Content Analysis of Evaluation Instruments Used for Student Evaluation of Classroom Teaching Performance in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tagomori, Harry T.; Bishop, Laurence A.

A major argument against evaluation of teacher performance by students pertains to the instruments being used. Colleges conduct instructional evaluation using instruments they devise, borrow, adopt, or adapt from other institutions. Whether these instruments are tested for content validity is unknown. This study determined how evaluation questions…

Multi-Core Processor Memory Contention Benchmark Analysis Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Tyler; McGalliard, James

2009-01-01

Multi-core processors dominate current mainframe, server, and high performance computing (HPC) systems. This paper provides synthetic kernel and natural benchmark results from an HPC system at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that illustrate the performance impacts of multi-core (dual- and quad-core) vs. single core processor systems. Analysis of processor design, application source code, and synthetic and natural test results all indicate that multi-core processors can suffer from significant memory subsystem contention compared to similar single-core processors.

The Evolution of U.S. e-Learning Policy: A Content Analysis of the National Education Technology Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roumell, Elizabeth Anne; Salajan, Florin Daniel

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was threefold: to expand on existing reviews of 20 years of educational technology policy in the United States, to perform an empirical content analysis of the four National Education Technology Plan (NETP) documents issued by the Department of Education since 1996, and to provide a dialectic analysis of the evolution of…

Effect of Increasing Total Solids Contents on Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste under Mesophilic Conditions: Performance and Microbial Characteristics Analysis

PubMed Central

Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies. PMID:25051352

Effect of increasing total solids contents on anaerobic digestion of food waste under mesophilic conditions: performance and microbial characteristics analysis.

PubMed

Yi, Jing; Dong, Bin; Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies.

Pulling smarties out of a bag: a Headed Records analysis of children's recall of their own past beliefs.

PubMed

Barreau, S; Morton, J

1999-11-09

The work reported provides an information processing account of young children's performance on the Smarties task (Perner, J., Leekam, S.R., & Wimmer, H. 1987, Three-year-olds' difficulty with false belief: the case for a conceptual deficit. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 125-137). In this task, a 3-year-old is shown a Smarties tube and asked about the supposed contents. The true contents, pencils, is then revealed, and the majority of 3-year-olds cannot recall their initial belief that the tube contained Smarties. The theoretical analysis, based on the Headed Records framework (Morton, J., Hammersley, R.J., & Bekerian, D.A. 1985, Headed records: a model for memory and its failures, Cognition, 20, 1-23), focuses on the computational conditions that are required to resolve the Smarties task; on the possible limitations in the developing memory system that may lead to a computational breakdown; and on ways of bypassing such limitations to ensure correct resolution. The design, motivated by this analysis, is a variation on Perner's Smarties task. Instead of revealing the tube's contents immediately after establishing the child's beliefs about it, these contents were then transferred to a bag and a (false) belief about the bag's contents established. Only then were the true contents of the bag revealed. The same procedure (different contents) was carried out a week later. As predicted children's performance was better (a) in the 'tube' condition; and (b) on the second test. Consistent with the proposed analysis, the data show that when the computational demands imposed by the original task are reduced, young children can and do remember what they had thought about the contents of the tube even after its true contents are revealed.

Perception of Spiritual Health: A Qualitative Content Analysis in Iranian Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zibad, Hosein Ajam; Foroughan, Mahshid; Shahboulaghi, Farahnaz Mohammadi; Rafiey, Hassan; Rassouli, Maryam

2017-01-01

The present study was performed with the aim to explain older people's perceptions of spiritual health. It was conducted using the conventional content analysis method. Twelve individuals aged 60 years or older with normal cognition participated in the study using purposive sampling. Data were collected by in-depth interviews. Data analysis…

Content Analysis of the 20 Most Influential Articles in "PIQ"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Yonjoo; Park, Sunyoung

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine key research themes in human performance technology (HPT) through content analysis of the 20 most influential articles identified in Cho, Jo, Park, Kang, and Chen (2011). Three questions guiding this inquiry are: (1) What are the key themes of the 20 most influential articles in "PIQ", (2) What information…

Cytological study of DNA content and nuclear morphometric analysis for aid in the diagnosis of high-grade dysplasia within oral leukoplakia.

PubMed

Yang, Xi; Xiao, Xuan; Wu, Wenyan; Shen, Xuemin; Zhou, Zengtong; Liu, Wei; Shi, Linjun

2017-09-01

To quantitatively examine the DNA content and nuclear morphometric status of oral leukoplakia (OL) and investigate its association with the degree of dysplasia in a cytologic study. Oral cytobrush biopsy was carried out to obtain exfoliative epithelial cells from lesions before scalpel biopsy at the same location in a blinded series of 70 patients with OL. Analysis of nuclear morphometry and DNA content status using image cytometry was performed with oral smears stained with the Feulgen-thionin method. Nuclear morphometric analysis revealed significant differences in DNA content amount, DNA index, nuclear area, nuclear radius, nuclear intensity, sphericity, entropy, and fractal dimension (all P < .01) between low-grade and high-grade dysplasia. DNA content analysis identified 34 patients with OL (48.6%) with DNA content abnormality. Nonhomogeneous lesion (P = .018) and high-grade dysplasia (P = .008) were significantly associated with abnormal DNA content. Importantly, the positive correlation between the degree of oral dysplasia and DNA content status was significant (P = .004, correlation coefficient = 0.342). Cytology analysis of DNA content and nuclear morphometric status using image cytometry may support their use as a screening and monitoring tool for OL progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 63.805 - Performance test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Collection of Coating and Ink Samples for VOC Content Analysis by Reference Method 24 and Reference Method... determine the VHAP content of the liquid coating. Formulation data shall be used to identify VHAP present in... the solids content by weight and the density of coatings. If it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of...

Student performance on argumentation task in the Swedish National Assessment in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jönsson, Anders

2016-07-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of content knowledge on students' socio-scientific argumentation in the Swedish National Assessment in biology, chemistry and physics for 12-year-olds. In Sweden, the assessment of socio-scientific argumentation has been a major part of the National Assessment during three consecutive years and this study utilizes data on student performance to investigate (a) the relationship between tasks primarily addressing argumentation and tasks addressing primarily content knowledge as well as (b) students' performance on argumentation tasks, which differ in relation to content, subject, aspect of argumentation and assessment criteria. Findings suggest a strong and positive relationship between content knowledge and students' performance on argumentation tasks. The analysis also provides some hypotheses about the task difficulty of argumentation tasks that may be pursued in future investigations.

Bioinformatics analysis of disordered proteins in prokaryotes.

PubMed

Pavlović-Lažetić, Gordana M; Mitić, Nenad S; Kovačević, Jovana J; Obradović, Zoran; Malkov, Saša N; Beljanski, Miloš V

2011-03-02

A significant number of proteins have been shown to be intrinsically disordered, meaning that they lack a fixed 3 D structure or contain regions that do not posses a well defined 3 D structure. It has also been proven that a protein's disorder content is related to its function. We have performed an exhaustive analysis and comparison of the disorder content of proteins from prokaryotic organisms (i.e., superkingdoms Archaea and Bacteria) with respect to functional categories they belong to, i.e., Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) and groups of COGs-Cellular processes (Cp), Information storage and processing (Isp), Metabolism (Me) and Poorly characterized (Pc). We also analyzed the disorder content of proteins with respect to various genomic, metabolic and ecological characteristics of the organism they belong to. We used correlations and association rule mining in order to identify the most confident associations between specific modalities of the characteristics considered and disorder content. Bacteria are shown to have a somewhat higher level of protein disorder than archaea, except for proteins in the Me functional group. It is demonstrated that the Isp and Cp functional groups in particular (L-repair function and N-cell motility and secretion COGs of proteins in specific) possess the highest disorder content, while Me proteins, in general, posses the lowest. Disorder fractions have been confirmed to have the lowest level for the so-called order-promoting amino acids and the highest level for the so-called disorder promoters. For each pair of organism characteristics, specific modalities are identified with the maximum disorder proteins in the corresponding organisms, e.g., high genome size-high GC content organisms, facultative anaerobic-low GC content organisms, aerobic-high genome size organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in archaea is observed for high GC content-low genome size organisms, high GC content-facultative anaerobic or aquatic or mesophilic organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in bacteria is observed for high GC content-high genome size organisms, high genome size-aerobic organisms, etc. Some of the most reliable association rules mined establish relationships between high GC content and high protein disorder, medium GC content and both medium and low protein disorder, anaerobic organisms and medium protein disorder, Gammaproteobacteria and low protein disorder, etc. A web site Prokaryote Disorder Database has been designed and implemented at the address http://bioinfo.matf.bg.ac.rs/disorder, which contains complete results of the analysis of protein disorder performed for 296 prokaryotic completely sequenced genomes. Exhaustive disorder analysis has been performed by functional classes of proteins, for a larger dataset of prokaryotic organisms than previously done. Results obtained are well correlated to those previously published, with some extension in the range of disorder level and clear distinction between functional classes of proteins. Wide correlation and association analysis between protein disorder and genomic and ecological characteristics has been performed for the first time. The results obtained give insight into multi-relationships among the characteristics and protein disorder. Such analysis provides for better understanding of the evolutionary process and may be useful for taxon determination. The main drawback of the approach is the fact that the disorder considered has been predicted and not experimentally established.

Online Distributed Leadership: A Content Analysis of Interaction and Teacher Reflections on Computer-Supported Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallego-Arrufat, María-Jesús; Gutiérrez-Santiuste, Elba; Campaña-Jiménez, Rafael-Luis

2015-01-01

This study performs a content analysis of the communication that develops in online educational situations. It focuses on two aspects of communication in a context in which we observe instructional leadership: how leadership is seen in the virtual classroom and how teachers view their role. The study attempts to answer the question of how teachers…

Evaluation of polyphenols and anthocyanins contents in black chockeberry--Photinia melanocarpa (Michx.) fruits extract.

PubMed

Symonowicz, Marzena; Sykuła-Zajac, Anna; Łodyga-Chruścińska, Elzbieta; Rumora, Ivana; Straukas, Martinas

2012-01-01

An evaluation of total polyphenols and anthocyanins contents in dietary supplements is important analysis in medical aspect of human and animal diets. The content of the mentioned compounds should be higher in 100 g of solid extracts than in 100 g of fruits. Thus, the presented work concerns the evaluation of total polyphenols and anthocyanins contents in black chockeberry--Photinia melanocarpa (Michx.) extract--dietary supplement (DS) available on market. The spectrophotometric analysis of DS were performed. The usage of certain conditions of measurements such as dilution factor, storage conditions and filtration, has the significance in the determination of the analyzed compounds in the extract.

Optimization Method of a Low Cost, High Performance Ceramic Proppant by Orthogonal Experimental Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Tian, Y. M.; Wang, K. Y.; Li, G.; Zou, X. W.; Chai, Y. S.

2017-09-01

This study focused on optimization method of a ceramic proppant material with both low cost and high performance that met the requirements of Chinese Petroleum and Gas Industry Standard (SY/T 5108-2006). The orthogonal experimental design of L9(34) was employed to study the significance sequence of three factors, including weight ratio of white clay to bauxite, dolomite content and sintering temperature. For the crush resistance, both the range analysis and variance analysis reflected the optimally experimental condition was weight ratio of white clay to bauxite=3/7, dolomite content=3 wt.%, temperature=1350°C. For the bulk density, the most important factor was the sintering temperature, followed by the dolomite content, and then the ratio of white clay to bauxite.

Limits to Open Class Performance?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowers, Albion H.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the limits to open class performance. The contents include: 1) Standard Class; 2) 15m/Racing Class; 3) Open Class; and 4) Design Solutions associated with assumptions, limiting parameters, airfoil performance, current trends, and analysis.

Visible Light Image-Based Method for Sugar Content Classification of Citrus

PubMed Central

Wang, Xuefeng; Wu, Chunyan; Hirafuji, Masayuki

2016-01-01

Visible light imaging of citrus fruit from Mie Prefecture of Japan was performed to determine whether an algorithm could be developed to predict the sugar content. This nondestructive classification showed that the accurate segmentation of different images can be realized by a correlation analysis based on the threshold value of the coefficient of determination. There is an obvious correlation between the sugar content of citrus fruit and certain parameters of the color images. The selected image parameters were connected by addition algorithm. The sugar content of citrus fruit can be predicted by the dummy variable method. The results showed that the small but orange citrus fruits often have a high sugar content. The study shows that it is possible to predict the sugar content of citrus fruit and to perform a classification of the sugar content using light in the visible spectrum and without the need for an additional light source. PMID:26811935

Insight into Evaluation Practice: A Content Analysis of Designs and Methods Used in Evaluation Studies Published in North American Evaluation-Focused Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Christina A.; Fleischer, Dreolin Nesbitt

2010-01-01

To describe the recent practice of evaluation, specifically method and design choices, the authors performed a content analysis on 117 evaluation studies published in eight North American evaluation-focused journals for a 3-year period (2004-2006). The authors chose this time span because it follows the scientifically based research (SBR)…

77 FR 71473 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Renewed Approval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-30

... validating and maintaining the effectiveness of air carrier training program curriculum content. DATES... training. AQP is continuously validated through the collection and analysis of trainee performance. Data collection and analysis processes ensure that the certificate holder provides performance information on its...

A Multidimensional Analysis Tool for Visualizing Online Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minjeong; Lee, Eunchul

2012-01-01

This study proposes and verifies the performance of an analysis tool for visualizing online interactions. A review of the most widely used methods for analyzing online interactions, including quantitative analysis, content analysis, and social network analysis methods, indicates these analysis methods have some limitations resulting from their…

Bioinformatics analysis of disordered proteins in prokaryotes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A significant number of proteins have been shown to be intrinsically disordered, meaning that they lack a fixed 3 D structure or contain regions that do not posses a well defined 3 D structure. It has also been proven that a protein's disorder content is related to its function. We have performed an exhaustive analysis and comparison of the disorder content of proteins from prokaryotic organisms (i.e., superkingdoms Archaea and Bacteria) with respect to functional categories they belong to, i.e., Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) and groups of COGs-Cellular processes (Cp), Information storage and processing (Isp), Metabolism (Me) and Poorly characterized (Pc). We also analyzed the disorder content of proteins with respect to various genomic, metabolic and ecological characteristics of the organism they belong to. We used correlations and association rule mining in order to identify the most confident associations between specific modalities of the characteristics considered and disorder content. Results Bacteria are shown to have a somewhat higher level of protein disorder than archaea, except for proteins in the Me functional group. It is demonstrated that the Isp and Cp functional groups in particular (L-repair function and N-cell motility and secretion COGs of proteins in specific) possess the highest disorder content, while Me proteins, in general, posses the lowest. Disorder fractions have been confirmed to have the lowest level for the so-called order-promoting amino acids and the highest level for the so-called disorder promoters. For each pair of organism characteristics, specific modalities are identified with the maximum disorder proteins in the corresponding organisms, e.g., high genome size-high GC content organisms, facultative anaerobic-low GC content organisms, aerobic-high genome size organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in archaea is observed for high GC content-low genome size organisms, high GC content-facultative anaerobic or aquatic or mesophilic organisms, etc. Maximum disorder in bacteria is observed for high GC content-high genome size organisms, high genome size-aerobic organisms, etc. Some of the most reliable association rules mined establish relationships between high GC content and high protein disorder, medium GC content and both medium and low protein disorder, anaerobic organisms and medium protein disorder, Gammaproteobacteria and low protein disorder, etc. A web site Prokaryote Disorder Database has been designed and implemented at the address http://bioinfo.matf.bg.ac.rs/disorder, which contains complete results of the analysis of protein disorder performed for 296 prokaryotic completely sequenced genomes. Conclusions Exhaustive disorder analysis has been performed by functional classes of proteins, for a larger dataset of prokaryotic organisms than previously done. Results obtained are well correlated to those previously published, with some extension in the range of disorder level and clear distinction between functional classes of proteins. Wide correlation and association analysis between protein disorder and genomic and ecological characteristics has been performed for the first time. The results obtained give insight into multi-relationships among the characteristics and protein disorder. Such analysis provides for better understanding of the evolutionary process and may be useful for taxon determination. The main drawback of the approach is the fact that the disorder considered has been predicted and not experimentally established. PMID:21366926

Chromatographic fingerprint analysis of yohimbe bark and related dietary supplements using UHPLC/UV/MS.

PubMed

Sun, Jianghao; Chen, Pei

2012-03-05

A practical ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was developed for fingerprint analysis of and determination of yohimbine in yohimbe barks and related dietary supplements. Good separation was achieved using a Waters Acquity BEH C(18) column with gradient elution using 0.1% (v/v) aqueous ammonium hydroxide and 0.1% ammonium hydroxide in methanol as the mobile phases. The study is the first reported chromatographic method that separates corynanthine from yohimbine in yohimbe bark extract. The chromatographic fingerprint analysis was applied to the analysis of 18 yohimbe commercial dietary supplement samples. Quantitation of yohimbine, the traditional method for analysis of yohimbe barks, were also performed to evaluate the results of the fingerprint analysis. Wide variability was observed in fingerprints and yohimbine content among yohimbe dietary supplement samples. For most of the dietary supplements, the yohimbine content was not consistent with the label claims. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Reliability in content analysis: The case of semantic feature norms classification.

PubMed

Bolognesi, Marianna; Pilgram, Roosmaryn; van den Heerik, Romy

2017-12-01

Semantic feature norms (e.g., STIMULUS: car → RESPONSE: ) are commonly used in cognitive psychology to look into salient aspects of given concepts. Semantic features are typically collected in experimental settings and then manually annotated by the researchers into feature types (e.g., perceptual features, taxonomic features, etc.) by means of content analyses-that is, by using taxonomies of feature types and having independent coders perform the annotation task. However, the ways in which such content analyses are typically performed and reported are not consistent across the literature. This constitutes a serious methodological problem that might undermine the theoretical claims based on such annotations. In this study, we first offer a review of some of the released datasets of annotated semantic feature norms and the related taxonomies used for content analysis. We then provide theoretical and methodological insights in relation to the content analysis methodology. Finally, we apply content analysis to a new dataset of semantic features and show how the method should be applied in order to deliver reliable annotations and replicable coding schemes. We tackle the following issues: (1) taxonomy structure, (2) the description of categories, (3) coder training, and (4) sustainability of the coding scheme-that is, comparison of the annotations provided by trained versus novice coders. The outcomes of the project are threefold: We provide methodological guidelines for semantic feature classification; we provide a revised and adapted taxonomy that can (arguably) be applied to both concrete and abstract concepts; and we provide a dataset of annotated semantic feature norms.

Use of Temperature and Humidity Sensors to Determine Moisture Content of Oolong Tea

PubMed Central

Chen, Andrew; Chen, Hsuan-Yu; Chen, Chiachung

2014-01-01

The measurement of tea moisture content is important for processing and storing tea. The moisture content of tea affects the quality and durability of the product. Some electrical devices have been proposed to measure the moisture content of tea leaves but are not practical. Their performance is influenced by material density and packing. The official oven method is time-consuming. In this study, the moisture content of Oolong tea was measured by the equilibrium relative humidity technique. The equilibrium relative humidity, and temperature, of tea materials were measured by using temperature and relative humidity sensors. Sensors were calibrated, and calibration equations were established to improve accuracy. The moisture content was calculated by using an equilibrium moisture content model. The error of the moisture content determined with this method was within 0.5% w.b. at moisture <15% w.b. Uncertainty analysis revealed that the performance of the humidity sensor had a significant effect on the accuracy of moisture determination. PMID:25153142

HMF and diastase activity in honeys: A fully validated approach and a chemometric analysis for identification of honey freshness and adulteration.

PubMed

Pasias, Ioannis N; Kiriakou, Ioannis K; Proestos, Charalampos

2017-08-15

A fully validated approach for the determination of diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural content in honeys were presented in accordance with the official methods. Methods were performed in real honey sample analysis and due to the vast number of collected data sets reliable conclusions about the correlation between the composition and the quality criteria were exported. The limits of detection and quantification were calculated. Accuracy, precision and uncertainty were estimated for the first time in the kinetic and spectrometric techniques using the certified reference material and the determined values were in good accordance with the certified values. PCA and cluster analysis were performed in order to examine the correlation among the artificial feeding of honeybees with carbohydrate supplements and the chemical composition and properties of the honey. Diastase activity, sucrose content and hydroxymethylfurfural content were easily differentiated and these parameters were used for indication of the adulteration of the honey. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Authentic Performance in the Instrumental Analysis Laboratory: Building a Visible Spectrophotometer Prototype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Mark V.; Wilson, Erin

2017-01-01

In this work we describe an authentic performance project for Instrumental Analysis in which students designed, built, and tested spectrophotometers made from simple components. The project addressed basic course content such as instrument design principles, UV-vis spectroscopy, and spectroscopic instrument components as well as skills such as…

High-Content Microscopy Analysis of Subcellular Structures: Assay Development and Application to Focal Adhesion Quantification.

PubMed

Kroll, Torsten; Schmidt, David; Schwanitz, Georg; Ahmad, Mubashir; Hamann, Jana; Schlosser, Corinne; Lin, Yu-Chieh; Böhm, Konrad J; Tuckermann, Jan; Ploubidou, Aspasia

2016-07-01

High-content analysis (HCA) converts raw light microscopy images to quantitative data through the automated extraction, multiparametric analysis, and classification of the relevant information content. Combined with automated high-throughput image acquisition, HCA applied to the screening of chemicals or RNAi-reagents is termed high-content screening (HCS). Its power in quantifying cell phenotypes makes HCA applicable also to routine microscopy. However, developing effective HCA and bioinformatic analysis pipelines for acquisition of biologically meaningful data in HCS is challenging. Here, the step-by-step development of an HCA assay protocol and an HCS bioinformatics analysis pipeline are described. The protocol's power is demonstrated by application to focal adhesion (FA) detection, quantitative analysis of multiple FA features, and functional annotation of signaling pathways regulating FA size, using primary data of a published RNAi screen. The assay and the underlying strategy are aimed at researchers performing microscopy-based quantitative analysis of subcellular features, on a small scale or in large HCS experiments. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoids from 12 species of Korean mulberry leaves.

PubMed

Ju, Wan-Taek; Kwon, O-Chul; Kim, Hyun-Bok; Sung, Gyoo-Byung; Kim, Heon-Woong; Kim, Yong-Soon

2018-05-01

The total flavonoids in leaves of 12 varieties of Korean mulberry ( Morus alba L.) were determined. Seventeen flavonoids were isolated and analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QTOF/MS). To determine the flavonoid contents, HPLC analysis was performed on these 17 flavonoids. The total flavonoid contents of the 12 varieties of mulberry leaves ranged from 748.5 to 1297.9 mg, with the highest obtained from the Cheong Su variety (1297.9 ± 112.0 mg). Among the 17 flavonoids analyzed, quercetin 3- O -rutinoside (rutin) and quercetin 3- O -glucoside (isoquercitrin) had highest contents in the Cheong Su variety. Furthermore, the Dae Dang Sang variety gave the highest quercetin 3- O -rutinoside (rutin) content among the mulberry leaves investigated, at 425.5 ± 45.9 mg. Major flavonols from Dae Dang Sang were detected by UPLC-DAD-QTOF/MS. A total of 17 flavonoid compound peaks were identified in the analysis time range of 5-40 min, all of which were kaempferol and quercetin glycosides. Seven of the 17 compounds identified in mulberry leaves were unknown.

Mastering the art of public presentation: evaluation of agronomist and soil scientist

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

When the communication of scientific or technical information occurs in a public space, effective speakers follow a formula for content delivery. Participant observation of 11 presentations during a 2009 Field Day and content analysis of videotaped faculty and scientists’ oral performances generated...

Video content analysis of surgical procedures.

PubMed

Loukas, Constantinos

2018-02-01

In addition to its therapeutic benefits, minimally invasive surgery offers the potential for video recording of the operation. The videos may be archived and used later for reasons such as cognitive training, skills assessment, and workflow analysis. Methods from the major field of video content analysis and representation are increasingly applied in the surgical domain. In this paper, we review recent developments and analyze future directions in the field of content-based video analysis of surgical operations. The review was obtained from PubMed and Google Scholar search on combinations of the following keywords: 'surgery', 'video', 'phase', 'task', 'skills', 'event', 'shot', 'analysis', 'retrieval', 'detection', 'classification', and 'recognition'. The collected articles were categorized and reviewed based on the technical goal sought, type of surgery performed, and structure of the operation. A total of 81 articles were included. The publication activity is constantly increasing; more than 50% of these articles were published in the last 3 years. Significant research has been performed for video task detection and retrieval in eye surgery. In endoscopic surgery, the research activity is more diverse: gesture/task classification, skills assessment, tool type recognition, shot/event detection and retrieval. Recent works employ deep neural networks for phase and tool recognition as well as shot detection. Content-based video analysis of surgical operations is a rapidly expanding field. Several future prospects for research exist including, inter alia, shot boundary detection, keyframe extraction, video summarization, pattern discovery, and video annotation. The development of publicly available benchmark datasets to evaluate and compare task-specific algorithms is essential.

Effects of whole-plant corn silage hybrid type on intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and lactation performance by dairy cows through a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ferraretto, L F; Shaver, R D

2015-04-01

Understanding the effect of whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) hybrids in dairy cattle diets may allow for better decisions on hybrid selection by dairy producers, as well as indicate potential strategies for the seed corn industry with regard to WPCS hybrids. Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis using literature data on the effects of WPCS hybrid type on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, and lactation performance by dairy cows. The meta-analysis was performed using a data set of 162 treatment means from 48 peer-reviewed articles published between 1995 and 2014. Hybrids were divided into 3 categories before analysis. Comparative analysis of WPCS hybrid types differing in stalk characteristics were in 4 categories: conventional, dual-purpose, isogenic, or low-normal fiber digestibility (CONS), brown midrib (BMR), hybrids with greater NDF but lower lignin (%NDF) contents or high in vitro NDF digestibility (HFD), and leafy (LFY). Hybrid types differing in kernel characteristics were in 4 categories: conventional or yellow dent (CONG), NutriDense (ND), high oil (HO), and waxy. Genetically modified (GM) hybrids were compared with their genetically similar non-biotech counterpart (ISO). Except for lower lignin content for BMR and lower starch content for HFD than CONS and LFY, silage nutrient composition was similar among hybrids of different stalk types. A 1.1 kg/d greater intake of DM and 1.5 and 0.05 kg/d greater milk and protein yields, respectively, were observed for BMR compared with CONS and LFY. Likewise, DMI and milk yield were greater for HFD than CONS, but the magnitude of the difference was smaller. Total-tract NDF digestibility was greater, but starch digestibility was reduced, for BMR and HFD compared with CONS or LFY. Silage nutrient composition was similar for hybrids of varied kernel characteristics, except for lower CP and EE content for CONG than ND and HO. Feeding HO WPCS to dairy cows decreased milk fat content and yield and protein content compared with the other kernel-type hybrids. Hybrids varying in kernel characteristics did not affect intake, milk production, or total-tract nutrient digestibilities by lactating dairy cows. Nutrient composition and lactation performance were similar between GM and ISO. Positive effects of BMR and HFD on intake and milk yield were observed for lactating dairy cows, but the reduced total-tract starch digestibility for these hybrids merits further study. Except for negative effects of HO on milk components, differences were minimal among corn silage hybrids differing in kernel type. Feeding GM WPCS did not affect lactation performance by dairy cows. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of Metabolic QTLs and Candidate Genes for Glucosinolate Synthesis in Brassica oleracea Leaves, Seeds and Flower Buds

PubMed Central

Sotelo, Tamara; Soengas, Pilar; Velasco, Pablo; Rodríguez, Víctor M.; Cartea, María Elena

2014-01-01

Glucosinolates are major secondary metabolites found in the Brassicaceae family. These compounds play an essential role in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, but more interestingly they have beneficial effects on human health. We performed a genetic analysis in order to identify the genome regions regulating glucosinolates biosynthesis in a DH mapping population of Brassica oleracea. In order to obtain a general overview of regulation in the whole plant, analyses were performed in the three major organs where glucosinolates are synthesized (leaves, seeds and flower buds). Eighty two significant QTLs were detected, which explained a broad range of variability in terms of individual and total glucosinolate (GSL) content. A meta-analysis rendered eighteen consensus QTLs. Thirteen of them regulated more than one glucosinolate and its content. In spite of the considerable variability of glucosinolate content and profiles across the organ, some of these consensus QTLs were identified in more than one tissue. Consensus QTLs control the GSL content by interacting epistatically in complex networks. Based on in silico analysis within the B. oleracea genome along with synteny with Arabidopsis, we propose seven major candidate loci that regulate GSL biosynthesis in the Brassicaceae family. Three of these loci control the content of aliphatic GSL and four of them control the content of indolic glucosinolates. GSL-ALK plays a central role in determining aliphatic GSL variation directly and by interacting epistatically with other loci, thus suggesting its regulatory effect. PMID:24614913

What Medical Students Say about Psychiatry: Results of a Reflection Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brenner, Adam M.

2011-01-01

Objective: The author describes the results of a reflection exercise for psychiatry clerkship students. Method: The author performed a qualitative analysis on 100 "reflection" papers written by medical students in their psychiatry clerkship and identified the most prominent thematic content. Results: The most common thematic content involved…

40 CFR 63.805 - Performance test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... alternative method for determining the VHAP content of the coating. In the event of any inconsistency between... Collection of Coating and Ink Samples for VOC Content Analysis by Reference Method 24 and Reference Method... (see § 63.801); (iii) Use any alternative protocol and test method provided they meet either the...

Effects of Team Emotional Authenticity on Virtual Team Performance.

PubMed

Connelly, Catherine E; Turel, Ofir

2016-01-01

Members of virtual teams lack many of the visual or auditory cues that are usually used as the basis for impressions about fellow team members. We focus on the effects of the impressions formed in this context, and use social exchange theory to understand how these impressions affect team performance. Our pilot study, using content analysis (n = 191 students), suggested that most individuals believe that they can assess others' emotional authenticity in online settings by focusing on the content and tone of the messages. Our quantitative study examined the effects of these assessments. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis (n = 81 student teams) suggested that team-level trust and teamwork behaviors mediate the relationship between team emotional authenticity and team performance, and illuminate the importance of team emotional authenticity for team processes and outcomes.

Using doubly latent multilevel analysis to elucidate relationships between science teachers' professional knowledge and students' performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahler, Daniela; Großschedl, Jörg; Harms, Ute

2017-01-01

Teachers make a difference for the outcome of their students in science classrooms. One focus in this context lies on teachers' professional knowledge. We describe this knowledge according to three domains, namely (1) content knowledge (CK), (2) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and (3) curricular knowledge (CuK). We hypothesise a positive relationship between these three domains and students' performance in science. Students' science performance was conceptualised by system thinking performance in the context of biology teaching. In order to test our hypothesis, we examined the relationship between the knowledge triplet CK, PCK, and CuK and students' performance. 48 biology teachers and their students (N = 1036) participated in this study. Teachers' content-related professional knowledge and students' performance were measured by paper-and-pencil tests. Moreover, we used concept maps to further assess students' performance. By specifying doubly latent models, we found a significant positive relationship between biology teachers' PCK and students' performance. On the contrary, the results reveal no relationship between CK and CuK and students' performance. These findings are discussed in respect to modelling the interrelationship of teachers' content-related professional knowledge and students' learning in science, as well as concerning their relevance for further research and teacher education programmes.

Landsat-4 MSS and Thematic Mapper data quality and information content analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuta, P. E.; Bartolucci, L. A.; Dean, M. E.; Lozano, D. F.; Malaret, E.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Valdes, J. A.; Valenzuela, C. R.

1984-01-01

Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner data were analyzed to obtain information on data quality and information content. Geometric evaluations were performed to test band-to-band registration accuracy. Thematic Mapper overall system resolution was evaluated using scene objects which demonstrated sharp high contrast edge responses. Radiometric evaluation included detector relative calibration, effects of resampling, and coherent noise effects. Information content evaluation was carried out using clustering, principal components, transformed divergence separability measure, and numerous supervised classifiers on data from Iowa and Illinois. A detailed spectral class analysis (multispectral classification) was carried out on data from the Des Moines, IA area to compare the information content of the MSS and TM for a large number of scene classes.

Conflict Detection Performance Analysis for Function Allocation Using Time-Shifted Recorded Traffic Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guerreiro, Nelson M.; Butler, Ricky W.; Maddalon, Jeffrey M.; Hagen, George E.; Lewis, Timothy A.

2015-01-01

The performance of the conflict detection function in a separation assurance system is dependent on the content and quality of the data available to perform that function. Specifically, data quality and data content available to the conflict detection function have a direct impact on the accuracy of the prediction of an aircraft's future state or trajectory, which, in turn, impacts the ability to successfully anticipate potential losses of separation (detect future conflicts). Consequently, other separation assurance functions that rely on the conflict detection function - namely, conflict resolution - are prone to negative performance impacts. The many possible allocations and implementations of the conflict detection function between centralized and distributed systems drive the need to understand the key relationships that impact conflict detection performance, with respect to differences in data available. This paper presents the preliminary results of an analysis technique developed to investigate the impacts of data quality and data content on conflict detection performance. Flight track data recorded from a day of the National Airspace System is time-shifted to create conflicts not present in the un-shifted data. A methodology is used to smooth and filter the recorded data to eliminate sensor fusion noise, data drop-outs and other anomalies in the data. The metrics used to characterize conflict detection performance are presented and a set of preliminary results is discussed.

Between butch/femme: On the performance of race, gender, and sexuality in a YouTube web series.

PubMed

Day, Faithe

2017-11-27

Drawing on a legacy of Black television and film production, Black web series remediate earlier media forms in order to usher in a twenty-first-century revival of indie Black cultural production. Specifically, video sharing and social media platforms operate as a sphere in which content creators and users are afforded unique opportunities to engage with video content and each other on a variety of levels. Focusing on the YouTube media sphere, one can also observe the myriad ways in which the performance of race, gender, and sexuality influences the types of discourse that circulate within these sites. In watching and analyzing Black queer web series on YouTube, I examine how the performance of gender and sexuality by Black queer women within and outside of web series are policed and protected by both community insiders and outsiders. Utilizing an ethnographic framework, which includes a critical discourse analysis of the YouTube comments for the series Between Women, as well as a textual analysis of series content, this project draws conclusions about the role that the politics of pleasure, performance, and the public sphere play in the recognition and/or refusal of queer sexuality within Black communities.

Do Gains in Secondary Teachers’ Content Knowledge Provide an ASSET to Student Learning?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hites, Travis

2015-01-01

During the Summer of 2013, a group of East Texas middle and high school science teachers attended the first year of the Astronomy Summer School of East Texas (ASSET), a two-week NASA funded workshop. This workshop focused on providing area teachers with a rigorous two-week experience loaded with interactive content lessons combined with hands-on activities, all relating to the universal laws of astronomy as well as solar system concepts.The effectiveness of this workshop was gauged in part through a series of content surveys given to each participating educator at the beginning and end of the workshop. Similar content surveys were also administered to each teacher's students as pre/post-content surveys in an effort to determine the extent to which teacher gains were transferred into student gains, as well as to judge the effectiveness of the teachers' lessons in conveying these concepts to the students.Overall, students performed best on concepts where teachers exhibited the highest gains in their learning and focused most of their emphasis. A question-by-question analysis, though, suggests that a broad analysis paints an incomplete picture of student learning. We will present an item analysis of student gains by topic along with a comparison of content coverage and teacher gains. Looking beyond these numbers will present results that demonstrate that giving secondary teachers professional development opportunities to increase content knowledge, and tools to present such knowledge to their students, can improve student learning and performance, but is dependent on teacher confidence and level of coverage.This project is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), which is part of the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), Grant Number NNX12AH11G.

Modeling the energy content of combustible ship-scrapping waste at Alang-Sosiya, India, using multiple regression analysis.

PubMed

Reddy, M Srinivasa; Basha, Shaik; Joshi, H V; Sravan Kumar, V G; Jha, B; Ghosh, P K

2005-01-01

Alang-Sosiya is the largest ship-scrapping yard in the world, established in 1982. Every year an average of 171 ships having a mean weight of 2.10 x 10(6)(+/-7.82 x 10(5)) of light dead weight tonnage (LDT) being scrapped. Apart from scrapped metals, this yard generates a massive amount of combustible solid waste in the form of waste wood, plastic, insulation material, paper, glass wool, thermocol pieces (polyurethane foam material), sponge, oiled rope, cotton waste, rubber, etc. In this study multiple regression analysis was used to develop predictive models for energy content of combustible ship-scrapping solid wastes. The scope of work comprised qualitative and quantitative estimation of solid waste samples and performing a sequential selection procedure for isolating variables. Three regression models were developed to correlate the energy content (net calorific values (LHV)) with variables derived from material composition, proximate and ultimate analyses. The performance of these models for this particular waste complies well with the equations developed by other researchers (Dulong, Steuer, Scheurer-Kestner and Bento's) for estimating energy content of municipal solid waste.

Phosphorus Elimination at Sodium Silicate from Quartz Sand Roasted with Complexation using Chitosan-EDTA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyuningsih, S.; Ramelan, A. H.; Suharty, N. S.; Handayani, M.; Firdiyono, F.; Sulistiyono, E.; Munawaroh, H.; Sari, P. P.; Kristiawan, Y. R.

2018-03-01

A phosphorus elimination from sodium silicate solution has been studied. Phosphorus elimination was performed by adding chitosan-EDTA to remove cation phosphorus. Characterization of chitosan-EDTA material was performed using FT-IR, while the decreasing level of phosphorus content was analyzed by quantitative analysis using spectrophotometer UV-Vis refers to SNI 06-6989-2004. The results showed that the content of the sodium silicate can be reduced up to 67.1% through Chitosan-EDTA complexation with phosphorus.

Analysis of Levodopa Content in Commercial Mucuna pruriens Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection.

PubMed

Soumyanath, Amala; Denne, Tanya; Hiller, Amie; Ramachandran, Shaila; Shinto, Lynne

2018-02-01

Mucuna pruriens (MP) seeds contain levodopa (up to 2% by weight) and have been used in traditional Indian medicine to treat an illness named "Kampavata," now understood to be Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies have shown MP to be beneficial, and even superior, to levodopa alone in treating PD symptoms. Commercial products containing MP are readily available from online and retail sources to patients and physicians. Products often contain extracts of MP seeds, with significantly higher levodopa content than the seeds. However, MP products have limited regulatory controls with respect to quality and content of active ingredient. The aim of this study was to apply a quantitative method to determine levodopa content in readily available MP products that might be used by patients or in research studies. Levodopa present in six commercial MP products was quantified by solvent extraction followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection (FD). Certificates of analysis (COA) were obtained, from manufacturers of MP products, to assess the existence and implementation of specifications for levodopa content. HPLC-FD analysis revealed that the levodopa content of the six commercial MP products varied from 6% to 141% of individual label claims. No product contained levodopa within normal pharmacopeial limits of 90%-110% label claim. The maximum daily dose of levodopa delivered by the products varied from 14.4 to 720 mg/day. COAs were inconsistent in specifications for and verification of levodopa content. The commercial products tested varied widely in levodopa content, sometimes deviating widely from the label claim. These deficiencies could impact efficacy and safety of MP products used by PD patients and compromise the results of scientific studies on MP products. The HPLC-FD method described in this study could be utilized by both manufacturers and scientific researchers to verify levodopa content of MP products.

Metallic content of wines from the Canary Islands (Spain). Application of artificial neural networks to the data analysis.

PubMed

Frías, Sergio; Conde, José E; Rodríguez, Miguel A; Dohnal, Vlasta; Pérez-Trujillo, Juan P

2002-10-01

Eleven elements, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Sr, Li and Rb, were determined in dry and sweet wines bearing the denominations of origin of El Hierro, La Palma and Lanzarote islands (Canary Islands, Spain). Analyses were performed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, with the exceptions of Li and Rb for which flame atomic emission spectrophotometry was used. The content in copper and iron did not present risks of cases. All samples presented a copper and zinc content below the maximum amount recommended by the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) for these elements. Significant differences in the metallic content were found among the different islands. Thus, Lanzarote presented the highest mean content in sodium and lithium and the lowest mean content in rubidium, and La Palma presented the highest mean content in strontium and rubidium. Sweet wines from La Palma, elaborated as naturally sweet with over-ripe grapes, presented mean contents significantly higher with regard to dry wines from the same island in the majority of the analysed elements. Cluster analysis and Kohonen self-organising maps showed differences in wines according to the island of origin and the ripening state of the grapes. Back-propagation artificial neural networks showed better prediction ability than stepwise linear discriminant analysis.

Soldier Dimension in Battle. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

actions that could be undertaken to improve soldier performance. r.r TAB j.9 I 1, Lt tAnrC&il O ML ~ -- . J TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 1 - Final Report 1... Analysis 1-49 Criteria Develomnt for the Soldier Dimension 1-59 Soldier Performance in Continuous Operations 1-60 Leadershin Role 1-60 ART? Data Develonment...have also emphasized the importance of cognitive-behaviorism, situational analysis , and systems theory because of our focus on human performance

Leadership Strategies of Performance Measures Impacts in Public Sector Management: A National Content Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubala, James Joseph

A quantitative and qualitative study examined three leadership strategies found in performance-based management (human resource, scientific management and political strategies used in public sector management); a framework by which performance measurement (PM) supports leadership strategies; and how the strategies impact PM. It examined leadership…

Operative reports: form and function.

PubMed

Stewart, Lygia; Hunter, John G; Wetter, Alberto; Chin, Brian; Way, Lawrence W

2010-09-01

Little is known about how closely operative reports reflect what was actually performed during an operation, nor has the construction of operative reports been adequately studied with the aims of clarifying the objectives of those reports and improving their efficacy. We hypothesized that if more attention is paid to the objectives of operative reports, their content will more predictably contain the most relevant information, which might channel thinking in beneficial directions during performance of the operation. Multivariate analysis of 250 laparoscopic cholecystectomy operative reports (125 uncomplicated and 125 with bile duct injury). Academic research. University (105 cases) and community (145 cases) hospitals. Variations in content and design of operative reports. Cognitive task analysis of laparoscopic cholecystectomy was conducted, and a model operative report was generated and compared with the actual operative reports. Descriptions of key elements in adequate dissection of the Calot triangle were present in 24.8% and 0.0% of operative reports from uncomplicated and bile duct injury cases, respectively. Thorough dissection of the Calot triangle, identification of the cystic duct-infundibulum junction, and lateral retraction of the infundibulum correlated with uncomplicated cases, while irregular cues (eg, perceived anatomic or other deviations) correlated with bile duct injury cases. Current practice generates operative reports that vary widely in content and too often omit important elements. This research suggests that the construction of operative reports should be constrained such that the reports routinely include the fundamental goals of the operation and what was performed to meet them. Cognitive task analysis is based on the ways the mind controls the performance of tasks; it is an excellent method for determining the extra content needed in operative reports. The resulting designs should also serve as mental guidelines to facilitate learning and to enhance the safety of the operation.

The methods of geomorphometry and digital soil mapping for assessing spatial variability in the properties of agrogray soils on a slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopp, N. V.; Nechaeva, T. V.; Savenkov, O. A.; Smirnova, N. V.; Smirnov, V. V.

2017-01-01

The relationships between the morphometric parameters (MPs) of topography calculated on the basis of digital elevation model (ASTER GDEM, 30 m) and the properties of the plow layer of agrogray soils on a slope were analyzed. The contribution of MPs to the spatial variability of the soil moisture reached 42%; to the content of physical clay (<0.01 mm particles), 59%; to the humus content, 46%; to the total nitrogen content, 31%; to the content of nitrate nitrogen, 28%; to the content of mobile phosphorus, 40%; to the content of exchangeable potassium, 45%; to the content of exchangeable calcium, 67%; to the content of exchangeable magnesium, 40%; and to the soil pH, 42%. A comparative analysis of the plow layer within the eluvial and transitional parts of the slope was performed with the use of geomorphometric methods and digital soil mapping. The regression analysis showed statistically significant correlations between the properties of the plow layer and the MPs describing surface runoff, geometric forms of surface, and the soil temperature regime.

Classification and statistical analysis of mine spoils chemical composition from Oliete basin (Teruel, NE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meseguer, S.; Sanfeliu, T.; Jordán, M. M.

2009-02-01

The Oliete basin (Early Cretaceous, NE Teruel, Spain) is one of the most important areas for the supply of mine spoils used as ball clays for the production of white and red stoneware in the Spanish ceramic industry of wall and floor tiles. This study corresponds to the second part of the paper published recently by Meseguer et al. (Environ Geol 2008) about the use of mine spoils from Teruel coal mining district. The present study shows a statistical data analysis from chemical data (major, minor and trace elements). The performed statistical analysis of chemical data included descriptive statistics and cluster analysis (with ANOVA and Scheffé methods). The cluster analysis of chemical data provided three main groups: C3 with the highest mean SiO2 content (66%) and lowest mean Al2O3 content (20%); C2 with lower SiO2 content (48%) and higher mean Al2O3 content (28%); and C1 with medium values for the SiO2 and Al2O3 mean content. The main applications of these materials are refractory, white and red ceramics, stoneware, heavy ceramics (including red earthenware, bricks and roof tiles), and components of white Portland cement and aluminous cement. Clays from group 2 are used in refractories (with higher kaolinite content, and constrictions to CaO + MgO and K2O + Na2O contents). All materials can be used in fine ceramics (white or red, according to the Fe2O3 + TiO2 content).

Effects of Team Emotional Authenticity on Virtual Team Performance

PubMed Central

Connelly, Catherine E.; Turel, Ofir

2016-01-01

Members of virtual teams lack many of the visual or auditory cues that are usually used as the basis for impressions about fellow team members. We focus on the effects of the impressions formed in this context, and use social exchange theory to understand how these impressions affect team performance. Our pilot study, using content analysis (n = 191 students), suggested that most individuals believe that they can assess others' emotional authenticity in online settings by focusing on the content and tone of the messages. Our quantitative study examined the effects of these assessments. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis (n = 81 student teams) suggested that team-level trust and teamwork behaviors mediate the relationship between team emotional authenticity and team performance, and illuminate the importance of team emotional authenticity for team processes and outcomes. PMID:27630605

Simultaneous determination of polysaccharides and 21 nucleosides and amino acids in different tissues of Salvia miltiorrhiza from different areas by UV-visible spectrophotometry and UHPLC with triple quadrupole MS/MS.

PubMed

Xiang, Xiang; Sha, Xiuxiu; Su, Shulan; Zhu, Zhenhua; Guo, Sheng; Yan, Hui; Qian, Dawei; Duan, Jin-Ao

2018-03-01

Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional Chinese medicine, is a widely used herbal medicine to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry analytical methods were used for rapid quantification of polysaccharides and 21 nucleosides and amino acids in S. miltiorrhiza to determine 17 samples of different tissues from different areas. Based on the total contents, hierarchical clustering analysis and principal components analysis were performed to classify these samples. The established methods were validated with good linearity, precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery. Chemical analysis revealed a higher content of total analytes in the sample of inflorescence from Nanjing (34.17 mg/g), sample of root and rhizome from Shaanxi (34.13 mg/g) and sample of stem and leaf from Nanjing (31.14 mg/g), respectively, indicating that root and rhizome from Shaanxi and the aerial parts from Nanjing exhibited the highest quality due to their highest content. In addition, contents of nucleosides and amino acids in the aerial parts (14.67 mg/g) were much higher than that in roots and rhizomes (9.17 mg/g). This study suggested that UV-visible spectrophotometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry are effective techniques to analyze polysaccharides, nucleosides, and amino acids in plants, and they provided valuable information for the development and utilization value of the aerial parts of S. miltiorrhiza. This analysis would also provide useful information for the quality control of S. miltiorrhiza. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quantitative Analysis and Comparison of Four Major Flavonol Glycosides in the Leaves of Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roemer (Chinese Toon) from Various Origins by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiaoxiang; Zhang, Liting; Cao, Yaqi; Gu, Qinying; Yang, Huan; Tam, James P.

2016-01-01

Background: Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roemer is an endemic species of Toona genus native to Asian area. Its dried leaves are applied in the treatment of many diseases; however, few investigations have been reported for the quantitative analysis and comparison of major bioactive flavonol glycosides in the leaves harvested from various origins. Objective: To quantitatively analyze four major flavonol glycosides including rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside in the leaves from different production sites and classify them according to the content of these glycosides. Materials and Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for their simultaneous determination was developed and validated for linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability. Moreover, the method established was then employed to explore the difference in the content of these four glycosides in raw materials. Finally, a hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to classify 11 voucher specimens. Results: The separation was performed on a Waters XBridge Shield RP18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm) kept at 35°C, and acetonitrile and H2O containing 0.30% trifluoroacetic acid as mobile phase was driven at 1.0 mL/min during the analysis. Ten microliters of solution were injected and 254 nm was selected to monitor the separation. A strong linear relationship between the peak area and concentration of four analytes was observed. And, the method was also validated to be repeatable, stable, precise, and accurate. Conclusion: An efficient and reliable HPLC-DAD method was established and applied in the assays for the samples from 11 origins successfully. Moreover, the content of those flavonol glycosides varied much among different batches, and the flavonoids could be considered as biomarkers to control the quality of Chinese Toon. SUMMARY Four major flavonol glycosides in the leaves of Toona sinensis were determined by HPLC-DAD and their contents were compared among various origins by HCA. Abbreviations used: HPLC-DAD: High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector, HCA: Hierarchical clustering analysis, MS: Mass spectrometry, RSD: Relative standard deviation. PMID:27279719

Soft Decision Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steele, Glen; Lansdowne, Chatwin; Zucha, Joan; Schlensinger, Adam

2013-01-01

The Soft Decision Analyzer (SDA) is an instrument that combines hardware, firmware, and software to perform realtime closed-loop end-to-end statistical analysis of single- or dual- channel serial digital RF communications systems operating in very low signal-to-noise conditions. As an innovation, the unique SDA capabilities allow it to perform analysis of situations where the receiving communication system slips bits due to low signal-to-noise conditions or experiences constellation rotations resulting in channel polarity in versions or channel assignment swaps. SDA s closed-loop detection allows it to instrument a live system and correlate observations with frame, codeword, and packet losses, as well as Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) events. The SDA s abilities are not confined to performing analysis in low signal-to-noise conditions. Its analysis provides in-depth insight of a communication system s receiver performance in a variety of operating conditions. The SDA incorporates two techniques for identifying slips. The first is an examination of content of the received data stream s relation to the transmitted data content and the second is a direct examination of the receiver s recovered clock signals relative to a reference. Both techniques provide benefits in different ways and allow the communication engineer evaluating test results increased confidence and understanding of receiver performance. Direct examination of data contents is performed by two different data techniques, power correlation or a modified Massey correlation, and can be applied to soft decision data widths 1 to 12 bits wide over a correlation depth ranging from 16 to 512 samples. The SDA detects receiver bit slips within a 4 bits window and can handle systems with up to four quadrants (QPSK, SQPSK, and BPSK systems). The SDA continuously monitors correlation results to characterize slips and quadrant change and is capable of performing analysis even when the receiver under test is subjected to conditions where its performance degrades to high error rates (30 percent or beyond). The design incorporates a number of features, such as watchdog triggers that permit the SDA system to recover from large receiver upsets automatically and continue accumulating performance analysis unaided by operator intervention. This accommodates tests that can last in the order of days in order to gain statistical confidence in results and is also useful for capturing snapshots of rare events.

The Lactose and Galactose Content of Cheese Suitable for Galactosaemia: New Analysis.

PubMed

Portnoi, P A; MacDonald, A

2016-01-01

The UK Medical Advisory Panel of the Galactosaemia Support Group report the lactose and galactose content of 5 brands of mature Cheddar cheese, Comte and Emmi Emmental fondue mix from 32 cheese samples. The Medical Advisory Panel define suitable cheese in galactosaemia to have a lactose and galactose content consistently below 10 mg/100 g. A total of 32 samples (5 types of mature Cheddar cheese, Comte and "Emmi Swiss Fondue", an emmental fondue mix) were analysed by high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) technology used to perform lactose and galactose analysis. Cheddar cheese types: Valley Spire West Country, Parkham, Lye Cross Vintage, Lye Cross Mature, Tesco West Country Farmhouse Extra Mature and Sainsbury's TTD West Country Farmhouse Extra Mature had a lactose and galactose content consistently below 10 mg/100 g (range <0.05 to 12.65 mg). All Comte samples had a lactose content below the lower limit of detection (<0.05 mg) with galactose content from <0.05 to 1.86 mg/100 g; all samples of Emmi Swiss Fondue had lactose below the lower limit of detection (<0.05 mg) and galactose between 2.19 and 3.04 mg/100 g. All of these cheese types were suitable for inclusion in a low galactose diet for galactosaemia. It is possible that the galactose content of cheese may change over time depending on its processing, fermentation time and packaging techniques.

Quality Analysis of Chlorogenic Acid and Hyperoside in Crataegi fructus

PubMed Central

Weon, Jin Bae; Jung, Youn Sik; Ma, Choong Je

2016-01-01

Background: Crataegi fructus is a herbal medicine for strong stomach, sterilization, and alcohol detoxification. Chlorogenic acid and hyperoside are the major compounds in Crataegi fructus. Objective: In this study, we established novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection analysis method of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside for quality control of Crataegi fructus. Materials and Methods: HPLC analysis was achieved on a reverse-phase C18 column (5 μm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm) using water and acetonitrile as mobile phase with gradient system. The method was validated for linearity, precision, and accuracy. About 31 batches of Crataegi fructus samples collected from Korea and China were analyzed by using HPLC fingerprint of developed HPLC method. Then, the contents of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside were compared for quality evaluation of Crataegi fructus. Results: The results have shown that the average contents (w/w %) of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside in Crataegi fructus collected from Korea were 0.0438% and 0.0416%, respectively, and the average contents (w/w %) of 0.0399% and 0.0325%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, established HPLC analysis method was stable and could provide efficient quality evaluation for monitoring of commercial Crataegi fructus. SUMMARY Quantitative analysis method of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside in Crataegi fructus is developed by high.performance liquid chromatography.(HPLC).diode array detectionEstablished HPLC analysis method is validated with linearity, precision, and accuracyThe developed method was successfully applied for quantitative analysis of Crataegi fructus sample collected from Korea and China. Abbreviations used: HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography, GC: Gas chromatography, MS: Mass spectrometer, LOD: Limits of detection, LOQ: Limits of quantification, RSD: Relative standard deviation, RRT: Relative retention time, RPA: Relation peak area. PMID:27076744

An analysis of aircrew communication patterns and content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oser, Randall L.; Prince, Carolyn; Morgan, Ben B., Jr.; Simpson, Steven S.

1991-09-01

The findings reported here represent a detailed analysis of tactical rotary-wing aircrew communication patterns and content. This research is part of an extensive effort to investigate the nature of tactical aircrew coordination and to develop effective mission-oriented aircrew coordination training. The primary objectives of this research were to answer the following questions: (1) What specific communication patterns and content are demonstrated by different helicopter crewmembers (i.e., Helicopter Aircraft Commander - HAC and Helicopter 2nd Pilot - H2P)? (2) Do tactical aircrew communication patterns and content vary as a function of the performance demands and requirements of different flight conditions (i.e., routine and non-routine)? (3) Are the communication patterns and content of more effective aircrews different from those of less effective aircrews? (4) What similarities exist between the communication patterns and content of military rotary-wing aircrews and commercial fixed-wing aircrews? and (5) Can the results of the communication analyses have an impact on aircrew coordination training?

Performance Objectives, Task Analysis, Learning Content, Content Limits, and Domain Referenced Tests for the Agricultural Chemicals Catalog. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, William; And Others

This document contains Indiana agricultural chemicals curriculum materials based on the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (VTECS) Agricultural Chemicals Catalog. It is intended to improve preparation of high school and adult students for handling and using agricultural chemicals and for jobs as chemical salespersons or chemical…

Using Doubly Latent Multilevel Analysis to Elucidate Relationships between Science Teachers' Professional Knowledge and Students' Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahler, Daniela; Großschedl, Jörg; Harms, Ute

2017-01-01

Teachers make a difference for the outcome of their students in science classrooms. One focus in this context lies on teachers' professional knowledge. We describe this knowledge according to three domains, namely (1) content knowledge (CK), (2) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and (3) curricular knowledge (CuK). We hypothesise a positive…

Change and Diversity in Grandparenting Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeanne L.; Datan, Nancy

In this study, change over time in grandparenting experience, sex differences in grandparenting, and differences among relationships with different grandchildren were explored. Thirteen grandmothers and six grandfathers were interviewed; content analysis and thematic analysis of interview transcripts were performed. Grandparents described changes…

A Decision Making Analysis of Persuasive Argumentation and the Choice Shift Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vinokur, Amiram; And Others

1975-01-01

A subjective expected utility (SEU) decision-making analysis was performed on the content of arguments generated by subjects privately or during group discussion in response to choice-dilemmas shown to shift toward risk and caution. (Editor)

Content-specific network analysis of peer-to-peer communication in an online community for smoking cessation.

PubMed

Myneni, Sahiti; Cobb, Nathan K; Cohen, Trevor

2016-01-01

Analysis of user interactions in online communities could improve our understanding of health-related behaviors and inform the design of technological solutions that support behavior change. However, to achieve this we would need methods that provide granular perspective, yet are scalable. In this paper, we present a methodology for high-throughput semantic and network analysis of large social media datasets, combining semi-automated text categorization with social network analytics. We apply this method to derive content-specific network visualizations of 16,492 user interactions in an online community for smoking cessation. Performance of the categorization system was reasonable (average F-measure of 0.74, with system-rater reliability approaching rater-rater reliability). The resulting semantically specific network analysis of user interactions reveals content- and behavior-specific network topologies. Implications for socio-behavioral health and wellness platforms are also discussed.

A Performance-Based Instructional Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Tom E.

1974-01-01

The rationale for a performanced- based instructional theory has arisen from significant advances during the past several years in instructional psychology. Four major areas of concern are: analysis of subject-matter content in terms of performance competencies, diagnosis of pre-instructional behavior, formulation of an instructional…

Common Factors of High Performance Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Bruce; Madsen, Susan R.

2005-01-01

Utilization of work teams is now wide spread in all types of organizations throughout the world. However, an understanding of the important factors common to high performance teams is rare. The purpose of this content analysis is to explore the literature and propose findings related to high performance teams. These include definition and types,…

Ways to Improve the Quality of Die Steel 5KhNM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimov, S. V.; Malykhina, O. Yu; Pavlova, A. G.; Milyuts, V. G.; Tsukanov, V. V.; Vikharev, V. V.

2017-12-01

There was performed an analysis of influence of the deoxidation technology, hydrogen content and high concentration of titanium in steel 5KhNM (Rus. “5XHM”) on quality of die blanks, evaluated based on the results of the ultrasonic test. The fractographic examinations of fractures and the X-ray microprobe analysis of chemical composition of non-metallic inclusions were conducted, the evaluation of macro- and micro-structure of a die blank with high titanium content was performed. It is demonstrated that defects of dies from steel 5KhNM (Rus. “5XHM”) are cracks from merged flakes and micro-flakes; in most cases large concentrations of sulphides appeared to be hydrogen collectors for formation of flakes and micro-flakes.

Texture analysis of B-mode ultrasound images to stage hepatic lipidosis in the dairy cow: A methodological study.

PubMed

Banzato, Tommaso; Fiore, Enrico; Morgante, Massimo; Manuali, Elisabetta; Zotti, Alessandro

2016-10-01

Hepatic lipidosis is the most diffused hepatic disease in the lactating cow. A new methodology to estimate the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver in lactating cows by means of texture analysis of B-mode ultrasound images is proposed. B-mode ultrasonography of the liver was performed in 48 Holstein Friesian cows using standardized ultrasound parameters. Liver biopsies to determine the triacylglycerol content of the liver (TAGqa) were obtained from each animal. A large number of texture parameters were calculated on the ultrasound images by means of a free software. Based on the TAGqa content of the liver, 29 samples were classified as mild (TAGqa<50mg/g), 6 as moderate (50mg/g100mg/g) and 13 as severe (TAG>100mg/g) in steatosis. Stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to predict the TAGqa content of the liver (TAGpred) from the texture parameters calculated on the ultrasound images. A five-variable model was used to predict the TAG content from the ultrasound images. The regression model explained 83.4% of the variance. An area under the curve (AUC) of 0.949 was calculated for <50mg/g vs >50mg/g of TAGqa; using an optimal cut-off value of 72mg/g TAGpred had a sensitivity of 86.2% and a specificity of 84.2%. An AUC of 0.978 for <100mg/g vs >100mg/g of TAGqa was calculated; using an optimal cut-off value of 89mg/g, TAGpred sensitivity was 92.3% and specificity was 88.6%. Texture analysis of B-mode ultrasound images may therefore be used to accurately predict the TAG content of the liver in lactating cows. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content Analysis in Systems Engineering Acquisition Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

Acquisition Activities Karen Holness, Assistant Professor, NPS Update on the Department of the Navy Systems Engineering Career Competency Model Clifford...systems engineering toolkit . Having a common analysis tool that is easy to use would support the feedback of observed system performance trends from the

Prediction of sweetness and amino acid content in soybean crops from hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, Sildomar Takahashi; Minekawa, Yohei; Kosugi, Yukio; Akazawa, Tsuneya; Oda, Kunio

Hyperspectral image data provides a powerful tool for non-destructive crop analysis. This paper investigates a hyperspectral image data-processing method to predict the sweetness and amino acid content of soybean crops. Regression models based on artificial neural networks were developed in order to calculate the level of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and nitrogen concentrations, which can be related to the sweetness and amino acid content of vegetables. A performance analysis was conducted comparing regression models obtained using different preprocessing methods, namely, raw reflectance, second derivative, and principal components analysis. This method is demonstrated using high-resolution hyperspectral data of wavelengths ranging from the visible to the near infrared acquired from an experimental field of green vegetable soybeans. The best predictions were achieved using a nonlinear regression model of the second derivative transformed dataset. Glucose could be predicted with greater accuracy, followed by sucrose, fructose and nitrogen. The proposed method provides the possibility to provide relatively accurate maps predicting the chemical content of soybean crop fields.

Rapid method for the quantification of hydroquinone concentration: chemiluminescent analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Tung-Sheng; Liou, Show-Yih; Kuo, Wei-Wen; Wu, Hsi-Chin; Jong, Gwo-Ping; Wang, Hsueh-Fang; Shen, Chia-Yao; Padma, V Vijaya; Huang, Chih-Yang; Chang, Yen-Lin

2015-11-01

Topical hydroquinone serves as a skin whitener and is usually available in cosmetics or on prescription based on the hydroquinone concentration. Quantification of hydroquinone content therefore becomes an important issue in topical agents. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the commonest method for determining hydroquinone content in topical agents, but this method is time-consuming and uses many solvents that can become an environmental issue. We report a rapid method for quantifying hydroquinone content by chemiluminescent analysis. Hydroquinone induces the production of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of basic compounds. Hydrogen peroxide induced by hydroquinone oxidized light-emitting materials such as lucigenin, resulted in the production of ultra-weak chemiluminescence that was detected by a chemiluminescence analyzer. The intensity of the chemiluminescence was found to be proportional to the hydroquinone concentration. We suggest that the rapid (measurement time, 60 s) and virtually solvent-free (solvent volume, <2 mL) chemiluminescent method described here for quantifying hydroquinone content may be an alternative to HPLC analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rapid DNA analysis for automated processing and interpretation of low DNA content samples.

PubMed

Turingan, Rosemary S; Vasantgadkar, Sameer; Palombo, Luke; Hogan, Catherine; Jiang, Hua; Tan, Eugene; Selden, Richard F

2016-01-01

Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of casework samples with low DNA content include those resulting from the transfer of epithelial cells from the skin to an object (e.g., cells on a water bottle, or brim of a cap), blood spatter stains, and small bone and tissue fragments. Low DNA content (LDC) samples are important in a wide range of settings, including disaster response teams to assist in victim identification and family reunification, military operations to identify friend or foe, criminal forensics to identify suspects and exonerate the innocent, and medical examiner and coroner offices to identify missing persons. Processing LDC samples requires experienced laboratory personnel, isolated workstations, and sophisticated equipment, requires transport time, and involves complex procedures. We present a rapid DNA analysis system designed specifically to generate STR profiles from LDC samples in field-forward settings by non-technical operators. By performing STR in the field, close to the site of collection, rapid DNA analysis has the potential to increase throughput and to provide actionable information in real time. A Low DNA Content BioChipSet (LDC BCS) was developed and manufactured by injection molding. It was designed to function in the fully integrated Accelerated Nuclear DNA Equipment (ANDE) instrument previously designed for analysis of buccal swab and other high DNA content samples (Investigative Genet. 4(1):1-15, 2013). The LDC BCS performs efficient DNA purification followed by microfluidic ultrafiltration of the purified DNA, maximizing the quantity of DNA available for subsequent amplification and electrophoretic separation and detection of amplified fragments. The system demonstrates accuracy, precision, resolution, signal strength, and peak height ratios appropriate for casework analysis. The LDC rapid DNA analysis system is effective for the generation of STR profiles from a wide range of sample types. The technology broadens the range of sample types that can be processed and minimizes the time between sample collection, sample processing and analysis, and generation of actionable intelligence. The fully integrated Expert System is capable of interpreting a wide range or sample types and input DNA quantities, allowing samples to be processed and interpreted without a technical operator.

Recent developments in nickel electrode analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiteley, Richard V.; Daman, M. E.; Kaiser, E. Q.

1991-01-01

Three aspects of nickel electrode analysis for Nickel-Hydrogen and Nickel-Cadmium battery cell applications are addressed: (1) the determination of active material; (2) charged state nickel (as NiOOH + CoOOH); and (3) potassium ion content in the electrode. Four deloading procedures are compared for completeness of active material removal, and deloading conditions for efficient active material analyses are established. Two methods for charged state nickel analysis are compared: the current NASA procedure and a new procedure based on the oxidation of sodium oxalate by the charged material. Finally, a method for determining potassium content in an electrode sample by flame photometry is presented along with analytical results illustrating differences in potassium levels from vendor to vendor and the effects of stress testing on potassium content in the electrode. The relevance of these analytical procedures to electrode performance is reviewed.

Development and Validation of a Safety Climate Scale for Manufacturing Industry

PubMed Central

Ghahramani, Abolfazl; Khalkhali, Hamid R.

2015-01-01

Background This paper describes the development of a scale for measuring safety climate. Methods This study was conducted in six manufacturing companies in Iran. The scale developed through conducting a literature review about the safety climate and constructing a question pool. The number of items was reduced to 71 after performing a screening process. Results The result of content validity analysis showed that 59 items had excellent item content validity index (≥ 0.78) and content validity ratio (> 0.38). The exploratory factor analysis resulted in eight safety climate dimensions. The reliability value for the final 45-item scale was 0.96. The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the safety climate model is satisfactory. Conclusion This study produced a valid and reliable scale for measuring safety climate in manufacturing companies. PMID:26106508

40 CFR 63.606 - Performance tests and compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Where: Mp = total mass flow rate of phosphorus-bearing feed, metric ton/hr (ton/hr). Rp = P2O5 content... determine the mass flow rate (Mp) of the phosphorus-bearing feed. (ii) The P2O5 content (Rp) of the feed..., No. 1 Preparation of Sample. (B) Section IX, Methods of Analysis For Phosphate Rock, No. 3 Phosphorus...

40 CFR 63.606 - Performance tests and compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Where: Mp = total mass flow rate of phosphorus-bearing feed, metric ton/hr (ton/hr). Rp = P2O5 content... determine the mass flow rate (Mp) of the phosphorus-bearing feed. (ii) The P2O5 content (Rp) of the feed..., No. 1 Preparation of Sample. (B) Section IX, Methods of Analysis For Phosphate Rock, No. 3 Phosphorus...

An Automatic and Dynamic Approach for Personalized Recommendation of Learning Objects Considering Students Learning Styles: An Experimental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorça, Fabiano A.; Araújo, Rafael D.; de Carvalho, Vitor C.; Resende, Daniel T.; Cattelan, Renan G.

2016-01-01

Content personalization in educational systems is an increasing research area. Studies show that students tend to have better performances when the content is customized according to his/her preferences. One important aspect of students particularities is how they prefer to learn. In this context, students learning styles should be considered, due…

Librarians in Name Only: Systems Librarianship and Job Seeking: A Content Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Robbie F.

This study surveys previous research about systems librarians and performs a systematic examination of position requirements through analysis of position announcements, responsibilities, required skills, job titles, degree requirements, personality qualifications, and salaries. The educational needs and emergent curriculum appropriate for…

Self-care Education Needs in Gestational Diabetes Tailored to the Iranian Culture: A Qualitative Content Analysis.

PubMed

Kolivand, Mitra; Keramat, Afsaneh; Rahimi, MehrAli; Motaghi, Zahra; Shariati, Mohammad; Emamian, MohammadHassan

2018-01-01

Gestational diabetes is one of the most common health problems in pregnancy that requires participation through self-care to reduce the maternal and neonatal complications. The present study aimed to determine the needs of women as an essential first step to formulate a self-care guide fitting the Iranian culture. The present qualitative study was conducted through interviews with 13 diabetic pregnant women and 10 care providers using semi-structured questionnaires in several cities of Iran in 2016. Further, the data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis. In addition, purposive sampling was performed at the diabetes clinic of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Imam Reza Hospital, and health centers across Kermanshah, Shahroud, and Tehran. In the present qualitative content analysis study, four themes were identified: awareness and ability (knowing diabetes, mothers training and empowerment, continuity and quality, information resources), lifestyle (healthy diet, physical activity), mental health (counseling, interaction, spirituality, and religion), and supportive family (the husband's unique role, the psychological atmosphere at home). The present study highlighted main aspects of self-care educational/supportive needs, specifically in the domains of lifestyle, awareness and capability, mental health, and family. The results of our analysis highlighted the needs that can be useful for developing comprehensive self-care educational programs, with a higher focus on physical activity, mental health, the role of the family, and the use of religious interests.

Wavelet analysis techniques applied to removing varying spectroscopic background in calibration model for pear sugar content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yande; Ying, Yibin; Lu, Huishan; Fu, Xiaping

2005-11-01

A new method is proposed to eliminate the varying background and noise simultaneously for multivariate calibration of Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectral signals. An ideal spectrum signal prototype was constructed based on the FT-NIR spectrum of fruit sugar content measurement. The performances of wavelet based threshold de-noising approaches via different combinations of wavelet base functions were compared. Three families of wavelet base function (Daubechies, Symlets and Coiflets) were applied to estimate the performance of those wavelet bases and threshold selection rules by a series of experiments. The experimental results show that the best de-noising performance is reached via the combinations of Daubechies 4 or Symlet 4 wavelet base function. Based on the optimization parameter, wavelet regression models for sugar content of pear were also developed and result in a smaller prediction error than a traditional Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) mode.

Activity and Stability of (Pr 1-xNd x) 2NiO 4 as Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: II. Electrochemical Performance and Performance Durability

DOE PAGES

Dogdibegovic, Emir; Guan, Wanbing; Yan, Jingbo; ...

2016-09-21

Single phase (Pr 1-xNd x) 2NiO 4 cathode powders (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0) were synthesized via a glycine-nitrate combustion and high temperature calcination. Anode supported cells were used to investigate the cathode property. A reproducible performance, within 9% for each cathode composition, was observed providing a wealth of data for quantitative studies. Area specific resistance analysis and i-V measurements between 650 and 850°C showed a decrease in the cell performance with increasing Nd content. Impedance spectrum analysis suggests that the decline in performance results from an increase in electrode polarization. While Pr 2NiO 4 cells showedmore » significant performance degradation of 6.40%/1,000 hours, the degradation rate for (Pr 0.75Nd 0.25) 2NiO 4 cells was reduced by an order of magnitude (0.56%/1,000 hours) with a 7% lower power output. Furthermore, the cathodes with a higher Nd content showed further improvement in performance stability with a marginal degradation rate of 0.06%/1,000 hours.« less

The Best Extraction Technique for Kaempferol and Quercetin Isolation from Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batubara, I.; Suparto, I. H.; Wulandari, N. S.

2017-03-01

Guava leaves contain various compounds that have biological activity such as kaempferol and quercetin as anticancer. Twelve extraction techniques were performed to obtain the best extraction technique to isolate kaempferol and quercetin from the guava leaves. Toxicity of extracts was tested against Artemia salina larvae. All extracts were toxic (LC50 value less than 1000 ppm) except extract of direct soxhletation on guava leaves, and extract of sonication and soxhletation using n-hexane. The extract with high content of total phenols and total flavonoids, low content of tannins, intense color of spot on thin layer chromatogram was selected for high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Direct sonication of guava leaves was chosen as the best extraction technique with kampferol and quercetin content of 0.02% and 2.15%, respectively. In addition to high content of kaempferol and quercetin, direct sonication was chosen due to the shortest extraction time, lesser impurities and high toxicity.

Uses of software in digital image analysis: a forensic report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Mukesh; Jha, Shailendra

2010-02-01

Forensic image analysis is required an expertise to interpret the content of an image or the image itself in legal matters. Major sub-disciplines of forensic image analysis with law enforcement applications include photo-grammetry, photographic comparison, content analysis and image authentication. It has wide applications in forensic science range from documenting crime scenes to enhancing faint or indistinct patterns such as partial fingerprints. The process of forensic image analysis can involve several different tasks, regardless of the type of image analysis performed. Through this paper authors have tried to explain these tasks, which are described in to three categories: Image Compression, Image Enhancement & Restoration and Measurement Extraction. With the help of examples like signature comparison, counterfeit currency comparison and foot-wear sole impression using the software Canvas and Corel Draw.

Analysis of word number and content in discourse of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

de Lira, Juliana Onofre; Minett, Thaís Soares Cianciarullo; Bertolucci, Paulo Henrique Ferreira; Ortiz, Karin Zazo

2014-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by impairments in memory and other cognitive functions such as language, which can be affected in all aspects including discourse. A picture description task is considered an effective way of obtaining a discourse sample whose key feature is the ability to retrieve appropriate lexical items. There is no consensus on findings showing that performance in content processing of spoken discourse deteriorates from the mildest phase of AD. To compare the quantity and quality of discourse among patients with mild to moderate AD and controls. A cross-sectional study was designed. Subjects aged 50 years and older of both sexes, with one year or more of education, were divided into three groups: control (CG), mild AD (ADG1) and moderate AD (ADG2). Participants were asked to describe the "cookie theft" picture. The total number of complete words spoken and information units (IU) were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference among groups in terms of age, schooling and sex. For number of words spoken, the CG performed significantly better than both the ADG 1 and ADG2, but no difference between the two latter groups was found. CG produced almost twice as many information units as the ADG1 and more than double that of the ADG2. Moreover, ADG2 patients had worse performance on IUs compared to the ADG1. Decreased performance in quantity and content of discourse was evident in patients with AD from the mildest phase, but only content (IU) continued to worsen with disease progression.

Analysis of word number and content in discourse of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

de Lira, Juliana Onofre; Minett, Thaís Soares Cianciarullo; Bertolucci, Paulo Henrique Ferreira; Ortiz, Karin Zazo

2014-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by impairments in memory and other cognitive functions such as language, which can be affected in all aspects including discourse. A picture description task is considered an effective way of obtaining a discourse sample whose key feature is the ability to retrieve appropriate lexical items. There is no consensus on findings showing that performance in content processing of spoken discourse deteriorates from the mildest phase of AD. Objective To compare the quantity and quality of discourse among patients with mild to moderate AD and controls. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed. Subjects aged 50 years and older of both sexes, with one year or more of education, were divided into three groups: control (CG), mild AD (ADG1) and moderate AD (ADG2). Participants were asked to describe the "cookie theft" picture. The total number of complete words spoken and information units (IU) were included in the analysis. Results There was no significant difference among groups in terms of age, schooling and sex. For number of words spoken, the CG performed significantly better than both the ADG 1 and ADG2, but no difference between the two latter groups was found. CG produced almost twice as many information units as the ADG1 and more than double that of the ADG2. Moreover, ADG2 patients had worse performance on IUs compared to the ADG1. Conclusion Decreased performance in quantity and content of discourse was evident in patients with AD from the mildest phase, but only content (IU) continued to worsen with disease progression. PMID:29213912

Values of pathological analysis of lost tissue fragments in the vacuum canister during a vacuum-assisted stereotactic biopsy of the breast.

PubMed

El Khoury, M; Mesurolle, B; Omeroglu, A; Aldis, A; Kao, E

2013-05-01

Determine values of pathological analysis of the canister content during a vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB). Approval was obtained from the ethical committee. Prospective radiological and pathological analyses of the canister content collected during 231 VABBs performed on 231 patients were carried out. χ(2) test was used to determine predictors on canister pathology. The canister pathology was reported separately in 212 cases. It showed only blood in 78/212 (37%) cases and benign (including high-risk lesions) and malignant results in, respectively, 113/212 (53%) and 21/212 (10%) cases. Respective specimen analysis was benign, including high-risk lesions in 162/212 cases (76%) and malignant in 50/212 (24%) cases. Microcalcifications were documented on canister X-ray in 70/231 (30%) cases. There was significant association between the canister and the specimen pathology (p<0.0001). In none of the cases was microcalcifications seen exclusively in the canister content or pathological upgrading found in the canister content compared with the specimen. Small tissue fragments and microcalcifications may be lost in the canister during a VABB. Nevertheless, our results did not show any significant value for systematic analysis of the canister content. There is no added diagnostic value to retrieval and analysis of tissue lost in the canister during a VABB.

Analysis of Moisture Content in Beetroot using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and by Principal Component Analysis.

PubMed

Nesakumar, Noel; Baskar, Chanthini; Kesavan, Srinivasan; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru; Alwarappan, Subbiah

2018-05-22

The moisture content of beetroot varies during long-term cold storage. In this work, we propose a strategy to identify the moisture content and age of beetroot using principal component analysis coupled Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Frequent FTIR measurements were recorded directly from the beetroot sample surface over a period of 34 days for analysing its moisture content employing attenuated total reflectance in the spectral ranges of 2614-4000 and 1465-1853 cm -1 with a spectral resolution of 8 cm -1 . In order to estimate the transmittance peak height (T p ) and area under the transmittance curve [Formula: see text] over the spectral ranges of 2614-4000 and 1465-1853 cm -1 , Gaussian curve fitting algorithm was performed on FTIR data. Principal component and nonlinear regression analyses were utilized for FTIR data analysis. Score plot over the ranges of 2614-4000 and 1465-1853 cm -1 allowed beetroot quality discrimination. Beetroot quality predictive models were developed by employing biphasic dose response function. Validation experiment results confirmed that the accuracy of the beetroot quality predictive model reached 97.5%. This research work proves that FTIR spectroscopy in combination with principal component analysis and beetroot quality predictive models could serve as an effective tool for discriminating moisture content in fresh, half and completely spoiled stages of beetroot samples and for providing status alerts.

Association between television, movie, and video game exposure and school performance.

PubMed

Sharif, Iman; Sargent, James D

2006-10-01

The relationship between media exposure and school performance has not been studied extensively in adolescents. The purpose of this work was to test the relative effects of television, movie, and video game screen time and content on adolescent school performance. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey of middle school students (grades 5-8) in the Northeastern United States. We looked at weekday television and video game screen time, weekend television and video game screen time, cable movie channel availability, parental R-rated movie restriction, and television content restriction. The main outcome was self-report of school performance (excellent, good, average, or below average). We used ordinal logistic-regression analysis to test the independent effects of each variable, adjusting for demographics, child personality, and parenting style. There were 4508 students who participated in the study; gender was equally represented, and 95% were white. In multivariate analyses, after adjusting for other covariates, the odds of poorer school performance increased with increasing weekday television screen time and cable movie channel availability and decreased with parental restriction of television content restriction. As compared with children whose parents never allowed them to watch R-rated movies, children who watched R-rated movies once in a while, sometimes, or all of the time had significantly increased cumulative odds of poorer school performance. Weekend screen time and video game use were not associated with school performance. We found that both content exposure and screen time had independent detrimental associations with school performance. These findings support parental enforcement of American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for media time (particularly weekdays) and content limits to enhance school success.

Surgical simulation tasks challenge visual working memory and visual-spatial ability differently.

PubMed

Schlickum, Marcus; Hedman, Leif; Enochsson, Lars; Henningsohn, Lars; Kjellin, Ann; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2011-04-01

New strategies for selection and training of physicians are emerging. Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between visual-spatial ability and visual working memory with surgical simulator performance. The aim of this study was to perform a detailed analysis on how these abilities are associated with metrics in simulator performance with different task content. The hypothesis is that the importance of visual-spatial ability and visual working memory varies with different task contents. Twenty-five medical students participated in the study that involved testing visual-spatial ability using the MRT-A test and visual working memory using the RoboMemo computer program. Subjects were also trained and tested for performance in three different surgical simulators. The scores from the psychometric tests and the performance metrics were then correlated using multivariate analysis. MRT-A score correlated significantly with the performance metrics Efficiency of screening (p = 0.006) and Total time (p = 0.01) in the GI Mentor II task and Total score (p = 0.02) in the MIST-VR simulator task. In the Uro Mentor task, both the MRT-A score and the visual working memory 3-D cube test score as presented in the RoboMemo program (p = 0.02) correlated with Total score (p = 0.004). In this study we have shown that some differences exist regarding the impact of visual abilities and task content on simulator performance. When designing future cognitive training programs and testing regimes, one might have to consider that the design must be adjusted in accordance with the specific surgical task to be trained in mind.

Animal and management factors influencing grower and finisher pig performance and efficiency in European systems: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Douglas, S L; Szyszka, O; Stoddart, K; Edwards, S A; Kyriazakis, I

2015-07-01

A meta-analysis on the effects of management and animal-based factors on the performance and feed efficiency of growing pigs can provide information on single factor and interaction effects absent in individual studies. This study analysed the effects of such factors on average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of grower and finisher pigs. The multivariate models identified significant effects of: (1) bedding (P<0.01), stage of growth (P<0.001) and the interaction bedding×lysine (P<0.001) on ADG. ADG was higher on straw compared with no bedding (710 v. 605 g/day). (2) FI was significantly affected by stage of growth (P<0.01), bedding (P<0.01), group composition (P<0.05), group size (P<0.01), feed CP content (P<0.01), ambient temperature (P<0.01) and the interaction between floor space and feed energy content (P<0.001). Pigs housed on straw had a lower FI in comparison with those without (1.44 v. 2.04 kg/day); a higher FI was seen for pigs separated by gender in comparison with mixed groups (2.05 v. 1.65 kg/day); FI had a negative linear relationship with group size, the CP content of the feed and ambient temperature. (3) Stage of growth (P<0.001), feed CP (P<0.001) and lysine content (P<0.001), ambient temperature (P<0.001) and feed crude fibre (CF) content (P<0.01) significantly affected FCR; there were no significant interactions between any factors on this trait. There was an improvement in FCR at higher ambient temperatures, increased feed CP and lysine content, but a deterioration of FCR at higher CF contents. For ADG, the interaction of bedding×lysine was caused by pigs housed without bedding (straw) having higher ADG when on a feed lower in lysine, whereas those with bedding had a higher ADG when on a feed higher in lysine. Interaction effects on FI were caused by animals with the least amount of floor space having a higher FI when given a feed with a low metabolisable energy (ME) content, in contrast to all other pigs, which showed a higher FI with increased ME content. The meta-analysis confirmed the significant effect of several well-known factors on the performance and efficiency of grower and finisher pigs, the effects of some less established ones and, importantly, the interactions between such factors.

Comparative study of goal contents and goal characteristics between medical and business students.

PubMed

Park, Soowon; Kim, Ji Eun; Lee, Jun-Young; Shin, Jongho

2016-03-01

Medical and business are one of the most popular majors among students, and both fields require intensive training to reach certain level of expertise. During the development of professionalism, goal can become a crucial role in psychological impetus. The purpose of this study is to compare goal contents, goal characteristics, and effect of goal characteristics on student's major satisfaction between medical and business. A total of 193 undergraduate students (97 medical students, 96 business students) answered survey questions including goal contents, goal characteristics (goal autonomy, goal attainability, social value of goal) and satisfaction on their majors. Qualitative analysis of goal contents and quantitative analysis of goal characteristics, and their effects on student major satisfaction were performed. Goal content analysis showed percentage of social concern goal was higher in medical students (25.8%) than business students (6.3%), whereas percentage of wealth goal was higher business students (24.0%) than medical students (3.1%). Among goal characteristics, goal attainability and social value of goal were higher in medical students than business students. In both groups, social value of goal was significantly predict major satisfaction. Goal contents and goal characteristics are different between medical and business students. Curriculum and educational interventions that concerning students' goal and developing programs to enhance students' social value of goal is necessary.

DNA content alterations in Tetrahymena pyriformis macronucleus after exposure to food preservatives sodium nitrate and sodium benzoate.

PubMed

Loutsidou, Ariadni C; Hatzi, Vasiliki I; Chasapis, C T; Terzoudi, Georgia I; Spiliopoulou, Chara A; Stefanidou, Maria E

2012-12-01

The toxicity, in terms of changes in the DNA content, of two food preservatives, sodium nitrate and sodium benzoate was studied on the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis using DNA image analysis technology. For this purpose, selected doses of both food additives were administered for 2 h to protozoa cultures and DNA image analysis of T. pyriformis nuclei was performed. The analysis was based on the measurement of the Mean Optical Density which represents the cellular DNA content. The results have shown that after exposure of the protozoan cultures to doses equivalent to ADI, a statistically significant increase in the macronuclear DNA content compared to the unexposed control samples was observed. The observed increase in the macronuclear DNA content is indicative of the stimulation of the mitotic process and the observed increase in MOD, accompanied by a stimulation of the protozoan proliferation activity is in consistence with this assumption. Since alterations at the DNA level such as DNA content and uncontrolled mitogenic stimulation have been linked with chemical carcinogenesis, the results of the present study add information on the toxicogenomic profile of the selected chemicals and may potentially lead to reconsideration of the excessive use of nitrates aiming to protect public health.

Mobile Apps for Self-Injury: A Content Analysis.

PubMed

Vieira, Aaron M; Lewis, Stephen P

2018-05-01

A growing body of research points to the salience of the Internet and mobile material among individuals who self-injure. However, to date, no research has investigated the mobile apps related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Such information would clarify which apps may be useful for those who self-injure while highlighting whether app-related content warrants improvement. The current study examined the content and usability of NSSI apps available on the two largest app-related platforms (Google Play and iTunes). Using content analysis, apps were examined regarding their content (e.g., presence of NSSI myths and types of coping strategies) as well as usability (e.g., app performance). Results indicate that NSSI apps have varied content, with few developed by, or affiliated with, a trusted source (e.g., university). NSSI apps tend to not propagate NSSI myths that vary with respect to the quality of coping strategies offered. They also tend to be rated favorably in terms of their usability. Overall, the present findings add to the NSSI literature and highlight several implications and avenues for future work, which are discussed.

Instructional Strategies for Enhancing Learning Disabled Students' Reading Comprehension and Comprehension Test Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Bernice Y. L.

1986-01-01

Successful instructional strategies for enhancing the reading comprehension and comprehension test performance of learning disabled students are described. Students are taught to self-monitor their comprehension of expository materials and stories through recognition and analysis of recurrent elements and problem passages, content summarization,…

Predicting Students' Writing Performance on the NAEP from Student- and State-Level Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mo, Ya; Troia, Gary A.

2017-01-01

This study examines the relationship between students' demographic background and their experiences with writing at school, the alignment between state and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) direct writing assessments, and students' NAEP writing performance. The study utilizes primary data collection via content analysis of writing…

The influence of test mode and visuospatial ability on mathematics assessment performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, Tracy

2015-12-01

Mathematics assessment and testing are increasingly situated within digital environments with international tests moving to computer-based testing in the near future. This paper reports on a secondary data analysis which explored the influence the mode of assessment—computer-based (CBT) and pencil-and-paper based (PPT)—and visuospatial ability had on students' mathematics test performance. Data from 804 grade 6 Singaporean students were analysed using the knowledge discovery in data design. The results revealed statistically significant differences between performance on CBT and PPT test modes across content areas concerning whole number algebraic patterns and data and chance. However, there were no performance differences for content areas related to spatial arrangements geometric measurement or other number. There were also statistically significant differences in performance between those students who possess higher levels of visuospatial ability compared to those with lower levels across all six content areas. Implications include careful consideration for the comparability of CBT and PPT testing and the need for increased attention to the role of visuospatial reasoning in student's mathematics reasoning.

Use of wild genotypes in breeding program increases strawberry fruit sensorial and nutritional quality.

PubMed

Diamanti, Jacopo; Mazzoni, Luca; Balducci, Francesca; Cappelletti, Roberto; Capocasa, Franco; Battino, Maurizio; Dobson, Gary; Stewart, Derek; Mezzetti, Bruno

2014-05-07

This study evaluated 20 advanced selections, derived from a strawberry interspecific backcross program, and their parents for fruit weight, commercial yield, acidity, sugar content, antioxidant capacity, and phenol and anthocyanin contents. Phytochemical profiling analysis was performed to determine the compositional characteristics of the improved selections in comparison with their parents and an important commercial variety ('Elsanta'). Advanced selections showed substantial improvement for agronomic and nutritional quality parameters. From the profiling analysis there was evidence for specific improvements in fruit phytochemical contents; new advanced selections had substantially increased fruit flavonol, anthocyanin, and ellagitannin contents compared to their parent cultivar 'Romina' and, for flavonols and ellagitannins, compared to a standard cultivar 'Elsanta'. Such results confirm that an appropriate breeding program that includes wild strawberry germplasm can produce new strawberry cultivars with a well-defined improvement in fruit nutritional and nutraceutical values.

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

T.Rex is used to explore tabular data sets containing up to ten million records to help rapidly understand a previously unknown data set. Analysis can quickly identify patterns of interest and the records and fields that capture those patterns. T.Rex contains a growing set of deep analytical tools and supports robust export capabilities that selected data can be incorporated into to other specialized tools for further analysis. T.Rex is flexible in ingesting different types and formats of data, allowing the user to interactively experiment and perform trial and error guesses on the structure of the data; and also has amore » variety of linked visual analytic tools that enable exploration of the data to find relevant content, relationships among content, trends within the content, and capture knowledge about the content. Finally, T.Rex has a rich export capability, to extract relevant subsets of a larger data source, to further analyze their data in other analytic tools.« less

LANDSAT-4 MSS and Thematic Mapper data quality and information content analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuta, P.; Bartolucci, L.; Dean, E.; Lozano, F.; Malaret, E.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Valdes, J.; Valenzuela, C.

1984-01-01

LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper (TM) and multispectral scanner (MSS) data were analyzed to obtain information on data quality and information content. Geometric evaluations were performed to test band-to-band registration accuracy. Thematic mapper overall system resolution was evaluated using scene objects which demonstrated sharp high contrast edge responses. Radiometric evaluation included detector relative calibration, effects of resampling, and coherent noise effects. Information content evaluation was carried out using clustering, principal components, transformed divergence separability measure, and supervised classifiers on test data. A detailed spectral class analysis (multispectral classification) was carried out to compare the information content of the MSS and TM for a large number of scene classes. A temperature-mapping experiment was carried out for a cooling pond to test the quality of thermal-band calibration. Overall TM data quality is very good. The MSS data are noisier than previous LANDSAT results.

T.Rex

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

2016-06-08

T.Rex is used to explore tabular data sets containing up to ten million records to help rapidly understand a previously unknown data set. Analysis can quickly identify patterns of interest and the records and fields that capture those patterns. T.Rex contains a growing set of deep analytical tools and supports robust export capabilities that selected data can be incorporated into to other specialized tools for further analysis. T.Rex is flexible in ingesting different types and formats of data, allowing the user to interactively experiment and perform trial and error guesses on the structure of the data; and also has amore » variety of linked visual analytic tools that enable exploration of the data to find relevant content, relationships among content, trends within the content, and capture knowledge about the content. Finally, T.Rex has a rich export capability, to extract relevant subsets of a larger data source, to further analyze their data in other analytic tools.« less

Space Station Environment Control and Life Support System Pressure Control Pump Assembly Modeling and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schunk, R. Gregory

2002-01-01

This paper presents the Modeling and Analysis of the Space Station Environment Control and Life Support System Pressure Control Pump Assembly (PCPA). The contents include: 1) Integrated PCPA/Manifold Analyses; 2) Manifold Performance Analysis; 3) PCPA Motor Heat Leak Study; and 4) Future Plans. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Influence of rare earth content on Mm-based AB 5 metal hydride alloys for Ni-MH batteries-An X-ray fluorescence study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananth, M. V.; Raju, M.; Manimaran, K.; Balachandran, G.; Nair, Lekshmi M.

AB 5-type MH alloys with Mm (Misch metal) as the A part (with varied rare earth contents in Mm) were investigated for rare earth by XRF analysis and battery performance by life cycle tests with an objective of understanding the influence of rare earth content on electrochemical hydrogen storage. The La/Ce ratio was found to vary from 0.51 to 18.73. The capacity output varied between 179 and 266 mAh g -1. The results show that the La/Ce ratio has a strong influence on the performance, with the best performance realized with samples having an La/Ce ratio of around 12. La enhancement facilitates easy activation due to refinement in grain size and interstitial dimensions. Also, an orderly influence on crystalline structure could be seen. The study demonstrates that the rare earth content is an essential factor in determining the maximum capacity output because of its influence on crystal orientation as well as an increase in the radius of the interstitials, lattice constants and cell volumes.

Energy scale of compositional disorder in Ga(AsBi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakfa, M. K.; Jandieri, K.; Wiemer, M.; Ludewig, P.; Volz, K.; Stolz, W.; Baranovskii, S. D.; Koch, M.

2015-10-01

We report on a study of compositional disorder in Ga(AsBi) structures. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements on Ga(AsBi)/GaAs heterostructures with different Bi contents are performed. Experimental observations show an essentially non-monotonous dependence of the energy scale of disorder on the Bi content. Our theoretical analysis concludes that this peculiar behavior is a consequence of an essential bowing of the valence band edge as a function of Bi content and of a specific compositional dependence of the hole effective mass in Ga(AsBi) compounds.

A Theory of Term Importance in Automatic Text Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salton, G.; And Others

Most existing automatic content analysis and indexing techniques are based on work frequency characteristics applied largely in an ad hoc manner. Contradictory requirements arise in this connection, in that terms exhibiting high occurrence frequencies in individual documents are often useful for high recall performance (to retrieve many relevant…

Spotting Incorrect Rules in Signed-Number Arithmetic by the Individual Consistency Index.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

meaning of dimensionality of achievement data. It also shows the importance of construct validity, even in criterion referenced testing of the cognitive ... aspect of performance, and that the traditional means of item analysis that are based on taking the variances of binary scores and content analysis

Automated analysis of high-content microscopy data with deep learning.

PubMed

Kraus, Oren Z; Grys, Ben T; Ba, Jimmy; Chong, Yolanda; Frey, Brendan J; Boone, Charles; Andrews, Brenda J

2017-04-18

Existing computational pipelines for quantitative analysis of high-content microscopy data rely on traditional machine learning approaches that fail to accurately classify more than a single dataset without substantial tuning and training, requiring extensive analysis. Here, we demonstrate that the application of deep learning to biological image data can overcome the pitfalls associated with conventional machine learning classifiers. Using a deep convolutional neural network (DeepLoc) to analyze yeast cell images, we show improved performance over traditional approaches in the automated classification of protein subcellular localization. We also demonstrate the ability of DeepLoc to classify highly divergent image sets, including images of pheromone-arrested cells with abnormal cellular morphology, as well as images generated in different genetic backgrounds and in different laboratories. We offer an open-source implementation that enables updating DeepLoc on new microscopy datasets. This study highlights deep learning as an important tool for the expedited analysis of high-content microscopy data. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Advanced Cell Classifier: User-Friendly Machine-Learning-Based Software for Discovering Phenotypes in High-Content Imaging Data.

PubMed

Piccinini, Filippo; Balassa, Tamas; Szkalisity, Abel; Molnar, Csaba; Paavolainen, Lassi; Kujala, Kaisa; Buzas, Krisztina; Sarazova, Marie; Pietiainen, Vilja; Kutay, Ulrike; Smith, Kevin; Horvath, Peter

2017-06-28

High-content, imaging-based screens now routinely generate data on a scale that precludes manual verification and interrogation. Software applying machine learning has become an essential tool to automate analysis, but these methods require annotated examples to learn from. Efficiently exploring large datasets to find relevant examples remains a challenging bottleneck. Here, we present Advanced Cell Classifier (ACC), a graphical software package for phenotypic analysis that addresses these difficulties. ACC applies machine-learning and image-analysis methods to high-content data generated by large-scale, cell-based experiments. It features methods to mine microscopic image data, discover new phenotypes, and improve recognition performance. We demonstrate that these features substantially expedite the training process, successfully uncover rare phenotypes, and improve the accuracy of the analysis. ACC is extensively documented, designed to be user-friendly for researchers without machine-learning expertise, and distributed as a free open-source tool at www.cellclassifier.org. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sugar content of popular sweetened beverages based on objective laboratory analysis: focus on fructose content.

PubMed

Ventura, Emily E; Davis, Jaimie N; Goran, Michael I

2011-04-01

The consumption of fructose, largely in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), has risen over the past several decades and is thought to contribute negatively to metabolic health. However, the fructose content of foods and beverages produced with HFCS is not disclosed and estimates of fructose content are based on the common assumption that the HFCS used contains 55% fructose. The objective of this study was to conduct an objective laboratory analysis of the sugar content and composition in popular sugar-sweetened beverages with a particular focus on fructose content. Twenty-three sugar-sweetened beverages along with four standard solutions were analyzed for sugar profiles using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in an independent, certified laboratory. Total sugar content was calculated as well as percent fructose in the beverages that use HFCS as the sole source of fructose. Results showed that the total sugar content of the beverages ranged from 85 to 128% of what was listed on the food label. The mean fructose content in the HFCS used was 59% (range 47-65%) and several major brands appear to be produced with HFCS that is 65% fructose. Finally, the sugar profile analyses detected forms of sugar that were inconsistent with what was listed on the food labels. This analysis revealed significant deviations in sugar amount and composition relative to disclosures from producers. In addition, the tendency for use of HFCS that is higher in fructose could be contributing to higher fructose consumption than would otherwise be assumed.

Political leaders and the media. Can we measure political leadership images in newspapers using computer-assisted content analysis?

PubMed

Aaldering, Loes; Vliegenthart, Rens

Despite the large amount of research into both media coverage of politics as well as political leadership, surprisingly little research has been devoted to the ways political leaders are discussed in the media. This paper studies whether computer-aided content analysis can be applied in examining political leadership images in Dutch newspaper articles. It, firstly, provides a conceptualization of political leader character traits that integrates different perspectives in the literature. Moreover, this paper measures twelve political leadership images in media coverage, based on a large-scale computer-assisted content analysis of Dutch media coverage (including almost 150.000 newspaper articles), and systematically tests the quality of the employed measurement instrument by assessing the relationship between the images, the variance in the measurement, the over-time development of images for two party leaders and by comparing the computer results with manual coding. We conclude that the computerized content analysis provides a valid measurement for the leadership images in Dutch newspapers. Moreover, we find that the dimensions political craftsmanship, vigorousness, integrity, communicative performances and consistency are regularly applied in discussing party leaders, but that portrayal of party leaders in terms of responsiveness is almost completely absent in Dutch newspapers.

The relationship between mineral contents, particle matter and bottom ash distribution during pellet combustion: molar balance and chemometric analysis.

PubMed

Jeguirim, Mejdi; Kraiem, Nesrine; Lajili, Marzouk; Guizani, Chamseddine; Zorpas, Antonis; Leva, Yann; Michelin, Laure; Josien, Ludovic; Limousy, Lionel

2017-04-01

This paper aims to identify the correlation between the mineral contents in agropellets and particle matter and bottom ash characteristics during combustion in domestic boilers. Four agrifood residues with higher mineral contents, namely grape marc (GM), tomato waste (TW), exhausted olive mill solid waste (EOMSW) and olive mill wastewater (OMWW), were selected. Then, seven different pellets were produced from pure residues or their mixture and blending with sawdust. The physico-chemical properties of the produced pellets were analysed using different analytical techniques, and a particular attention was paid to their mineral contents. Combustion tests were performed in 12-kW domestic boiler. The particle matter (PM) emission was characterised through the particle number and mass quantification for different particle size. The bottom ash composition and size distribution were also characterised. Molar balance and chemometric analyses were performed to identify the correlation between the mineral contents and PM and bottom ash characteristics. The performed analyses indicate that K, Na, S and Cl are released partially or completely during combustion tests. In contrast, Ca, Mg, Si, P, Al, Fe and Mn are retained in the bottom ash. The chemometric analyses indicate that, in addition to the operating conditions and the pellet ash contents, K and Si concentrations have a significant effect on the PM emissions as well as on the agglomeration of bottom ash.

A framework to assess management performance in district health systems: a qualitative and quantitative case study in Iran.

PubMed

Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Gholipour, Kamal; Iezadi, Shabnam; Farahbakhsh, Mostafa; Ghiasi, Akbar

2018-01-01

The aim was to design a district health management performance framework for Iran's healthcare system. The mixed-method study was conducted between September 2015 and May 2016 in Tabriz, Iran. In this study, the indicators of district health management performance were obtained by analyzing the 45 semi-structured surveys of experts in the public health system. Content validity of performance indicators which were generated in qualitative part were reviewed and confirmed based on content validity index (CVI). Also content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated using data acquired from a survey of 21 experts in quantitative part. The result of this study indicated that, initially, 81 indicators were considered in framework of district health management performance and, at the end, 53 indicators were validated and confirmed. These indicators were classified in 11 categories which include: human resources and organizational creativity, management and leadership, rules and ethics, planning and evaluation, district managing, health resources management and economics, community participation, quality improvement, research in health system, health information management, epidemiology and situation analysis. The designed framework model can be used to assess the district health management and facilitates performance improvement at the district level.

Online Patient Education for Chronic Disease Management: Consumer Perspectives.

PubMed

Win, Khin Than; Hassan, Naffisah Mohd; Oinas-Kukkonen, Harri; Probst, Yasmine

2016-04-01

Patient education plays an important role in chronic disease management. The aim of this study is to identify patients' preferences in regard to the design features of effective online patient education (OPE) and the benefits. A review of the existing literature was conducted in order to identify the benefits of OPE and its essential design features. These design features were empirically tested by conducting survey with patients and caregivers. Reliability analysis, construct validity and regression analysis were performed for data analysis. The results identified patient-tailored information, interactivity, content credibility, clear presentation of content, use of multimedia and interpretability as the essential design features of online patient education websites for chronic disease management.

Modified Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation (M3AE) for Simultaneous Parameter and State Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

Contents Page Dedication : iv Acknowledgments v Table Of Contents vi List of Figures . . ; x List of Tables xv Abstract xvii Chapter 1 ...INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Overview 1 1.2 Background 7 1.2.1 The Chi-Square Test 9 1.2.2 Generalized Likelihood Ratio (GLR) Testing 10 1.2.3 Multiple...M3AE Covariance Analysis 115 4.1.3 Simulations and Performance Analysis 121 4.1.3.1 Test Case 1 : aT = 32.0 124 4.1.3.2 Test Case 2: aT = 37.89, and

TRAP: automated classification, quantification and annotation of tandemly repeated sequences.

PubMed

Sobreira, Tiago José P; Durham, Alan M; Gruber, Arthur

2006-02-01

TRAP, the Tandem Repeats Analysis Program, is a Perl program that provides a unified set of analyses for the selection, classification, quantification and automated annotation of tandemly repeated sequences. TRAP uses the results of the Tandem Repeats Finder program to perform a global analysis of the satellite content of DNA sequences, permitting researchers to easily assess the tandem repeat content for both individual sequences and whole genomes. The results can be generated in convenient formats such as HTML and comma-separated values. TRAP can also be used to automatically generate annotation data in the format of feature table and GFF files.

A better start for health equity? Qualitative content analysis of implementation of extended postnatal home visiting in a disadvantaged area in Sweden.

PubMed

Barboza, Madelene; Kulane, Asli; Burström, Bo; Marttila, Anneli

2018-04-10

Health inequities among children in Sweden persist despite the country's well-developed welfare system and near universal access to the national child health care programme. A multisectoral extended home visiting intervention, based on the principles of proportionate universalism, has been carried out in a disadvantaged area since 2013. The present study investigates the content of the meetings between families and professionals during the home visits to gain a deeper understanding of how it relates to a health equity perspective on early childhood development. Three child health care nurses documented 501 visits to the families of 98 children between 2013 and 2016. A qualitative data-driven conventional content analysis was performed on all data from the cycle of six visits per child, and a general content model was developed. Additional content analysis was carried out on the data from visits to families who experienced adverse situations or greater needs. The analysis revealed that the home visits covered three main categories of content related to the health, care and development of the child; the strengthening of roles and relations within the new family unit; and the influence and support located in the broader external context around the family. The model of categories and sub-categories proved stable over all six visits. Families with extra needs received continuous attention to their additional issues during the visits, as well as the standard content described in the content model. This study on home visiting implementation indicates that the participating families received programme content which covered all the domains of nurturing care as recommended by the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health and recent research. The content of the home visits can be understood to create enabling conditions for health equity effects. The intervention can be seen to represent a practical example of proportionate universalism.

Plant leaf chlorophyll content retrieval based on a field imaging spectroscopy system.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Yue, Yue-Min; Li, Ru; Shen, Wen-Jing; Wang, Ke-Lin

2014-10-23

A field imaging spectrometer system (FISS; 380-870 nm and 344 bands) was designed for agriculture applications. In this study, FISS was used to gather spectral information from soybean leaves. The chlorophyll content was retrieved using a multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector machine (SVM) regression. Our objective was to verify the performance of FISS in a quantitative spectral analysis through the estimation of chlorophyll content and to determine a proper quantitative spectral analysis method for processing FISS data. The results revealed that the derivative reflectance was a more sensitive indicator of chlorophyll content and could extract content information more efficiently than the spectral reflectance, which is more significant for FISS data compared to ASD (analytical spectral devices) data, reducing the corresponding RMSE (root mean squared error) by 3.3%-35.6%. Compared with the spectral features, the regression methods had smaller effects on the retrieval accuracy. A multivariate linear model could be the ideal model to retrieve chlorophyll information with a small number of significant wavelengths used. The smallest RMSE of the chlorophyll content retrieved using FISS data was 0.201 mg/g, a relative reduction of more than 30% compared with the RMSE based on a non-imaging ASD spectrometer, which represents a high estimation accuracy compared with the mean chlorophyll content of the sampled leaves (4.05 mg/g). Our study indicates that FISS could obtain both spectral and spatial detailed information of high quality. Its image-spectrum-in-one merit promotes the good performance of FISS in quantitative spectral analyses, and it can potentially be widely used in the agricultural sector.

Plant Leaf Chlorophyll Content Retrieval Based on a Field Imaging Spectroscopy System

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Yue, Yue-Min; Li, Ru; Shen, Wen-Jing; Wang, Ke-Lin

2014-01-01

A field imaging spectrometer system (FISS; 380–870 nm and 344 bands) was designed for agriculture applications. In this study, FISS was used to gather spectral information from soybean leaves. The chlorophyll content was retrieved using a multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector machine (SVM) regression. Our objective was to verify the performance of FISS in a quantitative spectral analysis through the estimation of chlorophyll content and to determine a proper quantitative spectral analysis method for processing FISS data. The results revealed that the derivative reflectance was a more sensitive indicator of chlorophyll content and could extract content information more efficiently than the spectral reflectance, which is more significant for FISS data compared to ASD (analytical spectral devices) data, reducing the corresponding RMSE (root mean squared error) by 3.3%–35.6%. Compared with the spectral features, the regression methods had smaller effects on the retrieval accuracy. A multivariate linear model could be the ideal model to retrieve chlorophyll information with a small number of significant wavelengths used. The smallest RMSE of the chlorophyll content retrieved using FISS data was 0.201 mg/g, a relative reduction of more than 30% compared with the RMSE based on a non-imaging ASD spectrometer, which represents a high estimation accuracy compared with the mean chlorophyll content of the sampled leaves (4.05 mg/g). Our study indicates that FISS could obtain both spectral and spatial detailed information of high quality. Its image-spectrum-in-one merit promotes the good performance of FISS in quantitative spectral analyses, and it can potentially be widely used in the agricultural sector. PMID:25341439

Working Performance Analysis of Rolling Bearings Used in Mining Electric Excavator Crowd Reducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. H.; Hou, G.; Chen, G.; Liang, J. F.; Zheng, Y. M.

2017-12-01

Refer to the statistical load data of digging process, on the basis of simulation analysis of crowd reducer system dynamics, the working performance simulation analysis of rolling bearings used in crowd reducer of large mining electric excavator is completed. The contents of simulation analysis include analysis of internal load distribution, rolling elements contact stresses and rolling bearing fatigue life. The internal load characteristics of rolling elements in cylindrical roller bearings are obtained. The results of this study identified that all rolling bearings satisfy the requirements of contact strength and fatigue life. The rationality of bearings selection and arrangement is also verified.

Variations in chemical fingerprints and major flavonoid contents from the leaves of thirty‐one accessions of Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

PubMed Central

Wang, Jin; Cao, Xianshuang; Ferchaud, Vanessa; Jiang, Hao; Tang, Feng; Chin, Kit L.

2015-01-01

Abstract The leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. have been used as traditional folk medicines for treating high blood pressure and fever. There are many accessions of H. sabdariffa L. throughout the world. To assess the chemical variations of 31 different accessions of H. sabdariffa L., fingerprinting analysis and quantitation of major flavonoids were performed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. A quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (Q‐TOF‐MS) was applied for the characterization of major compounds. A total of 9 compounds were identified, including 6 flavonoids and 3 phenolic acids. In the fingerprint analysis, similarity analysis (SA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to differentiate the 31 accessions of H. sabdariffa L. Based on the results of PCA and SA, the samples No. 15 and 19 appeared much different from the main group. The total content of five flavonoids varied greatly among different accessions, ranging from 3.35 to 23.30 mg/g. Rutin was found to be the dominant compound and the content of rutin could contribute to chemical variations among different accessions. This study was helpful to understand the chemical variations between different accessions of H. sabdariffa L., which could be used for quality control. © 2015 The Authors Biomedical Chromatography Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:26394363

Planning for Organization Development in Operations Control Centers

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

their perseverance in review- ing hundreds of hours of recorded discussions to provide quantitative data for our analysis . v CONTENTS PLANNING FOR...service certifications Performing predictive analysis and intervention 2 coordination between the OCCs and other CCs. There was also a... analysis was conducted by expert review of the transcripts. Specifically, the first author of this report read each transcript, noting critical

Extraction and [superscript 1]H NMR Analysis of Fats from Convenience Foods: A Laboratory Experiment for Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartel, Aaron M.; Moore, Amy C.

2014-01-01

The extraction and analysis of fats from convenience foods (crackers, cookies, chips, candies) has been developed as an experiment for a second-year undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Students gravimetrically determine the fat content per serving and then perform a [superscript 1]H NMR analysis of the recovered fat to determine the…

Analysis of the Approach of Paleontology in Geography Textbooks in Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alves, Emerson J. F.; Moura, Gerusa G.; dos A. Candeiro, Carlos R.

2013-01-01

The textbook is currently one of the driving instruments of teaching and learning. In the analysis of the contents of paleontology in geography textbooks, these books are important because they reveal problems embedded in these works and allow a more informed choice of books for the approach. In this work we performed an analysis of the approach…

Analysis and Reflections on the Third Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference (LAK 2013)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochoa, Xavier; Suthers, Dan; Verbert, Katrien; Duval, Erik

2014-01-01

Analyzing a conference, especially one as young and focused as LAK, provides the opportunity to observe the structure and contributions of the scientific community around it. This work will perform a Scientometric analysis, coupled with a more in-depth manual content analysis, to extract this insight from the proceedings and program of LAK 2013.…

Are Multiple Measures Meaningful?: Lessons from a Statewide Performance Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Gail Lynn; Roswell, Barbara Sherr

2001-01-01

To determine the factors that contribute to or compromise the effectiveness of multiscored items, this study combined analysis of statewide score data from the 1996 Maryland School Performance Assessment Program tests with systematic analyses of 60 activities providing measures of writing, language usage, or both, and one or more content areas.…

An Individual Differences Analysis of Memory Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salthouse, Timothy A.; Siedlecki, Karen L.; Krueger, Lacy E.

2006-01-01

Performance on a wide variety of memory tasks can be hypothesized to be influenced by processes associated with controlling the contents of memory. In this project 328 adults ranging from 18 to 93 years of age performed six tasks (e.g., multiple trial recall with an interpolated interference list, directed forgetting, proactive interference, and…

Citation Ranking versus Peer Evaluation of Senior Faculty Research Performance: A Case Study of Kurdish Scholarship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meho, Lokman I.; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2000-01-01

Analyzes the relationship between citation ranking and peer evaluation in assessing senior faculty research performance. Describes a study of faculty specializing in Kurdish studies that investigated to what degree citation ranking correlates with data from citation content analysis, book reviews, and peer ranking. (Contains 72 references.)…

Preliminary Evaluation of the "Playing the Game" Sexual Assault Prevention Theatre Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thatcher, W. Gregory

2011-01-01

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of a one-time sexual assault prevention theatre performance against a similar content video performance and a non-intervention control group. Methods: Using the College Date Rape Attitudes and Behaviors Survey, four-hundred ninety-seven students provided matched pairs data for analysis. Results: At a…

Improving Oral Performance through Interactions Flashcards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urquijo, Jasson

2012-01-01

This paper describes an action research project that addressed the issue of low oral performance in English among third grade learners at a public girls' school in Bogota, Colombia. The issue was identified via content analysis of ten field logs compiled over the third and fourth quarter of the second semester, 2010. To address the problem of…

Copyright Ownership of E-Learning and Teaching Materials: Policy Approaches Taken by UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadd, Elizabeth; Weedon, Ralph

2017-01-01

Investigates whether and how UK university copyright policies address key copyright ownership issues relating to printed and electronic teaching materials. A content analysis of 81 UK university copyright policies is performed to understand their approach towards copyright ownership of printed and e-learning materials and performances; rights on…

In vivo automated quantification of quality of apples during storage using optical coherence tomography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Vishal; Dalal, Devjyoti; Kumar, Anuj; Prakash, Surya; Dalal, Krishna

2018-06-01

Moisture content is an important feature of fruits and vegetables. As 80% of apple content is water, so decreasing the moisture content will degrade the quality of apples (Golden Delicious). The computational and texture features of the apples were extracted from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. A support vector machine with a Gaussian kernel model was used to perform automated classification. To evaluate the quality of wax coated apples during storage in vivo, our proposed method opens up the possibility of fully automated quantitative analysis based on the morphological features of apples. Our results demonstrate that the analysis of the computational and texture features of OCT images may be a good non-destructive method for the assessment of the quality of apples.

In vitro study of antioxidant activity and phenolic content of Chrysanthemum balsamita varieties.

PubMed

Benedec, Daniela; Filip, Lorena; Vlase, Laurian; Bele, Constantin; Sevastre, Bogdan; Raita, Oana; Olah, Neli-Kinga; Hanganu, Daniela

2016-07-01

The purpose of our study was to identify the phenolic substances of two varieties of Chrysanthemum balsamita (balsamita and tanacetoides) and to measure the overall antioxidant activity. The phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC. The evaluation of the polyphenolic content was performed by colorimetric analysis. The antioxidant activity was measured by three in vitro assay models: the DPPH, the silver nanoparticles antioxidant capacity (SNPAC) and EPR radical detection. Using HPLC-MS analysis, phenolic acids, flavonoids and flavonoid aglycone were detected. The highest antioxidant activity was showed by Chrysanthemum balsamita var. balsamita, while the lowest for the Chrysanthemum balsamita var. tanacetoides extract, in accord with the polyphenolic content. The results show that Chrysanthemum balsamita var. balsamita might be a source of antioxidant flavonoids, especially rutin and isoquercitrin.

Quantitative and Discriminative Evaluation of Contents of Phenolic and Flavonoid and Antioxidant Competence for Chinese Honeys from Different Botanical Origins.

PubMed

Shen, Shi; Wang, Jingbo; Zhuo, Qin; Chen, Xi; Liu, Tingting; Zhang, Shuang-Qing

2018-05-08

Phenolics and flavonoids in honey are considered as the main phytonutrients which not only act as natural antioxidants, but can also be used as floral markers for honey identification. In this study, the chemical profiles of phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant competences including total phenolic content, DPPH and ABTS assays and discrimination using chemometric analysis of various Chinese monofloral honeys from six botanical origins (acacia, Vitex , linden, rapeseed, Astragalus and Codonopsis ) were examined. A reproducible and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was optimized and validated for the simultaneous determination of 38 phenolics, flavonoids and abscisic acid in honey. Formononetin, ononin, calycosin and calycosin-7- O -β-d-glucoside were identified and quantified in honeys for the first time. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed obvious differences among the honey samples in three-dimensional space accounting for 72.63% of the total variance. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) also revealed that the botanical origins of honey samples correlated with their phenolic and flavonoid contents. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) classification was performed to derive a model with high prediction ability. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was employed to identify markers specific to a particular honey type. The results indicated that Chinese honeys contained various and discriminative phenolics and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant competence from different botanical origins, which was an alternative approach to honey identification and nutritional evaluation.

Mobilizing social media users to become advertisers: Corporate hashtag campaigns as a public health concern.

PubMed

Laestadius, Linnea I; Wahl, Megan M

2017-01-01

With the growing popularity of social media, corporate marketers are increasingly launching hashtag campaigns to encourage consumers to create branded user-generated content on their behalves. If successful, these campaigns may expand the reach of harmful marketing messages and capitalize on peer-effects among adolescents. To shed light on these novel corporate campaigns, we performed a case study of the user-generated Instagram content created in response to a hashtag campaign promoting the quick-service restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). We performed a content analysis of one week's worth of user-generated Instagram posts created with the hashtag #HowDoYouKFC between 24 April 2015-1 May 2015. Posts were coded to discern: (a) relevance to KFC as a brand and/or food; (b) themes in the post, (c) the content of images/videos, and (d) overall sentiment toward KFC. Posts that were deleted or made private during the study period were removed. Descriptive statistics were calculated to discern trends in post content. Instagram users created 196 posts with #HowDoYouKFC during the study period. After removing irrelevant and deleted/private posts, analysis of the 128 remaining user-generated posts revealed that 45% of posts were explicitly positive toward KFC and 39% lacked a specific stance or emotion related to KFC. Of the posts, 55% depicted KFC chicken and 65% included depictions of the brand hashtag on food packaging. Findings indicate that corporations are successfully converting individual social media users into positive advertisers for harmful products. Novel efforts are needed to counter corporate user-generated content campaigns.

High-dimensional nested analysis of variance to assess the effect of production season, quality grade and steam pasteurization on the phenolic composition of fermented rooibos herbal tea.

PubMed

Stanimirova, I; Kazura, M; de Beer, D; Joubert, E; Schulze, A E; Beelders, T; de Villiers, A; Walczak, B

2013-10-15

A nested analysis of variance combined with simultaneous component analysis, ASCA, was proposed to model high-dimensional chromatographic data. The data were obtained from an experiment designed to investigate the effect of production season, quality grade and post-production processing (steam pasteurization) on the phenolic content of the infusion of the popular herbal tea, rooibos, at 'cup-of-tea' strength. Specifically, a four-way analysis of variance where the experimental design involves nesting in two of the three crossed factors was considered. For the purpose of the study, batches of fermented rooibos plant material were sampled from each of four quality grades during three production seasons (2009, 2010 and 2011) and a sub-sample of each batch was steam-pasteurized. The phenolic content of each rooibos infusion was characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD). In contrast to previous studies, the complete HPLC-DAD signals were used in the chemometric analysis in order to take into account the entire phenolic profile. All factors had a significant effect on the phenolic content of a 'cup-of-tea' strength rooibos infusion. In particular, infusions prepared from the grade A (highest quality) samples contained a higher content of almost all phenolic compounds than the lower quality plant material. The variations of the content of isoorientin and orientin in the different quality grade infusions over production seasons are larger than the variations in the content of aspalathin and quercetin-3-O-robinobioside. Ferulic acid can be used as an indicator of the quality of rooibos tea as its content generally decreases with increasing tea quality. Steam pasteurization decreased the content of the majority of phenolic compounds in a 'cup-of-tea' strength rooibos infusion. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards a Better Understanding of Opportunities for Performance Training within the MLS Curriculum: Issues for Enhancing Education of Children's Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worthington, Becca

2017-01-01

Children's librarians are often required to be performers. The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to determine the degree to which the Masters of Library Science (MLS) programs accredited by the American Library Association currently incorporate theatrical and performance-based training. A quantitative content analysis was conducted…

Acoustic mode measurements in the inlet of a model turbofan using a continuously rotating rake: Data collection/analysis techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David G.; Heidelberg, Laurence; Konno, Kevin

1993-01-01

The rotating microphone measurement technique and data analysis procedures are documented which are used to determine circumferential and radial acoustic mode content in the inlet of the Advanced Ducted Propeller (ADP) model. Circumferential acoustic mode levels were measured at a series of radial locations using the Doppler frequency shift produced by a rotating inlet microphone probe. Radial mode content was then computed using a least squares curve fit with the measured radial distribution for each circumferential mode. The rotating microphone technique is superior to fixed-probe techniques because it results in minimal interference with the acoustic modes generated by rotor-stator interaction. This effort represents the first experimental implementation of a measuring technique developed by T. G. Sofrin. Testing was performed in the NASA Lewis Low Speed Anechoic Wind Tunnel at a simulated takeoff condition of Mach 0.2. The design is included of the data analysis software and the performance of the rotating rake apparatus. The effect of experiment errors is also discussed.

Acoustic mode measurements in the inlet of a model turbofan using a continuously rotating rake - Data collection/analysis techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David G.; Heidelberg, Laurence; Konno, Kevin

1993-01-01

The rotating microphone measurement technique and data analysis procedures are documented which are used to determine circumferential and radial acoustic mode content in the inlet of the Advanced Ducted Propeller (ADP) model. Circumferential acoustic mode levels were measured at a series of radial locations using the Doppler frequency shift produced by a rotating inlet microphone probe. Radial mode content was then computed using a least squares curve fit with the measured radial distribution for each circumferential mode. The rotating microphone technique is superior to fixed-probe techniques because it results in minimal interference with the acoustic modes generated by rotor-stator interaction. This effort represents the first experimental implementation of a measuring technique developed by T. G. Sofrin. Testing was performed in the NASA Lewis Low Speed Anechoic Wind Tunnel at a simulated takeoff condition of Mach 0.2. The design is included of the data analysis software and the performance of the rotating rake apparatus. The effect of experiment errors is also discussed.

Thermal Design, Analysis, and Testing of the Quench Module Insert Bread Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breeding, Shawn; Khodabandeh, Julia

2002-01-01

Contents include the following: Quench Module Insert (QMI) science requirements. QMI interfaces. QMI design layout. QMI thermal analysis and design methodology. QMI bread board testing and instrumentation approach. QMI thermal probe design parameters. Design features for gradient measurement. Design features for heated zone measurements. Thermal gradient analysis results. Heated zone analysis results. Bread board thermal probe layout. QMI bread board correlation and performance. Summary and conclusions.

A content analysis of posthumous sperm procurement protocols with considerations for developing an institutional policy.

PubMed

Bahm, Sarah M; Karkazis, Katrina; Magnus, David

2013-09-01

To identify and analyze existing posthumous sperm procurement (PSP) protocols in order to outline central themes for institutions to consider when developing future policies. Qualitative content analysis. Large academic institutions across the United States. We performed a literature search and contacted 40 institutions to obtain nine full PSP protocols. We then performed a content analysis on these policies to identify major themes and factors to consider when developing a PSP protocol. Presence of a PSP policy. We identified six components of a thorough PSP protocol: Standard of Evidence, Terms of Eligibility, Sperm Designee, Restrictions on Use in Reproduction, Logistics, and Contraindications. We also identified two different approaches to policy structure. In the Limited Role approach, institutions have stricter consent requirements and limit their involvement to the time of procurement. In the Family-Centered approach, substituted judgment is permitted but a mandatory wait period is enforced before sperm use in reproduction. Institutions seeking to implement a PSP protocol will benefit from considering the six major building blocks of a thorough protocol and where they would like to fall on the spectrum from a Limited Role to a Family-Centered approach. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single cell versus large population analysis: cell variability in elemental intracellular concentration and distribution.

PubMed

Malucelli, Emil; Procopio, Alessandra; Fratini, Michela; Gianoncelli, Alessandra; Notargiacomo, Andrea; Merolle, Lucia; Sargenti, Azzurra; Castiglioni, Sara; Cappadone, Concettina; Farruggia, Giovanna; Lombardo, Marco; Lagomarsino, Stefano; Maier, Jeanette A; Iotti, Stefano

2018-01-01

The quantification of elemental concentration in cells is usually performed by analytical assays on large populations missing peculiar but important rare cells. The present article aims at comparing the elemental quantification in single cells and cell population in three different cell types using a new approach for single cells elemental analysis performed at sub-micrometer scale combining X-ray fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The attention is focused on the light element Mg, exploiting the opportunity to compare the single cell quantification to the cell population analysis carried out by a highly Mg-selective fluorescent chemosensor. The results show that the single cell analysis reveals the same Mg differences found in large population of the different cell strains studied. However, in one of the cell strains, single cell analysis reveals two cells with an exceptionally high intracellular Mg content compared with the other cells of the same strain. The single cell analysis allows mapping Mg and other light elements in whole cells at sub-micrometer scale. A detailed intensity correlation analysis on the two cells with the highest Mg content reveals that Mg subcellular localization correlates with oxygen in a different fashion with respect the other sister cells of the same strain. Graphical abstract Single cells or large population analysis this is the question!

The Seeing and the Seen: Contrasting Perspectives of Post-Communist Czech Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Laura B.

2005-01-01

This study analyses both foreign (primarily western European and North American) and Czech perspectives of Czech schooling in the post-communist era. Qualitative content analysis is performed on documentary sources written by scholars about Czech schooling. The analysis examines which topics are highlighted, what are the main patterns and what is…

Comparative study of goal contents and goal characteristics between medical and business students

PubMed Central

Park, Soowon; Kim, Ji Eun; Lee, Jun-Young; Shin, Jongho

2016-01-01

Purpose: Medical and business are one of the most popular majors among students, and both fields require intensive training to reach certain level of expertise. During the development of professionalism, goal can become a crucial role in psychological impetus. The purpose of this study is to compare goal contents, goal characteristics, and effect of goal characteristics on student’s major satisfaction between medical and business. Methods: A total of 193 undergraduate students (97 medical students, 96 business students) answered survey questions including goal contents, goal characteristics (goal autonomy, goal attainability, social value of goal) and satisfaction on their majors. Qualitative analysis of goal contents and quantitative analysis of goal characteristics, and their effects on student major satisfaction were performed. Results: Goal content analysis showed percentage of social concern goal was higher in medical students (25.8%) than business students (6.3%), whereas percentage of wealth goal was higher business students (24.0%) than medical students (3.1%). Among goal characteristics, goal attainability and social value of goal were higher in medical students than business students. In both groups, social value of goal was significantly predict major satisfaction. Conclusion: Goal contents and goal characteristics are different between medical and business students. Curriculum and educational interventions that concerning students’ goal and developing programs to enhance students’ social value of goal is necessary. PMID:26838564

Incorporating Semantics into Data Driven Workflows for Content Based Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argüello, M.; Fernandez-Prieto, M. J.

Finding meaningful associations between text elements and knowledge structures within clinical narratives in a highly verbal domain, such as psychiatry, is a challenging goal. The research presented here uses a small corpus of case histories and brings into play pre-existing knowledge, and therefore, complements other approaches that use large corpus (millions of words) and no pre-existing knowledge. The paper describes a variety of experiments for content-based analysis: Linguistic Analysis using NLP-oriented approaches, Sentiment Analysis, and Semantically Meaningful Analysis. Although it is not standard practice, the paper advocates providing automatic support to annotate the functionality as well as the data for each experiment by performing semantic annotation that uses OWL and OWL-S. Lessons learnt can be transmitted to legacy clinical databases facing the conversion of clinical narratives according to prominent Electronic Health Records standards.

Electrical resistivity tomography to quantify in situ liquid content in a full-scale dry anaerobic digestion reactor.

PubMed

André, L; Lamy, E; Lutz, P; Pernier, M; Lespinard, O; Pauss, A; Ribeiro, T

2016-02-01

The electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method is a non-intrusive method widely used in landfills to detect and locate liquid content. An experimental set-up was performed on a dry batch anaerobic digestion reactor to investigate liquid repartition in process and to map spatial distribution of inoculum. Two array electrodes were used: pole-dipole and gradient arrays. A technical adaptation of ERT method was necessary. Measured resistivity data were inverted and modeled by RES2DINV software to get resistivity sections. Continuous calibration along resistivity section was necessary to understand data involving sampling and physicochemical analysis. Samples were analyzed performing both biochemical methane potential and fiber quantification. Correlations were established between the protocol of reactor preparation, resistivity values, liquid content, methane potential and fiber content representing liquid repartition, high methane potential zones and degradations zones. ERT method showed a strong relevance to monitor and to optimize the dry batch anaerobic digestion process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on properties of amorphous CoSnO3@C composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Fuqiang; Fang, Guoqing; Zhang, Ruixue; Xu, Yanhui; Zheng, Junwei; Li, Decheng

2014-08-01

A series of core-shell carbon coated amorphous CoSnO3 (CoSnO3@C) with different carbon content are synthesized. Effects of carbon content and coating carbon thickness on the physical and electrochemical performances of the samples were studied in detail. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), galvanostatic charge-discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that controlling the concentration of aqueous glucose solution influences the generation of in-situ carbon layer thickness. The optimal concentration of aqueous glucose solution, carbon content and carbon layer thickness are suggested as 0.25 M, 35.1% and 20 nm, respectively. CoSnO3@C composite prepared under the optimal conditions exhibits excellent cycling performance, whose reversible capacity could reach 491 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles.

A new framework for interactive quality assessment with application to light field coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viola, Irene; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2017-09-01

In recent years, light field has experienced a surge of popularity, mainly due to the recent advances in acquisition and rendering technologies that have made it more accessible to the public. Thanks to image-based rendering techniques, light field contents can be rendered in real time on common 2D screens, allowing virtual navigation through the captured scenes in an interactive fashion. However, this richer representation of the scene poses the problem of reliable quality assessments for light field contents. In particular, while subjective methodologies that enable interaction have already been proposed, no work has been done on assessing how users interact with light field contents. In this paper, we propose a new framework to subjectively assess the quality of light field contents in an interactive manner and simultaneously track users behaviour. The framework is successfully used to perform subjective assessment of two coding solutions. Moreover, statistical analysis performed on the results shows interesting correlation between subjective scores and average interaction time.

Use of cognitive task analysis to guide the development of performance-based assessments for intraoperative decision making.

PubMed

Pugh, Carla M; DaRosa, Debra A

2013-10-01

There is a paucity of performance-based assessments that focus on intraoperative decision making. The purpose of this article is to review the performance outcomes and usefulness of two performance-based assessments that were developed using cognitive task analysis (CTA) frameworks. Assessment-A used CTA to create a "think aloud" oral examination that was administered while junior residents (PGY 1-2's, N = 69) performed a porcine-based laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Assessment-B used CTA to create a simulation-based, formative assessment of senior residents' (PGY 4-5's, N = 29) decision making during a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. In addition to survey-based assessments of usefulness, a multiconstruct evaluation was performed using eight variables. When comparing performance outcomes, both approaches revealed major deficiencies in residents' intraoperative decision-making skills. Multiconstruct evaluation of the two CTA approaches revealed assessment method advantages for five of the eight evaluation areas: (1) Cognitive Complexity, (2) Content Quality, (3) Content Coverage, (4) Meaningfulness, and (5) Transfer and Generalizability. The two CTA performance assessments were useful in identifying significant training needs. While there are pros and cons to each approach, the results serve as a useful blueprint for program directors seeking to develop performance-based assessments for intraoperative decision making. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Analysis of various versions of the deoxidation of rail steel at OAO NTMK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garber, A. K.; Arsenkin, A. M.; Grigorovich, K. V.; Shibaev, S. S.; Kushnarev, A. V.; Petrenko, Yu. P.

2009-12-01

The deoxidation of steel melted using various types of deoxidizers during out-of-furnace treatment is studied. The total oxygen and nitrogen content and the oxygen contents in the main types of oxide nonmetallic inclusions are determined by fractional gas analysis of steel samples taken from heats performed by various schedules. The main types of nonmetallic inclusions and their size distributions are found with qualitative and quantitative metallography. The oxygen content in the rail steel is minimal (5 ppm) when calcium carbide CaC2 is introduced into the metal in tapping of a converter. When the metal is deoxidized using a steel wire filled with calcium or a steel wire filled with silicocalcium, the oxygen content in rail steel is ≈8 and ≈11 ppm, respectively. A comparison of various processes of rail steel deoxidation under the OAO NTMK conditions shows that the limitation of the aluminum content (no more than 30 ppm) or the use of a wire with a calcium or calcium carbide filler is more effective than the use of a wire filled with silicocalcium.

Student Self-evaluation After Nursing Examinations: That's a Wrap.

PubMed

Butzlaff, Alice; Gaylle, Debrayh; O'Leary Kelley, Colleen

2018-04-13

Examination wrappers are a self-evaluation tool that uses metacognition to help students reflect on test performance. After examinations, rather than focus on points earned, students learn to self-identify study strategies and recognize methods of test preparation. The purpose of the study was to determine if the use of an examination wrapper after each test would encourage students to self-evaluate performance and adjust study strategies. A total of 120 undergraduate nursing students completed self-evaluations after each examination, which were analyzed using content analysis. Three general patterns emerged from student self-evaluation: effective and ineffective study strategies, understanding versus memorization of content, and nurse educator assistance.

Spectral contents readout of birefringent sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redner, Alex S.

1989-01-01

The technical objective of this research program was to develop a birefringent sensor, capable of measuring strain/stress up to 2000 F and a readout system based on Spectral Contents analysis. As a result of the research work, a data acquisition system was developed, capable of measuring strain birefringence in a sensor at 2000 F, with multi-point static and dynamic capabilities. The system uses a dedicated spectral analyzer for evaluation of stress-birefringence and a PC-based readout. Several sensor methods were evaluated. Fused silica was found most satisfactory. In the final evaluation, measurements were performed up to 2000 F and the system performance exceeded expectations.

Automated document analysis system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Jeffrey D.; Dietzel, Robert; Hartnett, David

2002-08-01

A software application has been developed to aid law enforcement and government intelligence gathering organizations in the translation and analysis of foreign language documents with potential intelligence content. The Automated Document Analysis System (ADAS) provides the capability to search (data or text mine) documents in English and the most commonly encountered foreign languages, including Arabic. Hardcopy documents are scanned by a high-speed scanner and are optical character recognized (OCR). Documents obtained in an electronic format bypass the OCR and are copied directly to a working directory. For translation and analysis, the script and the language of the documents are first determined. If the document is not in English, the document is machine translated to English. The documents are searched for keywords and key features in either the native language or translated English. The user can quickly review the document to determine if it has any intelligence content and whether detailed, verbatim human translation is required. The documents and document content are cataloged for potential future analysis. The system allows non-linguists to evaluate foreign language documents and allows for the quick analysis of a large quantity of documents. All document processing can be performed manually or automatically on a single document or a batch of documents.

Metabolic changes in different developmental stages of Vanilla planifolia pods.

PubMed

Palama, Tony Lionel; Khatib, Alfi; Choi, Young Hae; Payet, Bertrand; Fock, Isabelle; Verpoorte, Robert; Kodja, Hippolyte

2009-09-09

The metabolomic analysis of developing Vanilla planifolia green pods (between 3 and 8 months after pollination) was carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. Multivariate data analysis of the (1)H NMR spectra, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), showed a trend of separation of those samples based on the metabolites present in the methanol/water (1:1) extract. Older pods had a higher content of glucovanillin, vanillin, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde glucoside, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and sucrose, while younger pods had more bis[4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl]-2-isopropyltartrate (glucoside A), bis[4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl]-2-(2-butyl)tartrate (glucoside B), glucose, malic acid, and homocitric acid. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis targeted at phenolic compound content was also performed on the developing pods and confirmed the NMR results. Ratios of aglycones/glucosides were estimated and thus allowed for detection of more minor metabolites in the green vanilla pods. Quantification of compounds based on both LC-MS and NMR analyses showed that free vanillin can reach 24% of the total vanillin content after 8 months of development in the vanilla green pods.

Temporal Comparisons of Internet Topology

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Number CAIDA Cooperative Association of Internet Data Analysis CDN Content Delivery Network CI Confidence Interval DoS denial of service GMT Greenwich...the CAIDA data. Our methods include analysis of graph theoretical measures as well as complex network and statistical measures that will quantify the...tool that probes the Internet for topology analysis and performance [26]. Scamper uses network diagnostic tools, such as traceroute and ping, to probe

The Informational Patterns of Laughter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bea, José A.; Marijuán, Pedro C.

2003-06-01

Laughter is one of the most characteristic -and enigmatic- communicational traits of human individuals. Its analysis has to take into account a variety of emotional, social, cognitive, and communicational factors densely interconnected. In this article we study laughter just as an auditive signal (as a 'neutral' information carrier), and we compare its structure with the regular traits of linguistic signals. In the experimental records of human laughter that we have performed, the most noticeable trait is the disorder content of frequencies. In comparison with the sonograms of vowels, the information content of which appears as a characteristic, regular function of the first vibration modes of the dynamic system formed, for each vowel, by the vocal cords and the accompanying resonance of the vocalization apparatus, the sonograms of laughter are highly irregular. In the episodes of laughter, a highly random content in frequencies appears, reason why it cannot be considered as a genuine codification of patterned information like in linguistic signals. In order to numerically gauge the disorder content of laughter frequencies, we have performed several "entropy" measures of the spectra -trying to unambiguously identify spontaneous laughter from "faked", articulated laughter. Interestingly, Shannon's entropy (the most natural candidate) performs rather poorly.

Student mathematical imagination instruments: construction, cultural adaptation and validity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwijayanti, I.; Budayasa, I. K.; Siswono, T. Y. E.

2018-03-01

Imagination has an important role as the center of sensorimotor activity of the students. The purpose of this research is to construct the instrument of students’ mathematical imagination in understanding concept of algebraic expression. The researcher performs validity using questionnaire and test technique and data analysis using descriptive method. Stages performed include: 1) the construction of the embodiment of the imagination; 2) determine the learning style questionnaire; 3) construct instruments; 4) translate to Indonesian as well as adaptation of learning style questionnaire content to student culture; 5) perform content validation. The results stated that the constructed instrument is valid by content validation and empirical validation so that it can be used with revisions. Content validation involves Indonesian linguists, english linguists and mathematics material experts. Empirical validation is done through a legibility test (10 students) and shows that in general the language used can be understood. In addition, a questionnaire test (86 students) was analyzed using a biserial point correlation technique resulting in 16 valid items with a reliability test using KR 20 with medium reability criteria. While the test instrument test (32 students) to find all items are valid and reliability test using KR 21 with reability is 0,62.

A Philippine Rural School's Organizational Climate, Teachers' Performance, and Management Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalanon, Junhel; Diano, Liz Muriel; Belarmino, Ma Paciencia; Hayama, Rika; Miyagi, Mayu; Matsuka, Yoshizo

2018-01-01

This 2016 cross-sectional inquiry used quantitative and thematic content analysis to determine the organizational climate (OC) with empirical and theoretical relation to the teachers' performance (TP) and management competencies (MC) of a rural, K-12, private school in the Philippines. Analyses from a focus group discussion (FGD) was done using…

The Job of a Performance Consultant: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Job Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carliner, Saul; Castonguay, Chantal; Sheepy, Emily; Ribeiro, Ofelia; Sabri, Hiba; Saylor, Chantal; Valle, Andre

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explore the competencies needed by performance consultants, a particular role identified for training and development professionals. The role was formally named and promoted nearly two decades ago. Two ongoing discussions in the field are the competencies needed by training and development professionals and the role of…

Improving Student Performance in California: Analysis of First Year's Education Legislation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Weiler Associates, Berkeley, CA.

The California Roundtable (CRT) played a critical role in the shaping and passage of California's Senate Bill 813 (SB 813), the State's major education reform legislation enacted in July 1983. This working paper analyzes the content of the legislation, assesses its likely impact on student performance, and recommends steps the CRT (a consortium of…

Assessing Complex Academic Performance at the Group Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarloss, Beth

This study was a secondary analysis of data collected by staff of the Program for Complex Instruction (PCI). The purpose of the larger study was to investigate the effect on learning gains of having students know the content and performance standards on which they will be judged as well as the effect of using evaluation criteria. This study looks…

Teacher Evaluation: Organizational Maintenance Versus Stimulation of Improved Teaching Performance. The New Mexico Principalship Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Carolyn J.; Pohland, Paul A.

Teacher evaluation procedures appear to focus on organizational maintenance aspects more heavily than on helping teachers improve their teaching performance. This conclusion was reached after a content analysis of teacher evaluation instruments used in New Mexico schools. Items focusing on the instructional role constituted only 28% of the items…

Rapid reversed phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the major cocoa polyphenols and inter-relationships of their concentrations in chocolate.

PubMed

Cooper, Karen A; Campos-Giménez, Esther; Jiménez Alvarez, Diego; Nagy, Kornél; Donovan, Jennifer L; Williamson, Gary

2007-04-18

Chocolate and other cocoa-containing products are a rich source of polyphenols. This paper describes an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method that can separate and quantify in 3 min six of the major chocolate polyphenols: catechin; epicatechin; B2 (epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin); B5 (epicatechin-4beta-6-epicatechin); C1 (epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin); and tetramer D (epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin-4beta-8-epicatechin). A survey of 68 chocolate samples indicated that there was a strongly predictive relationship between epicatechin and the other individual polyphenols, especially procyanidin B2 (R 2 = 0.989), even though the chocolates came from varied sources and manufacturers. The relationship was less strong with catechin, and so further work to explore the reasons for this difference was performed. Chiral analysis on a subset of 23 chocolates showed that (-)-epicatechin had a predictive relationship with (+)-catechin in line with the other polyphenols, but not with (-)-catechin (the predominant form). This indicates that (-)-catechin is the most affected by manufacturing conditions, possibly formed through epimerization from (-)-epicatechin during processing. The results show that epicatechin concentrations can be used to predict the content of other polyphenols, especially B2 and C1, and total polyphenols content. Finally, the (-)-catechin content is not predictable from the epicatechin content, and it is concluded that this is the main form of polyphenol that varies according to manufacturing conditions and cocoa origin.

Effect of thermal processing and canning on cadmium and lead levels in California market squid: the role of metallothioneins.

PubMed

Galitsopoulou, A; Georgantelis, D; Kontominas, M G

2013-01-01

The effects of two common seafood preparation practices (roasting and industrial canning) on the heavy metal content--cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)--of various tissues of California market squid were studied. Emphasis was placed on the role of metallothioneins (MT) in Cd and Pb behaviour during processing. Cd and Pb analysis was conducted by a Zeeman GTA-AAS atomic absorption spectrometry system; MT analysis was performed by a mercury saturation assay. Results showed that Cd levels in the mantle and whole squid were considerably affected by both processing practices, reaching a 240% increase in mantle and a 40% increase in whole squid. Interestingly, Cd behaviour was associated with MT changes during squid processing. On the other hand, Pb content was not affected from either processing or associated with MT content in the raw or processed squid. Therefore, processing operations may affect Cd and Pb content differently due to the specific metal bioaccumulation and chemical features of each heavy metal type.

Potential benefits and harms of a peer support social network service on the internet for people with depressive tendencies: qualitative content analysis and social network analysis.

PubMed

Takahashi, Yoshimitsu; Uchida, Chiyoko; Miyaki, Koichi; Sakai, Michi; Shimbo, Takuro; Nakayama, Takeo

2009-07-23

Internet peer support groups for depression are becoming popular and could be affected by an increasing number of social network services (SNSs). However, little is known about participant characteristics, social relationships in SNSs, and the reasons for usage. In addition, the effects of SNS participation on people with depression are rather unknown. The aim was to explore the potential benefits and harms of an SNS for depression based on a concurrent triangulation design of mixed methods strategy, including qualitative content analysis and social network analysis. A cross-sectional Internet survey of participants, which involved the collection of SNS log files and a questionnaire, was conducted in an SNS for people with self-reported depressive tendencies in Japan in 2007. Quantitative data, which included user demographics, depressive state, and assessment of the SNS (positive vs not positive), were statistically analyzed. Descriptive contents of responses to open-ended questions concerning advantages and disadvantages of SNS participation were analyzed using the inductive approach of qualitative content analysis. Contents were organized into codes, concepts, categories, and a storyline based on the grounded theory approach. Social relationships, derived from data of "friends," were analyzed using social network analysis, in which network measures and the extent of interpersonal association were calculated based on the social network theory. Each analysis and integration of results were performed through a concurrent triangulation design of mixed methods strategy. There were 105 participants. Median age was 36 years, and 51% (36/71) were male. There were 37 valid respondents; their number of friends and frequency of accessing the SNS were significantly higher than for invalid/nonrespondents (P = .008 and P = .003). Among respondents, 90% (28/31) were mildly, moderately, or severely depressed. Assessment of the SNS was performed by determining the access frequency of the SNS and the number of friends. Qualitative content analysis indicated that user-selectable peer support could be passive, active, and/or interactive based on anonymity or ease of use, and there was the potential harm of a downward depressive spiral triggered by aggravated psychological burden. Social network analysis revealed that users communicated one-on-one with each other or in small groups (five people or less). A downward depressive spiral was related to friends who were moderately or severely depressed and friends with negative assessment of the SNS. An SNS for people with depressive tendencies provides various opportunities to obtain support that meets users' needs. To avoid a downward depressive spiral, we recommend that participants do not use SNSs when they feel that the SNS is not user-selectable, when they get egocentric comments, when friends have a negative assessment of the SNS, or when they have additional psychological burden.

The compressed average image intensity metric for stereoscopic video quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilczewski, Grzegorz

2016-09-01

The following article depicts insights towards design, creation and testing of a genuine metric designed for a 3DTV video quality evaluation. The Compressed Average Image Intensity (CAII) mechanism is based upon stereoscopic video content analysis, setting its core feature and functionality to serve as a versatile tool for an effective 3DTV service quality assessment. Being an objective type of quality metric it may be utilized as a reliable source of information about the actual performance of a given 3DTV system, under strict providers evaluation. Concerning testing and the overall performance analysis of the CAII metric, the following paper presents comprehensive study of results gathered across several testing routines among selected set of samples of stereoscopic video content. As a result, the designed method for stereoscopic video quality evaluation is investigated across the range of synthetic visual impairments injected into the original video stream.

Consistency of seven different GNSS global ionospheric mapping techniques during one solar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roma-Dollase, David; Hernández-Pajares, Manuel; Krankowski, Andrzej; Kotulak, Kacper; Ghoddousi-Fard, Reza; Yuan, Yunbin; Li, Zishen; Zhang, Hongping; Shi, Chuang; Wang, Cheng; Feltens, Joachim; Vergados, Panagiotis; Komjathy, Attila; Schaer, Stefan; García-Rigo, Alberto; Gómez-Cama, José M.

2018-06-01

In the context of the International GNSS Service (IGS), several IGS Ionosphere Associated Analysis Centers have developed different techniques to provide global ionospheric maps (GIMs) of vertical total electron content (VTEC) since 1998. In this paper we present a comparison of the performances of all the GIMs created in the frame of IGS. Indeed we compare the classical ones (for the ionospheric analysis centers CODE, ESA/ESOC, JPL and UPC) with the new ones (NRCAN, CAS, WHU). To assess the quality of them in fair and completely independent ways, two assessment methods are used: a direct comparison to altimeter data (VTEC-altimeter) and to the difference of slant total electron content (STEC) observed in independent ground reference stations (dSTEC-GPS). The main conclusion of this study, performed during one solar cycle, is the consistency of the results between so many different GIM techniques and implementations.

Spatial compression algorithm for the analysis of very large multivariate images

DOEpatents

Keenan, Michael R [Albuquerque, NM

2008-07-15

A method for spatially compressing data sets enables the efficient analysis of very large multivariate images. The spatial compression algorithms use a wavelet transformation to map an image into a compressed image containing a smaller number of pixels that retain the original image's information content. Image analysis can then be performed on a compressed data matrix consisting of a reduced number of significant wavelet coefficients. Furthermore, a block algorithm can be used for performing common operations more efficiently. The spatial compression algorithms can be combined with spectral compression algorithms to provide further computational efficiencies.

Rapid analysis of sugars in honey by processing Raman spectrum using chemometric methods and artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Özbalci, Beril; Boyaci, İsmail Hakkı; Topcu, Ali; Kadılar, Cem; Tamer, Uğur

2013-02-15

The aim of this study was to quantify glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose contents of honey samples using Raman spectroscopy as a rapid method. By performing a single measurement, quantifications of sugar contents have been said to be unaffordable according to the molecular similarities between sugar molecules in honey matrix. This bottleneck was overcome by coupling Raman spectroscopy with chemometric methods (principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS)) and an artificial neural network (ANN). Model solutions of four sugars were processed with PCA and significant separation was observed. This operation, done with the spectral features by using PLS and ANN methods, led to the discriminant analysis of sugar contents. Models/trained networks were created using a calibration data set and evaluated using a validation data set. The correlation coefficient values between actual and predicted values of glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose were determined as 0.964, 0.965, 0.968 and 0.949 for PLS and 0.965, 0.965, 0.978 and 0.956 for ANN, respectively. The requirement of rapid analysis of sugar contents of commercial honeys has been met by the data processed within this article. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Content Shared in Online Cancer Communities: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V; Krahmer, Emiel; Verberne, Suzan; Mols, Floortje

2018-01-01

Background The content that cancer patients and their relatives (ie, posters) share in online cancer communities has been researched in various ways. In the past decade, researchers have used automated analysis methods in addition to manual coding methods. Patients, providers, researchers, and health care professionals can learn from experienced patients, provided that their experience is findable. Objective The aim of this study was to systematically review all relevant literature that analyzes user-generated content shared within online cancer communities. We reviewed the quality of available research and the kind of content that posters share with each other on the internet. Methods A computerized literature search was performed via PubMed (MEDLINE), PsycINFO (5 and 4 stars), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect. The last search was conducted in July 2017. Papers were selected if they included the following terms: (cancer patient) and (support group or health communities) and (online or internet). We selected 27 papers and then subjected them to a 14-item quality checklist independently scored by 2 investigators. Results The methodological quality of the selected studies varied: 16 were of high quality and 11 were of adequate quality. Of those 27 studies, 15 were manually coded, 7 automated, and 5 used a combination of methods. The best results can be seen in the papers that combined both analytical methods. The number of analyzed posts ranged from 200 to 1,500,000; the number of analyzed posters ranged from 75 to 90,000. The studies analyzing large numbers of posts mainly related to breast cancer, whereas those analyzing small numbers were related to other types of cancers. A total of 12 studies involved some or entirely automatic analysis of the user-generated content. All the authors referred to two main content categories: informational support and emotional support. In all, 15 studies reported only on the content, 6 studies explicitly reported on content and social aspects, and 6 studies focused on emotional changes. Conclusions In the future, increasing amounts of user-generated content will become available on the internet. The results of content analysis, especially of the larger studies, give detailed insights into patients’ concerns and worries, which can then be used to improve cancer care. To make the results of such analyses as usable as possible, automatic content analysis methods will need to be improved through interdisciplinary collaboration. PMID:29615384

Shaking video stabilization with content completion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yi; Ye, Qixiang; Liu, Yanmei; Jiao, Jianbin

2009-01-01

A new stabilization algorithm to counterbalance the shaking motion in a video based on classical Kandade-Lucas- Tomasi (KLT) method is presented in this paper. Feature points are evaluated with law of large numbers and clustering algorithm to reduce the side effect of moving foreground. Analysis on the change of motion direction is also carried out to detect the existence of shaking. For video clips with detected shaking, an affine transformation is performed to warp the current frame to the reference one. In addition, the missing content of a frame during the stabilization is completed with optical flow analysis and mosaicking operation. Experiments on video clips demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Self-adaptive relevance feedback based on multilevel image content analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yongying; Zhang, Yujin; Fu, Yu

2001-01-01

In current content-based image retrieval systems, it is generally accepted that obtaining high-level image features is a key to improve the querying. Among the related techniques, relevance feedback has become a hot research aspect because it combines the information from the user to refine the querying results. In practice, many methods have been proposed to achieve the goal of relevance feedback. In this paper, a new scheme for relevance feedback is proposed. Unlike previous methods for relevance feedback, our scheme provides a self-adaptive operation. First, based on multi- level image content analysis, the relevant images from the user could be automatically analyzed in different levels and the querying could be modified in terms of different analysis results. Secondly, to make it more convenient to the user, the procedure of relevance feedback could be led with memory or without memory. To test the performance of the proposed method, a practical semantic-based image retrieval system has been established, and the querying results gained by our self-adaptive relevance feedback are given.

Self-adaptive relevance feedback based on multilevel image content analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yongying; Zhang, Yujin; Fu, Yu

2000-12-01

In current content-based image retrieval systems, it is generally accepted that obtaining high-level image features is a key to improve the querying. Among the related techniques, relevance feedback has become a hot research aspect because it combines the information from the user to refine the querying results. In practice, many methods have been proposed to achieve the goal of relevance feedback. In this paper, a new scheme for relevance feedback is proposed. Unlike previous methods for relevance feedback, our scheme provides a self-adaptive operation. First, based on multi- level image content analysis, the relevant images from the user could be automatically analyzed in different levels and the querying could be modified in terms of different analysis results. Secondly, to make it more convenient to the user, the procedure of relevance feedback could be led with memory or without memory. To test the performance of the proposed method, a practical semantic-based image retrieval system has been established, and the querying results gained by our self-adaptive relevance feedback are given.

Investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in fly ash and bottom ash of biomass incineration plants in relation to the operating temperature and unburned carbon content.

PubMed

Košnář, Zdeněk; Mercl, Filip; Perná, Ivana; Tlustoš, Pavel

2016-09-01

The use of biomass fuels in incineration power plants is increasing worldwide. The produced ashes may pose a serious threat to the environment due to the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), because some PAHs are potent carcinogens, mutagens and teratogens. The objective of this study was to investigate the content of total and individual PAHs in fly and bottom ash derived from incineration of phytomass and dendromass, because the data on PAH content in biomass ashes is limited. Various operating temperatures of incineration were examined and the relationship between total PAH content and unburned carbon in ashes was also considered. The analysis of PAHs was carried out in fly and bottom ash samples collected from various biomass incineration plants. PAH determination was performed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The correlations between the low, medium and high molecular weight PAHs and each other in ashes were conducted. The relationship between PAH content and unburned carbon, determined as a loss on ignition (L.O.I.) in biomass ashes, was performed using regression analysis. The PAH content in biomass ashes varied from 41.1±1.8 to 53,800.9±13,818.4ng/g dw. This variation may be explained by the differences in boiler operating conditions and biomass fuel composition. The correlation coefficients for PAHs in ash ranged from 0.8025 to 0.9790. The regression models were designed and the coefficients of determination varied from 0.908 to 0.980. The PAH content in ash varied widely with fuel type and the effect of operating temperature on PAH content in ash was evident. Fly ashes contained higher amounts of PAHs than bottom ashes. The low molecular weight PAHs prevailed in tested ashes. The exponential relationship between the PAH content and L.O.I. for fly ashes and the linear for bottom ashes was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of hemoglobin variants HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei, and HbH on analysis of glycated hemoglobin via ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiu-Ming; Wen, Dong-Mei; Xu, Sheng-Nan; Suo, Ming-Huan; Chen, Ya-Qiong

2018-01-01

To explore the effects of HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei, and α-thalassemia HbH on the results of HbA1c assessment using ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (IE-HPLC). We enrolled five patients in which the results of the IE-HPLC HbA1c assay were inconsistent with the average levels of FBG. We performed hemoglobin capillary (Hb) electrophoresis using whole-blood samples. We also sequenced the genes encoding Hb using dideoxy-mediated chain termination and analyzed HbA1c using borate affinity HPLC (BA-HPLC) and turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (TINIA). Two patients had the HbJ Bangkok variant. Hb genotypes of these patients were β 41-42 /β J Bangkok and β N /β J Bangkok , and the content of HbJ Bangkok was 93.9% and 52.4%, respectively. The remaining three patients had the following: HbE (β N /β E Hb genotype, 23.6% HbE content), HbG Taipei (β N /β G Taipei Hb genotype, 39.4% HbG Taipei content), and α-thalassemia HbH (6.1% HbH content, 2.8% Hb Bart's content). In the patients with β-thalassemia and HbJ Bangkok variants, the presence of the variants interfered with the results of HbA1c analyses using IE-HPLC and TINIA; in the remaining four patients, there was interference with the results of HbA1c IE-HPLC but not with the TINIA assay. There was no interference with BA-HPLC HbA1c results. HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei Hb, and α-thalassemia HbH disease cause varying degrees of interference with the analysis of HbA1c using IE-HPLC. In these patients, we suggest using methods free from such interference for the analysis of HbA1c and other indicators to monitor blood glucose levels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gaps in content-based image retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deserno, Thomas M.; Antani, Sameer; Long, Rodney

2007-03-01

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is a promising technology to enrich the core functionality of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). CBIR has a potentially strong impact in diagnostics, research, and education. Research successes that are increasingly reported in the scientific literature, however, have not made significant inroads as medical CBIR applications incorporated into routine clinical medicine or medical research. The cause is often attributed without sufficient analytical reasoning to the inability of these applications in overcoming the "semantic gap". The semantic gap divides the high-level scene analysis of humans from the low-level pixel analysis of computers. In this paper, we suggest a more systematic and comprehensive view on the concept of gaps in medical CBIR research. In particular, we define a total of 13 gaps that address the image content and features, as well as the system performance and usability. In addition to these gaps, we identify 6 system characteristics that impact CBIR applicability and performance. The framework we have created can be used a posteriori to compare medical CBIR systems and approaches for specific biomedical image domains and goals and a priori during the design phase of a medical CBIR application. To illustrate the a posteriori use of our conceptual system, we apply it, initially, to the classification of three medical CBIR implementations: the content-based PACS approach (cbPACS), the medical GNU image finding tool (medGIFT), and the image retrieval in medical applications (IRMA) project. We show that systematic analysis of gaps provides detailed insight in system comparison and helps to direct future research.

Exploring science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in the teaching of genetics in Swaziland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mthethwa-Kunene, Khetsiwe Eunice Faith

Recent trends show that learners' enrolment and performance in science at secondary school level is dwindling. Some science topics including genetics in biology are said to be difficult for learners to learn and thus they perform poorly in examinations. Teacher knowledge base, particularly topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), has been identified by many researchers as an important factor that is linked with learner understanding and achievement in science. This qualitative study was an attempt to explore the PCK of four successful biology teachers and how they developed it in the context of teaching genetics. The purposive sampling technique was employed to select the participating teachers based on their schools' performance in biology public examinations and recommendations by science specialists and school principals. Pedagogical content knowledge was used as a theoretical framework for the study, which guided the inquiry in data collection, analysis and discussion of the research findings. The study adopted the case study method and various sources of evidence including concept maps, lesson plans, pre-lesson interviews, lesson observations, post-teaching teacher questionnaire, post-lesson interviews and document analysis were used to collect data on teachers' PCK as well as how PCK was assumed to have developed. The data were analysed in an attempt to determine the individual teachers' school genetics' content knowledge, related knowledge of instructional strategies and knowledge of learners' preconceptions and learning difficulties. The analysis involved an iterative process of coding data into PCK categories of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of learners' preconceptions and learning difficulties. The findings of the study indicate that the four successful biology teachers generally have the necessary content knowledge of school genetics, used certain topic-specific instructional strategies, but lacked knowledge of genetics-related learners' preconceptions and learning difficulties despite having taught the topic for many years. There were some instructional deficits in their approaches and techniques in teaching genetics. The teachers failed to use physical models, teacher demonstration and/or learner experimentation in their lessons (or include them in their lesson plans) to assist learners in visualizing or internalizing the genetics concepts or processes located at the sub-microscopic level. The teachers' PCK in genetics teaching was assumed to have developed mainly through formal university education programmes, classroom teaching experiences, peer support and participation in in-service workshops. The implications for biology teacher education are also discussed.

The Usability Analysis of an E-Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torun, Fulya; Tekedere, Hakan

2015-01-01

In this research, an E-learning environment is developed for the teacher candidates taking the course on Scientific Research Methods. The course contents were adapted to one of the constructivist approach models referred to as 5E, and an expert opinion was received for the compliance of this model. An usability analysis was also performed to…

Surface Analysis of LDEF Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wightman, J. P. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

The abstract to the M.S. thesis included as appendix to this report contains the details of the research performed under this grant. Presentations and publications resulting from the research are listed as the main content of the report itself. The thesis describes the surface characterization procedures and analysis of materials flown in the NASA Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

Validating the Heirarchy of the iStartSmart® Academic Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManis, Perry, W.; McManis, Mark, H.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the validity of skill groupings in an instructional technology learning system designed for use by children in early childhood education classrooms. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to measure the fit of 18 skill games to their 5 assigned groupings in the system, covering a range of…

Java vs. Python Coverage of Introductory Programming Concepts: A Textbook Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMaster, Kirby; Sambasivam, Samuel; Rague, Brian; Wolthuis, Stuart

2017-01-01

In this research, we compare two languages, Java and Python, by performing a content analysis of words in textbooks that describe important programming concepts. Our goal is to determine which language has better textbook support for teaching introductory programming courses. We used the TextSTAT program to count how often our list of concept…

Mobilizing social media users to become advertisers: Corporate hashtag campaigns as a public health concern

PubMed Central

Laestadius, Linnea I; Wahl, Megan M

2017-01-01

Objective With the growing popularity of social media, corporate marketers are increasingly launching hashtag campaigns to encourage consumers to create branded user-generated content on their behalves. If successful, these campaigns may expand the reach of harmful marketing messages and capitalize on peer-effects among adolescents. To shed light on these novel corporate campaigns, we performed a case study of the user-generated Instagram content created in response to a hashtag campaign promoting the quick-service restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Methods We performed a content analysis of one week’s worth of user-generated Instagram posts created with the hashtag #HowDoYouKFC between 24 April 2015–1 May 2015. Posts were coded to discern: (a) relevance to KFC as a brand and/or food; (b) themes in the post, (c) the content of images/videos, and (d) overall sentiment toward KFC. Posts that were deleted or made private during the study period were removed. Descriptive statistics were calculated to discern trends in post content. Results Instagram users created 196 posts with #HowDoYouKFC during the study period. After removing irrelevant and deleted/private posts, analysis of the 128 remaining user-generated posts revealed that 45% of posts were explicitly positive toward KFC and 39% lacked a specific stance or emotion related to KFC. Of the posts, 55% depicted KFC chicken and 65% included depictions of the brand hashtag on food packaging. Conclusions Findings indicate that corporations are successfully converting individual social media users into positive advertisers for harmful products. Novel efforts are needed to counter corporate user-generated content campaigns. PMID:29942600

Pancreatic size and fat content in diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of imaging studies.

PubMed

Garcia, Tiago Severo; Rech, Tatiana Helena; Leitão, Cristiane Bauermann

2017-01-01

Imaging studies are expected to produce reliable information regarding the size and fat content of the pancreas. However, the available studies have produced inconclusive results. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of imaging studies assessing pancreas size and fat content in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Medline and Embase databases were performed. Studies evaluating pancreatic size (diameter, area or volume) and/or fat content by ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging in patients with T1DM and/or T2DM as compared to healthy controls were selected. Seventeen studies including 3,403 subjects (284 T1DM patients, 1,139 T2DM patients, and 1,980 control subjects) were selected for meta-analyses. Pancreas diameter, area, volume, density, and fat percentage were evaluated. Pancreatic volume was reduced in T1DM and T2DM vs. controls (T1DM vs. controls: -38.72 cm3, 95%CI: -52.25 to -25.19, I2 = 70.2%, p for heterogeneity = 0.018; and T2DM vs. controls: -12.18 cm3, 95%CI: -19.1 to -5.25, I2 = 79.3%, p for heterogeneity = 0.001). Fat content was higher in T2DM vs. controls (+2.73%, 95%CI 0.55 to 4.91, I2 = 82.0%, p for heterogeneity<0.001). Individuals with T1DM and T2DM have reduced pancreas size in comparison with control subjects. Patients with T2DM have increased pancreatic fat content.

[Preliminarily application of content analysis to qualitative nursing data].

PubMed

Liang, Shu-Yuan; Chuang, Yeu-Hui; Wu, Shu-Fang

2012-10-01

Content analysis is a methodology for objectively and systematically studying the content of communication in various formats. Content analysis in nursing research and nursing education is called qualitative content analysis. Qualitative content analysis is frequently applied to nursing research, as it allows researchers to determine categories inductively and deductively. This article examines qualitative content analysis in nursing research from theoretical and practical perspectives. We first describe how content analysis concepts such as unit of analysis, meaning unit, code, category, and theme are used. Next, we describe the basic steps involved in using content analysis, including data preparation, data familiarization, analysis unit identification, creating tentative coding categories, category refinement, and establishing category integrity. Finally, this paper introduces the concept of content analysis rigor, including dependability, confirmability, credibility, and transferability. This article elucidates the content analysis method in order to help professionals conduct systematic research that generates data that are informative and useful in practical application.

Variations in chemical fingerprints and major flavonoid contents from the leaves of thirty-one accessions of Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

PubMed

Wang, Jin; Cao, Xianshuang; Ferchaud, Vanessa; Qi, Yadong; Jiang, Hao; Tang, Feng; Yue, Yongde; Chin, Kit L

2016-06-01

The leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. have been used as traditional folk medicines for treating high blood pressure and fever. There are many accessions of H. sabdariffa L. throughout the world. To assess the chemical variations of 31 different accessions of H. sabdariffa L., fingerprinting analysis and quantitation of major flavonoids were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. A quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS) was applied for the characterization of major compounds. A total of 9 compounds were identified, including 6 flavonoids and 3 phenolic acids. In the fingerprint analysis, similarity analysis (SA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to differentiate the 31 accessions of H. sabdariffa L. Based on the results of PCA and SA, the samples No. 15 and 19 appeared much different from the main group. The total content of five flavonoids varied greatly among different accessions, ranging from 3.35 to 23.30 mg/g. Rutin was found to be the dominant compound and the content of rutin could contribute to chemical variations among different accessions. This study was helpful to understand the chemical variations between different accessions of H. sabdariffa L., which could be used for quality control. © 2015 The Authors Biomedical Chromatography Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2015 The Authors Biomedical Chromatography Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multispectral colour analysis for quantitative evaluation of pseudoisochromatic color deficiency tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozolinsh, Maris; Fomins, Sergejs

2010-11-01

Multispectral color analysis was used for spectral scanning of Ishihara and Rabkin color deficiency test book images. It was done using tunable liquid-crystal LC filters built in the Nuance II analyzer. Multispectral analysis keeps both, information on spatial content of tests and on spectral content. Images were taken in the range of 420-720nm with a 10nm step. We calculated retina neural activity charts taking into account cone sensitivity functions, and processed charts in order to find the visibility of latent symbols in color deficiency plates using cross-correlation technique. In such way the quantitative measure is found for each of diagnostics plate for three different color deficiency carrier types - protanopes, deutanopes and tritanopes. Multispectral color analysis allows to determine the CIE xyz color coordinates of pseudoisochromatic plate design elements and to perform statistical analysis of these data to compare the color quality of available color deficiency test books.

Comparative analysis of the main bioactive components of Xin-Sheng-Hua granule and its single herbs by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Pang, Hanqing; Wang, Jun; Tang, Yuping; Xu, Huiqin; Wu, Liang; Jin, Yi; Zhu, Zhenhua; Guo, Sheng; Shi, Xuqin; Huang, Shengliang; Sun, Dazheng; Duan, Jin-Ao

2016-11-01

Xin-Sheng-Hua granule, a representative formula for postpartum hemorrhage, has been used clinically to treat postpartum diseases. Its main bioactive components comprise aromatic acids, phthalides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and gingerols among others. To investigate the changes in main bioactive constituents in its seven single herbs before and after compatibility, a rapid, simple, and sensitive method was developed for comparative analysis of 27 main bioactive components by using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for the first time. The sufficient separation of 27 target constituents was achieved on a Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD column (100 mm × 3 mm, 1.9 μm) within 20 min under the optimized chromatographic conditions. Compared with the theoretical content, the observed content of each analyte showed remarkable differences in Xin-Sheng-Hua granule except thymine, p-coumaric acid, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, and ligustilide; the total contents of 27 components increased significantly, and the content variation degrees for the different components were gingerols > flavonoids > aromatic acids > alkaloids > phthalides. The results could provide a good reference for the quality control of Xin-Sheng-Hua granule and might be helpful to interpret the drug interactions based on variation of bioactive components in formulae. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Predictors of student success in entry-level science courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Mamta K.

Although the educational evaluation process is useful and valuable and is supported by the Higher Education Act, a strong research base for program evaluation of college entry-level science courses is still lacking. Studies in science disciplines such as, biology, chemistry, and physics have addressed various affective and demographic factors and their relationships to student achievement. However, the literature contains little information that specifically addresses student biology content knowledge skills (basics and higher order thinking skills) and identifies factors that affect students' success in entry-level college science courses. These gate-keeping courses require detailed evaluation if the goal of an institution is to increase students' performance and success in these courses. These factors are, in fact, a stepping stone for increasing the number of graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. The present study measured students' biology content knowledge and investigated students' performance and success in college biology, chemistry, and physics entry-level courses. Seven variables---gender, ethnicity, high school Grade Point Average (GPA), high school science, college major, school financial aid support, and work hours were used as independent variables and course final performance as a dichotomous dependent variable. The sample comprised voluntary student participants in entry-level science courses. The study attempted to explore eight research questions. Content knowledge assessments, demographic information analysis, multiple regression analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to address research questions. The results suggested that high school GPA was a consistently good predictor of students' performance and success in entry-level science courses. Additionally, high school chemistry was a significant predictor variable for student success in entry-level biology and chemistry courses. Similarly, students' performance and success in entry-level physics courses were influenced by high school physics. Finally, the study developed student success equation with high school GAP and high school chemistry as good predictors of students' success in entry-level science courses.

HC StratoMineR: A Web-Based Tool for the Rapid Analysis of High-Content Datasets.

PubMed

Omta, Wienand A; van Heesbeen, Roy G; Pagliero, Romina J; van der Velden, Lieke M; Lelieveld, Daphne; Nellen, Mehdi; Kramer, Maik; Yeong, Marley; Saeidi, Amir M; Medema, Rene H; Spruit, Marco; Brinkkemper, Sjaak; Klumperman, Judith; Egan, David A

2016-10-01

High-content screening (HCS) can generate large multidimensional datasets and when aligned with the appropriate data mining tools, it can yield valuable insights into the mechanism of action of bioactive molecules. However, easy-to-use data mining tools are not widely available, with the result that these datasets are frequently underutilized. Here, we present HC StratoMineR, a web-based tool for high-content data analysis. It is a decision-supportive platform that guides even non-expert users through a high-content data analysis workflow. HC StratoMineR is built by using My Structured Query Language for storage and querying, PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor as the main programming language, and jQuery for additional user interface functionality. R is used for statistical calculations, logic and data visualizations. Furthermore, C++ and graphical processor unit power is diffusely embedded in R by using the rcpp and rpud libraries for operations that are computationally highly intensive. We show that we can use HC StratoMineR for the analysis of multivariate data from a high-content siRNA knock-down screen and a small-molecule screen. It can be used to rapidly filter out undesirable data; to select relevant data; and to perform quality control, data reduction, data exploration, morphological hit picking, and data clustering. Our results demonstrate that HC StratoMineR can be used to functionally categorize HCS hits and, thus, provide valuable information for hit prioritization.

Normal spinal bone marrow in adults: dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.

PubMed

Montazel, Jean-Luc; Divine, Marine; Lepage, Eric; Kobeiter, Hicham; Breil, Stephane; Rahmouni, Alain

2003-12-01

To determine the patterns of dynamic enhancement of normal spinal bone marrow in adults at gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and the changes that occur with aging. Dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging of the thoracolumbar spine was performed in 71 patients. The maximum percentage of enhancement (Emax), enhancement slope, and enhancement washout were determined from bone marrow enhancement time curves (ETCs). The bone marrow signal intensity on T1-weighted spin-echo MR images was qualitatively classified into three grade categories. Quantitative ETC values were correlated with patient age and bone marrow fat content grade. Statistical analysis included mean t test comparison, analysis of variance, and regression analysis of the correlations between age and quantitative MR parameters. Emax, slope, and washout varied widely among the patients. Emax values were obtained within 1 minute after contrast material injection and ranged from 0% to 430%. Emax values were significantly higher in patients younger than 40 years than in those aged 40 years or older (P <.001). These values decreased with increasing age in a logarithmic relationship (r = 0.71). Emax values decreased as fat content increased, but some overlap among the fat content grades was noted. Analysis of variance revealed that Emax was significantly related to age (younger than 40 years vs 40 years or older) (P <.001) and fat content grade (P <.001) but not significantly related to sex. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging patterns of normal spinal bone marrow are dependent mainly on patient age and fat content.

Perception and practice regarding allergen labeling: focus on food-related employees.

PubMed

Park, Si-Eun; Kwon, Yong-Seok; Paik, Jin-Kyoung; Kwak, Tong-Kyung; Hong, Wan-Soo

2016-08-01

Most consumers are able to recognize allergenic foods. However, the frequency of checking such foods is reportedly low, resulting in higher prevalence of food-related allergic reactions in Korea compared to other countries. Thus, this study was performed to investigate the overall perception of allergenic food labeling and its practice level in food manufacturing company employees. The survey was administered to food safety employees and food development teams at food companies located in metropolitan areas. A total of 399 (93.8%) valid samples were used in the final analysis. Statistical analyses, including Frequency Analysis, t-test, Anova, PCA (Principal Component Analysis), and Pearson Correlation Analysis using SPSS ver. 21.0, were performed. The correct answer rate in the analysis of allergy-related knowledge level ranged from 15.0% to 89.7%. Analysis of differences in allergy-related perception by knowledge level showed significant differences in introduction of a food recall system, strengthening of relevant laws and regulations, content labeling, description of substitutional food, and differentiated package by age. It can be concluded that labeling of allergenic foods should be made easier and more convenient for checking by employees, developers, and consumers, and it is necessary to provide contents through the development of publicity, guidelines, or APP along with labeling.

Resolution analysis of archive films for the purpose of their optimal digitization and distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fliegel, Karel; Vítek, Stanislav; Páta, Petr; Myslík, Jiří; Pecák, Josef; Jícha, Marek

2017-09-01

With recent high demand for ultra-high-definition (UHD) content to be screened in high-end digital movie theaters but also in the home environment, film archives full of movies in high-definition and above are in the scope of UHD content providers. Movies captured with the traditional film technology represent a virtually unlimited source of UHD content. The goal to maintain complete image information is also related to the choice of scanning resolution and spatial resolution for further distribution. It might seem that scanning the film material in the highest possible resolution using state-of-the-art film scanners and also its distribution in this resolution is the right choice. The information content of the digitized images is however limited, and various degradations moreover lead to its further reduction. Digital distribution of the content in the highest image resolution might be therefore unnecessary or uneconomical. In other cases, the highest possible resolution is inevitable if we want to preserve fine scene details or film grain structure for archiving purposes. This paper deals with the image detail content analysis of archive film records. The resolution limit in captured scene image and factors which lower the final resolution are discussed. Methods are proposed to determine the spatial details of the film picture based on the analysis of its digitized image data. These procedures allow determining recommendations for optimal distribution of digitized video content intended for various display devices with lower resolutions. Obtained results are illustrated on spatial downsampling use case scenario, and performance evaluation of the proposed techniques is presented.

Refuse derived soluble bio-organics enhancing tomato plant growth and productivity.

PubMed

Sortino, Orazio; Dipasquale, Mauro; Montoneri, Enzo; Tomasso, Lorenzo; Perrone, Daniele G; Vindrola, Daniela; Negre, Michele; Piccone, Giuseppe

2012-10-01

Municipal bio-refuse (CVD), containing kitchen wastes, home gardening residues and public park trimmings, was treated with alkali to yield a soluble bio-organic fraction (SBO) and an insoluble residue. These materials were characterized using elemental analysis, potentiometric titration, and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and then applied as organic fertilizers to soil for tomato greenhouse cultivation. Their performance was compared with a commercial product obtained from animal residues. Plant growth, fruit yield and quality, and soil and leaf chemical composition were the selected performance indicators. The SBO exhibited the best performance by enhancing leaf chlorophyll content, improving plant growth and fruit ripening rate and yield. No product performance-chemical composition relationship could be assessed. Solubility could be one reason for the superior performance of SBO as a tomato growth promoter. The enhancement of leaf chlorophyll content is discussed to identify a possible link with the SBO photosensitizing properties that have been demonstrated in other work, and thus with photosynthetic performance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) and Chemometrics for Determination of Fat Content in Commercial Products of Milk Powder.

PubMed

Nascimento, Paloma Andrade Martins; Barsanelli, Paulo Lopes; Rebellato, Ana Paula; Pallone, Juliana Azevedo Lima; Colnago, Luiz Alberto; Pereira, Fabíola Manhas Verbi

2017-03-01

This study shows the use of time-domain (TD)-NMR transverse relaxation (T2) data and chemometrics in the nondestructive determination of fat content for powdered food samples such as commercial dried milk products. Most proposed NMR spectroscopy methods for measuring fat content correlate free induction decay or echo intensities with the sample's mass. The need for the sample's mass limits the analytical frequency of NMR determination, because weighing the samples is an additional step in this procedure. Therefore, the method proposed here is based on a multivariate model of T2 decay, measured with Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence and reference values of fat content. The TD-NMR spectroscopy method shows high correlation (r = 0.95) with the lipid content, determined by the standard extraction method of Bligh and Dyer. For comparison, fat content determination was also performed using a multivariate model with near-IR (NIR) spectroscopy, which is also a nondestructive method. The advantages of the proposed TD-NMR method are that it (1) minimizes toxic residue generation, (2) performs measurements with high analytical frequency (a few seconds per analysis), and (3) does not require sample preparation (such as pelleting, needed for NIR spectroscopy analyses) or weighing the samples.

Optimisation of Ferrochrome Addition Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary and Genetic Algorithms for Stainless Steel Making via AOD Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, Kishore Kumar; Pal, Snehanshu

2018-03-01

This paper describes a new approach towards optimum utilisation of ferrochrome added during stainless steel making in AOD converter. The objective of optimisation is to enhance end blow chromium content of steel and reduce the ferrochrome addition during refining. By developing a thermodynamic based mathematical model, a study has been conducted to compute the optimum trade-off between ferrochrome addition and end blow chromium content of stainless steel using a predator prey genetic algorithm through training of 100 dataset considering different input and output variables such as oxygen, argon, nitrogen blowing rate, duration of blowing, initial bath temperature, chromium and carbon content, weight of ferrochrome added during refining. Optimisation is performed within constrained imposed on the input parameters whose values fall within certain ranges. The analysis of pareto fronts is observed to generate a set of feasible optimal solution between the two conflicting objectives that provides an effective guideline for better ferrochrome utilisation. It is found out that after a certain critical range, further addition of ferrochrome does not affect the chromium percentage of steel. Single variable response analysis is performed to study the variation and interaction of all individual input parameters on output variables.

The Validation of a Case-Based, Cumulative Assessment and Progressions Examination

PubMed Central

Coker, Adeola O.; Copeland, Jeffrey T.; Gottlieb, Helmut B.; Horlen, Cheryl; Smith, Helen E.; Urteaga, Elizabeth M.; Ramsinghani, Sushma; Zertuche, Alejandra; Maize, David

2016-01-01

Objective. To assess content and criterion validity, as well as reliability of an internally developed, case-based, cumulative, high-stakes third-year Annual Student Assessment and Progression Examination (P3 ASAP Exam). Methods. Content validity was assessed through the writing-reviewing process. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing student scores on the P3 ASAP Exam with the nationally validated Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Reliability was assessed with psychometric analysis comparing student performance over four years. Results. The P3 ASAP Exam showed content validity through representation of didactic courses and professional outcomes. Similar scores on the P3 ASAP Exam and PCOA with Pearson correlation coefficient established criterion validity. Consistent student performance using Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR-20) since 2012 reflected reliability of the examination. Conclusion. Pharmacy schools can implement internally developed, high-stakes, cumulative progression examinations that are valid and reliable using a robust writing-reviewing process and psychometric analyses. PMID:26941435

Influence of extrahent on antioxidant capacity of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds.

PubMed

Kukula-Koch, Wirginia; Kędzierski, Bartosz; Głowniak, Kazimierz

2015-01-01

In this study, the optimisation of horse chestnut seed extraction was performed to determine the best extraction solvent in the recovery of pharmacologically active escin from raw material. All extracts were obtained by accelerated solvent extraction and were analysed for their antioxidant potential (DPPH test), phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay) and escin content (ESI-TOF-MS extracts profiling). Methanol was found to recover the highest amount of escin from the plant matrix as well as to produce the most active antiradical solutions rich in polyphenols. Radical scavenging properties of methanol extracts were calculated as 2 GAE in DPPH test and 23 GAE (mg/g) in FC assay. Quantitative analysis of extracts performed by ESI-TOF-MS measurements in ion-positive mode confirmed the presence of four major escin isomers in the extracts and showed that the high antioxidant potential of methanolic extracts went hand in hand with the highest content of escin (8.92%).

Students' Midprogram Content Area Performance as a Predictor of End-of-Program NCLEX Readiness.

PubMed

Brussow, Jennifer A; Dunham, Michelle

2017-12-22

Many programs have implemented end-of-program predictive testing to identify students at risk of NCLEX-RN failure. Unfortunately, for many students, end-of-program testing comes too late. Regression and relative importance analysis were used to explore relationships between 9 content area assessments and an end-of-program assessment shown to be predictive of NCLEX-RN success. Results indicate that scores on assessments for content areas such as medical surgical nursing and care of children are predictive of end-of-program test scores, suggesting that instructors should provide remediation at the first sign of lagging performance.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in anyway or used commercially without permission from the journal.

Cognitive Tools and Thinking Performance: The Case of Word Processors and Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellogg, Ronald T.; Mueller, Suzanne

A study examined whether word processing amplifies writing performance and whether it restructures the process of writing. Sixteen college students wrote a short essay in a single session on either a word processor or in longhand. The quality of the essays was assessed by trained judges who rated their content and style. Text analysis methods were…

Religion, Public Education, and Gender: A Feminist Critical Analysis of Policies Implemented for Objections to Music in Mixed-Gender Elementary Education Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiele, Margaret

2012-01-01

In 2008 the Michigan State Board of Education adopted new certification standards for teacher preparation institutions training elementary classroom teachers. Eight content areas were identified, one of which was visual and performing arts. Standard 1.5, Visual and Performing Arts states candidates are to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in…

Development and psychometric evaluation of the nursing instructors' clinical teaching performance inventory.

PubMed

A Farahani, Mansoureh; Emamzadeh Ghasemi, Hormat Sadat; Nikpaima, Nasrin; Fereidooni, Zhila; Rasoli, Maryam

2014-10-29

Evaluation of nursing instructors' clinical teaching performance is a prerequisite to the quality assurance of nursing education. One of the most common procedures for this purpose is using student evaluations. This study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of Nursing Instructors' Clinical Teaching Performance Inventory (NICTPI). The primary items of the inventory were generated by reviewing the published literature and the existing questionnaires as well as consulting with the members of the Faculties Evaluation Committee of the study setting. Psychometric properties were assessed by calculating its content validity ratio and index, and test-retest correlation coefficient as well as conducting an exploratory factor analysis and an internal consistency assessment. The content validity ratios and indices of the items were respectively higher than 0.85 and 0.79. The final version of the inventory consisted of 25 items, and in the exploratory factor analysis, items were loaded on three factors which jointly accounting for 72.85% of the total variance. The test-retest correlation coefficient and the Cronbach's alpha of the inventory were 0.93 and 0.973, respectively. The results revealed that the developed inventory is an appropriate, valid, and reliable instrument for evaluating nursing instructors' clinical teaching performance.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma heterogeneity of DNA content identified on cytologic preparations.

PubMed

Maohuai, C; Chang, A R; Lo, D

2001-06-01

To evaluate tumor heterogeneity of DNA content in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) performed on cytologic specimens. Image cytometric analysis of DNA ploidy status of 40 NPCs was performed on nasopharyngeal brushing smears stained with the Feulgen method after hematoxylin eosin staining. If the DNA distribution pattern from the same tumor exhibited diploid, aneuploid or/and tetraploid peaks or some combination of these patterns, the presence of tumor heterogeneity of DNA content was identified. Thirty-four cases (85%) had a nondiploid DNA pattern among the 40 NPCs. Twenty-eight cases exhibited tumor heterogeneity of DNA content (70%). Of the 28 tumors, 13 (46%) had a combination of diploid and tetraploid patterns, 10 (37%) had a combination of diploid and aneuploid patterns, 3 cases (11%) had a combination of tetraploid and aneuploid patterns, and 2 cases had two aneuploid stem lines. The relationship between DNA ploidy pattern and tumor histologic and cytologic morphology was also examined. There is a high incidence of DNA content heterogeneity in NPC. The relevance of tumor heterogeneity to the biologic behavior of NPC awaits further study. DNA quantification with image cytometry on destained cytologic preparations is feasible and reliable.

Quantitative analysis of glycated albumin in serum based on ATR-FTIR spectrum combined with SiPLS and SVM.

PubMed

Li, Yuanpeng; Li, Fucui; Yang, Xinhao; Guo, Liu; Huang, Furong; Chen, Zhenqiang; Chen, Xingdan; Zheng, Shifu

2018-08-05

A rapid quantitative analysis model for determining the glycated albumin (GA) content based on Attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combining with linear SiPLS and nonlinear SVM has been developed. Firstly, the real GA content in human serum was determined by GA enzymatic method, meanwhile, the ATR-FTIR spectra of serum samples from the population of health examination were obtained. The spectral data of the whole spectra mid-infrared region (4000-600 cm -1 ) and GA's characteristic region (1800-800 cm -1 ) were used as the research object of quantitative analysis. Secondly, several preprocessing steps including first derivative, second derivative, variable standardization and spectral normalization, were performed. Lastly, quantitative analysis regression models were established by using SiPLS and SVM respectively. The SiPLS modeling results are as follows: root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV T ) = 0.523 g/L, calibration coefficient (R C ) = 0.937, Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP T ) = 0.787 g/L, and prediction coefficient (R P ) = 0.938. The SVM modeling results are as follows: RMSECV T  = 0.0048 g/L, R C  = 0.998, RMSEP T  = 0.442 g/L, and R p  = 0.916. The results indicated that the model performance was improved significantly after preprocessing and optimization of characteristic regions. While modeling performance of nonlinear SVM was considerably better than that of linear SiPLS. Hence, the quantitative analysis model for GA in human serum based on ATR-FTIR combined with SiPLS and SVM is effective. And it does not need sample preprocessing while being characterized by simple operations and high time efficiency, providing a rapid and accurate method for GA content determination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of coal fly ash components by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ctvrtnickova, Tereza; Mateo, Mari-Paz; Yañez, Armando; Nicolas, Gines

2009-10-01

The high sensitivity of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection of most of the fly ash components enables the analysis of these residues produced during the combustion of coal. Fly ash consists of oxides (SiO 2, Al 2O 3, Fe 2O 3, CaO…) and unburnt carbon which is the major determinant of combustion efficiency in coal fired boilers. For example, an excessive amount of residual carbon dispersed in the fly ash means a significant loss of energy (Styszko et al., 2004 [1]). Standard methods employed for the analysis of fly ash make not possible a control of boiler in real time. LIBS technique can significantly reduce the time of analysis, in some cases even an online detection can be performed. For this reason, some studies have been addressed in order to demonstrate the capability of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique for the detection of carbon content in high pressure conditions typical of thermal power plants (Noda et al., 2002 [2]) and for the monitoring of unburnt carbon for the boiler control in real time (Kurihara et al., 2003 [3]). In particular, the content of unburnt carbon is a valuable indicator for the control of fly ash quality and for the boiler combustion. Depending on this unburnt carbon content, fly ash can be disposed as an industrial waste or as a raw material for the production of concrete in the construction sector. In this study, analyses were performed on specimens of various forms of preparation. Pressed pellets were prepared with two different binders. Presented results concern the nature and amount of the binder used to pelletize the powder, and the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy parameters and procedure required to draw calibration curves of elements from the fly ash. Analysis "on tape" was performed in order to establish the experimental conditions for the future "online analysis".

Characterization of Deficiencies in the Frequency Domain Forced Response Analysis Technique for Turbine Bladed Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Schmauch, Preston

2012-01-01

Turbine blades in rocket and jet engine turbomachinery experience enormous harmonic loading conditions. These loads result from the integer number of upstream and downstream stator vanes as well as the other turbine stages. The standard technique for forced response analysis to assess structural integrity is to decompose a CFD generated flow field into its harmonic components, and to then perform a frequency response analysis at the problematic natural frequencies. Recent CFD analysis and water-flow testing at NASA/MSFC, though, indicates that this technique may miss substantial harmonic and non-harmonic excitation sources that become present in complex flows. These complications suggest the question of whether frequency domain analysis is capable of capturing the excitation content sufficiently. Two studies comparing frequency response analysis with transient response analysis, therefore, have been performed. The first is of a bladed disk with each blade modeled by simple beam elements. It was hypothesized that the randomness and other variation from the standard harmonic excitation would reduce the blade structural response, but the results showed little reduction. The second study was of a realistic model of a bladed-disk excited by the same CFD used in the J2X engine program. The results showed that the transient analysis results were up to 10% higher for "clean" nodal diameter excitations and six times larger for "messy" excitations, where substantial Fourier content around the main harmonic exists.

Species classification and bioactive ingredients accumulation of BaiJiangCao based on characteristic inorganic elements analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

PubMed Central

Wen-Lan, Li; Xue, Zhang; Xin-Xin, Yang; Shuai, Wang; Lin, Zhao; Huan-Jun, Zhao; Yong-Rui, Bao; Chen-Feng, Ji; Ning, Chen; Zheng, Xiang

2015-01-01

Background: Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch and Patrinia villosa (Thunb.) Juss., two species herbs with the same Chinese name “BaiJiangCao”, are important ancient herbal medicines widely used for more than 2000 years. The clinical application of two species herb is confused due to the difficult identification. Objective: The objective was to authenticate the species of BaiJiangCao and analyze the accumulation of bioactive ingredients based on characteristic inorganic elements analysis. Materials and Methods: Content of 32 inorganic elements in BaiJiangCao from different habitats were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the characteristic inorganic elements were picked to distinguish the species of the herb by principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Contents of two bioactive ingredients, luteoloside, and oleanolic acid, in the samples, were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography method. Relationship between accumulation of bioactive ingredients and content of macroelements in BaiJiangCao was established by statistics. Results: A 4 macroelements (Na, Mg, K, Fe) in 32 determined inorganic elements were picked for characteristic inorganic elements. Content of Na, Mg, K and Fe showed positive correlations with that of luteoloside, content of Na, Mg showed positive correlations with that of oleanolic acid, but content of K and Fe showed negative correlations with that of oleanolic acid. Conclusion: It is for the first time to utilize the characteristic inorganic elements as an index to classify the herb species by the method of ICP-MS and multivariate analysis. And it is also the first report to investigate the influence of inorganic elements in herb on the accumulation of bioactive components which could affect the pharmacological efficacy of the herb medicine. And this method could also be utilized in research of corresponding aspects. PMID:26600721

Ontology of gaps in content-based image retrieval.

PubMed

Deserno, Thomas M; Antani, Sameer; Long, Rodney

2009-04-01

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is a promising technology to enrich the core functionality of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). CBIR has a potential for making a strong impact in diagnostics, research, and education. Research as reported in the scientific literature, however, has not made significant inroads as medical CBIR applications incorporated into routine clinical medicine or medical research. The cause is often attributed (without supporting analysis) to the inability of these applications in overcoming the "semantic gap." The semantic gap divides the high-level scene understanding and interpretation available with human cognitive capabilities from the low-level pixel analysis of computers, based on mathematical processing and artificial intelligence methods. In this paper, we suggest a more systematic and comprehensive view of the concept of "gaps" in medical CBIR research. In particular, we define an ontology of 14 gaps that addresses the image content and features, as well as system performance and usability. In addition to these gaps, we identify seven system characteristics that impact CBIR applicability and performance. The framework we have created can be used a posteriori to compare medical CBIR systems and approaches for specific biomedical image domains and goals and a priori during the design phase of a medical CBIR application, as the systematic analysis of gaps provides detailed insight in system comparison and helps to direct future research.

A Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Buds and the Young Expanding Leaves of the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis L.)

PubMed Central

Li, Qin; Li, Juan; Liu, Shuoqian; Huang, Jianan; Lin, Haiyan; Wang, Kunbo; Cheng, Xiaomei; Liu, Zhonghua

2015-01-01

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is a perennial woody plant that is widely cultivated to produce a popular non-alcoholic beverage; this beverage has received much attention due to its pleasant flavor and bioactive ingredients, particularly several important secondary metabolites. Due to the significant changes in the metabolite contents of the buds and the young expanding leaves of tea plants, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis were performed. A total of 233 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Among these, 116 proteins were up-regulated and 117 proteins were down-regulated in the young expanding leaves compared with the buds. A large array of diverse functions was revealed, including roles in energy and carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolite metabolism, nucleic acid and protein metabolism, and photosynthesis- and defense-related processes. These results suggest that polyphenol biosynthesis- and photosynthesis-related proteins regulate the secondary metabolite content of tea plants. The energy and antioxidant metabolism-related proteins may promote tea leaf development. However, reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that the protein expression levels were not well correlated with the gene expression levels. These findings improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of the changes in the metabolite content of the buds and the young expanding leaves of tea plants. PMID:26096006

Study on preparation and mechanical performance of TPU/nonwoven composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, X. C.; Xi, B. J.

2016-07-01

In order to study the influence of resin content and layer sequence parameters on the mechanical properties of TPU/non-woven composite materials synthesized by moulding pressing technology. The effects of the resin content and layer sequence on composites were discussed. Through experiments and theoretical analysis, it was revealed how resin content, layer sequence impact on mechanical properties of composite. The mechanics properties of TPU/non-woven composite materials are improved. The process is pressure 0.5 MPa, temperature 110 °C and time 120s min. The melting of the TPU infiltrated into the fabric and filled the space between the fibers.

The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers

PubMed Central

Newman, Hannah J. H.; Howells, Karen L.; Fletcher, David

2016-01-01

The general and sport psychology research converge to point to a complex relationship between depressive experiences and human performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the depressive experiences of top level athletes and the relationship of such experiences with sport performance. Twelve autobiographies of elite athletes representing eight sports were analyzed. The autobiographical analysis was informed by narrative tradition, using three types of narrative analysis: categorical content, categorical form, and holistic content. The analysis revealed a temporal aspect to the depressive experiences that the athletes reported. Initially, sport represented a form of escape from the depressive symptoms which had been exacerbated by both external stressors (e.g., experiencing bereavement) and internal stressors (e.g., low self-esteem). However, in time, the athletes typically reached a stage when the demands of their sport shifted from being facilitative to being debilitative in nature with an intensification of their depressive symptoms. This was accompanied by deliberations about continuing their engagement in sport and an acceptance that they could no longer escape from their symptoms, with or without sport. The findings extend the extant literature by suggesting a reciprocal relationship between depressive experiences and sport performance, and they support the general psychology literature relating to the negative impact of depression on performance. The applied implications of these findings are discussed emphasizing the importance of early identification of depressive symptoms and the adoption of a proactive approach in the prevention and management of symptoms. PMID:27375544

Determination of origin and sugars of citrus fruits using genetic algorithm, correspondence analysis and partial least square combined with fiber optic NIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tewari, Jagdish C.; Dixit, Vivechana; Cho, Byoung-Kwan; Malik, Kamal A.

2008-12-01

The capacity to confirm the variety or origin and the estimation of sucrose, glucose, fructose of the citrus fruits are major interests of citrus juice industry. A rapid classification and quantification technique was developed and validated for simultaneous and nondestructive quantifying the sugar constituent's concentrations and the origin of citrus fruits using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy in conjunction with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using genetic algorithm, Chemometrics and Correspondences Analysis (CA). To acquire good classification accuracy and to present a wide range of concentration of sucrose, glucose and fructose, we have collected 22 different varieties of citrus fruits from the market during the entire season of citruses. FT-NIR spectra were recorded in the NIR region from 1100 to 2500 nm using the fiber optic probe and three types of data analysis were performed. Chemometrics analysis using Partial Least Squares (PLS) was performed in order to determine the concentration of individual sugars. Artificial Neural Network analysis was performed for classification, origin or variety identification of citrus fruits using genetic algorithm. Correspondence analysis was performed in order to visualize the relationship between the citrus fruits. To compute a PLS model based upon the reference values and to validate the developed method, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed. Spectral range and the number of PLS factors were optimized for the lowest standard error of calibration (SEC), prediction (SEP) and correlation coefficient ( R2). The calibration model developed was able to assess the sucrose, glucose and fructose contents in unknown citrus fruit up to an R2 value of 0.996-0.998. Numbers of factors from F1 to F10 were optimized for correspondence analysis for relationship visualization of citrus fruits based on the output values of genetic algorithm. ANN and CA analysis showed excellent classification of citrus according to the variety to which they belong and well-classified citrus according to their origin. The technique has potential in rapid determination of sugars content and to identify different varieties and origins of citrus in citrus juice industry.

Determination of origin and sugars of citrus fruits using genetic algorithm, correspondence analysis and partial least square combined with fiber optic NIR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tewari, Jagdish C; Dixit, Vivechana; Cho, Byoung-Kwan; Malik, Kamal A

2008-12-01

The capacity to confirm the variety or origin and the estimation of sucrose, glucose, fructose of the citrus fruits are major interests of citrus juice industry. A rapid classification and quantification technique was developed and validated for simultaneous and nondestructive quantifying the sugar constituent's concentrations and the origin of citrus fruits using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy in conjunction with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using genetic algorithm, Chemometrics and Correspondences Analysis (CA). To acquire good classification accuracy and to present a wide range of concentration of sucrose, glucose and fructose, we have collected 22 different varieties of citrus fruits from the market during the entire season of citruses. FT-NIR spectra were recorded in the NIR region from 1,100 to 2,500 nm using the fiber optic probe and three types of data analysis were performed. Chemometrics analysis using Partial Least Squares (PLS) was performed in order to determine the concentration of individual sugars. Artificial Neural Network analysis was performed for classification, origin or variety identification of citrus fruits using genetic algorithm. Correspondence analysis was performed in order to visualize the relationship between the citrus fruits. To compute a PLS model based upon the reference values and to validate the developed method, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed. Spectral range and the number of PLS factors were optimized for the lowest standard error of calibration (SEC), prediction (SEP) and correlation coefficient (R(2)). The calibration model developed was able to assess the sucrose, glucose and fructose contents in unknown citrus fruit up to an R(2) value of 0.996-0.998. Numbers of factors from F1 to F10 were optimized for correspondence analysis for relationship visualization of citrus fruits based on the output values of genetic algorithm. ANN and CA analysis showed excellent classification of citrus according to the variety to which they belong and well-classified citrus according to their origin. The technique has potential in rapid determination of sugars content and to identify different varieties and origins of citrus in citrus juice industry.

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

Napper, P.R.; Carpenter, W.R.; Garner, R.W.

By DOE-ID Order 5481.1A, a five year currency review is required of the Safety Analysis Reports of all ID or ID contractor operations having hazards of a type and magnitude not routinely encountered and/or accepted by the public. In keeping with this order, a currency review has been performed of the Advanced Test Reactor Critical Facility (ADTRC) Safety Analysis Report (SAR), Issue 003, 1990. The objectives of this currency review were to: evaluate the content, completeness, clarity of presentation and compliance with NRC Regulatory Guides and DOE Orders, etc., and evaluate the technical content of the SAR, particularly the Technicalmore » Specifications, and to evaluate the safety of continued operation of the ATRC. The reviewers concluded that although improvements may be needed in the overall content, clarity, and demonstration of compliance with current orders and regulations, the safety of the ATRC is in no way compromised and no unreviewed safety questions were identified. 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Tracing the Geographical Origin of Onions by Strontium Isotope Ratio and Strontium Content.

PubMed

Hiraoka, Hisaaki; Morita, Sakie; Izawa, Atsunobu; Aoyama, Keisuke; Shin, Ki-Cheol; Nakano, Takanori

2016-01-01

The strontium (Sr) isotope ratio ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) and Sr content were used to trace the geographical origin of onions from Japan and other countries, including China, the United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand. The mean (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio and Sr content (dry weight basis) for onions from Japan were 0.70751 and 4.6 mg kg(-1), respectively, and the values for onions from the other countries were 0.71199 and 12.4 mg kg(-1), respectively. Linear discriminant analysis was performed to classify onions produced in Japan from those produced in the other countries based on the Sr data. The discriminant equation derived from linear discriminant analysis was evaluated by 10-fold cross validation. As a result, the origins of 92% of onions were correctly classified between Japan and the other countries.

The colorimetric analysis of anti-tuberculosis fixed-dose combination tablets and capsules.

PubMed

Ellard, G A

1999-11-01

The perceived need to demonstrate whether or not the actual amounts of rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide in fixed-dose combination tablets or capsules correspond to their stated drug contents. To adapt specific, robust and simple colorimetric methods that have been previously applied to measuring plasma and urinary rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol concentrations to estimate tablet and capsule drug contents. The methods were applied to the analysis of 14 commercially manufactured fixed-dose combinations: two capsule and three tablet formulations containing rifampicin and isoniazid; seven tablet formulations containing rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide; and two tablet formulations containing rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. All the combined formulations contained near to their stated drug contents. Replicate analyses confirmed the excellent precision of the drug analyses. Such methods are not only rapid to perform but should be practical in many Third World situations with relatively modest laboratory facilities.

Genomics dataset of unidentified disclosed isolates.

PubMed

Rekadwad, Bhagwan N

2016-09-01

Analysis of DNA sequences is necessary for higher hierarchical classification of the organisms. It gives clues about the characteristics of organisms and their taxonomic position. This dataset is chosen to find complexities in the unidentified DNA in the disclosed patents. A total of 17 unidentified DNA sequences were thoroughly analyzed. The quick response codes were generated. AT/GC content of the DNA sequences analysis was carried out. The QR is helpful for quick identification of isolates. AT/GC content is helpful for studying their stability at different temperatures. Additionally, a dataset on cleavage code and enzyme code studied under the restriction digestion study, which helpful for performing studies using short DNA sequences was reported. The dataset disclosed here is the new revelatory data for exploration of unique DNA sequences for evaluation, identification, comparison and analysis.

Influence of sample processing on the analysis of carotenoids in maize.

PubMed

Rivera, Sol; Canela, Ramon

2012-09-21

We performed a number of tests with the aim to develop an effective extraction method for the analysis of carotenoid content in maize seed. Mixtures of methanol-ethyl acetate (6:4, v/v) and methanol-tetrahydrofuran (1:1, v/v) were the most effective solvent systems for carotenoid extraction from maize endosperm under the conditions assayed. In addition, we also addressed sample preparation prior to the analysis of carotenoids by liquid chromatography (LC). The LC response of extracted carotenoids and standards in several solvents was evaluated and results were related to the degree of solubility of these pigments. Three key factors were found to be important when selecting a suitable injection solvent: compatibility between the mobile phase and injection solvent, carotenoid polarity and content in the matrix.

Multi-Response Parameter Interval Sensitivity and Optimization for the Composite Tape Winding Process.

PubMed

Deng, Bo; Shi, Yaoyao; Yu, Tao; Kang, Chao; Zhao, Pan

2018-01-31

The composite tape winding process, which utilizes a tape winding machine and prepreg tapes, provides a promising way to improve the quality of composite products. Nevertheless, the process parameters of composite tape winding have crucial effects on the tensile strength and void content, which are closely related to the performances of the winding products. In this article, two different object values of winding products, including mechanical performance (tensile strength) and a physical property (void content), were respectively calculated. Thereafter, the paper presents an integrated methodology by combining multi-parameter relative sensitivity analysis and single-parameter sensitivity analysis to obtain the optimal intervals of the composite tape winding process. First, the global multi-parameter sensitivity analysis method was applied to investigate the sensitivity of each parameter in the tape winding processing. Then, the local single-parameter sensitivity analysis method was employed to calculate the sensitivity of a single parameter within the corresponding range. Finally, the stability and instability ranges of each parameter were distinguished. Meanwhile, the authors optimized the process parameter ranges and provided comprehensive optimized intervals of the winding parameters. The verification test validated that the optimized intervals of the process parameters were reliable and stable for winding products manufacturing.

Multi-Response Parameter Interval Sensitivity and Optimization for the Composite Tape Winding Process

PubMed Central

Yu, Tao; Kang, Chao; Zhao, Pan

2018-01-01

The composite tape winding process, which utilizes a tape winding machine and prepreg tapes, provides a promising way to improve the quality of composite products. Nevertheless, the process parameters of composite tape winding have crucial effects on the tensile strength and void content, which are closely related to the performances of the winding products. In this article, two different object values of winding products, including mechanical performance (tensile strength) and a physical property (void content), were respectively calculated. Thereafter, the paper presents an integrated methodology by combining multi-parameter relative sensitivity analysis and single-parameter sensitivity analysis to obtain the optimal intervals of the composite tape winding process. First, the global multi-parameter sensitivity analysis method was applied to investigate the sensitivity of each parameter in the tape winding processing. Then, the local single-parameter sensitivity analysis method was employed to calculate the sensitivity of a single parameter within the corresponding range. Finally, the stability and instability ranges of each parameter were distinguished. Meanwhile, the authors optimized the process parameter ranges and provided comprehensive optimized intervals of the winding parameters. The verification test validated that the optimized intervals of the process parameters were reliable and stable for winding products manufacturing. PMID:29385048

Determination and comparison of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in pu-erh and other types of Chinese tea.

PubMed

Zhao, Ming; Ma, Yan; Wei, Zhen-zhen; Yuan, Wen-xia; Li, Ya-li; Zhang, Chun-hua; Xue, Xiao-ting; Zhou, Hong-jie

2011-04-27

Two previous studies have reported that pu-erh tea contains a high level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and has several physiological functions. However, two other researchers have demonstrated that the GABA content of several pu-erh teas was low. Due to the high value and health benefits of GABA, analysis of mass-produced pu-erh tea is necessary to determine whether it is actually enriched with GABA. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of GABA in tea, the results of which were verified by amino acid analysis using an Amino Acid Analyzer (AAA). A total of 114 samples of various types of Chinese tea, including 62 pu-erh teas, 13 green teas, 8 oolong teas, 8 black teas, 3 white teas, 4 GABA teas, and 16 process samples from two industrial fermentations of pu-erh tea (including the raw material and the first to seventh turnings), were analyzed using HPLC. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the GABA content in pu-erh tea was significantly lower than that in other types of tea (p < 0.05) and that the GABA content decreased during industrial fermentation of pu-erh tea (p < 0.05). This mass analysis and comparison suggested GABA was not a major bioactive constituent and resolved the disagreement GABA content in pu-erh tea. In addition, the GABA content in white tea was found to be significantly higher than that in the other types of tea (p < 0.05), leading to the possibility of producing GABA-enriched white tea.

Effect of dietary poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) on growth performance, intestinal health status and body composition of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931).

PubMed

Duan, Yafei; Zhang, Yue; Dong, Hongbiao; Zheng, Xiaoting; Wang, Yun; Li, Hua; Liu, Qingsong; Zhang, Jiasong

2017-01-01

In the present study, the effect of dietary supplementation of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) on the growth performance, intestinal digestive and immune function, intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) content and body composition of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) was evaluated. The shrimp was fed for 35 days with four different diets: 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% PHB supplemented feed. The results indicated that supplementation of PHB significantly increased the growth performance of the shrimp, and the feed conversion rate (FCR) in 3%PHB treatment group was significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). The intestinal amylase, lipase and trypsin activity in the three PHB treatment groups were all significantly higher than that of the control (P < 0.05), but the pepsin activity were only significantly affected by 3%PHB treatment (P > 0.05). The activities of intestinal immune enzymes such as total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was significantly induced by 3%PHB treatment (P < 0.05), while lysozyme (LSZ) activity was significantly affected by 5%PHB treatment and nitric oxide (NO) content was significantly induced in three PHB treatments. Meanwhile, PHB induced significantly the expression level of intestinal heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), Toll and immune deficiency (Imd) gene. HE staining showed that PHB induced the intestinal health status of L. vannamei. Intestinal SCFA content analysis revealed that the content of propionic and butyric acid of 3%PHB treatment were significantly higher than that of the control (P < 0.05). Body composition analysis showed that the crude protein in 3% and 5%PHB treatments, and the crude lipid in 1% and 5%PHB treatments were all significantly higher than the control (P < 0.05). These results revealed that PHB could improve the growth performance, modulated intestinal digestive and immune function, increased intestinal SCFA content and body composition in L. vannamei, and the optimum dietary PHB requirement by L. vannamei was estimated at 3% (w/w) diet. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The visual analysis of emotional actions.

PubMed

Chouchourelou, Arieta; Matsuka, Toshihiko; Harber, Kent; Shiffrar, Maggie

2006-01-01

Is the visual analysis of human actions modulated by the emotional content of those actions? This question is motivated by a consideration of the neuroanatomical connections between visual and emotional areas. Specifically, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), known to play a critical role in the visual detection of action, is extensively interconnected with the amygdala, a center for emotion processing. To the extent that amygdala activity influences STS activity, one would expect to find systematic differences in the visual detection of emotional actions. A series of psychophysical studies tested this prediction. Experiment 1 identified point-light walker movies that convincingly depicted five different emotional states: happiness, sadness, neutral, anger, and fear. In Experiment 2, participants performed a walker detection task with these movies. Detection performance was systematically modulated by the emotional content of the gaits. Participants demonstrated the greatest visual sensitivity to angry walkers. The results of Experiment 3 suggest that local velocity cues to anger may account for high false alarm rates to the presence of angry gaits. These results support the hypothesis that the visual analysis of human action depends upon emotion processes.

Development and validation of an asthma first aid knowledge questionnaire.

PubMed

Luckie, Kate; Pang, Tsz Chun; Kritikos, Vicky; Saini, Bandana; Moles, Rebekah Jane

2018-05-01

There is no gold standard outcome assessment for asthma first-aid knowledge. We therefore aimed to develop and validate an asthma first-aid knowledge questionnaire (AFAKQ) to be used before and after educational interventions. The AFAKQ was developed based on a content analysis of existing asthma knowledge questionnaires and current asthma management guidelines. Content and face validity was performed by a review panel consisting of expert respiratory physicians, researchers and parents of school aged children. A 21 item questionnaire was then pilot tested among a sample of caregivers, health professionals and pharmacy students. Exploratory Factor analysis was performed to determine internal consistency. The initial 46 item version of the AFAKQ, was reduced to 21 items after revision by the expert panel. This was then pilot tested amongst 161 participants and further reduced to 14 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a parsimonious one factor solution with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.77 with the 14 item AFAKQ. The AFAKQ is a valid tool ready for application in evaluating the impact of educational interventions on asthma first-aid knowledge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incidental Memory Encoding Assessed with Signal Detection Theory and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

PubMed

Clemens, Benjamin; Regenbogen, Christina; Koch, Kathrin; Backes, Volker; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Pauly, Katharina; Shah, N Jon; Schneider, Frank; Habel, Ute; Kellermann, Thilo

2015-01-01

In functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies that apply a "subsequent memory" approach, successful encoding is indicated by increased fMRI activity during the encoding phase for hits vs. misses, in areas underlying memory encoding such as the hippocampal formation. Signal-detection theory (SDT) can be used to analyze memory-related fMRI activity as a function of the participant's memory trace strength (d(')). The goal of the present study was to use SDT to examine the relationship between fMRI activity during incidental encoding and participants' recognition performance. To implement a new approach, post-experimental group assignment into High- or Low Performers (HP or LP) was based on 29 healthy participants' recognition performance, assessed with SDT. The analyses focused on the interaction between the factors group (HP vs. LP) and recognition performance (hits vs. misses). A whole-brain analysis revealed increased activation for HP vs. LP during incidental encoding for remembered vs. forgotten items (hits > misses) in the insula/temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and the fusiform gyrus (FFG). Parameter estimates in these regions exhibited a significant positive correlation with d('). As these brain regions are highly relevant for salience detection (insula), stimulus-driven attention (TPJ), and content-specific processing of mnemonic stimuli (FFG), we suggest that HPs' elevated memory performance was associated with enhanced attentional and content-specific sensory processing during the encoding phase. We provide first correlative evidence that encoding-related activity in content-specific sensory areas and content-independent attention and salience detection areas influences memory performance in a task with incidental encoding of facial stimuli. Based on our findings, we discuss whether the aforementioned group differences in brain activity during incidental encoding might constitute the basis of general differences in memory performance between HP and LP.

Activity and contents of polyphenolic antioxidants in the whole fruit, flesh and peel of three apple cultivars.

PubMed

Vieira, Francilene Gracieli Kunradi; Borges, Graciele da Silva Campelo; Copetti, Cristiane; Gonzaga, Luciano Valdemiro; Nunes, Eduardo da Costa; Fett, Roseane

2009-03-01

The concentration of polyphenolic compounds, such as flavanols and anthocyanins, and the antioxidant activity in apples (Malus domestica Borkh) seem to differ with cultivar, maturity stage, environmental conditions and the part of the fruit. In this work, the total phenolic, flavanol and anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity were measured in the flesh, whole fruit and peel from apple cultivars Fuji, Epagri COOP24 and Epagri F5P283 cultivated in Southern Brazil. Total phenolic content assayed by Folin-Ciocalteu method, flavanol by modified p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde method, anthocyanin content by pH differential method and antioxidant activity measured using ABTS assay. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey's test and correlation analysis were performed. Within each cultivar, the total phenolic, flavanol and anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activity were highest in the peels, followed by the whole fruit and the flesh. In the peel, whole fruit and flesh the Epagri F5P283 apple had the highest total phenolic contents and the highest total antioxidant activity, while that Epagri COOP24 was highest in flavanols and anthocyanins. Total phenolic content was positively associated with total antioxidant activity in flesh, whole fruit and peel. These results demonstrate that phenolic compounds have a significant contribution to the total antioxidant activity which varies considerably depending of the part of the fruit and of the apple cultivar analyzed.

Zircon Carburation Studies as Intermediate Stage in the Zirconium Fabrication; ESTUDIOS ENCAMINADOS A LA CARBURACTION DEL CIRON COMO ETAPA INTERMEDIA EN LA OBTENCION DE CIRCONIO

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

Huertas, V.A.; Gonzalez, L.S.; Lopez, M.

1963-01-01

Zirconium carbide and carbonitride mixtures were obtained by Kroll's method. Reaction products were identified by micrography and x-ray diffraction analysis. The optimum graphite content in the initial charge for the carburization reaction was studied. Zirconium, silicon, and carbon content in the final product was controlled as a function of current in the furnace and reaction time. Further chlorination of the final product was performed successfully. (auth)

Exploring the effects of treatments with carbohydrases to obtain a high-cellulose content pulp from a non-wood alkaline pulp.

PubMed

Beltramino, Facundo; Valls, Cristina; Vidal, Teresa; Roncero, M Blanca

2015-11-20

In this work, treatments with a xylanase (X) and carbohydrases mixture (Cx) were applied on a TCF bleached sisal pulp in order to obtain high-cellulose content fibers applicable on a wide range of uses. A limit of ≈12% w/w final content in hemicelluloses was found regardless of the enzymatic treatment assessed. An extraction with 4% and 9% w/v NaOH was performed for further hemicelluloses removal. We found that NaOH dose could be strongly reduced if combined with Cx or Cx+X treatments. Also, if necessary, a stronger reduction could be obtained with 9% w/v NaOH, which was found to be boosted in a 14% if performed after a treatment with Cx. An end-product with a low content in xylans (≈2.9% w/w) and in HexA (5.8μmol/odp) was obtained. Pulp Fock solubility was also increased (≈30%) by enzymatic treatments. HPLC analysis of effluents provided useful information of enzymatic catalytic mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmacokinetics of Chlorin e6-Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide) Conjugate in Balb/c Mice with Engrafted Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Volovetsky, Arthur B.; Balalaeva, Irina V.; Dudenkova, Varvara V.; Shilyagina, Natalia Yu.; Feofanov, Аlexey V.; Efremenko, Anastasija V.; Grin, Mikhail A.; Mironov, Andrey F.; Bregadze, Vladimir I.; Maslennikova, Anna V.

2017-01-01

The necessary precondition for efficient boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is control over the content of isotope 10B in the tumor and normal tissues. In the case of boron-containing porphyrins, the fluorescent part of molecule can be used for quantitative assessment of the boron content. Study Objective: We performed a study of the biodistribution of the chlorin e6-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate in carcinoma-bearing Balb/c mice using ex vivo fluorescence imaging, and developed a mathematical model describing boron accumulation and release based on the obtained experimental data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on Balb/c tumor-bearing mice (CT-26 tumor model). A solution of the chlorin e6-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate (CCDC) was injected into the blood at a dose of 10 mg/kg of the animal’s weight. Analysis of the fluorescence signal intensity was performed at several time points by spectrofluorimetry in blood and by laser scanning microscopy in muscle, liver, and tumor tissues. The boron content in the same samples was determined by mass spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. Results: Analysis of a linear approximation between the fluorescence intensity and boron content in the tissues demonstrated a satisfactory value of approximation reliability with a Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of r = 0.938, p < 0.01. The dynamics of the boron concentration change in various organs, calculated on the basis of the fluorescence intensity, enabled the development of a model describing the accumulation of the studied compound and its distribution in tissues. The obtained results reveal a high level of correspondence between the model and experimental data. PMID:29182594

Pharmacokinetics of Chlorin e₆-Cobalt Bis(Dicarbollide) Conjugate in Balb/c Mice with Engrafted Carcinoma.

PubMed

Volovetsky, Arthur B; Sukhov, Vladimir S; Balalaeva, Irina V; Dudenkova, Varvara V; Shilyagina, Natalia Yu; Feofanov, Аlexey V; Efremenko, Anastasija V; Grin, Mikhail A; Mironov, Andrey F; Sivaev, Igor B; Bregadze, Vladimir I; Maslennikova, Anna V

2017-11-28

The necessary precondition for efficient boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is control over the content of isotope 10 B in the tumor and normal tissues. In the case of boron-containing porphyrins, the fluorescent part of molecule can be used for quantitative assessment of the boron content. Study Objective: We performed a study of the biodistribution of the chlorin e ₆-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate in carcinoma-bearing Balb/c mice using ex vivo fluorescence imaging, and developed a mathematical model describing boron accumulation and release based on the obtained experimental data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on Balb/c tumor-bearing mice (CT-26 tumor model). A solution of the chlorin e ₆-Cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugate (CCDC) was injected into the blood at a dose of 10 mg/kg of the animal's weight. Analysis of the fluorescence signal intensity was performed at several time points by spectrofluorimetry in blood and by laser scanning microscopy in muscle, liver, and tumor tissues. The boron content in the same samples was determined by mass spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. Results: Analysis of a linear approximation between the fluorescence intensity and boron content in the tissues demonstrated a satisfactory value of approximation reliability with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of r = 0.938, p < 0.01. The dynamics of the boron concentration change in various organs, calculated on the basis of the fluorescence intensity, enabled the development of a model describing the accumulation of the studied compound and its distribution in tissues. The obtained results reveal a high level of correspondence between the model and experimental data.

Active Learning Strategies for Phenotypic Profiling of High-Content Screens.

PubMed

Smith, Kevin; Horvath, Peter

2014-06-01

High-content screening is a powerful method to discover new drugs and carry out basic biological research. Increasingly, high-content screens have come to rely on supervised machine learning (SML) to perform automatic phenotypic classification as an essential step of the analysis. However, this comes at a cost, namely, the labeled examples required to train the predictive model. Classification performance increases with the number of labeled examples, and because labeling examples demands time from an expert, the training process represents a significant time investment. Active learning strategies attempt to overcome this bottleneck by presenting the most relevant examples to the annotator, thereby achieving high accuracy while minimizing the cost of obtaining labeled data. In this article, we investigate the impact of active learning on single-cell-based phenotype recognition, using data from three large-scale RNA interference high-content screens representing diverse phenotypic profiling problems. We consider several combinations of active learning strategies and popular SML methods. Our results show that active learning significantly reduces the time cost and can be used to reveal the same phenotypic targets identified using SML. We also identify combinations of active learning strategies and SML methods which perform better than others on the phenotypic profiling problems we studied. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Army Enlisted Personnel Competency Assessment Program: Phase 2 Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

benefit analysis of a notional Army program will be conducted. v Findings: The prototype Army core assessment was successfully administered to over 600...about competency assessment. They will also be incorporated into a cost and benefit analysis to be conducted in Phase III. vi CONTENTS Page Chapter 1...Conduct a Cost- Benefit Analysis, and Make System Recommendations Phase I of PerformM21 resulted in program design recommendations that included such

Inverse statistics and information content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebadi, H.; Bolgorian, Meysam; Jafari, G. R.

2010-12-01

Inverse statistics analysis studies the distribution of investment horizons to achieve a predefined level of return. This distribution provides a maximum investment horizon which determines the most likely horizon for gaining a specific return. There exists a significant difference between inverse statistics of financial market data and a fractional Brownian motion (fBm) as an uncorrelated time-series, which is a suitable criteria to measure information content in financial data. In this paper we perform this analysis for the DJIA and S&P500 as two developed markets and Tehran price index (TEPIX) as an emerging market. We also compare these probability distributions with fBm probability, to detect when the behavior of the stocks are the same as fBm.

Are all models created equal? A content analysis of women in advertisements of fitness versus fashion magazines.

PubMed

Wasylkiw, L; Emms, A A; Meuse, R; Poirier, K F

2009-03-01

The current study is a content analysis of women appearing in advertisements in two types of magazines: fitness/health versus fashion/beauty chosen because of their large and predominantly female readerships. Women appearing in advertisements of the June 2007 issue of five fitness/health magazines were compared to women appearing in advertisements of the June 2007 issue of five beauty/fashion magazines. Female models appearing in advertisements of both types of magazines were primarily young, thin Caucasians; however, images of models were more likely to emphasize appearance over performance when they appeared in fashion magazines. This difference in emphasis has implications for future research.

Messages about methadone and buprenorphine in reality television: a content analysis of celebrity rehab with Dr. Drew.

PubMed

Roose, Robert; Fuentes, Liza; Cheema, Mandeep

2012-08-01

Medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence is safe and effective, yet negative perceptions about methadone and buprenorphine may discourage patients from entering treatment. One source of information that may influence viewers' perceptions is television. We performed a content analysis of a popular reality television program on addiction treatment. Although many patients had histories of opioid use, there were no positive messages about methadone or buprenorphine. The two main messages were that they (1) are primarily drugs of abuse, and (2) not acceptable treatment options. These messages reinforce negative stereotypes and may perpetuate stigma. There were multiple missed opportunities to provide evidence-based information.

Human breath metabolomics using an optimized noninvasive exhaled breath condensate sampler

PubMed Central

Zamuruyev, Konstantin O.; Aksenov, Alexander A.; Pasamontes, Alberto; Brown, Joshua F.; Pettit, Dayna R.; Foutouhi, Soraya; Weimer, Bart C.; Schivo, Michael; Kenyon, Nicholas J.; Delplanque, Jean-Pierre; Davis, Cristina E.

2017-01-01

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analysis is a developing field with tremendous promise to advance personalized, non-invasive health diagnostics as new analytical instrumentation platforms and detection methods are developed. Multiple commercially-available and researcher-built experimental samplers are reported in the literature. However, there is very limited information available to determine an effective breath sampling approach, especially regarding the dependence of breath sample metabolomic content on the collection device design and sampling methodology. This lack of an optimal standard procedure results in a range of reported results that are sometimes contradictory. Here, we present a design of a portable human EBC sampler optimized for collection and preservation of the rich metabolomic content of breath. The performance of the engineered device is compared to two commercially available breath collection devices: the RTube™ and TurboDECCS. A number of design and performance parameters are considered, including: condenser temperature stability during sampling, collection efficiency, condenser material choice, and saliva contamination in the collected breath samples. The significance of the biological content of breath samples, collected with each device, is evaluated with a set of mass spectrometry methods and was the primary factor for evaluating device performance. The design includes an adjustable mass-size threshold for aerodynamic filtering of saliva droplets from the breath flow. Engineering an inexpensive device that allows efficient collection of metalomic-rich breath samples is intended to aid further advancement in the field of breath analysis for non-invasive health diagnostic. EBC sampling from human volunteers was performed under UC Davis IRB protocol 63701-3 (09/30/2014-07/07/2017). PMID:28004639

Human breath metabolomics using an optimized non-invasive exhaled breath condensate sampler.

PubMed

Zamuruyev, Konstantin O; Aksenov, Alexander A; Pasamontes, Alberto; Brown, Joshua F; Pettit, Dayna R; Foutouhi, Soraya; Weimer, Bart C; Schivo, Michael; Kenyon, Nicholas J; Delplanque, Jean-Pierre; Davis, Cristina E

2016-12-22

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analysis is a developing field with tremendous promise to advance personalized, non-invasive health diagnostics as new analytical instrumentation platforms and detection methods are developed. Multiple commercially-available and researcher-built experimental samplers are reported in the literature. However, there is very limited information available to determine an effective breath sampling approach, especially regarding the dependence of breath sample metabolomic content on the collection device design and sampling methodology. This lack of an optimal standard procedure results in a range of reported results that are sometimes contradictory. Here, we present a design of a portable human EBC sampler optimized for collection and preservation of the rich metabolomic content of breath. The performance of the engineered device is compared to two commercially available breath collection devices: the RTube ™ and TurboDECCS. A number of design and performance parameters are considered, including: condenser temperature stability during sampling, collection efficiency, condenser material choice, and saliva contamination in the collected breath samples. The significance of the biological content of breath samples, collected with each device, is evaluated with a set of mass spectrometry methods and was the primary factor for evaluating device performance. The design includes an adjustable mass-size threshold for aerodynamic filtering of saliva droplets from the breath flow. Engineering an inexpensive device that allows efficient collection of metalomic-rich breath samples is intended to aid further advancement in the field of breath analysis for non-invasive health diagnostic. EBC sampling from human volunteers was performed under UC Davis IRB protocol 63701-3 (09/30/2014-07/07/2017).

Non-linear learning in online tutorial to enhance students’ knowledge on normal distribution application topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartono; Suryadi, D.; Herman, T.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the enhancement of non-linear learning (NLL) in the online tutorial (OT) content to students’ knowledge of normal distribution application (KONDA). KONDA is a competence expected to be achieved after students studied the topic of normal distribution application in the course named Education Statistics. The analysis was performed by quasi-experiment study design. The subject of the study was divided into an experimental class that was given OT content in NLL model and a control class which was given OT content in conventional learning (CL) model. Data used in this study were the results of online objective tests to measure students’ statistical prior knowledge (SPK) and students’ pre- and post-test of KONDA. The statistical analysis test of a gain score of KONDA of students who had low and moderate SPK’s scores showed students’ KONDA who learn OT content with NLL model was better than students’ KONDA who learn OT content with CL model. Meanwhile, for students who had high SPK’s scores, the gain score of students who learn OT content with NLL model had relatively similar with the gain score of students who learn OT content with CL model. Based on those findings it could be concluded that the NLL model applied to OT content could enhance KONDA of students in low and moderate SPK’s levels. Extra and more challenging didactical situation was needed for students in high SPK’s level to achieve the significant gain score.

Old document image segmentation using the autocorrelation function and multiresolution analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehri, Maroua; Gomez-Krämer, Petra; Héroux, Pierre; Mullot, Rémy

2013-01-01

Recent progress in the digitization of heterogeneous collections of ancient documents has rekindled new challenges in information retrieval in digital libraries and document layout analysis. Therefore, in order to control the quality of historical document image digitization and to meet the need of a characterization of their content using intermediate level metadata (between image and document structure), we propose a fast automatic layout segmentation of old document images based on five descriptors. Those descriptors, based on the autocorrelation function, are obtained by multiresolution analysis and used afterwards in a specific clustering method. The method proposed in this article has the advantage that it is performed without any hypothesis on the document structure, either about the document model (physical structure), or the typographical parameters (logical structure). It is also parameter-free since it automatically adapts to the image content. In this paper, firstly, we detail our proposal to characterize the content of old documents by extracting the autocorrelation features in the different areas of a page and at several resolutions. Then, we show that is possible to automatically find the homogeneous regions defined by similar indices of autocorrelation without knowledge about the number of clusters using adapted hierarchical ascendant classification and consensus clustering approaches. To assess our method, we apply our algorithm on 316 old document images, which encompass six centuries (1200-1900) of French history, in order to demonstrate the performance of our proposal in terms of segmentation and characterization of heterogeneous corpus content. Moreover, we define a new evaluation metric, the homogeneity measure, which aims at evaluating the segmentation and characterization accuracy of our methodology. We find a 85% of mean homogeneity accuracy. Those results help to represent a document by a hierarchy of layout structure and content, and to define one or more signatures for each page, on the basis of a hierarchical representation of homogeneous blocks and their topology.

Research on dynamic performance design of mobile phone application based on context awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, Zhang

2018-05-01

It aims to explore the dynamic performance of different mobile phone applications and the user's cognitive differences, reduce the cognitive burden, and enhance the sense of experience. By analyzing the dynamic design performance in four different interactive contexts, and constructing the framework of information service process in the interactive context perception and the two perception principles of the cognitive consensus between designer and user, and the two kinds of knowledge in accordance with the perception principles. The analysis of the context will help users sense the dynamic performance more intuitively, so that the details of interaction will be performed more vividly and smoothly, thus enhance user's experience in the interactive process. The common perception experience enables designers and users to produce emotional resonance in different interactive contexts, and help them achieve rapid understanding of interactive content and perceive the logic and hierarchy of the content and the structure, therefore the effectiveness of mobile applications will be improved.

Development of self and peer performance assessment on iodometric titration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahadi; Siswaningsih, W.; Kusumaningtyas, H.

2018-05-01

This study aims to describe the process in developing of reliable and valid assessment to measure students’ performance on iodometric titration and the effect of the self and peer assessment on students’ performance. The self and peer-instrument provides valuable feedback for the student performance improvement. The developed assessment contains rubric and task for facilitating self and peer assessment. The participants are 24 students at the second-grade student in certain vocational high school in Bandung. The participants divided into two groups. The first 12 students involved in the validity test of the developed assessment, while the remain 12 students participated for the reliability test. The content validity was evaluated based on the judgment experts. Test result of content validity based on judgment expert show that the developed performance assessment instrument categorized as valid on each task with the realibity classified as very good. Analysis of the impact of the self and peer assessment implementation showed that the peer instrument supported the self assessment.

Identification of five genetic variants as novel determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese by exome-wide association studies.

PubMed

Yamada, Yoshiji; Sakuma, Jun; Takeuchi, Ichiro; Yasukochi, Yoshiki; Kato, Kimihiko; Oguri, Mitsutoshi; Fujimaki, Tetsuo; Horibe, Hideki; Muramatsu, Masaaki; Sawabe, Motoji; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Taniguchi, Yu; Obuchi, Shuichi; Kawai, Hisashi; Shinkai, Shoji; Mori, Seijiro; Arai, Tomio; Tanaka, Masashi

2017-10-06

We performed exome-wide association studies to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms that either influence fasting plasma glucose level or blood hemoglobin A 1c content or confer susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese. Exome-wide association studies were performed with the use of Illumina Human Exome-12 DNA Analysis or Infinium Exome-24 BeadChip arrays and with 11,729 or 8635 subjects for fasting plasma glucose level or blood hemoglobin A 1c content, respectively, or with 14,023 subjects for type 2 diabetes mellitus (3573 cases, 10,450 controls). The relation of genotypes of 41,265 polymorphisms to fasting plasma glucose level or blood hemoglobin A 1c content was examined by linear regression analysis. After Bonferroni's correction, 41 and 17 polymorphisms were significantly ( P < 1.21 × 10 -6 ) associated with fasting plasma glucose level or blood hemoglobin A 1c content, respectively, with two polymorphisms (rs139421991, rs189305583) being associated with both. Examination of the relation of allele frequencies to type 2 diabetes mellitus with Fisher's exact test revealed that 87 polymorphisms were significantly ( P < 1.21 × 10 -6 ) associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subsequent multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age and sex showed that four polymorphisms (rs138313632, rs76974938, rs139012426, rs147317864) were significantly ( P < 1.44 × 10 -4 ) associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with rs138313632 and rs139012426 also being associated with fasting plasma glucose and rs76974938 with blood hemoglobin A 1c . Five polymorphisms-rs139421991 of CAT , rs189305583 of PDCL2 , rs138313632 of RUFY1 , rs139012426 of LOC100505549 , and rs76974938 of C21orf59 -may be novel determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Cloud Retrieval Information Content Studies with the Pre-Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Ocean Color Imager (OCI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coddington, Odele; Platnick, Steven; Pilewskie, Peter; Schmidt, Sebastian

2016-04-01

The NASA Pre-Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Science Definition Team (SDT) report released in 2012 defined imager stability requirements for the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) at the sub-percent level. While the instrument suite and measurement requirements are currently being determined, the PACE SDT report provided details on imager options and spectral specifications. The options for a threshold instrument included a hyperspectral imager from 350-800 nm, two near-infrared (NIR) channels, and three short wave infrared (SWIR) channels at 1240, 1640, and 2130 nm. Other instrument options include a variation of the threshold instrument with 3 additional spectral channels at 940, 1378, and 2250 nm and the inclusion of a spectral polarimeter. In this work, we present cloud retrieval information content studies of optical thickness, droplet effective radius, and thermodynamic phase to quantify the potential for continuing the low cloud climate data record established by the MOderate Resolution and Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) missions with the PACE OCI instrument (i.e., non-polarized cloud reflectances and in the absence of midwave and longwave infrared channels). The information content analysis is performed using the GEneralized Nonlinear Retrieval Analysis (GENRA) methodology and the Collection 6 simulated cloud reflectance data for the common MODIS/VIIRS algorithm (MODAWG) for Cloud Mask, Cloud-Top, and Optical Properties. We show that using both channels near 2 microns improves the probability of cloud phase discrimination with shortwave-only cloud reflectance retrievals. Ongoing work will extend the information content analysis, currently performed for dark ocean surfaces, to different land surface types.

Efficient Caption-Based Retrieval of Multimedia Information

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-09

in the design of transportable natural language interfaces. Artifcial Intelligence , 32 (1987), 173-243. - 13- (101 Jones, M. and Eisner, J. A...systems for multimedia data . They exploit captions on the data and perform natural-language processing of them and English retrieval requests. Some...content analysis of the data is also performed to obtain additional descriptive information. The key to getting this approach to work is sufficiently

The Language of Performativity? A Content Analysis Concerning Differing Constructions of Leadership for Secondary School PE Departments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Gareth

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper was to analyse how teachers and government may differ in their views regarding the qualities required to be an effective middle manager with responsibility for Physical Education (PE). Lines of inquiry were based upon the practices associated with a performative work culture and how this has affected teacher language. There…

Assessing White Wine Viscosity Variation Using Polarized Laser Speckle: A Promising Alternative to Wine Sensory Analysis

PubMed Central

Abou Nader, Christelle; Loutfi, Hadi; Pellen, Fabrice; Le Jeune, Bernard; Le Brun, Guy; Lteif, Roger; Abboud, Marie

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report measurements of wine viscosity, correlated to polarized laser speckle results. Experiments were performed on white wine samples produced with a single grape variety. Effects of the wine making cellar, the grape variety, and the vintage on wine Brix degree, alcohol content, viscosity, and speckle parameters are considered. We show that speckle parameters, namely, spatial contrast and speckle decorrelation time, as well as the inertia moment extracted from the temporal history speckle pattern, are mainly affected by the alcohol and sugar content and hence the wine viscosity. Principal component analysis revealed a high correlation between laser speckle results on the one hand and viscosity and Brix degree values on the other. As speckle analysis proved to be an efficient method of measuring the variation of the viscosity of white mono-variety wine, one can therefore consider it as an alternative method to wine sensory analysis. PMID:29027936

Assessing White Wine Viscosity Variation Using Polarized Laser Speckle: A Promising Alternative to Wine Sensory Analysis.

PubMed

Nader, Christelle Abou; Loutfi, Hadi; Pellen, Fabrice; Jeune, Bernard Le; Le Brun, Guy; Lteif, Roger; Abboud, Marie

2017-10-13

In this paper, we report measurements of wine viscosity, correlated to polarized laser speckle results. Experiments were performed on white wine samples produced with a single grape variety. Effects of the wine making cellar, the grape variety, and the vintage on wine Brix degree, alcohol content, viscosity, and speckle parameters are considered. We show that speckle parameters, namely, spatial contrast and speckle decorrelation time, as well as the inertia moment extracted from the temporal history speckle pattern, are mainly affected by the alcohol and sugar content and hence the wine viscosity. Principal component analysis revealed a high correlation between laser speckle results on the one hand and viscosity and Brix degree values on the other. As speckle analysis proved to be an efficient method of measuring the variation of the viscosity of white mono-variety wine, one can therefore consider it as an alternative method to wine sensory analysis.

General Staining and Segmentation Procedures for High Content Imaging and Analysis.

PubMed

Chambers, Kevin M; Mandavilli, Bhaskar S; Dolman, Nick J; Janes, Michael S

2018-01-01

Automated quantitative fluorescence microscopy, also known as high content imaging (HCI), is a rapidly growing analytical approach in cell biology. Because automated image analysis relies heavily on robust demarcation of cells and subcellular regions, reliable methods for labeling cells is a critical component of the HCI workflow. Labeling of cells for image segmentation is typically performed with fluorescent probes that bind DNA for nuclear-based cell demarcation or with those which react with proteins for image analysis based on whole cell staining. These reagents, along with instrument and software settings, play an important role in the successful segmentation of cells in a population for automated and quantitative image analysis. In this chapter, we describe standard procedures for labeling and image segmentation in both live and fixed cell samples. The chapter will also provide troubleshooting guidelines for some of the common problems associated with these aspects of HCI.

A linear and non-linear polynomial neural network modeling of dissolved oxygen content in surface water: Inter- and extrapolation performance with inputs' significance analysis.

PubMed

Šiljić Tomić, Aleksandra; Antanasijević, Davor; Ristić, Mirjana; Perić-Grujić, Aleksandra; Pocajt, Viktor

2018-01-01

Accurate prediction of water quality parameters (WQPs) is an important task in the management of water resources. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are frequently applied for dissolved oxygen (DO) prediction, but often only their interpolation performance is checked. The aims of this research, beside interpolation, were the determination of extrapolation performance of ANN model, which was developed for the prediction of DO content in the Danube River, and the assessment of relationship between the significance of inputs and prediction error in the presence of values which were of out of the range of training. The applied ANN is a polynomial neural network (PNN) which performs embedded selection of most important inputs during learning, and provides a model in the form of linear and non-linear polynomial functions, which can then be used for a detailed analysis of the significance of inputs. Available dataset that contained 1912 monitoring records for 17 water quality parameters was split into a "regular" subset that contains normally distributed and low variability data, and an "extreme" subset that contains monitoring records with outlier values. The results revealed that the non-linear PNN model has good interpolation performance (R 2 =0.82), but it was not robust in extrapolation (R 2 =0.63). The analysis of extrapolation results has shown that the prediction errors are correlated with the significance of inputs. Namely, the out-of-training range values of the inputs with low importance do not affect significantly the PNN model performance, but their influence can be biased by the presence of multi-outlier monitoring records. Subsequently, linear PNN models were successfully applied to study the effect of water quality parameters on DO content. It was observed that DO level is mostly affected by temperature, pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and phosphorus concentration, while in extreme conditions the importance of alkalinity and bicarbonates rises over pH and BOD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deodorizing Properties of Photocatalyst Textiles and Its Effect Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongxia; Ge, Caihong; Zhu, Chengyan; Li, Yanqing; Tian, Wei; Cheng, Dongzhi; Pan, Zhongxiang

In this paper, yarns of photocatalyst modified polyester staple fiber, cotton and blended yarn of bamboo fiber and photocatalyst modified polyester were selected. Series of woven fabric were manufactured.The photocatalyst fiber contents of woven fabrics were changed from 0% to 100% with 20% gap, that is 0%,40%,60%,80% and 100%. The deodorant performance of these fabrics were tested and analyzed, it can be concluded that when the content of the photocatalyst is 80% or 100%, the fabrics owns better deodorant; when the photocatalyst content in fabric is 40% or 60%, it has the deodorantion properties but the effect was not good. It can be shown from this experimental study that the deodorizing fabrics can be considered to develop if only the content of photocatalyst is above the 80%.

The lipid content of cisplatin- and doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

PubMed

Todor, I N; Lukyanova, N Yu; Chekhun, V F

2012-07-01

To perform the comparative study both of qualitative and quantitative content of lipids in parental and drug resistant breast cancer cells. Parental (MCF-7/S) and resistant to cisplatin (MCF-7/CP) and doxorubicin (MCF-7/Dox) human breast cancer cells were used in the study. Cholesterol, total lipids and phospholipids content were determined by means of thin-layer chromatography. It was found that cholesterol as well as cholesterol ethers content are significantly higher but diacylglycerols, triacyl-glycerols content are significantly lower in resistant cell strains than in parental (sensitive) cells. Moreover the analysis of individual phospholipids showed the increase of sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, cardiolipin, phosphatidic acid and the decrease of phosphatidy-lethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine in MCF-7/CP and MCF-7/Dox cells. Obtained results allow to suggest that the lipid profile changes can mediate the modulation of membrane fluidity in drug resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Analysis of Content Shared in Online Cancer Communities: Systematic Review.

PubMed

van Eenbergen, Mies C; van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V; Krahmer, Emiel; Verberne, Suzan; Mols, Floortje

2018-04-03

The content that cancer patients and their relatives (ie, posters) share in online cancer communities has been researched in various ways. In the past decade, researchers have used automated analysis methods in addition to manual coding methods. Patients, providers, researchers, and health care professionals can learn from experienced patients, provided that their experience is findable. The aim of this study was to systematically review all relevant literature that analyzes user-generated content shared within online cancer communities. We reviewed the quality of available research and the kind of content that posters share with each other on the internet. A computerized literature search was performed via PubMed (MEDLINE), PsycINFO (5 and 4 stars), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect. The last search was conducted in July 2017. Papers were selected if they included the following terms: (cancer patient) and (support group or health communities) and (online or internet). We selected 27 papers and then subjected them to a 14-item quality checklist independently scored by 2 investigators. The methodological quality of the selected studies varied: 16 were of high quality and 11 were of adequate quality. Of those 27 studies, 15 were manually coded, 7 automated, and 5 used a combination of methods. The best results can be seen in the papers that combined both analytical methods. The number of analyzed posts ranged from 200 to 1,500,000; the number of analyzed posters ranged from 75 to 90,000. The studies analyzing large numbers of posts mainly related to breast cancer, whereas those analyzing small numbers were related to other types of cancers. A total of 12 studies involved some or entirely automatic analysis of the user-generated content. All the authors referred to two main content categories: informational support and emotional support. In all, 15 studies reported only on the content, 6 studies explicitly reported on content and social aspects, and 6 studies focused on emotional changes. In the future, increasing amounts of user-generated content will become available on the internet. The results of content analysis, especially of the larger studies, give detailed insights into patients' concerns and worries, which can then be used to improve cancer care. To make the results of such analyses as usable as possible, automatic content analysis methods will need to be improved through interdisciplinary collaboration. ©Mies C van Eenbergen, Lonneke V van de Poll-Franse, Emiel Krahmer, Suzan Verberne, Floortje Mols. Originally published in JMIR Cancer (http://cancer.jmir.org), 03.04.2018.

A tripartite approach identifies the major sunflower seed albumins.

PubMed

Jayasena, Achala S; Franke, Bastian; Rosengren, Johan; Mylne, Joshua S

2016-03-01

We have used a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to identify the napin-type albumin genes in sunflower and define their contributions to the seed albumin pool. Seed protein content is determined by the expression of what are typically large gene families. A major class of seed storage proteins is the napin-type, water soluble albumins. In this work we provide a comprehensive analysis of the napin-type albumin content of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) by analyzing a draft genome, a transcriptome and performing a proteomic analysis of the seed albumin fraction. We show that although sunflower contains at least 26 genes for napin-type albumins, only 15 of these are present at the mRNA level. We found protein evidence for 11 of these but the albumin content of mature seeds is dominated by the encoded products of just three genes. So despite high genetic redundancy for albumins, only a small sub-set of this gene family contributes to total seed albumin content. The three genes identified as producing the majority of sunflower seed albumin are potential future candidates for manipulation through genetics and breeding.

Compositional analysis of Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) cell-wall material from parenchyma, epidermis, and subepidermal tissues.

PubMed

Grassby, Terri; Jay, Andrew J; Merali, Zara; Parker, Mary L; Parr, Adrian J; Faulds, Craig B; Waldron, Keith W

2013-10-09

Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis (Burman f.) Trin ex Henschel) is a corm consumed globally in Oriental-style cuisine. The corm consists of three main tissues, the epidermis, subepidermis, and parenchyma; the cell walls of which were analyzed for sugar, phenolic, and lignin content. Sugar content, measured by gas chromatography, was higher in the parenchyma cell walls (931 μg/mg) than in the subepidermis (775 μg/mg) or epidermis (685 μg/mg). The alkali-extractable phenolic content, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, was greater in the epidermal (32.4 μg/mg) and subepidermal cell walls (21.7 μg/mg) than in the cell walls of the parenchyma (12.3 μg/mg). The proportion of diferulic acids was higher in the parenchyma. The Klason lignin content of epidermal and subepidermal cell walls was ~15%. Methylation analysis of Chinese water chestnut cell-wall polysaccharides identified xyloglucan as the predominant hemicellulose in the parenchyma for the first time, and also a significant pectin component, similar to other nongraminaceous monocots.

Analysis of residual monomers in dendritic methacrylate copolymers and composites by HPLC and headspace-GC/MS.

PubMed

Viljanen, Eeva K; Langer, Sarka; Skrifvars, Mikael; Vallittu, Pekka K

2006-09-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the residual monomer content of photopolymerized dendritic methacrylate copolymers and particulate filler composites. Headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) was compared with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The resin mixtures consisted of a dendritic methacrylate monomer, methyl methacrylate and acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate in varied proportions. In addition, one of the composites contained 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate. Camphorquinone and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate were used as the light-activated initiator system. The content of residual methyl methacrylate and acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate after 40 s photopolymerization were analyzed with HPLC and HS-GC/MS. The content of residual methyl methacrylate decreased and residual acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate increased with increasing concentration of acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate in the resin mixture. The results with both methods had the same trend. The addition of acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate enhanced the copolymerization of methyl methacrylate, but did not decrease the total residual monomer content. The HS-GC/MS method was found to be a feasible method in the analysis of low-boiling residuals in dental polymers.

Increase of medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester content in mixed H. uvarum/S. cerevisiae fermentation leads to wine fruity aroma enhancement.

PubMed

Hu, Kai; Jin, Guo-Jie; Mei, Wen-Chao; Li, Ting; Tao, Yong-Sheng

2018-01-15

Medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) ethyl esters, as yeast secondary metabolites, significantly contribute to the fruity aroma of foods and beverages. To improve the MCFA ethyl ester content of wine, mixed fermentations with Hanseniaspora uvarum Yun268 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were performed. Final volatiles were analyzed by gas solid phase microextraction-chromatography-mass spectrometry, and aroma characteristics were quantitated by sensory analysis. Results showed that mixed fermentation increased MCFA ethyl ester content by 37% in Cabernet Gernischt wine compared to that obtained by pure fermentation. Partial least-squares regression analysis further revealed that the improved MCFA ethyl esters specifically enhanced the temperate fruity aroma of wine. The enhancement of MCFA ethyl esters was attributed to the increased contents of MCFAs that could be induced by the presence of H. uvarum Yun268 in mixed fermentation. Meanwhile, the timing of yeast inoculations significantly affected the involving biomass of each strain and the dynamics of ethanol accumulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The application of two-step linear temperature program to thermal analysis for monitoring the lipid induction of Nostoc sp. KNUA003 in large scale cultivation.

PubMed

Kang, Bongmun; Yoon, Ho-Sung

2015-02-01

Recently, microalgae was considered as a renewable energy for fuel production because its production is nonseasonal and may take place on nonarable land. Despite all of these advantages, microalgal oil production is significantly affected by environmental factors. Furthermore, the large variability remains an important problem in measurement of algae productivity and compositional analysis, especially, the total lipid content. Thus, there is considerable interest in accurate determination of total lipid content during the biotechnological process. For these reason, various high-throughput technologies were suggested for accurate measurement of total lipids contained in the microorganisms, especially oleaginous microalgae. In addition, more advanced technologies were employed to quantify the total lipids of the microalgae without a pretreatment. However, these methods are difficult to measure total lipid content in wet form microalgae obtained from large-scale production. In present study, the thermal analysis performed with two-step linear temeperature program was applied to measure heat evolved in temperature range from 310 to 351 °C of Nostoc sp. KNUA003 obtained from large-scale cultivation. And then, we examined the relationship between the heat evolved in 310-351 °C (HE) and total lipid content of the wet Nostoc cell cultivated in raceway. As a result, the linear relationship was determined between HE value and total lipid content of Nostoc sp. KNUA003. Particularly, there was a linear relationship of 98% between the HE value and the total lipid content of the tested microorganism. Based on this relationship, the total lipid content converted from the heat evolved of wet Nostoc sp. KNUA003 could be used for monitoring its lipid induction in large-scale cultivation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One single standard substance for the simultaneous determination of 17 triterpenes in Ganoderma lingzhi and its related species using high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Zhang, Jingsong; Han, Wei; Liu, Yanfang; Feng, Jie; Tang, Chuanhong; Feng, Na; Tang, Qingjiu

2017-11-15

Due to the difficulty and high cost for the preparation of triterpenes, one single standard for the simultaneous determination of multi-components (SSDMC) with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an advanced solution for multi-component analysis. Experiments were carried out to investigate the feasibility of SSDMC for the analysis of Ganoderma triterpenes, with external standard method (ESM) compared, and the samples of Ganoderma were classified by the content of Ganoderma triterpenes. The analysis was performed by using a Fortis Speed Core-C18 column (150mm×4.6mm I.D., 2.6μm) at gradient elution of 0.01% glacial acetic acid-water (V/V) and acetonitrile with diode array detection (252nm), at a flow rate of 1mL/min. The results showed that all calibration curves had good linearity (r 2 >0.9999) within test ranges. The LOD and LOQ were lower than 2.52ng and 6.43ng, respectively. The RSD for intra-day and inter-day of the seventeen analytes were less than 3.12% at three levels, and the recoveries were 91.4-103.0%. The contents of other 16 triterpenes were determined with ganoderic acid A by SSDMC, which showed that there were few differences compared with the results obtained by ESM. Moreover, the classification of 25 different species and strains of Ganoderma by using the content of triterpenes intuitively reflected the distinction among Ganoderma. In summary, the developed method could be readily utilized as a method of quality evaluation for Ganoderma triterpenes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

What Are Health-Related Users Tweeting? A Qualitative Content Analysis of Health-Related Users and Their Messages on Twitter

PubMed Central

DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-01-01

Background Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals’ behavior on Twitter. Objective Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. Methods We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a “testable” claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Results Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Conclusions Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users—especially patients—interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers. PMID:25591063

What are health-related users tweeting? A qualitative content analysis of health-related users and their messages on twitter.

PubMed

Lee, Joy L; DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-10-15

Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals' behavior on Twitter. Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a "testable" claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users-especially patients-interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers.

How to freak a Black & Mild: a multi-study analysis of YouTube videos illustrating cigar product modification.

PubMed

Nasim, Aashir; Blank, Melissa D; Cobb, Caroline O; Berry, Brittany M; Kennedy, May G; Eissenberg, Thomas

2014-02-01

Cigar smoking is increasingly common among adolescents who perceive cigars as less harmful than cigarettes. This perception of reduced harm is especially true for cigars that are user-modified by removing the tobacco binder through a process called 'freaking'. Little is known about 'freaking' and this multi-study, mixed-methods analysis sought to understand better the rationale and prevailing beliefs about this smoking practice using YouTube videos. In Study 1, we conducted a descriptive content analysis on the characteristics of 26 randomly sampled cigar product modification (CPM) videos posted during 2006-10. In Study 2, a thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts of commentary associated with each video to characterize viewers' comments about video content. Study 1 results revealed that 90% of videos illustrated a four-step CPM technique: 'Loosening the tobacco'; 'Dumping the tobacco'; 'Removing the cigar binder' and 'Repacking the tobacco'. Four themes related to the purpose of CPM were also derived from video content: 'Easier to smoke' (54%), 'Beliefs in reduction of health risks' (31%), 'Changing the burn rate' (15%) and 'Taste enhancement' (12%). Study 2 results concerning the content characteristics of video comments were categorized into three themes: 'Disseminating information/answering questions' (81%), 'Seeking advice/asking questions' (69%) and 'Learning cigar modification techniques' (35%). Favorable comments were more common (81%) compared to unfavorable (58%) and comment content suggested low-risk perceptions and poor understanding of smoking harms. These findings highlight a novel means for youth to access information concerning CPM that may have important implications for tobacco control policy and prevention.

[Curriculum analysis and comparison between strategies or programs for early child development in Mexico].

PubMed

Vargas-López, Guillermo; Guadarrama-Orozco, Jessica Haydee; Rizzoli-Córdoba, Antonio; Narcizo-Cenobio, Francisco Javier; Medrano-Loera, Gerónimo; Villagrán, Daniel Aceves; O'Shea Cuevas, Gabriel; Muñoz Hernández, Onofre

Most of the strategies or programs that support early child development in Mexico are independent efforts that vary in scale, services offered and means of providing them. For the evaluation of the quality of these programs, an important aspect is the curriculum content. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the curriculum content of the different strategies or programs focused on the promotion and intervention of early child development, which are offered by the Federal Government in Health and Education sectors in Mexico. We conducted a review of the curriculum content of the strategies and programs. The qualitative phase consisted of a comparative analysis where 75 indicators proposed by the Inter-American Development Bank were identified. The quantitative phase consisted of a descriptive analysis of the indicators. Finally, the analyses were compared to establish the performance of each one. Six strategies or programs were identified. In the analysis of the presence of indicators, the Oportunidades de Aprendizaje (Learning Opportunities, LO) strategy showed a larger number of indicators. In the amplitude analysis, both PEI-CONAFE and LO were the best balanced. Finally, in-depth analysis of the indicators LO and Skills for life were the best balanced while PEI-CONAFE was the best balanced in the social-emotional area, CeNSIA program for language and LO for cognitive development area. LO strategy showed the closest level of contents established by the Inter-American Development Bank. Copyright © 2016 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Use of Employment Screening for Sexual Assault Prevention

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

designed to address. For example, one meta-analysis found the average validity coefficient, or association, between integrity tests and job performance...or a more-general trait), and the group that is tested . For example, one meta-analysis found stronger associations between integrity tests and self... Tests Overt and personality-based integrity tests use questions designed to address somewhat different but overlapping content areas ( Ones

Assessment Accommodations on Tests of Academic Achievement for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of the Research Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cawthon, Stephanie; Leppo, Rachel

2013-01-01

The authors conducted a qualitative meta-analysis of the research on assessment accommodations for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. There were 16 identified studies that analyzed the impact of factors related to student performance on academic assessments across different educational settings, content areas, and types of assessment…

Chinese Students' Perceptions of Life in the U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturgut, Osman

2012-01-01

Fifty-six students studying at a Chinese college in a southern province were surveyed for this study and asked to describe their experiences if they were to wake up one day to find themselves in the United States as U.S. citizens. A content analysis was performed for the final analysis of the raw data. Chinese students' views on the U.S. varied…

Influence of natural fibers on the phase transitions in high-density polyethylene composites using dynamic mechanical analysis

Treesearch

Mehdi Tajvidi; Robert H. Falk; John C. Hermanson; Colin Felton

2003-01-01

Dynamic mechanical analysis was employed to evaluate the performance of various natural fibers in high-density polyethylene composites. Kenaf, newsprint, rice hulls, and wood flour were sources of fiber. Composites were made at 25 percent and 50 percent by weight fiber contents. Maleic anhydride modified polyethylene was also added at 1:25 ratio to the fiber....

Documents of the JPL Photovoltaics Program Analysis and Integration Center: An annotated bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, A. M.

1985-01-01

A bibliography of internal and external documents produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, based on the work performed by the Photovoltaics Program Analysis and Integration Center, is presented with annotations. As shown in the Table of Contents, the bibliography is divided into three subject areas: (1) Assessments, (2) Methdological Studies, and (3) Supporting Studies. Annotated abstracts are presented for 20 papers.

Same but Different? An Examination of Swedish Upper Secondary School Teachers' and Students' Views and Use of ICT in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindberg, Ola J.; Olofsson, Anders D.; Fransson, Göran

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine Swedish upper secondary school teachers' and students' views and use of ICT in education. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 25 individual teachers and 39 students in small focus groups were interviewed. A qualitative content analysis was performed using NVivo11. The analysis was conducted in…

Hardware Acceleration for Cyber Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

perform different approaches. It includes behavioral analysis, by means of NetFlow monitoring, as well as packet content analysis, so called Deep...Interface (API). The example of such application is NetFlow exporter described in [5]. • We provide modified libpcap library using libsze2 API. This...cards. The software applications using NIFIC include FlowMon NetFlow /IPFIX generator, Wireshark packet analyzer, iptables - Linux kernel firewall, deep

Genotype evaluation of cowpea seeds (Vigna unguiculata) using 1H qNMR combined with exploratory tools and solid-state NMR.

PubMed

Alves Filho, Elenilson G; Silva, Lorena M A; Teofilo, Elizita M; Larsen, Flemming H; de Brito, Edy S

2017-01-01

The ultimate aim of this study was to apply a non-targeted chemometric analysis (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis using the heat map approach) of NMR data to investigate the variability of organic compounds in nine genotype cowpea seeds, without any complex pre-treatment. In general, both exploratory tools show that Tvu 233, CE-584, and Setentão genotypes presented higher amount mainly of raffinose and Tvu 382 presented the highest content of choline and least content of raffinose. The evaluation of the aromatic region showed the Setentão genotype with highest content of niacin/vitamin B3 whereas Tvu 382 with lowest amount. To investigate rigid and mobile components in the seeds cotyledon, 13 C CP and SP/MAS solid-state NMR experiments were performed. The cotyledon of the cowpea comprised a rigid part consisting of starch as well as a soft portion made of starch, fatty acids, and protein. The variable contact time experiment suggests the presence of lipid-amylose complexes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combination of multiple model population analysis and mid-infrared technology for the estimation of copper content in Tegillarca granosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Meng-Han; Chen, Xiao-Jing; Ye, Peng-Chao; Chen, Xi; Shi, Yi-Jian; Zhai, Guang-Tao; Yang, Xiao-Kang

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to use mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with multiple model population analysis based on Monte Carlo-uninformative variable elimination for rapidly estimating the copper content of Tegillarca granosa. Copper-specific wavelengths were first extracted from the whole spectra, and subsequently, a least square-support vector machine was used to develop the prediction models. Compared with the prediction model based on full wavelengths, models that used 100 multiple MC-UVE selected wavelengths without and with bin operation showed comparable performances with Rp (root mean square error of Prediction) of 0.97 (14.60 mg/kg) and 0.94 (20.85 mg/kg) versus 0.96 (17.27 mg/kg), as well as ratio of percent deviation (number of wavelength) of 2.77 (407) and 1.84 (45) versus 2.32 (1762). The obtained results demonstrated that the mid-infrared technique could be used for estimating copper content in T. granosa. In addition, the proposed multiple model population analysis can eliminate uninformative, weakly informative and interfering wavelengths effectively, that substantially reduced the model complexity and computation time.

Validation of a Survey Questionnaire on Organ Donation: An Arabic World Scenario

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Tulika Mehta; Al-Thani, Hassan; Al Maslamani, Yousuf

2018-01-01

Objective To validate a questionnaire for measuring factors influencing organ donation and transplant. Methods The constructed questionnaire was based on the theory of planned behavior by Ajzen Icek and had 45 questions including general inquiry and demographic information. Four experts on the topic, Arabic culture, and the Arabic and English languages established content validity through review. It was quantified by content validity index (CVI). Construct validity was established by principal component analysis (PCA), whereas internal consistency was checked by Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 22.0 statistical package. Results Content validity in the form of S-CVI/Average and S-CVI/UA was 0.95 and 0.82, respectively, suggesting adequate relevance content of the questionnaire. Factor analysis indicated that the construct validity for each domain (knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intention) was 65%, 71%, 77%, and 70%, respectively. Cronbach's Alpha and ICC coefficients were 0.90, 0.67, 0.75, and 0.74 and 0.82, 0.58, 0.61, and 0.74, respectively, for the domains. Conclusion The questionnaire consists of 39 items on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intention domains which is valid and reliable tool to use for organ donation and transplant survey. PMID:29593894

Accurate and simple method for quantification of hepatic fat content using magnetic resonance imaging: a prospective study in biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Hatta, Tomoko; Fujinaga, Yasunari; Kadoya, Masumi; Ueda, Hitoshi; Murayama, Hiroaki; Kurozumi, Masahiro; Ueda, Kazuhiko; Komatsu, Michiharu; Nagaya, Tadanobu; Joshita, Satoru; Kodama, Ryo; Tanaka, Eiji; Uehara, Tsuyoshi; Sano, Kenji; Tanaka, Naoki

2010-12-01

To assess the degree of hepatic fat content, simple and noninvasive methods with high objectivity and reproducibility are required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one such candidate, although its accuracy remains unclear. We aimed to validate an MRI method for quantifying hepatic fat content by calibrating MRI reading with a phantom and comparing MRI measurements in human subjects with estimates of liver fat content in liver biopsy specimens. The MRI method was performed by a combination of MRI calibration using a phantom and double-echo chemical shift gradient-echo sequence (double-echo fast low-angle shot sequence) that has been widely used on a 1.5-T scanner. Liver fat content in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, n = 26) was derived from a calibration curve generated by scanning the phantom. Liver fat was also estimated by optical image analysis. The correlation between the MRI measurements and liver histology findings was examined prospectively. Magnetic resonance imaging measurements showed a strong correlation with liver fat content estimated from the results of light microscopic examination (correlation coefficient 0.91, P < 0.001) regardless of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the severity of lobular inflammation or fibrosis did not influence the MRI measurements. This MRI method is simple and noninvasive, has excellent ability to quantify hepatic fat content even in NAFLD patients with mild steatosis or advanced fibrosis, and can be performed easily without special devices.

Development of a standard operating procedure for analysis of ammonia concentrations in coal fly ash.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Research was performed to support the development and recommendation of a standard operating : procedure (SOP) for analyzing the ammonia content in fly ash intended for use in concrete. A review : of existing ash producers found that several differen...

Resveratrol Content in Seeds of Peanut Germlasm Quantified by HPLC.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

trans-Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenolic compound uniquely identified in plants greatly contributes to human health. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds of 20 germplasm accessions were harvested from the same field and used for resveratrol analysis by high performance liqui...

Validating a Geographical Image Retrieval System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Bin; Chen, Hsinchun

2000-01-01

Summarizes a prototype geographical image retrieval system that demonstrates how to integrate image processing and information analysis techniques to support large-scale content-based image retrieval. Describes an experiment to validate the performance of this image retrieval system against that of human subjects by examining similarity analysis…

AACSB Standards and Accounting Faculty's Intellectual Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, B. Brian; Quddus, Munir

2008-01-01

The authors performed a content analysis of intellectual contribution portfolios of accounting faculty at various business schools that Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International recently accredited. The results showed a significant divergence in faculty research (e.g., areas, topics) and their teaching assignments. This…

Religious teachings and sexuality of women living in Rafsanjan: A qualiattive inquiry

PubMed Central

Ghorashi, Zohreh; Najafi, Mohammad; Merghati Khoei, Effat

2017-01-01

Background: Islamic doctrine and related teachings play a seminal role in constructing the sexual performance of followers, women in particular. Objective: The aim was to explore women’s understandings of Islamic Shiite principles related to their sexuality. Materials and Methods: In a qualitative content analysis approach, four individual interviews and seven focus groups conducted in Rafsanjan, a big city in Kerman province in Iran. Content analysis was used to extract meanings and themes. Results: Three major themes were emerged describing the sexual concepts and religious-related teachings concerning women's sexual understandings and performances: “unconditional sexual submission” (Tamkin), “paradox between virtue and unconditional sexual submission” and “misconceptions”. Conclusion: Religious teachings have a basic and comprehensive role in sexuality construction and sexual health of women. However, occasional inconsistency between beliefs, learning and sexual expectations, practices, and situations would lead to jeopardize the psychological and somatic health of women. Religious-related misconceptions have essential role in creating sexual problems. PMID:29492474

Quantitative determination and evaluation of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis with different harvesting times using UPLC-UV-MS and FT-IR spectroscopy in combination with partial least squares discriminant analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Yuan-Gui; Zhang, Ji; Zhao, Yan-Li; Zhang, Jin-Yu; Wang, Yuan-Zhong

2017-07-01

A rapid method was developed and validated by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectroscopy with ultraviolet detection (UPLC-UV-MS) for simultaneous determination of paris saponin I, paris saponin II, paris saponin VI and paris saponin VII. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on UPLC and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed to evaluate Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPY) at different harvesting times. Quantitative determination implied that the various contents of bioactive compounds with different harvesting times may lead to different pharmacological effects; the average content of total saponins for PPY harvested at 8 years was higher than that from other samples. The PLS-DA of FT-IR spectra had a better performance than that of UPLC for discrimination of PPY from different harvesting times. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Collagen Content Limits Optical Coherence Tomography Image Depth in Porcine Vocal Fold Tissue.

PubMed

Garcia, Jordan A; Benboujja, Fouzi; Beaudette, Kathy; Rogers, Derek; Maurer, Rie; Boudoux, Caroline; Hartnick, Christopher J

2016-11-01

Vocal fold scarring, a condition defined by increased collagen content, is challenging to treat without a method of noninvasively assessing vocal fold structure in vivo. The goal of this study was to observe the effects of vocal fold collagen content on optical coherence tomography imaging to develop a quantifiable marker of disease. Excised specimen study. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Porcine vocal folds were injected with collagenase to remove collagen from the lamina propria. Optical coherence tomography imaging was performed preinjection and at 0, 45, 90, and 180 minutes postinjection. Mean pixel intensity (or image brightness) was extracted from images of collagenase- and control-treated hemilarynges. Texture analysis of the lamina propria at each injection site was performed to extract image contrast. Two-factor repeated measure analysis of variance and t tests were used to determine statistical significance. Picrosirius red staining was performed to confirm collagenase activity. Mean pixel intensity was higher at injection sites of collagenase-treated vocal folds than control vocal folds (P < .0001). Fold change in image contrast was significantly increased in collagenase-treated vocal folds than control vocal folds (P = .002). Picrosirius red staining in control specimens revealed collagen fibrils most prominent in the subepithelium and above the thyroarytenoid muscle. Specimens treated with collagenase exhibited a loss of these structures. Collagen removal from vocal fold tissue increases image brightness of underlying structures. This inverse relationship may be useful in treating vocal fold scarring in patients. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Failure Analysis of a Service Tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Zhongdong; Cai, Weiguo; Li, Zhenxing; Guan, YiMing; Zhang, Baocheng; Yang, XiaoTong

2017-12-01

One tube was cracked used in the primary reformer furnace in a fertilizer plant for two and half years. In order to find out the causes of cracking, the methods for chemical composition analysis, macro- and microstructure analysis, penetrant testing, weld analysis, crack and surface damage analysis, mechanics property analysis, high temperature endurance performance analysis, stress and wall thickness calculation were adopted. The integrated assessment results showed that the carbon content of the tube was in the lower limit of the standard range; the tube effective wall thickness was too small; local overheating leads to tube cracking in use process.

Simple Modification of Karl-Fischer Titration Method for Determination of Water Content in Colored Samples

PubMed Central

Tavčar, Eva; Turk, Erika; Kreft, Samo

2012-01-01

The most commonly used technique for water content determination is Karl-Fischer titration with electrometric detection, requiring specialized equipment. When appropriate equipment is not available, the method can be performed through visual detection of a titration endpoint, which does not enable an analysis of colored samples. Here, we developed a method with spectrophotometric detection of a titration endpoint, appropriate for moisture determination of colored samples. The reaction takes place in a sealed 4 ml cuvette. Detection is performed at 520 nm. Titration endpoint is determined from the graph of absorbance plotted against titration volume. The method has appropriate reproducibility (RSD = 4.3%), accuracy, and linearity (R 2 = 0.997). PMID:22567558

Key components of financial-analysis education for clinical nurses.

PubMed

Lim, Ji Young; Noh, Wonjung

2015-09-01

In this study, we identified key components of financial-analysis education for clinical nurses. We used a literature review, focus group discussions, and a content validity index survey to develop key components of financial-analysis education. First, a wide range of references were reviewed, and 55 financial-analysis education components were gathered. Second, two focus group discussions were performed; the participants were 11 nurses who had worked for more than 3 years in a hospital, and nine components were agreed upon. Third, 12 professionals, including professors, nurse executive, nurse managers, and an accountant, participated in the content validity index. Finally, six key components of financial-analysis education were selected. These key components were as follows: understanding the need for financial analysis, introduction to financial analysis, reading and implementing balance sheets, reading and implementing income statements, understanding the concepts of financial ratios, and interpretation and practice of financial ratio analysis. The results of this study will be used to develop an education program to increase financial-management competency among clinical nurses. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Interpretive versus noninterpretive content in top-selling radiology textbooks: what are we teaching medical students?

PubMed

Webb, Emily M; Vella, Maya; Straus, Christopher M; Phelps, Andrew; Naeger, David M

2015-04-01

There are little data as to whether appropriate, cost effective, and safe ordering of imaging examinations are adequately taught in US medical school curricula. We sought to determine the proportion of noninterpretive content (such as appropriate ordering) versus interpretive content (such as reading a chest x-ray) in the top-selling medical student radiology textbooks. We performed an online search to identify a ranked list of the six top-selling general radiology textbooks for medical students. Each textbook was reviewed including content in the text, tables, images, figures, appendices, practice questions, question explanations, and glossaries. Individual pages of text and individual images were semiquantitatively scored on a six-level scale as to the percentage of material that was interpretive versus noninterpretive. The predominant imaging modality addressed in each was also recorded. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. All six books had more interpretive content. On average, 1.4 pages of text focused on interpretation for every one page focused on noninterpretive content. Seventeen images/figures were dedicated to interpretive skills for every one focused on noninterpretive skills. In all books, the largest proportion of text and image content was dedicated to plain films (51.2%), with computed tomography (CT) a distant second (16%). The content on radiographs (3.1:1) and CT (1.6:1) was more interpretive than not. The current six top-selling medical student radiology textbooks contain a preponderance of material teaching image interpretation compared to material teaching noninterpretive skills, such as appropriate imaging examination selection, rational utilization, and patient safety. Copyright © 2015 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of copper in saliva and areca nut products and its correlation with histological grades of oral submucous fibrosis.

PubMed

Mohammed, Faraz; Manohar, Vidya; Jose, Maji; Thapasum, Arishiya Fairozekhan; Mohamed, Shamaz; Shamaz, Bibi Halima; D'Souza, Neevan

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the copper levels in saliva of patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and different areca nut products and its correlation with different histological grades of OSF. The study comprised 60 individuals, 30 OSF patients and 30 non-OSF individuals. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and copper analysis was performed using colorimetric method. The commercial areca nut products used by the patients were acquired and subjected to copper analysis through the atomic absorption spectrophotometer method. Oral biopsies were performed for OSF patients for histopathological correlation. The mean salivary copper level was 27.023 μg/dl in OSF patients when compared with 8.393 μg/dl in non-OSF individuals (P < 0.005). The mean copper content in different areca nut products was 13.313 ppm (P < 0.005). Comparison of copper content in different areca nut products with salivary copper levels of OSF patients showed negative correlation (P < 0.853). Comparison of salivary copper levels between different histological grades of OSF yielded a statistically significant association between grades I and III (P < 0.005) and grades II and III OSF (P < 0.019). Comparison of copper content in areca nut products and different histological grades of OSF yielded weak negative statistical correlation (r = -0.116). Despite high copper content in areca nut products, the observations yielded a negative correlation with different histological grades of OSF. This further raises a doubt about the copper content in areca nut as an etiological factor for this crippling disease. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of selected chemical parameters in Piemontese wines.

PubMed

Stępień, Agnieszka E; Stawarczyk, Kinga; Bilek, Maciej; Kędziora, Katarzyna M

2015-01-01

Piemontese wines are well known and valued all over the world. The most popular of them are Barolo and Barbaresco wines. However, in Poland, they are still little known and only now are being gradually introduced to a wider range of consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of inorganic anions, minerals, sugars and glycerol of Piemontese wines from micro-region Langhe, classified as DOCG ("Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita", ie. controlled designation of origin guaranteed) and DOC ("Denominazione di Origine Controllata", ie. controlled designation of origin) products. Seven types of red wines and one type of white wine were tested. High Performance Ion Chromatography with conductometric detection (HPLC-CD) was used to measure the content of inorganic anions, ie. fluorides, chlorides, sulfates and phosphates. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS) was used to measure the content of minerals, ie. magnesium, calcium, sodium, copper, potassium, zinc and iron, while High Performance Liquid Chromatography with charged aerosol detection (HPLC-CAD) was used to measure the content of glycerol and sugars, ie. fructose, glucose and sucrose. Our studies show that although Piemontese wines are characterized by a relatively low content of minerals in comparison with the wines from other regions, they contain a lot of ingredients that have beneficial effects for human health. Moreover, we observed that the studied wines contain particularly high concentration of inorganic ions--phosphates and fluorides. Furthermore, all tested red wines show far reaching similarities in their chemical properties, which is possibly a direct consequence of using in their production locally cultivated grape varieties. Analysis of the wines from the Piemont region, classified as DOCG, DOC, confirmed that these are dry wines of a high quality.

Interactive analysis of waste recycling and energy recovery program in a small-scale incinerator.

PubMed

Chen, Jeng-Chung; Chen, Wei-Hsin; Chang, Ni-Bin; Davila, Eric; Tsai, Cheng-Hsien

2005-09-01

Conflicting goals affecting solid waste management are explored in this paper to find the best implementation of resource recovery with a small-scale waste-to-energy process. Recycling paper and plastic material often leaves a shortage of thermal energy to support incineration that forces operators to supplement the process with auxiliary fuels. Although there are considerable profits to be made from material recovery, the increase of fuel usage causes conflict given that it is cost prohibitive. A series of trials performed on a small-scale 1.5-t/day incineration plant with a cyclone heat recovery system found that material recycling can impede performance. Experimental results are expressed as empirical regression formulas with regard to combustion temperature, energy transfer, and heat recovery. Process optimization is possible if the waste moisture content remains <30%. To test the robustness of the optimization analysis, a series of sensitivity analyses clarify the extent of material recycling needed with regard to plastic, paper, and metal. The experiments also test whether the moisture in the waste would decrease when recycling paper because of its exceptional capacity to absorb moisture. Results show that recycling paper is strongly recommended when the moisture content is >20%, whereas plastic recycling is not necessary at that moisture condition. Notably, plastic recovery reduces the heat needed to vaporize the water content of the solid waste, thus it is recommended only when the moisture content is <10%. For above-normal incineration temperatures, plastic recycling is encouraged, because it removes excess energy. Metal is confirmed as an overall priority in material recycling regardless of the moisture content of the incoming waste.

[Biochemical protective mechanisms in the accumulation of heavy metals in organisms].

PubMed

Petukhov, A S; Petukhova, G A

At present due to the environmental contamination by heavy metals there is a great interest to investigate the processes of their both accumulation in plants and toxic effect on biochemical indices. Therefore the objective of this research was the analysis of the alteration of the system of antioxidant protection ofplants in conditions of soil contamination by copper and zinc. Research object were germinants of oat in amount of300 plants in each variant of the experiment. For the performance of the experiment, the sand was equally contaminated by sulfates of Cu and Zn in concentration of 2 MPC on its gross content in soil. The experiment lastedfor 2 weeks. For the implementation of the objective of research there was analyzed the contentof both Cu and Zn in plants exposed to soil contamination. Additionally there was performed an analysis of as the content of lipids peroxidation products, phenols and flavonoids; as well the activity ofperoxidase, catalase and photosynthetic system. Under the soil contamination by copper and zinc corresponding to 2 MPC the accumulation of heavy metals was established to be happening in plants. If compared copper accumulation was higher than zinc accumulation that can be explained by the high migration capability of zinc. Under combined impact of two metals there was revealed their antagonistic interaction. There was established an elevated content of lipids peroxidation products in cells as a sequence of the accumulation of heavy metals in plants. As a result of the elevation of the content of lipids peroxidation products there was revealed a raised activity ofphotosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant system (carotenoids, catalase and peroxidase) in the cell. The decrease of the content ofphenols and flavonoids is related with the usage of this system of antioxidant protection for the neutralization of lipids peroxidation processes.

Durability Characteristics Analysis of Plastic Worm Wheel with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide.

PubMed

Kim, Gun-Hee; Lee, Jeong-Won; Seo, Tae-Il

2013-05-10

Plastic worm wheel is widely used in the vehicle manufacturing field because it is favorable for weight lightening, vibration and noise reduction, as well as corrosion resistance. However, it is very difficult for general plastics to secure the mechanical properties that are required for vehicle gears. If the plastic resin is reinforced by glass fiber in the fabrication process of plastic worm wheel, it is possible to achieve the mechanical properties of metallic material levels. In this study, the mechanical characteristic analysis of the glass-reinforced plastic worm wheel, according to the contents of glass fiber, is performed by analytic and experimental methods. In the case of the glass fiber-reinforced resin, the orientation and contents of glass fibers can influence the mechanical properties. For the characteristic prediction of plastic worm wheel, computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis processes such as structural and injection molding analysis were executed with the polyamide resin reinforcement glass fiber (25 wt %, 50 wt %). The injection mold for fabricating the prototype plastic worm wheel was designed and made to reflect the CAE analysis results. Finally, the durability of prototype plastic worm wheel fabricated by the injection molding process was evaluated by the experimental method and the characteristics according to the glass fiber contents.

Durability Characteristics Analysis of Plastic Worm Wheel with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide

PubMed Central

Kim, Gun-Hee; Lee, Jeong-Won; Seo, Tae-Il

2013-01-01

Plastic worm wheel is widely used in the vehicle manufacturing field because it is favorable for weight lightening, vibration and noise reduction, as well as corrosion resistance. However, it is very difficult for general plastics to secure the mechanical properties that are required for vehicle gears. If the plastic resin is reinforced by glass fiber in the fabrication process of plastic worm wheel, it is possible to achieve the mechanical properties of metallic material levels. In this study, the mechanical characteristic analysis of the glass-reinforced plastic worm wheel, according to the contents of glass fiber, is performed by analytic and experimental methods. In the case of the glass fiber-reinforced resin, the orientation and contents of glass fibers can influence the mechanical properties. For the characteristic prediction of plastic worm wheel, computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis processes such as structural and injection molding analysis were executed with the polyamide resin reinforcement glass fiber (25 wt %, 50 wt %). The injection mold for fabricating the prototype plastic worm wheel was designed and made to reflect the CAE analysis results. Finally, the durability of prototype plastic worm wheel fabricated by the injection molding process was evaluated by the experimental method and the characteristics according to the glass fiber contents. PMID:28809248

Effect of fermentation and sterilization on anthocyanins in blueberry.

PubMed

Nie, Qixing; Feng, Lei; Hu, Jielun; Wang, Sunan; Chen, Haihong; Huang, Xiaojun; Nie, Shaoping; Xiong, Tao; Xie, Mingyong

2017-03-01

Blueberry products have various health benefits due to their high content of dietary anthocyanins. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of fermentation and sterilization on total anthocyanin content, composition and some quality attributes of blueberry puree. The blueberry puree used here was fermented for 40 h at 37 °C by Lactobacillus after sterilization. The method of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was optimized for the rapid analysis of anthocyanins. Quality attributes including pH, color, total soluble solids and viscosity were measured. A total of 21 anthocyanins and five anthocyanidins were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Fermented blueberry had reduced total anthocyanin content (29%) and levels of individual anthocyanins compared with fresh blueberry. Total anthocyanin content was decreased 46% by sterilization, and different degradation behavior of individual anthocyanin was appeared between fermented and sterilized-fermented blueberry puree. Fermentation and sterilization decreased the total soluble solids and pH and changed color parameters, while minimally influencing viscosity. The loss of total anthocyanin content by fermentation was related to the unstable structure of blueberry anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are sensitive to temperature (>80 °C), and degradation of anthocyanins by sterilization in blueberry should be considered in the fermentation procedure. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quantitative Fissile Assay In Used Fuel Using LSDS System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, YongDeok; Jeon, Ju Young; Park, Chang-Je

2017-09-01

A quantitative assay of isotopic fissile materials (U235, Pu239, Pu241) was done at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), using lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS). The optimum design of LSDS was performed based on economics, easy maintenance and assay effectiveness. LSDS system consists of spectrometer, neutron source, detection and control. LSDS system induces fissile fission and fast neutrons are collected at fission chamber. The detected signal has a direct relation to the mass of existing fissile isotopes. Many current commercial assay technologies have a limitation in direct application on isotopic fissile assay of spent fuel, except chemical analysis. In the designed system, the fissile assay model was setup and the correction factor for self-shield was obtained. The isotopic fissile content assay was performed by changing the content of Pu239. Based on the fuel rod, the isotopic content was consistent with 2% uncertainty for Pu239. By applying the covering (neutron absorber), the effective shielding was obtained and the activation was calculated on the target. From the assay evaluation, LSDS technique is very powerful and direct to analyze the isotopic fissile content. LSDS is applicable for nuclear fuel cycle and spent fuel management for safety and economics. Additionally, an accurate fissile content will contribute to the international transparency and credibility on spent fuel.

Health promotion in Swedish schools: school managers' views.

PubMed

Persson, Louise; Haraldsson, Katarina

2017-04-01

Schools are recognized worldwide as settings for health promotion, and leadership has a bearing on schools' ability to be health promoting. School managers have a great influence on what is prioritized in school, which in turn affects students' school performance and health. There is lack of research into school managers' views on health promotion, and what they consider to be central to health promotion. The aim was therefore to examine school managers' views about what health promotion in schools include. An explorative design, qualitative content analysis, was performed. In-depth interviews were conducted with all 13 school managers of a middle-sized municipality in central Sweden. The analysis had both manifest and latent content and three categories: 'Organization and Collaboration', 'Optimize the arena' and 'Strengthen the individual', and 10 subcategories emerged. The theme, 'Opportunities for learning and a good life', describes the latent content of these categories. Taking into account the views of school managers are important because these views help form a more complete picture of how school managers work with health promotion and what is needed to enhance health promotion to improve students' opportunities for learning and a good life. The Ottawa Charter for Health promotion is thereby transformed into practice. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of antibacterial properties and the active ingredient of plant extracts and its effect on the performance of crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. E'erqisi, Bloch).

PubMed

Lu, Chunxia; Luo, Xiaoling; Luo, Ruifeng; Chen, Xia; Xing, Lijie; Tang, Zonggui; Li, Hongmin

2013-03-15

In this study, the antibacterial properties and active ingredient of plant extracts and its effect on the performance of crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. E'erqisi, Bloch) were assessed. The transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometric analysis showed that the antibacterial activity of plant extracts is due to the disruption of the cell membrane and the leakage of cytoplasmic contents. The UPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that the contents of gallic acid, (-)-epigallocatechin, (+)-catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin gallate, aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion, were 5.27%, 3.30%, 1.08%, 19.32%, 5.46%, 0.23%, 0.56%, 1.28%, 0.75% and 0.39% in plant extracts, respectively. Results of feeding experiment showed that feeding crucian carp with 1.0% and 2.0% plant extracts significantly enhanced specific growth rate, serum total protein, lysozyme, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, and decreased the feed conversion rate, malondialdehyde contents and the mortality rate (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that plant extracts added to fish feed can act as natural antimicrobial and immunostimulants to prevent pathogenic infection, enhance immune response, and promote growth of the fish. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Atmospheric corrosion performance of different steels in early exposure in the coastal area region West Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuraini, Lutviasari; Prifiharni, Siska; Priyotomo, Gadang; Sundjono, Gunawan, Hadi; Purawiardi, Ibrahim

2018-05-01

The performance of carbon steel, galvanized steel and aluminium after one month exposed in the atmospheric coastal area, which is in Limbangan and Karangsong Beach, West Java, Indonesia was evaluated. The corrosion rate was determined by weight loss method and the morphology of the steel after exposed was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis(EDX). The site was monitored to determine the chloride content in the marine atmosphere. Then, the corrosion products formed at carbon steel were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The result showed the aggressively corrosion in Karangsong beach, indicated from the corrosion rate of carbon steel, galvanized steel and aluminium were 38.514 mpy; 4.7860 mpy and 0.5181 mpy, respectively. While in Limbangan Beach the corrosion rate of specimen carbon steel, galvanized steel and aluminium were 3.339; 0.219 and 0.166 mpy, respectively. The chloride content was found to be the main factor that influences in the atmospheric corrosion process in this area. Chloride content accumulated in Karangsong and Limbangan was 497 mg/m2.day and 117 mg/m2.day, respectively. The XRD Analysis on each carbon steel led to the characterization of a complex mixture of iron oxides phases.

Determination of sulfur dioxide in wine using headspace gas chromatography and electron capture detection.

PubMed

Aberl, A; Coelhan, M

2013-01-01

Sulfites are routinely added as preservatives and antioxidants in wine production. By law, the total sulfur dioxide content in wine is restricted and therefore must be monitored. Currently, the method of choice for determining the total content of sulfur dioxide in wine is the optimised Monier-Williams method, which is time consuming and laborious. The headspace gas chromatographic method described in this study offers a fast and reliable alternative method for the detection and quantification of the sulfur dioxide content in wine. The analysis was performed using an automatic headspace injection sampler, coupled with a gas chromatograph and an electron capture detector. The method is based on the formation of gaseous sulfur dioxide subsequent to acidification and heating of the sample. In addition to free sulfur dioxide, reversibly bound sulfur dioxide in carbonyl compounds, such as acetaldehyde, was also measured with this method. A total of 20 wine samples produced using diverse grape varieties and vintages of varied provenance were analysed using the new method. For reference and comparison purposes, 10 of the results obtained by the proposed method were compared with those acquired by the optimised Monier-Williams method. Overall, the results from the headspace analysis showed good correlation (R = 0.9985) when compared with the conventional method. This new method requires minimal sample preparation and is simple to perform, and the analysis can also be completed within a short period of time.

Impractical CME programs: Influential parameters in Iran.

PubMed

Faghihi, Seyed Aliakbar; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Hosseini, Seyed Jalil; Soltani Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran; Faghih, Zahra; Shirazi, Mandana

2017-01-01

Background: Traditional approaches in Continuing Medical Education (CME) appear to be ineffective in any improvement of the patients' care, reducing the medical errors, and/or altering physicians' behaviors. However, they are still executed by the CME providers, and are popular among the majority of the physicians. In this study, we aimed to explore the parameters involved in the degree of effectiveness of CME program in Iran. Methods: In this study, 31 participants, consisting of general practitioners, CME experts and providers were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews and field observations concerning experiences with CME. Application was made of the qualitative paradigm along with the qualitative content analysis, using grounded theory data analysis methodology (constant comparative analysis). Results: Based on the participants' experiences, the insufficient consistency between the training program contents and the demands of GPs, in addition to the non-beneficiary programs for the physicians and the non-comprehensive educational designs, created a negative attitude to the continuing education among physicians. This could be defined by an unrealistic continuing education program, which is the main theme here. Conclusion: Impracticable continuing education has created a negative attitude toward the CME programs among physicians so much that they consider these programs less important, resulting in attending the said programs without any specific aim: they dodge absenteeism just to get the credit points. Evidently, promoting CME programs to improve the performance of the physicians requires factual needs assessment over and above adaptation of the contents to the physicians' performance.

Impractical CME programs: Influential parameters in Iran

PubMed Central

Faghihi, Seyed Aliakbar; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Hosseini, Seyed Jalil; Soltani Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran; Faghih, Zahra; Shirazi, Mandana

2017-01-01

Background: Traditional approaches in Continuing Medical Education (CME) appear to be ineffective in any improvement of the patients’ care, reducing the medical errors, and/or altering physicians' behaviors. However, they are still executed by the CME providers, and are popular among the majority of the physicians. In this study, we aimed to explore the parameters involved in the degree of effectiveness of CME program in Iran. Methods: In this study, 31 participants, consisting of general practitioners, CME experts and providers were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews and field observations concerning experiences with CME. Application was made of the qualitative paradigm along with the qualitative content analysis, using grounded theory data analysis methodology (constant comparative analysis). Results: Based on the participants’ experiences, the insufficient consistency between the training program contents and the demands of GPs, in addition to the non-beneficiary programs for the physicians and the non-comprehensive educational designs, created a negative attitude to the continuing education among physicians. This could be defined by an unrealistic continuing education program, which is the main theme here. Conclusion: Impracticable continuing education has created a negative attitude toward the CME programs among physicians so much that they consider these programs less important, resulting in attending the said programs without any specific aim: they dodge absenteeism just to get the credit points. Evidently, promoting CME programs to improve the performance of the physicians requires factual needs assessment over and above adaptation of the contents to the physicians’ performance. PMID:28638813

A Contextual Analysis of the Quality Core Curriculum and the Georgia Performance Standards in Seventh Grade Social Studies: A Critical Race Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Candis, Matthew Reese

2013-01-01

In 1985 the state of Georgia introduced the Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) in accordance with the Quality Basic Education (QBE) Act. These learning standards identified the content knowledge that students were required to learn in each subject area at all grade levels. The QCC was replaced by the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) to identify the…

Radioisotope Power Systems Reference Book for Mission Designers and Planners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Young; Bairstow, Brian

2015-01-01

The RPS Program's Program Planning and Assessment (PPA) Office commissioned the Mission Analysis team to develop the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Reference Book for Mission Planners and Designers to define a baseline of RPS technology capabilities with specific emphasis on performance parameters and technology readiness. The main objective of this book is to provide RPS technology information that could be utilized by future mission concept studies and concurrent engineering practices. A progress summary from the major branches of RPS technology research provides mission analysis teams with a vital tool for assessing the RPS trade space, and provides concurrent engineering centers with a consistent set of guidelines for RPS performance characteristics. This book will be iterated when substantial new information becomes available to ensure continued relevance, serving as one of the cornerstone products of the RPS PPA Office. This book updates the original 2011 internal document, using data from the relevant publicly released RPS technology references and consultations with RPS technologists. Each performance parameter and RPS product subsection has been reviewed and cleared by at least one subject matter representative. A virtual workshop was held to reach consensus on the scope and contents of the book, and the definitions and assumptions that should be used. The subject matter experts then reviewed and updated the appropriate sections of the book. The RPS Mission Analysis Team then performed further updates and crosschecked the book for consistency. Finally, a second virtual workshop was held to ensure all subject matter experts and stakeholders concurred on the contents.

High Resolution Neutron Radiography and Tomography of Hydrided Zircaloy-4 Cladding Materials

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

Smith, Tyler S; Bilheux, Hassina Z; Ray, Holly B

2015-01-01

Neutron radiography for hydrogen analysis was performed with several Zircaloy-4 cladding samples with controlled hydrogen concentrations up to 1100 ppm. Hydrogen charging was performed in a process tube that was heated to facilitate hydrogen absorption by the metal. A correlation between the hydrogen concentration in the hydrided tubes and the neutron intensity was established, by which hydrogen content can be determined precisely in a small area (55 m x 55 m). Radiography analysis was also performed to evaluate the heating rate and its correlation with the hydrogen distribution through hydrided materials. In addition to radiography analysis, tomography experiments were performedmore » on Zircaloy-4 tube samples to study the local hydrogen distribution. Through tomography analysis a 3D reconstruction of the tube was evaluated in which an uneven hydrogen distribution in the circumferential direction can be observed.« less

New generation of the multimedia search engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mijes Cruz, Mario Humberto; Soto Aldaco, Andrea; Maldonado Cano, Luis Alejandro; López Rodríguez, Mario; Rodríguez Vázqueza, Manuel Antonio; Amaya Reyes, Laura Mariel; Cano Martínez, Elizabeth; Pérez Rosas, Osvaldo Gerardo; Rodríguez Espejo, Luis; Flores Secundino, Jesús Abimelek; Rivera Martínez, José Luis; García Vázquez, Mireya Saraí; Zamudio Fuentes, Luis Miguel; Sánchez Valenzuela, Juan Carlos; Montoya Obeso, Abraham; Ramírez Acosta, Alejandro Álvaro

2016-09-01

Current search engines are based upon search methods that involve the combination of words (text-based search); which has been efficient until now. However, the Internet's growing demand indicates that there's more diversity on it with each passing day. Text-based searches are becoming limited, as most of the information on the Internet can be found in different types of content denominated multimedia content (images, audio files, video files). Indeed, what needs to be improved in current search engines is: search content, and precision; as well as an accurate display of expected search results by the user. Any search can be more precise if it uses more text parameters, but it doesn't help improve the content or speed of the search itself. One solution is to improve them through the characterization of the content for the search in multimedia files. In this article, an analysis of the new generation multimedia search engines is presented, focusing the needs according to new technologies. Multimedia content has become a central part of the flow of information in our daily life. This reflects the necessity of having multimedia search engines, as well as knowing the real tasks that it must comply. Through this analysis, it is shown that there are not many search engines that can perform content searches. The area of research of multimedia search engines of new generation is a multidisciplinary area that's in constant growth, generating tools that satisfy the different needs of new generation systems.

Evidence-Based Exercise Recommendations to Reduce Hepatic Fat Content in Youth- a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Medrano, María; Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina; Álvarez-Bueno, Celia; Cavero-Redondo, Iván; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Ortega, Francisco B; Labayen, Idoia

2018-02-13

The main purposes of this study were to elucidate the effects of supervised-exercise training (ET) interventions on hepatic fat content and on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence in children and adolescents and to provide information about the optimal ET prescription (type, intensity, volume, and frequency) needed to reduce hepatic fat content in youths. Supervised-ET interventions performed in children and adolescents (6-19 years) that provided results of exercise effects on hepatic fat content or NAFLD prevalence were included. Supervised-exercise significantly reduced hepatic fat content compared to the control groups. Lifestyle interventions that included supervised-ET significantly reduced the prevalence of NAFLD. This systematic review and meta-analysis shows that supervised-ET could be an effective strategy in the management and prevention of NAFLD in children and adolescents. Both aerobic and resistance ET, at vigorous or moderate-to-vigorous intensities, with a volume ≥60 min/session and a frequency ≥3 sessions/week, aiming to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength, had benefits on hepatic fat content reduction in youth. These data concur with the international recommendations of physical activity for health promotion in youth and may be useful when designing ET programs to improve and prevent hepatic steatosis in the pediatric population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome profiling analysis reveals the role of silique in controlling seed oil content in Brassica napus.

PubMed

Huang, Ke-Lin; Zhang, Mei-Li; Ma, Guang-Jing; Wu, Huan; Wu, Xiao-Ming; Ren, Feng; Li, Xue-Bao

2017-01-01

Seed oil content is an important agronomic trait in oilseed rape. However, the molecular mechanism of oil accumulation in rapeseeds is unclear so far. In this report, RNA sequencing technique (RNA-Seq) was performed to explore differentially expressed genes in siliques of two Brassica napus lines (HFA and LFA which contain high and low oil contents in seeds, respectively) at 15 and 25 days after pollination (DAP). The RNA-Seq results showed that 65746 and 66033 genes were detected in siliques of low oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, and 65236 and 65211 genes were detected in siliques of high oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, respectively. By comparative analysis, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in siliques of these lines. The DEGs were involved in multiple pathways, including metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolic, photosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, fatty metabolism, glycophospholipid metabolism, and DNA binding. Also, DEGs were related to photosynthesis, starch and sugar metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and lipid metabolism at different developmental stage, resulting in the differential oil accumulation in seeds. Furthermore, RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR data revealed that some transcription factors positively regulate seed oil content. Thus, our data provide the valuable information for further exploring the molecular mechanism of lipid biosynthesis and oil accumulation in B. nupus.

Transcriptome profiling analysis reveals the role of silique in controlling seed oil content in Brassica napus

PubMed Central

Huang, Ke-Lin; Zhang, Mei-Li; Ma, Guang-Jing; Wu, Huan; Wu, Xiao-Ming; Ren, Feng

2017-01-01

Seed oil content is an important agronomic trait in oilseed rape. However, the molecular mechanism of oil accumulation in rapeseeds is unclear so far. In this report, RNA sequencing technique (RNA-Seq) was performed to explore differentially expressed genes in siliques of two Brassica napus lines (HFA and LFA which contain high and low oil contents in seeds, respectively) at 15 and 25 days after pollination (DAP). The RNA-Seq results showed that 65746 and 66033 genes were detected in siliques of low oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, and 65236 and 65211 genes were detected in siliques of high oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, respectively. By comparative analysis, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in siliques of these lines. The DEGs were involved in multiple pathways, including metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolic, photosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, fatty metabolism, glycophospholipid metabolism, and DNA binding. Also, DEGs were related to photosynthesis, starch and sugar metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and lipid metabolism at different developmental stage, resulting in the differential oil accumulation in seeds. Furthermore, RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR data revealed that some transcription factors positively regulate seed oil content. Thus, our data provide the valuable information for further exploring the molecular mechanism of lipid biosynthesis and oil accumulation in B. nupus. PMID:28594951

Oxford-Style Debates in a Microbiology Course for Majors: A Method for Delivering Content and Engaging Critical Thinking Skills †

PubMed Central

Boucaud, Dwayne W.; Nabel, Michael; Eggers, Christian H.

2013-01-01

Developing scientific expertise in the classroom involves promoting higher-order cognitive skills as well as content mastery. Effective use of constructivism can facilitate these outcomes. However this is often difficult to accomplish when delivery of content is paramount. Utilizing many of the tenets of constructivist pedagogy, we have designed an Oxford-style debate assignment to be used in an introductory microbiology course. Two teams of students were assigned a debatable topic within microbiology. Over a five-week period students completed an informative web page consisting of three parts: background on the topic, data-based positions for each side of the argument, and a data-based persuasive argument to support their assigned position. This was followed by an in-class presentation and debate. Analysis of student performance on knowledge-based questions shows that students retain debate-derived content acquired primarily outside of lectures significantly better than content delivered during a normal lecture. Importantly, students who performed poorly on the lecture-derived questions did as well on debate-derived questions as other students. Students also performed well on questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills and in synthesizing data-driven arguments in support of a position during the debate. Student perceptions of their knowledge-base in areas covered by the debate and their skills in using scientific databases and analyzing primary literature showed a significant increase in pre- and postassignment comparisons. Our data demonstrate that an Oxford-style debate can be used effectively to deliver relevant content, increase higher-order cognitive skills, and increase self-efficacy in science-specific skills, all contributing to developing expertise in the field. PMID:23858349

Spatial variability of chlorophyll and nitrogen content of rice from hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moharana, Shreedevi; Dutta, Subashisa

2016-12-01

Chlorophyll and nitrogen are the most essential parameters for paddy crop growth. Spectroradiometric measurements were collected at canopy level during critical growth period of rice. Chemical analysis was performed to quantify the total leaf content. By exploiting the ground based measurements, regression models were established for chlorophyll and nitrogen aimed indices with their corresponding crop growth variables. Vegetation index models were developed for mapping these parameters from Hyperion imagery in an agriculture system. It was inferred that the present Simple Ratio (SR) and Leaf Nitrogen Concentration (LNC) indices, which followed a linear and nonlinear relationship respectively, were completely different from published Tian et al. (2011). The nitrogen content varied widely from 1 to 4% and only 2 to 3% for paddy crop using present modified index models and Tian et al. (2011) respectively. The modified LNC index model performed better than the established Tian et al. (2011) model as far as estimated nitrogen content from Hyperion imagery was concerned. Furthermore, within the observed chlorophyll range obtained from the studied rice varieties grown in the rice agriculture system, the index models (LNC, OASVI, Gitelson, mSR and MTCI) performed well in the spatial distribution of rice chlorophyll content from Hyperion imagery. Spatial distribution of total chlorophyll content varied widely from 1.77 to 5.81 mg/g (LNC), 3.0 to 13 mg/g (OASVI), 0.5 to 10.43 mg/g (Gitelson), 2.18 to 10.61 mg/g (mSR) and 2.90 to 5.40 mg/g (MTCI). The spatial information of these parameters will help in proper nutrient management, yield forecasting, and will serve as inputs for crop growth and forecasting models for a precision rice agriculture system.

Stressors in elite sport: a coach perspective.

PubMed

Thelwell, Richard C; Weston, Neil J V; Greenlees, Iain A; Hutchings, Nicholas V

2008-07-01

We examined the varying performance and organizational stressors experienced by coaches who operate with elite athletes. Following interviews with eleven coaches, content analysis of the data revealed coaches to experience comparable numbers of performance and organizational stressors. Performance stressors were divided between their own performance and that of their athletes, while organizational stressors included environmental, leadership, personal, and team factors. The findings provide evidence that coaches experience a variety of stressors that adds weight to the argument that they should be labelled as "performers" in their own right. A variety of future research topics and applied issues are also discussed.

Performance and analysis of MAC protocols based on application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Ravi; Daniel, A. K.

2018-04-01

Wireless Sensor Network is one of the rapid emerging technology in recent decades. It covers large application area as civilian and military. Wireless Sensor Network primary consists of sensor nodes having low-power, low cost and multifunctional activities to collaborates and communicates via wireless medium. The deployment of sensor nodes are adhoc in nature, so sensor nodes are auto organize themselves in such a way to communicate with each other. The characteristics make more challenging areas on WSNs. This paper gives overview about characteristics of WSNs, Architecture and Contention Based MAC protocol. The paper present analysis of various protocol based on performance.

Spray drying egg using either maltodextrin or nopal mucilage as stabilizer agents.

PubMed

Medina-Torres, L; Calderas, F; Nuñez Ramírez, D M; Herrera-Valencia, E E; Bernad Bernad, M J; Manero, O

2017-12-01

In this work, a comparative study between spray drying (SD) of fresh egg by either maltodextrin (MD) or nopal-mucilage (MN) as stabilizing vectors was made. The powders obtained were characterized for drying performance, moisture content, chemical proximate analysis, thermal analysis (TGA), chemical composition (FTIR), microscopy (SEM) and rheology (viscoelasticity and steady state simple shear viscosity). Infrared analysis showed that MN has the effect of a thickening agent rather than an encapsulating one. Results indicated that SD egg with MN produced a high thermal and mechanical stable product and rendered the highest drying performance, producing a more uniform and defined sphere-shaped morphology in comparison to egg SD either alone and with MD.

[Investigation and analysis of heavy metal pollution related to soil-Panax notoginseng system].

PubMed

Chen, Lu; Mi, Yan-Hua; Lin, Xin; Liu, Da-Hui; Zeng, Min; Chen, Xiao-Yan

2014-07-01

In this study, five heavy metals contamination of soil and different parts of Panax notoginseng in the plantation area was investigated. Analysis of heavy metals correlation between the planting soil and P. notoginseng; and the absorption and accumulation characteristics and translocation of soil heavy metals by P. notoginseng plants was revealed. Through field investigation and laboratory analytical methods, analysis of China's 30 different soil P. notoginseng origin and content of heavy metals in five different parts of the P. notoginseng plant content of heavy metals. The results revealed that the soil heavy metals should not be neglected in the plantation area Referring to the national soil quality standards (GB15608-1995), the excessive degree of soil heavy metals pollution showed Hg > As > Cd > Cr in the plantation area, and Pb content of soil was in the scope of the standard. Refer to 'Green Industry Standards for Import and Export of Medical Plants and Preparations', the excessive degree of heavy metals content of P. notoginseng plants showed As > Pb > Cr > Cd, and Hg content of plants was in the scope of the standard. Concentrations of five heavy metals of underground parts of P. notoginseng plants are higher than aboveground, and heavy metals elements are more concentrated in the root, followed by the rhizome of P. notoginseng plants. Heavy metal accumulation characteristics of the different parts of the P. notoginseng of the overall performance is the root > the rhizome > the root tuber > leaves > stems. From the point of view BCF value analysis of various parts of the P. notoginseng plants to absorb heavy metals in soil, BCF values of all samples were less than 1, description P. notoginseng not belong Hyperaccumulator. From the view of transportation and related analysis of the soil-P. notoginseng systems, the rhizome of P. notoginseng and the content of As and Cr in soil was significantly correlated, the root of P. notoginseng and the content of Cd in soil was significantly correlated, and no significant correlation between the other indicators. Through the analysis of transportation transfer coefficient showed: Pb, As and Cr are not easy to transport aboveground part from the underground, but Cd and Hg are relatively easy to transport stems from rhizome, the migration of five heavy metals in the aerial part is relatively strong, and heavy metal of stems is easily transported to the leaves. P. notoginseng does not belong to the enrichment of heavy metals in crops, especially for Hg in soil with strong patience. In survey area, the content of heavy metals of P. notoginseng's planting soil is relatively high, and the heavy metals As, Pb, Cr, Cd of P. notoginseng also exist heavy metals exceeded problems. Due to the presence of heavy metals in crops internal absorption and translocation of special laws, accumulation of heavy metals varied significantly in different parts of P. notoginseng. The overall, the performance for the heavy metal content of the underground parts is more than aboveground, it explain heavy metals of P. notoginseng plants is still the main source of the soiL Therefore, the key to control of planting area soil environmental quality and reduce exogenous harmful substances secondary pollution of soil in the cultivation process are to study and solve the heavy metals pollution problem of P. notoginseng.

A population structure and genome-wide association analysis on the USDA soybean germplasm collection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genotype-phenotype associations within the soybean (Glycine max) germplasm collection could provide valuable information on the frequency and distribution of alleles affecting economically important traits. Here we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for seed protein and oil content in ...

A Content Analysis of Problematic Behavior in Counselor Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Maranda

2013-01-01

Counselor education programs are obligated by accreditation standards and professional codes of ethics to identify counselors-in-training whose academic, clinical, and personal performance indicate problematic behavior that would potentially prevent them from entering the profession (McAdams, Foster, & Ward, 2007; Rust, Raskin, & Hill,…

Content Structure as a Design Strategy Variable in Concept Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennyson, Robert D.; Tennyson, Carol L.

Three methods of sequencing coordinate concepts (simultaneous, collective, and successive) were investigated with a Bayesian, computer-based, adaptive control system. The data analysis showed that when coordinate concepts are taught simultaneously (contextually similar concepts presented at the same time), student performance is superior to either…

Modeling and Simulation of Voids in Composite Tape Winding Process Based on Domain Superposition Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Bo; Shi, Yaoyao

2017-11-01

The tape winding technology is an effective way to fabricate rotationally composite materials. Nevertheless, some inevitable defects will seriously influence the performance of winding products. One of the crucial ways to identify the quality of fiber-reinforced composite material products is examining its void content. Significant improvement in products' mechanical properties can be achieved by minimizing the void defect. Two methods were applied in this study, finite element analysis and experimental testing, respectively, to investigate the mechanism of how void forming in composite tape winding processing. Based on the theories of interlayer intimate contact and Domain Superposition Technique (DST), a three-dimensional model of prepreg tape void with SolidWorks has been modeled in this paper. Whereafter, ABAQUS simulation software was used to simulate the void content change with pressure and temperature. Finally, a series of experiments were performed to determine the accuracy of the model-based predictions. The results showed that the model is effective for predicting the void content in the composite tape winding process.

Adolescent judgment of sexual content on television: implications for future content analysis research.

PubMed

Manganello, Jennifer A; Henderson, Vani R; Jordan, Amy; Trentacoste, Nicole; Martin, Suzanne; Hennessy, Michael; Fishbein, Martin

2010-07-01

Many studies of sexual messages in media utilize content analysis methods. At times, this research assumes that researchers and trained coders using content analysis methods and the intended audience view and interpret media content similarly. This article compares adolescents' perceptions of the presence or absence of sexual content on television to those of researchers using three different coding schemes. Results from this formative research study suggest that participants and researchers are most likely to agree with content categories assessing manifest content, and that differences exist among adolescents who view sexual messages on television. Researchers using content analysis methods to examine sexual content in media and media effects on sexual behavior should consider identifying how audience characteristics may affect interpretation of content and account for audience perspectives in content analysis study protocols when appropriate for study goals.

Water content and structure in malignant and benign skin tumours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gniadecka, M.; Nielsen, O. F.; Wulf, H. C.

2003-12-01

Analysis of the low frequency region of Raman spectra enables determination of water structure. It has been previously demonstrated by various techniques that water content and possibly also the water structure is altered in some malignant tumours. To further elucidate possible change in water structure in tumours we performed NIR FT Raman spectroscopy on biopsies from selected benign and malignant skin tumours (benign: seborrheic keratosis, pigmented nevi; malignant: malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma). We did not observe any differences in water content between malignant and benign skin tumours with an exception of seborrheic keratosis, in which the water content was decreased. Increase in the tetrahedral (free) water was found in malignant skin tumours and sun-damaged skin relative to normal young skin and benign skin tumours. This finding may add to the understanding of molecular alterations in cancer.

The influence of carbon content on cyclic fatigue of NiTi SMA wires.

PubMed

Matheus, T C U; Menezes, W M M; Rigo, O D; Kabayama, L K; Viana, C S C; Otubo, J

2011-06-01

To evaluate two NiTi wires with different carbon and oxygen contents in terms of mechanical resistance to rotary bending fatigue (RBF) under varied parameters of strain amplitude and rotational speed. The wires produced from two vacuum induction melting (VIM) processed NiTi ingots were tested, Ti-49.81 at%Ni and Ti-50.33 at%Ni, named VIM 1 and VIM 2. A brief analysis related to wire fabrication is also presented, as well as chemical and microstructural analysis by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and optical microscope, respectively. A computer controlled RBF machine was specially constructed for the tests. Three radii of curvature were used: 50.0, 62.5 and 75.0 mm, respectively, R(1), R(2) and R(3), resulting in three strain amplitudes ε(a) : 1.00%, 0.80% and 0.67%. The selected rotational speeds were 250 and 455 rpm. The VIM 1 wire had a high carbon content of 0.188 wt% and a low oxygen content of 0.036 wt%. The oxygen and carbon contents of wire VIM 2 did not exceed their maximum, of 0.070 and 0.050 wt%, according to ASTM standard (ASTM F-2063-00 2001). The wire with lower carbon content performed better when compared to the one with higher carbon content, withstanding 29,441 and 12,895 cycles, respectively, to fracture. The surface quality of the wire was associated with resistance to cyclic fatigue. Surface defects acted as stress concentrators points. Overall, the number of cycles to failure was higher for VIM 2 wires with lower carbon content. © 2011 International Endodontic Journal.

Basic failure mechanisms in advanced composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mullin, J. V.; Mazzio, V. F.; Mehan, R. L.

1972-01-01

Failure mechanisms in carbon-epoxy composites are identified as a basis for more reliable prediction of the performance of these materials. The approach involves both the study of local fracture events in model specimens containing small groups of filaments and fractographic examination of high fiber content engineering composites. Emphasis is placed on the correlation of model specimen observations with gross fracture modes. The effects of fiber surface treatment, resin modification and fiber content are studied and acoustic emission methods are applied. Some effort is devoted to analysis of the failure process in composite/metal specimens.

Determination of Flavonoids and Anthocyanins in Nitraria tangutorum by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhe, Gao; Ying-Chun, Wang; Yan-Xu, Chang

2016-01-01

Using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MSn) method, qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoids of stems, leaves, fruits and seeds, and anthocyanidin of fresh fruits in Nitraria tangutorum were performed. A total of 14 flavonoid components were identified from the seeds of N. tangutorum including three quercetin derivatives, three kaempferol derivatives, and eight isorhamnetin derivatives. A total of 12, 10, and 7 flavonoid components were identified from leaves, stems, and fruits of N. tangutorum, respectively; all were present in seeds also. The total content of flavonoids in leaves was the highest, up to 42.43 mg/g·dry weight. A total of 12 anthocyanidin components were identified from the fresh fruits of N. tangutorum, belonging to five anthocyanidin. The total content of anthocyanidin in fresh fruits was up to 45.83 mg/100 g· fresh weight, of which the acylated anthocyanidin accounted for 65.7%. The HPLC-DAD-MS(n) method can be operated easily, rapidly, and accurately, and is feasible for qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavone glycosides in N. tangutorum.

An overview of technical considerations when using quantitative real-time PCR analysis of gene expression in human exercise research

PubMed Central

Yan, Xu; Bishop, David J.

2018-01-01

Gene expression analysis by quantitative PCR in skeletal muscle is routine in exercise studies. The reproducibility and reliability of the data fundamentally depend on how the experiments are performed and interpreted. Despite the popularity of the assay, there is a considerable variation in experimental protocols and data analyses from different laboratories, and there is a lack of consistency of proper quality control steps throughout the assay. In this study, we present a number of experiments on various steps of quantitative PCR workflow, and demonstrate how to perform a quantitative PCR experiment with human skeletal muscle samples in an exercise study. We also tested some common mistakes in performing qPCR. Interestingly, we found that mishandling of muscle for a short time span (10 mins) before RNA extraction did not affect RNA quality, and isolated total RNA was preserved for up to one week at room temperature. Demonstrated by our data, use of unstable reference genes lead to substantial differences in the final results. Alternatively, cDNA content can be used for data normalisation; however, complete removal of RNA from cDNA samples is essential for obtaining accurate cDNA content. PMID:29746477

Quality evaluation of Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection.

PubMed

Zhao, Yang; Li, Zhangwan; Zhou, Xin; Cai, Zongwei; Gong, Xiaojian; Zhou, Chanyuan

2008-12-01

A simple, sensitive and accurate HPLC-DAD method was developed for simultaneous determination of wuchuyuamide-I, quercetin, limonin, evodiamine and rutaecarpine in Evodia rutaecarpa that has been widely used as one of the traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Chromatographic separations were performed on a reverse-phase C(18) column with the gradient elution of acetonitrile-water and the simultaneous detection at five wavelengths. Good linear behaviors over the investigated concentration ranges were observed with the values of r higher than 0.999 for all the analytes. The recoveries measured at three levels varied from 98.77 to 102.36%. The validated method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of the five chemical constituents in 36 batches of samples collected from different regions or time that were investigated and authenticated as E. rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were performed to differentiate and classify the samples based on the contents of the five characteristic constituents. The total contents of evodiamine and rutaecarpine in different samples were calculated and the blending method proposed was demonstrated to be very useful in saving resources and in guiding rational herb use.

Co-combustion characteristics and blending optimization of tobacco stem and high-sulfur bituminous coal based on thermogravimetric and mass spectrometry analyses.

PubMed

Zhang, Kaihua; Zhang, Kai; Cao, Yan; Pan, Wei-ping

2013-03-01

Despite much research on co-combustion of tobacco stem and high-sulfur coal, their blending optimization has not been effectively found. This study investigated the combustion profiles of tobacco stem, high-sulfur bituminous coal and their blends by thermogravimetric analysis. Ignition and burnout performances, heat release performances, and gaseous pollutant emissions were also studied by thermogravimetric and mass spectrometry analyses. The results indicated that combustion of tobacco stem was more complicated than that of high-sulfur bituminous coal, mainly shown as fixed carbon in it was divided into two portions with one early burning and the other delay burning. Ignition and burnout performances, heat release performances, and gaseous pollutant emissions of the blends present variable trends with the increase of tobacco stem content. Taking into account the above three factors, a blending ratio of 0–20% tobacco stem content is conservatively proposed as optimum amount for blending. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content Analysis of Standardized-Patients' Descriptive Feedback on Student Performance on the CPX.

PubMed

Lee, Young Hee; Lee, Young-Mee; Kim, Byung Soo

2010-12-01

The goal of this study was to explore what kind of additional information is provided by the descriptive comments other than the rating scales, on the physician-patient interaction (PPI) in the clinical performance examination (CPX) and its feedback role in identifying students' strengths and weaknesses in communication skills. The data were collected from 18 medical schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi region, which participated in the CPX for fourth-year medical students in 2006 and 2007. In total 12,650 examination cases in 2006 and 12,814 cases in 2007 were analyzed. Descriptive comments from the standardized patients (SPs) were analyzed by content analysis, which includes a 4-step process: coding, conceptualizing, categorizing and explanation. Ten categories (41 concepts) for 'strength' and 11 for 'weakness' (40 concepts) in the PPI were extracted. Among them, 10 categories were the same in both strength and weakness: providing adequate interview atmosphere, attentive listening, providing emotional support, non-verbal behaviors, professional attitude, questioning, explanation, reaching agreement, counseling & education and conducting adequate physical examination. For the 'structured and organized interview', only weakness was described. In 'providing emotional support' and 'adequate interview atmosphere', comments on strengths were more frequently mentioned than weaknesses. However, communication skills that were related to non-verbal behaviors were more frequently considered weaknesses rather than strengths. The numbers and content of the SP's comments on students' strengths and weaknesses in the PPI varied depending on the case specificities. The results suggest that the SPs' descriptive comments on student' performance on the CPX can provide additional information versus structured quantitative assessment tools such as performance checklists and rating scales. In particular, this information can be used as valuable feedback to identify the advantages and dicadvantages of the PPI and to enhance students' communication skills.

Evaluation of the Influence of Sulfur-Fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba on the Quality of Si Wu Tang by Chromatographic and Chemometric Analysis

PubMed Central

Pei, Ke; Duan, Yu; Qiao, Feng-Xian; Tu, Si-Cong; Liu, Xiao; Wang, Xiao-Li; Song, Xiao-Qing; Fan, Kai-Lei; Cai, Bao-Chang

2016-01-01

An accurate and reliable method of high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprint combining with multi-ingredient determination was developed and validated to evaluate the influence of sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba on the quality and chemical constituents of Si Wu Tang. Multivariate data analysis including hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis, which integrated with high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprint and multi-ingredient determination, was employed to evaluate Si Wu Tang in a more objective and scientific way. Interestingly, in this paper, a total of 37 and 36 peaks were marked as common peaks in ten batches of Si Wu Tang containing sun-dried Paeoniae Radix Alba and ten batches of Si Wu Tang containing sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba, respectively, which indicated the changed fingerprint profile of Si Wu Tang when containing sulfur-fumigated herb. Furthermore, the results of simultaneous determination for multiple ingredients showed that the contents of albiflorin and paeoniflorin decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and the contents of gallic acid and Z-ligustilide decreased to some extent at the same time when Si Wu Tang contained sulfur-fumigated Paeoniae Radix Alba. Therefore, sulfur-fumigation processing may have great influence on the quality of Chinese herbal prescription. PMID:27034892

Characterization of Deficiencies in the Frequency Domain Forced Response Analysis Technique for Supersonic Turbine Bladed Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Schmauch, Preston

2011-01-01

Turbine blades in rocket and jet engine turbomachinery experience enormous harmonic loading conditions. These loads result from the integer number of upstream and downstream stator vanes as well as the other turbine stages. Assessing the blade structural integrity is a complex task requiring an initial characterization of whether resonance is possible and then performing a forced response analysis if that condition is met. The standard technique for forced response analysis in rocket engines is to decompose a CFD-generated flow field into its harmonic components, and to then perform a frequency response analysis at the problematic natural frequencies. Recent CFD analysis and water-flow testing at NASA/MSFC, though, indicates that this technique may miss substantial harmonic and non-harmonic excitation sources that become present in complex flows. A substantial effort has been made to account for this denser spatial Fourier content in frequency response analysis (described in another paper by the author), but the question still remains whether the frequency response analysis itself is capable of capturing the excitation content sufficiently. Two studies comparing frequency response analysis with transient response analysis, therefore, of bladed-disks undergoing this complex flow environment have been performed. The first is of a bladed disk with each blade modeled by simple beam elements. Six loading cases were generated by varying a baseline harmonic excitation in different ways based upon cold-flow testing from Heritage Fuel Air Turbine Test. It was hypothesized that the randomness and other variation from the standard harmonic excitation would reduce the blade structural response, but the results showed little reduction. The second study was of a realistic model of a bladed-disk excited by the same CFD used in the J2X engine program. It was hypothesized that enforcing periodicity in the CFD (inherent in the frequency response technique) would overestimate the response. The results instead showed that the transient analysis results were up to 10% higher for "clean" nodal diameter excitations and six times larger for "messy" excitations, where substantial Fourier content around the main harmonic exists. Because the bulk of resonance problems are due to the "clean" excitations, a 10% underprediction is not necessarily a problem, especially since the average response in the transient is similar to the frequency response result, and so in a realistic finite life calculation, the life would be same. However, in the rare cases when the "messy" excitations harmonics are identified as the source of potential resonance concerns, this research does indicate that frequency response analysis is inadequate for accurate characterization of blade structural capability.

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes a performance-related document within the meaning of... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files...

Foundation Analysis East Coast Air Combat Maneuvering Range Offshore Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-09-01

1976 86 2 3 025 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION TITLE PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.01 1.2 Methods of Analysis 1.01 1.3 Personnel Resumes 1.02...piling into the desired penetration. 1.2 METHODS OF ANALYSIS The method employed to perform the computation of pipe pile capacity curves, as presented...AD-A163 522 FOUNDATION ANALYSIS EAST COAST AIR COMBAT NANsUVERING 14S RANGE OFFSHORE KITT.. CU) CREST ENGINEERING INC TULSA OK SEP 76 27-M7-97 CNES

Genetic Basis of Variation in Rice Seed Storage Protein (Albumin, Globulin, Prolamin, and Glutelin) Content Revealed by Genome-Wide Association Analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Pingli; Shen, Zhikang; Ming, Luchang; Li, Yibo; Dan, Wenhan; Lou, Guangming; Peng, Bo; Wu, Bian; Li, Yanhua; Zhao, Da; Gao, Guanjun; Zhang, Qinglu; Xiao, Jinghua; Li, Xianghua; Wang, Gongwei; He, Yuqing

2018-01-01

Rice seed storage protein (SSP) is an important source of nutrition and energy. Understanding the genetic basis of SSP content and mining favorable alleles that control it will be helpful for breeding new improved cultivars. An association analysis for SSP content was performed to identify underlying genes using 527 diverse Oryza sativa accessions grown in two environments. We identified more than 107 associations for five different traits, including the contents of albumin (Alb), globulin (Glo), prolamin (Pro), glutelin (Glu), and total SSP (Total). A total of 28 associations were located at previously reported QTLs or intervals. A lead SNP sf0709447538, associated for Glu content in the indica subpopulation in 2015, was further validated in near isogenic lines NIL(Zhenshan97) and NIL(Delong208), and the Glu phenotype had significantly difference between two NILs. The association region could be target for map-based cloning of the candidate genes. There were 13 associations in regions close to grain-quality-related genes; five lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were located less than 20 kb upstream from grain-quality-related genes ( PG5a , Wx , AGPS2a , RP6 , and, RM1 ). Several starch-metabolism-related genes ( AGPS2a , OsACS6 , PUL , GBSSII , and ISA2 ) were also associated with SSP content. We identified favorable alleles of functional candidate genes, such as RP6 , RM1 , Wx , and other four candidate genes by haplotype analysis and expression pattern. Genotypes of RP6 and RM1 with higher Pro were not identified in japonica and exhibited much higher expression levels in indica group. The lead SNP sf0601764762, repeatedly detected for Alb content in 2 years in the whole association population, was located in the Wx locus that controls the synthesis of amylose. And Alb content was significantly and negatively correlated with amylose content and the level of 2.3 kb Wx pre-mRNA examined in this study. The associations or candidate genes identified would provide new insights into the genetic basis of SSP content that will help in developing rice cultivars with improved grain nutritional quality through marker-assisted breeding.

Mathematical evaluation of the amino acid and polyphenol content and antioxidant activities of fruits from different apricot cultivars.

PubMed

Sochor, Jiri; Skutkova, Helena; Babula, Petr; Zitka, Ondrej; Cernei, Natalia; Rop, Otakar; Krska, Boris; Adam, Vojtech; Provazník, Ivo; Kizek, Rene

2011-09-01

Functional foods are of interest because of their significant effects on human health, which can be connected with the presence of some biologically important compounds. In this study, we carried out complex analysis of 239 apricot cultivars (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivated in Lednice (climatic area T4), South Moravia, Czech Republic. Almost all previously published studies have focused only on analysis of certain parameters. However, we focused on detection both primary and secondary metabolites in a selection of apricot cultivars with respect to their biological activity. The contents of thirteen biogenic alpha-L-amino acids (arginine, asparagine, isoleucine, lysine, serine, threonine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, proline and alanine) were determined using ion exchange chromatography with UV-Vis spectrometry detection. Profile of polyphenols, measured as content of ten polyphenols with significant antioxidant properties (gallic acid, procatechinic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid, rutin, ferrulic acid and quercetrin), was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with spectrometric/electrochemical detection. Moreover, content of total phenolics was determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant activity was determined using five independent spectrophotometric methods: DPPH assay, DMPD method, ABTS method, FRAP and Free Radicals methods. Considering the complexity of the obtained data, they were processed and correlated using bioinformatics techniques (cluster analysis, principal component analysis). The studied apricot cultivars were clustered according to their common biochemical properties, which has not been done before. The observed similarities and differences were discussed.

Rapid quantitative analysis of individual anthocyanin content based on high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection with the pH differential method.

PubMed

Wang, Huayin

2014-09-01

A new quantitative technique for the simultaneous quantification of the individual anthocyanins based on the pH differential method and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection is proposed in this paper. The six individual anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-rutinoside, and malvidin 3-rutinoside) from mulberry (Morus rubra) and Liriope platyphylla were used for demonstration and validation. The elution of anthocyanins was performed using a C18 column with stepwise gradient elution and individual anthocyanins were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Based on the pH differential method, the high-performance liquid chromatography peak areas of maximum and reference absorption wavelengths of anthocyanin extracts were conducted to quantify individual anthocyanins. The calibration curves for these anthocyanins were linear within the range of 10-5500 mg/L. The correlation coefficients (r(2)) all exceeded 0.9972, and the limits of detection were in the range of 1-4 mg/L at a signal-to-noise ratio ≥5 for these anthocyanins. The proposed quantitative analysis was reproducible with good accuracy of all individual anthocyanins ranging from 96.3 to 104.2% and relative recoveries were in the range 98.4-103.2%. The proposed technique is performed without anthocyanin standards and is a simple, rapid, accurate, and economical method to determine individual anthocyanin contents. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Performing masculinity, influencing health: a qualitative mixed-methods study of young Spanish men.

PubMed

Marcos Marcos, Jorge; Avilés, Nuria Romo; del Río Lozano, María; Cuadros, Juan Palomares; García Calvente, María del Mar

2013-09-16

The literature shows how gender mandates contribute to differences in exposure and vulnerability to certain health risk factors. This paper presents the results of a study developed in the south of Spain, where research aimed at understanding men from a gender perspective is still limited. The aim of this paper is to explore the lay perceptions and meanings ascribed to the idea of masculinity, identifying ways in which gender displays are related to health. The study is based on a mixed-methods data collection strategy typical of qualitative research. We performed a qualitative content analysis focused on manifest and latent content. Our analysis showed that the relationship between masculinity and health was mainly defined with regard to behavioural explanations with an evident performative meaning. With regard to issues such as driving, the use of recreational drugs, aggressive behaviour, sexuality, and body image, important connections were established between manhood acts and health outcomes. Different ways of understanding and performing the male identity also emerged from the results. The findings revealed the implications of these aspects in the processes of change in the identity codes of men and women. The study provides insights into how the category 'man' is highly dependent on collective practices and performative acts. Consideration of how males perform manhood acts might be required in guidance on the development of programmes and policies aimed at addressing gender inequalities in health in a particular local context.

Performing masculinity, influencing health: a qualitative mixed-methods study of young Spanish men

PubMed Central

Marcos, Jorge Marcos; Avilés, Nuria Romo; Lozano, María del Río; Cuadros, Juan Palomares; Calvente, María del Mar García

2013-01-01

Background The literature shows how gender mandates contribute to differences in exposure and vulnerability to certain health risk factors. This paper presents the results of a study developed in the south of Spain, where research aimed at understanding men from a gender perspective is still limited. Objective The aim of this paper is to explore the lay perceptions and meanings ascribed to the idea of masculinity, identifying ways in which gender displays are related to health. Design The study is based on a mixed-methods data collection strategy typical of qualitative research. We performed a qualitative content analysis focused on manifest and latent content. Results Our analysis showed that the relationship between masculinity and health was mainly defined with regard to behavioural explanations with an evident performative meaning. With regard to issues such as driving, the use of recreational drugs, aggressive behaviour, sexuality, and body image, important connections were established between manhood acts and health outcomes. Different ways of understanding and performing the male identity also emerged from the results. The findings revealed the implications of these aspects in the processes of change in the identity codes of men and women. Conclusions The study provides insights into how the category ‘man’ is highly dependent on collective practices and performative acts. Consideration of how males perform manhood acts might be required in guidance on the development of programmes and policies aimed at addressing gender inequalities in health in a particular local context. PMID:24044583

Development of an instrument based on the protection motivation theory to measure factors influencing women's intention to first pap test practice.

PubMed

Hassani, Lale; Dehdari, Tahereh; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Shojaeizadeh, Davoud; Abedini, Mehrandokht; Nedjat, Saharnaz

2014-01-01

Given that there are many Iranian women who have never had a Pap smear, this study was designed to develop and validate a measurement tool based on the Protection Motivation Theory to assess factors influencing the Iranian women's intention to perform first Pap testing. In this psychometric research, to determine the Content Validity Index (CVI) and the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), a panel of experts (n=10) reviewed scale items. Reliability was estimated through the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (n=30) and internal consistency (n=240). Also, factor analysis (exploratory and conformity) was performed on the data of the sample women who had never had a Pap smear test (n=240). A 26-item questionnaire was developed. The CVI and CVR scores of the scale were 0.89 and 0.90, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis loaded a 26-item with seven factors questionnaire (perceived vulnerability and severity, fear, response costs, response efficacy, self-efficacy, and protection motivation (or intention)) that jointly accounted for 72.76% of the observed variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the data. Internal consistency (range 0.70-0.93) and test-retest reliability (range 0.72-0.96) of sub-scales were acceptable. This study showed that the designed instrument was a valid and reliable tool for measuring the factors influencing the women's intention to perform their first Pap testing.

Simultaneous analysis of 11 main active components in Cirsium setosum based on HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and combined with statistical methods.

PubMed

Sun, Qian; Chang, Lu; Ren, Yanping; Cao, Liang; Sun, Yingguang; Du, Yingfeng; Shi, Xiaowei; Wang, Qiao; Zhang, Lantong

2012-11-01

A novel method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneous determination of the 11 major active components including ten flavonoids and one phenolic acid in Cirsium setosum. Separation was performed on a reversed-phase C(18) column with gradient elution of methanol and 0.1‰ acetic acid (v/v). The identification and quantification of the analytes were achieved on a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Multiple-reaction monitoring scanning was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. Full validation of the assay was carried out including linearity, precision, accuracy, stability, limits of detection and quantification. The results demonstrated that the method developed was reliable, rapid, and specific. The 25 batches of C. setosum samples from different sources were first determined using the developed method and the total contents of 11 analytes ranged from 1717.460 to 23028.258 μg/g. Among them, the content of linarin was highest, and its mean value was 7340.967 μg/g. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were performed to differentiate and classify the samples, which is helpful for comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. setosum. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Estimation of dietary nutritional content using an online system with ability to assess the dieticians' accuracy.

PubMed

Aoki, Takeshi; Nakai, Shigeru; Yamauchi, Kazunobu

2006-01-01

We developed an online system for estimating dietary nutritional content. It also had the function of assessing the accuracy of the participating dieticians and ranking their performance. People who wished to have their meal estimated (i.e. clients) submitted images of their meal taken by digital camera to the server via the Internet, and dieticians estimated the nutritional content (i.e. calorie and protein content). The system assessed the accuracy of the dieticians and if it was satisfactory, the results were sent to the client. Clients received details of the calorie and protein content of their meals within 24 h by email. A total of 93 dieticians (71 students and 22 licensed practitioners) used the system. A two-way analysis of variance showed that there was a significant variation (P=0.004) among dieticians in their ability to estimate both calorie and protein content. There was a significant difference in values of both calorie (P=0.02) and protein (P<0.001) estimation accuracy between student dieticians and licensed dieticians. The estimation accuracy of the licensed nutritionists was 85% (SD 10) for calorie content and 78% (SD 17) for protein content.

Investigation with respect to content and general properties of physics 10 textbook in accordance with the 2013 secondary school physics curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavcar, Nevzat; Korkmaz, Cihan

2017-02-01

Purpose of this work is to determine the physics teacher candidates' views on Physics 10 textbook' content and general properties suitable to the 2013 Secondary School Physics Curriculum. 23 teacher candidates at 2014-2015 school year constituted the sampling of the study in which scanning model based on qualitative research technique was used by performing document analysis. Data collection tool of the research was the files prepared with 51 and nine open ended questions including the subject content and general properties of the textbook. It was concluded that the textbook was sufficient for being life context -based, language, activity-based and student-centered approximation, development of social and inquiry skills, and was insufficient for referring educational gains of the Curriculum, involving activities, projects and homework about application. Activities and applications about affective area, such tools for assessment and evaluation practices as concept map, concept network and semantic analysis table may be involved in the textbook.

Gontscharovia popovii, a new source of carvacrol, its polyphenolic constituents, essential oil analysis, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Zareiyan, Faraneh; Rowshan, Vahid; Bahmanzadegan, Atefeh; Hatami, Ahmad

2017-09-28

The experiment was carried out using the shadow-dried aerial parts including leaves and shoots of Gontscharovia popovii collected in Fars province in order to investigate the polyphenolic compositions, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and essential oil constituents. The result showed IC 50 of 395.77 μg mL -1 and total phenolic content of about 20.01 mg g -1 gallic acid equivalent dry weight. It also showed a wild range of polyphenols such as; Gallic acid, catechin, chloregenic acid, rutin, vanillin, trans-Ferulic acid, sinapic acid, coumarin, hesperedin, quercetin, hesperetin, eugenol and carvacrol as the main detected polyphenols. Some major compounds were also detected through essential oil analysis, such as; 76.7% carvacrol, 4.25% γ-Terpinene, 3.8% p-Cymene and 2.4% (E)-Caryophyllene. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of chemical compounds of G. popovii was performed using HPLC, GC, GC/MS and microplate reader.

Nutritional composition, bioactive compounds and volatile profile of cocoa beans from different regions of Cameroon.

PubMed

Caprioli, Giovanni; Fiorini, Dennis; Maggi, Filippo; Nicoletti, Marcello; Ricciutelli, Massimo; Toniolo, Chiara; Prosper, Biapa; Vittori, Sauro; Sagratini, Gianni

2016-06-01

Analysis of the complex composition of cocoa beans provides fundamental information for evaluating the quality and nutritional aspects of cocoa-based food products, nutraceuticals and supplements. Cameroon, the world's fourth largest producer of cocoa, has been defined as "Africa in miniature" because of the variety it habitats. In order to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of cocoa beans from five different regions of Cameroon, we studied their polyphenolic content, volatile compounds and fatty acids composition. The High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) analysis showed that the Mbalmayo sample had the highest content of theobromine (11.6 mg/g) and caffeic acid (2.1 mg/g), while the Sanchou sample had the highest level of (-)-epicatechin (142.9 mg/g). Concerning fatty acids, the lowest level of stearic acid was found in the Mbalmayo sample while the Bertoua sample showed the highest content of oleic acid. Thus, we confirmed that geographical origin influences the quality and nutritional characteristics of cocoa from these regions of Cameroon.

A study of ignition of metal impregnated carbons: the influence of oxygen content in the activated carbon matrix.

PubMed

van der Merwe, M M; Bandosz, T J

2005-02-01

A study of the reason for the early ignition of coconut-based impregnated carbon in comparison with the peat-based impregnated carbon was conducted. The surface features of carbons were evaluated using various physicochemical methods. The metal analysis of the initial carbon indicated that the content of potassium was higher in the coconut-based carbon. The surface functional group analysis revealed the presence of similar surface species; however, the peat-based carbon was more acidic in its chemical nature. Since the oxygen content was higher in the peat-based carbon, the early ignition of the coconut-based material was attributed to its higher affinity to chemisorb oxygen, which leads to exothermic effects. This conclusion was confirmed by performing oxidation of coconut-based carbon prior to impregnation. This process increased the ignition temperature for Cu/Cr impregnated coconut-based material from 186 to 289 degrees C and for the Cu/Zn/Mo impregnated carbon from 235 to 324 degrees C.

Comparative Evaluation of Raw and Ripe Fruits of Forsythia suspensa by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS Analysis and Anti-Microbial Assay.

PubMed

Qu, Jialin; Yan, Xinjia; Li, Chunyan; Wen, Jing; Lu, Chongning; Ren, Jungang; Peng, Ying; Song, Shaojiang

2017-04-01

A multi-component quantification fingerprint based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry technique has been established for the comparative analysis of raw and ripe fruits of Forsythia suspensa originated from different provinces. Eighteen bioactive constituents including three phenylethanoid glycosides derivatives, six phenolic acids, three flavonoids, four phenylpropanoids, one fatty acid and one terpenoid were identified and quantified. Total contents of phenylethanoid glycosides, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids from raw samples were found much higher than those from ripe samples, while total content of phenolic acids showed a contrary tendency. Moreover, the anti-microbial activities were comparatively assayed for the first time using five different bacterial strains. Results revealed a positive relationship between contents of total phenolic and anti-microbial activity. The results obtained in the present study may provide useful information for future utilization of F. suspensa. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Soil features and indoor radon concentration prediction: radon in soil gas, pedology, permeability and 226Ra content.

PubMed

Lara, E; Rocha, Z; Santos, T O; Rios, F J; Oliveira, A H

2015-11-01

This work aims at relating some physicochemical features of soils and their use as a tool for prediction of indoor radon concentrations of the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (RMBH), Minas Gerais, Brazil. The measurements of soil gas radon concentrations were performed by using an AlphaGUARD monitor. The (226)Ra content analysis was performed by gamma spectrometry (high pure germanium) and permeabilities were performed by using the RADON-JOK permeameter. The GEORP indicator and soil radon index (RI) were also calculated. Approximately 53 % of the Perferric Red Latosols measurement site could be classified as 'high risk' (Swedish criteria). The Litholic Neosols presented the lowest radon concentration mean in soil gas. The Perferric Red Latosols presented significantly high radon concentration mean in soil gas (60.6 ± 8.7 kBq m(-3)), high indoor radon concentration, high RI, (226)Ra content and GEORP. The preliminary results may indicate an influence of iron formations present very close to the Perferric Red Latosols in the retention of uranium minerals. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using agricultural practices information for multiscale environmental assessment of phosphorus risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matos Moreira, Mariana; Lemercier, Blandine; Michot, Didier; Dupas, Rémi; Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal

2015-04-01

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth. In intensively farmed areas, excessive applications of animal manure and mineral P fertilizers to soils have raised both economic and ecological concerns. P accumulation in agricultural soils leads to increased P losses to surface waterbodies contributing to eutrophication. Increasing soil P content over time in agricultural soils is often correlated with agricultural practices; in Brittany (NW France), an intensive livestock farming region, soil P content is well correlated with animal density (Lemercier et al.,2008). Thus, a better understanding of the factors controlling P distribution is required to enable environmental assessment of P risk. The aim of this study was to understand spatial distribution of extractable (Olsen method) and total P contents and its controlling factors at the catchment scale in order to predict P contents at regional scale (Brittany). Data on soil morphology, soil tests (including P status, particles size, organic carbon…) for 198 punctual positions, crops succession since 20 years, agricultural systems, field and animal manure management were obtained on a well-characterized catchment (ORE Agrhys, 10 km²). A multivariate analysis with mixed quantitative variables and factors and a digital soil mapping approach were performed to identify variables playing a significant role in soil total and extractable P contents and distribution. Spatial analysis was performed by means of the Cubist model, a decision tree-based algorithm. Different scenarios were assessed, considering various panels of predictive variables: soil data, terrain attributes derived from digital elevation model, gamma-ray spectrometry (from airborne geophysical survey) and agricultural practices information. In the research catchment, mean extractable and total P content were 140.0 ± 63.4 mg/kg and 2862.7 ± 773.0 mg/kg, respectively. Organic and mineral P inputs, P balance, soil pH, and Al contents were positively correlated with soil P contents. Also land use, crop rotation and livestock production system influenced P contents. The highest mean values of P were found in croplands and close to pig farms. The lowest mean values of P were found in pastures and nearby dairy farms. The spatial analysis showed that sand content, geophysical parameters and P input by organic fertilization were the most significant variables for the linear predictive model of extractable P contents. For total P, geophysical parameters and P balance had the highest importance for the respective linear predictive model. This study revealed that agricultural practices information plays a significant role in soil P distribution. Once controlling factors of P spatial distribution were identified, relationships could be extrapolated at regional scale using the National Soil Test Database providing information on extractable P content and available information on agricultural practices in order to improve predictions of total P content at regional scale. Lemercier B., Gaudin, L., Walter C., Aurousseau P., Arrouays D., Schvartz C., Saby N., Follain S., Abrassart J., 2008. Soil phosphorus monitoring at the regional level by means of a soil test database. Soil Use and Management, 24, 131-138.

Fast Spatio-Temporal Data Mining from Large Geophysical Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stolorz, P.; Mesrobian, E.; Muntz, R.; Santos, J. R.; Shek, E.; Yi, J.; Mechoso, C.; Farrara, J.

1995-01-01

Use of the UCLA CONQUEST (CONtent-based Querying in Space and Time) is reviewed for performance of automatic cyclone extraction and detection of spatio-temporal blocking conditions on MPP. CONQUEST is a data analysis environment for knowledge and data mining to aid in high-resolution modeling of climate modeling.

The Genius of Shakespeare: A Case History in Content Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derks, Peter

Shakespeare's genius as a creative playwright can be judged both subjectively and objectively. Cognitive psychology uses specific behavioral measures to assess performance. A product is marked by latency, quantity, and quality. When college students engage in tests of originality, these measures support many theories of creativity. A similar…

The Online Promotion of Entrepreneurship Education: A View from Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pizarro Milian, Roger; Gurrisi, Marc

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine how entrepreneurship education is being marketed to students within the Canadian university sector. Design/methodology/approach: A content analysis of the webpages representing 66 entrepreneurship education programs in Canada is performed. Findings: Entrepreneurship education is found to…

Teaching Soft Skills Employers Need

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Maureen; Kisling, Eric; Hackworth, Robbie G.

2014-01-01

This study identifies the soft skills community colleges teach in an office technology course and determines whether the skills taught are congruent with the soft skills employers require in today's entry-level office work. A qualitative content analysis of a community college office technology soft skills course was performed using 23 soft skills…

Academics' Teacher Identities, Authenticity and Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kreber, Carolin

2010-01-01

Nine academics participated in semi-structured interviews to explore possible linkages between their teacher identities and the pedagogies they employ. A content analysis of the interviews was performed to gain insight into the factors playing a role in how academics define themselves as teachers, the larger educational goals they espouse and the…

An Analysis of Singaporean versus Indonesian Textbooks Based on Trigonometry Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Der-Ching; Sianturi, Iwan Andi

2017-01-01

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2016) released the results of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 and reported that the students' performance in mathematics of Singapore and Indonesia had significant differences. There is a strong relationship between textbooks used and mathematics performance…

Stormtime Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Interactions and Dynamics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-13

1 2. BACKGROUND ... BACKGROUND The studies described in this report were performed in support of ongoing and planned space weather programs in the areas of Space Situational...Ionosphere The purpose of this effort was to initiate on-going analysis of COSMIC -GPS measurements of total electron content (TEC) in the dayside

Elemental abundances in star-forming regions: results in Lupus and future analysis in Orion .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biazzo, K.; Frasca, A.; Alcalá, J. M.; Zusi, M.; Covino, E.; Randich, S.; Esposito, M.; Manara, C. F.; Antoniucci, S.; Nisini, B.; Rigliaco, E.; Getman, F.; Spina, L.

We present a recent study in press on lithium, iron, and barium abundance measurements obtained for low-mass (˜ 0.025-1.8 M_⊙) stars in four Lupus clouds and future investigations on chemical content to be performed in the Orion A cloud.

Reference-free spectroscopic determination of fat and protein in milk in the visible and near infrared region below 1000nm using spatially resolved diffuse reflectance fiber probe.

PubMed

Bogomolov, Andrey; Belikova, Valeria; Galyanin, Vladislav; Melenteva, Anastasiia; Meyer, Hans

2017-05-15

New technique of diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis of milk fat and total protein content in the visible (Vis) and adjacent near infrared (NIR) region (400-995nm) has been developed and tested. Sample analysis was performed through a probe having eight 200-µm fiber channels forming a linear array. One of the end fibers was used for the illumination and other seven - for the spectroscopic detection of diffusely reflected light. One of the detection channels was used as a reference to normalize the spectra and to convert them into absorbance-equivalent units. The method has been tested experimentally using a designed sample set prepared from industrial raw milk standards with widely varying fat and protein content. To increase the modelling robustness all milk samples were measured in three different homogenization degrees. Comprehensive data analysis has shown the advantage of combining both spectral and spatial resolution in the same measurement and revealed the most relevant channels and wavelength regions. The modelling accuracy was further improved using joint variable selection and preprocessing optimization method based on the genetic algorithm. The root mean-square errors of different validation methods were below 0.10% for fat and below 0.08% for total protein content. Based on the present experimental data, it was computationally shown that the full-spectrum analysis in this method can be replaced by a sensor measurement at several specific wavelengths, for instance, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for illumination. Two optimal sensor configurations have been suggested: with nine LEDs for the analysis of fat and seven - for protein content. Both simulated sensors exhibit nearly the same component determination accuracy as corresponding full-spectrum analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introducing the Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX) in Japan: results from a multicenter, cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tsugawa, Yusuke; Ohbu, Sadayoshi; Cruess, Richard; Cruess, Sylvia; Okubo, Tomoya; Takahashi, Osamu; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Heist, Brian S; Bito, Seiji; Itoh, Toshiyuki; Aoki, Akiko; Chiba, Tsutomu; Fukui, Tsuguya

2011-08-01

Despite the growing importance of and interest in medical professionalism, there is no standardized tool for its measurement. The authors sought to verify the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX), a previously developed and tested tool, in the context of Japanese hospitals. A multicenter, cross-sectional evaluation study was performed to investigate the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the P-MEX in seven Japanese hospitals. In 2009-2010, 378 evaluators (attending physicians, nurses, peers, and junior residents) completed 360-degree assessments of 165 residents and fellows using the P-MEX. The content validity and criterion-related validity were examined, and the construct validity of the P-MEX was investigated by performing confirmatory factor analysis through a structural equation model. The reliability was tested using generalizability analysis. The contents of the P-MEX achieved good acceptance in a preliminary working group, and the poststudy survey revealed that 302 (79.9%) evaluators rated the P-MEX items as appropriate, indicating good content validity. The correlation coefficient between P-MEX scores and external criteria was 0.78 (P < .001), demonstrating good criterion-related validity. Confirmatory factor analysis verified high path coefficient (0.60-0.99) and adequate goodness of fit of the model. The generalizability analysis yielded a high dependability coefficient, suggesting good reliability, except when evaluators were peers or junior residents. Findings show evidence of adequate validity, reliability, and generalizability of the P-MEX in Japanese hospital settings. The P-MEX is the only evaluation tool for medical professionalism verified in both a Western and East Asian cultural context.

Metabolite fingerprinting of Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) polyphenols by means of high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry detection.

PubMed

Brighenti, Virginia; Groothuis, Sebastiaan Frearick; Prencipe, Francesco Pio; Amir, Rachel; Benvenuti, Stefania; Pellati, Federica

2017-01-13

The present study was aimed at the development of a new analytical method for the comprehensive multi-component analysis of polyphenols in Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) juice and peel. While pomegranate juice was directly analysed after simple centrifugation, different extraction techniques, including maceration, heat reflux extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted extraction, were compared in order to obtain a high yield of the target analytes from pomegranate peel. Dynamic maceration with a mixture of water and ethanol 80:20 (v/v) with 0.1% of hydrochloric acid as the extraction solvent provided the best result in terms of recovery of pomegranate secondary metabolites. The quali- and quantitative analysis of pomegranate polyphenols was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry detection. The application of fused-core column technology allowed us to obtain an improvement of the chromatographic performance in comparison with that of conventional particulate stationary phases, thus enabling a good separation of all constituents in a shorter time and with low solvent usage. The analytical method was completely validated to show compliance with the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines and successfully applied to the characterisation of commercial and experimental pomegranate samples, thus demonstrating its efficiency as a tool for the fingerprinting of this plant material. The quantitative data collected were submitted to principal component analysis, in order to highlight the possible presence of pomegranate samples with high content of secondary metabolites. From the statistical analysis, four experimental samples showed a notable content of bioactive compounds in the peels, while commercial ones still represent the best source of healthy juice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A profile of skin cancer prevention media coverage in 2009.

PubMed

Cokkinides, Vilma; Kirkland, Deborah; Andrews, Kimberly; Sullivan, Kristen; Lichtenfeld, J Leonard

2012-10-01

Little is known about the coverage of skin cancer prevention messages in news print media. To perform a content analysis of mass-media articles from newspaper and magazines pertaining to skin cancer prevention in 4 specific months (January, May, July, and October) in 2009 and assess the extent of coverage of skin cancer prevention messages. We conducted a content analysis of 144 articles related to skin cancer prevention extracted from strategic media scans of selected months in 2009. We sought to provide the frequency of mass-media content categorized by theme and focus related to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protection and risk-reducing behaviors. The audience for the vast majority (78%) of the articles was the general public. Among the assessed articles, more were published in May (49%) and July (35%) than in the remaining other months. The two most frequent themes focused on 'protection of the skin' (32%) and on 'skin cancer prevention' (23%) via risk reduction behavioral practices. Analysis of message content regarding UVR reduction practices showed that many mentioned 'use of sunscreen' (65% of messages) with the least-often mentioned behaviors being 'seek shade' (6.3%) and 'do not burn' (1.4%). In addition, a quarter of the articles lacked any content mentioning recommended UVR reduction behaviors. This study was limited to the narrow scope of articles published in 2009 and for selected months. This profile of mass-media content regarding skin cancer prevention revealed gaps in coverage of UVR reduction behaviors with possible room for improvement. Strategies for improving and comprehensiveness of coverage of recommended skin cancer prevention behaviors in the media are discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Electronic Cigarette-Related Tweets for Sentiment and Content Using Supervised Machine Learning

PubMed Central

Cole-Lewis, Heather; Varghese, Arun; Sanders, Amy; Schwarz, Mary; Pugatch, Jillian

2015-01-01

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) continue to be a growing topic among social media users, especially on Twitter. The ability to analyze conversations about e-cigarettes in real-time can provide important insight into trends in the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding e-cigarettes, and subsequently guide public health interventions. Objective Our aim was to establish a supervised machine learning algorithm to build predictive classification models that assess Twitter data for a range of factors related to e-cigarettes. Methods Manual content analysis was conducted for 17,098 tweets. These tweets were coded for five categories: e-cigarette relevance, sentiment, user description, genre, and theme. Machine learning classification models were then built for each of these five categories, and word groupings (n-grams) were used to define the feature space for each classifier. Results Predictive performance scores for classification models indicated that the models correctly labeled the tweets with the appropriate variables between 68.40% and 99.34% of the time, and the percentage of maximum possible improvement over a random baseline that was achieved by the classification models ranged from 41.59% to 80.62%. Classifiers with the highest performance scores that also achieved the highest percentage of the maximum possible improvement over a random baseline were Policy/Government (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 80.62%), Relevance (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 75.26%), Ad or Promotion (performance: 0.89; % improvement: 72.69%), and Marketing (performance: 0.91; % improvement: 72.56%). The most appropriate word-grouping unit (n-gram) was 1 for the majority of classifiers. Performance continued to marginally increase with the size of the training dataset of manually annotated data, but eventually leveled off. Even at low dataset sizes of 4000 observations, performance characteristics were fairly sound. Conclusions Social media outlets like Twitter can uncover real-time snapshots of personal sentiment, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior that are not as accessible, at this scale, through any other offline platform. Using the vast data available through social media presents an opportunity for social science and public health methodologies to utilize computational methodologies to enhance and extend research and practice. This study was successful in automating a complex five-category manual content analysis of e-cigarette-related content on Twitter using machine learning techniques. The study details machine learning model specifications that provided the best accuracy for data related to e-cigarettes, as well as a replicable methodology to allow extension of these methods to additional topics. PMID:26307512

Assessing Electronic Cigarette-Related Tweets for Sentiment and Content Using Supervised Machine Learning.

PubMed

Cole-Lewis, Heather; Varghese, Arun; Sanders, Amy; Schwarz, Mary; Pugatch, Jillian; Augustson, Erik

2015-08-25

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) continue to be a growing topic among social media users, especially on Twitter. The ability to analyze conversations about e-cigarettes in real-time can provide important insight into trends in the public's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding e-cigarettes, and subsequently guide public health interventions. Our aim was to establish a supervised machine learning algorithm to build predictive classification models that assess Twitter data for a range of factors related to e-cigarettes. Manual content analysis was conducted for 17,098 tweets. These tweets were coded for five categories: e-cigarette relevance, sentiment, user description, genre, and theme. Machine learning classification models were then built for each of these five categories, and word groupings (n-grams) were used to define the feature space for each classifier. Predictive performance scores for classification models indicated that the models correctly labeled the tweets with the appropriate variables between 68.40% and 99.34% of the time, and the percentage of maximum possible improvement over a random baseline that was achieved by the classification models ranged from 41.59% to 80.62%. Classifiers with the highest performance scores that also achieved the highest percentage of the maximum possible improvement over a random baseline were Policy/Government (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 80.62%), Relevance (performance: 0.94; % improvement: 75.26%), Ad or Promotion (performance: 0.89; % improvement: 72.69%), and Marketing (performance: 0.91; % improvement: 72.56%). The most appropriate word-grouping unit (n-gram) was 1 for the majority of classifiers. Performance continued to marginally increase with the size of the training dataset of manually annotated data, but eventually leveled off. Even at low dataset sizes of 4000 observations, performance characteristics were fairly sound. Social media outlets like Twitter can uncover real-time snapshots of personal sentiment, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior that are not as accessible, at this scale, through any other offline platform. Using the vast data available through social media presents an opportunity for social science and public health methodologies to utilize computational methodologies to enhance and extend research and practice. This study was successful in automating a complex five-category manual content analysis of e-cigarette-related content on Twitter using machine learning techniques. The study details machine learning model specifications that provided the best accuracy for data related to e-cigarettes, as well as a replicable methodology to allow extension of these methods to additional topics.

Analysis of Organic Acids, Deacetyl Asperulosidic Acid and Polyphenolic Compounds as a Potential Tool for Characterization of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Products.

PubMed

Bittová, Miroslava; Hladůkova, Dita; Roblová, Vendula; Krácmar, Stanislav; Kubán, Petr; Kubán, Vlastimil

2015-11-01

Organic acids, deacetyl asperulosidic acid (DAA) and polyphenolic compounds in various noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) products (4 juices, 4 dry fruit powders and 2 capsules with dry fruit powder) were analyzed. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with a variable wavelength detector (VWD) and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ESI-TOF MS) was applied for simultaneous analysis of organic acids (malic, lactic, citric and succinic acid) and DAA. An RP-HPLC method with diode-array detector (DAD) was developed for the analysis of polyphenolic compound content (rutin, catechin, quercitrin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid). The developed methods can contribute to better characterization of available noni products that is required from the consumers. In our study, we discovered significant dissimilarities in the content of DAA, citric acid and several phenolic compounds in some samples.

Intelligent bandwidth compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, D. Y.; Bullock, B. L.; Olin, K. E.; Kandt, R. K.; Olsen, J. D.

1980-02-01

The feasibility of a 1000:1 bandwidth compression ratio for image transmission has been demonstrated using image-analysis algorithms and a rule-based controller. Such a high compression ratio was achieved by first analyzing scene content using auto-cueing and feature-extraction algorithms, and then transmitting only the pertinent information consistent with mission requirements. A rule-based controller directs the flow of analysis and performs priority allocations on the extracted scene content. The reconstructed bandwidth-compressed image consists of an edge map of the scene background, with primary and secondary target windows embedded in the edge map. The bandwidth-compressed images are updated at a basic rate of 1 frame per second, with the high-priority target window updated at 7.5 frames per second. The scene-analysis algorithms used in this system together with the adaptive priority controller are described. Results of simulated 1000:1 bandwidth-compressed images are presented.

Vector computer memory bank contention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, D. H.

1985-01-01

A number of vector supercomputers feature very large memories. Unfortunately the large capacity memory chips that are used in these computers are much slower than the fast central processing unit (CPU) circuitry. As a result, memory bank reservation times (in CPU ticks) are much longer than on previous generations of computers. A consequence of these long reservation times is that memory bank contention is sharply increased, resulting in significantly lowered performance rates. The phenomenon of memory bank contention in vector computers is analyzed using both a Markov chain model and a Monte Carlo simulation program. The results of this analysis indicate that future generations of supercomputers must either employ much faster memory chips or else feature very large numbers of independent memory banks.

National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) JSC Summer Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dowdy, Forrest Ryan

2014-01-01

This project optimized the calorie content in a breakfast meal replacement bar for the Advanced Food Technology group. Use of multivariable optimization yielded the highest weight savings possible while simultaneously matching NASA Human Standards nutritional guidelines. The scope of this research included the study of shelf-life indicators such as water activity, moisture content, and texture analysis. Key metrics indicate higher protein content, higher caloric density, and greater mass savings as a result of the reformulation process. The optimization performed for this study demonstrated wide application to other food bars in the Advanced Food Technology portfolio. Recommendations for future work include shelf life studies on bar hardening and overall acceptability data over increased time frames and temperature fluctuation scenarios.

Analysis of the impact of the use of broad specification fuels on combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szetela, E. J.; Lehmann, R. P.; Smith, A. L.

1979-01-01

An analytical study was conducted to assess the impact of the use of broad specification fuels with reduced hydrogen content on the design, performance, durability, emissions and operational characteristics of combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines. The study was directed at defining necessary design revisions to combustors designed for use of Jet A when such are operated on ERBS (Experimental Referee Broad Specification Fuel) which has a nominal hydrogen content of 12.8 percent as opposed to 13.7 percent in current Jet A. The results indicate that improvements in combustor liner cooling, and/or materials, and methods of fuel atomization will be required if the hydrogen content of aircraft gas turbine fuel is decreased.

Automatic loudness control in short-form content for broadcasting.

PubMed

Pires, Leandro da S; Vieira, Maurílio N; Yehia, Hani C

2017-03-01

During the early years of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) loudness calculation standard for sound broadcasting [ITU-R (2006), Rec. BS Series, 1770], the need for additional loudness descriptors to evaluate short-form content, such as commercials and live inserts, was identified. This work proposes a loudness control scheme to prevent loudness jumps, which can bother audiences. It employs short-form content audio detection and dynamic range processing methods for the maximum loudness level criteria. Detection is achieved by combining principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and support vector machines for binary classification. Subsequent processing is based on short-term loudness integrators and Hilbert transformers. The performance was assessed using quality classification metrics and demonstrated through a loudness control example.

[Determination of protopine in Corydalis racemose by HPLC].

PubMed

Jiang, Xiazhi; Ye, Jinxia; Zeng, Jianwei; Zou, Xiuhong; Wu, Jinzhong

2010-09-01

To develop a HPLC method for determining the content of protopine in Corydalis racemose. Analysis was performed on a Gemini C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) eluted with acetonitrile-water containing 0.8% triethylamine and 3% acetic acid acetum (20:80) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was 289 nm. The average content of protopine in Herb of Racemose Corydalis was 0.905%. The calibration curve of protopine was linear between 0.124-1.36 microg (r = 0.9999). The average recovery was 98.49% with RSD 1.9%. This method is simple, reproducible and can be used to determine the content of protopine in C. racemose.

Vector computer memory bank contention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, David H.

1987-01-01

A number of vector supercomputers feature very large memories. Unfortunately the large capacity memory chips that are used in these computers are much slower than the fast central processing unit (CPU) circuitry. As a result, memory bank reservation times (in CPU ticks) are much longer than on previous generations of computers. A consequence of these long reservation times is that memory bank contention is sharply increased, resulting in significantly lowered performance rates. The phenomenon of memory bank contention in vector computers is analyzed using both a Markov chain model and a Monte Carlo simulation program. The results of this analysis indicate that future generations of supercomputers must either employ much faster memory chips or else feature very large numbers of independent memory banks.

Temperature-dependent studies on the total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activities, and sugar content in six onion varieties.

PubMed

Sharma, Kavita; Ko, Eun Young; Assefa, Awraris D; Ha, Soyoung; Nile, Shivraj H; Lee, Eul Tai; Park, Se Won

2015-06-01

Heating effect on total phenol, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and sugar content of six onion varieties has been quantitatively investigated to explore the effect of different temperatures. The onion varieties comprised one red-skinned variety, two white-skinned varieties, and three yellow-skinned varieties. The heating temperature was scanned at 80°C, 100°C, 120°C, and 150°C for 30 minutes each, and quantitative analysis was performed relative to the powdered onion at ambient temperature. Quercetin, glucosides and sugar content were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total phenolic and antioxidant content increased in all six varieties. The total flavonoid levels showed a considerable change. On heating the onion samples at 120°C for 30 minutes, the red-skinned variety showed the highest level of total phenolic content [13712.67 ± 1034.85 μg of gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (μg GAE/g DW)] and total flavonoids [3456.00 ± 185.82 μg of quercetin equivalents/g dry weight (μg Q/g DW)], whereas the content of total phenolics and total flavonoids were 13611.83 ± 341.61 μg GAE/g DW and 3482.87 ± 117.17 μg Q/g DW, respectively, for the yellow-skinned (Sunpower) variety. Quercetin and its glucoside contents increased up to 120°C and then decreased at 150°C, whereas the sugar content continuously decreased with heating. All cultivars showed the same pattern in the heating effect, and the predominant flavonoids were destroyed at higher temperatures. Therefore, it is improper to expose onion powder to a temperature higher than 120°C. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fast repurposing of high-resolution stereo video content for mobile use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karaoglu, Ali; Lee, Bong Ho; Boev, Atanas; Cheong, Won-Sik; Gotchev, Atanas

2012-06-01

3D video content is captured and created mainly in high resolution targeting big cinema or home TV screens. For 3D mobile devices, equipped with small-size auto-stereoscopic displays, such content has to be properly repurposed, preferably in real-time. The repurposing requires not only spatial resizing but also properly maintaining the output stereo disparity, as it should deliver realistic, pleasant and harmless 3D perception. In this paper, we propose an approach to adapt the disparity range of the source video to the comfort disparity zone of the target display. To achieve this, we adapt the scale and the aspect ratio of the source video. We aim at maximizing the disparity range of the retargeted content within the comfort zone, and minimizing the letterboxing of the cropped content. The proposed algorithm consists of five stages. First, we analyse the display profile, which characterises what 3D content can be comfortably observed in the target display. Then, we perform fast disparity analysis of the input stereoscopic content. Instead of returning the dense disparity map, it returns an estimate of the disparity statistics (min, max, meanand variance) per frame. Additionally, we detect scene cuts, where sharp transitions in disparities occur. Based on the estimated input, and desired output disparity ranges, we derive the optimal cropping parameters and scale of the cropping window, which would yield the targeted disparity range and minimize the area of cropped and letterboxed content. Once the rescaling and cropping parameters are known, we perform resampling procedure using spline-based and perceptually optimized resampling (anti-aliasing) kernels, which have also a very efficient computational structure. Perceptual optimization is achieved through adjusting the cut-off frequency of the anti-aliasing filter with the throughput of the target display.

[Correlation of infection with the physical and chemical characteristics of gall bladder contents].

PubMed

Sulaberidze, G T; Rachvelishvili, B Kh; Gelbakhiani, G P; Barbakadze, G G; Kapanadze, A G

2005-06-01

The aim of the study was to investigate pH and viscosity (h) of gall bladder contents during cholelithiasis and establishment of their correlation with bacterial and HBV infections. Seventy-eight patients undergone the planned cholecystectomy were investigated. 5 healthy persons (control group) were also involved into the study. In all cases the markers of HBV (Anti-HB core IgG, Anti-HB core IgM, HBsAg) in blood were detected, also bacteriological analysis of gall bladder tissue was performed. In 78 cases (I group) pH of gall bladder contents was measured, in 29 cases (II group), also viscosity of gall was studied. In the control group pH and viscosity were detected. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA method. Bacteriological study revealed presence of bacterial infection in gall bladder tissue in 34 cases (43,6%), in 30 patients Anti-HB core antibodies were found in the blood, in 13 cases (16,7%) coincidence of bacterial and HBV infection was documented. Mean indexes of pH and viscosity appeared to be significantly higher in the operated group (pH--7,30, h 2,1 mm(2)/sec), then in the control group (pH--6,74, h--1,34 mm(2)/sec); this indexes were highest in the infected patients. Thus, according to results of the study, changes of pH and viscosity of gall bladder contents could be considered as the useful indexes of initial stage of cholelithiasis and their values depend on the presence of bacterial or HBV infection of gall bladder.

[Enzymatic analysis of the quality of foodstuffs].

PubMed

Kolesnov, A Iu

1997-01-01

Enzymatic analysis is an independent and separate branch of enzymology and analytical chemistry. It has become one of the most important methodologies used in food analysis. Enzymatic analysis allows the quick, reliable determination of many food ingredients. Often these contents cannot be determined by conventional methods, or if methods are available, they are determined only with limited accuracy. Today, methods of enzymatic analysis are being increasingly used in the investigation of foodstuffs. Enzymatic measurement techniques are used in industry, scientific and food inspection laboratories for quality analysis. This article describes the requirements of an optimal analytical method: specificity, sample preparation, assay performance, precision, sensitivity, time requirement, analysis cost, safety of reagents.

Finite element analysis on flexural behavior of high ductility of fiber reinforced concrete beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Mohan; Chi, Cuiping; Pei, Changchun

2017-03-01

In this paper, finite element software is used to simulate and analyze ECC beams. With the ratio of water-binder, fiber content and the content of fly ash as variables, the initial cracking moments, the yield moments, the initial cracking deflections, and the yield deflections of the ECC beams are studied. The results show that the lower the water-binder ratio is, the better the beam performance is; When the fiber content is 13kg/m3, the mechanical properties of the ECC beams are the lowest, and then strengthen; When the content of fly ash increase, the bending moment of the specimen beam becomes smaller and the deflection tends to increase, however the deflection of the fly ash decreases when the content of fly ash is higher than 1300kg/m3 in the initial cracking. According to the formula of ordinary concrete ultimate load capacity, the formula of yield capacity of ECC beam is deduced.

Color image analysis technique for measuring of fat in meat: an application for the meat industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballerini, Lucia; Hogberg, Anders; Lundstrom, Kerstin; Borgefors, Gunilla

2001-04-01

Intramuscular fat content in meat influences some important meat quality characteristics. The aim of the present study was to develop and apply image processing techniques to quantify intramuscular fat content in beefs together with the visual appearance of fat in meat (marbling). Color images of M. longissimus dorsi meat samples with a variability of intramuscular fat content and marbling were captured. Image analysis software was specially developed for the interpretation of these images. In particular, a segmentation algorithm (i.e. classification of different substances: fat, muscle and connective tissue) was optimized in order to obtain a proper classification and perform subsequent analysis. Segmentation of muscle from fat was achieved based on their characteristics in the 3D color space, and on the intrinsic fuzzy nature of these structures. The method is fully automatic and it combines a fuzzy clustering algorithm, the Fuzzy c-Means Algorithm, with a Genetic Algorithm. The percentages of various colors (i.e. substances) within the sample are then determined; the number, size distribution, and spatial distributions of the extracted fat flecks are measured. Measurements are correlated with chemical and sensory properties. Results so far show that advanced image analysis is useful for quantify the visual appearance of meat.

An investigation of the relationships between junior high school students' (8th and 9th grades) background variables and structure of knowledge recall of biological content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demetrius, Olive Joyce

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between Junior High School students' (8th and 9th grades) background variables (e.g. cognitive factors, prior knowledge, preference for science versus non-science activities, formal and informal activities) and structure of information recall of biological content. In addition, this study will illustrate how flow maps, a graphic display, designed to represent the sequential flow and cross linkage of ideas in information recalled by the learner can be used as a tool for analyzing science learning data. The participants (46 junior high school students) were taught a lesson on the human digestive system during which they were shown a model of the human torso. Their pattern of information recall was determined by using an interview technique to elicit their understanding of the functional anatomy of the human digestive system. The taped responses were later transcribed for construction of the flow map. The interview was also used to assess knowledge recall of biological content. The flow map, science interest questionnaire and the cognitive operations (based on content analysis of student's narrative) were used to analyze data from each respondent. This is a case study using individual subjects and interview techniques. The findings of this study are: (1) Based on flow map data higher academic ability students have more networking of ideas than low ability students. (2) A large percentage of 9th grade low ability students intend to pursue science/applied science course work after leaving school but they lack well organized ways of representing science knowledge in memory. (3) Content analysis of the narratives shows that students with more complex ideational networks use higher order cognitive thought processes compared to those with less networking of ideas. If students are to make a successful transition from low academic performance to high academic performance it seems that more emphasis should be placed on information networking skills. This is specifically likely to be productive for student currently performing on low academic ability levels and yet have high aspirations for pursuing science as a career.

Japanese anti- versus pro-influenza vaccination websites: a text-mining analysis.

PubMed

Okuhara, Tsuyoshi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Okada, Masafumi; Kato, Mio; Kiuchi, Takahiro

2018-03-23

Anti-vaccination sentiment exists worldwide and Japan is no exception. Health professionals publish pro-influenza vaccination messages online to encourage proactive seeking of influenza vaccination. However, influenza vaccine coverage among the Japanese population is less than optimal. The contents of pro- and anti-influenza vaccination websites may contribute to readers' acceptance of one or the other position. We aimed to use a text-mining method to examine frequently appearing content on websites for and against influenza vaccination. We conducted online searches in January 2017 using two major Japanese search engines (Google Japan and Yahoo! Japan). Targeted websites were classified as 'pro', 'anti' or 'neutral' depending on their claims, with author(s) classified as 'health professionals', 'mass media' or 'laypersons'. Text-mining analysis was conducted, and statistical analysis was performed using a chi-squared test. Of the 334 websites analyzed, 13 content topics were identified. The three most frequently appearing content topics on pro-vaccination websites were vaccination effect for preventing serious cases of influenza, side effects of vaccination, and efficacy rate of vaccination. The three most frequent topics on anti-vaccination websites were ineffectiveness of influenza vaccination, toxicity of vaccination, and side effects of vaccination. The main disseminators of each topic, by author classification, were also revealed. We discuss possible tactics of online influenza vaccination promotion to counter anti-vaccination websites.

Open friction courses on an asphaltic concrete base: A seven-year progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodge, K. S.

1982-10-01

The performance of two open-friction courses (OFC) having 1/2 in. and 1/4 in. maximum-sized aggregates - and their adjacent conventional New York State 1A top-course (control) is documented over the final 4 years of their 7-year design lives. The pavements were evaluated by analysis of mix properties and surface performance. The physical properties examined by means of extracted pavement cores were aggregate gradation, binder penetration and viscosities, and void content. Testing of frictional performance, rut depths, microtecture and macrotexture, rideability, and cracking were used to evaluate the pavement's surface performance.

Performance and Accountability Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The NASA Fiscal Year 2002 Performance and Accountability Report is presented. Over the past year, significant changes have been implemented to greatly improve NASA's management while continuing to break new ground in science and technology. Excellent progress has been made in implementing the President's Management Agenda. NASA is leading the government in its implementation of the five government-wide initiatives. NASA received an unqualified audit opinion on FY 2002 financial statements. The vast majority of performance goals have been achieved, furthering each area of NASA's mission. The contents include: 1) NASA Vision and Mission; 2) Management's Discussion and Analysis; 3) Performance; and 4) Financial.

Nanomanipulation-Coupled Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/ Ionization-Direct Organelle Mass Spectrometry: A Technique for the Detailed Analysis of Single Organelles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phelps, Mandy S.; Sturtevant, Drew; Chapman, Kent D.; Verbeck, Guido F.

2016-02-01

We describe a novel technique combining precise organelle microextraction with deposition and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) for a rapid, minimally invasive mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of single organelles from living cells. A dual-positioner nanomanipulator workstation was utilized for both extraction of organelle content and precise co-deposition of analyte and matrix solution for MALDI-direct organelle mass spectrometry (DOMS) analysis. Here, the triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles of single lipid droplets from 3T3-L1 adipocytes were acquired and results validated with nanoelectrospray ionization (NSI) MS. The results demonstrate the utility of the MALDI-DOMS technique as it enabled longer mass analysis time, higher ionization efficiency, MS imaging of the co-deposited spot, and subsequent MS/MS capabilities of localized lipid content in comparison to NSI-DOMS. This method provides selective organellar resolution, which complements current biochemical analyses and prompts for subsequent subcellular studies to be performed where limited samples and analyte volume are of concern.

Correlation between species-specific metabolite profiles and bioactivities of blueberries (Vaccinium spp.).

PubMed

Lee, Sarah; Jung, Eun Sung; Do, Seon-Gil; Jung, Ga-Young; Song, Gwanpil; Song, Jung-Min; Lee, Choong Hwan

2014-03-05

Metabolite profiling of three blueberry species (Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb., V. oldhamii Miquel., and V. corymbosum L.) was performed using gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined multivariate analysis. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis clearly showed metabolic differences among species. GC-TOF-MS analysis revealed significant differences in amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, sugars, and phenolic acids among the three blueberry species. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis indicated that anthocyanins were the major metabolites distinguishing V. bracteatum from V. oldhamii. The contents of anthocyanins such as glycosides of cyanidin were high in V. bracteatum, while glycosides of delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin were high in V. oldhamii. Antioxidant activities assessed using ABTS and DPPH assays showed the greatest activity in V. oldhamii and revealed the highest correlation with total phenolic, total flavonoid, and total anthocyanin contents and their metabolites.

The impact of case specificity and generalisable skills on clinical performance: a correlated traits-correlated methods approach.

PubMed

Wimmers, Paul F; Fung, Cha-Chi

2008-06-01

The finding of case or content specificity in medical problem solving moved the focus of research away from generalisable skills towards the importance of content knowledge. However, controversy about the content dependency of clinical performance and the generalisability of skills remains. This study aimed to explore the relative impact of both perspectives (case specificity and generalisable skills) on different components (history taking, physical examination, communication) of clinical performance within and across cases. Data from a clinical performance examination (CPX) taken by 350 Year 3 students were used in a correlated traits-correlated methods (CTCM) approach using confirmatory factor analysis, whereby 'traits' refers to generalisable skills and 'methods' to individual cases. The baseline CTCM model was analysed and compared with four nested models using structural equation modelling techniques. The CPX consisted of three skills components and five cases. Comparison of the four different models with the least-restricted baseline CTCM model revealed that a model with uncorrelated generalisable skills factors and correlated case-specific knowledge factors represented the data best. The generalisable processes found in history taking, physical examination and communication were responsible for half the explained variance, in comparison with the variance related to case specificity. Conclusions Pure knowledge-based and pure skill-based perspectives on clinical performance both seem too one-dimensional and new evidence supports the idea that a substantial amount of variance contributes to both aspects of performance. It could be concluded that generalisable skills and specialised knowledge go hand in hand: both are essential aspects of clinical performance.

Preparation, characterization and millimetre wave attenuation performance of carbon fibers coated with nickel-wolfram-phosphorus and nickel-cobalt-wolfram- phosphorus

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

Ye, Mingquan; Li, Zhitao; Wang, Chen

2016-04-15

Highlights: • SEM, XRD, EDS and MMW attenuation performances of alloys coated CFs were studied. • Resistivity and P content in alloys were main factors on MMW attenuation property. • The weight gain of coated CFs has effects on the MMW attenuation performance. - Abstract: Carbon fibers (CFs) coated with Ni–X–P (X = W, Co–W or none) alloys were prepared by electroless plating. The morphology, crystal structure, and element composition of alloy-coated CFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectrometry and microwave attenuation. The results showed that CFs were coated with a layer of alloy particles. Pmore » content in Ni–Co–W–P or Ni–W–P alloys was lower than that in Ni–P alloy, and coating alloy Ni–P was amorphous. After W or Co introduction, coating alloys exhibited crystal characteristics. MMW-attenuation performance analysis showed that the 3 mm wave attenuation performance of CFs/Ni–Co–W–P, CFs/Ni–W–P and CFs/Ni–P increased by 7.27 dBm, 4.88 dBm and 3.55 dBm, and the 8 mm wave attenuation effects increased by 11.61 dBm, 6.11 dBm, and 4.06 dBm respectively, compared with those of CFs. MMW-attenuation performance is attributable to the sample bulk resistivity and P content in the alloy. Moreover, an optimal weight gain value existed for the MMW-attenuation performance of alloy-coated CFs.« less

Study of Adversarial and Defensive Components in an Experimental Machinery Control Systems Laboratory Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

prevention system (IPS), capable of performing real-time traffic analysis and packet logging on IP networks [25]. Snort’s features include protocol... analysis and content searching/matching. Snort can detect a variety of attacks and network probes, such as buffer overflows, port scans and OS...www.digitalbond.com/tools/the- rack/jtr-s7-password-cracking/ Kismet Mike Kershaw Cross- platform Open source wireless network detector and wireless sniffer

Promises of Coherence, Weak Content, and Strong Organization: An Analysis of the Student Texts (Reading-to-Write Report No. 3). Technical Report No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kantz, Margaret J.

This study is the third in a series of reports of the Reading-to-Write Project, a collaborative study of students' cognitive processes at one critical point of entry into academic performance. This part of the study examines the problem that teachers have in judging whether textual signals that students use to indicate a persuasive analysis of…

Pollination effects on antioxidant content of Perilla frutescens seeds analysed by NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ferrazzi, Paola; Vercelli, Monica; Chakir, Amina; Romane, Abderrahmane; Mattana, Monica; Consonni, Roberto

2017-12-01

The effects of Perilla frutescens pollination on the content of seed antioxidants were analysed by agronomical and pollination trials, comparing seeds produced from bagged plants in 2013 (A) to prevent access to pollinating insects, and seeds from open-pollinated plants in 2013 (B) and 2015 (C). The seeds of open-pollinated plants were significantly more numerous and heavier than those of self-pollinated plants. 1 H NMR seed analysis showed a higher presence of phenolic compounds in open-pollinated seeds, mainly rosmarinic acid and flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin. Flavonoids were present in the glucosylated form in seeds (A) and (C), and in the aglycone form in seeds from (B) plants. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (palmitic, linoleic and linolenic) were more abundant in seeds from self-pollinated flowers. Pollination performed almost exclusively by the honeybee notably increased the antioxidant content in perilla seeds and gave rise to a reduction in the fatty acid content.

Influence of climate on the tocopherol content of shea butter.

PubMed

Maranz, Steven; Wiesman, Zeev

2004-05-19

The shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertner, is the source of a commercial seed fat known as shea butter. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the tocopherol content of shea butters from different regions of Africa showed high variability between provenances and a significant effect of climate on alpha-tocopherol levels. The total tocopherol content (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) in 102 shea butter samples from 11 countries ranged from 29 to 805 microg/g of shea butter, with a mean of 220 microg/g. alpha-Tocopherol, the principal form detected, averaged 64% of the total tocopherol content. Shea butters from Vitellaria populations situated in hot, dry climates had the highest levels of alpha-tocopherol (for example, a mean of 414 microg/g in samples from N'Djamena, Chad). The lowest concentrations of alpha-tocopherol were found in samples from cool highland areas, especially in northern Uganda (a mean of 29 microg/g).

Adding nickel formate in alkali lignin to increase contents of alkylphenols and aromatics during fast pyrolysis.

PubMed

Geng, Jing; Wang, Wen-Liang; Yu, Yu-Xiang; Chang, Jian-Min; Cai, Li-Ping; Shi, Sheldon Q

2017-03-01

The composition of pyrolysis vapors obtained from alkali lignin pyrolysis with the additive of nickel formate was examined using the pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Characterization of bio-chars was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the nickel formate significantly increased liquid yield, simplified the types of alkali lignin pyrolysis products and increased individual component contents. The additive of nickel formate increased contents of alkylphenols and aromatics from alkali lignin pyrolysis. With an increase in temperature, a greater amount of the relative contents can be achieved. The nickel formate was thermally decomposed to form hydrogen, resulting in hydrodeoxygenation of alkali lignin during pyrolysis. It was also found that Ni is in favor of producing alkylphenols. The analysis based on the experimental result provided evidences used to propose reaction mechanism for pyrolysis of nickel formate-assisted alkali lignin. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Emotional content modulates response inhibition and perceptual processing.

PubMed

Yang, Suyong; Luo, Wenbo; Zhu, Xiangru; Broster, Lucas S; Chen, Taolin; Li, Jinzhen; Luo, Yuejia

2014-11-01

In this study, event-related potentials were used to investigate the effect of emotion on response inhibition. Participants performed an emotional go/no-go task that required responses to human faces associated with a "go" valence (i.e., emotional, neutral) and response inhibition to human faces associated with a "no-go" valence. Emotional content impaired response inhibition, as evidenced by decreased response accuracy and N2 amplitudes in no-go trials. More importantly, emotional expressions elicited larger N170 amplitudes than neutral expressions, and this effect was larger in no-go than in go trials, indicating that the perceptual processing of emotional expression had priority in inhibitory trials. In no-go trials, correlation analysis showed that increased N170 amplitudes were associated with decreased N2 amplitudes. Taken together, our findings suggest that emotional content impairs response inhibition due to the prioritization of emotional content processing. Copyright © 2014 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

A Compound Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Packing Density and Moisture Content of Silage.

PubMed

Meng, Delun; Meng, Fanjia; Sun, Wei; Deng, Shuang

2017-12-28

Packing density and moisture content are important factors in investigating the ensiling quality. Low packing density is a major cause of loss of sugar content. The moisture content also plays a determinant role in biomass degradation. To comprehensively evaluate the ensiling quality, this study focused on developing a compound sensor. In it, moisture electrodes and strain gauges were embedded into an ASABE Standard small cone for the simultaneous measurements of the penetration resistance (PR) and moisture content (MC) of silage. In order to evaluate the performance of the designed sensor and the theoretical analysis being used, relevant calibration and validation tests were conducted. The determination coefficients are 0.996 and 0.992 for PR calibration and 0.934 for MC calibration. The validation indicated that this measurement technique could determine the packing density and moisture content of the silage simultaneously and eliminate the influence of the friction between the penetration shaft and silage. In this study, we not only design a compound sensor but also provide an alternative way to investigate the ensiling quality which would be useful for further silage research.

Kolkhoung (Pistacia khinjuk) Hull Oil and Kernel Oil as Antioxidative Vegetable Oils with High Oxidative Stability 
and Nutritional Value.

PubMed

Asnaashari, Maryam; Hashemi, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Mehr, Hamed Mahdavian; Yousefabad, Seyed Hossein Asadi

2015-03-01

In this study, in order to introduce natural antioxidative vegetable oil in food industry, the kolkhoung hull oil and kernel oil were extracted. To evaluate their antioxidant efficiency, gas chromatography analysis of the composition of kolkhoung hull and kernel oil fatty acids and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of tocopherols were done. Also, the oxidative stability of the oil was considered based on the peroxide value and anisidine value during heating at 100, 110 and 120 °C. Gas chromatography analysis showed that oleic acid was the major fatty acid of both types of oil (hull and kernel) and based on a low content of saturated fatty acids, high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio of ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, they were nutritionally well--balanced. Moreover, both hull and kernel oil showed high oxidative stability during heating, which can be attributed to high content of tocotrienols. Based on the results, kolkhoung hull oil acted slightly better than its kernel oil. However, both of them can be added to oxidation-sensitive oils to improve their shelf life.

Comprehensive Profiling and Quantification of Ginsenosides in the Root, Stem, Leaf, and Berry of Panax ginseng by UPLC-QTOF/MS.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Won; Choi, Bo-Ram; Kim, Young-Chang; Choi, Doo Jin; Lee, Young-Seob; Kim, Geum-Soog; Baek, Nam-In; Kim, Seung-Yu; Lee, Dae Young

2017-12-04

The effective production and usage of ginsenosides, given their distinct pharmacological effects, are receiving increasing amounts of attention. As the ginsenosides content differs in different parts of Panax ginseng, we wanted to assess and compare the ginsenosides content in the ginseng roots, leave, stems, and berries. To extract the ginsenosides, 70% (v/v) methanol was used. The optimal ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) method was used to profile various ginsenosides from the different parts of P. ginseng. The datasets were then subjected to multivariate analysis including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). A UPLC-QTOF/MS method with an in-house library was constructed to profile 58 ginsenosides. With this method, a total of 39 ginsenosides were successfully identified and quantified in the ginseng roots, leave, stem, and berries. PCA and HCA characterized the different ginsenosides compositions from the different parts. The quantitative ginsenoside contents were also characterized from each plant part. The results of this study indicate that the UPLC-QTOF/MS method can be an effective tool to characterize various ginsenosides from the different parts of P. ginseng.

Content analysis of CMS Healthcare Innovation Awards from a physiatric perspective.

PubMed

Smith, Matthew J

2014-11-01

On June 15, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 107 recipients of the Healthcare Innovation Awards (HCIA). The 107 awardees received a total of $874,074,900 in funding, with a projected 3-year savings of $1,863,119,104. A word frequency calculator was used to perform a content analysis on the document that announced the projects receiving funding in the 2012 HCIA program. Results were tabulated and categorized to look for prevailing themes and trends. The words generated by the word frequency calculator were grouped into common roots and tabulated to better understand how CMS was rewarding value. Some of the most common words were "manage," "community," "coordinate," "team," "system" and "integrate." Additionally, the job positions that the projects propose to create were tabulated and grouped into categories. Physicians, including physiatrists, were not often mentioned, whereas nursing and nonclinical positions were frequently listed. This content analysis showed that the concepts emphasized in the HCIA projects parallel fundamental physiatric principles. The findings may help physiatrists understand how reform is unfolding, prepare for the evolving health care landscape, and recognize future opportunities. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Investigating the Moisture Content of Polyamide 6 by Raman-Microscopy and Multivariate Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechner, Tobias; Noack, Kristina; Thöne, Manuel; Amend, Philipp; Schmidt, Michael; Will, Stefan

Thermal malleability of thermoplastics results in a high product diversity in various industry sectors. However, industrial applications require a constant and high component quality. Hence, material processing such as laser welding has to consider that, e.g., the moisture content of thermoplastics influences the mechanical properties such as the tensile strength. Moreover, water evaporates during laser welding and can form pores and defects. Thus, there is a large need for non-invasive material inspection before processing. To that end, we developed a methodology based on Raman-microscopy and multivariate data analysis (MVD) to determine the moisture content of polyamide (MCP). Further, the impact of the MCP on the mechanical properties was verified. For samples with a defined variation of the MCP, xyz-Raman-scans were carried out and analysed using MVD. For reference purposes, the samples were weighted and tensile tests were performed. An evaluation by means of partial least squares regression analysis (PLSR) resulted in a prediction of the MCP with a correlation coefficient >98%. Consequently, Raman-microscopy shows large potential for developing new techniques for inspection and quality control of plastics before processing. Dedicated to Professor Alfred Leipertz on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Computational Identification and Analysis of the Key Biosorbent Characteristics for the Biosorption Process of Reactive Black 5 onto Fungal Biomass

PubMed Central

Yang, Yu-Yi; Li, Ze-Li; Wang, Guan; Zhao, Xiao-Ping; Crowley, David E.; Zhao, Yu-Hua

2012-01-01

The performances of nine biosorbents derived from dead fungal biomass were investigated for their ability to remove Reactive Black 5 from aqueous solution. The biosorption data for removal of Reactive Black 5 were readily modeled using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Kinetic analysis based on both pseudo-second-order and Weber-Morris models indicated intraparticle diffusion was the rate limiting step for biosorption of Reactive Black 5 on to the biosorbents. Sorption capacities of the biosorbents were not correlated with the initial biosorption rates. Sensitivity analysis of the factors affecting biosorption examined by an artificial neural network model showed that pH was the most important parameter, explaining 22%, followed by nitrogen content of biosorbents (16%), initial dye concentration (15%) and carbon content of biosorbents (10%). The biosorption capacities were not proportional to surface areas of the sorbents, but were instead influenced by their chemical element composition. The main functional groups contributing to dye sorption were amine, carboxylic, and alcohol moieties. The data further suggest that differences in carbon and nitrogen contents of biosorbents may be used as a selection index for identifying effective biosorbents from dead fungal biomass. PMID:22442697

Comparison of HPLC and CE for the analysis of dichlorprop in a case of intoxication.

PubMed

West, A; Frost, M; Köhler, H

1997-01-01

A 49-year-old white male was found lying unconscious at home. He had vomited, his mouth was filled with a white foam and a pungent odour filled the room. After emergency treatment blood, urine and stomach contents were screened for drugs after acid and alkaline extraction with subsequent derivatisation and GC-MS analysis. Large quantites of 2,4-dichlorophenoxypropionic acid (dichlorprop, 2,4-DP) were found in all acid extracts. The man died 3 h later in hospital. Body fluids and tissues obtained at autopsy were analysed for 2,4-DP by high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The concentrations of 2,4-DP in cardiac blood, stomach contents, bile, liver, spleen, kidney and brain found by both methods were very similar.

An urban energy performance evaluation system and its computer implementation.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Yuan, Guan; Long, Ruyin; Chen, Hong

2017-12-15

To improve the urban environment and effectively reflect and promote urban energy performance, an urban energy performance evaluation system was constructed, thereby strengthening urban environmental management capabilities. From the perspectives of internalization and externalization, a framework of evaluation indicators and key factors that determine urban energy performance and explore the reasons for differences in performance was proposed according to established theory and previous studies. Using the improved stochastic frontier analysis method, an urban energy performance evaluation and factor analysis model was built that brings performance evaluation and factor analysis into the same stage for study. According to data obtained for the Chinese provincial capitals from 2004 to 2013, the coefficients of the evaluation indicators and key factors were calculated by the urban energy performance evaluation and factor analysis model. These coefficients were then used to compile the program file. The urban energy performance evaluation system developed in this study was designed in three parts: a database, a distributed component server, and a human-machine interface. Its functions were designed as login, addition, edit, input, calculation, analysis, comparison, inquiry, and export. On the basis of these contents, an urban energy performance evaluation system was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2015. The system can effectively reflect the status of and any changes in urban energy performance. Beijing was considered as an example to conduct an empirical study, which further verified the applicability and convenience of this evaluation system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unraveling the genetic basis of seed tocopherol content and composition in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

PubMed

Wang, Xingxing; Zhang, Chunyu; Li, Lingjuan; Fritsche, Steffi; Endrigkeit, Jessica; Zhang, Wenying; Long, Yan; Jung, Christian; Meng, Jinling

2012-01-01

Tocopherols are important antioxidants in vegetable oils; when present as vitamin E, tocopherols are an essential nutrient for humans and livestock. Rapeseed (Brassica napus L, AACC, 2 n = 38) is one of the most important oil crops and a major source of tocopherols. Although the tocopherol biosynthetic pathway has been well elucidated in the model photosynthetic organisms Arabidopsis thaliana and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, knowledge about the genetic basis of tocopherol biosynthesis in seeds of rapeseed is scant. This project was carried out to dissect the genetic basis of seed tocopherol content and composition in rapeseed through quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection, genome-wide association analysis, and homologous gene mapping. We used a segregating Tapidor × Ningyou7 doubled haploid (TNDH) population, its reconstructed F(2) (RC-F(2)) population, and a panel of 142 rapeseed accessions (association panel). Genetic effects mainly contributed to phenotypic variations in tocopherol content and composition; environmental effects were also identified. Thirty-three unique QTL were detected for tocopherol content and composition in TNDH and RC-F(2) populations. Of these, seven QTL co-localized with candidate sequences associated with tocopherol biosynthesis through in silico and linkage mapping. Several near-isogenic lines carrying introgressions from the parent with higher tocopherol content showed highly increased tocopherol content compared with the recurrent parent. Genome-wide association analysis was performed with 142 B. napus accessions. Sixty-one loci were significantly associated with tocopherol content and composition, 11 of which were localized within the confidence intervals of tocopherol QTL. This joint QTL, candidate gene, and association mapping study sheds light on the genetic basis of seed tocopherol biosynthesis in rapeseed. The sequences presented here may be used for marker-assisted selection of oilseed rape lines with superior tocopherol content and composition.

Characterization of Italian honeys (Marche Region) on the basis of their mineral content and some typical quality parameters

PubMed Central

Conti, Marcelo Enrique; Stripeikis, Jorge; Campanella, Luigi; Cucina, Domenico; Tudino, Mabel Beatriz

2007-01-01

Background The characterization of three types of Marche (Italy) honeys (Acacia, Multifloral, Honeydew) was carried out on the basis of the their quality parameters (pH, sugar content, humidity) and mineral content (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Mn). Pattern recognition methods such as principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were performed in order to classify honey samples whose botanical origins were different, and identify the most discriminant parameters. Lastly, using ANOVA and correlations for all parameters, significant differences between diverse types of honey were examined. Results Most of the samples' water content showed good maturity (98%) whilst pH values were in the range 3.50 – 4.21 confirming the good quality of the honeys analysed. Potassium was quantitatively the most relevant mineral (mean = 643 ppm), accounting for 79% of the total mineral content. The Ca, Na and Mg contents account for 14, 3 and 3% of the total mineral content respectively, while other minerals (Cu, Mn, Fe) were present at very low levels. PCA explained 75% or more of the variance with the first two PC variables. The variables with higher discrimination power according to the multivariate statistical procedure were Mg and pH. On the other hand, all samples of acacia and honeydew, and more than 90% of samples of multifloral type have been correctly classified using the LDA. ANOVA shows significant differences between diverse floral origins for all variables except sugar, moisture and Fe. Conclusion In general, the analytical results obtained for the Marche honeys indicate the products' high quality. The determination of physicochemical parameters and mineral content in combination with modern statistical techniques can be a useful tool for honey classification. PMID:17880749

Comparison of Free Total Amino Acid Compositions and Their Functional Classifications in 13 Wild Edible Mushrooms.

PubMed

Sun, Liping; Liu, Qiuming; Bao, Changjun; Fan, Jian

2017-02-24

Thirteen popular wild edible mushroom species in Yunnan Province, Boletus bicolor , Boletus speciosus , Boletus sinicus , Boletus craspedius , Boletus griseus , Boletus ornatipes , Xerocomus , Suillus placidus , Boletinus pinetorus , Tricholoma terreum , Tricholomopsis lividipileata , Termitomyces microcarpus , and Amanita hemibapha , were analyzed for their free amino acid compositions by online pre-column derivazation reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis. Twenty free amino acids, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, alanine, praline, cysteine, valine, methionine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, histidine, threonine, asparagines, glutamine, arginine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, were determined. The total free amino acid (TAA) contents ranged from 1462.6 mg/100 g in B. craspedius to 13,106.2 mg/100 g in T. microcarpus . The different species showed distinct free amino acid profiles. The ratio of total essential amino acids (EAA) to TAA was 0.13-0.41. All of the analyzed species showed high contents of hydrophobic amino acids, at 33%-54% of TAA. Alanine, cysteine, glutamine, and glutamic acid were among the most abundant amino acids present in all species. The results showed that the analyzed mushrooms possessed significant free amino acid contents, which may be important compounds contributing to the typical mushroom taste, nutritional value, and potent antioxidant properties of these wild edible mushrooms. Furthermore, the principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the accumulative variance contribution rate of the first four principal components reached 94.39%. Cluster analysis revealed EAA composition and content might be an important parameter to separate the mushroom species, and T. microcarpus and A. hemibapha showed remarkable EAA content among the 13 species.

Data analysis on physical and mechanical properties of cassava pellets.

PubMed

Oguntunde, Pelumi E; Adejumo, Oluyemisi A; Odetunmibi, Oluwole A; Okagbue, Hilary I; Adejumo, Adebowale O

2018-02-01

In this data article, laboratory experimental investigation results carried out at National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) on moisture content, machine speed, die diameter of the rig, and the outputs (hardness, durability, bulk density, and unit density of the pellets) at different levels of cassava pellets were observed. Analysis of variance using randomized complete block design with factorial was used to perform analysis for each of the outputs: hardness, durability, bulk density, and unit density of the pellets. A clear description on each of these outputs was considered separately using tables and figures. It was observed that for all the output with the exception of unit density, their main factor effects as well as two and three ways interactions is significant at 5% level. This means that the hardness, bulk density and durability of cassava pellets respectively depend on the moisture content of the cassava dough, the machine speed, the die diameter of the extrusion rig and the combinations of these factors in pairs as well as the three altogether. Higher machine speeds produced more quality pellets at lower die diameters while lower machine speed is recommended for higher die diameter. Also the unit density depends on die diameter and the three-way interaction only. Unit density of cassava pellets is neither affected by machine parameters nor moisture content of the cassava dough. Moisture content of cassava dough, speed of the machine and die diameter of the extrusion rig are significant factors to be considered in pelletizing cassava to produce pellets. Increase in moisture content of cassava dough increase the quality of cassava pellets.

Image analysis method for the measurement of water saturation in a two-dimensional experimental flow tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belfort, Benjamin; Weill, Sylvain; Lehmann, François

2017-07-01

A novel, non-invasive imaging technique is proposed that determines 2D maps of water content in unsaturated porous media. This method directly relates digitally measured intensities to the water content of the porous medium. This method requires the classical image analysis steps, i.e., normalization, filtering, background subtraction, scaling and calibration. The main advantages of this approach are that no calibration experiment is needed, because calibration curve relating water content and reflected light intensities is established during the main monitoring phase of each experiment and that no tracer or dye is injected into the flow tank. The procedure enables effective processing of a large number of photographs and thus produces 2D water content maps at high temporal resolution. A drainage/imbibition experiment in a 2D flow tank with inner dimensions of 40 cm × 14 cm × 6 cm (L × W × D) is carried out to validate the methodology. The accuracy of the proposed approach is assessed using a statistical framework to perform an error analysis and numerical simulations with a state-of-the-art computational code that solves the Richards' equation. Comparison of the cumulative mass leaving and entering the flow tank and water content maps produced by the photographic measurement technique and the numerical simulations demonstrate the efficiency and high accuracy of the proposed method for investigating vadose zone flow processes. Finally, the photometric procedure has been developed expressly for its extension to heterogeneous media. Other processes may be investigated through different laboratory experiments which will serve as benchmark for numerical codes validation.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a cardiovascular risk and disease management knowledge assessment tool.

PubMed

Rosneck, James S; Hughes, Joel; Gunstad, John; Josephson, Richard; Noe, Donald A; Waechter, Donna

2014-01-01

This article describes the systematic construction and psychometric analysis of a knowledge assessment instrument for phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients measuring risk modification disease management knowledge and behavioral outcomes derived from national standards relevant to secondary prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. First, using adult curriculum based on disease-specific learning outcomes and competencies, a systematic test item development process was completed by clinical staff. Second, a panel of educational and clinical experts used an iterative process to identify test content domain and arrive at consensus in selecting items meeting criteria. Third, the resulting 31-question instrument, the Cardiac Knowledge Assessment Tool (CKAT), was piloted in CR patients to ensure use of application. Validity and reliability analyses were performed on 3638 adults before test administrations with additional focused analyses on 1999 individuals completing both pretreatment and posttreatment administrations within 6 months. Evidence of CKAT content validity was substantiated, with 85% agreement among content experts. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated via factor analysis identifying key underlying factors. Estimates of internal consistency, for example, Cronbach's α = .852 and Spearman-Brown split-half reliability = 0.817 on pretesting, support test reliability. Item analysis, using point biserial correlation, measured relationships between performance on single items and total score (P < .01). Analyses using item difficulty and item discrimination indices further verified item stability and validity of the CKAT. A knowledge instrument specifically designed for an adult CR population was systematically developed and tested in a large representative patient population, satisfying psychometric parameters, including validity and reliability.

Sensor image prediction techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenger, A. J.; Stone, W. R.; Berry, L.; Murray, T. J.

1981-02-01

The preparation of prediction imagery is a complex, costly, and time consuming process. Image prediction systems which produce a detailed replica of the image area require the extensive Defense Mapping Agency data base. The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of image predictions in order to determine whether a reduced set of more compact image features contains enough information to produce acceptable navigator performance. A job analysis of the navigator's mission tasks was performed. It showed that the cognitive and perceptual tasks he performs during navigation are identical to those performed for the targeting mission function. In addition, the results of the analysis of his performance when using a particular sensor can be extended to the analysis of this mission tasks using any sensor. An experimental approach was used to determine the relationship between navigator performance and the type of amount of information in the prediction image. A number of subjects were given image predictions containing varying levels of scene detail and different image features, and then asked to identify the predicted targets in corresponding dynamic flight sequences over scenes of cultural, terrain, and mixed (both cultural and terrain) content.

Integrated approaches for reducing sample size for measurements of trace elemental impurities in plutonium by ICP-OES and ICP-MS

DOE PAGES

Xu, Ning; Chamberlin, Rebecca M.; Thompson, Pam; ...

2017-10-07

This study has demonstrated that bulk plutonium chemical analysis can be performed at small scales (\\50 mg material) through three case studies. Analytical methods were developed for ICP-OES and ICP-MS instruments to measure trace impurities and gallium content in plutonium metals with comparable or improved detection limits, measurement accuracy and precision. In two case studies, the sample size has been reduced by 109, and in the third case study, by as much as 50009, so that the plutonium chemical analysis can be performed in a facility rated for lower-hazard and lower-security operations.

Integrated approaches for reducing sample size for measurements of trace elemental impurities in plutonium by ICP-OES and ICP-MS

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

Xu, Ning; Chamberlin, Rebecca M.; Thompson, Pam

This study has demonstrated that bulk plutonium chemical analysis can be performed at small scales (\\50 mg material) through three case studies. Analytical methods were developed for ICP-OES and ICP-MS instruments to measure trace impurities and gallium content in plutonium metals with comparable or improved detection limits, measurement accuracy and precision. In two case studies, the sample size has been reduced by 109, and in the third case study, by as much as 50009, so that the plutonium chemical analysis can be performed in a facility rated for lower-hazard and lower-security operations.

BLENDING ANALYSIS FOR RADIOACTIVE SALT WASTE PROCESSING FACILITY

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

Lee, S.

2012-05-10

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) evaluated methods to mix and blend the contents of the blend tanks to ensure the contents are properly blended before they are transferred from the blend tank such as Tank 21 and Tank 24 to the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) feed tank. The tank contents consist of three forms: dissolved salt solution, other waste salt solutions, and sludge containing settled solids. This paper focuses on developing the computational model and estimating the operation time of submersible slurry pump when the tank contents are adequately blended prior to their transfer to the SWPF facility. Amore » three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics approach was taken by using the full scale configuration of SRS Type-IV tank, Tank 21H. Major solid obstructions such as the tank wall boundary, the transfer pump column, and three slurry pump housings including one active and two inactive pumps were included in the mixing performance model. Basic flow pattern results predicted by the computational model were benchmarked against the SRNL test results and literature data. Tank 21 is a waste tank that is used to prepare batches of salt feed for SWPF. The salt feed must be a homogeneous solution satisfying the acceptance criterion of the solids entrainment during transfer operation. The work scope described here consists of two modeling areas. They are the steady state flow pattern calculations before the addition of acid solution for tank blending operation and the transient mixing analysis during miscible liquid blending operation. The transient blending calculations were performed by using the 95% homogeneity criterion for the entire liquid domain of the tank. The initial conditions for the entire modeling domain were based on the steady-state flow pattern results with zero second phase concentration. The performance model was also benchmarked against the SRNL test results and literature data.« less

A regression approach to the mapping of bio-physical characteristics of surface sediment using in situ and airborne hyperspectral acquisitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Elsy; Kim, Wonkook; Crawford, Melba; Monbaliu, Jaak

2017-02-01

Remote sensing has been successfully utilized to distinguish and quantify sediment properties in the intertidal environment. Classification approaches of imagery are popular and powerful yet can lead to site- and case-specific results. Such specificity creates challenges for temporal studies. Thus, this paper investigates the use of regression models to quantify sediment properties instead of classifying them. Two regression approaches, namely multiple regression (MR) and support vector regression (SVR), are used in this study for the retrieval of bio-physical variables of intertidal surface sediment of the IJzermonding, a Belgian nature reserve. In the regression analysis, mud content, chlorophyll a concentration, organic matter content, and soil moisture are estimated using radiometric variables of two airborne sensors, namely airborne hyperspectral sensor (AHS) and airborne prism experiment (APEX) and and using field hyperspectral acquisitions by analytical spectral device (ASD). The performance of the two regression approaches is best for the estimation of moisture content. SVR attains the highest accuracy without feature reduction while MR achieves good results when feature reduction is carried out. Sediment property maps are successfully obtained using the models and hyperspectral imagery where SVR used with all bands achieves the best performance. The study also involves the extraction of weights identifying the contribution of each band of the images in the quantification of each sediment property when MR and principal component analysis are used.

Thermophilic Dry Methane Fermentation of Distillation Residue Eluted from Ethanol Fermentation of Kitchen Waste and Dynamics of Microbial Communities.

PubMed

Huang, Yu-Lian; Tan, Li; Wang, Ting-Ting; Sun, Zhao-Yong; Tang, Yue-Qin; Kida, Kenji

2017-01-01

Thermophilic dry methane fermentation is advantageous for feedstock with high solid content. Distillation residue with 65.1 % moisture content was eluted from ethanol fermentation of kitchen waste and subjected to thermophilic dry methane fermentation, after adjusting the moisture content to 75 %. The effect of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio on thermophilic dry methane fermentation was investigated. Results showed that thermophilic dry methane fermentation could not be stably performed for >10 weeks at a C/N ratio of 12.6 and a volatile total solid (VTS) loading rate of 1 g/kg sludge/d; however, it was stably performed at a C/N ratio of 19.8 and a VTS loading rate of 3 g/kg sludge/d with 83.4 % energy recovery efficiency. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the number of bacteria and archaea decreased by two orders of magnitude at a C/N ratio of 12.6, whereas they were not influenced at a C/N ratio of 19.8. Microbial community analysis revealed that the relative abundance of protein-degrading bacteria increased and that of organic acid-oxidizing bacteria and acetic acid-oxidizing bacteria decreased at a C/N ratio of 12.6. Therefore, there was accumulation of NH 4 + and acetic acid, which inhibited thermophilic dry methane fermentation.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Seed Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) and Hull Content in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

PubMed Central

Wei, Lijuan; Qu, Cunmin; Xu, Xinfu; Lu, Kun; Qian, Wei; Li, Jiana; Li, Maoteng; Liu, Liezhao

2015-01-01

A stable yellow-seeded variety is the breeding goal for obtaining the ideal rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) plant, and the amount of acid detergent lignin (ADL) in the seeds and the hull content (HC) are often used as yellow-seeded rapeseed screening indices. In this study, a genome-wide association analysis of 520 accessions was performed using the Q + K model with a total of 31,839 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. As a result, three significant associations on the B. napus chromosomes A05, A09, and C05 were detected for seed ADL content. The peak SNPs were within 9.27, 14.22, and 20.86 kb of the key genes BnaA.PAL4, BnaA.CAD2/BnaA.CAD3, and BnaC.CCR1, respectively. Further analyses were performed on the major locus of A05, which was also detected in the seed HC examination. A comparison of our genome-wide association study (GWAS) results and previous linkage mappings revealed a common chromosomal region on A09, which indicates that GWAS can be used as a powerful complementary strategy for dissecting complex traits in B. napus. Genomic selection (GS) utilizing the significant SNP markers based on the GWAS results exhibited increased predictive ability, indicating that the predictive ability of a given model can be substantially improved by using GWAS and GS. PMID:26673885

A study on friability, hardness and fiber content analysis of fiber enriched milk tablet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzihaque, M. U. H.; Irfan, M. H.; Ibrahim, U. K.

2017-06-01

This study was performed to analyze the friability, hardness and fiber content of fiber enriched milk tablet derived from five different local fiber sources such as carrot, spinach, dragon fruit, mango and watermelon. Cow milk was mixed to complement with the tablet as a protein source. The powder were spray dried at 100°C, 120°C and 140°C and freeze dried at -60°C. The mixture of fruits and milk were made into equal ratio with the addition of 15 maltodextrin as a carrier. Tablets formed were used for friability and hardness test while dried powder were used for fiber content analysis. Dragon fruit tablet dried at 140°C have the highest friability with 11. 42 of weight loss. The second highest friability was spinach tablet dried at 100°C and 120°C drying temp erature with 9.30 and 9.28 respectively. The lowest friability was exhibited by carrot, mango and watermelon tablet at 100°C and dragon fruit at 120°C while carrot and spinach at 140°C. In contras t, none of the freeze dried tablets showed any weight loss hence they are not friable. For hardness test, all of the freeze dried showed to have higher tensile strength than spray dried, where carrot showed to be the highest at 2.27 Newton and the lowest were spray dried mango at 0.16 Newton. In fiber content analysis, freeze dried mango have the highest fiber content followed by freeze dried carrot and 140°C s pray dried carrot. It can be concluded that the higher the spray dry temperature, the more friable is the tablet. While, high friability leads to lower hardness of tablets. In terms of fiber content, the higher the spray dry temperature, the lower the fiber content found.

To What Extent Is Mathematical Ability Predictive of Performance in a Methodology and Statistics Course? Can an Action Research Approach Be Used to Understand the Relevance of Mathematical Ability in Psychology Undergraduates?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourne, Victoria J.

2014-01-01

Research methods and statistical analysis is typically the least liked and most anxiety provoking aspect of a psychology undergraduate degree, in large part due to the mathematical component of the content. In this first cycle of a piece of action research, students' mathematical ability is examined in relation to their performance across…

The Reproduction of Biological "Race" through Physical Education Textbooks and Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Brent

2013-01-01

This paper examines the usage of "race" in high school physical education textbooks in Australia. In particular, it examines the concept of biological "race" in connection with human performance in sport. DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans. A content analysis of…

Pre-Professional Students' Explicit Syntax Knowledge: Preliminary Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimo, Danielle; Melamed, Tina

2017-01-01

Existing research concludes that educators have varying levels of language knowledge. Educators' varying levels of language knowledge may be related to the type of content knowledge they received while in school. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of pre-professional speech-language pathology (SLP) students who have taken…

The molecular-genetic analysis of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from broilers on farms in Central Russia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of the research was to perform phenotypic and molecular-genetic typing of Clostridium perfringens strains commonly spread on poultry farms in Central Russia. Samples of homogenized iliac and cecal contents from 760 broilers were assayed and 325 C. perfringens strains (42.8 %) were isol...

The Role of Group Interaction in Collective Efficacy and CSCL Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shu-Ling; Hsu, Hsien-Yuan; Lin, Sunny S. J.; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2014-01-01

Although research has identified the importance of interaction behaviors in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), very few attempts have been made to carry out in-depth analysis of interaction behaviors. This study thus applies both qualitative (e.g., content analyses, interviews) and quantitative methods in an attempt to investigate…

75 FR 28616 - Agilent Technologies, Inc.; Analysis of the Agreement Containing Consent Order to Aid Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-21

... equipment used to test cell phones and communications equipment, machines that determine the contents of... employ various analytical techniques to test samples of many types, are used by academic researchers... require the sensitivity provided by ICP-MS, and because many customers perform tests pursuant to...

School-Based Functional Assessments for Children with Physical Disabilities in Grades K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Richard W.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop three school-based assessments and determine the content validity for each assessment. The School Activities and Participation Analysis-Elementary (SAPA-E) measures functional movement performance in children with physical disability attending the elementary school, and the School Activities and…

Peer Moderation of Asynchronous Online Discussions: An Exploratory Study of Peer E-Moderating Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghadirian, Hajar; Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd

2017-01-01

This study explored patterns of e-moderating behaviour students performed when they were assigned as peer moderators of asynchronous online discussions in a reciprocal manner. Eighty-four students from an undergraduate blended course were observed during a 7-week-long online discussions. Using quantitative content analysis peer moderators'…

Mining Learning Behavioral Patterns of Students by Sequence Analysis in Cloud Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Sanya; Hu, Zhenfan; Peng, Xian; Liu, Zhi; Cheng, H. N. H.; Sun, Jianwen

2017-01-01

In a MOOC environment, each student's interaction with the course content is a crucial clue for learning analytics, which offers an opportunity to record learner activity of unprecedented scale. In online learning, the educators and the administrators need to get informed with students' learning states since the performance of unsupervised…

40 CFR 52.126 - Control strategy and regulations: Particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... be determined by using method 2 and traversing according to method 1. Gas analysis shall be performed using the integrated sample technique of method 3, and moisture content shall be determined by the condenser technique of method 4. (iii) All tests shall be conducted while the source is operating at the...

Estimation of Occupational Test Norms from Job Analysis Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mecham, Robert C.

Occupational norms exist for some tests, and differences in the distributions of test scores by occupation are evident. Sampling error (SE), situationally specific factors (SSFs), and differences in job content (DIJCs) were explored as possible reasons for the observed differences. SE was explored by analyzing 742 validity studies performed by the…

Career Plans of Men and Women in Gender Dominant Professions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shann, Mary H.

Sex differences in the career plans of 601 men and women completing graduate training in the male-dominated professions of business, law, and medicine and the female-dominated professions of education, nursing, and social work were studied. Content analysis was performed to determine the continuity, specificity, ambition, and accommodation of…

Revisiting Individualism and Collectivism: A Multinational Examination of Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions on Student Academic Performances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Heng

2016-01-01

This study explores how pre-service teachers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States perceive educational diversity in relation to students' academic achievement by means of qualitative content analysis. It takes cultural psychological perspectives to revisit the attribute reasoning embedded in individualist and collectivist…

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

Shull, D.

This report documents the initial feasibility tests performed using a commercial acoustic emission instrument for the purpose of detecting beetles in Department of Energy 9975 shipping packages. The device selected for this testing was a commercial handheld instrument and probe developed for the detection of termites, weevils, beetles and other insect infestations in wooden structures, trees, plants and soil. The results of two rounds of testing are presented. The first tests were performed by the vendor using only the hand-held instrument’s indications and real-time operator analysis of the audio signal content. The second tests included hands-free positioning of the instrumentmore » probe and post-collection analysis of the recorded audio signal content including audio background comparisons. The test results indicate that the system is promising for detecting the presence of drugstore beetles, however, additional work would be needed to improve the ease of detection and to automate the signal processing to eliminate the need for human interpretation. Mechanisms for hands-free positioning of the probe and audio background discrimination are also necessary for reliable detection and to reduce potential operator dose in radiation environments.« less

Qualitation and quantification of specific polysaccharides from Panax species using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and HPSEC-RID-MALLS.

PubMed

Cheong, Kit-Leong; Wu, Ding-Tao; Deng, Yong; Leong, Fong; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Wen-Jie; Li, Shao-Ping

2016-11-20

The objective of this study was to qualify and quantify the specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. The analyses of specific polysaccharides were performed by using GC-MS, saccharide mapping and high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) coupled with multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and refractive index detector (RID). Results showed that compositional monosaccharides were the same in different species of Panax and composed of rhamnose, arabinose, galacturonic acid, mannose, glucose, and galactose. Saccharide mapping results showed that glycosides linkages, which existed in specific polysaccharides from Panax spp., were similar. Additionally, the content of specific polysaccharides of P. ginseng, P. notoginseng and P. quinquefolium were 17.9-20.5mg/g, 11.9-15.0mg/g, and 9.9-13.3mg/g, respectively. P. ginseng, P. notoginseng, and P. quinquefolium could be clustered into three groups using both hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results possessed great potential in characterization and content determination of specific polysaccharides in Panax spp. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of handheld and portable spectrometers for screening acrylamide content in commercial potato chips.

PubMed

Ayvaz, Huseyin; Rodriguez-Saona, Luis E

2015-05-01

The most common methods for acrylamide analysis in foods require the use of LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. Although these methods have great analytical performance, they need intensive sample preparation, highly specialised instrumentation, and are time consuming. In this study, portable and handheld infrared spectrometers were evaluated as rapid methods for screening acrylamide in potato chips and their performances were compared to those of benchtop infrared systems. The acrylamide content of 64 commercial potato chips (169-2453 μg/kg) was determined by LC-MS/MS. Spectral data were collected using mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) calibration models were developed to predict acrylamide levels. Overall, good linear correlation was found between the predicted acrylamide levels and actual measured acrylamide concentrations by LC-MS/MS (rPred > 0.90 and SEP < 100 μg/kg). Our results indicate that portable and handheld spectrometers can be used as simple and rapid alternatives for acrylamide analysis in potato chips. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative determination of major active components in Ginkgo biloba dietary supplements by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Ding, Shujing; Dudley, Ed; Plummer, Sue; Tang, Jiandong; Newton, Russell P; Brenton, A Gareth

2006-01-01

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/ESI-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ten major active components in Ginkgo biloba extract (bilobalide, ginkgolides A, B, C, quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, rutin hydrate, quercetin-3-beta-D-glucoside and quercitrin hydrate) which have not been previously reported to be quantified in a single analysis. The ten components exhibit baseline separation in 50 min by C18 chromatography using a water/1:1 (v/v) methanol/acetonitrile gradient. Quantitation was performed using negative ESI-MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Good reproducibility and recovery were obtained by this method. The sensitivity of both UV and different mass spectrometry modes (full scan, selected ion monitoring (SIM), and selected reaction monitoring (SRM)) were compared and both quantitation with and without internal standard were evaluated. The analysis of Ginkgo biloba commercial products showed remarkable variations in the rutin and quercetin content as well as the terpene lactone contents although all the products satisfy the conventional quality control method. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of Polyphosphoric Acid on the Consistency and Composition of Formulated Bitumen: Standard Characterization and NMR Insights

PubMed Central

Varanda, Catarina; Ribeiro, Jorge

2016-01-01

Over the recent years, bitumen modification with polymers, acids, or mineral fillers has gained relevance to adjust its performance properties. This work reports the use of polyphosphoric acid (PPA) for the modification of formulated bitumen. With this objective, an in-depth literature review on PPA modification was firstly performed. Subsequently, five individual refinery components were selected for the preparation of bitumen blends, namely, asphaltic residue, vacuum residue, and three lube oils extracts. Seven binary/ternary bitumen blends were prepared and then treated with PPA. Afterwards, the five components and the unmodified and PPA-modified bitumen were characterized by standard methods (penetration, softening point, and penetration index), SARA analysis, elemental analysis, and 31P and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results evidenced higher asphaltenes and lower saturates/resins contents in PPA-modified bitumen. The NMR data suggest that the paraffinic chains became longer, the content of condensed aromatics increased, more substituted aromatic structures appeared, and α-hydrogen in aromatic structures diminished. These findings disclosed the improved consistency and oxidation stability of PPA-modified bitumen blends. PMID:27579214

Traffic contribution to air pollution in urban street canyons: Integrated application of the OSPM, moss biomonitoring and spectral analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazić, Lazar; Urošević, Mira Aničić; Mijić, Zoran; Vuković, Gordana; Ilić, Luka

2016-09-01

To investigate the air pollutant distribution within the ambient of urban street canyon, Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) was used to predict hourly content of NOX, NO, NO2, O3, CO, BNZ and PM10. The study was performed in five street canyons in Belgrade (Serbia) during 10-week summer period. The model receptors were located on each side of street canyons at 4 m, 8 m and 16 m height. To monitor airborne trace element content, the moss bag biomonitors were simultaneously exposed with the model receptors at two heights-4 m and 16 m. The results of both methods, modelling and biomonitoring, showed significantly decreasing trend of the air pollutants with height. The results indirectly demonstrate that biomonitoring, i.e., moss bag technique could be a valuable tool to verify model performance. In addition, spectral analysis was applied to investigate weekly variation of the daily background and modelled data set. Typical periodicities and weekend effect, caused by anthropogenic influences, have been identified.

Identifying changes in the role of the infection preventionist through the 2014 practice analysis study conducted by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.

PubMed

Henman, Lita Jo; Corrigan, Robert; Carrico, Ruth; Suh, Kathryn N

2015-07-01

The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (CBIC) is a voluntary autonomous multidisciplinary board that provides direction and administers the certification process for professionals who are responsible for the infection prevention and control program in a health care facility. The CBIC performs a practice analysis approximately every 4-5 years. The practice analysis is an integral part of the certification examination development process and serves as the backbone of the test content outline. In 2013, the CBIC determined that a practice analysis was required and contracted with Prometric to facilitate the process. The practice analysis was carried out in 2014 by a diverse group of subject matter experts from the United States and Canada. The practice analysis results showed a significant change in the number of tasks and associated knowledge required for the competent practice of infection prevention. As authorized by the CBIC, the test committee is currently reclassifying the bank of examination questions as required and is writing and reviewing questions based on the updated test specifications and content outline. The new content outline will be reflected in examinations that are taken beginning in July 2015. This iterative process of assessing and updating the certification examination ensures not only a valid competency tool but a true reflection of current practices. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Qualitative Twitter analysis of participants, tweet strategies, and tweet content at a major urologic conference.

PubMed

Borgmann, Hendrik; Woelm, Jan-Henning; Merseburger, Axel; Nestler, Tim; Salem, Johannes; Brandt, Maximilian P; Haferkamp, Axel; Loeb, Stacy

2016-01-01

The microblogging social media platform Twitter is increasingly being adopted in the urologic field. We aimed to analyze participants, tweet strategies, and tweet content of the Twitter discussion at a urologic conference. A comprehensive analysis of the Twitter activity at the European Association of Urology Congress 2013 (#eau2013) was performed, including characteristics of user profiles, engagement and popularity measurements, characteristics and timing of tweets, and content analysis. Of 218 Twitter contributors, doctors (45%) were the most frequent, ahead of associations (15%), companies (10%), and journals (3%). However, journals had the highest tweet/participant rate (22 tweets/participant), profile activity (median: 1177, total tweets, 1805 followers, 979 following), and profile popularity (follower/following ratio: 2.1; retweet rank percentile: 96%). Links in a profile were associated with higher engagement (p<0.0001) and popularity (p<0.0001). Of 1572 tweets, 57% were original tweets, 71% contained mentions, 20% contained links, and 25% included pictures. The majority of tweets (88%) were during conference hours, with an average of 24.7 tweets/hour and a peak activity of 71 tweets/hour. Overall, 59% of tweets were informative, led by the topics uro-oncology (21%), urologic research (21%), and urotechnology (12%). Limitations include the analysis of a single conference analysis, assessment of global profile and not domain-specific activity, and the rapid evolution in Twitter-using habits. Results of this single conference qualitative analysis are promising for an enrichment of the scientific discussions at urologic conferences through the use of Twitter.

Managing in-hospital quality improvement: An importance-performance analysis to set priorities for ST-elevation myocardial infarction care.

PubMed

Aeyels, Daan; Seys, Deborah; Sinnaeve, Peter R; Claeys, Marc J; Gevaert, Sofie; Schoors, Danny; Sermeus, Walter; Panella, Massimiliano; Bruyneel, Luk; Vanhaecht, Kris

2018-02-01

A focus on specific priorities increases the success rate of quality improvement efforts for broad and complex-care processes. Importance-performance analysis presents a possible approach to set priorities around which to design and implement effective quality improvement initiatives. Persistent variation in hospital performance makes ST-elevation myocardial infarction care relevant to consider for importance-performance analysis. The purpose of this study was to identify quality improvement priorities in ST-elevation myocardial infarction care. Importance and performance levels of ST-elevation myocardial infarction key interventions were combined in an importance-performance analysis. Content validity indexes on 23 ST-elevation myocardial infarction key interventions of a multidisciplinary RAND Delphi Survey defined importance levels. Structured review of 300 patient records in 15 acute hospitals determined performance levels. The significance of between-hospital variation was determined by a Kruskal-Wallis test. A performance heat-map allowed for hospital-specific priority setting. Seven key interventions were each rated as an overall improvement priority. Priority key interventions related to risk assessment, timely reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention and secondary prevention. Between-hospital performance varied significantly for the majority of key interventions. The type and number of priorities varied strongly across hospitals. Guideline adherence in ST-elevation myocardial infarction care is low and improvement priorities vary between hospitals. Importance-performance analysis helps clinicians and management in demarcation of the nature, number and order of improvement priorities. By offering a tailored improvement focus, this methodology makes improvement efforts more specific and achievable.

GC-Content Normalization for RNA-Seq Data

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) has become the assay of choice for high-throughput studies of gene expression. However, as is the case with microarrays, major technology-related artifacts and biases affect the resulting expression measures. Normalization is therefore essential to ensure accurate inference of expression levels and subsequent analyses thereof. Results We focus on biases related to GC-content and demonstrate the existence of strong sample-specific GC-content effects on RNA-Seq read counts, which can substantially bias differential expression analysis. We propose three simple within-lane gene-level GC-content normalization approaches and assess their performance on two different RNA-Seq datasets, involving different species and experimental designs. Our methods are compared to state-of-the-art normalization procedures in terms of bias and mean squared error for expression fold-change estimation and in terms of Type I error and p-value distributions for tests of differential expression. The exploratory data analysis and normalization methods proposed in this article are implemented in the open-source Bioconductor R package EDASeq. Conclusions Our within-lane normalization procedures, followed by between-lane normalization, reduce GC-content bias and lead to more accurate estimates of expression fold-changes and tests of differential expression. Such results are crucial for the biological interpretation of RNA-Seq experiments, where downstream analyses can be sensitive to the supplied lists of genes. PMID:22177264

Evaluation of the Informational Content, Readability and Comprehensibility of Online Health Information on Monogenic Diabetes.

PubMed

Guan, Yue; Maloney, Kristin A; Roter, Debra L; Pollin, Toni I

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the informational content, readability, suitability and comprehensibility of websites offering educational information about monogenic diabetes available to patients. The top 20 results from 15 queries in four search engines were screened. Content analysis was performed by two independent coders. Readability was determined using Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) and Simplified Measure of Goobledygook (SMOG). The Comprehensibility Assessment of Materials (SAM + CAM) scale was utilized to evaluate website suitability and comprehensibility. Only 2% (N = 29) of 1200 screened websites met inclusion criteria. Content analysis showed that 16 websites presented information on at least the most common forms of MODY (1, 2 and 3), four addressed the utility of genetic counseling, and none included support resources for patients. All websites exceeded the consensus readability level (6th grade) as assessed by FKGL (10.1 grade) and SMOG (12.8 ± 1.5 grades). Although the majority (N = 20) of websites had an overall "adequate" to "superior" quality score (SAM + CAM score > = 40%), more than one-third scored "not suitable" in categories of content, literacy demand, graphics, and learning motivation. The online educational resources for monogenic diabetes have a high readability level and require improvement in ease of use and comprehensibility for patients with diabetes.

Use of the product of mean intensity ratio (PMIR) technique for discriminant analysis of lycopene-rich vegetable juice using a portable NIR-excited Raman spectrometer.

PubMed

Hara, Risa; Ishigaki, Mika; Kitahama, Yasutaka; Ozaki, Yukihiro; Genkawa, Takuma

2018-02-15

In this study, a lycopene-content-based discriminant analysis was performed using a portable near-infrared-excited Raman spectrometer. In the vegetable-juice Raman spectra, the peak intensity of the lycopene band increased with increasing lycopene concentration, but scattering decreased the repeatability of the peak intensity. Consequently, developing a lycopene-concentration regression model using peak intensity is not straightforward. Therefore, a new method known as the product of mean intensity ratio (PMIR) analysis was developed to rapidly identify lycopene-rich samples on-site. In the PMIR analysis, Raman spectra are measured with short exposure times, confirming only the peaks of carotenoids with high concentrations, and thus the lycopene concentrations of vegetable juice samples could be determined successfully. Exposure times of 20ms and 100ms could detect lycopene concentrations of ≥5mg/100g and ≥2mg/100g with 93.2% and 97.7% accuracy, respectively; thus, lycopene-content-based discriminant analysis using the PMIR and a portable Raman spectrometer is feasible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of biological material originating from the body of general Władysław Sikorski for inorganic poisons and diatoms presence].

PubMed

Sadlik, Józefa Krystyna; Brozek-Mucha, Zuzanna

2009-01-01

Results of the analysis of biological materials originating from the body of general Sikorski are presented in the paper. Samples of the liver, kidney, intestine and lung were analysed for metals and As content, and samples of the lung, liver, kidney, stomach, intestine and bone marrow--for diatoms presence. The analysis for metals and As was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Before the analysis, the samples were wet digested by the classic and microwave assisted method. The analysis did not result in detecting the presence of As, Co, Ni, and Tl in any of the studied materials, while Hg was not revealed in the liver, intestines and lung and Pb in the intestines and lung. The content of Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Sr and Zn in all the studied materials, Hg in the kidney, and Pb in the liver and kidney did not indicate poisoning by the above-mentioned metals or arsenic. No diatoms were found in the studied materials.

5 CFR 293.403 - Contents of employee performance files.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contents of employee performance files. 293.403 Section 293.403 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERSONNEL RECORDS Employee Performance File System Records § 293.403 Contents of employee performance files. (a) A decision on what constitutes ...

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites

PubMed Central

Gagani, Abedin I.; Echtermeyer, Andreas T.

2018-01-01

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer–Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described. PMID:29641451

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

PubMed

Krauklis, Andrey E; Gagani, Abedin I; Echtermeyer, Andreas T

2018-04-11

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer-Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Twenty-five years of sport performance research in the Journal of Sports Sciences.

PubMed

Nevill, Alan; Atkinson, Greg; Hughes, Mike

2008-02-15

In this historical review covering the past 25 years, we reflect on the content of manuscripts relevant to the Sport Performance section of the Journal of Sports Sciences. Due to the wide diversity of sport performance research, the remit of the Sport Performance section has been broad and includes mathematical and statistical evaluation of competitive sports performances, match- and notation-analysis, talent identification, training and selection or team organization. In addition, due to the academic interests of its section editors, they adopted a quality-assurance role for the Sport Performance section, invariably communicated through key editorials that subsequently shaped the editorial policy of the Journal. Key high-impact manuscripts are discussed, providing readers with some insight into what might lead an article to become a citation "classic". Finally, landmark articles in the areas of "science and football" and "notation analysis" are highlighted, providing further insight into how such articles have contributed to the development of sport performance research in general and the Journal of Sports Sciences in particular.

Used battery collection in central Mexico: metal content, legislative/management situation and statistical analysis.

PubMed

Guevara-García, José Antonio; Montiel-Corona, Virginia

2012-03-01

A statistical analysis of a used battery collection campaign in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico, is presented. This included a study of the metal composition of spent batteries from formal and informal markets, and a critical discussion about the management of spent batteries in Mexico with respect to legislation. A six-month collection campaign was statistically analyzed: 77% of the battery types were "AA" and 30% of the batteries were from the informal market. A substantial percentage (36%) of batteries had residual voltage in the range 1.2-1.4 V, and 70% had more than 1.0 V; this may reflect underutilization. Metal content analysis and recovery experiments were performed with the five formal and four more frequent informal trademarks. The analysis of Hg, Cd and Pb showed there is no significant difference in content between formal and informal commercialized batteries. All of the analyzed trademarks were under the permissible limit levels of the proposed Mexican Official Norm (NOM) NMX-AA-104-SCFI-2006 and would be classified as not dangerous residues (can be thrown to the domestic rubbish); however, compared with the EU directive 2006/66/EC, 8 out of 9 of the selected battery trademarks would be rejected, since the Mexican Norm content limit is 20, 7.5 and 5 fold higher in Hg, Cd and Pb, respectively, than the EU directive. These results outline the necessity for better regulatory criteria in the proposed Mexican NOM in order to minimize the impact on human health and the environment of this type of residues. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary resistant starch content on metabolic status, milk composition, and microbial profiling in lactating sows and on offspring performance.

PubMed

Yan, H; Lu, H; Almeida, V V; Ward, M G; Adeola, O; Nakatsu, C H; Ajuwon, K M

2017-02-01

In the present study, the effects of dietary resistant starch (RS) content on serum metabolite and hormone concentrations, milk composition, and faecal microbial profiling in lactating sows, as well as on offspring performance was investigated. Sixteen sows were randomly allotted at breeding to two treatments containing low- and high-RS contents from normal and high-amylose corn varieties, respectively, and each treatment had eight replicates (sows). Individual piglet body weight (BW) and litter size were recorded at birth and weaning. Milk samples were obtained on day 10 after farrowing for composition analysis. On day 2 before weaning, blood and faecal samples were collected to determine serum metabolite and hormone concentrations and faecal microbial populations, respectively. Litter size at birth and weaning were not influenced (p > 0.05) by the sow dietary treatments. Although feeding the RS-rich diet to sows reduced (p = 0.004) offspring birth BW, there was no difference in piglet BW at weaning (p > 0.05). High-RS diet increased (p < 0.05) serum triacylglycerol and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations and milk total solid content, and tended (p = 0.09) to increase milk fat content in lactating sows. Feeding the RS-rich diet to sows increased (p < 0.01) faecal bacterial population diversity. These results indicate that high-RS diets induce fatty acid mobilization and a greater intestinal bacterial richness in lactating sows, as well as a greater nutrient density in maternal milk, without affecting offspring performance at weaning. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy for estimation of non-structural carbohydrates in foliar samples of Eucalyptus globulus Labilladière.

PubMed

Quentin, A G; Rodemann, T; Doutreleau, M-F; Moreau, M; Davies, N W; Millard, Peter

2017-01-31

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is frequently used for the assessment of key nutrients of forage or crops but remains underused in ecological and physiological studies, especially to quantify non-structural carbohydrates. The aim of this study was to develop calibration models to assess the content in soluble sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose) and starch in foliar material of Eucalyptus globulus. A partial least squares (PLS) regression was used on the sample spectral data and was compared to the contents measured using standard wet chemistry methods. The calibration models were validated using a completely independent set of samples. We used key indicators such as the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) and the range error ratio to give an assessment of the performance of the calibration models. Accurate calibration models were obtained for fructose and sucrose content (R2 > 0.85, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.95%–1.26% in the validation models), followed by sucrose and total soluble sugar content (R2 ~ 0.70 and RMSEP > 2.3%). In comparison to the others, calibration of the starch model performed very poorly with RPD = 1.70. This study establishes the ability of the NIRS calibration model to infer soluble sugar content in foliar samples of E. globulus in a rapid and cost-effective way. We suggest a complete redevelopment of the starch analysis using more specific quantification such as an HPLC-based technique to reach higher performance in the starch model. Overall, NIRS could serve as a high-throughput phenotyping tool to study plant response to stress factors.

40 CFR 79.33 - Motor vehicle diesel fuel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... data may be for such shorter period. (1) Hydrocarbon composition (aromatic content, olefin content, saturate content), with the methods of analysis identified; (2) Polynuclear organic material content, sulfur content, and trace element content, with the methods of analysis identified; (3) Distillation...

[Relativity among starch quantity, polysaccharides content and total alkaloid content of Dendrobium loddigesii].

PubMed

Zhu, Hua; Teng, Jianbei; Cai, Yi; Liang, Jie; Zhu, Yilin; Wei, Tao

2011-12-01

To find out the relativity among starch quantity, polysaccharides content and total alkaloid content of Dendrobium loddigesii. Microscopy-counting process was applied to starch quantity statistics, sulfuric acid-anthrone colorimetry was used to assay polysaccharides content and bromocresol green colorimetry was used to assay alkaloid content. Pearson product moment correlation analysis, Kendall's rank correlation analysis and Spearman's concordance coefficient analysis were applied to study their relativity. Extremely significant positive correlation was found between starch quantity and polysaccharides content, and significant negative correlation between alkaloid content and starch quantity was discovered, as well was between alkaloid content and polysaccharides content.

Evaluation of Radar Vegetation Indices for Vegetation Water Content Estimation Using Data from a Ground-Based SMAP Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Prashant K.; O'Neill, Peggy; Cosh, Michael; Lang, Roger; Joseph, Alicia

2015-01-01

Vegetation water content (VWC) is an important component of microwave soil moisture retrieval algorithms. This paper aims to estimate VWC using L band active and passive radar/radiometer datasets obtained from a NASA ground-based Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) simulator known as ComRAD (Combined Radar/Radiometer). Several approaches to derive vegetation information from radar and radiometer data such as HH, HV, VV, Microwave Polarization Difference Index (MPDI), HH/VV ratio, HV/(HH+VV), HV/(HH+HV+VV) and Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) are tested for VWC estimation through a generalized linear model (GLM). The overall analysis indicates that HV radar backscattering could be used for VWC content estimation with highest performance followed by HH, VV, MPDI, RVI, and other ratios.

Impact of parameter fluctuations on the performance of ethanol precipitation in production of Re Du Ning Injections, based on HPLC fingerprints and principal component analysis.

PubMed

Sun, Li-Qiong; Wang, Shu-Yao; Li, Yan-Jing; Wang, Yong-Xiang; Wang, Zhen-Zhong; Huang, Wen-Zhe; Wang, Yue-Sheng; Bi, Yu-An; Ding, Gang; Xiao, Wei

2016-01-01

The present study was designed to determine the relationships between the performance of ethanol precipitation and seven process parameters in the ethanol precipitation process of Re Du Ning Injections, including concentrate density, concentrate temperature, ethanol content, flow rate and stir rate in the addition of ethanol, precipitation time, and precipitation temperature. Under the experimental and simulated production conditions, a series of precipitated resultants were prepared by changing these variables one by one, and then examined by HPLC fingerprint analyses. Different from the traditional evaluation model based on single or a few constituents, the fingerprint data of every parameter fluctuation test was processed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to comprehensively assess the performance of ethanol precipitation. Our results showed that concentrate density, ethanol content, and precipitation time were the most important parameters that influence the recovery of active compounds in precipitation resultants. The present study would provide some reference for pharmaceutical scientists engaged in research on pharmaceutical process optimization and help pharmaceutical enterprises adapt a scientific and reasonable cost-effective approach to ensure the batch-to-batch quality consistency of the final products. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dielectric relaxation measurement and analysis of restricted water structure in rice kernels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagihara, Shin; Oyama, Mikio; Inoue, Akio; Asano, Megumi; Sudo, Seiichi; Shinyashiki, Naoki

2007-04-01

Dielectric relaxation measurements were performed for rice kernels by time domain reflectometry (TDR) with flat-end coaxial electrodes. Difficulties in good contact between the surfaces of the electrodes and the kernels are eliminated by a TDR set-up with a sample holder for a kernel, and the water content could be evaluated from relaxation curves. Dielectric measurements were performed for rice kernels, rice flour and boiled rice with various water contents, and the water amount and dynamic behaviour of water molecules were explained from restricted dynamics of water molecules and also from the τ-β (relaxation time versus the relaxation-time distribution parameter of the Cole-Cole equation) diagram. In comparison with other aqueous systems, the dynamic structure of water in moist rice is more similar to aqueous dispersion systems than to aqueous solutions.

Enabling search over encrypted multimedia databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wenjun; Swaminathan, Ashwin; Varna, Avinash L.; Wu, Min

2009-02-01

Performing information retrieval tasks while preserving data confidentiality is a desirable capability when a database is stored on a server maintained by a third-party service provider. This paper addresses the problem of enabling content-based retrieval over encrypted multimedia databases. Search indexes, along with multimedia documents, are first encrypted by the content owner and then stored onto the server. Through jointly applying cryptographic techniques, such as order preserving encryption and randomized hash functions, with image processing and information retrieval techniques, secure indexing schemes are designed to provide both privacy protection and rank-ordered search capability. Retrieval results on an encrypted color image database and security analysis of the secure indexing schemes under different attack models show that data confidentiality can be preserved while retaining very good retrieval performance. This work has promising applications in secure multimedia management.

Silicon Materials Task of the Low Cost Solar Array Project, Phase 3. Effect of Impurities and Processing on Silicon Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hopkins, R. H.; Davis, J. R.; Blais, P. D.; Rohatgi, A.; Campbell, R. B.; Rai-Choudhury, P.; Stapleton, R. E.; Mollenkopf, H. C.; Mccormick, J. R.

1979-01-01

The effects of impurities, various thermochemical processes, and any impurity process interactions on the performance of terrestrial silicon solar cells are defined. Determinations of the segregation coefficients of tungsten, tantalum, and cobalt for the Czochralski pulling of silicon single crystals are reported. Sensitive neutron activation analysis was used to determine the metal impurity content of the silicon while atomic absorption was used to measure the metal content of the residual liquid from which the doped crystals were grown. Gettering of Ti doped silicon wafers improved cell performance by one to two percent for the highest temperatures and longest times. The HCl is more effective than POCl3 treatments for deactivating Ti but POCl3 and HCl produced essentially identical results for Mo or Fe.

Analysis of visual quality improvements provided by known tools for HDR content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaehwan; Alshina, Elena; Lee, JongSeok; Park, Youngo; Choi, Kwang Pyo

2016-09-01

In this paper, the visual quality of different solutions for high dynamic range (HDR) compression using MPEG test contents is analyzed. We also simulate the method for an efficient HDR compression which is based on statistical property of the signal. The method is compliant with HEVC specification and also easily compatible with other alternative methods which might require HEVC specification changes. It was subjectively tested on commercial TVs and compared with alternative solutions for HDR coding. Subjective visual quality tests were performed using SUHD TVs model which is SAMSUNG JS9500 with maximum luminance up to 1000nit in test. The solution that is based on statistical property shows not only improvement of objective performance but improvement of visual quality compared to other HDR solutions, while it is compatible with HEVC specification.

The efficacy of print and video in correcting cognitive misconceptions in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finney, Mary Jo

One hundred fifty-three fifth grade students found to have misconceptions about seasonal change were randomly assigned to either a video-print or print-video group. In Study One, each group read or viewed content about seasonal change and a free recall, multiple choice and application task were administered during the following week. Two weeks later, Study Two replicated the procedures with the groups receiving content in the alternate media. Hypotheses predicting video would be more effective than print in correcting misconceptions were rejected since there was either no significance on the measures or performance was higher after reading. Exposure to both media favored the video-print order. Low and high ability readers performed better after print treatment with no significant difference between media among average ability readers. More concepts than content vocabulary were present in written responses by both video and print groups. Post-hoc analysis revealed no gender differences, no significant difference in length of free recall between Study One and Study Two and significant differences between reading abilities on all measures.

Dermatology on Reddit: elucidating trends in dermatologic communications on the world wide web.

PubMed

Buntinx-Krieg, Talayesa; Caravaglio, Joseph; Domozych, Renee; Dellavalle, Robert P

2017-07-15

Platforms of social media, including the website Reddit, have become increasingly popular sites for users to communicate medical information. A study investigating dermatology content on Reddit has not been performed in the current literature. The purpose of this study is to enumerate the dermatology subreddits, quantify subscribers, and characterize posts to estimate the presence of dermatology-related content on Reddit. A Reddit search of the fourteen most common skin diseases globally was performed. Additionally, the terms "dermatology", and "skin" were searched in order to identify more subreddits relevant to the field. Dermatology-related subreddits that had ≥1000 subscribers were evaluated for content and categorized for analysis. We identified 38 subreddits related to dermatology with subscriber numbers ranging from 52 to 209,973. For 17 of the 38 subreddits that were further analyzed, most posts fell under the category of "seeking health/cosmetic advice." Reddit serves as a communication stage for individuals to discuss, engage, and connect on dermatologic topics. Furthermore, the platform offers an opportunity for medical professionals to distribute evidence-based information concerning dermatologic conditions.

Metacognition in speech and language therapy for children with social (pragmatic) communication disorders: implications for a theory of therapy.

PubMed

Gaile, Jacqueline; Adams, Catherine

2018-01-01

Metacognition is a significant component of complex interventions for children who have developmental language disorders. Research into how metacognition operates in the content or process of developmental language therapy delivery is limited. Identification and description of proposed active therapy components, such as metacognition, may contribute to our understanding of how to deliver complex communication interventions in an optimal manner. To analyse aspects of metacognition during therapy derived from a manualized speech and language intervention (the Social Communication Intervention Programme-SCIP) as delivered to children who have social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD) and to examine the dynamic process of delivering therapy. A purposive sample of eight filmed therapy sessions was selected from the video data corpus of intervention-arm participants within a randomized controlled trial. The child-therapist interactions during therapy sessions from five children (aged between 5;11 and 10;3) in the SCIP trial were transcribed. Filmed sessions represented a variety of communication profiles and SCIP therapy content. Starting from existing theory on metacognition, cycles of iterative analysis were performed using a mixed inductive-deductive qualitative analysis. A preliminary list of metacognitive content embedded in the intervention was developed into a metacognitive coding framework (MCF). A thematic analysis of the identified metacognitive content of the intervention was then carried out across the whole sample. Thematic analysis revealed the presence of metacognition in the content and delivery of SCIP intervention. Four main themes of metacognitive person, task and strategy knowledge, and monitoring/control were identified. Metacognition was a feature of how children's ability to monitor language, pragmatic and social interaction skills, in themselves and other people, was developed. Task design and delivery methods were found to play a particular role in adjusting the metacognitive content of the therapy activities. This study makes explicit the metacognitive content and delivery within a complex developmental communication intervention. Discussion of the findings about metacognitive content provides an explanation of how the skilled speech and language therapist manipulates task demands, person knowledge and therapy methods towards the therapy goal. Clinical applications of the metacognitive framework are discussed. We suggest that the process of making the tacit knowledge of the therapist explicit can contribute to the implementation of complex evidence-based interventions. © 2017 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Understanding Human Error in Naval Aviation Mishaps.

PubMed

Miranda, Andrew T

2018-04-01

To better understand the external factors that influence the performance and decisions of aviators involved in Naval aviation mishaps. Mishaps in complex activities, ranging from aviation to nuclear power operations, are often the result of interactions between multiple components within an organization. The Naval aviation mishap database contains relevant information, both in quantitative statistics and qualitative reports, that permits analysis of such interactions to identify how the working atmosphere influences aviator performance and judgment. Results from 95 severe Naval aviation mishaps that occurred from 2011 through 2016 were analyzed using Bayes' theorem probability formula. Then a content analysis was performed on a subset of relevant mishap reports. Out of the 14 latent factors analyzed, the Bayes' application identified 6 that impacted specific aspects of aviator behavior during mishaps. Technological environment, misperceptions, and mental awareness impacted basic aviation skills. The remaining 3 factors were used to inform a content analysis of the contextual information within mishap reports. Teamwork failures were the result of plan continuation aggravated by diffused responsibility. Resource limitations and risk management deficiencies impacted judgments made by squadron commanders. The application of Bayes' theorem to historical mishap data revealed the role of latent factors within Naval aviation mishaps. Teamwork failures were seen to be considerably damaging to both aviator skill and judgment. Both the methods and findings have direct application for organizations interested in understanding the relationships between external factors and human error. It presents real-world evidence to promote effective safety decisions.

Phytochemical screening, total phenolic, total flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity of cinchona ledgeriana leaves ethanol extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundowo, Andini; Artanti, Nina; Hanafi, M.; Minarti, Primahana, Gian

2017-11-01

C ledgeriana is a medicinal plant that contains alkaloids, especially on the barks for commercial production of quinine as antimalarial. The main alkaloids in this plant are cinchonine, cinchonidine, quinine and quinidine. Besides for antiamalarial this plant is also commonly used to treat whooping cough, influenza and dysentery. Compare to other medicinal plants, nowadays only very few studies were conducted in Cinchona species. Our current study aims to determine the content of phytochemical, total phenol and total flavonoids from C. ledgeriana leaves 70% ethanol extract. The extraction was performed by maceration method using 70% ethanol solvent and then fractionated into hexane, ethylacetate and butanol. Phytochemical screening was performed to determine the content of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extract were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and alumunium chloride colorimetric methods using gallic acid and quercetin as standards. The antioxidant activity was determined by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The results of phytochemical screening showed that the 70% ethanol extract of C. ledgeriana leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. The total phenol and total flavonoids analysis showed that ethyl acetate fraction had the highest total phenol (40.23%) and total flavonoids (65.34%).

Uni-dimensional double development HPTLC-densitometry method for simultaneous analysis of mangiferin and lupeol content in mango (Mangifera indica) pulp and peel during storage.

PubMed

Jyotshna; Srivastava, Pooja; Killadi, Bharti; Shanker, Karuna

2015-06-01

Mango (Mangifera indica) fruit is one of the important commercial fruit crops of India. Similar to other tropical fruits it is also highly perishable in nature. During storage/ripening, changes in its physico-chemical quality parameters viz. firmness, titrable acidity, total soluble solid content (TSSC), carotenoids content, and other biochemicals are inevitable. A uni-dimensional double-development high-performance thin-layer chromatography (UDDD-HPTLC) method was developed for the real-time monitoring of mangiferin and lupeol in mango pulp and peel during storage. The quantitative determination of both compounds of different classes was achieved by densitometric HPTLC method. Silica gel 60F254 HPTLC plates and two solvent systems viz. toluene/EtOAC/MeOH and EtOAC/MeOH, respectively were used for optimum separation and selective evaluation. Densitometric quantitation of mangiferin was performed at 390nm, while lupeol at 610nm after post chromatographic derivatization. Validated method was used to real-time monitoring of mangiferin and lupeol content during storage in four Indian cultivars, e.g. Bombay green (Bgreen), Dashehari, Langra, and Chausa. Significant correlations (p<0.05) between of acidity and TSSC with mangiferin and lupeol in pulp and peel during storage were also observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of boron, nitrogen co-doped porous carbon from asphaltene for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ying; Wang, Dao-Long; Wang, Chun-Lei; Jin, Xin-Xin; Qiu, Jie-Shan

2014-08-01

Oxidized asphaltene (OA), a thermosetting material with plenty of functional groups, is synthesized from asphaltene (A) using HNO3/H2SO4 as the oxidizing agent. Boron, nitrogen co-doped porous carbon (BNC—OA) is prepared by carbonization of the mixture of boric acid and OA at 1173 K in an argon atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization reveals that the BNC—OA has a nitrogen content of 3.26 at.% and a boron content of 1.31 at.%, while its oxidation-free counterpart (BNC—SA) has a nitrogen content of 1.61 at.% and a boron content of 3.02 at.%. The specific surface area and total pore volume of BNC—OA are 1103 m2·g-1 and 0.921 cm3·g-1, respectively. At a current density of 0.1 A·g-1, the specific capacitance of BNC-OA is 335 F·g-1 and the capacitance retention can still reach 83% at 1 A·g-1. The analysis shows that the superior electrochemical performance of the BNC—OA is attributed to the pseudocapacitance behavior of surface heteroatom functional groups and an abundant pore-structure. Boron, nitrogen co-doped porous carbon is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.

Analysis of some selected catechins and caffeine in green tea by high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

El-Shahawi, M S; Hamza, A; Bahaffi, S O; Al-Sibaai, A A; Abduljabbar, T N

2012-10-15

Green tea seems to have a positive impact on health due to the catechins-found as flavanols. Thus, the present study was aimed to develop a low cost reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of flavanol contents, namely catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin 3-gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) and caffeine in 29 commercial green tea samples available in a Saudi Arabian local market. A C-18 reversed-phase column, acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid as a mobile phase, coupled with UV detector at 205 nm, was successfully used for precise analysis of the tested analytes in boiled water of digested tea leaves. The average values of N (No. of theoretical plates), HETP (height equivalent of theoretical plates) and R(s) (separation factor) (at 10 μg ml(-1) of the catechins EC, EGC, EGCG and ECG) were 2.6×10(3)±1.2×10(3), 1.7×10(-3)±4.7×10(-4) cm and 1.7±5.53×10(-2), respectively. The developed HPLC method demonstrated excellent performance, with low limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the tested catechins of 0.004-0.05 μg ml(-1) and 0.01-0.17 μg ml(-1), respectively, and recovery percentages of 96-101%. The influence of infusion time (5-30 min) and temperature on the content of the flavanols was investigated by HPLC. After a 5 min infusion of the tea leaves, the average concentrations of caffeine, catechin, EC, EGC, ECG and EGCG were found to be in the ranges 0.086-2.23, 0.113-2.94, 0.58-10.22, 0.19-24.9, 0.22-13.9 and 1.01-43.3 mg g(-1), respectively. The contents of caffeine and catechins followed the sequence: EGCG>EGC>ECG>EC>C>caffeine. The method was applied satisfactorily for the analysis of (+)-catechin, even at trace and ultra trace concentrations of catechins. The method was rapid, accurate, reproducible and ideal for routine analysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SACA: Software Assisted Call Analysis--an interactive tool supporting content exploration, online guidance and quality improvement of counseling dialogues.

PubMed

Trinkaus, Hans L; Gaisser, Andrea E

2010-09-01

Nearly 30,000 individual inquiries are answered annually by the telephone cancer information service (CIS, KID) of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The aim was to develop a tool for evaluating these calls, and to support the complete counseling process interactively. A novel software tool is introduced, based on a structure similar to a music score. Treating the interaction as a "duet", guided by the CIS counselor, the essential contents of the dialogue are extracted automatically. For this, "trained speech recognition" is applied to the (known) counselor's part, and "keyword spotting" is used on the (unknown) client's part to pick out specific items from the "word streams". The outcomes fill an abstract score representing the dialogue. Pilot tests performed on a prototype of SACA (Software Assisted Call Analysis) resulted in a basic proof of concept: Demographic data as well as information regarding the situation of the caller could be identified. The study encourages following up on the vision of an integrated SACA tool for supporting calls online and performing statistics on its knowledge database offline. Further research perspectives are to check SACA's potential in comparison with established interaction analysis systems like RIAS. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of cellulosic fiber scale on linear and non-linear mechanical performance of starch-based composites.

PubMed

Karimi, Samaneh; Abdulkhani, Ali; Tahir, Paridah Md; Dufresne, Alain

2016-10-01

Cellulosic nanofibers (NFs) from kenaf bast were used to reinforce glycerol plasticized thermoplastic starch (TPS) matrices with varying contents (0-10wt%). The composites were prepared by casting/evaporation method. Raw fibers (RFs) reinforced TPS films were prepared with the same contents and conditions. The aim of study was to investigate the effects of filler dimension and loading on linear and non-linear mechanical performance of fabricated materials. Obtained results clearly demonstrated that the NF-reinforced composites had significantly greater mechanical performance than the RF-reinforced counterparts. This was attributed to the high aspect ratio and nano dimension of the reinforcing agents, as well as their compatibility with the TPS matrix, resulting in strong fiber/matrix interaction. Tensile strength and Young's modulus increased by 313% and 343%, respectively, with increasing NF content from 0 to 10wt%. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed an elevational trend in the glass transition temperature of amylopectin-rich domains in composites. The most eminent record was +18.5°C shift in temperature position of the film reinforced with 8% NF. This finding implied efficient dispersion of nanofibers in the matrix and their ability to form a network and restrict mobility of the system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Echodense spinal subarachnoid space in neonates with progressive ventricular dilatation: a marker of noncommunicating hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Rudas, G; Almássy, Z; Papp, B; Varga, E; Méder, U; Taylor, G A

1998-10-01

Our purpose was to evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of echogenic debris in the spinal subarachnoid space of neonates at risk for progressive ventricular dilatation. Spinal sonography was performed on 15 neonates with severe intracranial hemorrhage (n = 10) or bacterial meningitis (n = 5). Spinal sonography also was performed on 16 control neonates. Images were analyzed for the presence and location of echogeric debris within the thoracolumbar subarachnoid space. Lumbar punctures were performed on all 31 neonates, and CSF was analyzed for cell count and protein content. Ten of 15 neonates required ventricular drainage procedures. Progressive ventricular dilatation occurred in 11 of 15 neonates with intracranial hemorrhage or meningitis. Echogenic debris was present in the thoracolumbar subarachnoid space on spinal sonography in every neonate with progressive ventricular dilatation compared with none of the 16 control neonates (p < .0001 by chi-square analysis). In addition, the 11 neonates with echogenic subarachnoid space had significantly higher protein and RBC contents in the lumbar CSF (p < .04). Echogenic subarachnoid space revealed by sonography is associated with progressive ventricular dilatation after severe intracranial hemorrhage or bacterial meningitis and is caused by high protein and RBC contents in the subarachnoid space. This finding may be helpful in identifying neonates who will not benefit from serial lumbar punctures for treatment of hydrocephalus.

Application of Chromatographic and Spectroscopic Methods towards the Quality Assessment of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Rhizomes from Ecological Plantations.

PubMed

Koch, Wojciech; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia; Marzec, Zbigniew; Kasperek, Elwira; Wyszogrodzka-Koma, Lucyna; Szwerc, Wojciech; Asakawa, Yoshinori

2017-02-20

The usefulness of ginger in the food industry and pharmacotherapy is strictly related to its content of various components. The study elucidates the chemical composition of Zingiber officinale rhizomes cultivated on ecological plantations on Shikoku Island (Japan). GC-MS analysis of terpene content, LC-MS determination of phenolic content, and the determination of 12 elements using AAS spectrometry were performed to give more detailed insight into the samples. Ninety-five percent of terpene composition was elucidated, with zingiberene as the most abundant sesquiterpene (37.9%); the quantification of gingerols and shogaols was performed, showing the highest contribution of 6-gingerol (268.3 mg/kg); a significant K (43,963 mg/kg of dry mass) and Mn (758.4 mg/kg of dry mass) content was determined in the elemental analysis of the rhizomes and low concentration of toxic elements (Cd, Ni and Pb) remaining below the safe level values recommended by European Commission Directives. The main phenolic compound was (6)-gingerol, which is characteristic of fresh rhizomes and is responsible for their taste and aroma. Surprisingly, high amounts of (6)-shogaol were determined, even though this phenolic compound usually occurs in old or processed material and not in fresh rhizomes. Sesquiterpenes were the major fraction of volatiles. The highest concentrations were determined for α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, ( E , E )-α-farnesene, geranial, and ar -curcumene. The volatiles composition of ginger cultivated on Shikoku Island is specific and strongly differs from plants cultivated in China, Nigeria, or Australia. The elemental composition of ginger rhizomes grown in ecological plantations is more beneficial for human health compared to products grown in normal cultivars, as the products contain high amounts of potassium and manganese and are characterized by low sodium content and lower levels of toxic heavy metals.

Application of Chromatographic and Spectroscopic Methods towards the Quality Assessment of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Rhizomes from Ecological Plantations

PubMed Central

Koch, Wojciech; Kukula-Koch, Wirginia; Marzec, Zbigniew; Kasperek, Elwira; Wyszogrodzka-Koma, Lucyna; Szwerc, Wojciech; Asakawa, Yoshinori

2017-01-01

The usefulness of ginger in the food industry and pharmacotherapy is strictly related to its content of various components. The study elucidates the chemical composition of Zingiber officinale rhizomes cultivated on ecological plantations on Shikoku Island (Japan). GC-MS analysis of terpene content, LC-MS determination of phenolic content, and the determination of 12 elements using AAS spectrometry were performed to give more detailed insight into the samples. Ninety-five percent of terpene composition was elucidated, with zingiberene as the most abundant sesquiterpene (37.9%); the quantification of gingerols and shogaols was performed, showing the highest contribution of 6-gingerol (268.3 mg/kg); a significant K (43,963 mg/kg of dry mass) and Mn (758.4 mg/kg of dry mass) content was determined in the elemental analysis of the rhizomes and low concentration of toxic elements (Cd, Ni and Pb) remaining below the safe level values recommended by European Commission Directives. The main phenolic compound was (6)-gingerol, which is characteristic of fresh rhizomes and is responsible for their taste and aroma. Surprisingly, high amounts of (6)-shogaol were determined, even though this phenolic compound usually occurs in old or processed material and not in fresh rhizomes. Sesquiterpenes were the major fraction of volatiles. The highest concentrations were determined for α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, (E,E)-α-farnesene, geranial, and ar-curcumene. The volatiles composition of ginger cultivated on Shikoku Island is specific and strongly differs from plants cultivated in China, Nigeria, or Australia. The elemental composition of ginger rhizomes grown in ecological plantations is more beneficial for human health compared to products grown in normal cultivars, as the products contain high amounts of potassium and manganese and are characterized by low sodium content and lower levels of toxic heavy metals. PMID:28230740

Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: application to 3MI and MSPI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merlin, G.; Riedi, J.; Labonnote, L. C.; Cornet, C.; Davis, A. B.; Dubuisson, P.; Desmons, M.; Ferlay, N.; Parol, F.

2015-12-01

The vertical distribution of cloud cover has a significant impact on a large number of meteorological and climatic processes. Cloud top altitude and cloud geometrical thickness are then essential. Previous studies established the possibility of retrieving those parameters from multi-angular oxygen A-band measurements. Here we perform a study and comparison of the performances of future instruments. The 3MI (Multi-angle, Multi-channel and Multi-polarization Imager) instrument developed by EUMETSAT, which is an extension of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, and MSPI (Multi-angles Spectro-Polarimetric Imager) develoloped by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will measure total and polarized light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere-surface system in several spectral bands (from UV to SWIR) and several viewing geometries. Those instruments should provide opportunities to observe the links between the cloud structures and the anisotropy of the reflected solar radiation into space. Specific algorithms will need be developed in order to take advantage of the new capabilities of this instrument. However, prior to this effort, we need to understand, through a theoretical Shannon information content analysis, the limits and advantages of these new instruments for retrieving liquid and ice cloud properties, and especially, in this study, the amount of information coming from the A-Band channel on the cloud top altitude (CTOP) and geometrical thickness (CGT). We compare the information content of 3MI A-Band in two configurations and that of MSPI. Quantitative information content estimates show that the retrieval of CTOP with a high accuracy is possible in almost all cases investigated. The retrieval of CGT seems less easy but possible for optically thick clouds above a black surface, at least when CGT > 1-2 km.

Link Performance Analysis and monitoring - A unified approach to divergent requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thom, G. A.

Link Performance Analysis and real-time monitoring are generally covered by a wide range of equipment. Bit Error Rate testers provide digital link performance measurements but are not useful during real-time data flows. Real-time performance monitors utilize the fixed overhead content but vary widely from format to format. Link quality information is also present from signal reconstruction equipment in the form of receiver AGC, bit synchronizer AGC, and bit synchronizer soft decision level outputs, but no general approach to utilizing this information exists. This paper presents an approach to link tests, real-time data quality monitoring, and results presentation that utilizes a set of general purpose modules in a flexible architectural environment. The system operates over a wide range of bit rates (up to 150 Mbs) and employs several measurement techniques, including P/N code errors or fixed PCM format errors, derived real-time BER from frame sync errors, and Data Quality Analysis derived by counting significant sync status changes. The architecture performs with a minimum of elements in place to permit a phased update of the user's unit in accordance with his needs.

Every teacher an English teacher? Literacy strategy teaching and research in the content area of science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckingham, Thomas

Recent statements from teachers of English and literacy (NCTE, 2007) have voiced the failure of schools to help minority students and ELLs close the literacy achievement gap and the responsibility of all teachers to help with this endeavor. Central to this effort in secondary schools are the content area teachers, as their subjects constitute the bulk of school day instruction. While there have been small studies and field reports of what content teachers are or are not teaching in the way of literacy instruction (Fisher and Ivey, 2005; Verplaste, 1996, 1998; Vacca and Vacca 1989), researchers have not had success measuring the literacy practices of content area teachers in a broad-based study. This study focuses specifically on what many researchers in both the content literacy and ESL fields have emphasized for promoting literacy in the classroom---teaching metacognitive strategies. Twelve metacognitive functions derived from a literacy strategies handbook are employed as a means to ascertain strategy usage within the lessons whether specifically known content strategies are named or not. The initial analysis is performed on over 100 lesson plans hosted at four prominent university science education sites, all within a five year period (2003-7). In addition to the lesson plan analysis, a review of 100 articles taken from five on-line science education journals reveal what the science education field addresses this issue. Findings suggest that while 80% of science teachers include some type of strategic teaching and learning in their lessons, only about 20% of science teachers explicitly utilize strategies as listed in content literacy manuals and promoted by literacy and ESL experts. Rather, most science teachers implicitly include these strategies within their lessons and/or promote their own subject-specific strategies in content teaching. Analysis of science education research and publications shows that there is a focus on literacy and specifically strategic learning; however, the evidence does not suggest that science teachers necessarily follow these suggested offerings---even when it comes to their own national organization's offerings in this area.

Differential roles of polar orbital prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes in logical reasoning with neutral and negative emotional content.

PubMed

Eimontaite, Iveta; Goel, Vinod; Raymont, Vanessa; Krueger, Frank; Schindler, Igor; Grafman, Jordan

2018-05-14

To answer the question of how brain pathology affects reasoning about negative emotional content, we administered a disjunctive logical reasoning task involving arguments with neutral content (e.g. Either there are tigers or women in NYC, but not both; There are no tigers in NYC; There are women in NYC) and emotionally laden content (e.g. Either there are pedophiles or politicians in Texas, but not both; There are politicians in Texas; There are no pedophiles in Texas) to 92 neurological patients with focal lesions to various parts of the brain. A Voxel Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM) analysis identified 16 patients, all with lesions to the orbital polar prefrontal cortex (BA 10 & 11), as being selectively impaired in the emotional reasoning condition. Another 17 patients, all with lesions to the parietal cortex, were identified as being impaired in the neutral content condition. The reasoning scores of these two patient groups, along with 23 matched normal controls, underwent additional analysis to explore the effect of belief bias. This analysis revealed that the differences identified above were largely driven by trials where there was an incongruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument /false conclusion or invalid argument /true conclusion). Patients with lesions to polar orbital prefrontal cortex underperformed in incongruent emotional content trials and over performed in incongruent neutral content trials (compared to both normal controls and patients with parietal lobe lesions). Patients with lesions to parietal lobes underperformed normal controls (at a trend level) in neutral trials where there was a congruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument/true conclusion or invalid argument/false conclusion). We conclude that lesions to the polar orbital prefrontal cortex (i) prevent these patients from enjoying any emotionally induced cognitive boost, and (ii) block the belief bias processing route in the neutral condition. Lesions to parietal lobes result in a generalized impairment in logical reasoning with neutral content. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Soil organic carbon content assessment in a heterogeneous landscape: comparison of digital soil mapping and visible and near Infrared spectroscopy approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michot, Didier; Fouad, Youssef; Pascal, Pichelin; Viaud, Valérie; Soltani, Inès; Walter, Christian

2017-04-01

This study aims are: i) to assess SOC content distribution according to the global soil map (GSM) project recommendations in a heterogeneous landscape ; ii) to compare the prediction performance of digital soil mapping (DSM) and visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy approaches. The study area of 140 ha, located at Plancoët, surrounds the unique mineral spring water of Brittany (Western France). It's a hillock characterized by a heterogeneous landscape mosaic with different types of forest, permanent pastures and wetlands along a small coastal river. We acquired two independent datasets: j) 50 points selected using a conditioned Latin hypercube sampling (cLHS); jj) 254 points corresponding to the GSM grid. Soil samples were collected in three layers (0-5, 20-25 and 40-50cm) for both sampling strategies. SOC content was only measured in cLHS soil samples, while Vis-NIR spectra were measured on all the collected samples. For the DSM approach, a machine-learning algorithm (Cubist) was applied on the cLHS calibration data to build rule-based models linking soil carbon content in the different layers with environmental covariates, derived from digital elevation model, geological variables, land use data and existing large scale soil maps. For the spectroscopy approach, we used two calibration datasets: k) the local cLHS ; kk) a subset selected from the regional spectral database of Brittany after a PCA with a hierarchical clustering analysis and spiked by local cLHS spectra. The PLS regression algorithm with "leave-one-out" cross validation was performed for both calibration datasets. SOC contents for the 3 layers of the GSM grid were predicted using the different approaches and were compared with each other. Their prediction performance was evaluated by the following parameters: R2, RMSE and RPD. Both approaches led to satisfactory predictions for SOC content with an advantage for the spectral approach, particularly as regards the pertinence of the variation range.

Fundamental limits of image registration performance: Effects of image noise and resolution in CT-guided interventions.

PubMed

Ketcha, M D; de Silva, T; Han, R; Uneri, A; Goerres, J; Jacobson, M; Vogt, S; Kleinszig, G; Siewerdsen, J H

2017-02-11

In image-guided procedures, image acquisition is often performed primarily for the task of geometrically registering information from another image dataset, rather than detection / visualization of a particular feature. While the ability to detect a particular feature in an image has been studied extensively with respect to image quality characteristics (noise, resolution) and is an ongoing, active area of research, comparatively little has been accomplished to relate such image quality characteristics to registration performance. To establish such a framework, we derived Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLB) for registration accuracy, revealing the underlying dependencies on image variance and gradient strength. The CRLB was analyzed as a function of image quality factors (in particular, dose) for various similarity metrics and compared to registration accuracy using CT images of an anthropomorphic head phantom at various simulated dose levels. Performance was evaluated in terms of root mean square error (RMSE) of the registration parameters. Analysis of the CRLB shows two primary dependencies: 1) noise variance (related to dose); and 2) sum of squared image gradients (related to spatial resolution and image content). Comparison of the measured RMSE to the CRLB showed that the best registration method, RMSE achieved the CRLB to within an efficiency factor of 0.21, and optimal estimators followed the predicted inverse proportionality between registration performance and radiation dose. Analysis of the CRLB for image registration is an important step toward understanding and evaluating an intraoperative imaging system with respect to a registration task. While the CRLB is optimistic in absolute performance, it reveals a basis for relating the performance of registration estimators as a function of noise content and may be used to guide acquisition parameter selection (e.g., dose) for purposes of intraoperative registration.

Rapid Quantification of Abscisic Acid by GC-MS/MS for Studies of Abiotic Stress Response.

PubMed

Verslues, Paul E

2017-01-01

Drought and low water potential induce large increases in Abscisic Acid (ABA ) content of plant tissue. This increased ABA content is essential to regulate downstream stress resistance responses; however, the mechanisms regulating ABA accumulation are incompletely known. Thus, the ability to accurately quantify ABA at high throughput and low cost is important for plant stress research. We have combined and modified several previously published protocols to establish a rapid ABA analysis protocol using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Derivatization of ABA is performed with (trimethylsilyl)-diazomethane rather than the harder to prepare diazomethane. Sensitivity of the analysis is sufficient that small samples of low water potential treated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings can be routinely analyzed in reverse genetic studies of putative stress regulators as well as studies of natural variation in ABA accumulation.

A System for the Semantic Multimodal Analysis of News Audio-Visual Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezaris, Vasileios; Gidaros, Spyros; Papadopoulos, GeorgiosTh; Kasper, Walter; Steffen, Jörg; Ordelman, Roeland; Huijbregts, Marijn; de Jong, Franciska; Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Strintzis, MichaelG

2010-12-01

News-related content is nowadays among the most popular types of content for users in everyday applications. Although the generation and distribution of news content has become commonplace, due to the availability of inexpensive media capturing devices and the development of media sharing services targeting both professional and user-generated news content, the automatic analysis and annotation that is required for supporting intelligent search and delivery of this content remains an open issue. In this paper, a complete architecture for knowledge-assisted multimodal analysis of news-related multimedia content is presented, along with its constituent components. The proposed analysis architecture employs state-of-the-art methods for the analysis of each individual modality (visual, audio, text) separately and proposes a novel fusion technique based on the particular characteristics of news-related content for the combination of the individual modality analysis results. Experimental results on news broadcast video illustrate the usefulness of the proposed techniques in the automatic generation of semantic annotations.

Advances in audio source seperation and multisource audio content retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincent, Emmanuel

2012-06-01

Audio source separation aims to extract the signals of individual sound sources from a given recording. In this paper, we review three recent advances which improve the robustness of source separation in real-world challenging scenarios and enable its use for multisource content retrieval tasks, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR) or acoustic event detection (AED) in noisy environments. We present a Flexible Audio Source Separation Toolkit (FASST) and discuss its advantages compared to earlier approaches such as independent component analysis (ICA) and sparse component analysis (SCA). We explain how cues as diverse as harmonicity, spectral envelope, temporal fine structure or spatial location can be jointly exploited by this toolkit. We subsequently present the uncertainty decoding (UD) framework for the integration of audio source separation and audio content retrieval. We show how the uncertainty about the separated source signals can be accurately estimated and propagated to the features. Finally, we explain how this uncertainty can be efficiently exploited by a classifier, both at the training and the decoding stage. We illustrate the resulting performance improvements in terms of speech separation quality and speaker recognition accuracy.

Protein interactions during flour mixing using wheat flour with altered starch.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaolong; Appels, Rudi; Zhang, Xiaoke; Diepeveen, Dean; Torok, Kitti; Tomoskozi, Sandor; Bekes, Ferenc; Ma, Wujun; Sharp, Peter; Islam, Shahidul

2017-09-15

Wheat grain proteins responses to mixing and thermal treatment were investigated using Mixolab-dough analysis systems with flour from two cultivars, Ventura-26 (normal amylose content) and Ventura-19 (reduced amylose content). Size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) analysis revealed that, stress associated and metabolic proteins largely interacted with dough matrix of Ventura-26 after 26min (56°C); gliadins, avenin-like b proteins, LMW-GSs, and partial globulins showed stronger interactions within the dough matrix of Ventura-26 at 32min/C3 (80°C), thereafter, however, stronger protein interactions were observed within the dough matrix of Ventura-19 at 38min/C4 (85°C) and 43min (80°C). Thirty-seven proteins associated with changes in dough matrix due to reduced amylose content were identified by mass spectrometry and mainly annotated to the chromosome group 1, 4, and 6. The findings provide new entry points for modifying final product attributes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building global models for fat and total protein content in raw milk based on historical spectroscopic data in the visible and short-wave near infrared range.

PubMed

Melenteva, Anastasiia; Galyanin, Vladislav; Savenkova, Elena; Bogomolov, Andrey

2016-07-15

A large set of fresh cow milk samples collected from many suppliers over a large geographical area in Russia during a year has been analyzed by optical spectroscopy in the range 400-1100 nm in accordance with previously developed scatter-based technique. The global (i.e. resistant to seasonal, genetic, regional and other variations of the milk composition) models for fat and total protein content, which were built using partial least-squares (PLS) regression, exhibit satisfactory prediction performances enabling their practical application in the dairy. The root mean-square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.09 and 0.10 for fat and total protein content, respectively. The issues of raw milk analysis and multivariate modelling based on the historical spectroscopic data have been considered and approaches to the creation of global models and their transfer between the instruments have been proposed. Availability of global models should significantly facilitate the dissemination of optical spectroscopic methods for the laboratory and in-line quantitative milk analysis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Universal calibration of Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of volatiles in glasses of variable composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiavi, Federica; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie

2017-04-01

The amount and distribution of volatiles (water, carbon dioxide …) in magmas represent key parameters for the understanding of magma processes and dynamics within volcanic plumbing systems. Micro-Raman spectroscopy is an excellent technique for accurate determination of volatile contents in magmas, as it combines several advantages. The technique is non-destructive and requires minimal sample preparation before the analysis. Its high lateral and in-depth spatial resolution is crucial for the study of small objects and samples that are chemically and texturally heterogeneous at the small scale (microns). Moreover, the high confocality allows analysis of sample regions not exposed to the surface and 3D mapping. We present a universal calibration of Raman spectroscopy for quantification of volatiles in silicate glasses. The proposed method is based on internal calibration, i.e., on the correlation between the glass water content and the ratio between the areas of the water and silicate Raman bands. Synthetic glasses with variable major element compositions (basaltic, andesitic, rhyolitic, dacitic ..) bearing different H2O (up to 7 wt%) and CO2 contents are used as standard glasses. Natural silicate glasses, mainly in the form of melt inclusions, are used to test the goodness of the proposed method. In addition to quantification of volatiles in glass, in bubble-bearing melt inclusions we perform micro-Raman spectroscopy investigation of gas-bearing bubbles for accurate determination of total volatile contents in melt inclusions.

Nondestructive hydrogen analysis of steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 by wide-angle neutron scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yong; Qian, Shuo; Garrison, Ben; Smith, Tyler; Kim, Peter

2018-04-01

A nondestructive neutron scattering method to precisely measure the hydrogen content in high-temperature steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding was developed. Zircaloy-4 cladding was used to produce hydrided specimens with hydrogen content up to ≈500 wppm. Following hydrogen charging, the hydrogen content of the hydrided specimens was measured using the vacuum hot extraction method, by which the samples with desired hydrogen concentrations were selected for the neutron study. The hydrided samples were then oxidized in steam up to ≈6.0 wt. % at 1100 °C. Optical microscopy shows that our hydriding procedure results in uniform distribution of circumferential hydrides across the wall thickness, and uniform oxide layers were formed on the sample surfaces by the steam oxidation. Small- and wide-angle neutron scattering were simultaneously performed to provide a quick (less than an hour per sample) measurement of the hydrogen content in various types of hydrided and oxidized Zircaloy-4. Our study demonstrates that the hydrogen in pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding can be measured very accurately by both small- and wide-angle neutron scattering. For steam-oxidized samples, the small-angle neutron scattering is contaminated with coherent scattering from additional structural features induced by the steam oxidation. However, the scattering intensity of the wide-angle neutron scattering increases proportionally with the hydrogen charged in the samples. The hydrogen content and wide-angle neutron scattering intensity are highly linearly correlated for the oxidized cladding samples examined in this work, and can be used to precisely determine the hydrogen content in steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 samples. Hydrogen contents determined by neutron scattering of oxidation samples were also found to be consistent with the results of chemical analysis within acceptable margins for error.

A Content Analysis of E-mail Communication between Patients and Their Providers: Patients Get the Message

PubMed Central

White, Casey B.; Moyer, Cheryl A.; Stern, David T.; Katz, Steven J.

2004-01-01

Objective: E-mail use in the clinical setting has been slow to diffuse for several reasons, including providers' concerns about patients' inappropriate and inefficient use of the technology. This study examined the content of a random sample of patient–physician e-mail messages to determine the validity of those concerns. Design: A qualitative analysis of patient–physician e-mail messages was performed. Measurements: A total of 3,007 patient–physician e-mail messages were collected over 11 months as part of a randomized, controlled trial of a triage-based e-mail system in two primary care centers (including 98 physicians); 10% of messages were randomly selected for review. Messages were coded across such domains as message type, number of requests per e-mail, inclusion of sensitive content, necessity of a physician response, and message tone. Results: The majority (82.8%) of messages addressed a single issue. The most common message types included information updates to the physicians (41.4%), prescription renewals (24.2%), health questions (13.2%), questions about test results (10.9%), referrals (8.8%), “other” (including thank yous, apologies) (8.8%), appointments (5.4%), requests for non-health-related information (4.8%), and billing questions (0.3%). Overall, messages were concise, formal, and medically relevant. Very few (5.1%) included sensitive content, and none included urgent messages. Less than half (43.2%) required a physician response. Conclusion: A triage-based e-mail system promoted e-mail exchanges appropriate for primary care. Most patients adhered to guidelines aimed at focusing content, limiting the number of requests per message, and avoiding urgent requests or highly sensitive content. Thus, physicians' concerns about the content of patients' e-mails may be unwarranted. PMID:15064295

Dynamic Changes in Neutral and Acidic Ginsenosides with Different Cultivation Ages and Harvest Seasons: Identification of Chemical Characteristics for Panax ginseng Quality Control.

PubMed

Liu, Zhi; Wang, Chong-Zhi; Zhu, Xing-You; Wan, Jin-Yi; Zhang, Jing; Li, Wei; Ruan, Chang-Chun; Yuan, Chun-Su

2017-05-04

In this study, dynamic changes in ginsenoside content and ratios in the Panax ginseng root were investigated with different cultivation ages and different collection months, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our data indicate that changes in ginsenoside Ro and malonyl ginsenosides content were dependent on the ginseng cultivation age ( p < 0.05); especially, the Ro content varied from 0.16 to 4.91 mg/g, with a difference about 30-fold. Further, we found that the samples of 5 and 6-year-old P. ginseng had high Ro/Re ratio, whereas two and three-year-old P. ginseng possessed low Ro/Re ratio. Thus, the Ro/Re ratio can be used as a characteristic marker for differentiating the age of the root. The relative content of ginsenosides Rg₁ and Re were affected by the ginseng's harvest season. The Re content was higher than the Rg₁ content in May and June, but lower than the Rg₁ content from August to October. Thus, the Rg₁/Re ratio can be used as a characteristic marker for differentiating the ginseng's harvest seasons. These results indicate that the chemical characteristics of P. ginseng at different cultivation ages and harvest seasons are clearly different, which may cause differences in pharmacological activities and therapeutic effects. In addition, we developed HPLC coupled with hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis methods to identify the cultivation age and harvest season of P. ginseng using characteristic ginsenosides. Our results showed that this method can be used to discriminate the cultivation age and harvest season of P. ginseng.

Nondestructive hydrogen analysis of steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 by wide-angle neutron scattering

DOE PAGES

Yan, Yong; Qian, Shuo; Garrison, Ben; ...

2018-04-15

In this study, a nondestructive neutron scattering method to precisely measure the hydrogen content in high-temperature steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding was developed. Zircaloy-4 cladding was used to produce hydrided specimens with hydrogen content up to ≈500 wppm. Following hydrogen charging, the hydrogen content of the hydrided specimens was measured using the vacuum hot extraction method, by which the samples with desired hydrogen concentrations were selected for the neutron study. The hydrided samples were then oxidized in steam up to ≈6.0wt. % at 1100°C. Optical microscopy shows that our hydriding procedure results in uniform distribution of circumferential hydrides across the wall thickness,more » and uniform oxide layers were formed on the sample surfaces by the steam oxidation. Small- and wide-angle neutron scattering were simultaneously performed to provide a quick (less than an hour per sample) measurement of the hydrogen content in various types of hydrided and oxidized Zircaloy-4. Our study demonstrates that the hydrogen in pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding can be measured very accurately by both small- and wide-angle neutron scattering. For steam-oxidized samples, the small-angle neutron scattering is contaminated with coherent scattering from additional structural features induced by the steam oxidation. However, the scattering intensity of the wide-angle neutron scattering increases proportionally with the hydrogen charged in the samples. The hydrogen content and wide-angle neutron scattering intensity are highly linearly correlated for the oxidized cladding samples examined in this work, and can be used to precisely determine the hydrogen content in steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 samples. Hydrogen contents determined by neutron scattering of oxidation samples were also found to be consistent with the results of chemical analysis within acceptable margins for error.« less

Nondestructive hydrogen analysis of steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 by wide-angle neutron scattering

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

Yan, Yong; Qian, Shuo; Garrison, Ben

In this study, a nondestructive neutron scattering method to precisely measure the hydrogen content in high-temperature steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding was developed. Zircaloy-4 cladding was used to produce hydrided specimens with hydrogen content up to ≈500 wppm. Following hydrogen charging, the hydrogen content of the hydrided specimens was measured using the vacuum hot extraction method, by which the samples with desired hydrogen concentrations were selected for the neutron study. The hydrided samples were then oxidized in steam up to ≈6.0wt. % at 1100°C. Optical microscopy shows that our hydriding procedure results in uniform distribution of circumferential hydrides across the wall thickness,more » and uniform oxide layers were formed on the sample surfaces by the steam oxidation. Small- and wide-angle neutron scattering were simultaneously performed to provide a quick (less than an hour per sample) measurement of the hydrogen content in various types of hydrided and oxidized Zircaloy-4. Our study demonstrates that the hydrogen in pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding can be measured very accurately by both small- and wide-angle neutron scattering. For steam-oxidized samples, the small-angle neutron scattering is contaminated with coherent scattering from additional structural features induced by the steam oxidation. However, the scattering intensity of the wide-angle neutron scattering increases proportionally with the hydrogen charged in the samples. The hydrogen content and wide-angle neutron scattering intensity are highly linearly correlated for the oxidized cladding samples examined in this work, and can be used to precisely determine the hydrogen content in steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 samples. Hydrogen contents determined by neutron scattering of oxidation samples were also found to be consistent with the results of chemical analysis within acceptable margins for error.« less

Insulin resistance, hepatic lipid and adipose tissue distribution in HIV-infected men.

PubMed

He, Qing; Engelson, Ellen S; Ionescu, Gabriel; Glesby, Marshall J; Albu, Jeanine B; Kotler, Donald P

2008-01-01

A large proportion of HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral medication develop insulin resistance, especially in the context of fat redistribution. This study investigates the interrelationships among fat distribution, hepatic lipid content, and insulin resistance in HIV-infected men. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 23 HIV-infected participants in three prospective clinical studies. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify hepatic lipid concentrations. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify whole-body adipose tissue compartments: that is, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volumes, as well as the intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) subcompartment and the omental-mesenteric adipose tissue (OMAT) and retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT) subcompartments of VAT. The homeostasis model for assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated from fasting glucose and insulin concentrations. Hepatic lipid content correlated significantly with total VAT (r = 0.62, P = 0.0014), but not with SAT (r = 0.053, P = 0.81). In univariate analysis, hepatic lipid content was associated with the OMAT (r = 0.67, P = 0.0004) and RPAT (r = 0.53, P = 0.009) subcompartments; HOMA-IR correlated with both VAT and hepatic lipid contents (r = 0.61, P = 0.057 and r = 0.68, P = 0.0012, respectively). In stepwise linear regression models, hepatic lipid had the strongest associations with OMAT and with HOMA-IR. Hepatic lipid content is associated with VAT volume, especially the OMAT subcompartment, in HIV-infected men. Hepatic lipid content is associated with insulin resistance in HIV-infected men. Hepatic lipid content might mediate the relationship between VAT and insulin resistance among treated, HIV-infected men.

Insulin resistance, hepatic lipid and adipose tissue distribution in HIV infected men

PubMed Central

He, Qing; Engelson, Ellen S.; Ionescu, Gabriel; Glesby, Marshall J.; Albu, Jeanine B.; Kotler, Donald P.

2010-01-01

Background A large proportion of HIV-infected subjects on antiretroviral medication develop insulin resistance, especially in the context of fat redistribution. This study investigates the interrelationships among fat distribution, hepatic lipid content, and insulin resistance in HIV-infected men. Design and methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from twenty-three HIV-infected participants in 3 prospective clinical studies. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to quantify hepatic lipid concentrations. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify whole body adipose tissue compartments, i.e., subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volumes as well as inter-muscular adipose tissue (IMAT) subcompartment, and omental-mesenteric adipose tissue (OMAT) and retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT) subcompartments of VAT. Homeostasis model for assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated from fasting glucose and insulin concentrations. Results Hepatic lipid content correlated significantly with total VAT (r=0.62, p=0.0014) but not with SAT (r=0.053, p=0.81). In univariate analysis, hepatic lipid content was associated with the OMAT (r=0.67, p=0.0004) and RPAT (r=0.53, p=0.009) subcompartments; HOMA-IR correlated with both VAT and hepatic lipid contents (r=0.61, p=0.057 and 0.68, p=0.0012, respectively). In stepwise linear regression models, hepatic lipid had the strongest associations with OMAT and with HOMA-IR. Conclusion Hepatic lipid content is associated with VAT volume, especially the omental-mesenteric subcompartment, in HIV-infected men. Hepatic lipid content is associated with insulin resistance in HIV-infected men. Hepatic lipid content might mediate the relationship between VAT and insulin resistance among treated, HIV-infected men. PMID:18572755

Chromatographic and Spectrophotometric Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Fruits of Libidibia ferrea Martius

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Magda R. A.; Fernandes, Mônica T. M.; da Silva, Wliana A. V.; Bezerra, Isabelle C. F.; de Souza, Tatiane P.; Pimentel, Maria F.; Soares, Luiz A. L.

2016-01-01

Background: Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz (Fabaceae) is a tree which is native to Brazil, widely known as “Jucá,” where its herbal derivatives are used in folk medicine with several therapeutic properties. The constituents, which have already been described in the fruit, are mainly hydrolysable tannins (gallic acid [GA] and ellagic acid [EA]). Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the phenolic variability in the fruit of L. ferrea by ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) and chromatographic methods (high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]/high-performance thin layer chromatography [HPTLC]). Materials and Methods: Several samples were collected from different regions of Brazil and the qualitative (fingerprints by HPTLC and HPLC) and quantitative analysis (UV/VIS and HPLC) of polyphenols were performed. Results: The HPTLC and HPLC profiles allowed separation and identification of both major analytical markers: EA and GA. The chemical profiles were similar in a number of spots or peaks for the samples, but some differences could be observed in the intensity or area of the analytical markers for HPTLC or HPLC, respectively. Regarding the quantitative analysis, the polyphenolic content by UV/VIS ranged from 13.99 to 37.86 g% expressed as GA or from 10.75 to 29.09 g% expressed as EA. The contents of EA and GA by liquid chromatography-reversed phase (LC-RP) method ranged from 0.57 to 2.68 g% and from 0.54 to 3.23 g%, respectively. Conclusion: The chemical profiles obtained by HPTLC or HPLC, as well as the quantitative analysis by spectrophotometry or LC-RP method, were suitable for discrimination of each herbal sample and can be used as tools for the comparative analysis of the fruits from L. ferrea. SUMMARY The polyphenols of fruits of Libidibia ferrea can be quantified by UV/VIS and HPLCThe HPLC method was able to detect the gallic and ellagic acids in several samples of fruits of Libidibia ferreaThe phenolic profiles of fruits from Libidibia ferrea by HPTLC and HPLC were reproductible. Abbreviations used: HPTLC: high performance thin layer chromatography, HPLC: high performance liquid chromatography, UV-Vis: spectrophotometry PMID:27279721

Gadolinia doped hafnia (Gd2O3- HfO 2) thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gullapalli, Satya Kiran

Thermal efficiency of the gas turbines is influenced by the operating temperature of the hot gas path components. The material used for the hot gas path components can only withstand temperature up to a certain limit. Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) provide the additional thermal protection for these components and help the gas turbine achieve higher firing temperatures. Traditionally available yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBCs have a limitation up to 1200 C due to their phase transformation. The present work focuses on gadolinia based hafnia (GSH) TBCs to study their potential to replace the YSZ coatings. Different compositions of gadolinia doped hafnia coatings have been deposited using electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) technique and characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystal structure analysis performed using XRD confirmed the stabilization of the high temperature cubic phase of hafnia. Cross sectional analysis confirmed the presence of columnar structure in the coatings which is a signature of the EB-PVD coatings. Mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated using nanoindentation and nano impact testing at both room temperature and high temperature. Indentation tests indicate a reduction in hardness with an increase in temperature and gadolinia content in hafnia. Impact testing reveals the fracture resistance of the coatings as a function of stabilizer content and heat treatment. Thermal measurements and impedance testing was performed on the bulk material to study the effect of gadolinia content. Thermal cycling was performed to study the spallation behavior of the as deposited and aged samples. Finite element models were developed to study the interfacial stress development in the coatings subjected to thermal cycling.

Four Facets of Privacy and Intellectual Freedom in Licensing Contracts for Electronic Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubel, Alan; Zhang, Mei

2015-01-01

This is a study of the treatment of library patron privacy in licenses for electronic journals in academic libraries. We begin by distinguishing four facets of privacy and intellectual freedom based on the LIS and philosophical literature. Next, we perform a content analysis of 42 license agreements for electronic journals, focusing on terms for…