PlnE, PlnF, PlnJ, PlnK, and PlnN) produced by Lactobacillus plantarum C11 were detected by amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry. Since purification to homogeneity was problematic, all six peptides were obtained by solid-phase peptide synthesis and were tested for bacteriocin activity. It was found that L. plantarum C11 produces two two-peptide bacteriocins (PlnEF and PlnJK); a strain-specific antagonistic activity was detected at nanomolar concentrations when PlnE and PlnF were combined and when PlnJ and PlnK were combined. Complementary peptides were at least 103 times more active when they were combined than when they were present individually, and optimal activity was obtained when the complementary peptides were present in approximately equal amounts. The interaction between complementary peptides was specific, since neither PlnE nor PlnF could complement PlnJ or PlnK, and none of these peptides could complement the peptides constituting the two-peptide bacteriocin lactococcin G. Interestingly, PlnA, which acts as an extracellular signal (pheromone) that triggers bacteriocin production, also possessed a strain-specific antagonistic activity. No bacteriocin activity could be detected for PlnN. PMID:9603847

Data fusion in X-ray computed tomography using a superiorization approach.

PubMed

Schrapp, Michael J; Herman, Gabor T

2014-05-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is an important and widespread inspection technique in industrial non-destructive testing. However, large-sized and heavily absorbing objects cause artifacts due to either the lack of penetration of the specimen in specific directions or by having data from only a limited angular range of views. In such cases, valuable information about the specimen is not revealed by the CT measurements alone. Further imaging modalities, such as optical scanning and ultrasonic testing, are able to provide data (such as an edge map) that are complementary to the CT acquisition. In this paper, a superiorization approach (a newly developed method for constrained optimization) is used to incorporate the complementary data into the CT reconstruction; this allows precise localization of edges that are not resolvable from the CT data by itself. Superiorization, as presented in this paper, exploits the fact that the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART), often used for CT reconstruction, is resilient to perturbations; i.e., it can be modified to produce an output that is as consistent with the CT measurements as the output of unmodified SART, but is more consistent with the complementary data. The application of this superiorized SART method to measured data of a turbine blade demonstrates a clear improvement in the quality of the reconstructed image.

What could infant and young child nutrition learn from sweatshops?

PubMed

Singer, Peter A; Ansett, Sean; Sagoe-Moses, Isabella

2011-05-05

Adequate infant and young child nutrition demands high rates of breastfeeding and good access to nutrient rich complementary foods, requiring public sector action to promote breastfeeding and home based complementary feeding, and private sector action to refrain from undermining breastfeeding and to provide affordable, nutrient rich complementary foods. Unfortunately, due to a lack of trust, the public and private sectors, from both the North and the South, do not work well together in achieving optimal infant and young child nutrition. As the current debate in infant and young child nutrition is reminiscent of the "sweatshop" debate fifteen years ago, we argue that lessons from the sweatshops debate regarding cooperation between public and private sectors - and specific organizational experiences such as the Ethical Trading Initiative in which companies, trade unions, and civil society organizations work together to enhance implementation of labour standards and address alleged allegations - could serve as a model for improving cooperation and trust between public, civil society and private groups, and ultimately health, in infant and young child nutrition. Lessons from the sweatshops debate could serve as a model to promote cooperation and trust between public and private groups, such that they learn to work together towards their common goal of improving infant and young child nutrition.

Effectiveness of Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) on complementary feeding in Koibatek, Kenya: a randomized control study.

PubMed

Maingi, Mildred; Kimiywe, Judith; Iron-Segev, Sharon

2018-05-08

Appropriate infant and young child nutrition is critical for proper growth and development. In order to promote optimal nutrition at an early age, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have developed the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) to address poor breastfeeding practices in maternity wards. However, impact is limited in less developed countries like Kenya, where more than half of all births are home deliveries. Therefore, Kenya has explored the adoption of Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) in its rural settings. In contrast to the BFHI, the BFCI supports breastfeeding and optimal infant feeding in community. BFCI has been implemented in Koibatek, in rural Kenya. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of BFCI on complementary feeding practices of children aged 6-23 months, by comparing intervention and control groups. This was a randomized control study design that included 270 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) project in Koibatek. Evaluation was carried out using structured questionnaires. A statistically significantly higher proportion of children in the intervention group compared to the control group attained minimum dietary diversity (77% vs. 58%; p = 0.001), minimum meal frequency (96% vs. 89%; p = 0.046) and minimum acceptable diet (77% vs. 61%; p = 0.005). The odds of attaining minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet were statistically significantly higher for the intervention group compared to control group (OR: 4.95; 95%CI 2.44-10.03, p = < 0.001; OR: 14.84; 95%CI 2.75-79.9, p = 0.002; OR: 4.61; 95%CI 2.17-9.78, p = < 0.001 respectively). The BFCI intervention was successful in improving complementary feeding practices. Strengthening and prioritizing BFCI interventions could have a significant impact on child health outcomes in rural Kenya. ISRCTN03467700 . Registration 24 September 2014. Retrospectively registered.

Retrospective MicroRNA Sequencing: Complementary DNA Library Preparation Protocol Using Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded RNA Specimens.

PubMed

Loudig, Olivier; Liu, Christina; Rohan, Thomas; Ben-Dov, Iddo Z

2018-05-05

-Archived, clinically classified formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues can provide nucleic acids for retrospective molecular studies of cancer development. By using non-invasive or pre-malignant lesions from patients who later develop invasive disease, gene expression analyses may help identify early molecular alterations that predispose to cancer risk. It has been well described that nucleic acids recovered from FFPE tissues have undergone severe physical damage and chemical modifications, which make their analysis difficult and generally requires adapted assays. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), however, which represent a small class of RNA molecules spanning only up to ~18-24 nucleotides, have been shown to withstand long-term storage and have been successfully analyzed in FFPE samples. Here we present a 3' barcoded complementary DNA (cDNA) library preparation protocol specifically optimized for the analysis of small RNAs extracted from archived tissues, which was recently demonstrated to be robust and highly reproducible when using archived clinical specimens stored for up to 35 years. This library preparation is well adapted to the multiplex analysis of compromised/degraded material where RNA samples (up to 18) are ligated with individual 3' barcoded adapters and then pooled together for subsequent enzymatic and biochemical preparations prior to analysis. All purifications are performed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), which allows size-specific selections and enrichments of barcoded small RNA species. This cDNA library preparation is well adapted to minute RNA inputs, as a pilot polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows determination of a specific amplification cycle to produce optimal amounts of material for next-generation sequencing (NGS). This approach was optimized for the use of degraded FFPE RNA from specimens archived for up to 35 years and provides highly reproducible NGS data.

Feeding patterns and stunting during early childhood in rural communities of Sidama, South Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Tessema, Masresha; Belachew, Tefera; Ersino, Getahun

2013-01-01

Introduction The period from birth to two years of age is a “critical window” of opportunity for the promotion of optimal growth, health and behavioral development of children. Poor child feeding patterns combined with household food insecurity can lead to malnutrition which is a major public health problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional study that involved 575 participants from rural Sidama was conducted from February to March 2011. A two-stage stratified sampling procedure was employed to select the required households. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare stunting by feeding patterns and other characteristics. Results Only 14.4% of mothers fed their children optimally. Prevalence of stunting was higher for infants aged 6 to 8 months (43%) than for those in 0-5 months (26.6%) or 9-23 months (39%) category. Women who did not receive antenatal care(ANC) during pregnancy were 1.5 times more likely to practice pre-lacteal feeding and 2.8 and 1.9 times more likely to feed their children below minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency, respectively (P=0.01). Mothers older than 18 years during the birth of index child were 86% less likely to feed their child below minimum meal frequency than their younger counterparts (P=0.01). Children who started complementary food either before or after the recommended 6 months time, were more likely to be stunted (P=0.01). Conclusion The feeding practices of most mothers did not meet WHO recommendations. Behavior change communication about the importance of optimal complementary feeding and ANC attendance should be strengthened through extensive use of the Health Extension Workers to reduce the level of child stunting in the study area. PMID:23646211

Numerical prediction of three-dimensional juncture region flow using the parabolic Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, A. J.; Manhardt, P. D.; Orzechowski, J. A.

1979-01-01

A numerical solution algorithm is established for prediction of subsonic turbulent three-dimensional flows in aerodynamic configuration juncture regions. A turbulence closure model is established using the complete Reynolds stress. Pressure coupling is accomplished using the concepts of complementary and particular solutions to a Poisson equation. Specifications for data input juncture geometry modification are presented.

Tomographic Neutron Imaging using SIRT

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

Gregor, Jens; FINNEY, Charles E A; Toops, Todd J

2013-01-01

Neutron imaging is complementary to x-ray imaging in that materials such as water and plastic are highly attenuating while material such as metal is nearly transparent. We showcase tomographic imaging of a diesel particulate filter. Reconstruction is done using a modified version of SIRT called PSIRT. We expand on previous work and introduce Tikhonov regularization. We show that near-optimal relaxation can still be achieved. The algorithmic ideas apply to cone beam x-ray CT and other inverse problems.

Circular codes revisited: a statistical approach.

PubMed

Gonzalez, D L; Giannerini, S; Rosa, R

2011-04-21

In 1996 Arquès and Michel [1996. A complementary circular code in the protein coding genes. J. Theor. Biol. 182, 45-58] discovered the existence of a common circular code in eukaryote and prokaryote genomes. Since then, circular code theory has provoked great interest and underwent a rapid development. In this paper we discuss some theoretical issues related to the synchronization properties of coding sequences and circular codes with particular emphasis on the problem of retrieval and maintenance of the reading frame. Motivated by the theoretical discussion, we adopt a rigorous statistical approach in order to try to answer different questions. First, we investigate the covering capability of the whole class of 216 self-complementary, C(3) maximal codes with respect to a large set of coding sequences. The results indicate that, on average, the code proposed by Arquès and Michel has the best covering capability but, still, there exists a great variability among sequences. Second, we focus on such code and explore the role played by the proportion of the bases by means of a hierarchy of permutation tests. The results show the existence of a sort of optimization mechanism such that coding sequences are tailored as to maximize or minimize the coverage of circular codes on specific reading frames. Such optimization clearly relates the function of circular codes with reading frame synchronization. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth: An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep.

PubMed

Tremblay, Mark S; Carson, Valerie; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Connor Gorber, Sarah; Dinh, Thy; Duggan, Mary; Faulkner, Guy; Gray, Casey E; Gruber, Reut; Janson, Katherine; Janssen, Ian; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Kho, Michelle E; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; LeBlanc, Claire; Okely, Anthony D; Olds, Timothy; Pate, Russell R; Phillips, Andrea; Poitras, Veronica J; Rodenburg, Sophie; Sampson, Margaret; Saunders, Travis J; Stone, James A; Stratton, Gareth; Weiss, Shelly K; Zehr, Lori

2016-06-01

Leaders from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology convened representatives of national organizations, content experts, methodologists, stakeholders, and end-users who followed rigorous and transparent guideline development procedures to create the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth: An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep. These novel guidelines for children and youth aged 5-17 years respect the natural and intuitive integration of movement behaviours across the whole day (24-h period). The development process was guided by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument and systematic reviews of evidence informing the guidelines were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Four systematic reviews (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, integrated behaviours) examining the relationships between and among movement behaviours and several health indicators were completed and interpreted by expert consensus. Complementary compositional analyses were performed using Canadian Health Measures Survey data to examine the relationships between movement behaviours and health indicators. A stakeholder survey was employed (n = 590) and 28 focus groups/stakeholder interviews (n = 104) were completed to gather feedback on draft guidelines. Following an introductory preamble, the guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations for a healthy day (24 h), comprising a combination of sleep, sedentary behaviours, light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Proactive dissemination, promotion, implementation, and evaluation plans have been prepared in an effort to optimize uptake and activation of the new guidelines. Future research should consider the integrated relationships among movement behaviours, and similar integrated guidelines for other age groups should be developed.

Dietary Patterns Derived Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis are Stable and Generalizable Across Race, Region, and Gender Subgroups in the REGARDS Study.

PubMed

Judd, Suzanne E; Letter, Abraham J; Shikany, James M; Roth, David L; Newby, P K

2014-01-01

Examining diet as a whole using dietary patterns as exposures is a complementary method to using single food or nutrients in studies of diet and disease, but the generalizability of intake patterns across race, region, and gender in the United States has not been established. To employ rigorous statistical analysis to empirically derive dietary patterns in a large bi-racial, geographically diverse population and examine whether results are stable across population subgroups. The present analysis utilized data from 21,636 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who completed the Block 98 food frequency questionnaire. We employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses on 56 different food groups iteratively and examined differences by race, region, and sex to determine the optimal factor solution in our sample. Five dietary patterns emerged: the "Convenience" pattern was characterized by mixed dishes; the "Plant-based" pattern by fruits, vegetables, and fish; the "Sweets/Fats" pattern by sweet snacks, desserts, and fats and oils; the "Southern" pattern by fried foods, organ meat, and sweetened beverages; and the "Alcohol/Salads" pattern by beer, wine, liquor, and salads. Differences were most pronounced in the Southern pattern with black participants, those residing in the Southeast, and participants not completing high school having the highest scores. Five meaningful dietary patterns emerged in the REGARDS study and showed strong congruence across race, sex, and region. Future research will examine associations between these patterns and health outcomes to better understand racial disparities in disease and inform prevention efforts.

Using evolutionary computations to understand the design and evolution of gene and cell regulatory networks.

PubMed

Spirov, Alexander; Holloway, David

2013-07-15

This paper surveys modeling approaches for studying the evolution of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Modeling of the design or 'wiring' of GRNs has become increasingly common in developmental and medical biology, as a means of quantifying gene-gene interactions, the response to perturbations, and the overall dynamic motifs of networks. Drawing from developments in GRN 'design' modeling, a number of groups are now using simulations to study how GRNs evolve, both for comparative genomics and to uncover general principles of evolutionary processes. Such work can generally be termed evolution in silico. Complementary to these biologically-focused approaches, a now well-established field of computer science is Evolutionary Computations (ECs), in which highly efficient optimization techniques are inspired from evolutionary principles. In surveying biological simulation approaches, we discuss the considerations that must be taken with respect to: (a) the precision and completeness of the data (e.g. are the simulations for very close matches to anatomical data, or are they for more general exploration of evolutionary principles); (b) the level of detail to model (we proceed from 'coarse-grained' evolution of simple gene-gene interactions to 'fine-grained' evolution at the DNA sequence level); (c) to what degree is it important to include the genome's cellular context; and (d) the efficiency of computation. With respect to the latter, we argue that developments in computer science EC offer the means to perform more complete simulation searches, and will lead to more comprehensive biological predictions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rad-Hard, Miniaturized, Scalable, High-Voltage Switching Module for Power Applications Rad-Hard, Miniaturized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adell, Philippe C.; Mojarradi, Mohammad; DelCastillo, Linda Y.; Vo, Tuan A.

2011-01-01

A paper discusses the successful development of a miniaturized radiation hardened high-voltage switching module operating at 2.5 kV suitable for space application. The high-voltage architecture was designed, fabricated, and tested using a commercial process that uses a unique combination of 0.25 micrometer CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) transistors and high-voltage lateral DMOS (diffusion metal oxide semiconductor) device with high breakdown voltage (greater than 650 V). The high-voltage requirements are achieved by stacking a number of DMOS devices within one module, while two modules can be placed in series to achieve higher voltages. Besides the high-voltage requirements, a second generation prototype is currently being developed to provide improved switching capabilities (rise time and fall time for full range of target voltages and currents), the ability to scale the output voltage to a desired value with good accuracy (few percent) up to 10 kV, to cover a wide range of high-voltage applications. In addition, to ensure miniaturization, long life, and high reliability, the assemblies will require intensive high-voltage electrostatic modeling (optimized E-field distribution throughout the module) to complete the proposed packaging approach and test the applicability of using advanced materials in a space-like environment (temperature and pressure) to help prevent potential arcing and corona due to high field regions. Finally, a single-event effect evaluation would have to be performed and single-event mitigation methods implemented at the design and system level or developed to ensure complete radiation hardness of the module.

Efficacy of an MFGM-enriched complementary food in diarrhea, anemia, and micronutrient status in infants.

PubMed

Zavaleta, Nelly; Kvistgaard, Anne Staudt; Graverholt, Gitte; Respicio, Graciela; Guija, Henry; Valencia, Norma; Lönnerdal, Bo

2011-11-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a milkfat globule membrane (MFGM)-enriched protein fraction in a complementary food, on diarrhea, anemia, and micronutrient status. A randomized, double-blind controlled design to study 550 infants, 6 to 11 months old, who received daily for 6 months a complementary food (40 g/day) with the protein source being either the MFGM protein fraction or skim milk proteins (control). Health and nutritional status of infants were examined monthly in the outpatient clinic; product intake, food patterns, and diarrhea morbidity were assessed by home visits twice per week. Hemoglobin and micronutrient status were measured at 0 and 6 months of intervention. Results are presented as the entire group and as 6 to 8 and 9 to 11 months subgroups. A total of 499 infants completed the study. Global prevalence of diarrhea was 3.84% and 4.37% in the MFGM group and control group, respectively (P < 0.05). Consumption of the MFGM protein fraction reduced episodes of bloody diarrhea (odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.93, P = 0.025) adjusting for anemia and potable water facilities as covariates. There were no differences between groups in anemia, serum ferritin, zinc, or folate. Addition of an MFGM-enriched protein fraction to complementary food had beneficial effects on diarrhea in infants and may thus help to improve the health of vulnerable populations.

Perceptions, use and attitudes of pharmacy customers on complementary medicines and pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Braun, Lesley A; Tiralongo, Evelin; Wilkinson, Jenny M; Spitzer, Ondine; Bailey, Michael; Poole, Susan; Dooley, Michael

2010-07-20

Complementary medicines (CMs) are popular amongst Australians and community pharmacy is a major supplier of these products. This study explores pharmacy customer use, attitudes and perceptions of complementary medicines, and their expectations of pharmacists as they relate to these products. Pharmacy customers randomly selected from sixty large and small, metropolitan and rural pharmacies in three Australian states completed an anonymous, self administered questionnaire that had been pre-tested and validated. 1,121 customers participated (response rate 62%). 72% had used CMs within the previous 12 months, 61% used prescription medicines daily and 43% had used both concomitantly. Multivitamins, fish oils, vitamin C, glucosamine and probiotics were the five most popular CMs. 72% of people using CMs rated their products as 'very effective' or 'effective enough'. CMs were as frequently used by customers aged 60 years or older as younger customers (69% vs. 72%) although the pattern of use shifted with older age. Most customers (92%) thought pharmacists should provide safety information about CMs, 90% thought they should routinely check for interactions, 87% thought they should recommend effective CMs, 78% thought CMs should be recorded in customer's medication profile and 58% thought pharmacies stocking CMs should also employ a complementary medicine practitioner. Of those using CMs, 93% thought it important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CMs and 48% felt their pharmacist provides useful information about CMs. CMs are widely used by pharmacy customers of all ages who want pharmacists to be more involved in providing advice about these products.

Neutron, fluorescence, and optical imaging: An in situ combination of complementary techniques

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

Wagner, D.; Egelhaaf, S. U.; Hermes, H. E.

2015-09-15

An apparatus which enables the simultaneous combination of three complementary imaging techniques, optical imaging, fluorescence imaging, and neutron radiography, is presented. While each individual technique can provide information on certain aspects of the sample and their time evolution, a combination of the three techniques in one setup provides a more complete and consistent data set. The setup can be used in transmission and reflection modes and thus with optically transparent as well as opaque samples. Its capabilities are illustrated with two examples. A polymer hydrogel represents a transparent sample and the diffusion of fluorescent particles into and through this polymermore » matrix is followed. In reflection mode, the absorption of solvent by a nile red-functionalized mesoporous silica powder and the corresponding change in fluorescent signal are studied.« less

Forced Complementation between Subgenomic RNAs: Does Human Immunodeficiency Type 1 Virus Reverse Transcription Occur in Viral Core, Cytoplasm, or Early Endosome?

PubMed Central

Han, Weining; Li, Yuejin; Bagaya, Bernard S.; Tian, Meijuan; Chamanian, Mastooreh; Zhu, Chuanwu; Shen, Jie; Gao, Yong

2016-01-01

Although the process of reverse transcription is well elucidated, it remains unclear if viral core disruption provides a more cellular or viral milieu for HIV-1 reverse transcription. We have devised a method to require mixing of viral cores or core constituents to produce infectious progeny virus by a bipartite subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) system, in which HIV-1 cplt_R/U5/gag/Δpol and nfl sgRNAs are complementary to each other and when together can complete viral reverse transcription. Only the heterodiploid virus containing both the nfl and cplt_R/U5/gag/Δpol sgRNAs can complete reverse transcription and propagate infectious virus upon de novo infection. Dual exposure of U87.CD4.CXCR4 cells with high titers of the homodimeric nfl and cplt_R/U5/gag/Δpol virus particles did not result in productive virus infection. On the other hand, in early endosomes, the HIV-1 sgRNAs released from viral cores can retain function and complete the reverse transcription and result in productive infection. These findings confirm the assumptions that, in natural infection, HIV-1 cores, and likely other retrovirus cores, remain largely intact and do not mix/fuse in the cytoplasm during the reverse transcription process, and circulating cytoplasmic HIV-1 sgRNA (produced through transfection) could not help the complementary sgRNA in the viral core to complement the reverse transcription process. PMID:27239643

Behavioral Change Strategies for Improving Complementary Feeding and Breastfeeding.

PubMed

Osendarp, Saskia J M; Roche, Marion L

2016-01-01

Improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding, has been identified as one of the most effective interventions to improve child survival, stunting and wasting. Evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that effective promotion of breastfeeding and complementary feeding, with or without food provision, has the potential to improve IYCF practices and child nutrition. However, in many countries, breastfeeding practices and complementary feeding practices are still far from optimal. The lack of implementation of available, effective, affordable interventions in scale-up programs is in part attributed to a lack of innovative, creative and effective behavioral change strategies that enable and encourage caregivers. Successful behavioral change strategies should be based on a rigorous situational analysis and formative research, and the findings and insights of formative research should be used to further design interventions that address the identified barriers and enablers, to select delivery channels, and to formulate appropriate and effective messages. In addition, successful behavioral change interventions should a priori define and investigate the program impact pathway to target behavioral change and should assess intermediary behavioral changes and indicators to learn why the expected outcome was achieved or not achieved by testing the program theory. The design of behavioral change communication must be flexible and responsive to shifts in societies and contexts. Performance of adequate IYCF also requires investments to generate community demand through social mobilization, relevant media and existing support systems. Applying these principles has been shown to be effective in improving IYCF practices in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ethiopia and is recommended to be adopted by other programs and countries in order to accelerate progress in improving child nutrition. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0-4 years): An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep.

PubMed

Tremblay, Mark S; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Adamo, Kristi B; Aubert, Salomé; Barnes, Joel D; Choquette, Louise; Duggan, Mary; Faulkner, Guy; Goldfield, Gary S; Gray, Casey E; Gruber, Reut; Janson, Katherine; Janssen, Ian; Janssen, Xanne; Jaramillo Garcia, Alejandra; Kuzik, Nicholas; LeBlanc, Claire; MacLean, Joanna; Okely, Anthony D; Poitras, Veronica J; Rayner, Mary-Ellen; Reilly, John J; Sampson, Margaret; Spence, John C; Timmons, Brian W; Carson, Valerie

2017-11-20

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology convened representatives of national organizations, research experts, methodologists, stakeholders, and end-users who followed rigorous and transparent guideline development procedures to create the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0-4 years): An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep. These novel guidelines for children of the early years embrace the natural and intuitive integration of movement behaviours across the whole day (24-h period). The development process was guided by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Four systematic reviews (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, combined behaviours) examining the relationships within and among movement behaviours and several health indicators were completed and interpreted by a Guideline Development Panel. The systematic reviews that were conducted to inform the development of the guidelines, and the framework that was applied to develop the recommendations, followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Complementary compositional analyses were performed using data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey to examine the relationships between movement behaviours and indicators of adiposity. A review of the evidence on the cost effectiveness and resource use associated with the implementation of the proposed guidelines was also undertaken. A stakeholder survey (n = 546), 10 key informant interviews, and 14 focus groups (n = 92 participants) were completed to gather feedback on draft guidelines and their dissemination. The guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations as to the combinations of light-, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and sleep that infants (<1 year), toddlers (1-2 years) and preschoolers (3-4 years) should achieve for a healthy day (24 h). Proactive dissemination, promotion, implementation, and evaluation plans were prepared to optimize uptake and activation of the new guidelines. These guidelines represent a sensible evolution of public health guidelines whereby optimal health is framed within the balance of movement behaviours across the whole day, while respecting preferences of end-users. Future research should consider the integrated relationships among movement behaviours, and similar integrated guidelines for other age groups should be developed.

The Application of FAHP in Decisions of Pavement Maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhaorong

2017-04-01

In this paper, a method of building the fuzzy complementary judgement matrix and checking consistency is introduced based on the knowledge of the basic theory of FAHP and the procedure to establish the mathematical model corresponded. The scope and the advantages in the problems of multi-objective decisions have also been discussed. The availability of its use in the management system in pavement maintenance is demonstrated by analyzing the optimization for maintenance. Meanwhile, the faulty is also pointed out.

“Addition” and “Subtraction”: Selectivity Design for Type II Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase Inhibitors

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

Chen, Xin; Giraldes, John; Sprague, Elizabeth R.

2017-02-17

While adding the structural features that are more favored by on-target activity is the more common strategy in selectivity optimization, the opposite strategy of subtracting the structural features that contribute more to off-target activity can also be very effective. Reported here is our successful effort of improving the kinase selectivity of type II maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase inhibitors by applying these two complementary approaches together, which clearly demonstrates the powerful synergy between them.

Integrative holism in psychiatric-mental health nursing.

PubMed

Zahourek, Rothlyn P

2008-10-01

In this era of high-tech care, many Americans seek more holistic approaches and alternative and complementary treatments for health problems, including mental illness. Psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses need to be aware of these approaches as they assess clients, maintain a holistic approach, and in some cases, provide skilled, specific modalities. This article reviews holistic philosophy and integrative approaches relevant to PMH nurses. The emphasis is that whichever modality PMH nurses practice, a holistic framework is essential for providing optimal PMH care.

A practical globalization of one-shot optimization for optimal design of tokamak divertors

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

Blommaert, Maarten, E-mail: maarten.blommaert@kuleuven.be; Dekeyser, Wouter; Baelmans, Martine

In past studies, nested optimization methods were successfully applied to design of the magnetic divertor configuration in nuclear fusion reactors. In this paper, so-called one-shot optimization methods are pursued. Due to convergence issues, a globalization strategy for the one-shot solver is sought. Whereas Griewank introduced a globalization strategy using a doubly augmented Lagrangian function that includes primal and adjoint residuals, its practical usability is limited by the necessity of second order derivatives and expensive line search iterations. In this paper, a practical alternative is offered that avoids these drawbacks by using a regular augmented Lagrangian merit function that penalizes onlymore » state residuals. Additionally, robust rank-two Hessian estimation is achieved by adaptation of Powell's damped BFGS update rule. The application of the novel one-shot approach to magnetic divertor design is considered in detail. For this purpose, the approach is adapted to be complementary with practical in parts adjoint sensitivities. Using the globalization strategy, stable convergence of the one-shot approach is achieved.« less

Fusion of 4D echocardiography and cine cardiac magnetic resonance volumes using a salient spatio-temporal analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atehortúa, Angélica; Garreau, Mireille; Romero, Eduardo

2017-11-01

An accurate left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function quantification is important to support evaluation, diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac pathologies such as the cardiomyopathies. Currently, diagnosis by ultrasound is the most cost-effective examination. However, this modality is highly noisy and operator dependent, hence prone to errors. Therefore, fusion with other cardiac modalities may provide complementary information and improve the analysis of the specific pathologies like cardiomyopathies. This paper proposes an automatic registration between two complementary modalities, 4D echocardiography and Magnetic resonance images, by mapping both modalities to a common space of salience where an optimal registration between them is estimated. The obtained matrix transformation is then applied to the MRI volume which is superimposed to the 4D echocardiography. Manually selected marks in both modalities are used to evaluate the precision of the superimposition. Preliminary results, in three evaluation cases, show the distance between these marked points and the estimated with the transformation is about 2 mm.

The use and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine for pain in sickle cell anemia.

PubMed

Majumdar, Suvankar; Thompson, Wendy; Ahmad, Naveed; Gordon, Catherine; Addison, Clifton

2013-11-01

Pain is the clinical hallmark for sickle cell disease (SCD). The objective of this study was to survey the extent and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use for pain control among adults with SCD. Of a total of 227 African-American adults with SCD, 208 (92%) admitted to using at least one type of CAM. The three most common types of CAM were prayer (61%), relaxation technique (44%), and massage (35%). Multiple logistic regression showed that marital status was associated with use of relaxation techniques (p = 0.044), and age between 18 and 24 years and at least a high school level of education were associated with use of prayer (p = 0.008 and p = 0.004 respectively). Our study showed that CAM use is common among adult patients with SCD. Further well designed prospective studies are needed to help develop best practices that emphasize an optimized balance of conventional and evidence based CAM therapies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Competencies for public health and interprofessional education in accreditation standards of complementary and alternative medicine disciplines.

PubMed

Brett, Jennifer; Brimhall, Joseph; Healey, Dale; Pfeifer, Joseph; Prenguber, Marcia

2013-01-01

This review examines the educational accreditation standards of four licensed complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) disciplines (naturopathic medicine, chiropractic health care, acupuncture and oriental medicine, and massage therapy), and identifies public health and other competencies found in those standards that contribute to cooperation and collaboration among the health care professions. These competencies may form a foundation for interprofessional education. The agencies that accredit the educational programs for each of these disciplines are individually recognized by the United States Department (Secretary) of Education. Patients and the public are served when healthcare practitioners collaborate and cooperate. This is facilitated when those practitioners possess competencies that provide them the knowledge and skills to work with practitioners from other fields and disciplines. Educational accreditation standards provide a framework for the delivery of these competencies. Requiring these competencies through accreditation standards ensures that practitioners are trained to optimally function in integrative clinical care settings. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthetic cascades are enabled by combining biocatalysts with artificial metalloenzymes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, V.; Wilson, Y. M.; Dürrenberger, M.; Ghislieri, D.; Churakova, E.; Quinto, T.; Knörr, L.; Häussinger, D.; Hollmann, F.; Turner, N. J.; Ward, T. R.

2013-02-01

Enzymatic catalysis and homogeneous catalysis offer complementary means to address synthetic challenges, both in chemistry and in biology. Despite its attractiveness, the implementation of concurrent cascade reactions that combine an organometallic catalyst with an enzyme has proven challenging because of the mutual inactivation of both catalysts. To address this, we show that incorporation of a d6-piano stool complex within a host protein affords an artificial transfer hydrogenase (ATHase) that is fully compatible with and complementary to natural enzymes, thus enabling efficient concurrent tandem catalysis. To illustrate the generality of the approach, the ATHase was combined with various NADH-, FAD- and haem-dependent enzymes, resulting in orthogonal redox cascades. Up to three enzymes were integrated in the cascade and combined with the ATHase with a view to achieving (i) a double stereoselective amine deracemization, (ii) a horseradish peroxidase-coupled readout of the transfer hydrogenase activity towards its genetic optimization, (iii) the formation of L-pipecolic acid from L-lysine and (iv) regeneration of NADH to promote a monooxygenase-catalysed oxyfunctionalization reaction.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Infertility: Cultural and Religious Influences in a Multicultural Canadian Setting

PubMed Central

Read, Suzanne C.; Carrier, Marie-Eve; Whitley, Rob; Gold, Ian; Tulandi, Togas

2014-01-01

Abstract Objectives: To explore the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for infertility in a multicultural healthcare setting and to compare Western and non-Western infertility patients' reasons for using CAM and the meanings they attribute to CAM use. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis. Settings/location: Two infertility clinics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Participants: An ethnoculturally varied sample of 32 heterosexual infertile couples. Results: CAM used included lifestyle changes (e.g., changing diet, exercise), alternative medicine (e.g., acupuncture, herbal medicines), and religious methods (e.g., prayers, religious talismans). Patients expressed three attitudes toward CAM: desperate hope, casual optimism, and amused skepticism. Participants' CAM use was consistent with cultural traditions of health and fertility: Westerners relied primarily on biomedicine and used CAM mainly for relaxation, whereas non-Westerners' CAM use was often influenced by culture-specific knowledge of health, illness and fertility. Conclusions: Understanding patients' CAM use may help clinicians provide culturally sensitive, patient-centered care. PMID:25127071

Note: A disposable x-ray camera based on mass produced complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensors and single-board computers

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

Hoidn, Oliver R.; Seidler, Gerald T., E-mail: seidler@uw.edu

We have integrated mass-produced commercial complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and off-the-shelf single-board computers into an x-ray camera platform optimized for acquisition of x-ray spectra and radiographs at energies of 2–6 keV. The CMOS sensor and single-board computer are complemented by custom mounting and interface hardware that can be easily acquired from rapid prototyping services. For single-pixel detection events, i.e., events where the deposited energy from one photon is substantially localized in a single pixel, we establish ∼20% quantum efficiency at 2.6 keV with ∼190 eV resolution and a 100 kHz maximum detection rate. The detector platform’s useful intrinsic energymore » resolution, 5-μm pixel size, ease of use, and obvious potential for parallelization make it a promising candidate for many applications at synchrotron facilities, in laser-heating plasma physics studies, and in laboratory-based x-ray spectrometry.« less

Investigation of the binding of a carbohydrate-mimetic peptide to its complementary anticarbohydrate antibody by STD-NMR spectroscopy and molecular-dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Szczepina, Monica G; Bleile, Dustin W; Pinto, B Mario

2011-10-04

Saturation transfer difference (STD)-NMR spectroscopy was used to probe experimentally the bioactive solution conformation of the carbohydrate mimic MDWNMHAA 1 of the O-polysaccharide of Shigella flexneri Y when bound to its complementary antibody, mAb SYA/J6. Molecular dynamics simulations using the ZymeCAD™ Molecular Dynamics platform were also undertaken to give a more accurate picture of the conformational flexibility and the possibilities for bound ligand conformations. The ligand topology, or the dynamic epitope, was mapped with the CORCEMA-ST (COmplete Relaxation and Conformational Exchange Matrix Analysis of Saturation Transfer) program that calculates a total matrix analysis of relaxation and exchange effects to generate predicted STD-NMR intensities from simulation. The comparison of these predicted STD enhancements with experimental data was used to select a representative binding mode. A protocol that employed theoretical STD effects calculated at snapshots during the entire course of a molecular dynamics (MD) trajectory of the peptide bound to the Fv portion of the antibody, and not the averaged atomic positions of receptor-ligand complexes, was also examined. In addition, the R factor was calculated on the basis of STD (fit) to avoid T1 bias, and an effective R factor, R(eff), was defined such that if the calculated STD (fit) for proton k was within error of the experimental STD (fit) for proton k, then that calculated STD (fit) for proton k was not included in the calculation of the R factor. This protocol was effective in deriving the antibody-bound solution conformation of the peptide which also differed from the bound conformation determined by X-ray crystallography; however, several discrepancies between experimental and calculated STD (fit) values were observed. The bound conformation was therefore further refined with a simulated annealing refinement protocol known as STD-NMR intensity-restrained CORCEMA optimization (SICO) to give a more accurate representation of the bound peptide epitope. Further optimization was required in this case, but a satisfactory correlation between experimental and calculated STD values was obtained. Attempts were also made to obtain STD enhancements with a synthetic pentasaccharide hapten, corresponding to the O-polysaccharide, while bound to the antibody. However, unfavorable kinetics of binding in this system prevented sufficient STD build-up, which, in turn, hindered a rigorous analysis via full STD build-up curves. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integrating Information in Biological Ontologies and Molecular Networks to Infer Novel Terms.

PubMed

Li, Le; Yip, Kevin Y

2016-12-15

Currently most terms and term-term relationships in Gene Ontology (GO) are defined manually, which creates cost, consistency and completeness issues. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of inferring GO automatically from biological networks, which represents an important complementary approach to GO construction. These methods (NeXO and CliXO) are unsupervised, which means 1) they cannot use the information contained in existing GO, 2) the way they integrate biological networks may not optimize the accuracy, and 3) they are not customized to infer the three different sub-ontologies of GO. Here we present a semi-supervised method called Unicorn that extends these previous methods to tackle the three problems. Unicorn uses a sub-tree of an existing GO sub-ontology as training part to learn parameters in integrating multiple networks. Cross-validation results show that Unicorn reliably inferred the left-out parts of each specific GO sub-ontology. In addition, by training Unicorn with an old version of GO together with biological networks, it successfully re-discovered some terms and term-term relationships present only in a new version of GO. Unicorn also successfully inferred some novel terms that were not contained in GO but have biological meanings well-supported by the literature. Source code of Unicorn is available at http://yiplab.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/unicorn/.

Liquid biopsy for early detection of lung cancer.

PubMed

Hofman, Paul

2017-01-01

The possibility of complete recovery for a lung cancer patient depends on very early diagnosis, as it allows total surgical resection. Screening for this cancer in a high-risk population can be performed using a radiological approach, but this holds a certain number of limitations. Liquid biopsy could become an alternative and complementary screening approach to chest imaging for early diagnosis of lung cancer. Several circulating biomarkers indicative of lung cancer can be investigated in blood, such as circulating tumor cells, circulating free nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and proteins. However, none of these biomarkers have yet been adopted in routine clinical practice and studies are ongoing to confirm or not the usefulness and practical interest in routine early diagnosis and screening for lung cancers. Several potential circulating biomarkers for the early detection of lung cancer exist. When coupled to thoracic imaging, these biomarkers must give diagnosis of a totally resectable lung cancer and potentially provide new recommendations for surveillance by imagery of high-risk populations without a detectable nodule. Optimization of the specificity and sensitivity of the detection methods as well as standardization of the techniques is essential before considering for daily practice a liquid biopsy as an early diagnostic tool, or possibly as a predictive test, of lung cancer.

Cognitive, Parent and Teacher Rating Measures of Executive Functioning: Shared and Unique Influences on School Achievement

PubMed Central

Dekker, Marielle C.; Ziermans, Tim B.; Spruijt, Andrea M.; Swaab, Hanna

2017-01-01

Very little is known about the relative influence of cognitive performance-based executive functioning (EF) measures and behavioral EF ratings in explaining differences in children's school achievement. This study examined the shared and unique influence of these different EF measures on math and spelling outcome for a sample of 84 first and second graders. Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and children were tested with computer-based performance tests from the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT). Mixed-model hierarchical regression analyses, including intelligence level and age, showed that cognitive performance and teacher's ratings of working memory and shifting concurrently explained differences in spelling. However, teacher's behavioral EF ratings did not explain any additional variance in math outcome above cognitive EF performance. Parent's behavioral EF ratings did not add any unique information for either outcome measure. This study provides support for the ecological validity of performance- and teacher rating-based EF measures, and shows that both measures could have a complementary role in identifying EF processes underlying spelling achievement problems. The early identification of strengths and weaknesses of a child's working memory and shifting capabilities, might help teachers to broaden their range of remedial intervention options to optimize school achievement. PMID:28194121

Informational analysis for compressive sampling in radar imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingxiong; Yang, Ke

2015-03-24

Compressive sampling or compressed sensing (CS) works on the assumption of the sparsity or compressibility of the underlying signal, relies on the trans-informational capability of the measurement matrix employed and the resultant measurements, operates with optimization-based algorithms for signal reconstruction and is thus able to complete data compression, while acquiring data, leading to sub-Nyquist sampling strategies that promote efficiency in data acquisition, while ensuring certain accuracy criteria. Information theory provides a framework complementary to classic CS theory for analyzing information mechanisms and for determining the necessary number of measurements in a CS environment, such as CS-radar, a radar sensor conceptualized or designed with CS principles and techniques. Despite increasing awareness of information-theoretic perspectives on CS-radar, reported research has been rare. This paper seeks to bridge the gap in the interdisciplinary area of CS, radar and information theory by analyzing information flows in CS-radar from sparse scenes to measurements and determining sub-Nyquist sampling rates necessary for scene reconstruction within certain distortion thresholds, given differing scene sparsity and average per-sample signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Simulated studies were performed to complement and validate the information-theoretic analysis. The combined strategy proposed in this paper is valuable for information-theoretic orientated CS-radar system analysis and performance evaluation.

Ultralow-power organic complementary circuits.

PubMed

Klauk, Hagen; Zschieschang, Ute; Pflaum, Jens; Halik, Marcus

2007-02-15

The prospect of using low-temperature processable organic semiconductors to implement transistors, circuits, displays and sensors on arbitrary substrates, such as glass or plastics, offers enormous potential for a wide range of electronic products. Of particular interest are portable devices that can be powered by small batteries or by near-field radio-frequency coupling. The main problem with existing approaches is the large power consumption of conventional organic circuits, which makes battery-powered applications problematic, if not impossible. Here we demonstrate an organic circuit with very low power consumption that uses a self-assembled monolayer gate dielectric and two different air-stable molecular semiconductors (pentacene and hexadecafluorocopperphthalocyanine, F16CuPc). The monolayer dielectric is grown on patterned metal gates at room temperature and is optimized to provide a large gate capacitance and low gate leakage currents. By combining low-voltage p-channel and n-channel organic thin-film transistors in a complementary circuit design, the static currents are reduced to below 100 pA per logic gate. We have fabricated complementary inverters, NAND gates, and ring oscillators that operate with supply voltages between 1.5 and 3 V and have a static power consumption of less than 1 nW per logic gate. These organic circuits are thus well suited for battery-powered systems such as portable display devices and large-surface sensor networks as well as for radio-frequency identification tags with extended operating range.

Optimizing Outcome in the University-Industry Technology Transfer Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alavi, Hamed; Hąbek, Patrycja

2016-06-01

Transferring inventions of academic scientists to private enterprises for the purpose of commercialization is long known as University-Industry (firm) Technology Transfer While the importance of this phenomenon is simultaneously raising in public and private sector, only a part of patented academic inventions succeed in passing the process of commercialization. Despite the fact that formal Technology Transfer process and licencing of patented innovations to third party is the main legal tool for safeguarding rights of academic inventors in commercialization of their inventions, it is not sufficient for transmitting tacit knowledge which is necessary in exploitation of transferred technology. Existence of reciprocal and complementary relations between formal and informal technology transfer process has resulted in formation of different models for university-industry organizational collaboration or even integration where licensee firms keep contact with academic inventors after gaining legal right for commercialization of their patented invention. Current paper argues that despite necessity for patents to legally pass the right of commercialization of an invention, they are not sufficient for complete knowledge transmission in the process of technology transfer. Lack of efficiency of formal mechanism to end the Technology Transfer loop makes an opportunity to create innovative interpersonal and organizational connections among patentee and licensee company. With emphasize on need for further elaboration of informal mechanisms as critical and underappreciated aspect of technology transfer process, article will try to answer the questions of how to optimize knowledge transmission process in the framework of University-Industry Technology Transfer Projects? What is the theoretical basis for university-industry technology transfer process? What are organization collaborative models which can enhance overall performance by improving transmission of knowledge in University- Firm Technology Transfer process?

Waveguide silicon nitride grating coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litvik, Jan; Dolnak, Ivan; Dado, Milan

2016-12-01

Grating couplers are one of the most used elements for coupling of light between optical fibers and photonic integrated components. Silicon-on-insulator platform provides strong confinement of light and allows high integration. In this work, using simulations we have designed a broadband silicon nitride surface grating coupler. The Fourier-eigenmode expansion and finite difference time domain methods are utilized in design optimization of grating coupler structure. The fully, single etch step grating coupler is based on a standard silicon-on-insulator wafer with 0.55 μm waveguide Si3N4 layer. The optimized structure at 1550 nm wavelength yields a peak coupling efficiency -2.6635 dB (54.16%) with a 1-dB bandwidth up to 80 nm. It is promising way for low-cost fabrication using complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor fabrication process.

Optimized conditions for selective gold flotation by ToF-SIMS and ToF-LIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chryssoulis, S. L.; Dimov, S. S.

2004-06-01

This work describes a comprehensive characterization of the factors controlling the floatability of free gold from flotation test using reagents (collectors) at plant concentration levels. A relationship between the collectors loadings on gold particles and their surface composition has been established. The findings of this study show that silver activates gold flotation and there is a strong correlation between the surface concentration of silver and the loading of certain collectors. The organic surface analysis was done by ToF-SIMS while the inorganic surface analysis was carried out by time-of-flight laser ionization mass spectrometry (ToF-LIMS). The developed testing protocol based on ToF-LIMS and ToF-SIMS complementary surface analysis allows for optimization of the flotation scheme and hence improved gold recovery.

PAPR reduction in CO-OFDM systems using IPTS and modified clipping and filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Zheng-rong; Hu, Ya-nong; Zhang, Wei-hua

2018-05-01

Aiming at the problem of the peak to average power ratio ( PAPR) in coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CO-OFDM), a hybrid PAPR reduction technique of the CO-OFDM system by combining iterative partial transmit sequence (IPTS) scheme with modified clipping and filtering (MCF) is proposed. The simulation results show that at the complementary cumulative distribution function ( CCDF) of 10-4, the PAPR of proposed scheme is optimized by 1.86 dB and 2.13 dB compared with those of IPTS and CF schemes, respectively. Meanwhile, when the bit error rate ( BER) is 10-3, the optical signal to noise ratio ( OSNR) are optimized by 1.57 dB and 0.66 dB compared with those of CF and IPTS-CF schemes, respectively.

SERVS: the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacy, Mark; Afonso, Jose; Alexander, Dave; Best, Philip; Bonfield, David; Castro, Nieves; Cava, Antonio; Chapman, Scott; Dunlop, James; Dyke, Eleanor; Edge, Alastair; Farrah, Duncan; Ferguson, Harry; Foucaud, Sebastian; Franceschini, Alberto; Geach, Jim; Gonzales, Eduardo; Hatziminaoglou, Evanthia; Hickey, Samantha; Ivison, Rob; Jarvis, Matt; Le Fèvre, Olivier; Lonsdale, Carol; Maraston, Claudia; McLure, Ross; Mortier, Angela; Oliver, Seb; Ouchi, Masami; Parish, Glen; Perez-Fournon, Ismael; Petric, Andreea; Pierre, Mauguerite; Readhead, Tony; Ridgway, Susan; Romer, Katherine; Rottgering, Huub; Rowan-Robinson, Michael; Sajina, Anna; Seymour, Nick; Smail, Ian; Surace, Jason; Thomas, Peter; Trichas, Markos; Vaccari, Mattia; Verma, Aprajita; Xu, Kevin; van Kampen, Eelco

2008-12-01

We will use warm Spitzer to image 18deg^2 of sky to microJy depth. This is deep enough to undertake a complete census of massive galaxies from z~6 to ~1 in a volume ~0.8Gpc^3, large enough to overcome the effects of cosmic variance, which place severe limitations on the conclusions that can be drawn from smaller fields. We will greatly enhance the diagnostic power of the Spitzer data by performing most of this survey in the region covered by the near-IR VISTA-VIDEO survey, and in other areas covered by near-IR, Herschel and SCUBA2 surveys. We will build complete near-infrared spectral energy distributions using the superb datasets from VIDEO, in conjunction with our Spitzer data, to derive accurate photometric redshifts and the key properties of stellar mass and star formation rates for a large sample of high-z galaxies. Obscured star formation rates and dust-shrouded BH growth phases will be uncovered by combining the Spitzer data with the Herschel and SCUBA2 surveys. We will thus build a complete picture of the formation of massive galaxies from z~6, where only about 1% of the stars in massive galaxies have formed, to z~1 where ~50% of them haveE Our large volume will allow us to also find examples of rare objects such as high-z quasars (~10-100 at z>6.5), high-z galaxy clusters (~20 at z>1.5 with dark halo masses >10^14 solar masses), and evaluate how quasar activity and galaxy environment affect star formation. This survey makes nearly optimal use of warm Spitzer; (a) all of the complementary data is either taken or will be taken in the very near future, and will be immediately publicly accessible, (b) the slew overheads are relatively small, (c) the observations are deep enough to detect high redshift galaxies but not so deep that source confusion reduces the effective survey area.

Specialty Task Force: A Strategic Component to Electronic Health Record (EHR) Optimization.

PubMed

Romero, Mary Rachel; Staub, Allison

2016-01-01

Post-implementation stage comes after an electronic health record (EHR) deployment. Analyst and end users deal with the reality that some of the concepts and designs initially planned and created may not be complementary to the workflow; creating anxiety, dissatisfaction, and failure with early adoption of system. Problems encountered during deployment are numerous and can vary from simple to complex. Redundant ticket submission creates backlog for Information Technology personnel resulting in delays in resolving concerns with EHR system. The process of optimization allows for evaluation of system and reassessment of users' needs. A solid and well executed optimization infrastructure can help minimize unexpected end-user disruptions and help tailor the system to meet regulatory agency goals and practice standards. A well device plan to resolve problems during post implementation is necessary for cost containment and to streamline communication efforts. Creating a specialty specific collaborative task force is efficacious and expedites resolution of users' concerns through a more structured process.

Application of genetic algorithm in integrated setup planning and operation sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafashi, Sajad; Shakeri, Mohsen

2011-01-01

Process planning is an essential component for linking design and manufacturing process. Setup planning and operation sequencing is two main tasks in process planning. Many researches solved these two problems separately. Considering the fact that the two functions are complementary, it is necessary to integrate them more tightly so that performance of a manufacturing system can be improved economically and competitively. This paper present a generative system and genetic algorithm (GA) approach to process plan the given part. The proposed approach and optimization methodology analyses the TAD (tool approach direction), tolerance relation between features and feature precedence relations to generate all possible setups and operations using workshop resource database. Based on these technological constraints the GA algorithm approach, which adopts the feature-based representation, optimizes the setup plan and sequence of operations using cost indices. Case study show that the developed system can generate satisfactory results in optimizing the setup planning and operation sequencing simultaneously in feasible condition.

Small-Tip-Angle Spokes Pulse Design Using Interleaved Greedy and Local Optimization Methods

PubMed Central

Grissom, William A.; Khalighi, Mohammad-Mehdi; Sacolick, Laura I.; Rutt, Brian K.; Vogel, Mika W.

2013-01-01

Current spokes pulse design methods can be grouped into methods based either on sparse approximation or on iterative local (gradient descent-based) optimization of the transverse-plane spatial frequency locations visited by the spokes. These two classes of methods have complementary strengths and weaknesses: sparse approximation-based methods perform an efficient search over a large swath of candidate spatial frequency locations but most are incompatible with off-resonance compensation, multifrequency designs, and target phase relaxation, while local methods can accommodate off-resonance and target phase relaxation but are sensitive to initialization and suboptimal local cost function minima. This article introduces a method that interleaves local iterations, which optimize the radiofrequency pulses, target phase patterns, and spatial frequency locations, with a greedy method to choose new locations. Simulations and experiments at 3 and 7 T show that the method consistently produces single- and multifrequency spokes pulses with lower flip angle inhomogeneity compared to current methods. PMID:22392822

Perceptions, use and attitudes of pharmacy customers on complementary medicines and pharmacy practice

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Complementary medicines (CMs) are popular amongst Australians and community pharmacy is a major supplier of these products. This study explores pharmacy customer use, attitudes and perceptions of complementary medicines, and their expectations of pharmacists as they relate to these products. Methods Pharmacy customers randomly selected from sixty large and small, metropolitan and rural pharmacies in three Australian states completed an anonymous, self administered questionnaire that had been pre-tested and validated. Results 1,121 customers participated (response rate 62%). 72% had used CMs within the previous 12 months, 61% used prescription medicines daily and 43% had used both concomitantly. Multivitamins, fish oils, vitamin C, glucosamine and probiotics were the five most popular CMs. 72% of people using CMs rated their products as 'very effective' or 'effective enough'. CMs were as frequently used by customers aged 60 years or older as younger customers (69% vs. 72%) although the pattern of use shifted with older age. Most customers (92%) thought pharmacists should provide safety information about CMs, 90% thought they should routinely check for interactions, 87% thought they should recommend effective CMs, 78% thought CMs should be recorded in customer's medication profile and 58% thought pharmacies stocking CMs should also employ a complementary medicine practitioner. Of those using CMs, 93% thought it important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CMs and 48% felt their pharmacist provides useful information about CMs. Conclusions CMs are widely used by pharmacy customers of all ages who want pharmacists to be more involved in providing advice about these products. PMID:20646290

Evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine trials registered in clinicaltrials.gov database.

PubMed

Dizdar, Omer; Bilgin, Emre; Akin, Serkan; Kilickap, Saadettin; Hayran, Mutlu

2017-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products are increasingly used because they are perceived as natural, relatively low-cost and probably effective therapies for various diseases including cancer. We aimed to determine the quantity and major characteristics of recent herbal/alternative medicine trials registered in clinicaltrials. gov in patients with cancer. "Cancer AND (herbal OR complementary OR alternative)" key words were used to query clinicaltrials. gov (access date 17 April 2015). From the results, 163 trials which have been conducted in patients with the diagnosis of cancer were identified and included in this analysis. At the date of access, 72 trials were completed, 37 trials were still recruiting patients and 10 trials had been withdrawn. Most common cancer type was breast cancer. Eighty-eight percent of trials were interventional and 60% of trials were randomized. The rate of new trial submission were similar for 5-year periods after 2000. The majority of the trials were conducted in United States of America (55%) and People's Republic of China (11%). Nine and 4 of 37 recruiting trials were recorded as phase II and phase III, respectively. When browsing was restricted to "recruiting" and "interventional" studies, the ratio of herbal/complementary treatment trials to all chemotherapy trials was 1.8 %. CAM research in patients with cancer is currently limited, both in terms of quantity and quality. Until high quality scientific and clinical research establishes safety and efficacy of CAM practices, physicians should rigorously inform patients and the public on potential risks and caveats associated with CAM practices.

Competencies for optimal practice in integrated environments: examining attributes of a consensus interprofessional practice document from the licensed integrative health disciplines.

PubMed

Goldblatt, Elizabeth; Wiles, Michael; Schwartz, Jan; Weeks, John

2013-01-01

The Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC) is committed to advancing human health through the advancement and integration of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professions within the American healthcare system. This will involve the maturation and integration of the licensed CAM professions into conventional healthcare delivery, and in turn, it will involve the development of competency in integrative healthcare and interprofessional education within the CAM professions. In 2010, ACCAHC resolved to identify the competencies necessary for this transformation, and in the process, discovered a parallel process of competency development within conventional healthcare, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), representing the six major conventional healthcare professions. The ACCAHC competency document, its development, and its similarity to the IPEC document are discussed. The ACCAHC competency document identified two domains of competence that were not present in the IPEC document: evidence-informed practice and institutional healthcare practices. These two domains of competency are discussed with respect to their significance in both CAM and conventional healthcare practices. ACCAHC's goal is to foster collaboration among its member professions and with conventional healthcare professions, and to use these competency documents to improve and optimize healthcare delivery, practices, and outcomes in America. It is hoped that ACCAHC's competency document will catalyze interaction with IPEC leading to the adoption of a single shared competency document that will meet the needs of all healthcare providers and educators. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management strategies in hospitals: scenario planning.

PubMed

Ghanem, Mohamed; Schnoor, Jörg; Heyde, Christoph-Eckhard; Kuwatsch, Sandra; Bohn, Marco; Josten, Christoph

2015-01-01

Instead of waiting for challenges to confront hospital management, doctors and managers should act in advance to optimize and sustain value-based health. This work highlights the importance of scenario planning in hospitals, proposes an elaborated definition of the stakeholders of a hospital and defines the influence factors to which hospitals are exposed to. Based on literature analysis as well as on personal interviews with stakeholders we propose an elaborated definition of stakeholders and designed a questionnaire that integrated the following influence factors, which have relevant impact on hospital management: political/legal, economic, social, technological and environmental forces. These influence factors are examined to develop the so-called critical uncertainties. Thorough identification of uncertainties was based on a "Stakeholder Feedback". Two key uncertainties were identified and considered in this study: the development of workload for the medical staff the profit oriented performance of the medical staff. According to the developed scenarios, complementary education of the medical staff as well as of non-medical top executives and managers of hospitals was the recommended core strategy. Complementary scenario-specific strategic options should be considered whenever needed to optimize dealing with a specific future development of the health care environment. Strategic planning in hospitals is essential to ensure sustainable success. It considers multiple situations and integrates internal and external insights and perspectives in addition to identifying weak signals and "blind spots". This flows into a sound planning for multiple strategic options. It is a state of the art tool that allows dealing with the increasing challenges facing hospital management.

The Mars Climate Database (MCD version 5.2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millour, E.; Forget, F.; Spiga, A.; Navarro, T.; Madeleine, J.-B.; Montabone, L.; Pottier, A.; Lefevre, F.; Montmessin, F.; Chaufray, J.-Y.; Lopez-Valverde, M. A.; Gonzalez-Galindo, F.; Lewis, S. R.; Read, P. L.; Huot, J.-P.; Desjean, M.-C.; MCD/GCM development Team

2015-10-01

The Mars Climate Database (MCD) is a database of meteorological fields derived from General Circulation Model (GCM) numerical simulations of the Martian atmosphere and validated using available observational data. The MCD includes complementary post-processing schemes such as high spatial resolution interpolation of environmental data and means of reconstructing the variability thereof. We have just completed (March 2015) the generation of a new version of the MCD, MCD version 5.2

How To Form a Team: Five Keys to High Performance. For the Practicing Manager. An Ideas into Action Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanaga, Kim; Kossler, Michael E.

This practical guidebook is designed for managers and leaders who have responsibility for the creation and success of teams. First, a team is described as a workgroup whose members are dependent upon one another for the completion of a given task, and whose members possess different but complementary skill sets. A team manages its own work within…

Probing plasmons in three dimensions by combining complementary spectroscopies in a scanning transmission electron microscope

DOE PAGES

Hachtel, Jordan A.; Marvinney, Claire; Mouti, Anas; ...

2016-03-02

The nanoscale optical response of surface plasmons in three-dimensional metallic nanostructures plays an important role in many nanotechnology applications, where precise spatial and spectral characteristics of plasmonic elements control device performance. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence (CL) within a scanning transmission electron microscope have proven to be valuable tools for studying plasmonics at the nanoscale. Each technique has been used separately, producing three-dimensional reconstructions through tomography, often aided by simulations for complete characterization. Here we demonstrate that the complementary nature of the two techniques, namely that EELS probes beam-induced electronic excitations while CL probes radiative decay, allows usmore » to directly obtain a spatially- and spectrally-resolved picture of the plasmonic characteristics of nanostructures in three dimensions. Furthermore, the approach enables nanoparticle-by-nanoparticle plasmonic analysis in three dimensions to aid in the design of diverse nanoplasmonic applications.« less

Use of complementary and alternative medicine among midlife Arab women living in Qatar.

PubMed

Gerber, L M; Mamtani, R; Chiu, Y-L; Bener, A; Murphy, M; Cheema, S; Verjee, M

2014-10-12

The prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread and is growing worldwide. This cross-sectional study in Qatar examined the use of CAM and its correlates among Arab women in their midlife years. Women aged 40-60 years (n = 814) were recruited at primary care centres in Qatar and completed a specially designed, pre-tested questionnaire. Overall, 38.2% of midlife women in Qatar had used CAM in the previous 12 months. Nutritional remedies and herbal remedies were the most commonly used CAM therapies, followed by physical methods. Qatari nationality and higher level of education were independently associated with CAM use. Menopause transition status was not independently associated with use of CAM. The prevalence of CAM use by women in Qatar was high, consistent with other reports worldwide. It is essential to educate and inform patients and health-care providers about the benefits and limitations associated with CAM.

An alternative medicine, Agaricus blazei, may have induced severe hepatic dysfunction in cancer patients.

PubMed

Mukai, Hirofumi; Watanabe, Toru; Ando, Masashi; Katsumata, Noriyuki

2006-12-01

We report three cases of patients with advanced cancer who showed severe hepatic damage, and two of whom died of fulminant hepatitis. All the patients were taking Agaricus blazei (Himematsutake) extract, one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicines among Japanese cancer patients. In one patient, liver functions recovered gradually after she stopped taking the Agaricus blazei, but she restarted taking it, which resulted in deterioration of the liver function again. The other patients who were admitted for severe liver damage had started taking the Agaricus blazei several days before admission. Although several other factors cannot be completely ruled out as the causes of liver damage, a strong causal relationship between the Agaricus blazei extract and liver damage was suggested and, at least, taking the Agaricus blazei extract made the clinical decision-making process much more complicated. Doctors who are aware of their patients taking the extract may accept it probably because they believe there is no harm in a complementary and alternative medicine. When unexpected liver damage is documented, however, doctors should consider the use of the Agaricus blazei extract as one of its causal factors. It is necessary to evaluate many modes of complementary and alternative medicines, including the Agaricus blazei extract, in rigorous, scientifically designed and peer-reviewed clinical trials.

[Bases for adequate complementary feeding in infants and young children].

PubMed

Gil Hernández, A; Uauy Dagach, R; Dalmau Serra, J

2006-11-01

Infants can be exclusively breast fed or formula fed for the first 6 months of life and their nutritional requirements are completely fulfilled. However, from 6 months onwards, human milk is not sufficient to supply all the nutrients necessary for infants and young children. Therefore, adequate supplementary feeding, in terms of both quantity and quality, should be provided. The present article aims to describe the scientific bases for practical recommendations on complementary feeding during infancy and early childhood, which may be useful to pediatricians and should serve to improve the health status of the infant population in Spain. In this sense, the new international recommendations for energy, protein and other nutrient requirements are reviewed. In Spain, the law applicable to manufacturing infant cereals and homogenized infant foods is that published by the European Union in specific directives. However, taking into consideration new advances in knowledge of nutritional requirements, we have considered a number of issues that could be relevant for the manufacture of these foods. Finally, we propose a series of basic principles that should serve as a guide for the complementary feeding of infants (whether breast fed, formula fed, or receiving mixed feeding) and young children. These recommendations are particularly addressed to pediatricians working in primary health services.

Reciprocal and Complementary Sibling Interactions: Relations with Socialization Outcomes in the Kindergarten Classroom

PubMed Central

Harrist, Amanda W.; Achacoso, Joseph A.; John, Aesha; Pettit, Gregory S.; Bates, John E.; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2013-01-01

Research Findings To examine associations between sibling interaction patterns and later social outcomes in single- and two-parent families, 113 kindergarteners took part in naturalistic observations at home with siblings, classmates participated in sociometric interviews, and teachers completed behavior ratings. Sibling interactions were coded using a newly-developed 39-item checklist, and proportions of complementary and reciprocal sibling interactions computed. Complementarity occurred more among dyads where kindergartners were with toddler or infant siblings than among kindergartners with older or near-age younger siblings. Higher levels of complementarity predicted lower levels of internalizing but were not related to externalizing problems. Kindergartners’ sociometric status in the classroom differed as a function of sibling interaction patterns, with neglected and controversial children experiencing less complementarity/more reciprocity than popular, average, and rejected children. Finally, there was some evidence for differential associations of sibling interaction patterns with social outcomes for children in single- versus two-parent families: regressions testing interaction effects show sibling reciprocity positively associated with kindergartners’ social skills only in single-parent families, and complementary sibling interactions positively related to internalizing problems only in two-parent families. Implications for Practice Those working with divorcing or other single-parent families might consider sibling interactions as a potential target for social skill building. PMID:26005311

Genome organisation and sequence comparison suggest intraspecies incongruence in M RNA of Watermelon bud necrosis virus.

PubMed

Kumar, Rakesh; Mandal, B; Geetanjali, A S; Jain, R K; Jaiwal, P K

2010-08-01

Watermelon bud necrosis virus (WBNV), a member of the genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae is an important viral pathogen in watermelon cultivation in India. The complete genome sequence properties of WBNV are not available. In the present study, the complete M RNA sequence and the genome organisation of a WBNV isolate infecting watermelon in Delhi (WBNV-wDel) were determined. The M RNA was 4,794 nucleotides (nt) long and potentially coded for a movement protein (NSm) of 34.22 kDa (307 amino acids) on the viral sense strand and a Gn/Gc glycoprotein precursor of 127.15 kDa (1,121 amino acids) on the complementary strand. The two open reading frames were separated by an intergenic region of 402 nt. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions were 55 and 47 nt long, respectively, containing complementary termini typical of tospoviruses. WBNV-wDel was most closely related (79.1% identity) to Groundnut bud necrosis virus, an important tospovirus that occurs in several crops in India, and was different (63.3-75.2% identity) from the other cucurbit-infecting tospoviruses known to occur in Taiwan and Japan. Sequence analysis of NSm and Gn/Gc revealed phylogenetic incongruence between WBNV-wDel and another isolate originating from central India (WBNV-Wm-Som isolate). The Wm-Som isolate showed evolutionary divergence from the wDel isolate in the Gn/Gc protein (74.6% identity) potentially due to recombination with the other tospoviruses that are known to occur in India. This is the first report of a comparison of complete sequences of M RNA of WBNV.

Functional Heart Valve Scaffolds Obtained by Complete Decellularization of Porcine Aortic Roots in a Novel Differential Pressure Gradient Perfusion System

PubMed Central

Sierad, Leslie Neil; Shaw, Eliza Laine; Bina, Alexander; Brazile, Bryn; Rierson, Nicholas; Patnaik, Sourav S.; Kennamer, Allison; Odum, Rebekah; Cotoi, Ovidiu; Terezia, Preda; Branzaniuc, Klara; Smallwood, Harrison; Deac, Radu; Egyed, Imre; Pavai, Zoltan; Szanto, Annamaria; Harceaga, Lucian; Suciu, Horatiu; Raicea, Victor; Olah, Peter; Simionescu, Agneta; Liao, Jun; Movileanu, Ionela

2015-01-01

There is a great need for living valve replacements for patients of all ages. Such constructs could be built by tissue engineering, with perspective of the unique structure and biology of the aortic root. The aortic valve root is composed of several different tissues, and careful structural and functional consideration has to be given to each segment and component. Previous work has shown that immersion techniques are inadequate for whole-root decellularization, with the aortic wall segment being particularly resistant to decellularization. The aim of this study was to develop a differential pressure gradient perfusion system capable of being rigorous enough to decellularize the aortic root wall while gentle enough to preserve the integrity of the cusps. Fresh porcine aortic roots have been subjected to various regimens of perfusion decellularization using detergents and enzymes and results compared to immersion decellularized roots. Success criteria for evaluation of each root segment (cusp, muscle, sinus, wall) for decellularization completeness, tissue integrity, and valve functionality were defined using complementary methods of cell analysis (histology with nuclear and matrix stains and DNA analysis), biomechanics (biaxial and bending tests), and physiologic heart valve bioreactor testing (with advanced image analysis of open–close cycles and geometric orifice area measurement). Fully acellular porcine roots treated with the optimized method exhibited preserved macroscopic structures and microscopic matrix components, which translated into conserved anisotropic mechanical properties, including bending and excellent valve functionality when tested in aortic flow and pressure conditions. This study highlighted the importance of (1) adapting decellularization methods to specific target tissues, (2) combining several methods of cell analysis compared to relying solely on histology, (3) developing relevant valve-specific mechanical tests, and (4) in vitro testing of valve functionality. PMID:26467108

Dietary Patterns Derived Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis are Stable and Generalizable Across Race, Region, and Gender Subgroups in the REGARDS Study

PubMed Central

Judd, Suzanne E.; Letter, Abraham J.; Shikany, James M.; Roth, David L.; Newby, P. K.

2015-01-01

Background: Examining diet as a whole using dietary patterns as exposures is a complementary method to using single food or nutrients in studies of diet and disease, but the generalizability of intake patterns across race, region, and gender in the United States has not been established. Objective: To employ rigorous statistical analysis to empirically derive dietary patterns in a large bi-racial, geographically diverse population and examine whether results are stable across population subgroups. Design: The present analysis utilized data from 21,636 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who completed the Block 98 food frequency questionnaire. We employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses on 56 different food groups iteratively and examined differences by race, region, and sex to determine the optimal factor solution in our sample. Results: Five dietary patterns emerged: the “Convenience” pattern was characterized by mixed dishes; the “Plant-based” pattern by fruits, vegetables, and fish; the “Sweets/Fats” pattern by sweet snacks, desserts, and fats and oils; the “Southern” pattern by fried foods, organ meat, and sweetened beverages; and the “Alcohol/Salads” pattern by beer, wine, liquor, and salads. Differences were most pronounced in the Southern pattern with black participants, those residing in the Southeast, and participants not completing high school having the highest scores. Conclusion: Five meaningful dietary patterns emerged in the REGARDS study and showed strong congruence across race, sex, and region. Future research will examine associations between these patterns and health outcomes to better understand racial disparities in disease and inform prevention efforts. PMID:25988129

Assessment of Lithium-based Battery Electrolytes Developed under the NASA PERS Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, William R.; Baldwin, Richard S.

2006-01-01

Recently, NASA formally completed the Polymer Energy Rechargeable System (PERS) Program, which was established in 2000 in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the development of polymer-based, lithium-based cell chemistries and battery technologies to address the next generation of aerospace applications and mission needs. The goal of this program was to ultimately develop an advanced, space-qualified battery technology, which embodied a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) and complementary components, with improved performance characteristics that would address future aerospace battery requirements. Programmatically, the PERS initiative exploited both interagency collaborations to address common technology and engineering issues and the active participation of academia and private industry. The initial program phases focused on R&D activities to address the critical technical issues and challenges at the cell level. A variety of cell and polymeric electrolyte concepts were pursued as part of the development efforts undertaken at numerous governmental, industrial and academic laboratories. Numerous candidate electrolyte materials were developed, synthesized and optimized for evaluation. Utilizing the component screening facility and the "standardized" test procedures developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center, electrochemical screening and performance evaluations of promising candidate materials were completed. This overview summarizes test results for a variety of candidate electrolyte materials that were developed under the PERS Program. Electrolyte properties are contrasted and compared to the original project goals, and the strengths and weaknesses of the electrolyte chemistries are discussed. Limited cycling data for full-cells using lithium metal and vanadium oxide electrodes are also presented. Based on measured electrolyte properties, the projected performance characteristics and temperature limitations of batteries utilizing the advanced electrolytes and components have been estimated. Limitations for the achievement of practical performance levels are also discussed, as well as needs for future research and development.

Relationship between person-organization fit and objective and subjective health status (person-organization fit and health).

PubMed

Merecz, Dorota; Andysz, Aleksandra

2012-06-01

[corrected] Person-Environment fit (P-E fit) paradigm, seems to be especially useful in explaining phenomena related to work attitudes and occupational health. The study explores the relationship between a specific facet of P-E fit as Person-Organization fit (P-O fit) and health. Research was conducted on the random sample of 600 employees. Person-Organization Fit Questionnaire was used to asses the level of Person-Organization fit; mental health status was measured by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28); and items from Work Ability Index allowed for evaluation of somatic health. Data was analyzed using non parametric statistical tests. The predictive value of P-O fit for various aspects of health was checked by means of linear regression models. A comparison between the groups distinguished on the basis of their somatic and mental health indicators showed significant differences in the level of overall P-O fit (χ(2) = 23.178; p < 0.001) and its subdimensions: for complementary fit (χ(2) = 29.272; p < 0.001), supplementary fit (χ(2) = 23.059; p < 0.001), and identification with organization (χ(2) = 8.688; p = 0.034). From the perspective of mental health, supplementary P-O fit seems to be important for men's well-being and explains almost 9% of variance in GHQ-28 scores, while in women, complementary fit (5% explained variance in women's GHQ score) and identification with organization (1% explained variance in GHQ score) are significant predictors of mental well-being. Interestingly, better supplementary and complementary fit are related to better mental health, but stronger identification with organization in women produces adverse effect on their mental health. The results show that obtaining the optimal level of P-O fit can be beneficial not only for the organization (e.g. lower turnover, better work effectiveness and commitment), but also for the employees themselves. Optimal level of P-O fit can be considered as a factor maintaining workers' health. However, prospective research is needed to confirm the results obtained in this exploratory study.

The use of linear programming to determine whether a formulated complementary food product can ensure adequate nutrients for 6- to 11-month-old Cambodian infants.

PubMed

Skau, Jutta K H; Bunthang, Touch; Chamnan, Chhoun; Wieringa, Frank T; Dijkhuizen, Marjoleine A; Roos, Nanna; Ferguson, Elaine L

2014-01-01

A new software tool, Optifood, developed by the WHO and based on linear programming (LP) analysis, has been developed to formulate food-based recommendations. This study discusses the use of Optifood for predicting whether formulated complementary food (CF) products can ensure dietary adequacy for target populations in Cambodia. Dietary data were collected by 24-h recall in a cross-sectional survey of 6- to 11-mo-old infants (n = 78). LP model parameters were derived from these data, including a list of foods, median serving sizes, and dietary patterns. Five series of LP analyses were carried out to model the target population's baseline diet and 4 formulated CF products [WinFood (WF), WinFood-Lite (WF-L), Corn-Soy-Blend Plus (CSB+), and Corn-Soy-Blend Plus Plus (CSB++)], which were added to the diet in portions of 33 g/d dry weight (DW) for infants aged 6-8 mo and 40 g/d DW for infants aged 9-11 mo. In each series of analyses, the nutritionally optimal diet and theoretical range, in diet nutrient contents, were determined. The LP analysis showed that baseline diets could not achieve the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, iron, and zinc (range: 14-91% of RNI in the optimal diets) and that none of the formulated CF products could cover the nutrient gaps for thiamin, niacin, iron, and folate (range: 22-86% of the RNI). Iron was the key limiting nutrient, for all modeled diets, achieving a maximum of only 48% of the RNI when CSB++ was included in the diet. Only WF and WF-L filled the nutrient gap for calcium. WF-L, CSB+, and CSB++ filled the nutrient gap for zinc (9- to 11-mo-olds). The formulated CF products improved the nutrient adequacy of complementary feeding diets but could not entirely cover the nutrient gaps. These results emphasize the value of using LP to evaluate special CF products during the intervention planning phase. The WF study was registered at controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN19918531.

Search-based optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, Ward C.

2003-01-01

The problem of determining the minimum cost hypothetical ancestral sequences for a given cladogram is known to be NP-complete (Wang and Jiang, 1994). Traditionally, point estimations of hypothetical ancestral sequences have been used to gain heuristic, upper bounds on cladogram cost. These include procedures with such diverse approaches as non-additive optimization of multiple sequence alignment, direct optimization (Wheeler, 1996), and fixed-state character optimization (Wheeler, 1999). A method is proposed here which, by extending fixed-state character optimization, replaces the estimation process with a search. This form of optimization examines a diversity of potential state solutions for cost-efficient hypothetical ancestral sequences and can result in greatly more parsimonious cladograms. Additionally, such an approach can be applied to other NP-complete phylogenetic optimization problems such as genomic break-point analysis. c2003 The Willi Hennig Society. Published by Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Optimal fold symmetry of LH2 rings on a photosynthetic membrane

PubMed Central

Cleary, Liam; Chen, Hang; Chuang, Chern; Silbey, Robert J.; Cao, Jianshu

2013-01-01

An intriguing observation of photosynthetic light-harvesting systems is the N-fold symmetry of light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) of purple bacteria. We calculate the optimal rotational configuration of N-fold rings on a hexagonal lattice and establish two related mechanisms for the promotion of maximum excitation energy transfer (EET). (i) For certain fold numbers, there exist optimal basis cells with rotational symmetry, extendable to the entire lattice for the global optimization of the EET network. (ii) The type of basis cell can reduce or remove the frustration of EET rates across the photosynthetic network. We find that the existence of a basis cell and its type are directly related to the number of matching points S between the fold symmetry and the hexagonal lattice. The two complementary mechanisms provide selection criteria for the fold number and identify groups of consecutive numbers. Remarkably, one such group consists of the naturally occurring 8-, 9-, and 10-fold rings. By considering the inter-ring distance and EET rate, we demonstrate that this group can achieve minimal rotational sensitivity in addition to an optimal packing density, achieving robust and efficient EET. This corroborates our findings i and ii and, through their direct relation to S, suggests the design principle of matching the internal symmetry with the lattice order. PMID:23650366

Optimal fold symmetry of LH2 rings on a photosynthetic membrane.

PubMed

Cleary, Liam; Chen, Hang; Chuang, Chern; Silbey, Robert J; Cao, Jianshu

2013-05-21

An intriguing observation of photosynthetic light-harvesting systems is the N-fold symmetry of light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) of purple bacteria. We calculate the optimal rotational configuration of N-fold rings on a hexagonal lattice and establish two related mechanisms for the promotion of maximum excitation energy transfer (EET). (i) For certain fold numbers, there exist optimal basis cells with rotational symmetry, extendable to the entire lattice for the global optimization of the EET network. (ii) The type of basis cell can reduce or remove the frustration of EET rates across the photosynthetic network. We find that the existence of a basis cell and its type are directly related to the number of matching points S between the fold symmetry and the hexagonal lattice. The two complementary mechanisms provide selection criteria for the fold number and identify groups of consecutive numbers. Remarkably, one such group consists of the naturally occurring 8-, 9-, and 10-fold rings. By considering the inter-ring distance and EET rate, we demonstrate that this group can achieve minimal rotational sensitivity in addition to an optimal packing density, achieving robust and efficient EET. This corroborates our findings i and ii and, through their direct relation to S, suggests the design principle of matching the internal symmetry with the lattice order.

X-ray transparent microfluidic chips for high-throughput screening and optimization of in meso membrane protein crystallization

PubMed Central

Schieferstein, Jeremy M.; Pawate, Ashtamurthy S.; Wan, Frank; Sheraden, Paige N.; Broecker, Jana; Ernst, Oliver P.; Gennis, Robert B.

2017-01-01

Elucidating and clarifying the function of membrane proteins ultimately requires atomic resolution structures as determined most commonly by X-ray crystallography. Many high impact membrane protein structures have resulted from advanced techniques such as in meso crystallization that present technical difficulties for the set-up and scale-out of high-throughput crystallization experiments. In prior work, we designed a novel, low-throughput X-ray transparent microfluidic device that automated the mixing of protein and lipid by diffusion for in meso crystallization trials. Here, we report X-ray transparent microfluidic devices for high-throughput crystallization screening and optimization that overcome the limitations of scale and demonstrate their application to the crystallization of several membrane proteins. Two complementary chips are presented: (1) a high-throughput screening chip to test 192 crystallization conditions in parallel using as little as 8 nl of membrane protein per well and (2) a crystallization optimization chip to rapidly optimize preliminary crystallization hits through fine-gradient re-screening. We screened three membrane proteins for new in meso crystallization conditions, identifying several preliminary hits that we tested for X-ray diffraction quality. Further, we identified and optimized the crystallization condition for a photosynthetic reaction center mutant and solved its structure to a resolution of 3.5 Å. PMID:28469762

Optimal scan strategy for mega-pixel and kilo-gray-level OLED-on-silicon microdisplay.

PubMed

Ji, Yuan; Ran, Feng; Ji, Weigui; Xu, Meihua; Chen, Zhangjing; Jiang, Yuxi; Shen, Weixin

2012-06-10

The digital pixel driving scheme makes the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) microdisplays more immune to the pixel luminance variations and simplifies the circuit architecture and design flow compared to the analog pixel driving scheme. Additionally, it is easily applied in full digital systems. However, the data bottleneck becomes a notable problem as the number of pixels and gray levels grow dramatically. This paper will discuss the digital driving ability to achieve kilogray-levels for megapixel displays. The optimal scan strategy is proposed for creating ultra high gray levels and increasing light efficiency and contrast ratio. Two correction schemes are discussed to improve the gray level linearity. A 1280×1024×3 OLED-on-silicon microdisplay, with 4096 gray levels, is designed based on the optimal scan strategy. The circuit driver is integrated in the silicon backplane chip in the 0.35 μm 3.3 V-6 V dual voltage one polysilicon layer, four metal layers (1P4M) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process with custom top metal. The design aspects of the optimal scan controller are also discussed. The test results show the gray level linearity of the correction schemes for the optimal scan strategy is acceptable by the human eye.

Experimental Test of Entropic Noise-Disturbance Uncertainty Relations for Spin-1/2 Measurements.

PubMed

Sulyok, Georg; Sponar, Stephan; Demirel, Bülent; Buscemi, Francesco; Hall, Michael J W; Ozawa, Masanao; Hasegawa, Yuji

2015-07-17

Information-theoretic definitions for noise and disturbance in quantum measurements were given in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 050401 (2014)] and a state-independent noise-disturbance uncertainty relation was obtained. Here, we derive a tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for complementary qubit observables and carry out an experimental test. Successive projective measurements on the neutron's spin-1/2 system, together with a correction procedure which reduces the disturbance, are performed. Our experimental results saturate the tight noise-disturbance uncertainty relation for qubits when an optimal correction procedure is applied.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-16

protection of human subjects in research (Protocol NHRC.2001.0001). Postal survey The choice of questions and question layouts for the sur- vey instrument were...specific health problems within the past 12 months. The optically scanned 10-page survey instrument was designed to take approximately 30 minutes to...suggestions, the survey instrument was refined before the initial mailing. Additionally, a random sample of 33% of individuals who completed the

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-16

subjects in research (Protocol NHRC.2001.0001). Postal survey The choice of questions and question layouts for the sur- vey instrument were modeled...health problems within the past 12 months. The optically scanned 10-page survey instrument was designed to take approximately 30 minutes to com- plete...the survey instrument was refined before the initial mailing. Additionally, a random sample of 33% of individuals who completed the initial

Land Based Anti-Ship Missiles: A Complementary Capability for Maintaining Access in an Anti-Access/Area Denial Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

while underway. From S. Chandrashekar, N. Genesh, C.R. Raghunath , Rajaram Nagappa, N. Ramani and Lalitha Sundaresan, China’s Anti-Ship Ballistic...Chandrashekar, Genesh, Raghunath , Nagappa, Ramani and Sundaresan, China’s Anti- Ship Ballistic Missile Game Changer in the Pacific Ocean. International Strategic...Complete, ebscohost (accessed august 15, 2014). Chandrashekar, S., N. Genesh, C.R. Raghunath , Rajaram Nagappa, N. Ramani, and Lalitha Sundaresan

Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade: Key Issues for the 108th Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-03

which increased DOD activity in this area would be complementary or competitive to CIA operations remains to be seen. CRS Products: CRS Terrorism Briefing...unless justified as inherently governmental; 2) a reduction in the length of time for the completion of competitions (maximum of one year); and 3) a...The U.S. Trade Representative claims that the FTA has broken new ground in electronic commerce, competition policy, and CRS-61 government

Discovery of highly selective brain-penetrant vasopressin 1a antagonists for the potential treatment of autism via a chemogenomic and scaffold hopping approach.

PubMed

Ratni, Hasane; Rogers-Evans, Mark; Bissantz, Caterina; Grundschober, Christophe; Moreau, Jean-Luc; Schuler, Franz; Fischer, Holger; Alvarez Sanchez, Ruben; Schnider, Patrick

2015-03-12

From a micromolar high throughput screening hit 7, the successful complementary application of a chemogenomic approach and of a scaffold hopping exercise rapidly led to a low single digit nanomolar human vasopressin 1a (hV1a) receptor antagonist 38. Initial optimization of the mouse V1a activities delivered suitable tool compounds which demonstrated a V1a mediated central in vivo effect. This novel series was further optimized through parallel synthesis with a focus on balancing lipophilicity to achieve robust aqueous solubility while avoiding P-gp mediated efflux. These efforts led to the discovery of the highly potent and selective brain-penetrant hV1a antagonist RO5028442 (8) suitable for human clinical studies in people with autism.

A COMPUTER MODELING STUDY OF BINDING PROPERTIES OF CHIRAL NUCLEOPEPTIDE FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS.

PubMed

Pirtskhalava, M; Egoyan, A; Mirtskhulava, M; Roviello, G

2017-12-01

Nucleopeptides often show interesting properties of molecular binding that render them good candidates for development of innovative drugs for anticancer and antiviral therapies. In this work we present results of computer modeling of interactions between the molecules of hexathymine nucleopeptide (T6) and poly rA RNA (A18). The results of geometry optimization calculated using Hyperchem software and our own computer program for molecular docking show that molecules establish stable complexes due to the complementary-nucleobase interaction and the electrostatic interaction between the negative phosphate group of poly rA and the positively-charged residues present in the cationic nucleopeptide structure. Computer modeling makes it possible to find the optimal binding configuration of the molecules of a nucleopeptide and poly rA RNA and to estimate the binding energy between the molecules.

A novel hybrid decomposition-and-ensemble model based on CEEMD and GWO for short-term PM2.5 concentration forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Mingfei; Wang, Yufang; Sun, Shaolong; Li, Yongwu

2016-06-01

To enhance prediction reliability and accuracy, a hybrid model based on the promising principle of "decomposition and ensemble" and a recently proposed meta-heuristic called grey wolf optimizer (GWO) is introduced for daily PM2.5 concentration forecasting. Compared with existing PM2.5 forecasting methods, this proposed model has improved the prediction accuracy and hit rates of directional prediction. The proposed model involves three main steps, i.e., decomposing the original PM2.5 series into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) via complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD) for simplifying the complex data; individually predicting each IMF with support vector regression (SVR) optimized by GWO; integrating all predicted IMFs for the ensemble result as the final prediction by another SVR optimized by GWO. Seven benchmark models, including single artificial intelligence (AI) models, other decomposition-ensemble models with different decomposition methods and models with the same decomposition-ensemble method but optimized by different algorithms, are considered to verify the superiority of the proposed hybrid model. The empirical study indicates that the proposed hybrid decomposition-ensemble model is remarkably superior to all considered benchmark models for its higher prediction accuracy and hit rates of directional prediction.

Maximization of the annual energy production of wind power plants by optimization of layout and yaw-based wake control: Maximization of wind plant AEP by optimization of layout and wake control

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

Gebraad, Pieter; Thomas, Jared J.; Ning, Andrew

This paper presents a wind plant modeling and optimization tool that enables the maximization of wind plant annual energy production (AEP) using yaw-based wake steering control and layout changes. The tool is an extension of a wake engineering model describing the steady-state effects of yaw on wake velocity profiles and power productions of wind turbines in a wind plant. To make predictions of a wind plant's AEP, necessary extensions of the original wake model include coupling it with a detailed rotor model and a control policy for turbine blade pitch and rotor speed. This enables the prediction of power productionmore » with wake effects throughout a range of wind speeds. We use the tool to perform an example optimization study on a wind plant based on the Princess Amalia Wind Park. In this case study, combined optimization of layout and wake steering control increases AEP by 5%. The power gains from wake steering control are highest for region 1.5 inflow wind speeds, and they continue to be present to some extent for the above-rated inflow wind speeds. The results show that layout optimization and wake steering are complementary because significant AEP improvements can be achieved with wake steering in a wind plant layout that is already optimized to reduce wake losses.« less

Optoacoustic sensing of ocular bacterial antigen using targeted gold nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maswadi, Saher; Page, Leland; Woodward, Lee; Glickman, Randolph D.; Barsalou, Norman

2008-02-01

Bacterial contamination can be detected using a minimally invasive optical method, based on laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy, to probe for specific antigens associated with a specific infectious agent. As a model system, we have used a surface antigen (Ag), isolated from Chlamydia trachomatis, and a complementary antibody (Ab). A preparation of 0.2 mg/ml of monoclonal Ab specific to the C. trachomatis surface Ag was conjugated to gold nanorods using standard commercial reagents, in order to produce a targeted contrast agent with a strong optoacoustic signal. The C. trachomatis Ag was absorbed in standard plastic microwells, and the binding of the complementary Ab-nanorod conjugate was tested in an immunoaffinity assay. Optoacoustic signals were elicited from the bound nanorods, using an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser system as the optical pump. The wavelength tuneability of the OPO optimized the spectroscopic measurement by exciting the nanorods at their optical absorption maxima. Optoacoustic responses were measured in the microwells using a probe beam deflection technique. Immunoaffinity assays were performed on several dilutions of purified C. trachomatis antigen ranging from 50 μg/ml to 1 pg/ml, in order to determine the detection limit for the optoacoustic-based assay. Only when the antigen was present, and the complementary Ab-NR reagent was introduced into the microwell, was an enhanced optoacoustic signal obtained, which indicated specific binding of the Ab-NR complex. The limit of detection with the current system design is between 1 and 5 pg/ml of bacterial Ag.

Plasmonic-resonance-based ternary composite complementary enhancement of the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Lihua; Li, Meiya; Liu, Xiaolian; Luoshan, Mengdai; Zhang, Feng; Guo, Kaimo; Zhu, Yongdan; Sun, Beilei; Zhao, Xingzhong

2016-10-01

Graphene (G), TiO2 fusiform nanorods (TiO2NRs) adsorbed with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) are prepared and blended as multifunctional materials into TiO2 nanocrystalline film to form a novel ternary (G-TiO2NRs-Au) composite photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The effects of G-TiO2NRs-Au on the properties of the photoanode and DSSC are investigated. Results show that, by blending G-TiO2NRs-Au, the light absorption and scattering of the photoanode are obviously improved, and the charge transfer resistance R2 and electron recombination are decreased, resulting in a significant enhancement in the short-circuit current density (J sc) and the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of the DSSCs. The maximum J sc of 17.66 mA cm-2 and PCE of 8.56% are obtained in the optimal G-TiO2NRs-Au-based DSSC, about 33.6% and 35.0% higher than that obtained in the conventional TiO2-based DSSC. This significant improvement in the performance of the DSSC can be attributed to the ternary composite complementary effects of multi-functions from the surface plasmon resonance of AuNPs, light scattering of TiO2NRs, and the improved dye loading and fast electron transmission channel from graphene. This study provides an effective way of ternary composite complementary enhancement of the J sc and PCE of the DSSCs.

[Effects of infant feeding practice on eczema during early childhood in Shanghai, Hohhot, and Fuzhou].

PubMed

Zheng, X Q; Zhu, G W; Zheng, Z Q; Yang, Y; Gong, C D; Deng, S S; Wu, Q L; Peng, Y M

2016-12-02

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of eczema in early childhood and effect of infant feeding practice on eczema by different regions of China with diverse climate and dietary patterns. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted from June 2012 to October 2012 in Shanghai, Hohhot, and Fuzhou. The parent or guardian of the children aged between 2.5 to 3.5 years attending routine health visit in the chosen communities were invited to complete a modified questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC). Logistic regression model was used to analyze of the family history of allergy, duration of breastfeeding, timing of introduction of complementary foods and other potential confounders. Result: A total of 2 242 children were interviewed, 750 from Shanghai, 716 from Hohhot, and 776 from Fuzhou. The prevalence of eczema in early childhood was significantly different among Shanghai (16.9%, 95% CI 16.87-16.93), Hohhot (34.5%, 95% CI 34.46-34.54)and Fuzhou (44.3%, 95% CI 44.26-44.34). The difference was statistically significant between 3 groups (χ 2 =72.05, P <0.05). Introducing complementary food after the age of 6 months was associated with a decreased risk for eczema when compared to introduction between 4 to 6 months(odds ratio (OR) 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.81) in Fuzhou, while there was no significant association between timing of introduction of complementary foods and eczema in Shanghai and Hohhot. Conclusion: The prevalence of eczema during early childhood is various among three cities. The relationship between timing of introduction of complementary foods and eczema in Fuzhou is different from that in Shanghai and Hohhot. The role of climate and dietary patterns on prevalence of eczema needs further studies.

Prayer and blessings focused for healing is the most popular complementary intervention in a paediatric oncology unit in Greece.

PubMed

Pourtsidis, Apostolos; Doganis, Dimitrios; Baka, Margarita; Varvoutsi, Maria; Bouhoutsou, Despina; Xatzi, Panagiota; Kosmidis, Helen

2015-01-01

Increasing numbers of children with cancer are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Our aim was to estimate the rate of use, the beliefs of users and non-users and factors related with the use of CAM among Greek families. A self-reported questionnaire was given to parents of 184 children with cancer. We assessed the rate of use, types of CAM therapies and factors potentially associated with the use of CAM. Based on the 110 questionnaires which were completed (59.8% of the families), 23 families (21%) had used at least one complementary treatment. The most common forms were: spiritual healing/prayer/blessings 18/23 (78%), art therapies 4, dietary supplements 3, massage 3, homeopathy 2, and herbals 2. The reasons given for use included: making the child stronger 17/23 (48%, hope of stopping the cancerous process 11/23 (49%), and coping with side effects 6/23 (26%). Among the reasons given by the parents for not using CAM therapies the most common (84%) was the effective conventional treatment and, therefore, there was no need for CAM use. Another 24% reported that were unaware of these "alternative" and "complementary" therapies and a further 7% had considered using them but finally they didn't. In bivariate analysis, the use of CAM was not associated either with age, sex, nationality, education or occupation of the parents at the time of the survey, or with diagnosis, mode of therapy or age of the child at diagnosis. The use of CAM therapies by Greek families for their children with cancer does not appear to be very popular, although the experiences of those who did use them were generally positive.

Biomass-to-electricity: analysis and optimization of the complete pathway steam explosion--enzymatic hydrolysis--anaerobic digestion with ICE vs SOFC as biogas users.

PubMed

Santarelli, M; Barra, S; Sagnelli, F; Zitella, P

2012-11-01

The paper deals with the energy analysis and optimization of a complete biomass-to-electricity energy pathway, starting from raw biomass towards the production of renewable electricity. The first step (biomass-to-biogas) is based on a real pilot plant located in Environment Park S.p.A. (Torino, Italy) with three main steps ((1) impregnation; (2) steam explosion; (3) enzymatic hydrolysis), completed by a two-step anaerobic fermentation. In the second step (biogas-to-electricity), the paper considers two technologies: internal combustion engines and a stack of solid oxide fuel cells. First, the complete pathway has been modeled and validated through experimental data. After, the model has been used for an analysis and optimization of the complete thermo-chemical and biological process, with the objective function of maximization of the energy balance at minimum consumption. The comparison between ICE and SOFC shows the better performance of the integrated plants based on SOFC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Pause-then-Cancel model of stopping: evidence from basal ganglia neurophysiology

PubMed Central

Berke, Joshua D.

2017-01-01

Many studies have implicated the basal ganglia in the suppression of action impulses (‘stopping’). Here, we discuss recent neurophysiological evidence that distinct hypothesized processes involved in action preparation and cancellation can be mapped onto distinct basal ganglia cell types and pathways. We examine how movement-related activity in the striatum is related to a ‘Go’ process and how going may be modulated by brief epochs of beta oscillations. We then describe how, rather than a unitary ‘Stop’ process, there appear to be separate, complementary ‘Pause’ and ‘Cancel’ mechanisms. We discuss the implications of these stopping subprocesses for the interpretation of the stop-signal reaction time—in particular, some activity that seems too slow to causally contribute to stopping when assuming a single Stop processes may actually be fast enough under a Pause-then-Cancel model. Finally, we suggest that combining complementary neural mechanisms that emphasize speed or accuracy respectively may serve more generally to optimize speed–accuracy trade-offs. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Movement suppression: brain mechanisms for stopping and stillness’. PMID:28242736

A Pause-then-Cancel model of stopping: evidence from basal ganglia neurophysiology.

PubMed

Schmidt, Robert; Berke, Joshua D

2017-04-19

Many studies have implicated the basal ganglia in the suppression of action impulses ('stopping'). Here, we discuss recent neurophysiological evidence that distinct hypothesized processes involved in action preparation and cancellation can be mapped onto distinct basal ganglia cell types and pathways. We examine how movement-related activity in the striatum is related to a 'Go' process and how going may be modulated by brief epochs of beta oscillations. We then describe how, rather than a unitary 'Stop' process, there appear to be separate, complementary 'Pause' and 'Cancel' mechanisms. We discuss the implications of these stopping subprocesses for the interpretation of the stop-signal reaction time-in particular, some activity that seems too slow to causally contribute to stopping when assuming a single Stop processes may actually be fast enough under a Pause-then-Cancel model. Finally, we suggest that combining complementary neural mechanisms that emphasize speed or accuracy respectively may serve more generally to optimize speed-accuracy trade-offs.This article is part of the themed issue 'Movement suppression: brain mechanisms for stopping and stillness'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Generalized Subset Designs in Analytical Chemistry.

PubMed

Surowiec, Izabella; Vikström, Ludvig; Hector, Gustaf; Johansson, Erik; Vikström, Conny; Trygg, Johan

2017-06-20

Design of experiments (DOE) is an established methodology in research, development, manufacturing, and production for screening, optimization, and robustness testing. Two-level fractional factorial designs remain the preferred approach due to high information content while keeping the number of experiments low. These types of designs, however, have never been extended to a generalized multilevel reduced design type that would be capable to include both qualitative and quantitative factors. In this Article we describe a novel generalized fractional factorial design. In addition, it also provides complementary and balanced subdesigns analogous to a fold-over in two-level reduced factorial designs. We demonstrate how this design type can be applied with good results in three different applications in analytical chemistry including (a) multivariate calibration using microwave resonance spectroscopy for the determination of water in tablets, (b) stability study in drug product development, and (c) representative sample selection in clinical studies. This demonstrates the potential of generalized fractional factorial designs to be applied in many other areas of analytical chemistry where representative, balanced, and complementary subsets are required, especially when a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors at multiple levels exists.

Finite Element Analysis of Film Stack Architecture for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensors.

PubMed

Wu, Kuo-Tsai; Hwang, Sheng-Jye; Lee, Huei-Huang

2017-05-02

Image sensors are the core components of computer, communication, and consumer electronic products. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors have become the mainstay of image-sensing developments, but are prone to leakage current. In this study, we simulate the CMOS image sensor (CIS) film stacking process by finite element analysis. To elucidate the relationship between the leakage current and stack architecture, we compare the simulated and measured leakage currents in the elements. Based on the analysis results, we further improve the performance by optimizing the architecture of the film stacks or changing the thin-film material. The material parameters are then corrected to improve the accuracy of the simulation results. The simulated and experimental results confirm a positive correlation between measured leakage current and stress. This trend is attributed to the structural defects induced by high stress, which generate leakage. Using this relationship, we can change the structure of the thin-film stack to reduce the leakage current and thereby improve the component life and reliability of the CIS components.

Finite Element Analysis of Film Stack Architecture for Complementary Metal-Oxide–Semiconductor Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Wu, Kuo-Tsai; Hwang, Sheng-Jye; Lee, Huei-Huang

2017-01-01

Image sensors are the core components of computer, communication, and consumer electronic products. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors have become the mainstay of image-sensing developments, but are prone to leakage current. In this study, we simulate the CMOS image sensor (CIS) film stacking process by finite element analysis. To elucidate the relationship between the leakage current and stack architecture, we compare the simulated and measured leakage currents in the elements. Based on the analysis results, we further improve the performance by optimizing the architecture of the film stacks or changing the thin-film material. The material parameters are then corrected to improve the accuracy of the simulation results. The simulated and experimental results confirm a positive correlation between measured leakage current and stress. This trend is attributed to the structural defects induced by high stress, which generate leakage. Using this relationship, we can change the structure of the thin-film stack to reduce the leakage current and thereby improve the component life and reliability of the CIS components. PMID:28468324

A new method to evaluate human-robot system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, G.; Weisbin, C. R.

2003-01-01

One of the key issues in space exploration is that of deciding what space tasks are best done with humans, with robots, or a suitable combination of each. In general, human and robot skills are complementary. Humans provide as yet unmatched capabilities to perceive, think, and act when faced with anomalies and unforeseen events, but there can be huge potential risks to human safety in getting these benefits. Robots provide complementary skills in being able to work in extremely risky environments, but their ability to perceive, think, and act by themselves is currently not error-free, although these capabilities are continually improving with the emergence of new technologies. Substantial past experience validates these generally qualitative notions. However, there is a need for more rigorously systematic evaluation of human and robot roles, in order to optimize the design and performance of human-robot system architectures using well-defined performance evaluation metrics. This article summarizes a new analytical method to conduct such quantitative evaluations. While the article focuses on evaluating human-robot systems, the method is generally applicable to a much broader class of systems whose performance needs to be evaluated.

Single-photon imaging in complementary metal oxide semiconductor processes

PubMed Central

Charbon, E.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the basics of single-photon counting in complementary metal oxide semiconductors, through single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), and the making of miniaturized pixels with photon-counting capability based on SPADs. Some applications, which may take advantage of SPAD image sensors, are outlined, such as fluorescence-based microscopy, three-dimensional time-of-flight imaging and biomedical imaging, to name just a few. The paper focuses on architectures that are best suited to those applications and the trade-offs they generate. In this context, architectures are described that efficiently collect the output of single pixels when designed in large arrays. Off-chip readout circuit requirements are described for a variety of applications in physics, medicine and the life sciences. Owing to the dynamic nature of SPADs, designs featuring a large number of SPADs require careful analysis of the target application for an optimal use of silicon real estate and of limited readout bandwidth. The paper also describes the main trade-offs involved in architecting such chips and the solutions adopted with focus on scalability and miniaturization. PMID:24567470

Management strategies in hospitals: scenario planning

PubMed Central

Ghanem, Mohamed; Schnoor, Jörg; Heyde, Christoph-Eckhard; Kuwatsch, Sandra; Bohn, Marco; Josten, Christoph

2015-01-01

Background: Instead of waiting for challenges to confront hospital management, doctors and managers should act in advance to optimize and sustain value-based health. This work highlights the importance of scenario planning in hospitals, proposes an elaborated definition of the stakeholders of a hospital and defines the influence factors to which hospitals are exposed to. Methodology: Based on literature analysis as well as on personal interviews with stakeholders we propose an elaborated definition of stakeholders and designed a questionnaire that integrated the following influence factors, which have relevant impact on hospital management: political/legal, economic, social, technological and environmental forces. These influence factors are examined to develop the so-called critical uncertainties. Thorough identification of uncertainties was based on a “Stakeholder Feedback”. Results: Two key uncertainties were identified and considered in this study: the development of workload for the medical staff the profit oriented performance of the medical staff. According to the developed scenarios, complementary education of the medical staff as well as of non-medical top executives and managers of hospitals was the recommended core strategy. Complementary scenario-specific strategic options should be considered whenever needed to optimize dealing with a specific future development of the health care environment. Conclusion: Strategic planning in hospitals is essential to ensure sustainable success. It considers multiple situations and integrates internal and external insights and perspectives in addition to identifying weak signals and “blind spots”. This flows into a sound planning for multiple strategic options. It is a state of the art tool that allows dealing with the increasing challenges facing hospital management. PMID:26504735

Spatiotemporal Fractionation Schemes for Irradiating Large Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

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

Unkelbach, Jan, E-mail: junkelbach@mgh.harvard.edu; Bussière, Marc R.; Chapman, Paul H.

2016-07-01

Purpose: To optimally exploit fractionation effects in the context of radiosurgery treatments of large cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). In current practice, fractionated treatments divide the dose evenly into several fractions, which generally leads to low obliteration rates. In this work, we investigate the potential benefit of delivering distinct dose distributions in different fractions. Methods and Materials: Five patients with large cerebral AVMs were reviewed and replanned for intensity modulated arc therapy delivered with conventional photon beams. Treatment plans allowing for different dose distributions in all fractions were obtained by performing treatment plan optimization based on the cumulative biologically effective dosemore » delivered at the end of treatment. Results: We show that distinct treatment plans can be designed for different fractions, such that high single-fraction doses are delivered to complementary parts of the AVM. All plans create a similar dose bath in the surrounding normal brain and thereby exploit the fractionation effect. This partial hypofractionation in the AVM along with fractionation in normal brain achieves a net improvement of the therapeutic ratio. We show that a biological dose reduction of approximately 10% in the healthy brain can be achieved compared with reference treatment schedules that deliver the same dose distribution in all fractions. Conclusions: Boosting complementary parts of the target volume in different fractions may provide a therapeutic advantage in fractionated radiosurgery treatments of large cerebral AVMs. The strategy allows for a mean dose reduction in normal brain that may be valuable for a patient population with an otherwise normal life expectancy.« less

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP3-01: Simultaneous PET Restoration and PET/CT Co-Segmentation Using a Variational Method

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

Li, L; Tan, S; Lu, W

Purpose: PET images are usually blurred due to the finite spatial resolution, while CT images suffer from low contrast. Segment a tumor from either a single PET or CT image is thus challenging. To make full use of the complementary information between PET and CT, we propose a novel variational method for simultaneous PET image restoration and PET/CT images co-segmentation. Methods: The proposed model was constructed based on the Γ-convergence approximation of Mumford-Shah (MS) segmentation model for PET/CT co-segmentation. Moreover, a PET de-blur process was integrated into the MS model to improve the segmentation accuracy. An interaction edge constraint termmore » over the two modalities were specially designed to share the complementary information. The energy functional was iteratively optimized using an alternate minimization (AM) algorithm. The performance of the proposed method was validated on ten lung cancer cases and five esophageal cancer cases. The ground truth were manually delineated by an experienced radiation oncologist using the complementary visual features of PET and CT. The segmentation accuracy was evaluated by Dice similarity index (DSI) and volume error (VE). Results: The proposed method achieved an expected restoration result for PET image and satisfactory segmentation results for both PET and CT images. For lung cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.72) increased by 0.17 and 0.40 than single PET and CT segmentation. For esophageal cancer dataset, the average DSI (0.85) increased by 0.07 and 0.43 than single PET and CT segmentation. Conclusion: The proposed method took full advantage of the complementary information from PET and CT images. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grants R01CA172638. Shan Tan and Laquan Li were supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, under Grant Nos. 60971112 and 61375018.« less

Infant and young child feeding practice among mothers with 0-24 months old children in Slum areas of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Demilew, Yeshalem Mulugeta; Tafere, Tadese Ejigu; Abitew, Dereje Berhanu

2017-01-01

Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure the health, growth and development of children. However, infant feeding practice is suboptimal in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The slum area is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing, squalor, with a lack of reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement and other basic services. Residents of the slum area were poor and less educated. This further compromises infant feeding practice. The aim of this study was to assess infant and young child feeding practice among mothers with 0-24 month old children in the study area. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 mothers with 0-24 month old children from June 01-30 / 2016. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Infant and young child feeding practice was assessed using the fifteen World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice was 113 (84%). Sixty (15%) mothers gave prelacteal feeds and, 96 (23%) mothers used a bottle to feed their index child. Appropriate complementary feeding practice was only 20 (7%). Thirty nine out of forty mothers introduced complementary food timely, 131 (47%) of mothers gave the minimum meal frequency, and 20 (7%) children took the minimum food diversity and acceptable diet. Independent predictors for complementary feeding practice were having secondary and above education of the mother, receiving postnatal care, possession of radio and giving birth at hospital. In this study infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice was poor. Therefore, there is a need for strengthening the promotion on IYCF practice during postnatal care and using mass media to giving emphasis for optimal complementary feeding practices, especially for mothers with a lower educational status.

IMPACT: Imaging and Molecular Markers for Patients with Lung Cancer: Approaches with Molecular Targets, Complementary/Innovative Treatments, and Therapeutic Modalities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

Summary of Research Findings This aim was completed as previously reported. DRP-1: Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusion with ZD6474, a Novel VEGFR...Report: Reporting Period 15 February 2014 – 14 February 2015 Recurrent malignant pleural effusion is a debilitating clinical problem that requires...palliation with repeated therapeutic thoracentesis or pleurodesis (Putnam, J Surg Clin North Am 2002). Malignant pleural effusions have been

Bench to Bedside: Understanding Symptom Response to Acupuncture Treatment and Designing a Successful Acupuncture Treatment Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

analysis. Along the way we learned that the Chinese Medicine information will be difficult to integrate into the main data set. At this point only a poster... psychological health, social context, physical function. We completed and submitted for review a simpler analysis of this relationship in The Importance and...the unfolding integration of complementary medical practices into regular medicine. It will assist acupuncturists and VA officials in determining if

Angular quasi-phase-matching experiments and determination of accurate Sellmeier equations for 5%MgO:PPLN.

PubMed

Brand, Pierre; Boulanger, Benoît; Segonds, Patricia; Petit, Yannick; Félix, Corinne; Ménaert, Bertrand; Taira, Takunori; Ishizuki, Hideki

2009-09-01

We validated the theory of angular quasi-phase-matching (AQPM) by performing measurements of second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation. A nonlinear least-squares fitting of these experimental data led to refine the Sellmeier equations of 5%MgO:PPLN that are now valid over the complete transparency range of the crystal. We also showed that AQPM exhibits complementary spectral ranges and acceptances compared with birefringence phase matching.

Data Analyses and Modelling for Risk Based Monitoring of Mycotoxins in Animal Feed

PubMed Central

van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. (Ine); Adamse, Paulien; Punt, Ans; van Asselt, Esther D.

2018-01-01

Following legislation, European Member States should have multi-annual control programs for contaminants, such as for mycotoxins, in feed and food. These programs need to be risk based implying the checks are regular and proportional to the estimated risk for animal and human health. This study aimed to prioritize feed products in the Netherlands for deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin B1 monitoring. Historical mycotoxin monitoring results from the period 2007–2016 were combined with data from other sources. Based on occurrence, groundnuts had high priority for aflatoxin B1 monitoring; some feed materials (maize and maize products and several oil seed products) and complete/complementary feed excluding dairy cattle and young animals had medium priority; and all other animal feeds and feed materials had low priority. For deoxynivalenol, maize by-products had a high priority, complete and complementary feed for pigs had a medium priority and all other feed and feed materials a low priority. Also including health consequence estimations showed that feed materials that ranked highest for aflatoxin B1 included sunflower seed and palmkernel expeller/extracts and maize. For deoxynivalenol, maize products were ranked highest, followed by various small grain cereals (products); all other feed materials were of lower concern. Results of this study have proven to be useful in setting up the annual risk based control program for mycotoxins in animal feed and feed materials. PMID:29373559

Complementary DNA cloning and molecular evolution of opine dehydrogenases in some marine invertebrates.

PubMed

Kimura, Tomohiro; Nakano, Toshiki; Yamaguchi, Toshiyasu; Sato, Minoru; Ogawa, Tomohisa; Muramoto, Koji; Yokoyama, Takehiko; Kan-No, Nobuhiro; Nagahisa, Eizou; Janssen, Frank; Grieshaber, Manfred K

2004-01-01

The complete complementary DNA sequences of genes presumably coding for opine dehydrogenases from Arabella iricolor (sandworm), Haliotis discus hannai (abalone), and Patinopecten yessoensis (scallop) were determined, and partial cDNA sequences were derived for Meretrix lusoria (Japanese hard clam) and Spisula sachalinensis (Sakhalin surf clam). The primers ODH-9F and ODH-11R proved useful for amplifying the sequences for opine dehydrogenases from the 4 mollusk species investigated in this study. The sequence of the sandworm was obtained using primers constructed from the amino acid sequence of tauropine dehydrogenase, the main opine dehydrogenase in A. iricolor. The complete cDNA sequence of A. iricolor, H. discus hannai, and P. yessoensis encode 397, 400, and 405 amino acids, respectively. All sequences were aligned and compared with published databank sequences of Loligo opalescens, Loligo vulgaris (squid), Sepia officinalis (cuttlefish), and Pecten maximus (scallop). As expected, a high level of homology was observed for the cDNA from closely related species, such as for cephalopods or scallops, whereas cDNA from the other species showed lower-level homologies. A similar trend was observed when the deduced amino acid sequences were compared. Furthermore, alignment of these sequences revealed some structural motifs that are possibly related to the binding sites of the substrates. The phylogenetic trees derived from the nucleotide and amino acid sequences were consistent with the classification of species resulting from classical taxonomic analyses.

Optimal pricing and replenishment policies for instantaneous deteriorating items with backlogging and trade credit under inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundara Rajan, R.; Uthayakumar, R.

2017-12-01

In this paper we develop an economic order quantity model to investigate the optimal replenishment policies for instantaneous deteriorating items under inflation and trade credit. Demand rate is a linear function of selling price and decreases negative exponentially with time over a finite planning horizon. Shortages are allowed and partially backlogged. Under these conditions, we model the retailer's inventory system as a profit maximization problem to determine the optimal selling price, optimal order quantity and optimal replenishment time. An easy-to-use algorithm is developed to determine the optimal replenishment policies for the retailer. We also provide optimal present value of profit when shortages are completely backlogged as a special case. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the algorithm provided to obtain optimal profit. And we also obtain managerial implications from numerical examples to substantiate our model. The results show that there is an improvement in total profit from complete backlogging rather than the items being partially backlogged.

Comparison of Patient Health History Questionnaires Used in General Internal and Family Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinics.

PubMed

Laube, Justin G R; Shapiro, Martin F

2017-05-01

Health history questionnaires (HHQs) are a set of self-administered questions completed by patients prior to a clinical encounter. Despite widespread use, minimal research has evaluated the content of HHQs used in general internal medicine and family medicine (GIM/FM), integrative medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM; chiropractic, naturopathic, and Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM]) clinics. Integrative medicine and CAM claim greater emphasis on well-being than does GIM/FM. This study investigated whether integrative medicine and CAM clinics' HHQs include more well-being content and otherwise differ from GIM/FM HHQs. HHQs were obtained from GIM/FM (n = 9), integrative medicine (n = 11), naturopathic medicine (n = 5), chiropractic (n = 4), and TCM (n = 7) clinics in California. HHQs were coded for presence of medical history (chief complaint, past medical history, social history, family history, surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, allergies, review of systems), health maintenance procedures (immunization, screenings), and well-being components (nutrition, exercise, stress, sleep, spirituality). In HHQs of GIM/FM clinics, the average number of well-being components was 1.4 (standard deviation [SD], 1.4) compared with 4.0 (SD, 1.1) for integrative medicine (p < 0.01), 3.2 (SD, 2.1) for naturopathic medicine (p = 0.04), 2.0 (SD, 1.4) for chiropractic (p = 0.54), and 2.0 (SD, 1.5) for TCM (p = 0.47). In HHQs of GIM/FM clinics, the average number of medical history components was 6.4 (SD, 1.9) compared with 8.3 (SD, 1.2) for integrative medicine (p = 0.01), 9.0 (SD, 0) for naturopathic medicine (p = 0.01), 7.1 (SD, 2.8) for chiropractic (p = 0.58), and 7.1 (SD, 1.7) for TCM (p = 0.41). Integrative and naturopathic medicine HHQs included significantly more well-being and medical history components than did GIM/FM HHQs. Further investigation is warranted to determine the optimal HHQ content to support the clinical and preventive health goals of general internal medicine, family medicine, integrative medicine, and CAM practices.

Enzymatic synthesis of long double-stranded DNA labeled with haloderivatives of nucleobases in a precisely pre-determined sequence

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Restriction endonucleases are widely applied in recombinant DNA technology. Among them, enzymes of class IIS, which cleave DNA beyond recognition sites, are especially useful. We use BsaI enzyme for the pinpoint introduction of halogen nucleobases into DNA. This has been done for the purpose of anticancer radio- and phototherapy that is our long-term objective. Results An enzymatic method for synthesizing long double-stranded DNA labeled with the halogen derivatives of nucleobases (Hal-NBs) with 1-bp accuracy has been put forward and successfully tested on three different DNA fragments containing the 5-bromouracil (5-BrU) residue. The protocol assumes enzymatic cleavage of two Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (PCR) fragments containing two recognition sequences for the same or different class IIS restriction endonucleases, where each PCR fragment has a partially complementary cleavage site. These sites are introduced using synthetic DNA primers or are naturally present in the sequence used. The cleavage sites are not compatible, and therefore not susceptible to ligation until they are partially filled with a Hal-NB or original nucleobase, resulting in complementary cohesive end formation. Ligation of these fragments ultimately leads to the required Hal-NB-labeled DNA duplex. With this approach, a synthetic, extremely long DNA fragment can be obtained by means of a multiple assembly reaction (n × maximum PCR product length: n × app. 50 kb). Conclusions The long, precisely labeled DNA duplexes obtained behave in very much the same manner as natural DNA and are beyond the range of chemical synthesis. Moreover, the conditions of synthesis closely resemble the natural ones, and all the artifacts accompanying the chemical synthesis of DNA are thus eliminated. The approach proposed seems to be completely general and could be used to label DNA at multiple pre-determined sites and with halogen derivatives of any nucleobase. Access to DNAs labeled with Hal-NBs at specific position is an indispensable condition for the understanding and optimization of DNA photo- and radio-degradation, which are prerequisites for clinical trials of Hal-NBs in anticancer therapy. PMID:21864341

Enzymatic synthesis of long double-stranded DNA labeled with haloderivatives of nucleobases in a precisely pre-determined sequence.

PubMed

Sobolewski, Ireneusz; Polska, Katarzyna; Zylicz-Stachula, Agnieszka; Jeżewska-Frąckowiak, Joanna; Rak, Janusz; Skowron, Piotr

2011-08-24

Restriction endonucleases are widely applied in recombinant DNA technology. Among them, enzymes of class IIS, which cleave DNA beyond recognition sites, are especially useful. We use BsaI enzyme for the pinpoint introduction of halogen nucleobases into DNA. This has been done for the purpose of anticancer radio- and phototherapy that is our long-term objective. An enzymatic method for synthesizing long double-stranded DNA labeled with the halogen derivatives of nucleobases (Hal-NBs) with 1-bp accuracy has been put forward and successfully tested on three different DNA fragments containing the 5-bromouracil (5-BrU) residue. The protocol assumes enzymatic cleavage of two Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (PCR) fragments containing two recognition sequences for the same or different class IIS restriction endonucleases, where each PCR fragment has a partially complementary cleavage site. These sites are introduced using synthetic DNA primers or are naturally present in the sequence used. The cleavage sites are not compatible, and therefore not susceptible to ligation until they are partially filled with a Hal-NB or original nucleobase, resulting in complementary cohesive end formation. Ligation of these fragments ultimately leads to the required Hal-NB-labeled DNA duplex. With this approach, a synthetic, extremely long DNA fragment can be obtained by means of a multiple assembly reaction (n × maximum PCR product length: n × app. 50 kb). The long, precisely labeled DNA duplexes obtained behave in very much the same manner as natural DNA and are beyond the range of chemical synthesis. Moreover, the conditions of synthesis closely resemble the natural ones, and all the artifacts accompanying the chemical synthesis of DNA are thus eliminated. The approach proposed seems to be completely general and could be used to label DNA at multiple pre-determined sites and with halogen derivatives of any nucleobase. Access to DNAs labeled with Hal-NBs at specific position is an indispensable condition for the understanding and optimization of DNA photo- and radio-degradation, which are prerequisites for clinical trials of Hal-NBs in anticancer therapy.

Online adaptive optimal control for continuous-time nonlinear systems with completely unknown dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yongfeng; Na, Jing; Yang, Qinmin; Wu, Xing; Guo, Yu

2016-01-01

An online adaptive optimal control is proposed for continuous-time nonlinear systems with completely unknown dynamics, which is achieved by developing a novel identifier-critic-based approximate dynamic programming algorithm with a dual neural network (NN) approximation structure. First, an adaptive NN identifier is designed to obviate the requirement of complete knowledge of system dynamics, and a critic NN is employed to approximate the optimal value function. Then, the optimal control law is computed based on the information from the identifier NN and the critic NN, so that the actor NN is not needed. In particular, a novel adaptive law design method with the parameter estimation error is proposed to online update the weights of both identifier NN and critic NN simultaneously, which converge to small neighbourhoods around their ideal values. The closed-loop system stability and the convergence to small vicinity around the optimal solution are all proved by means of the Lyapunov theory. The proposed adaptation algorithm is also improved to achieve finite-time convergence of the NN weights. Finally, simulation results are provided to exemplify the efficacy of the proposed methods.

Integrating Information in Biological Ontologies and Molecular Networks to Infer Novel Terms

PubMed Central

Li, Le; Yip, Kevin Y.

2016-01-01

Currently most terms and term-term relationships in Gene Ontology (GO) are defined manually, which creates cost, consistency and completeness issues. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of inferring GO automatically from biological networks, which represents an important complementary approach to GO construction. These methods (NeXO and CliXO) are unsupervised, which means 1) they cannot use the information contained in existing GO, 2) the way they integrate biological networks may not optimize the accuracy, and 3) they are not customized to infer the three different sub-ontologies of GO. Here we present a semi-supervised method called Unicorn that extends these previous methods to tackle the three problems. Unicorn uses a sub-tree of an existing GO sub-ontology as training part to learn parameters in integrating multiple networks. Cross-validation results show that Unicorn reliably inferred the left-out parts of each specific GO sub-ontology. In addition, by training Unicorn with an old version of GO together with biological networks, it successfully re-discovered some terms and term-term relationships present only in a new version of GO. Unicorn also successfully inferred some novel terms that were not contained in GO but have biological meanings well-supported by the literature.Availability: Source code of Unicorn is available at http://yiplab.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/unicorn/. PMID:27976738

[How to make your own custom cutting guides for both mandibular and fibular stair step osteotomies?

PubMed

Rem, K; Bosc, R; De Kermadec, H; Hersant, B; Meningaud, J-P

2017-12-01

Using tailored cutting guides for osteocutaneous free fibula flap in complex mandibular reconstruction after cancer resection surgery constitutes a substantial improvement. Autonomously conceiving and manufacturing the cutting guides within a plastic surgery department with computer-aided design (CAD) and three-dimensional (3D) printing allows planning more complex osteotomies, such as stair-step osteotomies, in order to achieve more stable internal fixations. For the past three years, we have been producing by ourselves patient-tailored cutting guides using CAD and 3D printing. Osteotomies were virtually planned, making the cutting lines more complex in order to optimize the internal fixation stability. We also printed reconstructed mandible templates and shaped the reconstruction plates on them. We recorded data including manufacturing techniques and surgical outcomes. Eleven consecutive patients were operated on for an oral cavity cancer. For each patient, we planned the fibular and mandibular stair-step osteotomies and we produced tailored cutting guides. In all patients, we achieved to get immediately stable internal fixations and in 10 patients, a complete bone consolidation after 6 months. Autonomously manufacturing surgical cutting guides for mandibular reconstruction by free fibula flap is a significant improvement, regarding ergonomics and precision. Planning stair-step osteotomies to perform complementary internal fixation increases contact surface and congruence between the bone segments, thus improving the reconstructed mandible stability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Exploring the combinatorial space of complete pathways to chemicals.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Ng, Chiam Yu; Dash, Satyakam; Maranas, Costas D

2018-04-06

Computational pathway design tools often face the challenges of balancing the stoichiometry of co-metabolites and cofactors, and dealing with reaction rule utilization in a single workflow. To this end, we provide an overview of two complementary stoichiometry-based pathway design tools optStoic and novoStoic developed in our group to tackle these challenges. optStoic is designed to determine the stoichiometry of overall conversion first which optimizes a performance criterion (e.g. high carbon/energy efficiency) and ensures a comprehensive search of co-metabolites and cofactors. The procedure then identifies the minimum number of intervening reactions to connect the source and sink metabolites. We also further the pathway design procedure by expanding the search space to include both known and hypothetical reactions, represented by reaction rules, in a new tool termed novoStoic. Reaction rules are derived based on a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) compatible reaction operator, which allow us to explore natural promiscuous enzymes, engineer candidate enzymes that are not already promiscuous as well as design de novo enzymes. The identified biochemical reaction rules then guide novoStoic to design routes that expand the currently known biotransformation space using a single MILP modeling procedure. We demonstrate the use of the two computational tools in pathway elucidation by designing novel synthetic routes for isobutanol. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Seamless Tracing of Human Behavior Using Complementary Wearable and House-Embedded Sensors

PubMed Central

Augustyniak, Piotr; Smoleń, Magdalena; Mikrut, Zbigniew; Kańtoch, Eliasz

2014-01-01

This paper presents a multimodal system for seamless surveillance of elderly people in their living environment. The system uses simultaneously a wearable sensor network for each individual and premise-embedded sensors specific for each environment. The paper demonstrates the benefits of using complementary information from two types of mobility sensors: visual flow-based image analysis and an accelerometer-based wearable network. The paper provides results for indoor recognition of several elementary poses and outdoor recognition of complex movements. Instead of complete system description, particular attention was drawn to a polar histogram-based method of visual pose recognition, complementary use and synchronization of the data from wearable and premise-embedded networks and an automatic danger detection algorithm driven by two premise- and subject-related databases. The novelty of our approach also consists in feeding the databases with real-life recordings from the subject, and in using the dynamic time-warping algorithm for measurements of distance between actions represented as elementary poses in behavioral records. The main results of testing our method include: 95.5% accuracy of elementary pose recognition by the video system, 96.7% accuracy of elementary pose recognition by the accelerometer-based system, 98.9% accuracy of elementary pose recognition by the combined accelerometer and video-based system, and 80% accuracy of complex outdoor activity recognition by the accelerometer-based wearable system. PMID:24787640

The self-nonself discrimination and the nature and acquisition of the antibody repertoire.

PubMed

Coutinho, A

1980-01-01

Network ideas are confronted with current hypotheses for the origin of antibody diversity and self-nonself discrimination. The difficulties of reconciling the promethean evolution of the antibody system with "germ line" theories are discussed, as well as the problems of "somatic" hypotheses to explain the completeness of the antibody repertoire. The formal incompatibility of the network theory with ideas basing self-nonself discrimination on the elimination of self-reactive cells is demonstrated, as well as the difficulties of these and other environment-dependent hypotheses for lymphocyte activation, to encompass the internal activity in the immune system. It is argued, on the other hand, that the limitations of the network theory in providing a functional basis for the idiotypic network and in accounting for self-nonself discrimination, can be solved by finding in a complete repertoire of antibody-combining sites the complementary structures to growth receptors on B lymphocytes, and by using these as internal mitogens in the expansion of the precursor cell pools and in the maintenance of the mature steady states. Letting self-nonself discrimination be accounted for by such growth receptors, both the integrity of the antibody repertoire and the internal activity in the system can also be ensured. Moreover, by postulating a germ line origin for the antireceptor antibodies and by accepting idiotypic cross-reactivity between growth receptors and other germ line antibodies, the possibilities are set for a phylogenetically and ontogenically autonomous immune system embodied with the capabilities for self-expansion, diversification and selection of available repertoires. Its promethean characteristics are explained by its completeness, and this is achieved by idiotypic interactions between growth receptors and a limited number of complementary or cross-reactive germ line antibodies, naturally selected on the basis of their structural relationships with growth receptors.

Concurrent optimization of material spatial distribution and material anisotropy repartition for two-dimensional structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranaivomiarana, Narindra; Irisarri, François-Xavier; Bettebghor, Dimitri; Desmorat, Boris

2018-04-01

An optimization methodology to find concurrently material spatial distribution and material anisotropy repartition is proposed for orthotropic, linear and elastic two-dimensional membrane structures. The shape of the structure is parameterized by a density variable that determines the presence or absence of material. The polar method is used to parameterize a general orthotropic material by its elasticity tensor invariants by change of frame. A global structural stiffness maximization problem written as a compliance minimization problem is treated, and a volume constraint is applied. The compliance minimization can be put into a double minimization of complementary energy. An extension of the alternate directions algorithm is proposed to solve the double minimization problem. The algorithm iterates between local minimizations in each element of the structure and global minimizations. Thanks to the polar method, the local minimizations are solved explicitly providing analytical solutions. The global minimizations are performed with finite element calculations. The method is shown to be straightforward and efficient. Concurrent optimization of density and anisotropy distribution of a cantilever beam and a bridge are presented.

Construction of a directed hammerhead ribozyme library: towards the identification of optimal target sites for antisense-mediated gene inhibition.

PubMed Central

Pierce, M L; Ruffner, D E

1998-01-01

Antisense-mediated gene inhibition uses short complementary DNA or RNA oligonucleotides to block expression of any mRNA of interest. A key parameter in the success or failure of an antisense therapy is the identification of a suitable target site on the chosen mRNA. Ultimately, the accessibility of the target to the antisense agent determines target suitability. Since accessibility is a function of many complex factors, it is currently beyond our ability to predict. Consequently, identification of the most effective target(s) requires examination of every site. Towards this goal, we describe a method to construct directed ribozyme libraries against any chosen mRNA. The library contains nearly equal amounts of ribozymes targeting every site on the chosen transcript and the library only contains ribozymes capable of binding to that transcript. Expression of the ribozyme library in cultured cells should allow identification of optimal target sites under natural conditions, subject to the complexities of a fully functional cell. Optimal target sites identified in this manner should be the most effective sites for therapeutic intervention. PMID:9801305

Reinforcement active learning in the vibrissae system: optimal object localization.

PubMed

Gordon, Goren; Dorfman, Nimrod; Ahissar, Ehud

2013-01-01

Rats move their whiskers to acquire information about their environment. It has been observed that they palpate novel objects and objects they are required to localize in space. We analyze whisker-based object localization using two complementary paradigms, namely, active learning and intrinsic-reward reinforcement learning. Active learning algorithms select the next training samples according to the hypothesized solution in order to better discriminate between correct and incorrect labels. Intrinsic-reward reinforcement learning uses prediction errors as the reward to an actor-critic design, such that behavior converges to the one that optimizes the learning process. We show that in the context of object localization, the two paradigms result in palpation whisking as their respective optimal solution. These results suggest that rats may employ principles of active learning and/or intrinsic reward in tactile exploration and can guide future research to seek the underlying neuronal mechanisms that implement them. Furthermore, these paradigms are easily transferable to biomimetic whisker-based artificial sensors and can improve the active exploration of their environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Optimal Observation Problem applied to a rating curve estimation including the "cost-to-wait"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raso, Luciano; Werner, Micha; Weijs, Steven

2013-04-01

In order to manage a system, a decision maker (DM) tries to make the best decision under uncertainty, having partial knowledge on the effects of his/her decision. Observations reduce uncertainty, but are costly. Deciding what to observe and when to stop observing is a complementary problem that the DM has to face. The Optimal Observation Problem (OOP) offers a solution to the questions: (1) which observation is more effective? And (2) Is the next observation worth its cost? We show an application of the OOP to a rating curve estimation in the White Carter River (Scotland). The cost of extra gauging is compensated by the value of better decisions, that reduce the costs due to floods. The observational decision is then whether to gauge, and when. In the application, we include the "cost-to-wait" in the cost structure. The Algorithm find thus an optimal trade-off between getting less informative data now or wait for more informative, but later. The OOP can be used to plan a measurement campaign, also taking into account that the rating curve can change.

Gradient ascent pulse engineering approach to CNOT gates in donor electron spin quantum computing

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

Tsai, D.-B.; Goan, H.-S.

2008-11-07

In this paper, we demonstrate how gradient ascent pulse engineering (GRAPE) optimal control methods can be implemented on donor electron spin qubits in semiconductors with an architecture complementary to the original Kane's proposal. We focus on the high fidelity controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate and we explicitly find the digitized control sequences for a controlled-NOT gate by optimizing its fidelity using the effective, reduced donor electron spin Hamiltonian with external controls over the hyperfine A and exchange J interactions. We then simulate the CNOT-gate sequence with the full spin Hamiltonian and find that it has an error of 10{sup -6} that ismore » below the error threshold of 10{sup -4} required for fault-tolerant quantum computation. Also the CNOT gate operation time of 100 ns is 3 times faster than 297 ns of the proposed global control scheme.« less

Hot spots, indicator taxa, complementarity and optimal networks of taiga.

PubMed Central

Virolainen, K M; Ahlroth, P; Hyvärinen, E; Korkeamäki, E; Mattila, J; Päiivinen, J; Rintala, T; Suomi, T; Suhonen, J

2000-01-01

If hot spots for different taxa coincide, priority-setting surveys in a region could be carried out more cheaply by focusing on indicator taxa. Several previous studies show that hot spots of different taxa rarely coincide. However, in tropical areas indicator taxa may be used in selecting complementary networks to represent biodiversity as a whole. We studied beetles (Coleoptera), Heteroptera, polypores or bracket fungi (Polyporaceae) and vascular plants of old growth boreal taiga forests. Optimal networks for Heteroptera maximized the high overall species richness of beetles and vascular plants, but these networks were least favourable options for polypores. Polypores are an important group indicating the conservation value of old growth taiga forests. Random selection provided a better option. Thus, certain groups may function as good indicators for maximizing the overall species richness of some taxonomic groups, but all taxa should be examined separately. PMID:10885520

Optimal Capacity Proportion and Distribution Planning of Wind, Photovoltaic and Hydro Power in Bundled Transmission System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, X.; Tang, Q.; Li, T.; Wang, Y. L.; Zhang, X.; Ye, S. Y.

2017-05-01

The wind, photovoltaic and hydro power bundled transmission system attends to become common in Northwest and Southwest of China. To make better use of the power complementary characteristic of different power sources, the installed capacity proportion of wind, photovoltaic and hydro power, and their capacity distribution for each integration node is a significant issue to be solved in power system planning stage. An optimal capacity proportion and capacity distribution model for wind, photovoltaic and hydro power bundled transmission system is proposed here, which considers the power out characteristic of power resources with different type and in different area based on real operation data. The transmission capacity limit of power grid is also considered in this paper. Simulation cases are tested referring to one real regional system in Southwest China for planning level year 2020. The results verify the effectiveness of the model in this paper.

Optimizing the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization.

PubMed

Zhang, David Yu; Chen, Sherry Xi; Yin, Peng

2012-01-22

The specific hybridization of complementary sequences is an essential property of nucleic acids, enabling diverse biological and biotechnological reactions and functions. However, the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization is compromised for long strands, except near the melting temperature. Here, we analytically derived the thermodynamic properties of a hybridization probe that would enable near-optimal single-base discrimination and perform robustly across diverse temperature, salt and concentration conditions. We rationally designed 'toehold exchange' probes that approximate these properties, and comprehensively tested them against five different DNA targets and 55 spurious analogues with energetically representative single-base changes (replacements, deletions and insertions). These probes produced discrimination factors between 3 and 100+ (median, 26). Without retuning, our probes function robustly from 10 °C to 37 °C, from 1 mM Mg(2+) to 47 mM Mg(2+), and with nucleic acid concentrations from 1 nM to 5 µM. Experiments with RNA also showed effective single-base change discrimination.

3-D System-on-System (SoS) Biomedical-Imaging Architecture for Health-Care Applications.

PubMed

Sang-Jin Lee; Kavehei, O; Yoon-Ki Hong; Tae Won Cho; Younggap You; Kyoungrok Cho; Eshraghian, K

2010-12-01

This paper presents the implementation of a 3-D architecture for a biomedical-imaging system based on a multilayered system-on-system structure. The architecture consists of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensor layer, memory, 3-D discrete wavelet transform (3D-DWT), 3-D Advanced Encryption Standard (3D-AES), and an RF transmitter as an add-on layer. Multilayer silicon (Si) stacking permits fabrication and optimization of individual layers by different processing technology to achieve optimal performance. Utilization of through silicon via scheme can address required low-power operation as well as high-speed performance. Potential benefits of 3-D vertical integration include an improved form factor as well as a reduction in the total wiring length, multifunctionality, power efficiency, and flexible heterogeneous integration. The proposed imaging architecture was simulated by using Cadence Spectre and Synopsys HSPICE while implementation was carried out by Cadence Virtuoso and Mentor Graphic Calibre.

Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

PubMed

Gyawali, C Prakash; Fass, Ronnie

2018-01-01

Management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) commonly starts with an empiric trial of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and complementary lifestyle measures, for patients without alarm symptoms. Optimization of therapy (improving compliance and timing of PPI doses), or increasing PPI dosage to twice daily in select circumstances, can reduce persistent symptoms. Patients with continued symptoms can be evaluated with endoscopy and tests of esophageal physiology, to better determine their disease phenotype and optimize treatment. Laparoscopic fundoplication, magnetic sphincter augmentation, and endoscopic therapies can benefit patients with well-characterized GERD. Patients with functional diseases that overlap with or mimic GERD can also be treated with neuromodulators (primarily antidepressants), or psychological interventions (psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy). Future approaches to treatment of GERD include potassium-competitive acid blockers, reflux-reducing agents, bile acid binders, injection of inert substances into the esophagogastric junction, and electrical stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Copyright © 2018 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Difference in electrodynamic transduction between speaker and alternator in thermoacoustic applications.

PubMed

Gonen, Eran; Grossman, Gershon

2015-09-01

Conventional reciprocating pistons, normally found in thermoacoustic engines, tend to introduce complex impedance characteristics, including acoustic, mechanical, and electrical portions. System behavior and performance usually rely on proper tuning processes and selection of an optimal point of operation, affected substantially by complementary hardware, typically adjusted for the specific application. The present study proposes an alternative perspective on the alternator behavior, by considering the relative motion between gas and piston during the engine mode of operation. Direct analytical derivation of the velocity distribution inside a tight seal gap and the associated impedance is employed to estimate the electro-acoustic conversion efficiency, thus indicating how to improve the system performance. The influence of acoustic phase, gap dimensions, and working conditions is examined, suggesting the need to develop tighter and longer seal gaps, having increased impedance, to allow optimization for use in upcoming sustainable power generation solutions and smart grids.

Chemical denaturation as a tool in the formulation optimization of biologics

PubMed Central

Freire, Ernesto; Schön, Arne; Hutchins, Burleigh M.; Brown, Richard K.

2013-01-01

Biologics have become the fastest growing segment in the pharmaceutical industry. As is the case with all proteins, biologics are susceptible to denature or to aggregate; conditions that, if present, preclude their use as pharmaceuticals. Identifying the solvent conditions that maximize their structural stability is crucial during development. Since the structural stability of a protein is susceptible to different chemical and physical conditions, the use of several complementary techniques can be expected to provide the best answers. Stability measurements that rely on temperature or chemical [urea or guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl)] denaturation have been the preferred ones in research laboratories and together provide a thorough evaluation of protein stability. In this review, we will discuss chemical denaturation as a tool in the optimization of formulation conditions for biologics, and how chemical denaturation complements the role of thermal denaturation for this purpose. PMID:23796912

Quantitative multimodality imaging in cancer research and therapy.

PubMed

Yankeelov, Thomas E; Abramson, Richard G; Quarles, C Chad

2014-11-01

Advances in hardware and software have enabled the realization of clinically feasible, quantitative multimodality imaging of tissue pathophysiology. Earlier efforts relating to multimodality imaging of cancer have focused on the integration of anatomical and functional characteristics, such as PET-CT and single-photon emission CT (SPECT-CT), whereas more-recent advances and applications have involved the integration of multiple quantitative, functional measurements (for example, multiple PET tracers, varied MRI contrast mechanisms, and PET-MRI), thereby providing a more-comprehensive characterization of the tumour phenotype. The enormous amount of complementary quantitative data generated by such studies is beginning to offer unique insights into opportunities to optimize care for individual patients. Although important technical optimization and improved biological interpretation of multimodality imaging findings are needed, this approach can already be applied informatively in clinical trials of cancer therapeutics using existing tools. These concepts are discussed herein.

Noise and linearity optimization methods for a 1.9GHz low noise amplifier.

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Huang, Da-Quan

2003-01-01

Noise and linearity performances are critical characteristics for radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), especially for low noise amplifiers (LNAs). In this paper, a detailed analysis of noise and linearity for the cascode architecture, a widely used circuit structure in LNA designs, is presented. The noise and the linearity improvement techniques for cascode structures are also developed and have been proven by computer simulating experiments. Theoretical analysis and simulation results showed that, for cascode structure LNAs, the first metallic oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dominates the noise performance of the LNA, while the second MOSFET contributes more to the linearity. A conclusion is thus obtained that the first and second MOSFET of the LNA can be designed to optimize the noise performance and the linearity performance separately, without trade-offs. The 1.9GHz Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) LNA simulation results are also given as an application of the developed theory.

Survey of Conventional and Complementary and Alternative Therapy in Patients With Low Back Pain.

PubMed

O'Gara, Tadhg; Kemper, Kathi J; Birkedal, John; Curl, Walton; Miller, Neal; Abadie, Bryan

2016-01-01

Both conventional and alternative medical therapies are used by patients to treat low back pain, a condition that affects approximately 33% of the U.S. Little is known about patients' perceptions of conventional versus alternative therapies. Patients recruited from an orthopedic spine clinic completed surveys containing questions about their use of many conventional and alternative therapies. Patients rated perceived helpfulness, side effects, and their recommendation for each therapy. They also completed a questionnaire that detailed demographic information, stress, and pain. Questionnaires were completed by 166 patients. Conventional medications were used by 154 (95%) patients, most commonly acetaminophen and opioid derivatives. Alternative therapies were used by 159 (96%) patients, including therapeutic exercises, salves, supplements, and stress management techniques. Generally, patients reported that alternative therapies are more effective and have fewer side effects and would more likely recommend their use. These data can be used to counsel patients and guide future research.

Untangling the Diverse Interior and Multiple Exterior Guest Interactions of a Supramolecular Host by the Simultaneous Analysis of Complementary Observables.

PubMed

Sgarlata, Carmelo; Raymond, Kenneth N

2016-07-05

The entropic and enthalpic driving forces for encapsulation versus sequential exterior guest binding to the [Ga4L6](12-) supramolecular host in solution are very different, which significantly complicates the determination of these thermodynamic parameters. The simultaneous use of complementary techniques, such as NMR, UV-vis, and isothermal titration calorimetry, enables the disentanglement of such multiple host-guest interactions. Indeed, data collected by each technique measure different components of the host-guest equilibria and together provide a complete picture of the solution thermodynamics. Unfortunately, commercially available programs do not allow for global analysis of different physical observables. We thus resorted to a novel procedure for the simultaneous refinement of multiple parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°) by treating different observables through a weighted nonlinear least-squares analysis of a constrained model. The refinement procedure is discussed for the multiple binding of the Et4N(+) guest, but it is broadly applicable to the deconvolution of other intricate host-guest equilibria.

Monolithic Integration of a Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors Array on a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Chip for Biochemical Sensor Applications

PubMed Central

Livi, Paolo; Kwiat, Moria; Shadmani, Amir; Pevzner, Alexander; Navarra, Giulio; Rothe, Jörg; Stettler, Alexander; Chen, Yihui; Patolsky, Fernando; Hierlemann, Andreas

2017-01-01

We present a monolithic complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based sensor system comprising an array of silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and the signal-conditioning circuitry on the same chip. The silicon nanowires were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition methods and then transferred to the CMOS chip, where Ti/Pd/Ti contacts had been patterned via e-beam lithography. The on-chip circuitry measures the current flowing through each nanowire FET upon applying a constant source-drain voltage. The analog signal is digitized on chip and then transmitted to a receiving unit. The system has been successfully fabricated and tested by acquiring I−V curves of the bare nanowire-based FETs. Furthermore, the sensing capabilities of the complete system have been demonstrated by recording current changes upon nanowire exposure to solutions of different pHs, as well as by detecting different concentrations of Troponin T biomarkers (cTnT) through antibody-functionalized nanowire FETs. PMID:26348408

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for pregnancy related low back and/ or pelvic girdle pain: An online survey.

PubMed

Hughes, Ciara M; Liddle, S D; Sinclair, Marlene; McCullough, Julie E M

2018-05-01

Low back and pelvic girdle pain (LBPGP) is a common complaint among pregnant women, which increases throughout pregnancy and women use various complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to manage their pain. Using an online survey, CAM treatments used by pregnant women in the UK and their perceptions of these therapies to relieve LBPGP were investigated. 191 women completed the survey and 70% experienced LBPGP lasting more than one week. Over half of women who sought treatment from a GP or physiotherapist were dissatisfied. 25% of participants used CAM during pregnancy, the most popular being aromatherapy (21%), acupuncture (21%), and reflexology (15%). 81% of women used CAM to manage their LBPGP and 85% found it useful for pregnancy symptoms. Women experience high levels of pain during pregnancy with limited treatment options. Research into effective CAM treatments for LBPGP is required to allow women to make informed decisions regarding treatment options. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissecting the functional significance of non-catalytic carbohydrate binding modules in the deconstruction of plant cell walls

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

Hahn, Michael G.

The project seeks to investigate the mechanism by which CBMs potentiate the activity of glycoside hydrolases against complete plant cell walls. The project is based on the hypothesis that the wide range of CBMs present in bacterial enzymes maximize the potential target substrates by directing the cognate enzymes not only to different regions of a specific plant cell wall, but also increases the range of plant cell walls that can be degraded. In addition to maximizing substrate access, it was also proposed that CBMs can target specific subsets of hydrolases with complementary activities to the same region of the plantmore » cell wall, thereby maximizing the synergistic interactions between these enzymes. This synergy is based on the premise that the hydrolysis of a specific polysaccharide will increase the access of closely associated polymers to enzyme attack. In addition, it is unclear whether the catalytic module and appended CBM of modular enzymes have evolved unique complementary activities.« less

Dynamic covalent chemistry enables formation of antimicrobial peptide quaternary assemblies in a completely abiotic manner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuther, James F.; Dees, Justine L.; Kolesnichenko, Igor V.; Hernandez, Erik T.; Ukraintsev, Dmitri V.; Guduru, Rusheel; Whiteley, Marvin; Anslyn, Eric V.

2018-01-01

Naturally occurring peptides and proteins often use dynamic disulfide bonds to impart defined tertiary/quaternary structures for the formation of binding pockets with uniform size and function. Although peptide synthesis and modification are well established, controlling quaternary structure formation remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the facile incorporation of aryl aldehyde and acyl hydrazide functionalities into peptide oligomers via solid-phase copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SP-CuAAC) click reactions. When mixed, these complementary functional groups rapidly react in aqueous media at neutral pH to form peptide-peptide intermolecular macrocycles with highly tunable ring sizes. Moreover, sequence-specific figure-of-eight, dumbbell-shaped, zipper-like and multi-loop quaternary structures were formed selectively. Controlling the proportions of reacting peptides with mismatched numbers of complementary reactive groups results in the formation of higher-molecular-weight sequence-defined ladder polymers. This also amplified antimicrobial effectiveness in select cases. This strategy represents a general approach to the creation of complex abiotic peptide quaternary structures.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine among midlife Arab women living in Qatar

PubMed Central

Gerber, L.M.; Mamtani, R.; Chiu, Y-L.; Bener, A.; Murphy, M.; Cheema, S.; Verjee, M.

2015-01-01

The prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread and is growing worldwide. This cross-sectional study in Qatar examined the use of CAM and its correlates among Arab women in their midlife years. Women aged 40–60 years (n = 814) were recruited at primary health-care centres in Qatar and completed a specially designed, pre-tested questionnaire. Overall, 38.2% of midlife women in Qatar had used CAM in the previous 12 months. Nutritional remedies and herbal remedies were the most commonly used CAM therapies, followed by physical methods. Qatari nationality and higher level of education were independently associated with CAM use. Menopause transition status was not independently associated with use of CAM. The prevalence of CAM use by women in Qatar was high, consistent with other reports worldwide. It is essential to educate and inform patients and health-care providers about the benefits and limitations associated with CAM. PMID:25343468

Spirituality predicts outcome independently of expectancy following flower essence self-treatment.

PubMed

Hyland, Michael E; Geraghty, Adam W A; Joy, Oliver E T; Turner, Scott I

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether absorption and spirituality predict the placebo response independently of expectancy. This was an open study of self-treatment with self-selected Bach flower essences. Participants' expectancy of the effect of flower essences, attitudes to complementary medicine, holistic health beliefs, absorption, and spirituality were measured prior to treatment. One month after the start of treatment, participants responded to an e-mail enquiry about symptom change using a single seven-point change scale. One hundred sixteen participants (97 university undergraduates and 19 staff) completed all assessments. Spirituality and absorption together predicted additional variance compared with a cluster of expectancy measures comprising expectancy, attitude to complementary medicine, and holistic beliefs (increment in R(2)=.042, P=.032), and spirituality alone (but not absorption alone) predicted more additional variance than did the expectancy cluster (increment in R(2)=.043, P=.014). Our data are inconsistent with conventional explanations for the placebo effect. The mechanism underlying the placebo response is not fully understood.

Complementary and alternative medicine usage by patients of a dental school clinic.

PubMed

Spector, Michael L; Fischer, Mark; Dawson, Deborah V; Holmes, David C; Kummet, Colleen; Nisly, Nicole L; Baker, Karen A K

2012-01-01

This pilot study investigated the prevalence and specific reasons for usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients of a dental school clinic. Four hundred and two patients completed a 30-page survey on CAM usage. A higher rate of CAM usage was found in this dental school clinic population than rates previously reported in a general population. More than three-quarters (76.1%) of the respondents reported using at least one CAM treatment in the past 12 months; 93.3% reported using at least one CAM treatment at some time in their lives. High rates of chiropractic use were found in this population. Tooth pain was the most frequently reported dental condition motivating CAM use. About 10% of dental school clinic patients use topical oral herbal and/or natural products to treat dental conditions, most frequently for preventive/oral health reasons or for tooth pain. © 2012 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Monolithic integration of a silicon nanowire field-effect transistors array on a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chip for biochemical sensor applications.

PubMed

Livi, Paolo; Kwiat, Moria; Shadmani, Amir; Pevzner, Alexander; Navarra, Giulio; Rothe, Jörg; Stettler, Alexander; Chen, Yihui; Patolsky, Fernando; Hierlemann, Andreas

2015-10-06

We present a monolithic complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based sensor system comprising an array of silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and the signal-conditioning circuitry on the same chip. The silicon nanowires were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition methods and then transferred to the CMOS chip, where Ti/Pd/Ti contacts had been patterned via e-beam lithography. The on-chip circuitry measures the current flowing through each nanowire FET upon applying a constant source-drain voltage. The analog signal is digitized on chip and then transmitted to a receiving unit. The system has been successfully fabricated and tested by acquiring I-V curves of the bare nanowire-based FETs. Furthermore, the sensing capabilities of the complete system have been demonstrated by recording current changes upon nanowire exposure to solutions of different pHs, as well as by detecting different concentrations of Troponin T biomarkers (cTnT) through antibody-functionalized nanowire FETs.

Attitudes toward and education about complementary and alternative medicine among adult patients with depression in Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsu, Mei-Chi; Moyle, Wendy; Creedy, Debra; Venturato, Lorraine; Ouyang, Wen-Chen; Sun, Gwo-Ching

2010-04-01

To investigate patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine, the education nurses provided about complementary and alternative medicine for treating depression and to test whether such education mediates the effect of complementary and alternative medicine use and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Although we know that attitudes influence behaviour, very few studies simultaneously explore the relationship between attitudes, education and complementary and alternative medicine use. Survey. This study was conducted as part of a larger survey, using face-to-face survey interviews with 206 adult patients aged 50 years or over and hospitalised in conventional hospitals in Taiwan for treatment of depression. The attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and patient education about complementary and alternative medicine instruments were specially developed for the study. Participants expressed slightly favourable attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Many participants (50%) expressed that they were willing to try any potential treatment for depression. They believed that complementary and alternative medicine helped them to feel better and to live a happier life. However, 66.5% of participants reported that they had inadequate knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine. Participants with a higher monthly income, longer depression duration and religious beliefs hold more positive attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Most participants were not satisfied with the education they received about complementary and alternative medicine. Patient education about complementary and alternative medicine was found to be a mediator for the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Patient education from nurses may predict patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Continuing nursing education is needed to enable nurses to respond knowledgeably to concerns patients may have about complementary and alternative medicine and treatment options. This study highlights the potential role of patient education about complementary and alternative medicine as an effective way of adjusting patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and to link both patients' preferences for complementary and alternative medicine and health professionals' concerns about the proper use of complementary and alternative medicine for depression management and adverse drug interactions.

Comparison of Feeding Practices in Infants in the WIC Supplemental Nutrition Program Who Were Enrolled in Child Care as Opposed to Those with Parent Care Only.

PubMed

Kim, Juhee; Mathai, Rose Ann

2015-09-01

The environment or setting to which an infant is exposed is crucial to establishing healthy eating habits and to preventing obesity. This study aimed to compare infant feeding practices and complementary food type between parent care (PC) and childcare (CC) settings among infants receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This study sampled 105 dyads of mothers and infants between 2 to 8 months of age from a WIC office in Central Illinois. Mothers completed a cross-sectional survey to assess their infant feeding practices and demographic characteristics. CC was defined as infants receiving 10 hours or more per week of care from a nonparental caregiver. Almost half of the infants (44%) were enrolled in CC. Infants in CC had an average of 29 hours of care per week compared with 0.64 hours in the PC group (p<0.01). There were no differences between the two groups in age, sex, race/ethnicity, preterm birth, and birth weight. Overall, there were no significant differences in breastfeeding initiation and duration. The average age at formula introduction was earlier for PC infants (0.90 ± 1.16 months) than for CC infants (1.66 ± 1.64 months) (p = 0.03). PC infants stopped breastfeeding at 1.96 ± 1.15 months compared with 2.31 ± 1.64 months for CC infants (p = 0.080). Among complementary foods introduced to infants, the primary food type was infant cereal, followed by baby food of fruits and vegetables, 100% fruit juice, and meat-based baby food. The timing of introduction and the types of complementary foods were similar between study groups. CC use is not a significant influence on breastfeeding rates, introduction of complementary foods, and types of complementary foods; however, it does influence when formula is introduced. The findings support the need for infant nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion targeting WIC mothers, regardless of their pattern of CC.

Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Optimization Frameworks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naiman, Cynthia Gutierrez

2009-01-01

Since July 2008, the Multidisciplinary Analysis & Optimization Working Group (MDAO WG) of the Systems Analysis Design & Optimization (SAD&O) discipline in the Fundamental Aeronautics Program s Subsonic Fixed Wing (SFW) project completed one major milestone, Define Architecture & Interfaces for Next Generation Open Source MDAO Framework Milestone (9/30/08), and is completing the Generation 1 Framework validation milestone, which is due December 2008. Included in the presentation are: details of progress on developing the Open MDAO framework, modeling and testing the Generation 1 Framework, progress toward establishing partnerships with external parties, and discussion of additional potential collaborations

Prevalence of E/A wave fusion and A wave truncation in DDD pacemaker patients with complete AV block under nominal AV intervals.

PubMed

Poller, Wolfram C; Dreger, Henryk; Schwerg, Marius; Melzer, Christoph

2015-01-01

Optimization of the AV-interval (AVI) in DDD pacemakers improves cardiac hemodynamics and reduces pacemaker syndromes. Manual optimization is typically not performed in clinical routine. In the present study we analyze the prevalence of E/A wave fusion and A wave truncation under resting conditions in 160 patients with complete AV block (AVB) under the pre-programmed AVI. We manually optimized sub-optimal AVI. We analyzed 160 pacemaker patients with complete AVB, both in sinus rhythm (AV-sense; n = 129) and under atrial pacing (AV-pace; n = 31). Using Doppler analyses of the transmitral inflow we classified the nominal AVI as: a) normal, b) too long (E/A wave fusion) or c) too short (A wave truncation). In patients with a sub-optimal AVI, we performed manual optimization according to the recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography. All AVB patients with atrial pacing exhibited a normal transmitral inflow under the nominal AV-pace intervals (100%). In contrast, 25 AVB patients in sinus rhythm showed E/A wave fusion under the pre-programmed AV-sense intervals (19.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.6-26.2%). A wave truncations were not observed in any patient. All patients with a complete E/A wave fusion achieved a normal transmitral inflow after AV-sense interval reduction (mean optimized AVI: 79.4 ± 13.6 ms). Given the rate of 19.4% (CI 12.6-26.2%) of patients with a too long nominal AV-sense interval, automatic algorithms may prove useful in improving cardiac hemodynamics, especially in the subgroup of atrially triggered pacemaker patients with AV node diseases.

Euclid Mission: Mapping the Geometry of the Dark Universe. Mission and Consortium Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Jason

2011-01-01

Euclid concept: (1) High-precision survey mission to map the geometry of the Dark Universe (2) Optimized for two complementary cosmological probes: (2a) Weak Gravitational Lensing (2b) Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (2c) Additional probes: clusters, redshift space distortions, ISW (3) Full extragalactic sky survey with 1.2m telescope at L2: (3a) Imaging: (3a-1) High precision imaging at visible wavelengths (3a-2) Photometry/Imaging in the near-infrared (3b) Near Infrared Spectroscopy (4) Synergy with ground based surveys (5) Legacy science for a wide range of in astronomy

Computational design of environmental sensors for the potent opioid fentanyl

DOE PAGES

Bick, Matthew J.; Greisen, Per J.; Morey, Kevin J.; ...

2017-09-19

Here, we describe the computational design of proteins that bind the potent analgesic fentanyl. Our approach employs a fast docking algorithm to find shape complementary ligand placement in protein scaffolds, followed by design of the surrounding residues to optimize binding affinity. Co-crystal structures of the highest affinity binder reveal a highly preorganized binding site, and an overall architecture and ligand placement in close agreement with the design model. We also use the designs to generate plant sensors for fentanyl by coupling ligand binding to design stability. The method should be generally useful for detecting toxic hydrophobic compounds in the environment.

Computational design of environmental sensors for the potent opioid fentanyl

PubMed Central

Morey, Kevin J; Antunes, Mauricio S; La, David; Sankaran, Banumathi; Reymond, Luc; Johnsson, Kai; Medford, June I

2017-01-01

We describe the computational design of proteins that bind the potent analgesic fentanyl. Our approach employs a fast docking algorithm to find shape complementary ligand placement in protein scaffolds, followed by design of the surrounding residues to optimize binding affinity. Co-crystal structures of the highest affinity binder reveal a highly preorganized binding site, and an overall architecture and ligand placement in close agreement with the design model. We use the designs to generate plant sensors for fentanyl by coupling ligand binding to design stability. The method should be generally useful for detecting toxic hydrophobic compounds in the environment. PMID:28925919

Computational design of environmental sensors for the potent opioid fentanyl

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

Bick, Matthew J.; Greisen, Per J.; Morey, Kevin J.

Here, we describe the computational design of proteins that bind the potent analgesic fentanyl. Our approach employs a fast docking algorithm to find shape complementary ligand placement in protein scaffolds, followed by design of the surrounding residues to optimize binding affinity. Co-crystal structures of the highest affinity binder reveal a highly preorganized binding site, and an overall architecture and ligand placement in close agreement with the design model. We also use the designs to generate plant sensors for fentanyl by coupling ligand binding to design stability. The method should be generally useful for detecting toxic hydrophobic compounds in the environment.

An overview of CAM: components and clinical uses.

PubMed

Kiefer, David; Pitluk, Jessica; Klunk, Kathryn

2009-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), more recently known as integrative health or integrative medicine, is a diverse field comprising numerous treatments and practitioners of various levels of training. This review defines several of the main CAM modalities and reviews some of the research relevant to their clinical application. The goal is to provide healthcare providers with a basic understanding of CAM to start the incorporation of proven treatments into their clinical practice as well as guide them to working with CAM providers; ultimately, such knowledge is a fundamental part of a collaborative approach to optimal patient health and wellness.

Diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Taruc-Uy, Rafaelani L; Lynch, Scott A

2013-12-01

Osteoarthritis presents in primary and secondary forms. The primary, or idiopathic, form occurs in previously intact joints without any inciting agent, whereas the secondary form is caused by underlying predisposing factors (eg, trauma). The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is primarily based on thorough history and physical examination findings, with or without radiographic evidence. Although some patients may be asymptomatic initially, the most common symptom is pain. Treatment options are generally classified as pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, surgical, and complementary and/or alternative, typically used in combination to achieve optimal results. The goals of treatment are alleviation of symptoms and improvement in functional status. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The effects of aircraft design on STOL ride quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, C. R.; Jacobson, I. D.

1975-01-01

Effects of aircraft dynamic characteristics on passenger ride quality are investigated to determine ride-quality isocontours similar to aircraft handling-qualities contours. Measurements are made on a moving-base simulator while varying the aircraft short-period and Dutch Roll frequencies and dampings. Both pilot ratings and subjective ride-quality ratings are obtained during flight. Ride and handling qualities were found to be complementary for the Dutch Roll mode, but not for the short-period mode. Regions of optimal ride and handling qualities are defined for the short-period mode, and the effects of turbulence levels studied.

Comparison of particle swarm optimization and simulated annealing for locating additional boreholes considering combined variance minimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltani-Mohammadi, Saeed; Safa, Mohammad; Mokhtari, Hadi

2016-10-01

One of the most important stages in complementary exploration is optimal designing the additional drilling pattern or defining the optimum number and location of additional boreholes. Quite a lot research has been carried out in this regard in which for most of the proposed algorithms, kriging variance minimization as a criterion for uncertainty assessment is defined as objective function and the problem could be solved through optimization methods. Although kriging variance implementation is known to have many advantages in objective function definition, it is not sensitive to local variability. As a result, the only factors evaluated for locating the additional boreholes are initial data configuration and variogram model parameters and the effects of local variability are omitted. In this paper, with the goal of considering the local variability in boundaries uncertainty assessment, the application of combined variance is investigated to define the objective function. Thus in order to verify the applicability of the proposed objective function, it is used to locate the additional boreholes in Esfordi phosphate mine through the implementation of metaheuristic optimization methods such as simulated annealing and particle swarm optimization. Comparison of results from the proposed objective function and conventional methods indicates that the new changes imposed on the objective function has caused the algorithm output to be sensitive to the variations of grade, domain's boundaries and the thickness of mineralization domain. The comparison between the results of different optimization algorithms proved that for the presented case the application of particle swarm optimization is more appropriate than simulated annealing.

Universal field matching in craniospinal irradiation by a background-dose gradient-optimized method.

PubMed

Traneus, Erik; Bizzocchi, Nicola; Fellin, Francesco; Rombi, Barbara; Farace, Paolo

2018-01-01

The gradient-optimized methods are overcoming the traditional feathering methods to plan field junctions in craniospinal irradiation. In this note, a new gradient-optimized technique, based on the use of a background dose, is described. Treatment planning was performed by RayStation (RaySearch Laboratories, Stockholm, Sweden) on the CT scans of a pediatric patient. Both proton (by pencil beam scanning) and photon (by volumetric modulated arc therapy) treatments were planned with three isocenters. An 'in silico' ideal background dose was created first to cover the upper-spinal target and to produce a perfect dose gradient along the upper and lower junction regions. Using it as background, the cranial and the lower-spinal beams were planned by inverse optimization to obtain dose coverage of their relevant targets and of the junction volumes. Finally, the upper-spinal beam was inversely planned after removal of the background dose and with the previously optimized beams switched on. In both proton and photon plans, the optimized cranial and the lower-spinal beams produced a perfect linear gradient in the junction regions, complementary to that produced by the optimized upper-spinal beam. The final dose distributions showed a homogeneous coverage of the targets. Our simple technique allowed to obtain high-quality gradients in the junction region. Such technique universally works for photons as well as protons and could be applicable to the TPSs that allow to manage a background dose. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Road screening and distribution route multi-objective robust optimization for hazardous materials based on neural network and genetic algorithm.

PubMed

Ma, Changxi; Hao, Wei; Pan, Fuquan; Xiang, Wang

2018-01-01

Route optimization of hazardous materials transportation is one of the basic steps in ensuring the safety of hazardous materials transportation. The optimization scheme may be a security risk if road screening is not completed before the distribution route is optimized. For road screening issues of hazardous materials transportation, a road screening algorithm of hazardous materials transportation is built based on genetic algorithm and Levenberg-Marquardt neural network (GA-LM-NN) by analyzing 15 attributes data of each road network section. A multi-objective robust optimization model with adjustable robustness is constructed for the hazardous materials transportation problem of single distribution center to minimize transportation risk and time. A multi-objective genetic algorithm is designed to solve the problem according to the characteristics of the model. The algorithm uses an improved strategy to complete the selection operation, applies partial matching cross shift and single ortho swap methods to complete the crossover and mutation operation, and employs an exclusive method to construct Pareto optimal solutions. Studies show that the sets of hazardous materials transportation road can be found quickly through the proposed road screening algorithm based on GA-LM-NN, whereas the distribution route Pareto solutions with different levels of robustness can be found rapidly through the proposed multi-objective robust optimization model and algorithm.

On the optimization of Gaussian basis sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersson, George A.; Zhong, Shijun; Montgomery, John A.; Frisch, Michael J.

2003-01-01

A new procedure for the optimization of the exponents, αj, of Gaussian basis functions, Ylm(ϑ,φ)rle-αjr2, is proposed and evaluated. The direct optimization of the exponents is hindered by the very strong coupling between these nonlinear variational parameters. However, expansion of the logarithms of the exponents in the orthonormal Legendre polynomials, Pk, of the index, j: ln αj=∑k=0kmaxAkPk((2j-2)/(Nprim-1)-1), yields a new set of well-conditioned parameters, Ak, and a complete sequence of well-conditioned exponent optimizations proceeding from the even-tempered basis set (kmax=1) to a fully optimized basis set (kmax=Nprim-1). The error relative to the exact numerical self-consistent field limit for a six-term expansion is consistently no more than 25% larger than the error for the completely optimized basis set. Thus, there is no need to optimize more than six well-conditioned variational parameters, even for the largest sets of Gaussian primitives.

Approaches to linear local gauge-invariant observables in inflationary cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fröb, Markus B.; Hack, Thomas-Paul; Khavkine, Igor

2018-06-01

We review and relate two recent complementary constructions of linear local gauge-invariant observables for cosmological perturbations in generic spatially flat single-field inflationary cosmologies. After briefly discussing their physical significance, we give explicit, covariant and mutually invertible transformations between the two sets of observables, thus resolving any doubts about their equivalence. In this way, we get a geometric interpretation and show the completeness of both sets of observables, while previously each of these properties was available only for one of them.

Method and Apparatus for Performance Optimization Through Physical Perturbation of Task Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III (Inventor); Pope, Alan T. (Inventor); Palsson, Olafur S. (Inventor); Turner, Marsha J. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The invention is an apparatus and method of biofeedback training for attaining a physiological state optimally consistent with the successful performance of a task, wherein the probability of successfully completing the task is made is inversely proportional to a physiological difference value, computed as the absolute value of the difference between at least one physiological signal optimally consistent with the successful performance of the task and at least one corresponding measured physiological signal of a trainee performing the task. The probability of successfully completing the task is made inversely proportional to the physiological difference value by making one or more measurable physical attributes of the environment in which the task is performed, and upon which completion of the task depends, vary in inverse proportion to the physiological difference value.

A complementary mobile phase approach based on the peak count concept oriented to the full resolution of complex mixtures.

PubMed

Ortín, A; Torres-Lapasió, J R; García-Álvarez-Coque, M C

2011-08-26

Situations of minimal resolution are often found in liquid chromatography, when samples that contain a large number of compounds, or highly similar in terms of structure and/or polarity, are analysed. This makes full resolution with a single separation condition (e.g., mobile phase, gradient or column) unfeasible. In this work, the optimisation of the resolution of such samples in reversed-phase liquid chromatography is approached using two or more isocratic mobile phases with a complementary resolution behaviour (complementary mobile phases, CMPs). Each mobile phase is dedicated to the separation of a group of compounds. The CMPs are selected in such a way that, when the separation is considered globally, all the compounds in the sample are satisfactorily resolved. The search of optimal CMPs can be carried out through a comprehensive examination of the mobile phases in a selected domain. The computation time of this search has been reported to be substantially reduced by application of a genetic algorithm with local search (LOGA). A much simpler approach is here described, which is accessible to non-experts in programming, and offers solutions of the same quality as LOGA, with a similar computation time. The approach makes a sequential search of CMPs based on the peak count concept, which is the number of peaks exceeding a pre-established resolution threshold. The new approach is described using as test sample a mixture of 30 probe compounds, 23 of them with an ionisable character, and the pH and organic solvent contents as experimental factors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel fluorescent DNA sensor for ultrasensitive detection of Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Liu, Ziping; Su, Xingguang

2017-01-15

In this work, a novel fluorescent DNA sensor for ultrasensitive detection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) DNA was developed. This strategy took advantage of DNA hybridization between single-stranded DNA (ssDNA, which had been designed as an aptamer specific for H. pylori DNA) and the complementary target H. pylori DNA, and the feature that ssDNA bound to graphene oxide (GO) with significantly higher affinity than double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). ssDNA were firstly covalent conjugated with CuInS 2 quantum dots (QDs) by reaction between the carboxy group of QDs and amino group modified ssDNA, forming ssDNA-QDs genosensor. In the absence of the complementary target H. pylori DNA, GO could adsorb ssDNA-QDs DNA sensor and efficiently quench the fluorescence of ssDNA-QDs. While the complementary target H. pylori DNA was introduced, the ssDNA-QDs preferentially bound with the H. pylori DNA. The formation of dsDNA would alter the conformation of ssDNA and disturb the interaction between ssDNA and GO. Thus, the dsDNA-QDs/GO system exhibited a stronger fluorescence emission than that of the ssDNA-QDs/GO system. Under the optimized conditions, a linear correlation was established between the fluorescence intensity ratio I/I 0 and the concentration of H. pylori DNA in the range of 1.25-875pmolL -1 with a detection limit of 0.46pmolL -1 . The proposed method was applied to the determination of H. pylori DNA sequence in milk samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One Big Happy Family? Unraveling the Relationship between Shared Perceptions of Team Psychological Contracts, Person-Team Fit and Team Performance.

PubMed

Gibbard, Katherine; Griep, Yannick; De Cooman, Rein; Hoffart, Genevieve; Onen, Denis; Zareipour, Hamidreza

2017-01-01

With the knowledge that team work is not always associated with high(er) performance, we draw from the Multi-Level Theory of Psychological Contracts, Person-Environment Fit Theory, and Optimal Distinctiveness Theory to study shared perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breach in relation to shared perceptions of complementary and supplementary fit to explain why some teams perform better than other teams. We collected three repeated survey measures in a sample of 128 respondents across 46 teams. After having made sure that we met all statistical criteria, we aggregated our focal variables to the team-level and analyzed our data by means of a longitudinal three-wave autoregressive moderated-mediation model in which each relationship was one-time lag apart. We found that shared perceptions of PC breach were directly negatively related to team output and negatively related to perceived team member effectiveness through a decrease in shared perceptions of supplementary fit. However, we also demonstrated a beneficial process in that shared perceptions of PC breach were positively related to shared perceptions of complementary fit, which in turn were positively related to team output. Moreover, best team output appeared in teams that could combine high shared perceptions of complementary fit with modest to high shared perceptions of supplementary fit. Overall, our findings seem to indicate that in terms of team output there may be a bright side to perceptions of PC breach and that perceived person-team fit may play an important role in this process.

One Big Happy Family? Unraveling the Relationship between Shared Perceptions of Team Psychological Contracts, Person-Team Fit and Team Performance

PubMed Central

Gibbard, Katherine; Griep, Yannick; De Cooman, Rein; Hoffart, Genevieve; Onen, Denis; Zareipour, Hamidreza

2017-01-01

With the knowledge that team work is not always associated with high(er) performance, we draw from the Multi-Level Theory of Psychological Contracts, Person-Environment Fit Theory, and Optimal Distinctiveness Theory to study shared perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breach in relation to shared perceptions of complementary and supplementary fit to explain why some teams perform better than other teams. We collected three repeated survey measures in a sample of 128 respondents across 46 teams. After having made sure that we met all statistical criteria, we aggregated our focal variables to the team-level and analyzed our data by means of a longitudinal three-wave autoregressive moderated-mediation model in which each relationship was one-time lag apart. We found that shared perceptions of PC breach were directly negatively related to team output and negatively related to perceived team member effectiveness through a decrease in shared perceptions of supplementary fit. However, we also demonstrated a beneficial process in that shared perceptions of PC breach were positively related to shared perceptions of complementary fit, which in turn were positively related to team output. Moreover, best team output appeared in teams that could combine high shared perceptions of complementary fit with modest to high shared perceptions of supplementary fit. Overall, our findings seem to indicate that in terms of team output there may be a bright side to perceptions of PC breach and that perceived person-team fit may play an important role in this process. PMID:29170648

Complementary and Conventional Medicine Use Among Youth With Recurrent Headaches

PubMed Central

Kemper, Kathi J.; Gombojav, Narangerel; Koch, Thomas K.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To identify prevalence and patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among youth with recurrent headaches (HA) and evaluate associations with co-occurring health problems and limitations as well as with the use and expenditures for conventional medical care. METHODS: Variables were constructed for youth aged 10 to 17 by using linked data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey and the 2008 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. Bivariate, logistic, and 2-part regression analyses were used. RESULTS: Of the 10.6% of youth experiencing HA, 29.6% used CAM, rising to 41% for the many HA sufferers who also experienced difficulties with emotions, concentration, behavior, school attendance, or daily activities. Biologically based products (16.2%) and mind-body therapies (13.3%) were most commonly used, especially by the 86.4% of youth with HA experiencing at least 1 other chronic condition. Compared with non-CAM users, youth with HA who used CAM also had higher expenditures for and use of most types of conventional care. CONCLUSIONS: CAM use is most common among youth with HA experiencing multiple chronic conditions and difficulties in daily functioning. Associations among CAM use, multiple chronic conditions, and higher use of conventional care highlight the need for medical providers to routinely ask about CAM use to meet the complex health needs of their patients and facilitate the optimal integration of care. Research is needed to identify models for coordinating complementary and conventional care within a medical home and to understand the health benefits or risks associated with CAM use in conjunction with conventional treatments for patients with HA. PMID:24127466

Evidence for composite cost functions in arm movement planning: an inverse optimal control approach.

PubMed

Berret, Bastien; Chiovetto, Enrico; Nori, Francesco; Pozzo, Thierry

2011-10-01

An important issue in motor control is understanding the basic principles underlying the accomplishment of natural movements. According to optimal control theory, the problem can be stated in these terms: what cost function do we optimize to coordinate the many more degrees of freedom than necessary to fulfill a specific motor goal? This question has not received a final answer yet, since what is optimized partly depends on the requirements of the task. Many cost functions were proposed in the past, and most of them were found to be in agreement with experimental data. Therefore, the actual principles on which the brain relies to achieve a certain motor behavior are still unclear. Existing results might suggest that movements are not the results of the minimization of single but rather of composite cost functions. In order to better clarify this last point, we consider an innovative experimental paradigm characterized by arm reaching with target redundancy. Within this framework, we make use of an inverse optimal control technique to automatically infer the (combination of) optimality criteria that best fit the experimental data. Results show that the subjects exhibited a consistent behavior during each experimental condition, even though the target point was not prescribed in advance. Inverse and direct optimal control together reveal that the average arm trajectories were best replicated when optimizing the combination of two cost functions, nominally a mix between the absolute work of torques and the integrated squared joint acceleration. Our results thus support the cost combination hypothesis and demonstrate that the recorded movements were closely linked to the combination of two complementary functions related to mechanical energy expenditure and joint-level smoothness.

Streamlined approach to high-quality purification and identification of compound series using high-resolution MS and NMR.

PubMed

Mühlebach, Anneke; Adam, Joachim; Schön, Uwe

2011-11-01

Automated medicinal chemistry (parallel chemistry) has become an integral part of the drug-discovery process in almost every large pharmaceutical company. Parallel array synthesis of individual organic compounds has been used extensively to generate diverse structural libraries to support different phases of the drug-discovery process, such as hit-to-lead, lead finding, or lead optimization. In order to guarantee effective project support, efficiency in the production of compound libraries has been maximized. As a consequence, also throughput in chromatographic purification and analysis has been adapted. As a recent trend, more laboratories are preparing smaller, yet more focused libraries with even increasing demands towards quality, i.e. optimal purity and unambiguous confirmation of identity. This paper presents an automated approach how to combine effective purification and structural conformation of a lead optimization library created by microwave-assisted organic synthesis. The results of complementary analytical techniques such as UHPLC-HRMS and NMR are not only regarded but even merged for fast and easy decision making, providing optimal quality of compound stock. In comparison with the previous procedures, throughput times are at least four times faster, while compound consumption could be decreased more than threefold. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dispositional and Explanatory Style Optimism as Potential Moderators of the Relationship between Hopelessness and Suicidal Ideation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, Jameson K.; Conner, Kenneth R.

2006-01-01

To test the hypothesis that higher levels of optimism reduce the association between hopelessness and suicidal ideation, 284 college students completed self-report measures of optimism and Beck scales for hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and depression. A statistically significant interaction between hopelessness and one measure of optimism was…

Marine Steam Condenser Design Optimization.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

to make design decisions to obtain a feasible design. CONNIN, as do most optimizers, requires complete control in determining all iterative design...neutralize all the places where such design decisions are made. By removing the ability for CONDIP to make any design decisions it became totally passive...dependent on CONNIN for design decisions , does not have that capability. Pemeabering that CONHIN requires a complete once-through analysis in order to

Complementary feeding at 4 versus 6 months of age for preterm infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation: a randomised, open-label, multicentre trial.

PubMed

Gupta, Shuchita; Agarwal, Ramesh; Aggarwal, Kailash Chandra; Chellani, Harish; Duggal, Anil; Arya, Sugandha; Bhatia, Sunita; Sankar, Mari Jeeva; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Jain, Vandana; Gupta, Arun Kumar; Deorari, Ashok K; Paul, Vinod K

2017-05-01

Evidence on the optimal time to initiation of complementary feeding in preterm infants is scarce. We examined the effect of initiation of complementary feeding at 4 months versus 6 months of corrected age on weight for age at 12 months corrected age in preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation. In this open-label, randomised trial, we enrolled infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation with no major malformation from three public health facilities in India. Eligible infants were tracked from birth and randomly assigned (1:1) at 4 months corrected age to receive complementary feeding at 4 months corrected age (4 month group), or continuation of milk feeding and initiation of complementary feeding at 6 months corrected age (6 month group), using computer generated randomisation schedule of variable block size, stratified by gestation (30 weeks or less, and 31-33 weeks). Iron supplementation was provided as standard. Participants and the implementation team could not be masked to group assignment, but outcome assessors were masked. Primary outcome was weight for age Z-score at 12 months corrected age (WAZ 12 ) based on WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study growth standards. Analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India, number CTRI/2012/11/003149. Between March 20, 2013, and April 24, 2015, 403 infants were randomly assigned: 206 to receive complementary feeding from 4 months and 197 to receive complementary feeding from 6 months. 22 infants in the 4 month group (four deaths, two withdrawals, 16 lost to follow-up) and eight infants in the 6 month group (two deaths, six lost to follow-up) were excluded from analysis of primary outcome. There was no difference in WAZ 12 between two groups: -1·6 (SD 1·2) in the 4 month group versus -1·6 (SD 1·3) in the 6 month group (mean difference 0·005, 95% CI -0·24 to 0·25; p=0·965). There were more hospital admissions in the 4 month group compared with the 6 month group: 2·5 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 4 month group versus 1·4 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 6 month group (incidence rate ratio 1·8, 95% CI 1·0-3·1, p=0·03). 34 (18%) of 188 infants in the 4 month group required hospital admission, compared with 18 (9%) of 192 infants in the 6 month group. Although there was no evidence of effect for the primary endpoint of WAZ 12 , the higher rate of hospital admission in the 4 month group suggests a recommendation to initiate complementary feeding at 6 months over 4 months of corrected age in infants less than 34 weeks of gestation. Indian Council of Medical Research supported the study until Nov 14, 2015. Subsequently, Shuchita Gupta's salary was supported for 2 months by an institute fellowship from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, and a grant by Wellcome Trust thereafter. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Topology optimization of 3D shell structures with porous infill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clausen, Anders; Andreassen, Erik; Sigmund, Ole

2017-08-01

This paper presents a 3D topology optimization approach for designing shell structures with a porous or void interior. It is shown that the resulting structures are significantly more robust towards load perturbations than completely solid structures optimized under the same conditions. The study indicates that the potential benefit of using porous structures is higher for lower total volume fractions. Compared to earlier work dealing with 2D topology optimization, we found several new effects in 3D problems. Most notably, the opportunity for designing closed shells significantly improves the performance of porous structures due to the sandwich effect. Furthermore, the paper introduces improved filter boundary conditions to ensure a completely uniform coating thickness at the design domain boundary.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by pediatric patients with functional and organic gastrointestinal diseases: results from a multicenter survey.

PubMed

Vlieger, Arine M; Blink, Marjolein; Tromp, Ellen; Benninga, Marc A

2008-08-01

Many pediatric patients use complementary and alternative medicine, especially when facing a chronic illness for which treatment options are limited. So far, research on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with functional gastrointestinal disease has been scarce. This study was designed to assess complementary and alternative medicine use in children with different gastrointestinal diseases, including functional disorders, to determine which factors predicted complementary and alternative medicine use and to assess the willingness of parents to participate in future studies on complementary and alternative medicine efficacy and safety. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use was assessed by using a questionnaire for 749 children visiting pediatric gastroenterology clinics of 9 hospitals in the Netherlands. The questionnaire consisted of 35 questions on the child's gastrointestinal disease, medication use, health status, past and future complementary and alternative medicine use, reasons for its use, and the necessity of complementary and alternative medicine research. In this study population, the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine use was 37.6%. A total of 60.3% of this group had used complementary and alternative medicine specifically for their gastrointestinal disease. This specific complementary and alternative medicine use was higher in patients with functional disorders than organic disorders (25.3% vs 17.2%). Adverse effects of allopathic medication, school absenteeism, age

Comparison of traditional trigger tool to data warehouse based screening for identifying hospital adverse events.

PubMed

O'Leary, Kevin J; Devisetty, Vikram K; Patel, Amitkumar R; Malkenson, David; Sama, Pradeep; Thompson, William K; Landler, Matthew P; Barnard, Cynthia; Williams, Mark V

2013-02-01

Research supports medical record review using screening triggers as the optimal method to detect hospital adverse events (AE), yet the method is labour-intensive. This study compared a traditional trigger tool with an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) based screening method to detect AEs. We created 51 automated queries based on 33 traditional triggers from prior research, and then applied them to 250 randomly selected medical patients hospitalised between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010. Two physicians each abstracted records from half the patients using a traditional trigger tool and then performed targeted abstractions for patients with positive EDW queries in the complementary half of the sample. A third physician confirmed presence of AEs and assessed preventability and severity. Traditional trigger tool and EDW based screening identified 54 (22%) and 53 (21%) patients with one or more AE. Overall, 140 (56%) patients had one or more positive EDW screens (total 366 positive screens). Of the 137 AEs detected by at least one method, 86 (63%) were detected by a traditional trigger tool, 97 (71%) by EDW based screening and 46 (34%) by both methods. Of the 11 total preventable AEs, 6 (55%) were detected by traditional trigger tool, 7 (64%) by EDW based screening and 2 (18%) by both methods. Of the 43 total serious AEs, 28 (65%) were detected by traditional trigger tool, 29 (67%) by EDW based screening and 14 (33%) by both. We found relatively poor agreement between traditional trigger tool and EDW based screening with only approximately a third of all AEs detected by both methods. A combination of complementary methods is the optimal approach to detecting AEs among hospitalised patients.

Microseismic Image-domain Velocity Inversion: Case Study From The Marcellus Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shragge, J.; Witten, B.

2017-12-01

Seismic monitoring at injection wells relies on generating accurate location estimates of detected (micro-)seismicity. Event location estimates assist in optimizing well and stage spacings, assessing potential hazards, and establishing causation of larger events. The largest impediment to generating accurate location estimates is an accurate velocity model. For surface-based monitoring the model should capture 3D velocity variation, yet, rarely is the laterally heterogeneous nature of the velocity field captured. Another complication for surface monitoring is that the data often suffer from low signal-to-noise levels, making velocity updating with established techniques difficult due to uncertainties in the arrival picks. We use surface-monitored field data to demonstrate that a new method requiring no arrival picking can improve microseismic locations by jointly locating events and updating 3D P- and S-wave velocity models through image-domain adjoint-state tomography. This approach creates a complementary set of images for each chosen event through wave-equation propagation and correlating combinations of P- and S-wavefield energy. The method updates the velocity models to optimize the focal consistency of the images through adjoint-state inversions. We demonstrate the functionality of the method using a surface array of 192 three-component geophones over a hydraulic stimulation in the Marcellus Shale. Applying the proposed joint location and velocity-inversion approach significantly improves the estimated locations. To assess event location accuracy, we propose a new measure of inconsistency derived from the complementary images. By this measure the location inconsistency decreases by 75%. The method has implications for improving the reliability of microseismic interpretation with low signal-to-noise data, which may increase hydrocarbon extraction efficiency and improve risk assessment from injection related seismicity.

Introduction of Complementary Foods to Infants.

PubMed

West, Christina

2017-01-01

While earlier food allergy prevention strategies implemented avoidance of allergenic foods in infancy, the current paradigm is shifting from avoidance to controlled exposure. This review focuses on the outcome of recent randomized controlled trials, which have examined the early introduction of allergenic foods for allergy prevention, and discusses the implementation of results in clinical practice. In infants at high risk of allergic disease, there is now direct evidence that regular early peanut consumption will reduce the prevalence of peanut allergy, compared to avoidance. Many international infant feeding guidelines already recommend complementary foods, including allergenic foods, to be introduced from 4 to 6 months of age irrespective of family history risk. Interim guidelines from 10 International Pediatric Allergy Associations state that healthcare providers should recommend the introduction of peanut-containing products into the diets of infants at high risk of allergic disease in countries where peanut allergy is prevalent. Direct translation of the results obtained from a cohort of high-risk infants to the general population has proved difficult, and issues regarding feasibility, safety, and cost-effectiveness have been raised. Five randomized placebo-controlled trials have assessed the effects of early egg exposure in infancy with varying results. In a recent comprehensive meta-analysis, there was moderate-certainty evidence that early versus late introduction of egg was associated with a reduced egg allergy risk. Although promising, optimal timing, doses, and if the feeding regimen should be stratified according to infant allergy risk remain to be determined. The single study that assessed introduction of multiple foods from 3 months whilst breastfeeding compared with exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age showed no reduction in food allergy prevalence. Future research should aim at optimizing infant feeding regimens and support a tolerogenic gastrointestinal microenvironment during the period of food allergen introduction. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Final Report: Large-Scale Optimization for Bayesian Inference in Complex Systems

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

Ghattas, Omar

2013-10-15

The SAGUARO (Scalable Algorithms for Groundwater Uncertainty Analysis and Robust Optimiza- tion) Project focuses on the development of scalable numerical algorithms for large-scale Bayesian inversion in complex systems that capitalize on advances in large-scale simulation-based optimiza- tion and inversion methods. Our research is directed in three complementary areas: efficient approximations of the Hessian operator, reductions in complexity of forward simulations via stochastic spectral approximations and model reduction, and employing large-scale optimization concepts to accelerate sampling. Our efforts are integrated in the context of a challenging testbed problem that considers subsurface reacting flow and transport. The MIT component of the SAGUAROmore » Project addresses the intractability of conventional sampling methods for large-scale statistical inverse problems by devising reduced-order models that are faithful to the full-order model over a wide range of parameter values; sampling then employs the reduced model rather than the full model, resulting in very large computational savings. Results indicate little effect on the computed posterior distribution. On the other hand, in the Texas-Georgia Tech component of the project, we retain the full-order model, but exploit inverse problem structure (adjoint-based gradients and partial Hessian information of the parameter-to- observation map) to implicitly extract lower dimensional information on the posterior distribution; this greatly speeds up sampling methods, so that fewer sampling points are needed. We can think of these two approaches as "reduce then sample" and "sample then reduce." In fact, these two approaches are complementary, and can be used in conjunction with each other. Moreover, they both exploit deterministic inverse problem structure, in the form of adjoint-based gradient and Hessian information of the underlying parameter-to-observation map, to achieve their speedups.« less

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by a sample of Turkish primary headache patients.

PubMed

Karakurum Göksel, Başak; Coşkun, Özlem; Ucler, Serap; Karatas, Mehmet; Ozge, Aynur; Ozkan, Secil

2014-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly being used as adjunctive treatment in primary headache syndromes in many countries. In the Turkish population, no epidemiologic data have been reported about awareness and usage of these treatments in patients with headache. One hundred and ten primary headache patients attending three headache clinics completed a questionnaire regarding their headaches, the known modalities and the use and effect of CAM procedures for their headaches. The mean age of the patients was 34.7±9.6 years (32.8-36.5). Almost two-thirds of patients had completed high school and university, and one-third of patients were housewives. Migraine without aura (45.5%) was the most frequently diagnosed type of headache followed by migraine with aura (19.1%) and tension-type headache (18.2%). In 43.6% of the patients, headache frequency was 5-10 per month. The most frequently known CAM modalities were massage (74.5%), acupuncture (44.5%), yoga (31.8%), exercise (28.2%), psychotherapy (25.5%), and rosemary (23.6%). The most frequently used CAM treatments were massage (51%) and exercise (11%). Only massage was reported to be beneficial in one-third of the primary headache patients; the other modalities were not. Our findings suggest that the subgroup of primary headache patients in Turkey seek and use alternative treatments, frequently in combination with standard treatments. Neurologists should become more knowledgeable regarding CAM therapies; further randomized and controlled clinical researches with large sample sizes are needed.

Selection of internal control genes for quantitative real-time RT-PCR studies during tomato development process

PubMed Central

Expósito-Rodríguez, Marino; Borges, Andrés A; Borges-Pérez, Andrés; Pérez, José A

2008-01-01

Background The elucidation of gene expression patterns leads to a better understanding of biological processes. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR has become the standard method for in-depth studies of gene expression. A biologically meaningful reporting of target mRNA quantities requires accurate and reliable normalization in order to identify real gene-specific variation. The purpose of normalization is to control several variables such as different amounts and quality of starting material, variable enzymatic efficiencies of retrotranscription from RNA to cDNA, or differences between tissues or cells in overall transcriptional activity. The validity of a housekeeping gene as endogenous control relies on the stability of its expression level across the sample panel being analysed. In the present report we describe the first systematic evaluation of potential internal controls during tomato development process to identify which are the most reliable for transcript quantification by real-time RT-PCR. Results In this study, we assess the expression stability of 7 traditional and 4 novel housekeeping genes in a set of 27 samples representing different tissues and organs of tomato plants at different developmental stages. First, we designed, tested and optimized amplification primers for real-time RT-PCR. Then, expression data from each candidate gene were evaluated with three complementary approaches based on different statistical procedures. Our analysis suggests that SGN-U314153 (CAC), SGN-U321250 (TIP41), SGN-U346908 ("Expressed") and SGN-U316474 (SAND) genes provide superior transcript normalization in tomato development studies. We recommend different combinations of these exceptionally stable housekeeping genes for suited normalization of different developmental series, including the complete tomato development process. Conclusion This work constitutes the first effort for the selection of optimal endogenous controls for quantitative real-time RT-PCR studies of gene expression during tomato development process. From our study a tool-kit of control genes emerges that outperform the traditional genes in terms of expression stability. PMID:19102748

Western Juniper Management: Assessing Strategies for Improving Greater Sage-grouse Habitat and Rangeland Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farzan, Shahla; Young, Derek J. N.; Dedrick, Allison G.; Hamilton, Matthew; Porse, Erik C.; Coates, Peter S.; Sampson, Gabriel

2015-09-01

Western juniper ( Juniperus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis) range expansion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems has affected both native wildlife and economic livelihoods across western North America. The potential listing of the greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act has spurred a decade of juniper removal efforts, yet limited research has evaluated program effectiveness. We used a multi-objective spatially explicit model to identify optimal juniper removal sites in Northeastern California across weighted goals for ecological (sage-grouse habitat) and economic (cattle forage production) benefits. We also extended the analysis through alternative case scenarios that tested the effects of coordination among federal agencies, budgetary constraints, and the use of fire as a juniper treatment method. We found that sage-grouse conservation and forage production goals are somewhat complementary, but the extent of complementary benefits strongly depends on spatial factors and management approaches. Certain management actions substantially increase achievable benefits, including agency coordination and the use of prescribed burns to remove juniper. Critically, our results indicate that juniper management strategies designed to increase cattle forage do not necessarily achieve measurable sage-grouse benefits, underscoring the need for program evaluation and monitoring.

Western juniper management: assessing strategies for improving greater sage-grouse habitat and rangeland productivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farzan, Shahla; Young, Derek J.N.; Dedrick, Allison G.; Hamilton, Mattew; Porse, Erik C.; Coates, Peter S.; Sampson, Gabriel

2015-01-01

Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis) range expansion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems has affected both native wildlife and economic livelihoods across western North America. The potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act has spurred a decade of juniper removal efforts, yet limited research has evaluated program effectiveness. We used a multi-objective spatially explicit model to identify optimal juniper removal sites in Northeastern California across weighted goals for ecological (sage-grouse habitat) and economic (cattle forage production) benefits. We also extended the analysis through alternative case scenarios that tested the effects of coordination among federal agencies, budgetary constraints, and the use of fire as a juniper treatment method. We found that sage-grouse conservation and forage production goals are somewhat complementary, but the extent of complementary benefits strongly depends on spatial factors and management approaches. Certain management actions substantially increase achievable benefits, including agency coordination and the use of prescribed burns to remove juniper. Critically, our results indicate that juniper management strategies designed to increase cattle forage do not necessarily achieve measurable sage-grouse benefits, underscoring the need for program evaluation and monitoring.

Physician and patient attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in obstetrics and gynecology

PubMed Central

Furlow, Mandi L; Patel, Divya A; Sen, Ananda; Liu, J Rebecca

2008-01-01

Background In the U.S., complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is most prevalent among reproductive age, educated women. We sought to determine general attitudes and approaches to CAM among obstetric and gynecology patients and physicians. Methods Obstetrician-gynecologist members of the American Medical Association in the state of Michigan and obstetric-gynecology patients at the University of Michigan were surveyed. Physician and patient attitudes and practices regarding CAM were characterized. Results Surveys were obtained from 401 physicians and 483 patients. Physicians appeared to have a more positive attitude towards CAM as compared to patients, and most reported routinely endorsing, providing or referring patients for at least one CAM modality. The most commonly used CAM interventions by patients were divergent from those rated highest among physicians, and most patients did not consult with a health care provider prior to starting CAM. Conclusion Although obstetrics/gynecology physicians and patients have a positive attitude towards CAM, physician and patients' view of the most effective CAM therapies were incongruent. Obstetrician/gynecologists should routinely ask their patients about their use of CAM with the goal of providing responsible, evidence-based advice to optimize patient care. PMID:18582380

Psychiatric benefits of integrative therapies in patients with cancer.

PubMed

Cassileth, Barrie R

2014-02-01

Integrative oncology uses non-pharmacological adjuncts to mainstream care to manage physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms experienced by cancer survivors. Depression, anxiety, fatigue and pain are among the common, often burdensome symptoms that can occur in clusters, deplete patient morale, interfere with treatment plans, and hamper recovery. Patients already seek various modalities on their own to address a broad range of problems. Legitimate complementary therapies offered at major cancer institutions improve quality of life, speed recovery, and optimize patient support. They also augment the benefits of psychiatric interventions, due to their ability to increase self-awareness and improve physical and psychological conditioning. Further, these integrated therapies provide lifelong tools and develop skills that patients use well after treatment to develop self-care regimens. The active referral of patients to integrative therapies achieves three important objectives: complementary care is received from therapists experienced in working with cancer patients, visits become part of the medical record, allowing treatment teams to guide individuals in maximizing benefit, and patients are diverted from useless or harmful 'alternatives.' We review the reciprocal physical and psychiatric benefits of exercise, mind-body practices, massage, acupuncture, and music therapy for cancer survivors, and suggest how their use can augment mainstream psychiatric interventions.

Western Juniper Management: Assessing Strategies for Improving Greater Sage-grouse Habitat and Rangeland Productivity.

PubMed

Farzan, Shahla; Young, Derek J N; Dedrick, Allison G; Hamilton, Matthew; Porse, Erik C; Coates, Peter S; Sampson, Gabriel

2015-09-01

Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis) range expansion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems has affected both native wildlife and economic livelihoods across western North America. The potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act has spurred a decade of juniper removal efforts, yet limited research has evaluated program effectiveness. We used a multi-objective spatially explicit model to identify optimal juniper removal sites in Northeastern California across weighted goals for ecological (sage-grouse habitat) and economic (cattle forage production) benefits. We also extended the analysis through alternative case scenarios that tested the effects of coordination among federal agencies, budgetary constraints, and the use of fire as a juniper treatment method. We found that sage-grouse conservation and forage production goals are somewhat complementary, but the extent of complementary benefits strongly depends on spatial factors and management approaches. Certain management actions substantially increase achievable benefits, including agency coordination and the use of prescribed burns to remove juniper. Critically, our results indicate that juniper management strategies designed to increase cattle forage do not necessarily achieve measurable sage-grouse benefits, underscoring the need for program evaluation and monitoring.

Sex determination based on amelogenin DNA by modified electrode with gold nanoparticle.

PubMed

Mazloum-Ardakani, Mohammad; Rajabzadeh, Nooshin; Benvidi, Ali; Heidari, Mohammad Mehdi

2013-12-15

We have developed a simple and renewable electrochemical biosensor based on carbon paste electrode (CPE) for the detection of DNA synthesis and hybridization. CPE was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which are helpful for immobilization of thiolated bioreceptors. AuNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thiolated single-stranded DNA (SH-ssDNA) of the amelogenin gene was formed on CPE. The immobilization of the probe and its hybridization with the target DNA was optimized using different experimental conditions. The modified electrode was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrochemical response of ssDNA hybridization and DNA synthesis was measured using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) with methylene blue (MB) as an electroactive indicator. The new biosensor can distinguish between complementary and non-complementary strands of amelogenin ssDNA. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood and was detected based on changes in the MB reduction signal. These results demonstrated that the new biosensor could be used for sex determination. The proposed biosensor in this study could be used for detection and discrimination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of amelogenin DNA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dietary Patterns during Complementary Feeding and Later Outcomes.

PubMed

Emmett, Pauline M

2016-01-01

Guidelines for healthy infant feeding provide advice on breastfeeding and complementary feeding. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) derived dietary patterns in comparison to infant feeding guidelines and by using principal components analysis (PCA). The ALSPAC cohort was recruited during pregnancy. Parent-completed questionnaires assessed diet at age 6 and 15 months. Children were weighed and measured at 7 years of age and IQ was assessed at 8 years. A complementary feeding utility index was calculated in relation to 14 feeding recommendations. High scores on the index were due to longer breastfeeding, and feeding more fruit and vegetables and less ready-prepared baby foods. The index scores were positively related to IQ and 'healthy' dietary patterns in childhood. In infancy four dietary patterns were derived from PCA at each age. Three occurred at both ages: 'HM traditional' (home-made meat, vegetables and desserts), 'discretionary' (processed adult foods) and 'RM baby foods' (commercial ready-made baby foods). A 'breastfeeding' pattern was derived at 6 months, with fruit and vegetables included. At 15 months, a 'HM contemporary' pattern included cheese, fish, nuts, legumes, fruit and vegetables. The 'discretionary' and 'RM baby foods' patterns at both ages were negatively associated, while the 'breastfeeding' and 'HM contemporary' patterns were positively associated with IQ. These results suggest that infant diet influences cognitive development in children and may set a trend for later eating patterns. © 2016 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

Spirituality and use of complementary therapies for cure in advanced cancer.

PubMed

Trinkaus, Mateya; Burman, Debika; Barmala, Niusha; Rodin, Gary; Jones, Jennifer; Lo, Christopher; Zimmermann, Camilla

2011-07-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used by patients with advanced cancer, for a variety of reasons. We examined the use of CAM in this population, and associations of use for potential cure with spiritual faith and existential well-being. Patients with advanced cancer on a palliative care unit completed a measure of spiritual well-being (existential well-being and faith), and a survey assessing complementary therapy use and reasons for such use. Information was also gathered on demographic data, previous cancer treatment, performance status, and symptom distress. Regression analyses assessed the association between the spirituality domains of existential well-being and faith, and the use of CAM for cure. Of 123 participants, 85% had used CAM, 42% with curative intent. More than 95% would consider future use of CAM, 48% for potential cure. Previous use for cure predicted current interest in using CAM for cure (p<0.0001). Spiritual faith was associated with previous (p<0.02) and interest in future use for cure (p<0.0001). Poor existential well-being was associated with interest in future use of CAM for cure (p=0.04). Interest in considering CAM for cure was relatively high in this group of inpatients on a palliative care unit, and was associated with increased spiritual faith and decreased existential well-being. Understanding factors associated with seeking CAM for cure may help health-care professionals to support and educate patients with advanced cancer. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines by a sample of Turkish women for infertility enhancement: a descriptive study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Infertility patients are a vulnerable group that often seeks a non-medical solution for their failure to conceive. World-wide, women use CAM for productive health, but only a limited number of studies report on CAM use to enhance fertility. Little is known about traditional and religious forms of therapies that are used in relation to conventional medicine in Turkey. We investigated the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) used by infertile Turkish women for fertility enhancement. Methods A face-to-face questionnaire inquiring demographic information and types of CAM used for fertility enhancement were completed by hundred infertility patients admitted to a primary care family planning centre in Van, Turkey between January and July 2009. Results The vast majority of infertile women had used CAM at least once for infertility. CAM use included religious interventions, herbal products and recommendations of traditional "hodja's" (faith healers). Of these women, 87.8% were abused in the last 12 months, 36.6% felt not being supported by her partner and 80.5% had never spoken with a physician about CAM. Conclusions Infertile Turkish women use complementary medicine frequently for fertility enhancement and are in need of information about CAM. Religious and traditional therapies are used as an adjunct to, rather than a substitute for, conventional medical therapy. Physicians need to approach fertility patients with sensitivity and should be able to council their patients about CAM accordingly. PMID:20307291

Phase III study of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire (EORTC PATSAT-C33) and specific complementary outpatient module (EORTC OUT-PATSAT7).

PubMed

Brédart, A; Anota, A; Young, T; Tomaszewski, K A; Arraras, J I; Moura De Albuquerque Melo, H; Schmidt, H; Friend, E; Bergenmar, M; Costantini, A; Vassiliou, V; Hureaux, J; Marchal, F; Tomaszewska, I M; Chie, W-C; Ramage, J; Beaudeau, A; Conroy, T; Bleiker, E; Kulis, D; Bonnetain, F; Aaronson, N K

2018-01-01

Advances in cancer care delivery require revision and further development of questionnaires assessing patients' perceived quality of care. This study pre-tested the revised EORTC satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire applicable in both the cancer inpatient and outpatient settings, and its new, outpatient-specific complementary module. The process of revision, development of the extended application, and pre-testing of these questionnaires was based on phases I to III of the "EORTC Quality of Life Group Module Development Guidelines." In phase III, patients in 11 countries in four European regions, South America and Asia completed provisional versions of the questionnaires. Fifty-seven relevant issues selected from literature reviews and input from experts were operationalized into provisional items, and subsequently translated into ten languages. Assessment of understanding, acceptability, redundancy and relevance by patients (n = 151) from oncology inpatient wards, and outpatient chemotherapy, radiotherapy and consultation settings, led to retention of, deletion of and merging of 40, 14 and 6 items respectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for hypothesized questionnaire scales were above 0.80. Our results provide preliminary support for the 33-item EORTC Satisfaction with cancer care core questionnaire and the 7-item complementary module specific for the outpatient care setting. A large scale phase IV cross-cultural psychometric study is now underway. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The complete proof on the optimal ordering policy under cash discount and trade credit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Kun-Jen

2010-04-01

Huang ((2005), 'Buyer's Optimal Ordering Policy and Payment Policy under Supplier Credit', International Journal of Systems Science, 36, 801-807) investigates the buyer's optimal ordering policy and payment policy under supplier credit. His inventory model is correct and interesting. Basically, he uses an algebraic method to locate the optimal solution of the annual total relevant cost TRC(T) and ignores the role of the functional behaviour of TRC(T) in locating the optimal solution of it. However, as argued in this article, Huang needs to explore the functional behaviour of TRC(T) to justify his solution. So, from the viewpoint of logic, the proof about Theorem 1 in Huang has some shortcomings such that the validity of Theorem 1 in Huang is questionable. The main purpose of this article is to remove and correct those shortcomings in Huang and present the complete proofs for Huang.

PSO Algorithm Particle Filters for Improving the Performance of Lane Detection and Tracking Systems in Difficult Roads

PubMed Central

Cheng, Wen-Chang

2012-01-01

In this paper we propose a robust lane detection and tracking method by combining particle filters with the particle swarm optimization method. This method mainly uses the particle filters to detect and track the local optimum of the lane model in the input image and then seeks the global optimal solution of the lane model by a particle swarm optimization method. The particle filter can effectively complete lane detection and tracking in complicated or variable lane environments. However, the result obtained is usually a local optimal system status rather than the global optimal system status. Thus, the particle swarm optimization method is used to further refine the global optimal system status in all system statuses. Since the particle swarm optimization method is a global optimization algorithm based on iterative computing, it can find the global optimal lane model by simulating the food finding way of fish school or insects under the mutual cooperation of all particles. In verification testing, the test environments included highways and ordinary roads as well as straight and curved lanes, uphill and downhill lanes, lane changes, etc. Our proposed method can complete the lane detection and tracking more accurately and effectively then existing options. PMID:23235453

Shrunken head (tsantsa): a complete forensic analysis procedure.

PubMed

Charlier, P; Huynh-Charlier, I; Brun, L; Hervé, C; de la Grandmaison, G Lorin

2012-10-10

Based on the analysis of shrunken heads referred to our forensic laboratory for anthropological expertise, and data from both anthropological and medical literature, we propose a complete forensic procedure for the analysis of such pieces. A list of 14 original morphological criteria has been developed, based on the global aspect, color, physical deformation, anatomical details, and eventual associated material (wood, vegetal fibers, sand, charcoals, etc.). Such criteria have been tested on a control sample of 20 tsantsa (i.e. shrunken heads from the Jivaro or Shuar tribes of South America). Further complementary analyses are described such as CT-scan and microscopic examination. Such expertise is more and more asked to forensic anthropologists and practitioners in a context of global repatriation of human artifacts to native communities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave response of hole and patch arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Melita C.; Edmunds, James D.; Hendry, Euan; Hibbins, Alastair P.; Sambles, J. Roy

2010-10-01

The electromagnetic response of two-dimensional square arrays of perfectly conducting square patches, and their complementary structures, is modeled utilizing a modal matching technique and employing Babinet’s principle. This method allows for the introduction of progressively higher diffracted orders and waveguide modes to be included in the calculation, hence aiding understanding of the underlying causal mechanism for the observed response. At frequencies close to, but below, the onset of diffraction, a near-complete reflection condition is predicted, even for low filling fractions: conversely, for high filling fractions a near-complete transmission condition results. These resonance phenomena are associated with evanescent diffraction, which is sufficiently strong to reverse the step change in transmission upon establishment of electrical continuity; i.e., the connected structure demonstrates increased transmission with increasing filling fraction.

Comprehensive Optimization of LC-MS Metabolomics Methods Using Design of Experiments (COLMeD).

PubMed

Rhoades, Seth D; Weljie, Aalim M

2016-12-01

Both reverse-phase and HILIC chemistries are deployed for liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analyses, however HILIC methods lag behind reverse-phase methods in reproducibility and versatility. Comprehensive metabolomics analysis is additionally complicated by the physiochemical diversity of metabolites and array of tunable analytical parameters. Our aim was to rationally and efficiently design complementary HILIC-based polar metabolomics methods on multiple instruments using Design of Experiments (DoE). We iteratively tuned LC and MS conditions on ion-switching triple quadrupole (QqQ) and quadrupole-time-of-flight (qTOF) mass spectrometers through multiple rounds of a workflow we term COLMeD (Comprehensive optimization of LC-MS metabolomics methods using design of experiments). Multivariate statistical analysis guided our decision process in the method optimizations. LC-MS/MS tuning for the QqQ method on serum metabolites yielded a median response increase of 161.5% (p<0.0001) over initial conditions with a 13.3% increase in metabolite coverage. The COLMeD output was benchmarked against two widely used polar metabolomics methods, demonstrating total ion current increases of 105.8% and 57.3%, with median metabolite response increases of 106.1% and 10.3% (p<0.0001 and p<0.05 respectively). For our optimized qTOF method, 22 solvent systems were compared on a standard mix of physiochemically diverse metabolites, followed by COLMeD optimization, yielding a median 29.8% response increase (p<0.0001) over initial conditions. The COLMeD process elucidated response tradeoffs, facilitating improved chromatography and MS response without compromising separation of isobars. COLMeD is efficient, requiring no more than 20 injections in a given DoE round, and flexible, capable of class-specific optimization as demonstrated through acylcarnitine optimization within the QqQ method.

Comprehensive Optimization of LC-MS Metabolomics Methods Using Design of Experiments (COLMeD)

PubMed Central

Rhoades, Seth D.

2017-01-01

Introduction Both reverse-phase and HILIC chemistries are deployed for liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics analyses, however HILIC methods lag behind reverse-phase methods in reproducibility and versatility. Comprehensive metabolomics analysis is additionally complicated by the physiochemical diversity of metabolites and array of tunable analytical parameters. Objective Our aim was to rationally and efficiently design complementary HILIC-based polar metabolomics methods on multiple instruments using Design of Experiments (DoE). Methods We iteratively tuned LC and MS conditions on ion-switching triple quadrupole (QqQ) and quadrupole-time-of-flight (qTOF) mass spectrometers through multiple rounds of a workflow we term COLMeD (Comprehensive optimization of LC-MS metabolomics methods using design of experiments). Multivariate statistical analysis guided our decision process in the method optimizations. Results LC-MS/MS tuning for the QqQ method on serum metabolites yielded a median response increase of 161.5% (p<0.0001) over initial conditions with a 13.3% increase in metabolite coverage. The COLMeD output was benchmarked against two widely used polar metabolomics methods, demonstrating total ion current increases of 105.8% and 57.3%, with median metabolite response increases of 106.1% and 10.3% (p<0.0001 and p<0.05 respectively). For our optimized qTOF method, 22 solvent systems were compared on a standard mix of physiochemically diverse metabolites, followed by COLMeD optimization, yielding a median 29.8% response increase (p<0.0001) over initial conditions. Conclusions The COLMeD process elucidated response tradeoffs, facilitating improved chromatography and MS response without compromising separation of isobars. COLMeD is efficient, requiring no more than 20 injections in a given DoE round, and flexible, capable of class-specific optimization as demonstrated through acylcarnitine optimization within the QqQ method. PMID:28348510

Cancer Impact, Complementary/Alternative Medicine Beliefs, and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Kuo, Ya-Hui; Tsay, Shiow-Luan; Chang, Chun-Chi; Liao, Yen-Chi; Tung, Heng-Hsin

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among cancer impact, belief in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), CAM use, and quality of life (QOL). The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design with convenience sampling. A total of 122 cancer patients participated. Data were collected at a medical center in Chunghua, Taiwan. The questionnaires included the Chinese version of the Cancer Problem in Living Scale (CPILS), Complementary and Alternative Medicine Belief Inventory (CAMBI), Complementary and Alternative Medicine scale, and Chinese versions of QOL scales, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). The mean age was 56.5 years, and most participants were male (n = 69, 56.6%), had completed high school or above (n = 56, 45.9%), and were married (n = 109, 89.3%). The most common type of cancer was oral (n = 17, 13.9%), followed by esophageal (n = 15, 12.3%) and colorectal (n = 13, 10.7%). Cancer patients, on average, use one or two types of CAM. The impact of cancer is significantly related to age (F = 7.12, p < 0.05), and income is related to QOL (F = 3.61, p < 0.05). Pearson correlations showed that the use of CAM was positively associated with belief in CAM (CAMBI) (r = 0.26, p = 0.01), and the impact of cancer was highly negatively associated with QOL (r = -0.71, p = 0.001). The predictors of QOL were the impact of cancer and use of CAM, and the impact of cancer accounted for 51% of the variance in QOL. This study supports research on the impact of cancer, belief in CAM, and use of CAM as related to QOL in cancer patients. These results can be used to provide options to clinicians and cancer patients.

Numerical method to optimize the polar-azimuthal orientation of infrared superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors.

PubMed

Csete, Mária; Sipos, Áron; Najafi, Faraz; Hu, Xiaolong; Berggren, Karl K

2011-11-01

A finite-element method for calculating the illumination-dependence of absorption in three-dimensional nanostructures is presented based on the radio frequency module of the Comsol Multiphysics software package (Comsol AB). This method is capable of numerically determining the optical response and near-field distribution of subwavelength periodic structures as a function of illumination orientations specified by polar angle, φ, and azimuthal angle, γ. The method was applied to determine the illumination-angle-dependent absorptance in cavity-based superconducting-nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) designs. Niobium-nitride stripes based on dimensions of conventional SNSPDs and integrated with ~ quarter-wavelength hydrogen-silsesquioxane-filled nano-optical cavity and covered by a thin gold film acting as a reflector were illuminated from below by p-polarized light in this study. The numerical results were compared to results from complementary transfer-matrix-method calculations on composite layers made of analogous film-stacks. This comparison helped to uncover the optical phenomena contributing to the appearance of extrema in the optical response. This paper presents an approach to optimizing the absorptance of different sensing and detecting devices via simultaneous numerical optimization of the polar and azimuthal illumination angles. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Multi-energy Coordinated Evaluation for Energy Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Dongqiang; Sun, Jian; Wang, Cunping; Hong, Xiao; Ma, Xiufan; Xiong, Wenting; Shen, Yaqi

2017-05-01

This paper reviews the current research status of multi-energy coordinated evaluation for energy Internet. Taking the coordinated optimization effect of wind energy, solar energy and other energy sources into consideration, 17 evaluation indexes, such as the substitution coefficient of cold heat and power, the ratio of wind and solar energy, and the rate of energy storage ratio, were designed from five aspects, including the acceptance of renewable energy, energy complementary alternative benefits, peak valley difference, the degree of equipment utilization and user needs. At the same time, this article attaches importance to the economic and social benefits of the coordination of multiple energy sources. Ultimately, a comprehensive multi-energy coordination evaluation index system of regional energy Internet was put forward from the safe operation, coordination and optimization, economic and social benefits four aspects, and a comprehensive evaluation model was established. This model uses the optimal combination weighting method based on moment estimation and Topsis evaluation analysis method, so both the subjective and objective weight of the index are considered and the coordinate evaluation of multi-energy is realized. Finally the perfection of the index system and the validity of the evaluation method are verified by a case analysis.

Development of a ginkgo biloba fingerprint chromatogram with UV and evaporative light scattering detection and optimization of the evaporative light scattering detector operating conditions.

PubMed

van Nederkassel, A M; Vijverman, V; Massart, D L; Vander Heyden, Y

2005-09-02

A fingerprint chromatogram of a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract is developed on a monolithic silica column using a ternary gradient containing water, iso-propanol and tetrahydrofuran. For the detection, UV and evaporative light scattering (ELS) detectors are used, the latter allowing detection of the poor UV absorbing compounds as ginkgolides (A-C and J) and bilobalide in the extract. The complementary information between the UV and ELS fingerprint is evaluated. The ELS detector used in this study can operate in an impactor 'on' or 'off' mode. For each mode, the operating conditions such as the nebulizing gas flow rate, the drift tube temperature and the gain are optimized by use of three-level screening designs to obtain the best signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in the final ELS fingerprint chromatogram. In both impactor modes, very similar S/N ratios are obtained for the nominal levels of the design. However, optimization of the operating conditions resulted, for both impactor modes, in a significant increase in S/N ratios compared to the initial evaluated conditions, obtained from the detector software.

Optimized Autonomous Space - In-situ Sensorweb: A new Tool for Monitoring Restless Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahusen, R. G.; Kedar, S.; Song, W.; Chien, S.; Shirazi, B.; Davies, A.; Tran, D.; Pieri, D.

2007-12-01

An interagency team of earth scientists, space scientists and computer scientists are collaborating to develop a real-time monitoring system optimized for rapid deployment at restless volcanoes. The primary goals of this Optimized Autonomous Space In-situ Sensorweb (OASIS) are: 1) integrate complementary space and in-situ (ground-based) elements into an interactive, autonomous sensorweb; 2) advance sensorweb power and communication resource management technology; and 3) enable scalability for seamless infusion of future space and in-situ assets into the sensorweb. A prototype system will be deployed on Mount St. Helens by December 2009. Each node will include GPS, seismic, infrasonic and lightning (for ash plume detection) sensors plus autonomous decision making capabilities and interaction with EO-1 multi-spectral satellite. This three year project is jointly funded by NASA AIST program and USGS Volcano Hazards Program. Work has begun with a rigorous multi-disciplinary discussion and resulted in a system requirements document aimed to guide the design of OASIS and future networks and to achieve the project's stated goals. In this presentation we will highlight the key OASIS system requirements, their rationale and the physical and technical challenges they pose. Preliminary design decisions will be presented.

Optimizing the design of a reproduction toxicity test with the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis.

PubMed

Charles, Sandrine; Ducrot, Virginie; Azam, Didier; Benstead, Rachel; Brettschneider, Denise; De Schamphelaere, Karel; Filipe Goncalves, Sandra; Green, John W; Holbech, Henrik; Hutchinson, Thomas H; Faber, Daniel; Laranjeiro, Filipe; Matthiessen, Peter; Norrgren, Leif; Oehlmann, Jörg; Reategui-Zirena, Evelyn; Seeland-Fremer, Anne; Teigeler, Matthias; Thome, Jean-Pierre; Tobor Kaplon, Marysia; Weltje, Lennart; Lagadic, Laurent

2016-11-01

This paper presents the results from two ring-tests addressing the feasibility, robustness and reproducibility of a reproduction toxicity test with the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis (RENILYS strain). Sixteen laboratories (from inexperienced to expert laboratories in mollusc testing) from nine countries participated in these ring-tests. Survival and reproduction were evaluated in L. stagnalis exposed to cadmium, tributyltin, prochloraz and trenbolone according to an OECD draft Test Guideline. In total, 49 datasets were analysed to assess the practicability of the proposed experimental protocol, and to estimate the between-laboratory reproducibility of toxicity endpoint values. The statistical analysis of count data (number of clutches or eggs per individual-day) leading to ECx estimation was specifically developed and automated through a free web-interface. Based on a complementary statistical analysis, the optimal test duration was established and the most sensitive and cost-effective reproduction toxicity endpoint was identified, to be used as the core endpoint. This validation process and the resulting optimized protocol were used to consolidate the OECD Test Guideline for the evaluation of reproductive effects of chemicals in L. stagnalis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A class of stochastic optimization problems with one quadratic & several linear objective functions and extended portfolio selection model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jiuping; Li, Jun

2002-09-01

In this paper a class of stochastic multiple-objective programming problems with one quadratic, several linear objective functions and linear constraints has been introduced. The former model is transformed into a deterministic multiple-objective nonlinear programming model by means of the introduction of random variables' expectation. The reference direction approach is used to deal with linear objectives and results in a linear parametric optimization formula with a single linear objective function. This objective function is combined with the quadratic function using the weighted sums. The quadratic problem is transformed into a linear (parametric) complementary problem, the basic formula for the proposed approach. The sufficient and necessary conditions for (properly, weakly) efficient solutions and some construction characteristics of (weakly) efficient solution sets are obtained. An interactive algorithm is proposed based on reference direction and weighted sums. Varying the parameter vector on the right-hand side of the model, the DM can freely search the efficient frontier with the model. An extended portfolio selection model is formed when liquidity is considered as another objective to be optimized besides expectation and risk. The interactive approach is illustrated with a practical example.

Optimal quantum observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haapasalo, Erkka; Pellonpää, Juha-Pekka

2017-12-01

Various forms of optimality for quantum observables described as normalized positive-operator-valued measures (POVMs) are studied in this paper. We give characterizations for observables that determine the values of the measured quantity with probabilistic certainty or a state of the system before or after the measurement. We investigate observables that are free from noise caused by classical post-processing, mixing, or pre-processing of quantum nature. Especially, a complete characterization of pre-processing and post-processing clean observables is given, and necessary and sufficient conditions are imposed on informationally complete POVMs within the set of pure states. We also discuss joint and sequential measurements of optimal quantum observables.

Detection of the ideal resource for multiqubit teleportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ming-Jing; Chen, Bin; Fei, Shao-Ming

2015-07-01

We give a sufficient condition for detecting the entanglement resource for perfect multiqubit teleportation. The criterion involves only local measurements on some complementary observables and can be experimentally implemented. It is also a necessary condition for full separability of multiqubit states. Moreover, by proving the optimality of teleportation witnesses, we solve the open problem in Phys. Rev. A 86, 032315 (2012). Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11401032, 11275131, and 61473325), the Foundation of Beijing Information Science and Technology University, China (Grant No. 1425032), and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry of China.

Parallel logic gates in synthetic gene networks induced by non-Gaussian noise.

PubMed

Xu, Yong; Jin, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Huiqing

2013-11-01

The recent idea of logical stochastic resonance is verified in synthetic gene networks induced by non-Gaussian noise. We realize the switching between two kinds of logic gates under optimal moderate noise intensity by varying two different tunable parameters in a single gene network. Furthermore, in order to obtain more logic operations, thus providing additional information processing capacity, we obtain in a two-dimensional toggle switch model two complementary logic gates and realize the transformation between two logic gates via the methods of changing different parameters. These simulated results contribute to improve the computational power and functionality of the networks.

Verilog-A Device Models for Cryogenic Temperature Operation of Bulk Silicon CMOS Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akturk, Akin; Potbhare, Siddharth; Goldsman, Neil; Holloway, Michael

2012-01-01

Verilog-A based cryogenic bulk CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) compact models are built for state-of-the-art silicon CMOS processes. These models accurately predict device operation at cryogenic temperatures down to 4 K. The models are compatible with commercial circuit simulators. The models extend the standard BSIM4 [Berkeley Short-channel IGFET (insulated-gate field-effect transistor ) Model] type compact models by re-parameterizing existing equations, as well as adding new equations that capture the physics of device operation at cryogenic temperatures. These models will allow circuit designers to create optimized, reliable, and robust circuits operating at cryogenic temperatures.

The method for froth floatation condition recognition based on adaptive feature weighted

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jieran; Zhang, Jun; Tian, Jinwen; Zhang, Daimeng; Liu, Xiaomao

2018-03-01

The fusion of foam characteristics can play a complementary role in expressing the content of foam image. The weight of foam characteristics is the key to make full use of the relationship between the different features. In this paper, an Adaptive Feature Weighted Method For Froth Floatation Condition Recognition is proposed. Foam features without and with weights are both classified by using support vector machine (SVM).The classification accuracy and optimal equaling algorithm under the each ore grade are regarded as the result of the adaptive feature weighting algorithm. At the same time the effectiveness of adaptive weighted method is demonstrated.

MRI of placental adhesive disorder

PubMed Central

Prapaisilp, P; Bangchokdee, S

2014-01-01

Placental adhesive disorder (PAD) is a serious pregnancy complication that occurs when the chorionic villi invade the myometrium. Placenta praevia and prior caesarean section are the two important risk factors. PAD is classified on the basis of the depth of myometrial invasion (placenta accreta, placenta increta and placenta percreta). MRI is the preferred image modality for pre-natal diagnosis of PAD and as complementary technique when ultrasonography is inconclusive. Imaging findings that are helpful for the diagnosis include dark intraplacental bands, direct invasion of adjacent structures by placental tissue, interruption of normal trilayered myometrium and uterine bulging. Clinicians should be aware of imaging features of PAD to facilitate optimal patient management. PMID:25060799

Noise-Aided Logic in an Electronic Analog of Synthetic Genetic Networks

PubMed Central

Hellen, Edward H.; Dana, Syamal K.; Kurths, Jürgen; Kehler, Elizabeth; Sinha, Sudeshna

2013-01-01

We report the experimental verification of noise-enhanced logic behaviour in an electronic analog of a synthetic genetic network, composed of two repressors and two constitutive promoters. We observe good agreement between circuit measurements and numerical prediction, with the circuit allowing for robust logic operations in an optimal window of noise. Namely, the input-output characteristics of a logic gate is reproduced faithfully under moderate noise, which is a manifestation of the phenomenon known as Logical Stochastic Resonance. The two dynamical variables in the system yield complementary logic behaviour simultaneously. The system is easily morphed from AND/NAND to OR/NOR logic. PMID:24124531

Complementary junction heterostructure field-effect transistor

DOEpatents

Baca, Albert G.; Drummond, Timothy J.; Robertson, Perry J.; Zipperian, Thomas E.

1995-01-01

A complimentary pair of compound semiconductor junction heterostructure field-effect transistors and a method for their manufacture are disclosed. The p-channel junction heterostructure field-effect transistor uses a strained layer to split the degeneracy of the valence band for a greatly improved hole mobility and speed. The n-channel device is formed by a compatible process after removing the strained layer. In this manner, both types of transistors may be independently optimized. Ion implantation is used to form the transistor active and isolation regions for both types of complimentary devices. The invention has uses for the development of low power, high-speed digital integrated circuits.

Complementary junction heterostructure field-effect transistor

DOEpatents

Baca, A.G.; Drummond, T.J.; Robertson, P.J.; Zipperian, T.E.

1995-12-26

A complimentary pair of compound semiconductor junction heterostructure field-effect transistors and a method for their manufacture are disclosed. The p-channel junction heterostructure field-effect transistor uses a strained layer to split the degeneracy of the valence band for a greatly improved hole mobility and speed. The n-channel device is formed by a compatible process after removing the strained layer. In this manner, both types of transistors may be independently optimized. Ion implantation is used to form the transistor active and isolation regions for both types of complimentary devices. The invention has uses for the development of low power, high-speed digital integrated circuits. 10 figs.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer in northern Turkey: analysis of cost and satisfaction.

PubMed

Aydin Avci, Ilknur; Koç, Zeliha; Sağlam, Zeynep

2012-03-01

The aims of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer, (2) the method of use of the particular therapy, (3) the reasons for using complementary and alternative medicine therapies, (4) the benefits experienced by the use of complementary and alternative medicine, (5) the source of information about complementary and alternative medicine therapies and, (6) the satisfaction and cost of complementary and alternative medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine consists of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products that are not considered at present to be a part of conventional medicine. The majority of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine use more than one method. Complementary and alternative medicine use is more common in cases of advanced disease or poor prognosis. This is a descriptive study of complementary and alternative medicine. This study was conducted in the Chemotherapy Unit at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey, between 18 March 2008-30 June 2008. Two hundred fifty-three patients with cancer, among 281 patients who applied to the chemotherapy clinic between these dates, agreed to take part in the study with whom contact could be made were included. A questionnaire including descriptive characteristics in collecting data, characteristics about diseases and their treatments, complementary and alternative medicine information and implementation situations and a control list about complementary and alternative medicine implementations were given. The collected data were evaluated by computer using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Student's t-test. In this study, 94·1% of the patients were content with medical treatment, 58·9% of them used complementary and alternative medicine treatments, 41·1% did not use any complementary and alternative medicine treatments. The satisfaction level of the patients with complementary and alternative medicine methods was slightly above mediocre (2·33 SD 0·64, on a scale of 1-3). The average cost per capita spent by the patients using complementary and alternative medicine for all the different methods was US$288·26. It was determined that although patients did not have enough knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine methods, the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine and satisfaction levels are high that complementary and alternative medicine users spend substantial sums of money for these methods. To sustain medical treatment and prognosis of cancer, it is important for nurses to consult with their patients regarding the use and potential risks of some complementary and alternative medicine. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Integrative and complementary therapies for patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Marchand, Lucille

2014-07-01

In integrative medicine, well-being is emphasized, and in palliative care, quality of life (QOL) is a similar concept or goal. Both can occur despite advanced cancer. Integrative medicine serves to combine the best of alternative, complementary and conventional therapies to optimize well-being and QOL, whether or not a person is at the end of their life. When integrative medicine is combined with palliative care modalities, the toolbox to provide symptom control and well-being or QOL is increased or broadened. Palliative care and integrative medicine are best provided early in the trajectory of illness such as cancer, and increase in amount as the illness progresses toward end of life. In cancer care, symptoms of the cancer, as well as symptoms produced by cancer therapies, are addressed with conventional and integrative therapies. Goals of care change as the disease progresses, and a patient's unique situation creates a different balance of integrative and conventional therapies. Integrative therapies such as music, aromatherapy, and massage might appeal to more patients than more specific, less common integrative therapies that might be more expensive, or seem more unusual such as Ayurvedic medicine and energy modalities. Each person may be drawn to different integrative modalities depending on factors such as cultural traditions, beliefs, lifestyle, internet information, advice from family and friends, books, etc. This review focuses on how integrative and complementary modalities can be included in comprehensive palliative care for patients with advanced malignancies. Nutrition and movement, often neglected in conventional treatment strategies, will also be included in the larger context of integrative and palliative modalities. Both conventional and integrative modalities in palliative care help patients live with empowerment, hope, and well-being no matter how long their lives last. A comprehensive review of all integrative and complementary therapies is impossible given the enormous diversity in this area. This review will concentrate on modalities such as nutrition, movement, music, aromatherapy, massage, select supplements, and acupuncture that have been researched in cancer survivors. Many of these modalities are quite effective for a number of symptoms in palliative care and have been studied in non-cancer populations. Resources for further study will also be included.

Aptamer based SERS detection of Salmonella typhimurium using DNA-assembled gold nanodimers.

PubMed

Xu, Xumin; Ma, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Haitao; Wang, Zhouping

2018-06-12

The authors describe a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based aptasensor for Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; 35 nm i.d.) were functionalized with the aptamer (ssDNA 1) and used as the capture probe, while smaller (15 nm) AuNPs were modified with a Cy3-labeled complementary sequence (ssDNA 2) and used as the signalling probe. The asymmetric gold nanodimers (AuNDs) were assemblied with the Raman signal probe and the capture probe via hybridization of the complementary ssDNAs. The gap between two nanoparticles is a "hot spot" in which the Raman reporter Cy3 is localized. It experiences a strong enhancement of the electromagnetic field around the particle. After addition of S. typhimurium, it will be bound by the aptamer which therefore is partially dehybridized from its complementary sequence. Hence, Raman intensity drops. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the SERS signal at 1203 cm -1 increases linearly with the logarithm of the number of colonies in the 10 2 to 10 7  cfu·mL -1 concentration range, and the limit of detection is 35 cfu·mL -1 . The method can be performed within 1 h and was successfully applied to the analysis of spiked milk samples and performed very well and with high specificity. Graphical abstract DNA-assembled asymmetric gold nanodimers (AuNDs) were synthesized and appllied in a SERS-based aptasensor for S. typhimurium. Capture probe was preferentially combined with S. typhimurium and the structure of the AuNDs was destroyed. The "hot spot" vanished partly, this resulting in the decreased Raman intensity of Cy3.

A Dual Interaction Between the 5'- and 3'-Ends of the Melon Necrotic Spot Virus (MNSV) RNA Genome Is Required for Efficient Cap-Independent Translation.

PubMed

Miras, Manuel; Rodríguez-Hernández, Ana M; Romero-López, Cristina; Berzal-Herranz, Alfredo; Colchero, Jaime; Aranda, Miguel A; Truniger, Verónica

2018-01-01

In eukaryotes, the formation of a 5'-cap and 3'-poly(A) dependent protein-protein bridge is required for translation of its mRNAs. In contrast, several plant virus RNA genomes lack both of these mRNA features, but instead have a 3'-CITE (for cap-independent translation enhancer), a RNA element present in their 3'-untranslated region that recruits translation initiation factors and is able to control its cap-independent translation. For several 3'-CITEs, direct RNA-RNA long-distance interactions based on sequence complementarity between the 5'- and 3'-ends are required for efficient translation, as they bring the translation initiation factors bound to the 3'-CITE to the 5'-end. For the carmovirus melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV), a 3'-CITE has been identified, and the presence of its 5'-end in cis has been shown to be required for its activity. Here, we analyze the secondary structure of the 5'-end of the MNSV RNA genome and identify two highly conserved nucleotide sequence stretches that are complementary to the apical loop of its 3'-CITE. In in vivo cap-independent translation assays with mutant constructs, by disrupting and restoring sequence complementarity, we show that the interaction between the 3'-CITE and at least one complementary sequence in the 5'-end is essential for virus RNA translation, although efficient virus translation and multiplication requires both connections. The complementary sequence stretches are invariant in all MNSV isolates, suggesting that the dual 5'-3' RNA:RNA interactions are required for optimal MNSV cap-independent translation and multiplication.

The interactive association of dietary diversity scores and breast-feeding status with weight and length in Filipino infants aged 6-24 months.

PubMed

Wright, Melecia J; Bentley, Margaret E; Mendez, Michelle A; Adair, Linda S

2015-07-01

To assess how breast-feeding and dietary diversity relate to infant length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) and weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ). Breast-feeding, dietary and anthropometric data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey were analysed using sex-stratified fixed-effects longitudinal regression models. A dietary diversity score (DDS) based on seven food groups was classified as low (<4) or high (≥ 4). The complementary feeding patterns were: (i) non-breast-fed with low DDS (referent); (ii) breast-fed with low DDS; (iii) non-breast-fed with high DDS; and (iv) breast-fed with high DDS (optimal). Interactions between age, energy intake and complementary feeding patterns were included. Philippines. Infants (n 2822) measured bimonthly from 6 to 24 months. Breast-feeding (regardless of DDS) was significantly associated with higher LAZ (until 24 months) and WAZ (until 20 months). For example, at 6 months, breast-fed boys with low DDS were 0.246 (95% CI 0.191, 0.302) sd longer and 0.523 (95% CI 0.451, 0.594) sd heavier than the referent group. There was no significant difference in size between breast-fed infants with high v. low DDS. Similarly, high DDS conferred no advantage in LAZ or WAZ among non-breast-fed infants. There were modest correlations between the 7-point DDS and nutrient intakes but these correlations were substantially attenuated after energy adjustment. We elucidated several interactions between sex, age, energy intake and complementary feeding patterns. These results demonstrate the importance of prolonged breast-feeding up to 24 months. The DDS provided qualitative information on infant diets but did not confer a significant advantage in LAZ or WAZ.

Breast-feeding and Infant Hospitalization for Infections: Large Cohort and Sibling Analysis.

PubMed

Størdal, Ketil; Lundeby, Karen M; Brantsæter, Anne L; Haugen, Margaretha; Nakstad, Britt; Lund-Blix, Nicolai A; Stene, Lars C

2017-08-01

Breast-feeding may protect against infections, but its optimal duration remains controversial. We aimed to study the association of the duration of full and any breast-feeding with infections the first 18 months of life. The Norwegian Mother and Child study (MoBa) is a prospective birth cohort which recruited expecting mothers giving birth from 2000 to 2009. We analyzed data from the full cohort (n = 70,511) and sibling sets (n = 21,220) with parental report of breast-feeding and infections. The main outcome measures were the relative risks (RRs) for hospitalization for infections from 0 to 18 months by age at introduction of complementary foods and duration of any breast-feeding. Although we found some evidence for an overall association between longer duration of full breast-feeding and lower risk of hospitalizations for infections, 7.3% of breast-fed children who received complementary foods at 4 to 6 months of age compared to 7.7% of those receiving complementary foods after 6 months were hospitalized (adjusted RR 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.88-1.03). Higher risk of hospitalization was observed in those breast-fed 6 months or less (10.0%) compared to ≥12 months (7.6%, adjusted RR 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.14-1.31), but with similar risks for 6 to 11 months versus ≥12 months. Matched sibling analyses, minimizing the confounding from shared maternal factors, showed nonsignificant associations and were generally weaker compared with the cohort analyses. Our results support the recommendation to fully breast-feed for 4 months and to continue breast-feeding beyond 6 months, and suggest that protection against infections is limited to the first 12 months.

Diarrhoea and Suboptimal Feeding Practices in Nigeria: Evidence from the National Household Surveys.

PubMed

Ogbo, Felix A; Page, Andrew; Idoko, John; Claudio, Fernanda; Agho, Kingsley E

2016-07-01

Globally, Nigeria has the largest burden of infectious diseases (including diarrhoea). Optimal feeding practices have been well-documented to protect against diarrhoea in other contexts; but this benefit has not been broadly studied in Nigeria. The study aimed to examine the association between diarrhoea and childhood feeding practices to provide country-specific evidence. Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for the period spanning 1999-2013 were used. Prevalence of diarrhoea by infant and young child feeding indicators was estimated, and the association between diarrhoea and childhood feeding indicators was examined using multilevel regression analyses. Prevalence of diarrhoea was higher among children whose mothers did not initiate breast feeding within the first hour of birth, infants who were not exclusively breastfed, and infants who were prematurely introduced to complementary foods. Early initiation of breast feeding was significantly associated with lower risk of diarrhoea (RR 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63, 0.74). Exclusively breastfed infants were less likely to develop diarrhoea compared to non-exclusively breastfed infants (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44, 0.86). Predominant breast feeding was significantly associated with a lower risk of diarrhoea (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54, 0.80). Bottle feeding and introduction of complementary foods were associated with a higher risk of diarrhoea. Early initiation of breast feeding as well as exclusive and predominant breast feeding protect against diarrhoea in Nigeria, while bottle feeding and introduction of complementary foods were risk factors for diarrhoea. Community- and facility-based initiatives are needed to improve feeding practices, and to reduce diarrhoea prevalence in Nigeria. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

NACA Conference on Turbojet-Engine Thrust Augmentation Research: A Compilation of the Papers Presented by NACA Staff Members

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1948-01-01

The conference on Turbojet-Engine Thrust-Augmentation Research was organized by the NACA to present in summarized form the results of the latest experimental and analytical investigations conducted at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory on methods of augmenting the thrust of turbojet engines. The technical discussions are reproduced herewith in the same form in which they were presented. The original presentation in this record are considered as complementary to, rather than substitutes for, the committee's system of complete and formal reports.

Multimodal system for the planning and guidance of bronchoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, William E.; Cheirsilp, Ronnarit; Zang, Xiaonan; Byrnes, Patrick

2015-03-01

Many technical innovations in multimodal radiologic imaging and bronchoscopy have emerged recently in the effort against lung cancer. Modern X-ray computed-tomography (CT) scanners provide three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution chest images, positron emission tomography (PET) scanners give complementary molecular imaging data, and new integrated PET/CT scanners combine the strengths of both modalities. State-of-the-art bronchoscopes permit minimally invasive tissue sampling, with vivid endobronchial video enabling navigation deep into the airway-tree periphery, while complementary endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) reveals local views of anatomical structures outside the airways. In addition, image-guided intervention (IGI) systems have proven their utility for CT-based planning and guidance of bronchoscopy. Unfortunately, no IGI system exists that integrates all sources effectively through the complete lung-cancer staging work flow. This paper presents a prototype of a computer-based multimodal IGI system that strives to fill this need. The system combines a wide range of automatic and semi-automatic image-processing tools for multimodal data fusion and procedure planning. It also provides a flexible graphical user interface for follow-on guidance of bronchoscopy/EBUS. Human-study results demonstrate the system's potential.

DNA–DNA kissing complexes as a new tool for the assembly of DNA nanostructures

PubMed Central

Barth, Anna; Kobbe, Daniela; Focke, Manfred

2016-01-01

Kissing-loop annealing of nucleic acids occurs in nature in several viruses and in prokaryotic replication, among other circumstances. Nucleobases of two nucleic acid strands (loops) interact with each other, although the two strands cannot wrap around each other completely because of the adjacent double-stranded regions (stems). In this study, we exploited DNA kissing-loop interaction for nanotechnological application. We functionalized the vertices of DNA tetrahedrons with DNA stem-loop sequences. The complementary loop sequence design allowed the hybridization of different tetrahedrons via kissing-loop interaction, which might be further exploited for nanotechnology applications like cargo transport and logical elements. Importantly, we were able to manipulate the stability of those kissing-loop complexes based on the choice and concentration of cations, the temperature and the number of complementary loops per tetrahedron either at the same or at different vertices. Moreover, variations in loop sequences allowed the characterization of necessary sequences within the loop as well as additional stability control of the kissing complexes. Therefore, the properties of the presented nanostructures make them an important tool for DNA nanotechnology. PMID:26773051

Rapid and specific purification of Argonaute-small RNA complexes from crude cell lysates

PubMed Central

Flores-Jasso, C. Fabián; Salomon, William E.; Zamore, Phillip D.

2013-01-01

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) direct Argonaute proteins, the core components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), to cleave complementary target RNAs. Here, we describe a method to purify active RISC containing a single, unique small RNA guide sequence. We begin by capturing RISC using a complementary 2′-O-methyl oligonucleotide tethered to beads. Unlike other methods that capture RISC but do not allow its recovery, our strategy purifies active, soluble RISC in good yield. The method takes advantage of the finding that RISC partially paired to a target through its siRNA guide dissociates more than 300 times faster than a fully paired siRNA in RISC. We use this strategy to purify fly Ago1- and Ago2-RISC, as well as mouse AGO2-RISC. The method can discriminate among RISCs programmed with different guide strands, making it possible to deplete and recover specific RISC populations. Endogenous microRNA:Argonaute complexes can also be purified from cell lysates. Our method scales readily and takes less than a day to complete. PMID:23249751

Rapid and specific purification of Argonaute-small RNA complexes from crude cell lysates.

PubMed

Flores-Jasso, C Fabián; Salomon, William E; Zamore, Phillip D

2013-02-01

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) direct Argonaute proteins, the core components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), to cleave complementary target RNAs. Here, we describe a method to purify active RISC containing a single, unique small RNA guide sequence. We begin by capturing RISC using a complementary 2'-O-methyl oligonucleotide tethered to beads. Unlike other methods that capture RISC but do not allow its recovery, our strategy purifies active, soluble RISC in good yield. The method takes advantage of the finding that RISC partially paired to a target through its siRNA guide dissociates more than 300 times faster than a fully paired siRNA in RISC. We use this strategy to purify fly Ago1- and Ago2-RISC, as well as mouse AGO2-RISC. The method can discriminate among RISCs programmed with different guide strands, making it possible to deplete and recover specific RISC populations. Endogenous microRNA:Argonaute complexes can also be purified from cell lysates. Our method scales readily and takes less than a day to complete.

A quantitative and qualitative pilot study of the perceived benefits of autogenic training for a group of people with cancer.

PubMed

Wright, S; Courtney, U; Crowther, D

2002-06-01

This paper describes the application of autogenic training (AT), a technique of deep relaxation and self-hypnosis, in patients diagnosed with cancer,with the aim of increasing their coping ability, and reports the results of a questionnaire survey performed before and after an AT course. A reduction in arousal and anxiety can help individuals to perceive their environment as less hostile and threatening, with implications for improved perceived coping ability. Complementary therapies are considered useful in enhancing symptom relief, overall well-being and self-help when used as adjuvant therapies to allopathic medical interventions. The present study aimed to validate, in an Irish context, the effectiveness of AT as a complementary therapy for patients with cancer. Each participant completed a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Profile of Mood States questionnaire before and after a 10-week AT course. The results indicated a significant reduction in anxiety and increase in 'fighting spirit' after compared with before training, with an improved sense of coping and improved sleep being apparent benefits of AT practice.

Cancer and Complementary Health Approaches

MedlinePlus

... Cancer Institute's activities in research on complementary health approaches. Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Web ... complementary health approaches. Information on complementary health approaches in cancer treatment: ...

Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients

MedlinePlus

... Ask about Your Treatment Research Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is ... based on scientific evidence from research studies. Complementary medicine refers to treatments that are used with standard ...

Lessons Learned in a Breastfeeding Media Campaign.

PubMed

Ware, Julie L; Mzayek, Fawaz; Levy, Marian

2016-09-01

Breastfeeding is well accepted as the optimal nutrition for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that infant feeding should no longer be thought of as a lifestyle choice, but rather as a public health issue. In Shelby County, Tennessee, rates of breastfeeding continue to be disparately low. To address this public health problem, a focus group study was conducted with the Shelby County population least likely to breastfeed. Following participants' suggestion to use a billboard campaign with pictures of local mothers and families, one highway billboard and ten bus stop signs were placed around the city in areas of the lowest breastfeeding rates. Self-administered surveys were completed by convenience sampling in target population areas with women least likely to breastfeed, both before placing the signs and 6 months later. No significant differences were noted in knowledge, attitudes, or practices after the media campaign, but trends toward increased intention to breastfeed were noted among expectant mothers. With collapsed data (pre and post), a majority of participants believed that breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby and they were significantly more likely to plan to breastfeed if they knew about health benefits to the baby and to themselves. If they had heard about breastfeeding on the TV or radio, they were more likely to believe breastfeeding is important for long-term health. These findings suggest that a media campaign could have a complementary role in promoting breastfeeding among women with low initiation rates.

Structural Transformation of Wireframe DNA Origami via DNA Polymerase Assisted Gap-Filling.

PubMed

Agarwal, Nayan P; Matthies, Michael; Joffroy, Bastian; Schmidt, Thorsten L

2018-03-27

The programmability of DNA enables constructing nanostructures with almost any arbitrary shape, which can be decorated with many functional materials. Moreover, dynamic structures can be realized such as molecular motors and walkers. In this work, we have explored the possibility to synthesize the complementary sequences to single-stranded gap regions in the DNA origami scaffold cost effectively by a DNA polymerase rather than by a DNA synthesizer. For this purpose, four different wireframe DNA origami structures were designed to have single-stranded gap regions. This reduced the number of staple strands needed to determine the shape and size of the final structure after gap filling. For this, several DNA polymerases and single-stranded binding (SSB) proteins were tested, with T4 DNA polymerase being the best fit. The structures could be folded in as little as 6 min, and the subsequent optimized gap-filling reaction was completed in less than 3 min. The introduction of flexible gap regions results in fully collapsed or partially bent structures due to entropic spring effects. Finally, we demonstrated structural transformations of such deformed wireframe DNA origami structures with DNA polymerases including the expansion of collapsed structures and the straightening of curved tubes. We anticipate that this approach will become a powerful tool to build DNA wireframe structures more material-efficiently, and to quickly prototype and test new wireframe designs that can be expanded, rigidified, or mechanically switched. Mechanical force generation and structural transitions will enable applications in structural DNA nanotechnology, plasmonics, or single-molecule biophysics.

Structure of weakly 2-dependent siphons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Daniel Yuh; Chen, Jiun-Ting

2013-09-01

Deadlocks arising from insufficiently marked siphons in flexible manufacturing systems can be controlled by adding monitors to each siphon - too many for large systems. Li and Zhou add monitors to elementary siphons only while controlling the rest of (called dependent) siphons by adjusting control depth variables of elementary siphons. Only a linear number of monitors are required. The control of weakly dependent siphons (WDSs) is rather conservative since only positive terms were considered. The structure for strongly dependent siphons (SDSs) has been studied earlier. Based on this structure, the optimal sequence of adding monitors has been discovered earlier. Better controllability has been discovered to achieve faster and more permissive control. The results have been extended earlier to S3PGR2 (systems of simple sequential processes with general resource requirements). This paper explores the structures for WDSs, which, as found in this paper, involve elementary resource circuits interconnecting at more than (for SDSs, exactly) one resource place. This saves the time to compute compound siphons, their complementary sets and T-characteristic vectors. Also it allows us (1) to improve the controllability of WDSs and control siphons and (2) to avoid the time to find independent vectors for elementary siphons. We propose a sufficient and necessary test for adjusting control depth variables in S3PR (systems of simple sequential processes with resources) to avoid the sufficient-only time-consuming linear integer programming test (LIP) (Nondeterministic Polynomial (NP) time complete problem) required previously for some cases.

Towards Carbon-Neutral CO2 Conversion to Hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Mattia, Davide; Jones, Matthew D; O'Byrne, Justin P; Griffiths, Owen G; Owen, Rhodri E; Sackville, Emma; McManus, Marcelle; Plucinski, Pawel

2015-12-07

With fossil fuels still predicted to contribute close to 80 % of the primary energy consumption by 2040, methods to limit further CO2 emissions in the atmosphere are urgently needed to avoid the catastrophic scenarios associated with global warming. In parallel with improvements in energy efficiency and CO2 storage, the conversion of CO2 has emerged as a complementary route with significant potential. In this work we present the direct thermo-catalytic conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons using a novel iron nanoparticle-carbon nanotube (Fe@CNT) catalyst. We adopted a holistic and systematic approach to CO2 conversion by integrating process optimization-identifying reaction conditions to maximize conversion and selectivity towards long chain hydrocarbons and/or short olefins-with catalyst optimization through the addition of promoters. The result is the production of valuable hydrocarbons in a manner that can approach carbon neutrality under realistic industrial process conditions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

David, Aurelien; Fini, Paul T.; Houser, Kevin W.

We have developed a two-measure system for evaluating light sources’ color rendition that builds upon conceptual progress of numerous researchers over the last two decades. The system quantifies the color fidelity and color gamut (change in object chroma) of a light source in comparison to a reference illuminant. The calculations are based on a newly developed set of reflectance data from real samples uniformly distributed in color space (thereby fairly representing all colors) and in wavelength space (thereby precluding artificial optimization of the color rendition scores by spectral engineering). The color fidelity score R f is an improved version ofmore » the CIE color rendering index. The color gamut score R g is an improved version of the Gamut Area Index. In combination, they provide two complementary assessments to guide the optimization of future light sources. This method summarizes the findings of the Color Metric Task Group of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). It is adopted in the upcoming IES TM-30-2015, and is proposed for consideration with the International Commission on Illumination (CIE).« less

Group sparse multiview patch alignment framework with view consistency for image classification.

PubMed

Gui, Jie; Tao, Dacheng; Sun, Zhenan; Luo, Yong; You, Xinge; Tang, Yuan Yan

2014-07-01

No single feature can satisfactorily characterize the semantic concepts of an image. Multiview learning aims to unify different kinds of features to produce a consensual and efficient representation. This paper redefines part optimization in the patch alignment framework (PAF) and develops a group sparse multiview patch alignment framework (GSM-PAF). The new part optimization considers not only the complementary properties of different views, but also view consistency. In particular, view consistency models the correlations between all possible combinations of any two kinds of view. In contrast to conventional dimensionality reduction algorithms that perform feature extraction and feature selection independently, GSM-PAF enjoys joint feature extraction and feature selection by exploiting l(2,1)-norm on the projection matrix to achieve row sparsity, which leads to the simultaneous selection of relevant features and learning transformation, and thus makes the algorithm more discriminative. Experiments on two real-world image data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of GSM-PAF for image classification.

Optimizing the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization

PubMed Central

Zhang, David Yu; Chen, Sherry Xi; Yin, Peng

2014-01-01

The specific hybridization of complementary sequences is an essential property of nucleic acids, enabling diverse biological and biotechnological reactions and functions. However, the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization is compromised for long strands, except near the melting temperature. Here, we analytically derived the thermodynamic properties of a hybridization probe that would enable near-optimal single-base discrimination and perform robustly across diverse temperature, salt and concentration conditions. We rationally designed ‘toehold exchange’ probes that approximate these properties, and comprehensively tested them against five different DNA targets and 55 spurious analogues with energetically representative single-base changes (replacements, deletions and insertions). These probes produced discrimination factors between 3 and 100+ (median, 26). Without retuning, our probes function robustly from 10 °C to 37 °C, from 1 mM Mg2+ to 47 mM Mg2+, and with nucleic acid concentrations from 1 nM to 5 μM. Experiments with RNA also showed effective single-base change discrimination. PMID:22354435

Drop-on-Demand Sample Delivery for Studying Biocatalysts in Action at XFELs

PubMed Central

Fuller, Franklin D.; Gul, Sheraz; Chatterjee, Ruchira; Burgie, Ernest S.; Young, Iris D.; Lebrette, Hugo; Srinivas, Vivek; Brewster, Aaron S.; Michels-Clark, Tara; Clinger, Jonathan A.; Andi, Babak; Ibrahim, Mohamed; Pastor, Ernest; de Lichtenberg, Casper; Hussein, Rana; Pollock, Christopher J.; Zhang, Miao; Stan, Claudiu A.; Kroll, Thomas; Fransson, Thomas; Weninger, Clemens; Kubin, Markus; Aller, Pierre; Lassalle, Louise; Bräuer, Philipp; Miller, Mitchell D.; Amin, Muhamed; Koroidov, Sergey; Roessler, Christian G.; Allaire, Marc; Sierra, Raymond G.; Docker, Peter T.; Glownia, James M.; Nelson, Silke; Koglin, Jason E.; Zhu, Diling; Chollet, Matthieu; Song, Sanghoon; Lemke, Henrik; Liang, Mengning; Sokaras, Dimosthenis; Alonso-Mori, Roberto; Zouni, Athina; Messinger, Johannes; Bergmann, Uwe; Boal, Amie K.; Bollinger, J. Martin; Krebs, Carsten; Högbom, Martin; Phillips, George N.; Vierstra, Richard D.; Sauter, Nicholas K.; Orville, Allen M.; Kern, Jan; Yachandra, Vittal K.; Yano, Junko

2017-01-01

X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing new insights into the interplay between the protein structure/dynamics and chemistry at an active site. Implementing such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly impacts the data quality. We present here a new, robust way of delivering controlled sample amounts on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method. PMID:28250468

Reducing young driver road trauma: guidance and optimism for the future

PubMed Central

Senserrick, T M

2006-01-01

This paper highlights lessons from each of the Expert Panel papers in the present supplement that provide guidance for future research and initiatives. Although some shortfalls still remain in our understanding, it is argued that much has been learned and we are ready for more translation, implementation, and evaluation of multilevel interventions to help reduce young driver road trauma. Non‐use of restraints, speeding, driving at night and with passengers, and fatigue are highlighted as key risk factors to address. “Best practice” intervention is proposed as implementing and strengthening graduated driver licensing systems and complementary candidate programs and research, such as hazard perception training programs. A schematic cognitive‐perceptual model to explain the crash sequence process is explored. There is optimism that meaningful impacts can be made, especially coupled with the advances in vehicle technologies, but caution is necessary in the absence of targeted “real world” evaluations and broader implementation and diffusion strategies. PMID:16788114

Performance optimization of spectral amplitude coding OCDMA system using new enhanced multi diagonal code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imtiaz, Waqas A.; Ilyas, M.; Khan, Yousaf

2016-11-01

This paper propose a new code to optimize the performance of spectral amplitude coding-optical code division multiple access (SAC-OCDMA) system. The unique two-matrix structure of the proposed enhanced multi diagonal (EMD) code and effective correlation properties, between intended and interfering subscribers, significantly elevates the performance of SAC-OCDMA system by negating multiple access interference (MAI) and associated phase induce intensity noise (PIIN). Performance of SAC-OCDMA system based on the proposed code is thoroughly analyzed for two detection techniques through analytic and simulation analysis by referring to bit error rate (BER), signal to noise ratio (SNR) and eye patterns at the receiving end. It is shown that EMD code while using SDD technique provides high transmission capacity, reduces the receiver complexity, and provides better performance as compared to complementary subtraction detection (CSD) technique. Furthermore, analysis shows that, for a minimum acceptable BER of 10-9 , the proposed system supports 64 subscribers at data rates of up to 2 Gbps for both up-down link transmission.

Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers.

PubMed

Fuller, Franklin D; Gul, Sheraz; Chatterjee, Ruchira; Burgie, E Sethe; Young, Iris D; Lebrette, Hugo; Srinivas, Vivek; Brewster, Aaron S; Michels-Clark, Tara; Clinger, Jonathan A; Andi, Babak; Ibrahim, Mohamed; Pastor, Ernest; de Lichtenberg, Casper; Hussein, Rana; Pollock, Christopher J; Zhang, Miao; Stan, Claudiu A; Kroll, Thomas; Fransson, Thomas; Weninger, Clemens; Kubin, Markus; Aller, Pierre; Lassalle, Louise; Bräuer, Philipp; Miller, Mitchell D; Amin, Muhamed; Koroidov, Sergey; Roessler, Christian G; Allaire, Marc; Sierra, Raymond G; Docker, Peter T; Glownia, James M; Nelson, Silke; Koglin, Jason E; Zhu, Diling; Chollet, Matthieu; Song, Sanghoon; Lemke, Henrik; Liang, Mengning; Sokaras, Dimosthenis; Alonso-Mori, Roberto; Zouni, Athina; Messinger, Johannes; Bergmann, Uwe; Boal, Amie K; Bollinger, J Martin; Krebs, Carsten; Högbom, Martin; Phillips, George N; Vierstra, Richard D; Sauter, Nicholas K; Orville, Allen M; Kern, Jan; Yachandra, Vittal K; Yano, Junko

2017-04-01

X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy, both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing insights into the interplay between the protein structure and dynamics and the chemistry at an active site. The implementation of such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly affects the data quality. We present here a robust way of delivering controlled sample amounts on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.

Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers

DOE PAGES

Fuller, Franklin D.; Gul, Sheraz; Chatterjee, Ruchira; ...

2017-02-27

X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing new insights into the interplay between the protein structure/dynamics and chemistry at an active site. However, implementing such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly impacts the data quality. We present here a new, robust way of delivering controlled sample amountsmore » on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.« less

The next large helical devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iiyoshi, Atsuo; Yamazaki, Kozo

1995-06-01

Helical systems have the strong advantage of inherent steady-state operation for fusion reactors. Two large helical devices with fully superconducting coil systems are presently under design and construction. One is the LHD (Large Helical Device) [Fusion Technol. 17, 169 (1990)] with major radius=3.9 m and magnetic field=3-4 T, that is under construction during 1990-1997 at NIFS (National Institute for Fusion Science), Nagoya/Toki, Japan; it features continuous helical coils and a clean helical divertor focusing on edge configuration optimization. The other one in the W7-X (Wendelstein 7-X) [in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Nuclear Research, 1990, (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1991), Vol. 3, p. 525] with major radius=5.5 m and magnetic field=3 T, that is under review at IPP (Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics), Garching, Germany; it has adopted a modular coil system after elaborate optimization studies. These two programs are complementary in promoting world helical fusion research and in extending the understanding of toroidal plasmas through comparisons with large tokamaks.

Functional assay for T4 lysozyme-engineered G protein-coupled receptors with an ion channel reporter.

PubMed

Niescierowicz, Katarzyna; Caro, Lydia; Cherezov, Vadim; Vivaudou, Michel; Moreau, Christophe J

2014-01-07

Structural studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) extensively use the insertion of globular soluble protein domains to facilitate their crystallization. However, when inserted in the third intracellular loop (i3 loop), the soluble protein domain disrupts their coupling to G proteins and impedes the GPCRs functional characterization by standard G protein-based assays. Therefore, activity tests of crystallization-optimized GPCRs are essentially limited to their ligand binding properties using radioligand binding assays. Functional characterization of additional thermostabilizing mutations requires the insertion of similar mutations in the wild-type receptor to allow G protein-activation tests. We demonstrate that ion channel-coupled receptor technology is a complementary approach for a comprehensive functional characterization of crystallization-optimized GPCRs and potentially of any engineered GPCR. Ligand-induced conformational changes of the GPCRs are translated into electrical signal and detected by simple current recordings, even though binding of G proteins is sterically blocked by the added soluble protein domain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers

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

Fuller, Franklin D.; Gul, Sheraz; Chatterjee, Ruchira

X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing new insights into the interplay between the protein structure/dynamics and chemistry at an active site. However, implementing such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly impacts the data quality. We present here a new, robust way of delivering controlled sample amountsmore » on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.« less

Are We There Yet? Applying Thermodynamic and Kinetic Profiling on Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) Hit-to-Lead Program.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Edalji, Rohinton P; Panchal, Sanjay C; Sun, Chaohong; Djuric, Stevan W; Vasudevan, Anil

2017-10-26

It is advocated that kinetic and thermodynamic profiling of bioactive compounds should be incorporated and utilized as complementary tools for hit and lead optimizations in drug discovery. To assess their applications in the EED hit-to-lead optimization process, large amount of thermodynamic and kinetic data were collected and analyzed via isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), respectively. Slower dissociation rates (k off ) of the lead compounds were observed as the program progressed. Analysis of the kinetic data indicated that compound cellular activity correlated with both K i and k off . Our analysis revealed that ITC data should be interpreted in the context of chiral purity of the compounds. The thermodynamic signatures of the EED aminopyrrolidine compounds were found to be mainly enthalpy driven with improved enthalpic contributions as the program progressed. Our study also demonstrated that significant challenges still exist in utilizing kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for hit selection.

An Optimized Three-Level Design of Decoder Based on Nanoscale Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyedi, Saeid; Navimipour, Nima Jafari

2018-03-01

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) has been potentially considered as a supersede to Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) because of its inherent advantages. Many QCA-based logic circuits with smaller feature size, improved operating frequency, and lower power consumption than CMOS have been offered. This technology works based on electron relations inside quantum-dots. Due to the importance of designing an optimized decoder in any digital circuit, in this paper, we design, implement and simulate a new 2-to-4 decoder based on QCA with low delay, area, and complexity. The logic functionality of the 2-to-4 decoder is verified using the QCADesigner tool. The results have shown that the proposed QCA-based decoder has high performance in terms of a number of cells, covered area, and time delay. Due to the lower clock pulse frequency, the proposed 2-to-4 decoder is helpful for building QCA-based sequential digital circuits with high performance.

Management of Itch in Atopic Dermatitis

PubMed Central

Hong, Judith; Buddenkotte, Joerg; Berger, Timothy G.; Steinhoff, Martin

2013-01-01

Atopic dermatitis is a common, pruritic, inflammatory skin disorder. Chronic, localized, or even generalized pruritus is the diagnostic hallmark of atopic dermatitis, and its management remains a challenge for physicians. The threshold for itch and alloknesis is markedly reduced in these patients, and infections can promote exacerbation and thereby increase the itch. Modern management consists of anti-inflammatory, occasionally antiseptic, as well as antipruritic therapies to address the epidermal barrier as well as immunomodulation or infection. Mild forms of atopic dermatitis may be controlled with topical therapies, but moderate-to-severe forms often require a combination of systemic treatments consisting of antipruritic and immunosuppressive drugs, phototherapy, and topical compounds. In addition, patient education and a therapeutic regimen to help the patient cope with the itch and eczema are important adjuvant strategies for optimized long-term management. This review highlights various topical, systemic, and complementary and alternative therapies, as well as provide a therapeutic ladder for optimized long-term control of itch in atopic dermatitis. PMID:21767767

PI controller design of a wind turbine: evaluation of the pole-placement method and tuning using constrained optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei, Mahmood; Tibaldi, Carlo; Hansen, Morten H.

2016-09-01

PI/PID controllers are the most common wind turbine controllers. Normally a first tuning is obtained using methods such as pole-placement or Ziegler-Nichols and then extensive aeroelastic simulations are used to obtain the best tuning in terms of regulation of the outputs and reduction of the loads. In the traditional tuning approaches, the properties of different open loop and closed loop transfer functions of the system are not normally considered. In this paper, an assessment of the pole-placement tuning method is presented based on robustness measures. Then a constrained optimization setup is suggested to automatically tune the wind turbine controller subject to robustness constraints. The properties of the system such as the maximum sensitivity and complementary sensitivity functions (Ms and Mt ), along with some of the responses of the system, are used to investigate the controller performance and formulate the optimization problem. The cost function is the integral absolute error (IAE) of the rotational speed from a disturbance modeled as a step in wind speed. Linearized model of the DTU 10-MW reference wind turbine is obtained using HAWCStab2. Thereafter, the model is reduced with model order reduction. The trade-off curves are given to assess the tunings of the poles- placement method and a constrained optimization problem is solved to find the best tuning.

Patient Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines in an Outpatient Pediatric Neurology Clinic.

PubMed

Kenney, Daniel; Jenkins, Sarah; Youssef, Paul; Kotagal, Suresh

2016-05-01

This article describes the use of complementary and alternative medicines in an outpatient pediatric neurology clinic, and assesses family attitudes toward the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines versus prescription medications. Complementary and alternative medicine is an important element of the modern health care landscape. There is limited information about whether, and to what extent, families perceive its utility in childhood neurological disorders. Surveys were distributed to 500 consecutive patients at a child neurology clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Questions pertained to the child's diagnoses, use of complementary and alternative medicines, and the specific complementary and alternative medicine modalities that were used. Opinions were also gathered on the perceived efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines and prescription medications. Data were compared using χ(2) or Fisher exact tests as indicated. A total of 484 surveys were returned, of which 327 were usable. Only 17.4% admitted to use of complementary and alternative medicine to treat neurological problems. However, in follow-up questioning, actually 41.6% of patients recognized that they were using one or more types of complementary and alternative medicines. Disorders associated with a statistically significant increased prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use were headache (50.8% with headache used complementary and alternative medicine versus 35.7% without headache; P = 0.008, Fisher exact test), chronic fatigue (63.2% vs 38.8%; P = 0.005, Fisher exact test), and sleep disorders (77.1% vs 37.3%; P < 0.0001, Fisher exact test). A large proportion of pediatric neurology patients in our clinic are also using complementary and alternative medicine. Only 38.5% of these recognize themselves as using complementary and alternative medicine, underlining the need to inquire in-depth about its use. Patients who are less satisfied with their prescription medications are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine, perhaps reflecting the less tractable nature of their disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of steam-vortex plasma-torch start-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhailov, B. I.

2011-12-01

We propose a new optimal method of steam-vortex plasma-torches start-up; this method completely prevents the danger of water steam condensation in the arc chamber and all undesirable consequences of it.

Length and weight of very low birth weight infants in Germany at 2 years of age: does it matter at what age they start complementary food?

PubMed

Spiegler, J; Eisemann, N; Ehlers, S; Orlikowsky, T; Kannt, O; Herting, E; Göpel, W

2015-06-01

We analysed at what age parents start complementary food in very low birth weight infants, determined risk factors for early introduction of complementary food (post-term age) and analysed whether the age at introduction of complementary food influences height or weight at 2 years of age. Parents of premature infants born in 2009-2011 answered questionnaires regarding introduction of complementary food in the first year of life (N=2262) and were followed up at a post-term age of 2 years (N=981). Length and weight were compared with full-term infants from the KiGGs study. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to study predictors for early introduction of complementary food and the influence of age at introduction of complementary food on later height and weight. Average age at introduction of complementary food was 3.5 months post-term age. The lower the gestational age at birth, the earlier (post-term age) vegetables and meat were introduced. Age at introduction of complementary food was influenced by intrauterine growth restriction, gestational age at birth, maternal education and a developmental delay perceived by the parents. Length and weight at a post-term age of 2 years was not negatively influenced by early introduction of complementary food. VLBW infants are introduced to complementary food on average before a post-term age of 4 months. There was no negative effect of early introduction of complementary food on height and weight at 2 years of age.

A Longitudinal Examination of Hope and Optimism and Their Role in Type 1 Diabetes in Youths

PubMed Central

Steele, Ric G.; Nelson, Michael B.; Peugh, James; Egan, Anna; Clements, Mark; Patton, Susana R.

2016-01-01

Objectives To test the longitudinal associations between hope and optimism and health outcomes (i.e., HbA1c and self-monitored blood glucose [SMBG]) among youths with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) over a 6-month period. Methods A total of 110 participants (aged 10–16 years) completed study measures at Time 1, and 81 completed measures at Time 2. Analyses examined hope and optimism as predictors of change in health outcomes, and examined SMBG as a mediator of the relationship between hope and optimism, and HbA1c. Results Change in hope, but not optimism, was associated with change in SMBG and HbA1c. Change in SMBG mediated the relationship between change in hope and HbA1c, but not between optimism and HbA1c. Conclusions It may be beneficial to assess hope in pediatric T1DM patients to identify youths who may be at risk for poor diabetes management, and to test the benefit of hope-based intervention efforts in clinical studies. PMID:26628250

Special Section: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM):Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine

MedlinePlus

... Special Section CAM Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Past Issues / Winter 2009 Table of Contents For ... low back pain. True False Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes: Meditation Chiropractic Use of natural products, ...

Optimal Rate Schedules with Data Sharing in Energy Harvesting Communication Systems.

PubMed

Wu, Weiwei; Li, Huafan; Shan, Feng; Zhao, Yingchao

2017-12-20

Despite the abundant research on energy-efficient rate scheduling polices in energy harvesting communication systems, few works have exploited data sharing among multiple applications to further enhance the energy utilization efficiency, considering that the harvested energy from environments is limited and unstable. In this paper, to overcome the energy shortage of wireless devices at transmitting data to a platform running multiple applications/requesters, we design rate scheduling policies to respond to data requests as soon as possible by encouraging data sharing among data requests and reducing the redundancy. We formulate the problem as a transmission completion time minimization problem under constraints of dynamical data requests and energy arrivals. We develop offline and online algorithms to solve this problem. For the offline setting, we discover the relationship between two problems: the completion time minimization problem and the energy consumption minimization problem with a given completion time. We first derive the optimal algorithm for the min-energy problem and then adopt it as a building block to compute the optimal solution for the min-completion-time problem. For the online setting without future information, we develop an event-driven online algorithm to complete the transmission as soon as possible. Simulation results validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

Optimal Rate Schedules with Data Sharing in Energy Harvesting Communication Systems

PubMed Central

Wu, Weiwei; Li, Huafan; Shan, Feng; Zhao, Yingchao

2017-01-01

Despite the abundant research on energy-efficient rate scheduling polices in energy harvesting communication systems, few works have exploited data sharing among multiple applications to further enhance the energy utilization efficiency, considering that the harvested energy from environments is limited and unstable. In this paper, to overcome the energy shortage of wireless devices at transmitting data to a platform running multiple applications/requesters, we design rate scheduling policies to respond to data requests as soon as possible by encouraging data sharing among data requests and reducing the redundancy. We formulate the problem as a transmission completion time minimization problem under constraints of dynamical data requests and energy arrivals. We develop offline and online algorithms to solve this problem. For the offline setting, we discover the relationship between two problems: the completion time minimization problem and the energy consumption minimization problem with a given completion time. We first derive the optimal algorithm for the min-energy problem and then adopt it as a building block to compute the optimal solution for the min-completion-time problem. For the online setting without future information, we develop an event-driven online algorithm to complete the transmission as soon as possible. Simulation results validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. PMID:29261135

Tracing back the nascence of a new sex-determination pathway to the ancestor of bees and ants

PubMed Central

Schmieder, Sandra; Colinet, Dominique; Poirié, Marylène

2012-01-01

In several Hymenoptera, sexual fate is determined by the allelic composition at the complementary sex-determiner locus, a sex-determination mechanism that can strongly affect population dynamics. To date, the molecular identification of complementary sex determiner has only been achieved in the honeybee, where the complementary sex-determiner gene was reported to have arisen from duplication of the feminizer gene. Strikingly, the complementary sex-determiner gene was also proposed to be unique to the honeybee lineage. Here we identify feminizer and complementary sex-determiner orthologues in bumble bees and ants. We further demonstrate that the duplication of feminizer that produced complementary sex determiner occurred before the divergence of Aculeata species (~120 Myr ago). Finally, we provide evidence that the two genes evolved concertedly through gene conversion, complementary sex-determiner evolution being additionally shaped by mosaic patterns of selection. Thus, the complementary sex-determiner gene likely represents the molecular basis for single locus-complementary sex determination in the Aculeata infra-order, and possibly, in the entire Hymenoptera order. PMID:22692538

Internet-based randomised controlled trials for the evaluation of complementary and alternative medicines: probiotics in spondyloarthropathy

PubMed Central

Brophy, Sinead; Burrows, Claire L; Brooks, Caroline; Gravenor, Michael B; Siebert, Stefan; Allen, Stephen J

2008-01-01

Background The clinical effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) is widely debated because of a lack of clinical trials. The internet may provide an effective and economical approach for undertaking randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of low-risk interventions. We investigated whether the internet could be used to perform an internet-based RCT of a CAM fulfilling the revised CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement quality checklist for reporting of RCTs. A secondary aim was to examine the effect of probiotics compared to placebo in terms of well-being over 12 weeks. Methods People aged ≥18 years with confirmed spondyloarthropathy living in the United Kingdom with internet access were invited to participate in an internet-based RCT of probiotic compared to placebo for improving well-being and bowel symptoms. The intervention was a probiotic containing 4 strains of live bacteria or identical placebo taken by mouth daily for 3 months. The primary outcome measure was the performance of the trial according to the revised CONSORT statement. Results 147 people were randomised into the trial. The internet-based trial of the CAM fulfilled the revised CONSORT statement such as efficient blinding, allocation concealment, intention to treat analysis and flow of participants through the trial. Recruitment of the required number of participants was completed in 19 months. Sixty-five percent (96/147) completed the entire 3 months of the trial. The trial was low cost and demonstrated that in an intention to treat analysis, probiotics did not improve well-being or bowel symptoms. Conclusion The internet-based RCT proved to be a successful and economical method for examining this CAM intervention. Recruitment, adherence and completion rate were all similar to those reported with conventional RCTs but at a fraction of the cost. Internet-based RCTs can fulfil all the criteria of the revised CONSORT statement and are an appropriate method for studying low-risk interventions. Trial registration ISRCTN36133252 PMID:18190710

Optimization of Passive Voltage Multipliers for Fast Start-up and Multi-voltage Power Supplies in Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, G.; Stark, B. H.; Burrow, S. G.; Hollis, S. J.

2014-11-01

This paper demonstrates the use of passive voltage multipliers for rapid start-up of sub-milliwatt electromagnetic energy harvesting systems. The work describes circuit optimization to make as short as possible the transition from completely depleted energy storage to the first powering-up of an actively controlled switched-mode converter. The dependency of the start-up time on component parameters and topologies is derived by simulation and experimentation. The resulting optimized multiplier design reduces the start-up time from several minutes to 1 second. An additional improvement uses the inherent cascade structure of the voltage multiplier to power sub-systems at different voltages. This multi-rail start-up is shown to reduce the circuit losses of the active converter by 72% with respect to the optimized single-rail system. The experimental results provide insight into the multiplier's transient behaviour, including circuit interactions, in a complete harvesting system, and offer important information to optimize voltage multipliers for rapid start-up.

Sampling solution traces for the problem of sorting permutations by signed reversals

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Traditional algorithms to solve the problem of sorting by signed reversals output just one optimal solution while the space of all optimal solutions can be huge. A so-called trace represents a group of solutions which share the same set of reversals that must be applied to sort the original permutation following a partial ordering. By using traces, we therefore can represent the set of optimal solutions in a more compact way. Algorithms for enumerating the complete set of traces of solutions were developed. However, due to their exponential complexity, their practical use is limited to small permutations. A partial enumeration of traces is a sampling of the complete set of traces and can be an alternative for the study of distinct evolutionary scenarios of big permutations. Ideally, the sampling should be done uniformly from the space of all optimal solutions. This is however conjectured to be ♯P-complete. Results We propose and evaluate three algorithms for producing a sampling of the complete set of traces that instead can be shown in practice to preserve some of the characteristics of the space of all solutions. The first algorithm (RA) performs the construction of traces through a random selection of reversals on the list of optimal 1-sequences. The second algorithm (DFALT) consists in a slight modification of an algorithm that performs the complete enumeration of traces. Finally, the third algorithm (SWA) is based on a sliding window strategy to improve the enumeration of traces. All proposed algorithms were able to enumerate traces for permutations with up to 200 elements. Conclusions We analysed the distribution of the enumerated traces with respect to their height and average reversal length. Various works indicate that the reversal length can be an important aspect in genome rearrangements. The algorithms RA and SWA show a tendency to lose traces with high average reversal length. Such traces are however rare, and qualitatively our results show that, for testable-sized permutations, the algorithms DFALT and SWA produce distributions which approximate the reversal length distributions observed with a complete enumeration of the set of traces. PMID:22704580

Supporting Worth Mapping with Sentence Completion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cockton, Gilbert; Kujala, Sari; Nurkka, Piia; Hölttä, Taneli

Expectations for design and evaluation approaches are set by the development practices within which they are used. Worth-Centred Development (WCD) seeks to both shape and fit such practices. We report a study that combined two WCD approaches. Sentence completion gathered credible quantitative data on user values, which were used to identify relevant values and aversions of two player groups for an on-line gambling site. These values provided human value elements for a complementary WCD approach of worth mapping. Initial worth maps were extended in three workshops, which focused on outcomes and user experiences that could be better addressed in the current product and associated marketing materials. We describe how worth maps were prepared for, and presented in, workshops, and how product owners and associated business roles evaluated the combination of WCD approaches. Based on our experiences, we offer practical advice on this combinination.

Integrated restructurable flight control system demonstration results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, Jerold L.; Hsu, John Y.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the complementary capabilities of several restructurable flight control system (RFCS) concepts through the integration of these technologies into a complete system. Performance issues were addressed through a re-examination of RFCS functional requirements, and through a qualitative analysis of the design issues that, if properly addressed during integration, will lead to the highest possible degree of fault-tolerant performance. Software developed under previous phases of this contract and under NAS1-18004 was modified and integrated into a complete RFCS subroutine for NASA's B-737 simulation. The integration of these modules involved the development of methods for dealing with the mismatch between the outputs of the failure detection module and the input requirements of the automatic control system redesign module. The performance of this demonstration system was examined through extensive simulation trials.

Fluorescence probing of T box antiterminator RNA: Insights into riboswitch discernment of the tRNA discriminator base

PubMed Central

Means, John A.; Simson, Crystal M.; Zhou, Shu; Rachford, Aaron A.; Rack, Jeffrey J.; Hines, Jennifer V.

2009-01-01

The T box transcription antitermination riboswitch is one of the main regulatory mechanisms utilized by Gram-positive bacteria to regulate genes that are involved in amino acid metabolism. The details of the antitermination event, including the role that Mg2+ plays, in this riboswitch have not been completely elucidated. In these studies, details of the antitermination event were investigated utilizing 2-aminopurine to monitor structural changes of a model antiterminator RNA when it was bound to model tRNA. Based on the results of these fluorescence studies, the model tRNA binds the model antiterminator RNA via an induced fit. This binding is enhanced by the presence of Mg2+, facilitating the complete base pairing of the model tRNA acceptor end with the complementary bases in the model antiterminator bulge. PMID:19755116

Optimism on quality of life in Portuguese chronic patients: moderator/mediator?

PubMed

Vilhena, Estela; Pais-Ribeiro, José; Silva, Isabel; Pedro, Luísa; Meneses, Rute F; Cardoso, Helena; Silva, António Martins da; Mendonça, Denisa

2014-07-01

optimism is an important variable that has consistently been shown to affect adjustment to quality of life in chronic diseases. This study aims to clarify if dispositional optimism exerts a moderating or a mediating influence on the personality traits-quality of life association, in Portuguese chronic patients. multiple regression models were used to test the moderation and mediation effects of dispositional optimism in quality of life. A sample of 729 patients was recruited in Portugal's main hospitals and completed self-reported questionnaires assessing socio-demographic and clinical variables, personality, dispositional optimism, quality of life (QoL) and subjective well-being (SWB). the results of the regression models showed that dispositional optimism did not moderate the relationships between personality traits and quality of life. After controlling for gender, age, education level and severity of disease perception, the effects of personality traits on QoL and in SWB were mediated by dispositional optimism (partially and completely), except for the links between neuroticism/openness to experience and physical health. dispositional optimism is more likely to play a mediating, rather than a moderating role in personality traits-quality of life pathway in Portuguese chronic patients, suggesting that "the expectation that good things will happen" contributes to a better quality of life and subjective well-being.

Lexicographic goal programming and assessment tools for a combinatorial production problem.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

NP-complete combinatorial problems often necessitate the use of near-optimal solution techniques including : heuristics and metaheuristics. The addition of multiple optimization criteria can further complicate : comparison of these solution technique...

Current Understandings of the Research-Practice Gap From the Viewpoint of Complementary Medicine Academics: A Mixed-Method Investigation.

PubMed

Leach, Matthew J; Tucker, Basil

Research plays an important role in advancing health and healthcare. However, much research evidence is not reflected in contemporary complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice. Understanding and addressing the reasons for this research-practice gap may have positive implications for quality of care. To shed light on the gap between research and CAM practice. Descriptive cross-sectional, mixed-method study. A total of 126 senior CAM academics across Australasia, Europe, UK, and North America. Participants completed a 30-item online survey and a semi-structured interview; both of which explored the research-practice gap in CAM. A total of 43 (34%) academics completed the survey, with 29 (67%) respondents undergoing an interview. There was general agreement among respondents that CAM research should be informed by practice, and practice informed by research; however, most agreed that this did not reflect the current situation. Translational issues were perceived to be the primary reason for the research-practice gap in CAM. Suggested strategies for closing the gap focussed mostly around improving CAM student/practitioner education and training, and researcher-practitioner engagement and collaboration. Study findings point toward the presence of a research-practice gap in CAM, with several factors likely to be instrumental in sustaining this gap. Attention now needs to focus on understanding the views of CAM clinicians on this issue. Insights gained from this research will help inform the development of a multi-modal strategy that will effectively target the barriers to change in order to bring CAM research and practice closer together. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Individuals Presenting for Care at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

PubMed

Judson, Patricia L; Abdallah, Reem; Xiong, Yin; Ebbert, Judith; Lancaster, Johnathan M

2017-03-01

To define the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in individuals presenting for care at a comprehensive cancer center. A total of 17 639 individuals presenting to an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (and consortium sites) completed a questionnaire regarding CAM use. Data were analyzed using the univariate χ 2 test to assess CAM use associated with a number of variables, including cancer status, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, race, employment, and education level. Eighty-seven percent of individuals who completed the CAM survey acknowledged CAM therapy use within the previous 12 months. Of the 5 broad categories of CAM, the most commonly used were biologically based approaches (14 759/17 639 [83.67%]), mind-body interventions (4624/17 485 [26.45%]), manipulative and body-based therapies (3957/17 537 [22.56%]), alternative medical systems (429/15 952 [2.69%]), and energy therapies (270/15 872 [1.7%]). CAM use was more prevalent among women, non-Hispanics, Caucasians, patients 60 to 69 years of age, and those who are married, have a higher level of education, and are employed ( P < .005). This is the largest report of CAM use in individuals presenting for care at a comprehensive cancer center. Our analysis revealed that a very high percentage of patients utilize CAM. Because many of these CAM interventions are not studied in oncology patients, additional research on safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of action are essential. Furthermore, it is important that oncologists understand CAM modalities and counsel their patients about their use.

Household food security and infant feeding practices in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Owais, Aatekah; Kleinbaum, David G; Suchdev, Parminder S; Faruque, Asg; Das, Sumon K; Schwartz, Benjamin; Stein, Aryeh D

2016-07-01

To determine the association between household food security and infant complementary feeding practices in rural Bangladesh. Prospective, cohort study using structured home interviews during pregnancy and 3 and 9 months after delivery. We used two indicators of household food security at 3-months' follow-up: maternal Food Composition Score (FCS), calculated via the World Food Programme method, and an HHFS index created from an eleven-item food security questionnaire. Infant feeding practices were characterized using WHO definitions. Two rural sub-districts of Kishoreganj, Bangladesh. Mother-child dyads (n 2073) who completed the 9-months' follow-up. Complementary feeding was initiated at age ≤4 months for 7 %, at 5-6 months for 49 % and at ≥7 months for 44 % of infants. Based on 24 h dietary recall, 98 % of infants were still breast-feeding at age 9 months, and 16 % received ≥4 food groups and ≥4 meals (minimally acceptable diet) in addition to breast milk. Mothers' diet was more diverse than infants'. The odds of receiving a minimally acceptable diet for infants living in most food-secure households were three times those for infants living in least food-secure households (adjusted OR=3·0; 95 % CI 2·1, 4·3). Socio-economic status, maternal age, literacy, parity and infant sex were not associated with infant diet. HHFS and maternal FCS were significant predictors of subsequent infant feeding practices. Nevertheless, even the more food-secure households had poor infant diet. Interventions aimed at improving infant nutritional status need to focus on both complementary food provision and education.

Complementary and alternative medicine use for constipation: a critical review focusing upon prevalence, type, cost, and users' profile, perception and motivations.

PubMed

Peng, W; Liang, H; Sibbritt, D; Adams, J

2016-09-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly used by those suffering from constipation. This paper reports the first critical integrative review of CAM use for people with constipation focusing upon the prevalence, type and cost of CAM use, as well as CAM users' profile, perception and motivations. A comprehensive search of international literature was conducted in MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED). The search was limited to original research peer-reviewed English language articles concerning CAM use for constipation published with an abstract and full text between 2005 and 2015. A total of 35 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review shows approximately one in every three people suffering from constipation use CAM with herbal medicine the most commonly used CAM treatment for constipation and a large proportion of CAM use occurring concurrent with or in addition to conventional medical treatments. While early investigation suggests the cost of herbal medicine use in constipation care may be lower than that associated with the use other CAM modalities and conventional medications, this issue requires further research. Although a high percentage of people with constipation using CAM consider these treatments effective, there remains a need for further in-depth examination of both patient and provider perspectives as well as communication and decision-making around CAM use for constipation to inform safe, effective and coordinated care for patients with constipation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acupuncture and Kinesio Taping for the acute management of Bell's palsy: A case report.

PubMed

Alptekin, Derya Özmen

2017-12-01

Bell's palsy is an idiopathic, acute peripheral palsy of the facial nerve that supplies the muscles of facial expression. Despite an expected 70% full recovery rate, up to 30% of patients are left with potentially disfiguring facial weakness, involuntary movements, or persistent lacrimation. The most frequently used treatment options are corticosteroids and antiviral drugs. However, accompanying clinical conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbances, polypharmacy of geriatric patients, and significant sequelae ratios, indicate the need for safe and effective complementary therapies that would enhance the success of the conventional interventions. A 26-year-old female presented with numbness and earache on the left side of the face; these symptoms had been ongoing for 8-10h. Physical examination revealed peripheral facial paralysis of House-Brackmann grade III and corticosteroid-valacyclovir treatment was initiated. On the same day, Kinesio Taping was applied to the affected nerve and muscle area with the aim of primarily neurofacilitation and edema-pain relief. On the fifth day, acupuncture treatment was started and was continued for 3 consecutive days. A physical therapy program was administered for the subsequent 10days. At the 3-week follow-up examination, Bell's palsy was determined as grade I, and the treatment was stopped. Acupuncture and Kinesio Taping, in conjunction with physical therapy modalities, are safe and promising complementary therapies for the acute management of Bell's palsy. However, further large scale and randomized controlled studies are necessary to assess whether these complementary interventions have significant additive or synergistic effect for complete recovery of patients with Bell's palsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pricing, Carbon Emission Reduction, Low-Carbon Promotion and Returning Decision in a Closed-Loop Supply Chain under Vertical and Horizontal Cooperation

PubMed Central

Li, Hui; Wang, Chuanxu; Shang, Meng; Ou, Wei

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examine the influences of vertical and horizontal cooperation models on the optimal decisions and performance of a low-carbon closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) with a manufacturer and two retailers, and study optimal operation in the competitive pricing, competitive the low-carbon promotion, the carbon emission reduction, the used-products collection and the profits. We consider the completely decentralized model, M-R vertical cooperation model, R-R horizontal cooperation model, M-R-R vertical and horizontal cooperation model and completely centralized model, and also identify the optimal decision results and profits. It can be observed from a systematic comparison and numerical analysis that the completely centralized model is best in all optimal decision results among all models. In semi-cooperation, the M-R vertical cooperation model is positive, the R-R horizontal cooperation model is passive, and the positivity of the M-R-R vertical and horizontal cooperation model decreases with competitive intensity increasing in the used-products returning, carbon emissions reduction level, low-carbon promotion effort and the profits of the manufacturer and the entire supply chain. PMID:29104268

Pricing, Carbon Emission Reduction, Low-Carbon Promotion and Returning Decision in a Closed-Loop Supply Chain under Vertical and Horizontal Cooperation.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Wang, Chuanxu; Shang, Meng; Ou, Wei

2017-11-01

In this paper, we examine the influences of vertical and horizontal cooperation models on the optimal decisions and performance of a low-carbon closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) with a manufacturer and two retailers, and study optimal operation in the competitive pricing, competitive the low-carbon promotion, the carbon emission reduction, the used-products collection and the profits. We consider the completely decentralized model, M-R vertical cooperation model, R-R horizontal cooperation model, M-R-R vertical and horizontal cooperation model and completely centralized model, and also identify the optimal decision results and profits. It can be observed from a systematic comparison and numerical analysis that the completely centralized model is best in all optimal decision results among all models. In semi-cooperation, the M-R vertical cooperation model is positive, the R-R horizontal cooperation model is passive, and the positivity of the M-R-R vertical and horizontal cooperation model decreases with competitive intensity increasing in the used-products returning, carbon emissions reduction level, low-carbon promotion effort and the profits of the manufacturer and the entire supply chain.

Calculating complete and exact Pareto front for multiobjective optimization: a new deterministic approach for discrete problems.

PubMed

Hu, Xiao-Bing; Wang, Ming; Di Paolo, Ezequiel

2013-06-01

Searching the Pareto front for multiobjective optimization problems usually involves the use of a population-based search algorithm or of a deterministic method with a set of different single aggregate objective functions. The results are, in fact, only approximations of the real Pareto front. In this paper, we propose a new deterministic approach capable of fully determining the real Pareto front for those discrete problems for which it is possible to construct optimization algorithms to find the k best solutions to each of the single-objective problems. To this end, two theoretical conditions are given to guarantee the finding of the actual Pareto front rather than its approximation. Then, a general methodology for designing a deterministic search procedure is proposed. A case study is conducted, where by following the general methodology, a ripple-spreading algorithm is designed to calculate the complete exact Pareto front for multiobjective route optimization. When compared with traditional Pareto front search methods, the obvious advantage of the proposed approach is its unique capability of finding the complete Pareto front. This is illustrated by the simulation results in terms of both solution quality and computational efficiency.

Factors related to complementary/alternative medicine use among cancer patients in central Anatolia.

PubMed

Er, Ozlem; Mistik, Selcuk; Ozkan, Metin; Ozturk, Ahmet; Altinbas, Mustafa

2008-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and factors related to the use of complementary/alternative medicine among cancer patients undergoing or following conventional treatment at the Erciyes University Oncology Hospital in Central Anatolia. Face-to-face interview and a questionnaire were carried out with cancer patients attending the outpatient clinic of Medical Oncology. Questionnaire items included patients' demographic data, treatment, use of complementary/alternative medicine and possible related factors. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare the factors related to use of complementary/alternative medicine. A total of 268 consecutive cancer patients were enrolled in the study. Overall, 43% of the patients were using or had used complementary/alternative medicine. Totally, 90% of the patients using complementary/alternative medicine utilized herbs, and most of the herbs used were stinging nettle. Nearly half of the patients using complementary/alternative medicine (46.1%) were aiming to fight the disease. Among users, nearly half of them regarded the method used as effective and 54 (50.5%) suggested the use of complementary/alternative medicine to other patients. Only 23.1% of the patients discussed the use of complementary/alternative medicine with their physician. In logistic regression analysis, younger age, higher educational status, advanced stage of the disease, longer duration of the disease and current treatment status were significantly associated with the use of complementary/alternative medicine. In our regression model, the predictivity rate of these variables was 72.2% for use of complementary/alternative medicine according to the backward Wald test. Use of complementary/alternative medicine among cancer patients in our center is modestly high, and the most common method is herbal therapy. Communication between the patient and the physician should be improved on this subject.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines during the third trimester.

PubMed

Pallivalapila, Abdul Rouf; Stewart, Derek; Shetty, Ashalatha; Pande, Binita; Singh, Rajvir; McLay, James S

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence, indications, and associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use during the last trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire survey was conducted of women with a live birth (N=700) admitted to the postnatal unit at the Royal Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, northeast Scotland. Outcome measures included: complementary and alternative medicine used; vitamins and minerals used; reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use; independent associated factors for use; views; and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. The response rate was 79.6% of eligible women. Two thirds of respondents (61.4%) reported using complementary and alternative medicine, excluding vitamins and minerals, during the third trimester. Respondents reported using a total of 30 different complementary and alternative medicine modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (38% of respondents, 40 different products). The independent associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use identified were: complementary and alternative medicine use before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 4.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.39-7.95, P<.001); a university education (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.46-4.0, P=.001), and complementary and alternative medicine use by family or friends (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.47, P<.001). There was no association with health care professional recommendations. Users were significantly more likely than nonusers to agree that complementary and alternative medicines were safer than prescribed medicines (P=.006), less likely to be associated with side effects (P≤.001), and could interfere with conventional medicines (P≤.001). Despite the majority of respondents, and notably users, being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, complementary and alternative medicine modalities and complementary and alternative medicine products are widely used during the third trimester of pregnancy in this study population. Although prior use was the most significant independent associated factor, the role of family and friends, rather than health professionals, in the decision to use complementary and alternative medicine may be of concern. III.

The impact of crosstalk on three-dimensional laparoscopic performance and workload.

PubMed

Sakata, Shinichiro; Grove, Philip M; Watson, Marcus O; Stevenson, Andrew R L

2017-10-01

This is the first study to explore the effects of crosstalk from 3D laparoscopic displays on technical performance and workload. We studied crosstalk at magnitudes that may have been tolerated during laparoscopic surgery. Participants were 36 voluntary doctors. To minimize floor effects, participants completed their surgery rotations, and a laparoscopic suturing course for surgical trainees. We used a counterbalanced, within-subjects design in which participants were randomly assigned to complete laparoscopic tasks in one of six unique testing sequences. In a simulation laboratory, participants were randomly assigned to complete laparoscopic 'navigation in space' and suturing tasks in three viewing conditions: 2D, 3D without ghosting and 3D with ghosting. Participants calibrated their exposure to crosstalk as the maximum level of ghosting that they could tolerate without discomfort. The Randot® Stereotest was used to verify stereoacuity. The study performance metric was time to completion. The NASA TLX was used to measure workload. Normal threshold stereoacuity (40-20 second of arc) was verified in all participants. Comparing optimal 3D with 2D viewing conditions, mean performance times were 2.8 and 1.6 times faster in laparoscopic navigation in space and suturing tasks respectively (p< .001). Comparing optimal 3D with suboptimal 3D viewing conditions, mean performance times were 2.9 times faster in both tasks (p< .001). Mean workload in 2D was 1.5 and 1.3 times greater than in optimal 3D viewing, for navigation in space and suturing tasks respectively (p< .001). Mean workload associated with suboptimal 3D was 1.3 times greater than optimal 3D in both laparoscopic tasks (p< .001). There was no significant relationship between the magnitude of ghosting score, laparoscopic performance and workload. Our findings highlight the advantages of 3D displays when used optimally, and their shortcomings when used sub-optimally, on both laparoscopic performance and workload.

Age of Complementary Foods Introduction and Risk of Anemia in Children Aged 4-6 years: A Prospective Birth Cohort in China.

PubMed

Wang, Fenglei; Liu, Huijuan; Wan, Yi; Li, Jing; Chen, Yu; Zheng, Jusheng; Huang, Tao; Li, Duo

2017-03-23

Age of complementary foods introduction is associated with childhood anemia, but the ideal age for the introduction of complementary foods to infants is a continuing topic of debate. We examined the longitudinal association between complementary foods introduction age and risk of anemia in 18,446 children from the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, who had detailed complementary feeding records at 3 and 6 months of age and had hemoglobin concentrations measured at 4-6 years. Early introduction of complementary foods at 3-6 months of age was significantly associated with a higher risk of anemia (odds ratio = 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.28) and a lower hemoglobin concentration of -0.84 g/L (95% confidence interval: -1.33 to -0.35) in children aged 4-6 years, compared with those fed complementary foods starting at 6 months of age. When it comes to the specific type of complementary foods, early introduction of all plant-based foods was associated with increased anemia risks and lower hemoglobin concentrations, while early introduction of most animal-based foods was not. These findings may be informative regarding the appropriate time to introduce complementary foods in infants.

76 FR 59707 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal... for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel, Training and Education. Date... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel, Clinical Studies of CAM Therapies. Date: November...

Open quantum systems and error correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabani Barzegar, Alireza

Quantum effects can be harnessed to manipulate information in a desired way. Quantum systems which are designed for this purpose are suffering from harming interaction with their surrounding environment or inaccuracy in control forces. Engineering different methods to combat errors in quantum devices are highly demanding. In this thesis, I focus on realistic formulations of quantum error correction methods. A realistic formulation is the one that incorporates experimental challenges. This thesis is presented in two sections of open quantum system and quantum error correction. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the material on open quantum system theory. It is essential to first study a noise process then to contemplate methods to cancel its effect. In the second chapter, I present the non-completely positive formulation of quantum maps. Most of these results are published in [Shabani and Lidar, 2009b,a], except a subsection on geometric characterization of positivity domain of a quantum map. The real-time formulation of the dynamics is the topic of the third chapter. After introducing the concept of Markovian regime, A new post-Markovian quantum master equation is derived, published in [Shabani and Lidar, 2005a]. The section of quantum error correction is presented in three chapters of 4, 5, 6 and 7. In chapter 4, we introduce a generalized theory of decoherence-free subspaces and subsystems (DFSs), which do not require accurate initialization (published in [Shabani and Lidar, 2005b]). In Chapter 5, we present a semidefinite program optimization approach to quantum error correction that yields codes and recovery procedures that are robust against significant variations in the noise channel. Our approach allows us to optimize the encoding, recovery, or both, and is amenable to approximations that significantly improve computational cost while retaining fidelity (see [Kosut et al., 2008] for a published version). Chapter 6 is devoted to a theory of quantum error correction (QEC) that applies to any linear map, in particular maps that are not completely positive (CP). This is a complementary to the second chapter which is published in [Shabani and Lidar, 2007]. In the last chapter 7 before the conclusion, a formulation for evaluating the performance of quantum error correcting codes for a general error model is presented, also published in [Shabani, 2005]. In this formulation, the correlation between errors is quantified by a Hamiltonian description of the noise process. In particular, we consider Calderbank-Shor-Steane codes and observe a better performance in the presence of correlated errors depending on the timing of the error recovery.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.

PubMed

Höfer, Juliana; Hoffmann, Falk; Bachmann, Christian

2017-05-01

Despite limited evidence, complementary and alternative medicine treatments are popular in autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this review was to summarize the available evidence on complementary and alternative medicine use frequency in autism spectrum disorder. A systematic search of three electronic databases was performed. All research studies in English or German reporting data on the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine use in individuals with autism spectrum disorder were included. Two independent reviewers searched the literature, extracted information on study design and results, and assessed study quality using an established quality assessment tool. Twenty studies with a total of 9540 participants were included. The prevalence of any complementary and alternative medicine use ranged from 28% to 95% (median: 54%). Special diets or dietary supplements (including vitamins) were the most frequent complementary and alternative medicine treatments, ranking first in 75% of studies. There was some evidence for a higher prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in autism spectrum disorder compared to other psychiatric disorders and the general population. Approximately half of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder use complementary and alternative medicine. Doctors should be aware of this and should discuss complementary and alternative medicine use with patients and their carers, especially as the evidence is mixed and some complementary and alternative medicine treatments are potentially harmful.

Ethical responsibilities of pharmacists when selling complementary medicines: a systematic review.

PubMed

Salman Popattia, Amber; Winch, Sarah; La Caze, Adam

2018-04-01

The widespread sale of complementary medicines in community pharmacy raises important questions regarding the responsibilities of pharmacists when selling complementary medicines. This study reviews the academic literature that explores a pharmacist's responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Embase, PubMed, Cinahl, PsycINFO and Philosopher's index databases were searched for articles written in English and published between 1995 and 2017. Empirical studies discussing pharmacists' practices or perceptions, consumers' expectations and normative studies discussing ethical perspectives or proposing ethical frameworks related to pharmacists' responsibilities in selling complementary medicines were included in the review. Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies discussing the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines had an empirical focus. Pharmacists and consumers identified counselling and ensuring safe use of complementary medicines as the primary responsibilities of pharmacists. No formal ethical framework is explicitly employed to describe the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines. To the degree any ethical framework is employed, a number of papers implicitly rely on principlism. The studies discussing the ethical perspectives of selling complementary medicines mainly describe the ethical conflict between a pharmacist's business and health professional role. No attempt is made to provide guidance on appropriate ways to resolve the conflict. There is a lack of explicit normative advice in the existing literature regarding the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines. This review identifies the need to develop a detailed practice-specific ethical framework to guide pharmacists regarding their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. © 2018 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff.

PubMed

Iyer, Priya; McFarland, Reanna; La Caze, Adam

2017-08-01

Most sales of complementary medicines within pharmacies are conducted by pharmacy support staff. The absence of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of many complementary medicines raises a number of ethical questions regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies. Explore (1) what consumers expect from pharmacists/pharmacies with regard to the sale of complementary medicines, and (2) how pharmacy support staff perceive their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacy support staff and consumers in pharmacies in Brisbane. Consumers were asked to describe their expectations when purchasing complementary medicines. Pharmacy support staff were asked to describe their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. Interviews were conducted and analysed using the techniques developed within Grounded Theory. Thirty-three consumers were recruited from three pharmacies. Consumers described complementary medicine use as a personal health choice. Consumer expectations on the pharmacist included: select the right product for the right person, expert product knowledge and maintaining a wide range of good quality stock. Twenty pharmacy support staff were recruited from four pharmacies. Pharmacy support staff employed processes to ensure consumers receive the right product for the right person. Pharmacy support staff expressed a commitment to aiding consumers, but few evaluated the reliability of effectiveness claims regarding complementary medicines. Pharmacists need to respect the personal health choices of consumers while also putting procedures in place to ensure safe and appropriate use of complementary medicines. This includes providing appropriate support to pharmacy support staff. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

A novel technology for the detection, enrichment, and separation of trace amounts of target DNA based on amino-modified fluorescent magnetic composite nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wang, Guannan; Su, Xingguang

2010-06-01

A novel, highly sensitive technology for the detection, enrichment, and separation of trace amounts of target DNA was developed on the basis of amino-modified fluorescent magnetic composite nanoparticles (AFMN). In this study, the positively charged amino-modified composite nanoparticles conjugate with the negatively charged capture DNA through electrostatic binding. The optimal combination of AFMN and capture DNA was measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The highly sensitive detection of trace amounts of target DNA was achieved through enrichment by means of AFMN. The detection limit for target DNA is 0.4 pM, which could be further improved by using a more powerful magnet. Because of their different melting temperatures, single-base mismatched target DNA could be separated from perfectly complementary target DNA. In addition, the photoluminescence (PL) signals of perfectly complementary target DNA and single-base mismatched DNA as well as the hybridization kinetics of different concentrations of target DNA at different reaction times have also been studied. Most importantly, the detection, enrichment, and separation ability of AFMN was further verified with milk. Simple and satisfactory results were obtained, which show the great potential in the fields of mutation identification and clinical diagnosis.

A Posteriori Comparison of Natural and Surgical Destabilization Models of Canine Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; d'Anjou, Marc-André; Blond, Laurent; Pelletier, Johanne-Martel; del Castillo, Jérôme R. E.

2013-01-01

For many years Canis familiaris, the domestic dog, has drawn particular interest as a model of osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we optimized the dog model of experimental OA induced by cranial cruciate ligament sectioning. The usefulness of noninvasive complementary outcome measures, such as gait analysis for the limb function and magnetic resonance imaging for structural changes, was demonstrated in this model. Relationships were established between the functional impairment and the severity of structural changes including the measurement of cartilage thinning. In the dog model of naturally occurring OA, excellent test-retest reliability was denoted for the measurement of the limb function. A criterion to identify clinically meaningful responders to therapy was determined for privately owned dogs undergoing clinical trials. In addition, the recording of accelerometer-based duration of locomotor activity showed strong and complementary agreement with the biomechanical limb function. The translation potential of these models to the human OA condition is underlined. A preclinical testing protocol which combines the dog model of experimental OA induced by cranial cruciate ligament transection and the Dog model of naturally occurring OA offers the opportunity to further investigate the structural and functional benefits of disease-modifying strategies. Ultimately, a better prediction of outcomes for human clinical trials would be brought. PMID:24288664

Lactococcin G is a potassium ion-conducting, two-component bacteriocin.

PubMed

Moll, G; Ubbink-Kok, T; Hildeng-Hauge, H; Nissen-Meyer, J; Nes, I F; Konings, W N; Driessen, A J

1996-02-01

Lactococcin G is a novel lactococcal bacteriocin whose activity depends on the complementary action of two peptides, termed alpha and beta. Peptide synthesis of the alpha and beta peptides yielded biologically active lactococcin G, which was used in mode-of-action studies on sensitive cells of Lactococcus lactis. Approximately equivalent amounts of both peptides were required for optimal bactericidal effect. No effect was observed with either the alpha or beta peptide in the absence of the complementary peptide. The combination of alpha and beta peptides (lactococcin G) dissipates the membrane potential (delta omega), and as a consequence cells release alpha-aminoisobutyrate, a non-metabolizable alanine analog that is accumulated through a proton motive-force dependent mechanism. In addition, the cellular ATP level is dramatically reduced, which results in a drastic decrease of the ATP-driven glutamate uptake. Lactococcin G does not form a proton-conducting pore, as it has no effect on the transmembrane pH gradient. Dissipation of the membrane potential by uncouplers causes a slow release of potassium (rubidium) ions. However, rapid release of potassium was observed in the presence of lactococcin G. These data suggest that the bactericidal effect of lactococcin G is due to the formation of potassium-selective channels by the alpha and beta peptides in the target bacterial membrane.

Development of a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-Based DNA Biosensor for Detection of Synthetic Oligonucleotide of Ganoderma boninense.

PubMed

Bakhori, Noremylia Mohd; Yusof, Nor Azah; Abdullah, Abdul Halim; Hussein, Mohd Zobir

2013-12-12

An optical DNA biosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) utilizing synthesized quantum dot (QD) has been developed for the detection of specific-sequence of DNA for Ganoderma boninense, an oil palm pathogen. Modified QD that contained carboxylic groups was conjugated with a single-stranded DNA probe (ssDNA) via amide-linkage. Hybridization of the target DNA with conjugated QD-ssDNA and reporter probe labeled with Cy5 allows for the detection of related synthetic DNA sequence of Ganoderma boninense gene based on FRET signals. Detection of FRET emission before and after hybridization was confirmed through the capability of the system to produce FRET at 680 nm for hybridized sandwich with complementary target DNA. No FRET emission was observed for non-complementary system. Hybridization time, temperature and effect of different concentration of target DNA were studied in order to optimize the developed system. The developed biosensor has shown high sensitivity with detection limit of 3.55 × 10-9 M. TEM results show that the particle size of QD varies in the range between 5 to 8 nm after ligand modification and conjugation with ssDNA. This approach is capable of providing a simple, rapid and sensitive method for detection of related synthetic DNA sequence of Ganoderma boninense.

Development of a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-Based DNA Biosensor for Detection of Synthetic Oligonucleotide of Ganoderma boninense.

PubMed

Mohd Bakhori, Noremylia; Yusof, Nor Azah; Abdullah, Abdul Halim; Hussein, Mohd Zobir

2013-12-01

An optical DNA biosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) utilizing synthesized quantum dot (QD) has been developed for the detection of specific-sequence of DNA for Ganoderma boninense, an oil palm pathogen. Modified QD that contained carboxylic groups was conjugated with a single-stranded DNA probe (ssDNA) via amide-linkage. Hybridization of the target DNA with conjugated QD-ssDNA and reporter probe labeled with Cy5 allows for the detection of related synthetic DNA sequence of Ganoderma boninense gene based on FRET signals. Detection of FRET emission before and after hybridization was confirmed through the capability of the system to produce FRET at 680 nm for hybridized sandwich with complementary target DNA. No FRET emission was observed for non-complementary system. Hybridization time, temperature and effect of different concentration of target DNA were studied in order to optimize the developed system. The developed biosensor has shown high sensitivity with detection limit of 3.55 × 10(-9) M. TEM results show that the particle size of QD varies in the range between 5 to 8 nm after ligand modification and conjugation with ssDNA. This approach is capable of providing a simple, rapid and sensitive method for detection of related synthetic DNA sequence of Ganoderma boninense.

Complementary fMRI and EEG evidence for more efficient neural processing of rhythmic vs. unpredictably timed sounds

PubMed Central

van Atteveldt, Nienke; Musacchia, Gabriella; Zion-Golumbic, Elana; Sehatpour, Pejman; Javitt, Daniel C.; Schroeder, Charles

2015-01-01

The brain’s fascinating ability to adapt its internal neural dynamics to the temporal structure of the sensory environment is becoming increasingly clear. It is thought to be metabolically beneficial to align ongoing oscillatory activity to the relevant inputs in a predictable stream, so that they will enter at optimal processing phases of the spontaneously occurring rhythmic excitability fluctuations. However, some contexts have a more predictable temporal structure than others. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the processing of rhythmic sounds is more efficient than the processing of irregularly timed sounds. To do this, we simultaneously measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electro-encephalograms (EEG) while participants detected oddball target sounds in alternating blocks of rhythmic (e.g., with equal inter-stimulus intervals) or random (e.g., with randomly varied inter-stimulus intervals) tone sequences. Behaviorally, participants detected target sounds faster and more accurately when embedded in rhythmic streams. The fMRI response in the auditory cortex was stronger during random compared to random tone sequence processing. Simultaneously recorded N1 responses showed larger peak amplitudes and longer latencies for tones in the random (vs. the rhythmic) streams. These results reveal complementary evidence for more efficient neural and perceptual processing during temporally predictable sensory contexts. PMID:26579044

Non-blind acoustic invisibility by dual layers of homogeneous single-negative media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, He; Zhu, Yi-Fan; Fan, Xu-Dong; Liang, Bin; Yang, Jing; Cheng, Jian-Chun

2017-02-01

Non-blind invisibility cloaks allowing the concealed object to sense the outside world have great application potentials such as in high-precision sensing or underwater camouflage. However the existing designs based on coordinate transformation techniques need complicated spatially-varying negative index or intricate multi-layered configurations, substantially increasing the difficulty in practical realization. Here we report on the non-blind acoustic invisibility for a circular object in free space with simple distribution of cloak parameters. The mechanism is that, instead of utilizing the transformation acoustics technique, we develop the analytical formulae for fast prediction of the scattering from the object and then use an evolutionary optimization to retrieve the desired cloak parameters for minimizing the scattered field. In this way, it is proven possible to break through the fundamental limit of complementary condition that must be satisfied by the effective parameters of the components in transformation acoustics-based cloaks. Numerical results show that the resulting cloak produces a non-bflind invisibility as perfect as in previous designs, but only needs two layers with homogenous single-negative parameters. With full simplification in parameter distribution and broken symmetry in complementary relationship, our scheme opens new route to free-space non-blind invisibility, taking a significant step towards real-world application of cloaking devices.

Impedimetric genosensor for detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV1) DNA using viral probe on methylene blue doped silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Singhal, Chaitali; Ingle, Aviraj; Chakraborty, Dhritiman; Pn, Anoop Krishna; Pundir, C S; Narang, Jagriti

2017-05-01

An impedimetric genosensor was fabricated for detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 in serum, based on hybridization of the probe with complementary target cDNA from sample. To achieve it, probe DNA complementary to HCVgene was immobilized on the surface of methylene blue (MB) doped silica nanoparticles MB@SiNPs) modified fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode. The synthesized MB@SiNPs was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. This modified electrode (ssDNA/MB@SiNPs/FTO) served both as a signal amplification platform (due to silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) as well as an electrochemical indicator (due to methylene blue (MB)) for the detection of the HCV DNA in patient serum sample. The genosensor was optimized and evaluated. The sensor showed a dynamic linear range 100-10 6 copies/mL, with a detection limit of 90 copies/mL. The sensor was applied for detection of HCV in sera of hepatitis patient and could be renewed. The half life of the sensor was 4 weeks. The MB@SiNPs/FTO electrode could be used for preparation of other gensensors also. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissemination and implementation of an educational tool for veterans on complementary and alternative medicine: a case study.

PubMed

Held, Rachel Forster; Santos, Susan; Marki, Michelle; Helmer, Drew

2016-09-02

We developed and disseminated an educational DVD to introduce U.S. Veterans to independently-practiced complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques and encourage CAM experimentation. The project's goal was to determine optimal dissemination methods to facilitate implementation within the Veteran's Health Administration. In the first phase, the DVD was disseminated using four methods: passive, provider-mediated, active, and peer-mediated. In the second, implementation phase, "champion" providers who supported CAM integrated dissemination into clinical practice. Qualitative data came from Veteran focus groups and semi-structured provider interviews. Data from both phases was triangulated to identify common themes. Effective dissemination requires engaging patients. Providers who most successfully integrated the DVD into practice already had CAM knowledge, and worked in settings where CAM was accepted clinical practice, or with leadership or infrastructure that supported a culture of CAM use. Institutional buy-in allowed for provider networking and effective implementation of the tool. Providers were given autonomy to determine the most appropriate dissemination strategies, which increased enthusiasm and use. Many of the lessons learned from this project can be applied to dissemination of any new educational tool within a healthcare setting. Results reiterate the importance of utilizing best practices for introducing educational tools within the healthcare context and the need for thoughtful, multi-faceted dissemination strategies.

Analysis of the solar/wind resources in Southern Spain for optimal sizing of hybrid solar-wind power generation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quesada-Ruiz, S.; Pozo-Vazquez, D.; Santos-Alamillos, F. J.; Lara-Fanego, V.; Ruiz-Arias, J. A.; Tovar-Pescador, J.

2010-09-01

A drawback common to the solar and wind energy systems is their unpredictable nature and dependence on weather and climate on a wide range of time scales. In addition, the variation of the energy output may not match with the time distribution of the load demand. This can partially be solved by the use of batteries for energy storage in stand-alone systems. The problem caused by the variable nature of the solar and wind resources can be partially overcome by the use of energy systems that uses both renewable resources in a combined manner, that is, hybrid wind-solar systems. Since both resources can show complementary characteristics in certain location, the independent use of solar or wind systems results in considerable over sizing of the batteries system compared to the use of hybrid solar-wind systems. Nevertheless, to the day, there is no single recognized method for properly sizing these hybrid wind-solar systems. In this work, we present a method for sizing wind-solar hybrid systems in southern Spain. The method is based on the analysis of the wind and solar resources on daily scale, particularly, its temporal complementary characteristics. The method aims to minimize the size of the energy storage systems, trying to provide the most reliable supply.

Non-blind acoustic invisibility by dual layers of homogeneous single-negative media

PubMed Central

Gao, He; Zhu, Yi-fan; Fan, Xu-dong; Liang, Bin; Yang, Jing; Cheng, Jian-Chun

2017-01-01

Non-blind invisibility cloaks allowing the concealed object to sense the outside world have great application potentials such as in high-precision sensing or underwater camouflage. However the existing designs based on coordinate transformation techniques need complicated spatially-varying negative index or intricate multi-layered configurations, substantially increasing the difficulty in practical realization. Here we report on the non-blind acoustic invisibility for a circular object in free space with simple distribution of cloak parameters. The mechanism is that, instead of utilizing the transformation acoustics technique, we develop the analytical formulae for fast prediction of the scattering from the object and then use an evolutionary optimization to retrieve the desired cloak parameters for minimizing the scattered field. In this way, it is proven possible to break through the fundamental limit of complementary condition that must be satisfied by the effective parameters of the components in transformation acoustics-based cloaks. Numerical results show that the resulting cloak produces a non-bflind invisibility as perfect as in previous designs, but only needs two layers with homogenous single-negative parameters. With full simplification in parameter distribution and broken symmetry in complementary relationship, our scheme opens new route to free-space non-blind invisibility, taking a significant step towards real-world application of cloaking devices. PMID:28195227

Selection of complementary foods based on optimal nutritional values.

PubMed

Sen, Partho; Mardinogulu, Adil; Nielsen, Jens

2017-07-14

Human milk is beneficial for growth and development of infants. Several factors result in mothers ceasing breastfeeding which leads to introduction of breast-milk substitutes (BMS). In some communities traditional foods are given as BMS, in others they are given as complementary foods during weaning. Improper food selection at this stage is associated with a high prevalence of malnutrition in children under 5 years. Here we listed the traditional foods from four continents and compared them with human milk based on their dietary contents. Vitamins such as thiamine (~[2-10] folds), riboflavin (~[4-10] folds) and ascorbic acid (<2 folds) contents of Asian and African foods were markedly lower. In order to extend the search for foods that includes similar dietary constituents as human milk, we designed a strategy of screening 8654 foods. 12 foods were identified and these foods were evaluated for their ability to meet the daily nutritional requirement of breastfed and non-breastfed infants during their first year of life. Genome-scale models of infant's hepatocytes, adipocytes and myocytes were then used to simulate in vitro growth of tissues when subjected to these foods. Key findings were that pork ham cured, fish pudding, and egg lean white induced better tissue growth, and quark with fruit, cheese quarg 45% and cheese cream 60% had similar lactose content as human milk.

Upconversion luminescence resonance energy transfer-based aptasensor for the sensitive detection of oxytetracycline.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Fang, Congcong; Wu, Shijia; Duan, Nuo; Wang, Zhouping

2015-11-15

In this work, a biosensor based on luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) from NaYF4:Yb,Tm upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to SYBR Green I has been developed. The aptamers are covalently linked to UCNPs and hybridized with their complementary strands. The subsequent addition of SYBR Green allows SYBR Green I to insert into the formed double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) duplex and brings the energy donor and acceptor into close proximity, leading to the fluorescence of UCNPs transferred to SYBR Green I. When excited at 980 nm, the UCNPs emit luminescence at 477 nm, and this energy is transferred to SYBR Green I, which emits luminescence at 530 nm. In the presence of oxytetracycline (OTC), the aptamers prefer to bind to its corresponding analyte and dehybridize with the complementary DNA. This dehybridization leads to the liberation of SYBR Green I, which distances SYBR Green I from the UCNPs and recovers the UCNPs' luminescence. Under optimal conditions, a linear calibration is obtained between the ratio of I530 to I477 nm (I530/I477) and the OTC concentration, which ranges from 0.1 to 10 ng/ml with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.054 ng/ml. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single-Molecule Counting of Point Mutations by Transient DNA Binding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Xin; Li, Lidan; Wang, Shanshan; Hao, Dandan; Wang, Lei; Yu, Changyuan

2017-03-01

High-confidence detection of point mutations is important for disease diagnosis and clinical practice. Hybridization probes are extensively used, but are hindered by their poor single-nucleotide selectivity. Shortening the length of DNA hybridization probes weakens the stability of the probe-target duplex, leading to transient binding between complementary sequences. The kinetics of probe-target binding events are highly dependent on the number of complementary base pairs. Here, we present a single-molecule assay for point mutation detection based on transient DNA binding and use of total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Statistical analysis of single-molecule kinetics enabled us to effectively discriminate between wild type DNA sequences and single-nucleotide variants at the single-molecule level. A higher single-nucleotide discrimination is achieved than in our previous work by optimizing the assay conditions, which is guided by statistical modeling of kinetics with a gamma distribution. The KRAS c.34 A mutation can be clearly differentiated from the wild type sequence (KRAS c.34 G) at a relative abundance as low as 0.01% mutant to WT. To demonstrate the feasibility of this method for analysis of clinically relevant biological samples, we used this technology to detect mutations in single-stranded DNA generated from asymmetric RT-PCR of mRNA from two cancer cell lines.

The Role of Avocados in Complementary and Transitional Feeding.

PubMed

Comerford, Kevin B; Ayoob, Keith T; Murray, Robert D; Atkinson, Stephanie A

2016-05-21

Infant dietary patterns tend to be insufficient sources of fruits, vegetables, and fiber, as well as excessive in salt, added sugars, and overall energy. Despite the serious long-term health risks associated with suboptimal fruit and vegetable intake, a large percentage of infants and toddlers in the U.S. do not consume any fruits or vegetables on a daily basis. Since not all fruits and vegetables are nutritionally similar, guidance on the optimal selection of fruits and vegetables should emphasize those with the greatest potential for nutrition and health benefits. A challenge is that the most popularly consumed fruits for this age group (i.e., apples, pears, bananas, grapes, strawberries) do not closely fit the current general recommendations since they tend to be overly sweet and/or high in sugar. Unsaturated oil-containing fruits such as avocados are nutritionally unique among fruits in that they are lower in sugar and higher in fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids than most other fruits, and they also have the proper consistency and texture for first foods with a neutral flavor spectrum. Taken together, avocados show promise for helping to meet the dietary needs of infants and toddlers, and should be considered for inclusion in future dietary recommendations for complementary and transitional feeding.

DNA microdevice for electrochemical detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 molecular markers.

PubMed

Berganza, J; Olabarria, G; García, R; Verdoy, D; Rebollo, A; Arana, S

2007-04-15

An electrochemical DNA sensor based on the hybridization recognition of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe immobilized onto a gold electrode to its complementary ssDNA is presented. The DNA probe is bound on gold surface electrode by using self-assembled monolayer (SAM) technology. An optimized mixed SAM with a blocking molecule preventing the nonspecific adsorption on the electrode surface has been prepared. In this paper, a DNA biosensor is designed by means of the immobilization of a single stranded DNA probe on an electrochemical transducer surface to recognize specifically Escherichia coli (E. coli) 0157:H7 complementary target DNA sequence via cyclic voltammetry experiments. The 21 mer DNA probe including a C6 alkanethiol group at the 5' phosphate end has been synthesized to form the SAM onto the gold surface through the gold sulfur bond. The goal of this paper has been to design, characterise and optimise an electrochemical DNA sensor. In order to investigate the oligonucleotide probe immobilization and the hybridization detection, experiments with different concentration of DNA and mismatch sequences have been performed. This microdevice has demonstrated the suitability of oligonucleotide Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold as immobilization method. The DNA probes deposited on gold surface have been functional and able to detect changes in bases sequence in a 21-mer oligonucleotide.

75 FR 11186 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on Natural...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-10

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on Natural Products ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: As part of its strategic planning process, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine... attend. Seating is limited. Background: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine...

75 FR 19979 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on the...

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2010-04-16

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on the Deconstruction of Back Pain ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) invites the... Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) was established in 1999 with the mission of exploring complementary and...

75 FR 30039 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel; Education Panel. Date: June 24-25, 2010. Time: 5... of Committee: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel; RFA...

75 FR 57970 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meeting

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2010-09-23

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77 FR 73036 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

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2012-12-07

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2012-08-30

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2013-12-18

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75 FR 43994 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

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2010-07-27

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77 FR 25185 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date...

Information filtering based on transferring similarity.

PubMed

Sun, Duo; Zhou, Tao; Liu, Jian-Guo; Liu, Run-Ran; Jia, Chun-Xiao; Wang, Bing-Hong

2009-07-01

In this Brief Report, we propose an index of user similarity, namely, the transferring similarity, which involves all high-order similarities between users. Accordingly, we design a modified collaborative filtering algorithm, which provides remarkably higher accurate predictions than the standard collaborative filtering. More interestingly, we find that the algorithmic performance will approach its optimal value when the parameter, contained in the definition of transferring similarity, gets close to its critical value, before which the series expansion of transferring similarity is convergent and after which it is divergent. Our study is complementary to the one reported in [E. A. Leicht, P. Holme, and M. E. J. Newman, Phys. Rev. E 73, 026120 (2006)], and is relevant to the missing link prediction problem.

First-principles calculations of Ti and O NMR chemical shift tensors in ferroelectric perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechkis, Daniel; Walter, Eric; Krakauer, Henry

2011-03-01

Complementary chemical shift calculations were carried out with embedded clusters, using quantum chemistry methods, and with periodic boundary conditions, using the GIPAW approach within the Quantum Espresso package. Compared to oxygen chemical shifts, δ̂ (O), cluster calculations for δ̂ (Ti) were found to be more sensitive to size effects, termination, and choice of gaussian-type atomic basis set, while GIPAW results were found to be more sensitive to the pseudopotential construction. The two approaches complemented each other in optimizing these factors. We show that the two approaches yield comparable chemical shifts for suitably converged simulations, and results are compared with available experimental measurements. Supported by ONR.

Image Reconstruction from Highly Undersampled (k, t)-Space Data with Joint Partial Separability and Sparsity Constraints

PubMed Central

Zhao, Bo; Haldar, Justin P.; Christodoulou, Anthony G.; Liang, Zhi-Pei

2012-01-01

Partial separability (PS) and sparsity have been previously used to enable reconstruction of dynamic images from undersampled (k, t)-space data. This paper presents a new method to use PS and sparsity constraints jointly for enhanced performance in this context. The proposed method combines the complementary advantages of PS and sparsity constraints using a unified formulation, achieving significantly better reconstruction performance than using either of these constraints individually. A globally convergent computational algorithm is described to efficiently solve the underlying optimization problem. Reconstruction results from simulated and in vivo cardiac MRI data are also shown to illustrate the performance of the proposed method. PMID:22695345