High-Power, High-Temperature Superconductor Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhasin, Kul B.

2005-01-01

Since the first discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) 10 years ago, the most promising areas for their applications in microwave systems have been as passive components for communication systems. Soon after the discovery, experiments showed that passive microwave circuits made from HTS material exceeded the performance of conventional devices for low-power applications and could be 10 times as small or smaller. However, for superconducting microwave components, high-power microwave applications have remained elusive until now. In 1996, DuPont and Com Dev Ltd. developed high-power superconducting materials and components for communication applications under a NASA Lewis Research Center cooperative agreement, NCC3-344 "High Power High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) Technology Development." The agreement was cost shared between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Technology Reinvestment Program Office and the two industrial partners. It has the following objectives: 1) Material development and characterization for high-power HTS applications; 2) Development and validation of generic high-power microwave components; 3) Development of a proof-of-concept model for a high-power six-channel HTS output multiplexer.

Development and Characterization of High-Efficiency, High-Specific Impulse Xenon Hall Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofer, Richard R.; Jacobson, David (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

This dissertation presents research aimed at extending the efficient operation of 1600 s specific impulse Hall thruster technology to the 2000 to 3000 s range. Motivated by previous industry efforts and mission studies, the aim of this research was to develop and characterize xenon Hall thrusters capable of both high-specific impulse and high-efficiency operation. During the development phase, the laboratory-model NASA 173M Hall thrusters were designed and their performance and plasma characteristics were evaluated. Experiments with the NASA-173M version 1 (v1) validated the plasma lens magnetic field design. Experiments with the NASA 173M version 2 (v2) showed there was a minimum current density and optimum magnetic field topography at which efficiency monotonically increased with voltage. Comparison of the thrusters showed that efficiency can be optimized for specific impulse by varying the plasma lens. During the characterization phase, additional plasma properties of the NASA 173Mv2 were measured and a performance model was derived. Results from the model and experimental data showed how efficient operation at high-specific impulse was enabled through regulation of the electron current with the magnetic field. The electron Hall parameter was approximately constant with voltage, which confirmed efficient operation can be realized only over a limited range of Hall parameters.

Incidence and risk factors for inhibitor development in previously untreated severe haemophilia A patients born between 2005 and 2010.

PubMed

Vézina, C; Carcao, M; Infante-Rivard, C; Lillicrap, D; Stain, A M; Paradis, E; Teitel, J; Rivard, G E

2014-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitor development (ID) in previously untreated patients (PUPs) with severe haemophilia A (FVIII ≤ 0.01 IU mL(-1) ). All Canadian Haemophilia Treatment Centres completed a questionnaire on patients born between September 2005 and August 2010 and followed for up to 7 years. Eligible patients had at least 20 exposure days (ED) or had developed an inhibitor. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for risk factors to develop an inhibitor were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. A total of 99 haemophilia A PUPs were studied. Thirty-four (34%) developed an inhibitor (24/34 of high titre). Inhibitors developed in 25/63 (40%) patients with a high-risk mutation. ID was most frequent in Aboriginals (86%). Dose intensity (IU kg(-1)  day(-1) X number of ED) at first exposure to factor VIII (FVIII) was associated with a crude OR increase of 1.10 (95% CI: 0.99-1.23) with each increase of 100 dose-intensity units. Haemarthrosis and intracranial bleeding as the indication for first exposure to FVIII concentrate were associated with a crude OR for ID of 7.63 (95% CI: 2.14-27.17) and 5.08 (95% CI: 1.11-23.31) respectively. ID according to FVIII concentrate used was: Advate (®) 18/50 (36%), Kogenate FS(®) or Helixate FS(®) 15/36 (42%), Wilate(®) 0/11 and Xyntha(®) 1/2. In multivariate analysis, Aboriginal ethnicity (OR = 11.69; 95% CI: 1.11-122.86) and haemarthrosis (OR = 4.49; 95% CI: 1.08-18.61) were statistically significant. The cumulative incidence of ID in severe haemophilia A PUPs was 34% and varied according to ethnicity, type of bleeding at first ED, type of FVIII product and dose intensity at first exposure. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Elastic Properties in Tension and Shear of High Strength Nonferrous Metals and Stainless Steel - Effect of Previous Deformation and Heat Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-03-01

FOR AERONAUTICS TECHNICAL NOTE No. 1100 ELASTIC PROPERTIES IN TENSION AND SHEAR OF HIGH STRENGTH NONFERROUS METALS AND STAINLESS STEEL - EFFECT...1100 ELASTIC PROPERTIES IN TENSION AND SHEAR OF HIGH STRENGTH NONFERROUS METALS AND STAINLESS STEEL -- EFFECT OF PREVIOUS DEFORMATION AND HEAT...temperature on the tensile and shear elastic properties of high strength nonferrous metals and stainless steels in the form of rods and tubes. The

Planning policy, sustainability and housebuilder practices: The move into (and out of?) the redevelopment of previously developed land.

PubMed

Karadimitriou, Nikos

2013-05-01

This paper explores the transformations of the housebuilding industry under the policy requirement to build on previously developed land (PDL). This requirement was a key lever in promoting the sustainable urban development agenda of UK governments from the early 1990s to 2010 and has survived albeit somewhat relaxed and permutated in the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The paper therefore looks at the way in which the policy push towards densification and mixed use affected housebuilders' business strategy and practices and their ability to cope with the 2007 downturn of the housing market and its aftermath. It also points out the eventual feedback of some of these practices into planning policy. Following the gradual shift of British urban policy focus towards sustainability which started in the early 1990s, new configurations of actors, new skills, strategies and approaches to managing risk emerged in property development and housebuilding. There were at least two ways in which housebuilders could have responded to the requirements of developing long term mixed use high density projects on PDL. One way was to develop new products and to employ practices and combinations of practices involving phasing, a flexible approach to planning applications and innovative production methods. Alternatively, they could approach PDL development as a temporary turn of policy or view mixed use high density schemes as a niche market to be explored without drastically overhauling the business model of the entire firm. These transformations of the UK housebuilding sector were unfolding during a long period of buoyancy in the housing market which came to an end in 2007. Very little is known both about how housebuilder strategies and production practices evolved during the boom years as well as about how these firms coped with the effects of the 2007 market downturn. The paper draws on published data (company annual reports, government statistics) and primary

Planning policy, sustainability and housebuilder practices: The move into (and out of?) the redevelopment of previously developed land

PubMed Central

Karadimitriou, Nikos

2013-01-01

This paper explores the transformations of the housebuilding industry under the policy requirement to build on previously developed land (PDL). This requirement was a key lever in promoting the sustainable urban development agenda of UK governments from the early 1990s to 2010 and has survived albeit somewhat relaxed and permutated in the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The paper therefore looks at the way in which the policy push towards densification and mixed use affected housebuilders’ business strategy and practices and their ability to cope with the 2007 downturn of the housing market and its aftermath. It also points out the eventual feedback of some of these practices into planning policy. Following the gradual shift of British urban policy focus towards sustainability which started in the early 1990s, new configurations of actors, new skills, strategies and approaches to managing risk emerged in property development and housebuilding. There were at least two ways in which housebuilders could have responded to the requirements of developing long term mixed use high density projects on PDL. One way was to develop new products and to employ practices and combinations of practices involving phasing, a flexible approach to planning applications and innovative production methods. Alternatively, they could approach PDL development as a temporary turn of policy or view mixed use high density schemes as a niche market to be explored without drastically overhauling the business model of the entire firm. These transformations of the UK housebuilding sector were unfolding during a long period of buoyancy in the housing market which came to an end in 2007. Very little is known both about how housebuilder strategies and production practices evolved during the boom years as well as about how these firms coped with the effects of the 2007 market downturn. The paper draws on published data (company annual reports, government statistics) and primary

Experimental Design for Combinatorial and High Throughput Materials Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cawse, James N.

2002-12-01

In the past decade, combinatorial and high throughput experimental methods have revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry, allowing researchers to conduct more experiments in a week than was previously possible in a year. Now high throughput experimentation is rapidly spreading from its origins in the pharmaceutical world to larger industrial research establishments such as GE and DuPont, and even to smaller companies and universities. Consequently, researchers need to know the kinds of problems, desired outcomes, and appropriate patterns for these new strategies. Editor James Cawse's far-reaching study identifies and applies, with specific examples, these important new principles and techniques. Experimental Design for Combinatorial and High Throughput Materials Development progresses from methods that are now standard, such as gradient arrays, to mathematical developments that are breaking new ground. The former will be particularly useful to researchers entering the field, while the latter should inspire and challenge advanced practitioners. The book's contents are contributed by leading researchers in their respective fields. Chapters include: -High Throughput Synthetic Approaches for the Investigation of Inorganic Phase Space -Combinatorial Mapping of Polymer Blends Phase Behavior -Split-Plot Designs -Artificial Neural Networks in Catalyst Development -The Monte Carlo Approach to Library Design and Redesign This book also contains over 200 useful charts and drawings. Industrial chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, and physicists working in combinatorial and high throughput chemistry will find James Cawse's study to be an invaluable resource.

Heart rate as a predictor of stroke in high-risk, hypertensive patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack.

PubMed

Sandset, Else Charlotte; Berge, Eivind; Kjeldsen, Sverre E; Julius, Stevo; Holzhauer, Björn; Krarup, Lars-Henrik; Hua, Tsushung A

2014-01-01

Risk factors for first stroke are well established, but less is known about risk factors for recurrent stroke. In the present analysis, we aimed to assess the effect of heart rate and other possible predictors of stroke in a hypertensive population with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-Term Use Evaluation trial was a multicentre, double-masked, randomized controlled, parallel group trial comparing the effects of an angiotensin receptor blocker (valsartan) and a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine) in patients with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk. We used Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the effect of baseline variables on the risk of stroke. Quadratic terms of the continuous variables were entered in the models to test for linearity. Of 15,245 patients included in the trial, 3014 had a previous stroke or TIA at baseline and were included in the present analysis. Stroke recurrence occurred in 239 patients (7.9%) during a median of 4.5 years of follow-up. Resting heart rate (per 10 beats per minute; hazard ratio [HR], 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-6.58) and diabetes mellitus at baseline (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.03-2.10) were significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence in the multivariable analysis. In high-risk, hypertensive patients with previous stroke or TIA, resting heart rate was the strongest predictor of recurrent stroke. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of High-Speed Fluorescent X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, T.; Tsuchiya, Y.; Kuroe, T.; Zeniya, T.; Wu, J.; Lwin, Thet-Thet; Yashiro, T.; Yuasa, T.; Hyodo, K.; Matsumura, K.; Dilmanian, F. A.; Itai, Y.; Akatsuka, T.

2004-05-01

A high-speed fluorescent x-ray CT (FXCT) system using monochromatic synchrotron x rays was developed to detect very low concentration of medium-Z elements for biomedical use. The system is equipped two types of high purity germanium detectors, and fast electronics and software. Preliminary images of a 10mm diameter plastic phantom containing channels field with iodine solutions of different concentrations showed a minimum detection level of 0.002 mg I/ml at an in-plane spatial resolution of 100μm. Furthermore, the acquisition time was reduced about 1/2 comparing to previous system. The results indicate that FXCT is a highly sensitive imaging modality capable of detecting very low concentration of iodine, and that the method has potential in biomedical applications.

Transvaginal ultrasonographic measurement of cervical length in asymptomatic high-risk women with a short cervical length in the previous pregnancy.

PubMed

Crane, J M G; Hutchens, D

2011-07-01

To determine if asymptomatic women at high risk of preterm delivery who had a short cervical length in their previous pregnancy and delivered at term are at increased risk of having a short cervical length in their next pregnancy, and whether they are at increased risk of preterm birth. This retrospective cohort study included high-risk (those with a history of spontaneous preterm birth, uterine anomaly or excisional treatment for cervical dysplasia) asymptomatic women who were pregnant with a singleton gestation delivering between April 2003 and March 2010, who had had a previous pregnancy and who had transvaginal ultrasonographic cervical length measurement performed at 16-30 weeks' gestation in both pregnancies. Comparison was among women who had a short cervical length (< 3.0 cm) in their previous pregnancy but delivered at term in that pregnancy (Short Term Group), women with a history of a normal cervical length (≥ 3.0 cm) in their previous pregnancy delivering at term (Long Term Group), and women who had a short cervical length (< 3.0 cm) in their previous pregnancy delivering preterm (Short Preterm Group). Primary outcomes were spontaneous preterm birth at < 37 weeks' gestation and cervical length. Secondary outcomes were spontaneous preterm birth at < 35 weeks and < 32 weeks, low birth weight, maternal outcomes and neonatal morbidity. A total of 62 women were included. Women in the Short Term Group were more likely to have a short cervical length in their next pregnancy compared with those in the Long Term Group (10/23 (43.5%) vs. 4/26 (15.4%), respectively) but not as likely as women in the Short Preterm Group (9/13 (69.2%); P=0.003). Women in the Short Term Group were not at an increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth at < 37 weeks in the next pregnancy compared with women in the Long Term Group (2/23 (8.7%) vs. 2/26 (7.7%), respectively), but women in the Short Preterm Group were at an increased risk (6/13 (46.2%); P<0.0001). Compared with women in

Previously unknown species of Aspergillus.

PubMed

Gautier, M; Normand, A-C; Ranque, S

2016-08-01

The use of multi-locus DNA sequence analysis has led to the description of previously unknown 'cryptic' Aspergillus species, whereas classical morphology-based identification of Aspergillus remains limited to the section or species-complex level. The current literature highlights two main features concerning these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species. First, the prevalence of such species in clinical samples is relatively high compared with emergent filamentous fungal taxa such as Mucorales, Scedosporium or Fusarium. Second, it is clearly important to identify these species in the clinical laboratory because of the high frequency of antifungal drug-resistant isolates of such Aspergillus species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently been shown to enable the identification of filamentous fungi with an accuracy similar to that of DNA sequence-based methods. As MALDI-TOF MS is well suited to the routine clinical laboratory workflow, it facilitates the identification of these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species at the routine mycology bench. The rapid establishment of enhanced filamentous fungi identification facilities will lead to a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical importance of these emerging Aspergillus species. Based on routine MALDI-TOF MS-based identification results, we provide original insights into the key interpretation issues of a positive Aspergillus culture from a clinical sample. Which ubiquitous species that are frequently isolated from air samples are rarely involved in human invasive disease? Can both the species and the type of biological sample indicate Aspergillus carriage, colonization or infection in a patient? Highly accurate routine filamentous fungi identification is central to enhance the understanding of these previously unknown Aspergillus species, with a vital impact on further improved patient care. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and

High-Dose Neutron Detector Development Using 10B Coated Cells

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

Menlove, Howard Olsen; Henzlova, Daniela

2016-11-08

During FY16 the boron-lined parallel-plate technology was optimized to fully benefit from its fast timing characteristics in order to enhance its high count rate capability. To facilitate high count rate capability, a novel fast amplifier with timing and operating properties matched to the detector characteristics was developed and implemented in the 8” boron plate detector that was purchased from PDT. Each of the 6 sealed-cells was connected to a fast amplifier with corresponding List mode readout from each amplifier. The FY16 work focused on improvements in the boron-10 coating materials and procedures at PDT to significantly improve the neutron detectionmore » efficiency. An improvement in the efficiency of a factor of 1.5 was achieved without increasing the metal backing area for the boron coating. This improvement has allowed us to operate the detector in gamma-ray backgrounds that are four orders of magnitude higher than was previously possible while maintaining a relatively high counting efficiency for neutrons. This improvement in the gamma-ray rejection is a key factor in the development of the high dose neutron detector.« less

Development of high damage threshold laser-machined apodizers and gain filters for laser applications

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

Rambo, Patrick; Schwarz, Jens; Kimmel, Mark

We have developed high damage threshold filters to modify the spatial profile of a high energy laser beam. The filters are formed by laser ablation of a transmissive window. The ablation sites constitute scattering centers which can be filtered in a subsequent spatial filter. Finally, by creating the filters in dielectric materials, we see an increased laser-induced damage threshold from previous filters created using ‘metal on glass’ lithography.

Development of high damage threshold laser-machined apodizers and gain filters for laser applications

DOE PAGES

Rambo, Patrick; Schwarz, Jens; Kimmel, Mark; ...

2016-09-27

We have developed high damage threshold filters to modify the spatial profile of a high energy laser beam. The filters are formed by laser ablation of a transmissive window. The ablation sites constitute scattering centers which can be filtered in a subsequent spatial filter. Finally, by creating the filters in dielectric materials, we see an increased laser-induced damage threshold from previous filters created using ‘metal on glass’ lithography.

A study about the interest and previous contact of high school students with Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, C. L.; Zanitti, M. H. R.; Felicidade, B. L.; Gomes, A. D. T.; Dias, E. W.; Coelho, F. O.

2016-04-01

The currently problems in Astronomy teaching in Brazilian Basic Education contrast with the space, and the popularity that astronomical themes have in various media in the country. In this work, we present the results of a study about the interest, and previous contact of high school students from a public school in the city of "São João del-Rei"/MG with topics related to Astronomy. The study and the pedagogical intervention were carried out by students of the PIBID/CAPES/UFSJ. The intervention was performed through an oral exposition with the students' participation, followed by the use of the Stellarium program. The results suggest the majority of students surveyed are interested in Astronomy, and have had some contact with the area. However, some inconsistencies in their responses were identified and examined. The implications for research and for Astronomy Education are discussed. We also make some considerations about relationship between the lack of specific knowledge and the misinformation as one possible reason for the little interest of students in various areas of Science.

High frequency, high power capacitor development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, C. W.; Hoffman, P. S.

1983-03-01

A program to develop a special high energy density, high power transfer capacitor to operate at frequency of 40 kHz, 600 V rms at 125 A rms plus 600 V dc bias for space operation. The program included material evaluation and selection, a capacitor design was prepared, a thermal analysis performed on the design. Fifty capacitors were manufactured for testing at 10 kHz and 40 kHz for 50 hours at Industrial Electric Heating Co. of Columbus, Ohio. The vacuum endurance test used on environmental chamber and temperature plate furnished by Maxwell. The capacitors were energized with a special power conditioning apparatus developed by Industrial Electric Heating Co. Temperature conditions of the capacitors were monitored by IEHCo test equipment. Successful completion of the vacuum endurance test series confirmed achievement of the main goal of producing a capacitor or reliable operation at high frequency in an environment normally not hospitable to electrical and electronic components. The capacitor developed compared to a typical commercial capacitor at the 40 kHz level represents a decrease in size and weight by a factor of seven.

High frequency, high power capacitor development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, C. W.; Hoffman, P. S.

1983-01-01

A program to develop a special high energy density, high power transfer capacitor to operate at frequency of 40 kHz, 600 V rms at 125 A rms plus 600 V dc bias for space operation. The program included material evaluation and selection, a capacitor design was prepared, a thermal analysis performed on the design. Fifty capacitors were manufactured for testing at 10 kHz and 40 kHz for 50 hours at Industrial Electric Heating Co. of Columbus, Ohio. The vacuum endurance test used on environmental chamber and temperature plate furnished by Maxwell. The capacitors were energized with a special power conditioning apparatus developed by Industrial Electric Heating Co. Temperature conditions of the capacitors were monitored by IEHCo test equipment. Successful completion of the vacuum endurance test series confirmed achievement of the main goal of producing a capacitor or reliable operation at high frequency in an environment normally not hospitable to electrical and electronic components. The capacitor developed compared to a typical commercial capacitor at the 40 kHz level represents a decrease in size and weight by a factor of seven.

Development and external validation of new ultrasound-based mathematical models for preoperative prediction of high-risk endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Van Holsbeke, C; Ameye, L; Testa, A C; Mascilini, F; Lindqvist, P; Fischerova, D; Frühauf, F; Fransis, S; de Jonge, E; Timmerman, D; Epstein, E

2014-05-01

To develop and validate strategies, using new ultrasound-based mathematical models, for the prediction of high-risk endometrial cancer and compare them with strategies using previously developed models or the use of preoperative grading only. Women with endometrial cancer were prospectively examined using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasound imaging. More than 25 ultrasound, demographic and histological variables were analyzed. Two logistic regression models were developed: one 'objective' model using mainly objective variables; and one 'subjective' model including subjective variables (i.e. subjective impression of myometrial and cervical invasion, preoperative grade and demographic variables). The following strategies were validated: a one-step strategy using only preoperative grading and two-step strategies using preoperative grading as the first step and one of the new models, subjective assessment or previously developed models as a second step. One-hundred and twenty-five patients were included in the development set and 211 were included in the validation set. The 'objective' model retained preoperative grade and minimal tumor-free myometrium as variables. The 'subjective' model retained preoperative grade and subjective assessment of myometrial invasion. On external validation, the performance of the new models was similar to that on the development set. Sensitivity for the two-step strategy with the 'objective' model was 78% (95% CI, 69-84%) at a cut-off of 0.50, 82% (95% CI, 74-88%) for the strategy with the 'subjective' model and 83% (95% CI, 75-88%) for that with subjective assessment. Specificity was 68% (95% CI, 58-77%), 72% (95% CI, 62-80%) and 71% (95% CI, 61-79%) respectively. The two-step strategies detected up to twice as many high-risk cases as preoperative grading only. The new models had a significantly higher sensitivity than did previously developed models, at the same specificity. Two

High performance polymer development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hergenrother, Paul M.

1991-01-01

The term high performance as applied to polymers is generally associated with polymers that operate at high temperatures. High performance is used to describe polymers that perform at temperatures of 177 C or higher. In addition to temperature, other factors obviously influence the performance of polymers such as thermal cycling, stress level, and environmental effects. Some recent developments at NASA Langley in polyimides, poly(arylene ethers), and acetylenic terminated materials are discussed. The high performance/high temperature polymers discussed are representative of the type of work underway at NASA Langley Research Center. Further improvement in these materials as well as the development of new polymers will provide technology to help meet NASA future needs in high performance/high temperature applications. In addition, because of the combination of properties offered by many of these polymers, they should find use in many other applications.

Developing putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content data

EPA Science Inventory

Developing putative AOPs from high content data Shannon M. Bell1,2, Stephen W. Edwards2 1 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education 2 Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development,...

High rates of ofloxacin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis among both new and previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu, South India.

PubMed

Selvakumar, N; Kumar, Vanaja; Balaji, S; Prabuseenivasan, S; Radhakrishnan, R; Sekar, Gomathi; Chandrasekaran, V; Kannan, T; Thomas, Aleyamma; Arunagiri, S; Dewan, Puneet; Swaminathan, Soumya

2015-01-01

Periodic drug resistance surveillance provides useful information on trends of drug resistance and effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) control measures. The present study determines the prevalence of drug resistance among new sputum smear positive (NSP) and previously treated (PT) pulmonary TB patients, diagnosed at public sector designated microscopy centers (DMCs) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. In this single-stage cluster-sampling prevalence survey, 70 of 700 DMCs were randomly selected using a probability-proportional to size method. A cluster size of 24 for NSP and a varying size of 0 to 99 for PT cases were fixed for each selected DMC. Culture and drug susceptibility testing was done on Lowenstein-Jensen medium using the economic variant of proportion sensitivity test for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KAN). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status was collected from patient records. From June 2011 to August 2012, 1524 NSP and 901 PT patients were enrolled. Any RMP resistance and any INH resistance were observed in 2.6% and 15.1%, and in 10.4% and 30% respectively in NSP and PT cases. Among PT patients, multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was highest in the treatment failure (35%) group, followed by relapse (13%) and treatment after default (10%) groups. Extensively drug resistant TB (XDRTB) was seen in 4.3% of MDR-TB cases. Any OFX resistance was seen in 10.4% of NSP, 13.9% of PT and 29% of PT MDR-TB patients. The HIV status of the patient had no impact on drug resistance levels. RMP resistance was present in 2.6% of new and 15.1% of previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu. Rates of OFX resistance were high among NSP and PT patients, especially among those with MDR-TB, a matter of concern for development of new treatment regimens for TB.

High Rates of Ofloxacin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis among Both New and Previously Treated Patients in Tamil Nadu, South India

PubMed Central

Selvakumar, N.; Kumar, Vanaja; Balaji, S.; Prabuseenivasan, S.; Radhakrishnan, R.; Sekar, Gomathi; Chandrasekaran, V.; Kannan, T.; Thomas, Aleyamma; Arunagiri, S.; Dewan, Puneet; Swaminathan, Soumya

2015-01-01

Periodic drug resistance surveillance provides useful information on trends of drug resistance and effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) control measures. The present study determines the prevalence of drug resistance among new sputum smear positive (NSP) and previously treated (PT) pulmonary TB patients, diagnosed at public sector designated microscopy centers (DMCs) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. In this single-stage cluster-sampling prevalence survey, 70 of 700 DMCs were randomly selected using a probability-proportional to size method. A cluster size of 24 for NSP and a varying size of 0 to 99 for PT cases were fixed for each selected DMC. Culture and drug susceptibility testing was done on Lowenstein-Jensen medium using the economic variant of proportion sensitivity test for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP), ofloxacin (OFX) and kanamycin (KAN). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status was collected from patient records. From June 2011 to August 2012, 1524 NSP and 901 PT patients were enrolled. Any RMP resistance and any INH resistance were observed in 2.6% and 15.1%, and in 10.4% and 30% respectively in NSP and PT cases. Among PT patients, multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was highest in the treatment failure (35%) group, followed by relapse (13%) and treatment after default (10%) groups. Extensively drug resistant TB (XDRTB) was seen in 4.3% of MDR-TB cases. Any OFX resistance was seen in 10.4% of NSP, 13.9% of PT and 29% of PT MDR-TB patients. The HIV status of the patient had no impact on drug resistance levels. RMP resistance was present in 2.6% of new and 15.1% of previously treated patients in Tamil Nadu. Rates of OFX resistance were high among NSP and PT patients, especially among those with MDR-TB, a matter of concern for development of new treatment regimens for TB. PMID:25738956

Congenital costo-vertebral fibrous band and congenital kyphoscoliosis: a previously unreported combination.

PubMed

Eid, Tony; Ghostine, Bachir; Kreichaty, Gaby; Daher, Paul; Ghanem, Ismat

2013-05-01

Congenital kyphoscoliosis (CKS) results from abnormal vertebral chondrification. Congenital fibrous bands occur in several locations with variable impact on vertebral development. We report a previously unreported case of a female infant with CKS presenting with an L2 hypoplastic vertebra and a costo-vertebral fibrous band extending to the skin in the form of a dimple. We also describe the therapeutic approach, consisting of surgical excision of the fibrous band and postoperative fulltime bracing, with a 7-year follow-up. We recommend a high index of suspicion in any unusual presentation of CKS and insist on case by case management in such cases.

LAPAROSCOPY AFTER PREVIOUS LAPAROTOMY

PubMed Central

Godinjak, Zulfo; Idrizbegović, Edin; Begić, Kerim

2006-01-01

Following the abdominal surgery, extensive adhesions often occur and they can cause difficulties during laparoscopic operations. However, previous laparotomy is not considered to be a contraindication for lap-aroscopy. The aim of this study is to present that an insertion of Veres needle in the region of umbilicus is a safe method for creating a pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic operations after previous laparotomy. In the last three years, we have performed 144 laparoscopic operations in patients that previously underwent one or two laparotomies. Pathology of digestive system, genital organs, Cesarean Section or abdominal war injuries were the most common causes of previous laparotomy. During those operations or during entering into abdominal cavity we have not experienced any complications, while in 7 patients we performed conversion to laparotomy following the diagnostic laparoscopy. In all patients an insertion of Veres needle and trocar insertion in the umbilical region was performed, namely a technique of closed laparoscopy. Not even in one patient adhesions in the region of umbilicus were found, and no abdominal organs were injured. PMID:17177649

[Fatal amnioinfusion with previous choriocarcinoma in a parturient woman].

PubMed

Hrgović, Z; Bukovic, D; Mrcela, M; Hrgović, I; Siebzehnrübl, E; Karelovic, D

2004-04-01

The case of 36-year-old tercipare is described who developed choriocharcinoma in a previous pregnancy. During the first term labour the patient developed cardiac arrest, so reanimation and sectio cesarea was performed. A male new-born was delivered in good condition, but even after intensive therapy and reanimation occurred death of parturient woman with picture of disseminate intravascular coagulopathia (DIK). On autopsy and on histology there was no sign of malignant disease, so it was not possible to connect previous choricarcinoma with amniotic fluid embolism. Maybe was place of choriocarcinoma "locus minoris resistentiae" which later resulted with failure in placentation what was hard to prove. On autopsy we found embolia of lung with a microthrombosis of terminal circulation with punctiformis bleeding in mucous, what stands for DIK.

Development of high sensitivity and high speed large size blank inspection system LBIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohara, Shinobu; Yoshida, Akinori; Hirai, Mitsuo; Kato, Takenori; Moriizumi, Koichi; Kusunose, Haruhiko

2017-07-01

The production of high-resolution flat panel displays (FPDs) for mobile phones today requires the use of high-quality large-size photomasks (LSPMs). Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays use several transistors on each pixel for precise current control and, as such, the mask patterns for OLED displays are denser and finer than the patterns for the previous generation displays throughout the entire mask surface. It is therefore strongly demanded that mask patterns be produced with high fidelity and free of defect. To enable the production of a high quality LSPM in a short lead time, the manufacturers need a high-sensitivity high-speed mask blank inspection system that meets the requirement of advanced LSPMs. Lasertec has developed a large-size blank inspection system called LBIS, which achieves high sensitivity based on a laser-scattering technique. LBIS employs a high power laser as its inspection light source. LBIS's delivery optics, including a scanner and F-Theta scan lens, focus the light from the source linearly on the surface of the blank. Its specially-designed optics collect the light scattered by particles and defects generated during the manufacturing process, such as scratches, on the surface and guide it to photo multiplier tubes (PMTs) with high efficiency. Multiple PMTs are used on LBIS for the stable detection of scattered light, which may be distributed at various angles due to irregular shapes of defects. LBIS captures 0.3mμ PSL at a detection rate of over 99.5% with uniform sensitivity. Its inspection time is 20 minutes for a G8 blank and 35 minutes for G10. The differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope on the inspection head of LBIS captures high-contrast review images after inspection. The images are classified automatically.

High performance dielectric materials development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piche, Joe; Kirchner, Ted; Jayaraj, K.

1994-09-01

The mission of polymer composites materials technology is to develop materials and processing technology to meet DoD and commercial needs. The following are outlined in this presentation: high performance capacitors, high temperature aerospace insulation, rationale for choosing Foster-Miller (the reporting industry), the approach to the development and evaluation of high temperature insulation materials, and the requirements/evaluation parameters. Supporting tables and diagrams are included.

High performance dielectric materials development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piche, Joe; Kirchner, Ted; Jayaraj, K.

1994-01-01

The mission of polymer composites materials technology is to develop materials and processing technology to meet DoD and commercial needs. The following are outlined in this presentation: high performance capacitors, high temperature aerospace insulation, rationale for choosing Foster-Miller (the reporting industry), the approach to the development and evaluation of high temperature insulation materials, and the requirements/evaluation parameters. Supporting tables and diagrams are included.

Endovascular approach to treat ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm in a patient with previous CABG and very high surgical risk.

PubMed

Zago, Alexandre C; Saadi, Eduardo K; Zago, Alcides J

2011-10-01

Pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is an uncommon pathology and a challenge in high-risk patients who undergo conventional surgery because of high operative morbidity and mortality. Endovascular exclusion of an aortic pseudoaneurysm using an endoprosthesis is a less invasive approach, but few such cases have been reported. Moreover, the use of this approach poses unique therapeutic challenges because there is no specific endoprosthesis for ascending aortic repair, particularly to treat patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). We describe the case of a 74-year-old patient who had undergone CABG and later presented with an iatrogenic ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm that occurred during an angiography. This patient was at very high risk for surgical treatment and, therefore, an endovascular approach was adopted: percutaneous coronary intervention for the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending and left circumflex native coronary arteries followed by endovascular endoprosthesis deployment in the ascending aorta to exclude the pseudoaneurysm. Both procedures were successfully performed, and the patient was discharged without complications 4 days later. At 5 months' clinical follow-up, his clinical condition was good and he had no complications. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Previous Institutionalization Is Followed by Broader Amygdala-Hippocampal-PFC Network Connectivity during Aversive Learning in Human Development.

PubMed

Silvers, Jennifer A; Lumian, Daniel S; Gabard-Durnam, Laurel; Gee, Dylan G; Goff, Bonnie; Fareri, Dominic S; Caldera, Christina; Flannery, Jessica; Telzer, Eva H; Humphreys, Kathryn L; Tottenham, Nim

2016-06-15

Early institutional care can be profoundly stressful for the human infant, and, as such, can lead to significant alterations in brain development. In animal models, similar variants of early adversity have been shown to modify amygdala-hippocampal-prefrontal cortex development and associated aversive learning. The current study examined this rearing aberration in human development. Eighty-nine children and adolescents who were either previously institutionalized (PI youth; N = 46; 33 females and 13 males; age range, 7-16 years) or were raised by their biological parents from birth (N = 43; 22 females and 21 males; age range, 7-16 years) completed an aversive-learning paradigm while undergoing functional neuroimaging, wherein visual cues were paired with either an aversive sound (CS+) or no sound (CS-). For the PI youth, better aversive learning was associated with higher concurrent trait anxiety. Both groups showed robust learning and amygdala activation for CS+ versus CS- trials. However, PI youth also exhibited broader recruitment of several regions and increased hippocampal connectivity with prefrontal cortex. Stronger connectivity between the hippocampus and ventromedial PFC predicted significant improvements in future anxiety (measured 2 years later), and this was particularly true within the PI group. These results suggest that for humans as well as for other species, early adversity alters the neurobiology of aversive learning by engaging a broader prefrontal-subcortical circuit than same-aged peers. These differences are interpreted as ontogenetic adaptations and potential sources of resilience. Prior institutionalization is a significant form of early adversity. While nonhuman animal research suggests that early adversity alters aversive learning and associated neurocircuitry, no prior work has examined this in humans. Here, we show that youth who experienced prior institutionalization, but not comparison youth, recruit the hippocampus during aversive

A Predictive Model Has Identified Tick-Borne Encephalitis High-Risk Areas in Regions Where No Cases Were Reported Previously, Poland, 1999-2012.

PubMed

Stefanoff, Pawel; Rubikowska, Barbara; Bratkowski, Jakub; Ustrnul, Zbigniew; Vanwambeke, Sophie O; Rosinska, Magdalena

2018-04-04

During 1999–2012, 77% of the cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were recorded in two out of 16 Polish provinces. However, historical data, mostly from national serosurveys, suggest that the disease could be undetected in many areas. The aim of this study was to identify which routinely-measured meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic factors are associated to TBE human risk across Poland, with a particular focus on areas reporting few cases, but where serosurveys suggest higher incidence. We fitted a zero-inflated Poisson model using data on TBE incidence recorded in 108 NUTS-5 administrative units in high-risk areas over the period 1999–2012. Subsequently we applied the best fitting model to all Polish municipalities. Keeping the remaining variables constant, the predicted rate increased with the increase of air temperature over the previous 10–20 days, precipitation over the previous 20–30 days, in forestation, forest edge density, forest road density, and unemployment. The predicted rate decreased with increasing distance from forests. The map of predicted rates was consistent with the established risk areas. It predicted, however, high rates in provinces considered TBE-free. We recommend raising awareness among physicians working in the predicted high-risk areas and considering routine use of household animal surveys for risk mapping.

High-resolution melting (HRM) re-analysis of a polyposis patients cohort reveals previously undetected heterozygous and mosaic APC gene mutations.

PubMed

Out, Astrid A; van Minderhout, Ivonne J H M; van der Stoep, Nienke; van Bommel, Lysette S R; Kluijt, Irma; Aalfs, Cora; Voorendt, Marsha; Vossen, Rolf H A M; Nielsen, Maartje; Vasen, Hans F A; Morreau, Hans; Devilee, Peter; Tops, Carli M J; Hes, Frederik J

2015-06-01

Familial adenomatous polyposis is most frequently caused by pathogenic variants in either the APC gene or the MUTYH gene. The detection rate of pathogenic variants depends on the severity of the phenotype and sensitivity of the screening method, including sensitivity for mosaic variants. For 171 patients with multiple colorectal polyps without previously detectable pathogenic variant, APC was reanalyzed in leukocyte DNA by one uniform technique: high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. Serial dilution of heterozygous DNA resulted in a lowest detectable allelic fraction of 6% for the majority of variants. HRM analysis and subsequent sequencing detected pathogenic fully heterozygous APC variants in 10 (6%) of the patients and pathogenic mosaic variants in 2 (1%). All these variants were previously missed by various conventional scanning methods. In parallel, HRM APC scanning was applied to DNA isolated from polyp tissue of two additional patients with apparently sporadic polyposis and without detectable pathogenic APC variant in leukocyte DNA. In both patients a pathogenic mosaic APC variant was present in multiple polyps. The detection of pathogenic APC variants in 7% of the patients, including mosaics, illustrates the usefulness of a complete APC gene reanalysis of previously tested patients, by a supplementary scanning method. HRM is a sensitive and fast pre-screening method for reliable detection of heterozygous and mosaic variants, which can be applied to leukocyte and polyp derived DNA.

Flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and their development laws influenced by ventilation system.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Huang, Yanqiu; Liu, Jiaping; Wang, Hai; Liu, Qiuhan

2013-01-01

The flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets as well as the development laws influenced by ventilation system were studied using numerical methods to eliminate the pollutants effectively in this paper. The development laws of high-temperature annular buoyant jets were analyzed and compared with previous studies, including radial velocity distribution, axial velocity and temperature decay, reattachment position, cross-section diameter, volumetric flow rate, and velocity field characteristics with different pressures at the exhaust hood inlet. The results showed that when the ratio of outer diameter to inner diameter of the annulus was smaller than 5/2, the flow-field characteristics had significant difference compared to circular buoyant jets with the same outer diameter. For similar diameter ratios, reattachment in this paper occurred further downstream in contrast to previous study. Besides, the development laws of volumetric flow rate and cross-section diameter were given with different initial parameters. In addition, through analyzing air distribution characteristics under the coupling effect of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and ventilation system, it could be found that the position where maximum axial velocity occurred was changing gradually when the pressure at the exhaust hood inlet changed from 0 Pa to -5 Pa.

Flow-Field Characteristics of High-Temperature Annular Buoyant Jets and Their Development Laws Influenced by Ventilation System

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiaping; Wang, Hai; Liu, Qiuhan

2013-01-01

The flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets as well as the development laws influenced by ventilation system were studied using numerical methods to eliminate the pollutants effectively in this paper. The development laws of high-temperature annular buoyant jets were analyzed and compared with previous studies, including radial velocity distribution, axial velocity and temperature decay, reattachment position, cross-section diameter, volumetric flow rate, and velocity field characteristics with different pressures at the exhaust hood inlet. The results showed that when the ratio of outer diameter to inner diameter of the annulus was smaller than 5/2, the flow-field characteristics had significant difference compared to circular buoyant jets with the same outer diameter. For similar diameter ratios, reattachment in this paper occurred further downstream in contrast to previous study. Besides, the development laws of volumetric flow rate and cross-section diameter were given with different initial parameters. In addition, through analyzing air distribution characteristics under the coupling effect of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and ventilation system, it could be found that the position where maximum axial velocity occurred was changing gradually when the pressure at the exhaust hood inlet changed from 0 Pa to −5 Pa. PMID:24000278

Highly visible street-based HIV rapid testing: is it an attractive option for a previously untested population? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Fernández-Balbuena, Sonia; de la Fuente, Luis; Hoyos, Juan; Rosales-Statkus, M Elena; Barrio, Gregorio; Belza, María-José

2014-03-01

Given the shortage of community-based HIV testing initiatives in resource-rich countries not targeting most-at-risk populations, we aimed to evaluate whether a highly visible mobile programme promoting and offering rapid HIV testing in the street can attract persons at risk for infection who have never been tested. Between 2008 and 2011, the programme served 7552 persons in various Spanish cities who answered a brief questionnaire while awaiting their results. The factors associated with being tested for the first time were analysed using two logistic regression models, one for men who have sex with men (MSM) and the other for only heterosexual men (MSW) and women. 3517 participants (47%) were first-time testers (24% of MSM, 56% of MSW and 60% of women). Among them, 22 undiagnosed HIV infections were detected with a global prevalence of 0.6% and 3.1% in MSM. Undergoing a first HIV test was independently associated with age <30, being from Spain or another developed country, lack of university education, having fewer partners, having had unprotected sex with casual partners and not having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. In heterosexuals, also with never injected drugs, and in MSM, with not being involved in the gay community. Among those tested for the first time, 22% had never thought of being tested and 62% decided to be tested when they passed by and noticed the programme, regardless of their previous intentions. This community programme attracted a substantial number of persons previously untested and particularly hard to reach, such as those with low education and MSM who were least involved in the gay community. Programme visibility was a decisive factor for almost two of every three persons who had never been tested.

Iodine-131 induced hepatotoxicity in previously healthy patients with Grave's disease.

PubMed

Jhummon, Navina Priya; Tohooloo, Bhavna; Qu, Shen

2013-01-01

To describe the association of the rare and serious complication of liver toxicity in previously healthy Grave's disease (GD) patients after the treatment with radioactive iodine (131)I (RAI). We report the clinical, laboratory and pathologic findings of 2 cases of severe liver toxicity associated with the treatment with RAI in previously healthy patients with GD. Clinical examination and laboratory investigations excluded viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, granulomatous disease, primary biliary disease, extrahepatic biliary obstruction, and heart failure. Case 1: A previously healthy 52-years old man reportedly having a typical GD but following RAI treatment, concomitantly developed severe liver toxicity that required 1 week of treatment in hospital. Case 2: A previously healthy 34-years old woman is reported as having a typical GD but developed jaundice following RAI treatment that required several weeks of in hospital treatment in the hepato-biliary department. In both cases, the liver dysfunction resolved after intensive treatment with hepato-protective agents. In this report the therapeutic considerations as well as the pathogenetic possibilities are reviewed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of the association observed, which is rare but may be severe and should be considered in any case of thyrotoxicosis where a liver dysfunction develops after the treatment with radioactive iodine (131)I.

Interpreting "Personality" Taxonomies: Why Previous Models Cannot Capture Individual-Specific Experiencing, Behaviour, Functioning and Development. Major Taxonomic Tasks Still Lay Ahead.

PubMed

Uher, Jana

2015-12-01

As science seeks to make generalisations, a science of individual peculiarities encounters intricate challenges. This article explores these challenges by applying the Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science Paradigm for Research on Individuals (TPS-Paradigm) and by exploring taxonomic "personality" research as an example. Analyses of researchers' interpretations of the taxonomic "personality" models, constructs and data that have been generated in the field reveal widespread erroneous assumptions about the abilities of previous methodologies to appropriately represent individual-specificity in the targeted phenomena. These assumptions, rooted in everyday thinking, fail to consider that individual-specificity and others' minds cannot be directly perceived, that abstract descriptions cannot serve as causal explanations, that between-individual structures cannot be isomorphic to within-individual structures, and that knowledge of compositional structures cannot explain the process structures of their functioning and development. These erroneous assumptions and serious methodological deficiencies in widely used standardised questionnaires have effectively prevented psychologists from establishing taxonomies that can comprehensively model individual-specificity in most of the kinds of phenomena explored as "personality", especially in experiencing and behaviour and in individuals' functioning and development. Contrary to previous assumptions, it is not universal models but rather different kinds of taxonomic models that are required for each of the different kinds of phenomena, variations and structures that are commonly conceived of as "personality". Consequently, to comprehensively explore individual-specificity, researchers have to apply a portfolio of complementary methodologies and develop different kinds of taxonomies, most of which have yet to be developed. Closing, the article derives some meta-desiderata for future research on individuals' "personality".

High voltage power transistor development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hower, P. L.

1981-01-01

Design considerations, fabrication procedures, and methods of evaluation for high-voltage power-transistor development are discussed. Technique improvements such as controlling the electric field at the surface and perserving lifetimes in the collector region which have advanced the state of the art in high-voltage transistors are discussed. These improvements can be applied directly to the development of 1200 volt, 200 ampere transistors.

Development of a high resolution voxelised head phantom for medical physics applications.

PubMed

Giacometti, V; Guatelli, S; Bazalova-Carter, M; Rosenfeld, A B; Schulte, R W

2017-01-01

Computational anthropomorphic phantoms have become an important investigation tool for medical imaging and dosimetry for radiotherapy and radiation protection. The development of computational phantoms with realistic anatomical features contribute significantly to the development of novel methods in medical physics. For many applications, it is desirable that such computational phantoms have a real-world physical counterpart in order to verify the obtained results. In this work, we report the development of a voxelised phantom, the HIGH_RES_HEAD, modelling a paediatric head based on the commercial phantom 715-HN (CIRS). HIGH_RES_HEAD is unique for its anatomical details and high spatial resolution (0.18×0.18mm 2 pixel size). The development of such a phantom was required to investigate the performance of a new proton computed tomography (pCT) system, in terms of detector technology and image reconstruction algorithms. The HIGH_RES_HEAD was used in an ad-hoc Geant4 simulation modelling the pCT system. The simulation application was previously validated with respect to experimental results. When compared to a standard spatial resolution voxelised phantom of the same paediatric head, it was shown that in pCT reconstruction studies, the use of the HIGH_RES_HEAD translates into a reduction from 2% to 0.7% of the average relative stopping power difference between experimental and simulated results thus improving the overall quality of the head phantom simulation. The HIGH_RES_HEAD can also be used for other medical physics applications such as treatment planning studies. A second version of the voxelised phantom was created that contains a prototypic base of skull tumour and surrounding organs at risk. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High School Context, Heterosexual Scripts, and Young Women's Sexual Development.

PubMed

Pearson, Jennifer

2018-07-01

Adolescence is a critical period for sexual development, and previous research demonstrates that school cultures play an important role in shaping adolescent sexual behavior. However, little is known about the role of school context for developing sexual attitudes and sexual sense of self. This study explores how sexual cultures that emerge within high schools shape the sexual development of young women during the transition to adulthood. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a sample of 9th to 12th graders in U.S. schools in 1994-1995 who were surveyed in 1996 and in 2001 when they were 20 to 26 years old (N = 1,017), this study measures school sexual cultures using the aggregated sexual beliefs and behaviors of students within the school. Multilevel analyses are used to explore the association between these school sexual cultures and young women's sexual attitudes (perceived obstacles to using birth control, guilt and shame about sex, and expectations of sexual pleasure) in adolescence and their sexual experiences (equal initiation of sex with partner and frequent orgasm with partner) in adulthood. Overall, the results suggest that schools play an important role in young women's developing attitudes toward sex and contraception. High school sexual cultures are also associated with young women's sexual behavior in adult heterosexual relationships, as young women who attended schools with students who had higher levels of religious attendance or guilt and shame about sex were less likely to report being an equal initiator in their adult relationships. However, the relatively small impact of high school sexual cultures on young women's sexual experiences in adulthood, particularly in terms of sexual pleasure, suggests that more proximal contexts and relationships may play a more significant role in shaping their current sexual behaviors.

Development of High Resolution Hard X-Ray Telescope with Multilayer Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinton, John C. (Technical Monitor); Gorenstein, Paul

2004-01-01

The major objective of this program is the development of a focusing hard X-ray telescope with moderately high angular resolution, i .e. comparable to the telescopes of XMM-Newton. The key ingredients of the telescope are a depth graded multilayer coatings and electroformed nickel substrates that are considerably lighter weight than those of previous missions such as XMM-Newton, which have had conventional single metal layer reflective coatings and have operated at much lower energy X-rays. The ultimate target mission for this technology is the Hard X-Ray Telescope (HXT) of the Constellation X-Ray Mission. However, it is applicable to potential SMEX and MIDEX programs as well.

High-Fidelity Micromechanics Model Developed for the Response of Multiphase Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, Jacob; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, Steven M.

2002-01-01

A new high-fidelity micromechanics model has been developed under funding from the NASA Glenn Research Center for predicting the response of multiphase materials with arbitrary periodic microstructures. The model's analytical framework is based on the homogenization technique, but the method of solution for the local displacement and stress fields borrows concepts previously employed in constructing the higher order theory for functionally graded materials. The resulting closed-form macroscopic and microscopic constitutive equations, valid for both uniaxial and multiaxial loading of periodic materials with elastic and inelastic constitutive phases, can be incorporated into a structural analysis computer code. Consequently, this model now provides an alternative, accurate method.

Limited experience, high body mass index and previous urethral surgery are risk factors for failure in open urethroplasty due to penile strictures.

PubMed

Ekerhult, Teresa O; Lindqvist, Klas; Peeker, Ralph; Grenabo, Lars

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes and possible risk factors for failure of open urethroplasty due to penile urethral strictures. A retrospective chart review was undertaken of 90 patients with penile stricture undergoing 109 open urethroplasties between 2000 and 2011. In 80 urethroplasties, a one-stage procedure was performed: 68 of these had a pediculated penile skin flap, nine had a free buccal mucosal graft and three had a free skin graft. A two-stage procedure using buccal mucosa was performed in 29 urethroplasties. Failure was defined as when further urethral instrumentation was needed. The mean age in the one-stage and two-stage groups were 50 and 54 years, respectively. The success rates in the corresponding groups were 65% and 72%, with follow-up times of 63 and 40 months, respectively. Multivariable analyses disclosed body mass index (BMI) and previous urethral surgery to be significant risk factors for failure in the one-stage group. Failure over time significantly decreased during the study period. Both one- and two-stage penile urethroplasty demonstrated success rates in line with previous reports. Limited experience, high BMI and previous urethral surgery appear to be associated with less favourable outcome.

Factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis testing in a high school based screening and previously in clinical practice: a cross-sectional study in Norway

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background High school based chlamydia screening has been shown to increase uptake and detect hidden infections among sexually active adolescents. Our study aimed to: i) examine the proportions of 15–20 year-olds tested in a high school based screening and previously in clinical practice, ii) determine chlamydia prevalence according to testing pattern, and iii) examine factors associated with testing in the two settings. Methods A population based cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 high schools in Norway in 2009, using web-questionnaires and Chlamydia trachomatis PCR in first-void urine (800 girls/818 boys, mean age 17.2 years). Only sexually active participants at risk for chlamydia infections were included in the analyses. Crude and multivariable logistic regression models were applied with ‘clinic based testing’ and ‘school based screening’ as outcome variables. Results 56% of girls and 21% of boys reported previous clinic based testing. In the school based screening, 93% were tested with no gender difference. 42% of girls and 74% of boys were tested for the first time at school (‘school-only test’). Both girls with clinic based testing and girls with school-only test had high chlamydia prevalence (7.3% vs 7.2%). Boys with clinic based testing had twice the prevalence of those with school-only test (6.2% vs 3.0%, p = 0.01). Half of infections were detected in participants with school-only test. One-fifth were repeat infections. In multivariable analysis of girls and boys combined, female gender, older age, early sexual debut, no condom use at first and last intercourse, steady relationship, and higher number of lifetime partners increased the odds of clinic based testing. The odds of school based screening increased with male gender, academic affiliation, later sexual debut, condom use at first intercourse, and current urogenital symptoms in multivariable analysis. Conclusions More than half the girls had been tested prior to the school

Prevalence of G6PD deficiency in selected populations from two previously high malaria endemic areas of Sri Lanka

PubMed Central

Kapilananda, G. M. G.; Samarakoon, Dilhani; Maddevithana, Sashika; Wijesundera, Sulochana; Goonaratne, Lallindra V.; Karunaweera, Nadira D.

2017-01-01

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficiency is known to offer protection against malaria and an increased selection of mutant genes in malaria endemic regions is expected. However, anti-malarial drugs such as primaquine can cause haemolytic anaemia in persons with G6PD deficiency. We studied the extent of G6PD deficiency in selected persons attending Teaching Hospitals of Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, two previously high malaria endemic districts in Sri Lanka. A total of 2059 filter-paper blood spots collected between November 2013 and June 2014 were analysed for phenotypic G6PD deficiency using the modified WST-8/1-methoxy PMS method. Each assay was conducted with a set of controls and the colour development assessed visually as well as with a microplate reader at OD450-630nm. Overall, 142/1018 (13.95%) and 83/1041 (7.97%) were G6PD deficient in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts respectively. The G6PD prevalence was significantly greater in Anuradhapura when compared to Kurunegala (P<0.0001). Surprisingly, females were equally affected as males in each district: 35/313 (11.18%) males and 107/705 (15.18%) females were affected in Anuradhapura (P = 0.089); 25/313 (7.99%) males and 58/728 (7.97%) females were affected in Kurunegala (P = 0.991). Prevalence was greater among females in Anuradhapura than in Kurunegala (P<0.05), while no such difference was observed between the males (P>0.05). Severe deficiency (<10% normal) was seen among 28/1018 (2.75%) in Anuradhapura (7 males; 21 females) and 17/1041 (1.63%) in Kurunegala (7 males; 10 females). Enzyme activity between 10–30% was observed among 114/1018 (11.20%; 28 males; 86 females) in Anuradhapura while it was 66/1041 (6.34%; 18 males; 48 females) in Kurunegala. Screening and educational programmes for G6PD deficiency are warranted in these high risk areas irrespective of gender for the prevention of disease states related to this condition. PMID:28152025

Prevalence of G6PD deficiency in selected populations from two previously high malaria endemic areas of Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Gunawardena, Sharmini; Kapilananda, G M G; Samarakoon, Dilhani; Maddevithana, Sashika; Wijesundera, Sulochana; Goonaratne, Lallindra V; Karunaweera, Nadira D

2017-01-01

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficiency is known to offer protection against malaria and an increased selection of mutant genes in malaria endemic regions is expected. However, anti-malarial drugs such as primaquine can cause haemolytic anaemia in persons with G6PD deficiency. We studied the extent of G6PD deficiency in selected persons attending Teaching Hospitals of Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, two previously high malaria endemic districts in Sri Lanka. A total of 2059 filter-paper blood spots collected between November 2013 and June 2014 were analysed for phenotypic G6PD deficiency using the modified WST-8/1-methoxy PMS method. Each assay was conducted with a set of controls and the colour development assessed visually as well as with a microplate reader at OD450-630nm. Overall, 142/1018 (13.95%) and 83/1041 (7.97%) were G6PD deficient in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts respectively. The G6PD prevalence was significantly greater in Anuradhapura when compared to Kurunegala (P<0.0001). Surprisingly, females were equally affected as males in each district: 35/313 (11.18%) males and 107/705 (15.18%) females were affected in Anuradhapura (P = 0.089); 25/313 (7.99%) males and 58/728 (7.97%) females were affected in Kurunegala (P = 0.991). Prevalence was greater among females in Anuradhapura than in Kurunegala (P<0.05), while no such difference was observed between the males (P>0.05). Severe deficiency (<10% normal) was seen among 28/1018 (2.75%) in Anuradhapura (7 males; 21 females) and 17/1041 (1.63%) in Kurunegala (7 males; 10 females). Enzyme activity between 10-30% was observed among 114/1018 (11.20%; 28 males; 86 females) in Anuradhapura while it was 66/1041 (6.34%; 18 males; 48 females) in Kurunegala. Screening and educational programmes for G6PD deficiency are warranted in these high risk areas irrespective of gender for the prevention of disease states related to this condition.

High-temperature Solar Cell Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Merritt, Danielle; Raffaelle, Ryne P.; Scheiman, David

2005-01-01

The vast majority of space probes to date have relied upon photovoltaic power generation. If future missions designed to probe environments close to the sun (Figure 1) will be able to use such power generation, solar cells that can function at high temperatures, under high light intensity, and high radiation conditions must be developed. The significant problem is that solar cells lose performance at high temperatures.

Chemistry, the Terminal Science? The Impact of the High School Science Order on the Development of U.S. Chemistry Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Keith; Robbins, Dennis M.

2006-01-01

This is a follow-up to a previous article about the historical development of the biology-chemistry-physics order of science courses in U.S. high schools. The ideas and influences behind the development of the order and some of the original arguments about the grade placement of chemistry are presented. The influence of a leading chemistry…

A Predictive Model Has Identified Tick-Borne Encephalitis High-Risk Areas in Regions Where No Cases Were Reported Previously, Poland, 1999–2012

PubMed Central

Rubikowska, Barbara; Bratkowski, Jakub; Ustrnul, Zbigniew; Vanwambeke, Sophie O.

2018-01-01

During 1999–2012, 77% of the cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were recorded in two out of 16 Polish provinces. However, historical data, mostly from national serosurveys, suggest that the disease could be undetected in many areas. The aim of this study was to identify which routinely-measured meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic factors are associated to TBE human risk across Poland, with a particular focus on areas reporting few cases, but where serosurveys suggest higher incidence. We fitted a zero-inflated Poisson model using data on TBE incidence recorded in 108 NUTS-5 administrative units in high-risk areas over the period 1999–2012. Subsequently we applied the best fitting model to all Polish municipalities. Keeping the remaining variables constant, the predicted rate increased with the increase of air temperature over the previous 10–20 days, precipitation over the previous 20–30 days, in forestation, forest edge density, forest road density, and unemployment. The predicted rate decreased with increasing distance from forests. The map of predicted rates was consistent with the established risk areas. It predicted, however, high rates in provinces considered TBE-free. We recommend raising awareness among physicians working in the predicted high-risk areas and considering routine use of household animal surveys for risk mapping. PMID:29617333

High Power Hall Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Robert; Tverdokhlebov, Sergery; Manzella, David

1999-01-01

The development of Hall thrusters with powers ranging from tens of kilowatts to in excess of one hundred kilowatts is considered based on renewed interest in high power. high thrust electric propulsion applications. An approach to develop such thrusters based on previous experience is discussed. It is shown that the previous experimental data taken with thrusters of 10 kW input power and less can be used. Potential mass savings due to the design of high power Hall thrusters are discussed. Both xenon and alternate thruster propellant are considered, as are technological issues that will challenge the design of high power Hall thrusters. Finally, the implications of such a development effort with regard to ground testing and spacecraft intecrati'on issues are discussed.

Nuclear Physics in High School: what are the previous knowledge?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pombo, F. de O.

2017-11-01

Nuclear physics is a branch of physics that about a century occupies an important space in the theoretical, experimental and scientific fields. Currently, its relevance in application is concentrated in several areas such as energy production, diagnostic processes and medical treatment and nuclear bombs, high destructive power. Whereas, according to legal regulations, the teaching of physics must make the student competent in the understanding of the world and assuming the perspective of Paulo Freire (2011) that education is not done on the subject, but together with him, in dialogue with his point of departure, his prior knowledge, we established the general objective of raising students prior knowledge of the third year of high School at Nair Ferreira Neves school, in São Sebastião-SP, about nuclear physics. We concluded that the school has not fulfilled its role in relation to nuclear physics, because students have information from other means of information and these knowledge are stereotyped and mistaken, damaging the world's reading and exercising full citizenship.

Iodine-131 induced hepatotoxicity in previously healthy patients with Grave’s disease

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objective To describe the association of the rare and serious complication of liver toxicity in previously healthy Grave’s disease (GD) patients after the treatment with radioactive iodine 131I (RAI). Case presentation We report the clinical, laboratory and pathologic findings of 2 cases of severe liver toxicity associated with the treatment with RAI in previously healthy patients with GD. Clinical examination and laboratory investigations excluded viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, granulomatous disease, primary biliary disease, extrahepatic biliary obstruction, and heart failure. Case 1: A previously healthy 52-years old man reportedly having a typical GD but following RAI treatment, concomitantly developed severe liver toxicity that required 1 week of treatment in hospital. Case 2: A previously healthy 34-years old woman is reported as having a typical GD but developed jaundice following RAI treatment that required several weeks of in hospital treatment in the hepato-biliary department. In both cases, the liver dysfunction resolved after intensive treatment with hepato-protective agents. In this report the therapeutic considerations as well as the pathogenetic possibilities are reviewed. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of the association observed, which is rare but may be severe and should be considered in any case of thyrotoxicosis where a liver dysfunction develops after the treatment with radioactive iodine 131I. PMID:23497434

Developments in Acoustic Navigation and Communication for High-Latitude Ocean Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobat, J.; Lee, C.

2006-12-01

Developments in autonomous platforms (profiling floats, drifters, long-range gliders and propeller-driven vehicles) offer the possibility of unprecedented access to logistically difficult polar regions that challenge conventional techniques. Currently, however, navigation and telemetry for these platforms rely on satellite positioning and communications poorly suited for high-latitude applications where ice cover restricts access to the sea surface. A similar infrastructure offering basin-wide acoustic geolocation and telemetry would allow the community to employ autonomous platforms to address previously intractable problems in Arctic oceanography. Two recent efforts toward the development of such an infrastructure are reported here. As part of an observational array monitoring fluxes through Davis Strait, development of real-time RAFOS acoustic navigation for gliders has been ongoing since autumn 2004. To date, test deployments have been conducted in a 260 Hz field in the Pacific and 780 Hz fields off Norway and in Davis Strait. Real-time navigation accuracy of ~1~km is achievable. Autonomously navigating gliders will operate under ice cover beginning in autumn 2006. In addition to glider navigation development, the Davis Strait array moorings carry fixed RAFOS recorders to study propagation over a range of distances under seasonally varying ice cover. Results from the under-ice propagation and glider navigation experiments are presented. Motivated by the need to coordinate these types of development efforts, an international group of acousticians, autonomous platform developers, high-latitude oceanographers and marine mammal researchers gathered in Seattle, U.S.A. from 27 February -- 1 March 2006 for an NSF Office of Polar Programs sponsored Acoustic Navigation and Communication for High-latitude Ocean Research (ANCHOR) workshop. Workshop participants focused on summarizing the current state of knowledge concerning Arctic acoustics, navigation and communications

Development of High-Resolution UV-VIS Diagnostics for Space Plasma Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Andrew; Batishchev, Oleg

2012-10-01

Non-invasive far-UV-VIS plasma emission allows remote diagnostics of plasma, which is particularly important for space application. Accurate vacuum tank space plasma simulations require monochromators with high spectral resolution (better than 0.01A) to capture important details of atomic and ionic lines, such as Ly-alpha, etc. We are building a new system based on the previous work [1], and will discuss the development of a spectrometry system that combines a single-pass vacuum far-UV-NIR spectrometer and a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon. [4pt] [1] O. Batishchev and J.L. Cambier, Experimental Study of the Mini-Helicon Thruster, Air Force Research Laboratory Report, AFRL-RZ-ED-TR-2009-0020, 2009.

Gonorrhoea in Greenland, incidence and previous preventive measures: a review to improve future strategies

PubMed Central

Berntsen, Sine; Karlsen, Anders Peder Højer; Pedersen, Michael Lynge; Mulvad, Gert

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Gonorrhoea continues to be a significant health challenge in Greenland. The aim of this study was to describe the development of gonorrhoea in Greenland through time including incidence rates and previous measures taken to address the challenge. A systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library was conducted. Furthermore, local archives were searched in the Health Clinic in Nuuk for relevant literature. From the 1940s the incidence of gonorrhoea increased steadily with a steep incline around 1970, possibly as a consequence of changes in living conditions and urbanisation. Significant declines in the incidence were seen the late 1970s and again in the late 1980s, most likely in the wake of an outbreak of ulcus molle/chancroid in the 1970s and as a result of focused education in venereology for Greenlandic nurses in the late 1980s combined with the stop-AIDS campaign. Since the early 1990s the incidence of gonorrhoea in Greenland has not risen to previously high levels. However, the incidence remains high and with a gradually increasing trend. Prevention intervention strategies such as peer-to-peer sexual education, storytelling and involvement of parent/guardian in sexual education of the youth could be appropriate approaches to improve sexual health in Greenland. PMID:28745556

Gonorrhoea in Greenland, incidence and previous preventive measures: a review to improve future strategies.

PubMed

Berntsen, Sine; Karlsen, Anders Peder Højer; Pedersen, Michael Lynge; Mulvad, Gert

2017-01-01

Gonorrhoea continues to be a significant health challenge in Greenland. The aim of this study was to describe the development of gonorrhoea in Greenland through time including incidence rates and previous measures taken to address the challenge. A systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library was conducted. Furthermore, local archives were searched in the Health Clinic in Nuuk for relevant literature. From the 1940s the incidence of gonorrhoea increased steadily with a steep incline around 1970, possibly as a consequence of changes in living conditions and urbanisation. Significant declines in the incidence were seen the late 1970s and again in the late 1980s, most likely in the wake of an outbreak of ulcus molle/chancroid in the 1970s and as a result of focused education in venereology for Greenlandic nurses in the late 1980s combined with the stop-AIDS campaign. Since the early 1990s the incidence of gonorrhoea in Greenland has not risen to previously high levels. However, the incidence remains high and with a gradually increasing trend. Prevention intervention strategies such as peer-to-peer sexual education, storytelling and involvement of parent/guardian in sexual education of the youth could be appropriate approaches to improve sexual health in Greenland.

Guidelines of the previous consensus conference and recent developments.

PubMed

Beck, I T

1997-09-01

This article reviews the major changes that have occurred since the last Canadian consensus conference on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which was held four years ago. There were developments in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease and improvements in the methods of its investigation and management. Esophageal and extraesophageal complications have also been better defined. Since 1992 new knowledge on nitric oxide has been gained and several new inflammatory cytokines have been developed. Improved understanding of the mechanism of the hypersensitive esophagus helped to explain the presence of clinical symptoms with normal endoscopic findings. This also improved interpretation of the role of 24 h pH monitoring and 24 h pH with motility recording. There is better understanding of the role of H2 receptor antagonists and prokinetics and an increasing confidence in the long term safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The most important changes occurred in surgery with the introduction of laparoscopic fundoplication. Patients with Barrett's esophagus who are too ill for esophagectomy may now be enrolled in surveillance because it is possible to deal with dysplasia and small cancers with photodynamic therapy. As an introductory lecture to the consensus conference, this article also deals with the subject of health economics and discusses the necessity and the dangers involved in devising treatment guidelines. It indicates that guidelines change with advancing knowledge, and emphasizes that physicians' primary duty is toward their patients. Therefore, guidelines devised here should be adjusted to the individual needs of patients. Organizational aspects of the present conference are also described.

Human Papilloma Virus Identification in Breast Cancer Patients with Previous Cervical Neoplasia.

PubMed

Lawson, James S; Glenn, Wendy K; Salyakina, Daria; Clay, Rosemary; Delprado, Warick; Cheerala, Bharathi; Tran, Dinh D; Ngan, Christopher C; Miyauchi, Shingo; Karim, Martha; Antonsson, Annika; Whitaker, Noel J

2015-01-01

Women with human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated cervical neoplasia have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general female population. The purpose of this study was to (i) identify high-risk HPVs in cervical neoplasia and subsequent HPV positive breast cancers which developed in the same patients and (ii) determine if these HPVs were biologically active. A range of polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical techniques were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study of cervical precancers and subsequent breast cancers in the same patients. The same high-risk HPV types were identified in both the cervical and breast specimens in 13 (46%) of 28 patients. HPV type 18 was the most prevalent. HPVs appeared to be biologically active as demonstrated by the expression of HPV E7 proteins and the presence of HPV-associated koilocytes. The average age of these patients diagnosed with breast cancer following prior cervical precancer was 51 years, as compared to 60 years for all women with breast cancer (p for difference = 0.001). These findings indicate that high-risk HPVs can be associated with cervical neoplasia and subsequent young age breast cancer. However, these associations are unusual and are a very small proportion of breast cancers. These outcomes confirm and extend the observations of two similar previous studies and offer one explanation for the increased prevalence of serious invasive breast cancer among young women.

Effect of a High-sucrose Diet on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Development in a Hypoperfusion-induced Animal Model.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Chie; Kugo, Hirona; Hashimoto, Keisuke; Sawaragi, Ayaka; Zaima, Nobuhiro; Moriyama, Tatsuya

2018-05-01

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease that results in rupture of the abdominal aorta. The risk factors for the development of AAA include smoking, male sex, hypertension, and age. AAA has a high mortality rate, but therapy for AAA is restricted to surgery in cases of large aneurysms. Clarifying the effect of dietary food on the development of AAA would be helpful for patients with AAAs. However, the relationship between dietary habits and the development of AAA is largely unknown. In our previous study, we demonstrated that adipocytes in vascular wall can induce the rupture of AAA. Therefore, we focused on the diet-induced abnormal triglyceride metabolism, which has the potential to drive AAA development. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of a high-sucrose diet on the development of AAA in a vascular hypoperfusion-induced animal model. A high sucrose diet induced high serum TG level and fatty liver. However, the AAA rupture risk and the AAA diameter were not significantly different between the control and high-sucrose groups. The intergroup differences in the elastin degradation score and collagen-positive area were insignificant. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinases, macrophages, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-positive areas did not differ significantly between groups. These results suggest that a high-sucrose diet does not affect the appearance of vascular adipocyte and AAA development under the vascular hypoperfusion condition.

Previous Bladder Cancer History in Patients with High-Risk, Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Correlates with Recurrence and Progression: Implications of Natural History.

PubMed

Mitrakas, Lampros P; Zachos, Ioannis V; Tzortzis, Vassileios P; Gravas, Stavros A; Rouka, Erasmia C; Dimitropoulos, Konstantinos I; Vandoros, Gerasimos P; Karatzas, Anastasios D; Melekos, Michael D; Papavassiliou, Athanasios G

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation of previous bladder cancer history with the recurrence and progression of patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and to evaluate their natural history. Patients were divided into two groups based on the existence of previous bladder cancer (primary, non-primary). A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the possible differences in the probabilities of recurrence and progression with respect to tumor history, while potential differences due to gender, tumor size (> 3 cm, < 3 cm), stage (pTa, T1), concomitant carcinoma in situ (pTis) and number of tumors (single, multiple) were also assessed. Univariate and multivariate models were employed. In addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare recurrence- and progression-free survival between the groups. A total of 192 patients were included (144 with primary and 48 with non-primary tumors). The rates of recurrence and progression for patients with primary tumors were 27.8% and 12.5%, respectively. The corresponding percentages for patients with non-primary tumors were 77.1% and 33.3%, respectively. The latter group of patients displayed significantly higher probabilities of recurrence (p=0.000; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.067 to 18.804) and progression (p=0.002; 95% CI, 1.609 to 7.614) in a univariate logistic regression analysis. Previous bladder cancer history remained significant in the multivariate model accounting for history, age, gender, tumor size , number of tumors, stage and concomitant pTis (p=0.000; 95% CI, 4.367 to 21.924 and p=0.002; 95% CI, 1.611 to 8.182 for recurrence and progression respectively). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that the non-primary group hadreduced progression- and recurrence-free survival. Previous non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer history correlates significantly with recurrence and progression in patients with high-risk non

High-Efficiency High-Resolution Global Model Developments at the NASA Goddard Data Assimilation Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann; Atlas, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Data Assimilation Office (DAO) has been developing a new generation of ultra-high resolution General Circulation Model (GCM) that is suitable for 4-D data assimilation, numerical weather predictions, and climate simulations. These three applications have conflicting requirements. For 4-D data assimilation and weather predictions, it is highly desirable to run the model at the highest possible spatial resolution (e.g., 55 km or finer) so as to be able to resolve and predict socially and economically important weather phenomena such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and severe winter storms. For climate change applications, the model simulations need to be carried out for decades, if not centuries. To reduce uncertainty in climate change assessments, the next generation model would also need to be run at a fine enough spatial resolution that can at least marginally simulate the effects of intense tropical cyclones. Scientific problems (e.g., parameterization of subgrid scale moist processes) aside, all three areas of application require the model's computational performance to be dramatically improved as compared to the previous generation. In this talk, I will present the current and future developments of the "finite-volume dynamical core" at the Data Assimilation Office. This dynamical core applies modem monotonicity preserving algorithms and is genuinely conservative by construction, not by an ad hoc fixer. The "discretization" of the conservation laws is purely local, which is clearly advantageous for resolving sharp gradient flow features. In addition, the local nature of the finite-volume discretization also has a significant advantage on distributed memory parallel computers. Together with a unique vertically Lagrangian control volume discretization that essentially reduces the dimension of the computational problem from three to two, the finite-volume dynamical core is very efficient, particularly at high resolutions. I will also present the

High-Efficiency High-Resolution Global Model Developments at the NASA Goddard Data Assimilation Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann; Atlas, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Data Assimilation Office (DAO) has been developing a new generation of ultra-high resolution General Circulation Model (GCM) that is suitable for 4-D data assimilation, numerical weather predictions, and climate simulations. These three applications have conflicting requirements. For 4-D data assimilation and weather predictions, it is highly desirable to run the model at the highest possible spatial resolution (e.g., 55 kin or finer) so as to be able to resolve and predict socially and economically important weather phenomena such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and severe winter storms. For climate change applications, the model simulations need to be carried out for decades, if not centuries. To reduce uncertainty in climate change assessments, the next generation model would also need to be run at a fine enough spatial resolution that can at least marginally simulate the effects of intense tropical cyclones. Scientific problems (e.g., parameterization of subgrid scale moist processes) aside, all three areas of application require the model's computational performance to be dramatically improved as compared to the previous generation. In this talk, I will present the current and future developments of the "finite-volume dynamical core" at the Data Assimilation Office. This dynamical core applies modem monotonicity preserving algorithms and is genuinely conservative by construction, not by an ad hoc fixer. The "discretization" of the conservation laws is purely local, which is clearly advantageous for resolving sharp gradient flow features. In addition, the local nature of the finite-volume discretization also has a significant advantage on distributed memory parallel computers. Together with a unique vertically Lagrangian control volume discretization that essentially reduces the dimension of the computational problem from three to two, the finite-volume dynamical core is very efficient, particularly at high resolutions. I will also present the

[Incidence and clinical risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus in women with previous gestational diabetes].

PubMed

Domínguez-Vigo, P; Álvarez-Silvares, E; Alves-Pérez M T; Domínguez-Sánchez, J; González-González, A

2016-04-01

Gestational diabetes is considered a variant of diabetes mellitus as they share a common pathophysiological basis: insulin resistance in target and insufficient secretion of it by pancreatic p-cell bodies. Pregnancy is a unique physiological situation provides an opportunity to identify future risk of diabetes mellitus. To determine the long-term incidence of diabetes mellitus in women who have previously been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and identifying clinical risk factors for developing the same. nested case-control cohort study. 671 patients between 1996 and 2009 were diagnosed with gestational diabetes were selected. The incidence of diabetes mellitus was estimated and 2 subgroups were formed: Group A or cases: women who develop diabetes mellitus after diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Group B or control: random sample of 71 women with a history of gestational diabetes in the follow-up period remained normoglycemic. Both groups were studied up to 18 years postpartum. By studying Kaplan Meier survival of the influence of different gestational variables it was obtained in the later development of diabetes mellitus with time parameter and COX models for categorical variables were applied. Significant variables were studied by multivariate Cox analysis. In all analyzes the Hazard ratio was calculated with confidence intervals at 95%. The incidence of diabetes mellitus was 10.3% in patients with a history of gestational diabetes. They were identified as risk factors in the index pregnancy to later development of diabetes mellitus: greater than 35 and younger than 27 years maternal age, BMI greater than 30 kg/m2, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, insulin therapy, poor metabolic control and more than a complicated pregnancy with gestational diabetes. Clinical factors have been identified in the pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes that determine a higher probability of progression to diabetes mellitus in the medium and long term.

Development of a Microchannel High Temperature Recuperator for Fuel Cell Systems

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

Lukas, Michael

This report summarizes the progress made in development of microchannel recuperators for high temperature fuel cell/turbine hybrid systems for generation of clean power at very high efficiencies. Both Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Turbine (SOFC/T) and Direct FuelCell/Turbine (DFC/T) systems employ an indirectly heated Turbine Generator to supplement fuel cell generated power. The concept extends the high efficiency of the fuel cell by utilizing the fuel cell’s byproduct heat in a Brayton cycle. Features of the SOFC/T and DFC/T systems include: electrical efficiencies of up to 65% on natural gas, minimal emissions, reduced carbon dioxide release to the environment, simplicity in design,more » and potential cost competitiveness with existing combined cycle power plants. Project work consisted of candidate material selection from FuelCell Energy (FCE) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) institutional databases as well as from industrial and academic literature. Candidate materials were then downselected and actual samples were tested under representative environmental conditions resulting in further downselection. A microchannel thermal-mechanical model was developed to calculate overall device cost to be later used in developing a final Tier 1 material candidate list. Specifications and operating conditions were developed for both SOFC/T and DFC/T systems. This development included system conceptualization and progression to process flow diagrams (PFD’s) including all major equipment. Material and energy balances were then developed for the two types of systems which were then used for extensive sensitivity studies that used high temperature recuperator (HTR) design parameters (e.g., operating temperature) as inputs and calculated overall system parameters (e.g., system efficiency). The results of the sensitivity studies determined the final HTR design temperatures, pressure drops, and gas compositions. The results also established operating conditions and

Reducing Mission Costs by Leveraging Previous Investments in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Ron; Adams, W. James

1999-01-01

The Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been charged with the responsibility to reduce mission cost by allowing access to previous developments on government and commercial space missions. RSDO accomplishes this responsibility by implementing two revolutionary contract vehicles, the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition (RSA) and Quick Ride. This paper will describe the concept behind these contracts, the current capabilities available to missions, analysis of pricing trends to date using the RSDO processes, and future plans to increase flexibility and capabilities available to mission planners.

Development of High-Speed IV-VI Photodiodes

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

is not yet an adequate theoretical analysis. However, early experimental results indicated that collection efficienclea near unitv are attainable...82171~$* te g w w ( I .f 1 INTRODUCTION 2 EXPERIMENTAL 3 JUNCTION CAPACITANCE 4 THE PINCHED-OFF PHOTODIODE 4.1 Genaral Considerations 4.2...developed by Ford Research Staff. The essential references to this previous work and to new experimental detVKji are given In Section 2 of the

Effects of high gravity on amphibian development.

PubMed

Kashiwagi, Akihiko; Hanada, Hideki; Kawakami, Satomi; Kubo, Hideo; Shinkai, Tadashi; Fujii, Hirotada; Kashiwagi, Keiko

2003-10-01

In order to clarify the possible effects of high gravity environments on eggs and developing embryos, Rana rugosa and Xenopus laevis fertilized eggs and early embryos were raised in 2 G, 5 G, 7 G and 10 G up to the hatched tadpole stage. The results showed that: (1) High gravity significantly retarded the development of eggs and embryos beginning treatment before the blastula stage and induced various abnormalities, including two heads and microcephally suggesting that high gravity is apt to disrupt the animal-vegital axis. On the other hand, embryos beginning treatment after the gastrula stage showed a striking increase in the number of normal-appearing feeding tadpoles. (2) Autopsy revealed that brains, notochords and muscles were reduced in development and differentiation for embryos and tadpoles developed in high gravity. (3) It seems likely that the system for hydrogen peroxide detoxification develops abnormally in high gravity-treated embryos and tadpoles, which probably results in oxidative stress, leading to considerable cell damage.

High-Temperature Solar Cell Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Raffaelle, Ryne P.; Merritt, Danielle

2004-01-01

The vast majority of satellites and near-earth probes developed to date have relied upon photovoltaic power generation. If future missions to probe environments close to the sun will be able to use photovoltaic power, solar cells that can function at high temperatures, under high light intensity, and high radiation conditions must be developed. For example, the equilibrium temperature of a Mercury surface station will be about 450 C, and the temperature of solar arrays on the proposed "Solar Probe" mission will extend to temperatures as high as 2000 C (although it is likely that the craft will operate on stored power rather than solar energy during the closest approach to the sun). Advanced thermal design principles, such as replacing some of the solar array area with reflectors, off-pointing, and designing the cells to reflect rather than absorb light out of the band of peak response, can reduce these operating temperature somewhat. Nevertheless, it is desirable to develop approaches to high-temperature solar cell design that can operate under temperature extremes far greater than today's cells. Solar cells made from wide bandgap (WBG) compound semiconductors are an obvious choice for such an application. In order to aid in the experimental development of such solar cells, we have initiated a program studying the theoretical and experimental photovoltaic performance of wide bandgap materials. In particular, we have been investigating the use of GaP, SiC, and GaN materials for space solar cells. We will present theoretical results on the limitations on current cell technologies and the photovoltaic performance of these wide-bandgap solar cells in a variety of space conditions. We will also give an overview of some of NASA's cell developmental efforts in this area and discuss possible future mission applications.

Development of an Internet-Administered Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program (ENGAGE) for Parents of Children Previously Treated for Cancer: Participatory Action Research Approach.

PubMed

Wikman, Anna; Kukkola, Laura; Börjesson, Helene; Cernvall, Martin; Woodford, Joanne; Grönqvist, Helena; von Essen, Louise

2018-04-18

Parenting a child through cancer is a distressing experience, and a subgroup of parents report negative long-term psychological consequences years after treatment completion. However, there is a lack of evidence-based psychological interventions for parents who experience distress in relation to a child's cancer disease after end of treatment. One aim of this study was to develop an internet-administered, cognitive behavior therapy-based, psychological, guided, self-help intervention (ENGAGE) for parents of children previously treated for cancer. Another aim was to identify acceptable procedures for future feasibility and efficacy studies testing and evaluating the intervention. Participatory action research methodology was used. The study included face-to-face workshops and related Web-based exercises. A total of 6 parents (4 mothers, 2 fathers) of children previously treated for cancer were involved as parent research partners. Moreover, 2 clinical psychologists were involved as expert research partners. Research partners and research group members worked collaboratively throughout the study. Data were analyzed iteratively using written summaries of the workshops and Web-based exercises parallel to data collection. A 10-week, internet-administered, cognitive behavior therapy-based, psychological, guided, self-help intervention (ENGAGE) was developed in collaboration with parent research partners and expert research partners. The content of the intervention, mode and frequency of e-therapist support, and the individualized approach for feedback were modified based on the research partner input. Shared solutions were reached regarding the type and timing of support from an e-therapist (eg, initial video or telephone call, multiple methods of e-therapist contact), duration and timing of intervention (eg, 10 weeks, 30-min assessments), and the removal of unnecessary support functions (eg, removal of chat and forum functions). Preferences for study procedures in

75 FR 39143 - Airworthiness Directives; Arrow Falcon Exporters, Inc. (previously Utah State University); AST...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-08

... Firefly Aviation Helicopter Services, and Erickson Air-Crane); Rotorcraft Development Corporation..., Inc. (Previously Firefly Aviation Helicopter Services, and Erickson Air-Crane); Rotorcraft Development...

MRO High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE): Instrument Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delamere, Alan; Becker, Ira; Bergstrom, Jim; Burkepile, Jon; Day, Joe; Dorn, David; Gallagher, Dennis; Hamp, Charlie; Lasco, Jeffrey; Meiers, Bill

2003-01-01

The primary functional requirement of the HiRISE imager is to allow identification of both predicted and unknown features on the surface of Mars to a much finer resolution and contrast than previously possible. This results in a camera with a very wide swath width, 6km at 300km altitude, and a high signal to noise ratio, >100:1. Generation of terrain maps, 30 cm vertical resolution, from stereo images requires very accurate geometric calibration. The project limitations of mass, cost and schedule make the development challenging. In addition, the spacecraft stability must not be a major limitation to image quality. The nominal orbit for the science phase of the mission is a 3pm orbit of 255 by 320 km with periapsis locked to the south pole. The track velocity is approximately 3,400 m/s.

Development of a high sensitivity pinhole type gamma camera using semiconductors for low dose rate fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueno, Yuichiro; Takahashi, Isao; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Tadokoro, Takahiro; Okada, Koichi; Nagumo, Yasushi; Fujishima, Yasutake; Yoshida, Akira; Umegaki, Kikuo

2018-06-01

We developed a pinhole type gamma camera, using a compact detector module of a pixelated CdTe semiconductor, which has suitable sensitivity and quantitative accuracy for low dose rate fields. In order to improve the sensitivity of the pinhole type semiconductor gamma camera, we adopted three methods: a signal processing method to set the discriminating level lower, a high sensitivity pinhole collimator and a smoothing image filter that improves the efficiency of the source identification. We tested basic performances of the developed gamma camera and carefully examined effects of the three methods. From the sensitivity test, we found that the effective sensitivity was about 21 times higher than that of the gamma camera for high dose rate fields which we had previously developed. We confirmed that the gamma camera had sufficient sensitivity and high quantitative accuracy; for example, a weak hot spot (0.9 μSv/h) around a tree root could be detected within 45 min in a low dose rate field test, and errors of measured dose rates with point sources were less than 7% in a dose rate accuracy test.

Concept development of a Mach 4 high-speed civil transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domack, Christopher S.; Dollyhigh, Samuel M.; Beissner, Fred L., Jr.; Geiselhart, Karl A.; Mcgraw, Marvin E., Jr.; Shields, Elwood W.; Swanson, Edward E.

1990-01-01

A study was conducted to configure and analyze a 250 passenger, Mach 4 High Speed Civil Transport with a design range of 6500 n.mi. The design mission assumed an all-supersonic cruise segment and no community noise or sonic boom constraints. The study airplane was developed in order to examine the technology requirements for such a vehicle and to provide an unconstrained baseline from which to assess changes in technology levels, sonic boom limits, or community noise constraints in future studies. The propulsion, structure, and materials technologies utilized in the sizing of the study aircraft were assumed to represent a technology availability date of 2015. The study airplane was a derivative of a previously developed Mach 3 concept and utilized advanced afterburning turbojet engines and passive airframe thermal protection. Details of the configuration development, aerodynamic design, propulsion system, mass properties, and mission performance are presented. The study airplane was estimated to weigh approx. 866,000 lbs. Although an aircraft of this size is a marginally acceptable candidate to fit into the world airport infrastructure, it was concluded that the inclusion of community noise or sonic boom constraints would quickly cause the aircraft to grow beyond acceptable limits using the assumed technology levels.

Web 2.0-Based Crowdsourcing for High-Quality Gold Standard Development in Clinical Natural Language Processing

PubMed Central

Deleger, Louise; Li, Qi; Kaiser, Megan; Stoutenborough, Laura

2013-01-01

Background A high-quality gold standard is vital for supervised, machine learning-based, clinical natural language processing (NLP) systems. In clinical NLP projects, expert annotators traditionally create the gold standard. However, traditional annotation is expensive and time-consuming. To reduce the cost of annotation, general NLP projects have turned to crowdsourcing based on Web 2.0 technology, which involves submitting smaller subtasks to a coordinated marketplace of workers on the Internet. Many studies have been conducted in the area of crowdsourcing, but only a few have focused on tasks in the general NLP field and only a handful in the biomedical domain, usually based upon very small pilot sample sizes. In addition, the quality of the crowdsourced biomedical NLP corpora were never exceptional when compared to traditionally-developed gold standards. The previously reported results on medical named entity annotation task showed a 0.68 F-measure based agreement between crowdsourced and traditionally-developed corpora. Objective Building upon previous work from the general crowdsourcing research, this study investigated the usability of crowdsourcing in the clinical NLP domain with special emphasis on achieving high agreement between crowdsourced and traditionally-developed corpora. Methods To build the gold standard for evaluating the crowdsourcing workers’ performance, 1042 clinical trial announcements (CTAs) from the ClinicalTrials.gov website were randomly selected and double annotated for medication names, medication types, and linked attributes. For the experiments, we used CrowdFlower, an Amazon Mechanical Turk-based crowdsourcing platform. We calculated sensitivity, precision, and F-measure to evaluate the quality of the crowd’s work and tested the statistical significance (P<.001, chi-square test) to detect differences between the crowdsourced and traditionally-developed annotations. Results The agreement between the crowd’s annotations and the

New Technique of High-Performance Torque Control Developed for Induction Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Barbara H.

2003-01-01

Two forms of high-performance torque control for motor drives have been described in the literature: field orientation control and direct torque control. Field orientation control has been the method of choice for previous NASA electromechanical actuator research efforts with induction motors. Direct torque control has the potential to offer some advantages over field orientation, including ease of implementation and faster response. However, the most common form of direct torque control is not suitable for the highspeed, low-stator-flux linkage induction machines designed for electromechanical actuators with the presently available sample rates of digital control systems (higher sample rates are required). In addition, this form of direct torque control is not suitable for the addition of a high-frequency carrier signal necessary for the "self-sensing" (sensorless) position estimation technique. This technique enables low- and zero-speed position sensorless operation of the machine. Sensorless operation is desirable to reduce the number of necessary feedback signals and transducers, thus improving the reliability and reducing the mass and volume of the system. This research was directed at developing an alternative form of direct torque control known as a "deadbeat," or inverse model, solution. This form uses pulse-width modulation of the voltage applied to the machine, thus reducing the necessary sample and switching frequency for the high-speed NASA motor. In addition, the structure of the deadbeat form allows the addition of the high-frequency carrier signal so that low- and zero-speed sensorless operation is possible. The new deadbeat solution is based on using the stator and rotor flux as state variables. This choice of state variables leads to a simple graphical representation of the solution as the intersection of a constant torque line with a constant stator flux circle. Previous solutions have been expressed only in complex mathematical terms without a

Analysis Of Navy Hornet Squadron Mishap Costs With Regard To Previously Flown Flight Hours

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

mishaps occur more frequently in a squadron when flight hours are reduced. This thesis correlates F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet squadron previously... correlated to the flight hours flown during the previous three and six months. A linear multivariate model was developed and used to analyze a dataset...hours are reduced. This thesis correlates F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet squadron previously flown flight hours with mishap costs. It uses a macro

Epidemic of complicated mumps in previously vaccinated young adults in the South-West of France.

PubMed

Vareil, M-O; Rouibi, G; Kassab, S; Soula, V; Duffau, P; Lafon, M-E; Neau, D; Cazanave, C

2014-12-01

We report the features and diagnosis of complicated mumps in previously vaccinated young adults. We retrospectively studied 7 cases of complicated mumps managed during 1 year at the Bordeaux University Hospital. The diagnosis was suggested by the clinical presentation and confirmed using specific RT-PCR. Five cases of meningitis, 1 of orchitis, and 1 of unilateral hearing impairment were identified. Each of the 7 patients had been previously vaccinated with MMR, 4 had received 2 doses of this vaccine. Blood tests revealed high rates of IgG antibodies, usually considered as sufficient for immunological protection, and every patient had at least 1 positive RT-PCR test for mumps. Outbreaks of complicated mumps may still occur despite a broad coverage of MMR vaccination. The clinical presentation suggested mumps but the final diagnosis could only be confirmed by genomic detection of the virus. Unusual viral strains with increased neurovirulence, insufficient population coverage associated with immunity decrease over time may explain outbreaks of complicated mumps. A full vaccine scheme of contact people or a third injection of vaccine for previously vaccinated people who are at risk of developing mumps are required to prevent further spreading of the disease during the outbreak. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Cutaneous melanoma associated with previous nevus].

PubMed

Gutiérrez, María P; Barengo, Mónica; Mainardi, Claudio; Garay, Iliana; Kurpis, María; Ruiz Lascano, Alejandro

2009-01-01

The malignant melanoma is a neoplasia originated from the melanocytes located in the skin and other locations. Even though there is not information regarding its incidence and prevalence in our country, its most important risk factors are known. The melanoma can originate de novo or from previous melanocytic lesions. The concept that a melanocytic nevus can serve as a precursor lesion is supported by clinical and histological evidence. An observational, retrospective and analytical study was carried out in the Hospital Privado de Córdoba. The objective was to determine which is the frequency of association of malignant melanomas that develop on previous nevus. A total of 134 melanomas were analyzed. In 32 cases (24%), the melanomas were histologically associated with nevus, in individuals with Breslow's depth bigger than 1 mm the percentage of association was 16.3% while in those exhibiting Breslow smaller than 1 mm the percentage of association was 38.1%. Having evaluated the melanomas in relation to the Breslow and Clark classification, we observed that the nevus associated melanoma group showed less Breslow thickness and low Clark levels, which, by statistical analysis were shown to be significant predictors of the probabilty of finding this association (p < 0.027). This study demonstrates that the tumor thickness by itself is an independent predictive factor of the association melanoma-nevus. However, the rest of the variables studied did not throw significant results from the statistical point of view. In conclusion, patients must be educated for the control of new pigmented injuries as well as for the modification of preexisting nevi.

High Titers ofChlamydia trachomatis Antibodies in Brazilian Women with Tubal Occlusion or Previous Ectopic Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Machado, A. C. S.; Guimarães, E. M. B.; Sakurai, E.; Fioravante, F. C. R.; Amaral, W. N.; Alves, M. F. C.

2007-01-01

Objective. To evaluate serum chlamydia antibody titers (CATs) in tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy and the associated risk factors.Methods. The study population consisted of 55 women wih tubal damage and 55 parous women. CAT was measured using the whole-cell inclusion immunofluorescence test and cervical chlamydial DNA detected by PCR. Odds ratios were calculated to assess variables associated withC. trachomatis infection.Results. The prevalence of chlamydial antibodies and antibody titers in women with tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy was significantly higher (P < .01) than in parous women. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that chlamydia IgG antibodies were associated with tubal damage and with a larger number of lifetime sexual partners.Conclusions. Chlamydia antibody titers were associated with tubal occlusion, prior ectopic pregnancy, and with sexual behavior, suggesting that a chlamydia infection was the major contributor to the tubal damage in these women. PMID:17541464

A high-oil castor cultivar developed through recurrent selection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of this paper is to present and interpret the data obtained from field-grown castor seeds. Under greenhouse conditions, a previous recurrent selection for high-oil castor seeds from a base population resulted in a new population with an increased mean oil content from 50.33 to 54.47% dry...

Previous Violent Events and Mental Health Outcomes in Guatemala

PubMed Central

Puac-Polanco, Victor D.; Lopez-Soto, Victor A.; Kohn, Robert; Xie, Dawei; Richmond, Therese S.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We analyzed a probability sample of Guatemalans to determine if a relationship exists between previous violent events and development of mental health outcomes in various sociodemographic groups, as well as during and after the Guatemalan Civil War. Methods. We used regression modeling, an interaction test, and complex survey design adjustments to estimate prevalences and test potential relationships between previous violent events and mental health. Results. Many (20.6%) participants experienced at least 1 previous serious violent event. Witnessing someone severely injured or killed was the most common event. Depression was experienced by 4.2% of participants, with 6.5% experiencing anxiety, 6.4% an alcohol-related disorder, and 1.9% posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Persons who experienced violence during the war had 4.3 times the adjusted odds of alcohol-related disorders (P < .05) and 4.0 times the adjusted odds of PTSD (P < .05) compared with the postwar period. Women, indigenous Maya, and urban dwellers had greater odds of experiencing postviolence mental health outcomes. Conclusions. Violence that began during the civil war and continues today has had a significant effect on the mental health of Guatemalans. However, mental health outcomes resulting from violent events decreased in the postwar period, suggesting a nation in recovery. PMID:25713973

Developing a Curriculum for Remote Research Mentoring of Virginia High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dirienzo, William J.; Corby, J.; Beaton, R.; Barcos-Munoz, L. D.; Jones, K. M.; Pennucci, T.

2014-01-01

Graduate students at the University of Virginia (UVa) are volunteering as research advisors on astronomy projects for Virginia's science and technology high schools. Over five years, we have worked with more than a dozen students through a research class at Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology in Lynchburg and two students last year at Roanoke Valley Governor's School in Roanoke to develop an astronomy research curriculum that teaches background concepts and terminology, guides students in data analysis, and prepares them to present material in poster and oral forums. Because both schools are far from UVa in Charlottesville, the program operates remotely; graduate advisors and high school students interact through "virtual" means, establishing a successful framework for meaningful remote mentoring. In the current year, four students will complete projects on astrophysical topics including megamasers and astrochemistry using data taken by the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Previous topics also include pulsar searches, extended green object (EGO) searches, and the X-ray properties of YSOs in the Carina complex. All four students this year will receive hands-on experience in handling GBT data. The current projects are components of larger research efforts by graduate student and professional level researchers, so that the projects contribute to high-level projects only possible with the GBT. This stands as a rare outreach program that uses the principle of “deliberative practice” to train high school students in the development of skills that are crucial to success in science. Furthermore, it provides graduate students with an opportunity to plan and advise research projects, developing a skill set that is required in more advanced academic positions. Our poster discusses the implementation of our online curriculum in two distinct class settings and highlights the students' research contributions.

Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation after previous aortic homograft surgery.

PubMed

Drews, Thorsten; Pasic, Miralem; Buz, Semih; Unbehaun, Axel

2011-12-01

In patients with previous heart surgery, the operative risk is elevated during conventional aortic valve re-operations. Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation is a new method for the treatment of high-risk patients. Nevertheless, this new procedure carries potential risks in patients with previous homograft implantation in aortic position. Between April 2008 and February 2011, 345 consecutive patients (mean EuroSCORE (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation): 38 ± 20%; mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Mortality Score: 19 ± 16%; mean age: 80 ± 8 years; 111 men and 234 women) underwent trans-apical aortic valve implantation. In three patients, previous aortic homograft implantation had been performed. Homograft degeneration causing combined valve stenosis and incompetence made re-operation necessary. In all three patients, the aortic valve could be implanted using the trans-apical approach, and the procedure was successful. In two patients, there was slight paravalvular leakage of the aortic prosthesis and the other patient had slight central leakage. Neither ostium obstruction nor mitral valve damage was observed. Trans-catheter valve implantation can be performed successfully after previous homograft implantation. Particular care should be taken to achieve optimal valve positioning, not to obstruct the ostium of the coronary vessels due to the changed anatomic situation and not to cause annulus rupture. Copyright © 2011 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Simple Tool for Identifying Alcohol Use Disorder in Female Korean Drinkers from Previous Questionnaires.

PubMed

Seo, Yu Ri; Kim, Jong Sung; Kim, Sung Soo; Yoon, Seok Joon; Suh, Won Yoon; Youn, Kwangmi

2016-01-01

This study aimed to develop a simple tool for identifying alcohol use disorders in female Korean drinkers from previous questionnaires. This research was conducted on 400 women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink during the past month and visited the health promotion center at Chungnam National University Hospital between June 2013 to May 2014. Drinking habits and alcohol use disorders were assessed by structured interviews using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition diagnostic criteria. The subjects were also asked to answer the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), AUDIT-Consumption, CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener), TWEAK (Tolerance, Worried, Eye-opener, Amnesia, Kut down), TACE (Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut down, Eye-opener), and NET (Normal drinker, Eye-opener, Tolerance) questionnaires. The area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of each question of the questionnaires on alcohol use disorders was assessed. After combining two questions with the largest AUROC, it was compared to other previous questionnaires. Among the 400 subjects, 58 (14.5%) were identified as having an alcohol use disorder. Two questions with the largest AUROC were question no. 7 in AUDIT, "How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?" and question no. 5 in AUDIT, "How often during the past year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking?" with an AUROC (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.886 (0.850-0.915) and 0.862 (0.824-0.894), respectively. The AUROC (95% CI) of the combination of the two questions was 0.958 (0.934-0.976) with no significant difference as compared to the existing AUDIT with the largest AUROC. The above results suggest that the simple tool consisting of questions no. 5 and no. 7 in AUDIT is useful in identifying alcohol use disorders in Korean female drinkers.

Prevalence of suicide risk factors in people at ultra-high risk of developing psychosis: a service audit.

PubMed

Hutton, Paul; Bowe, Samantha; Parker, Sophie; Ford, Sarah

2011-11-01

Little data is available on the prevalence of suicide risk factors in people at ultra-high risk (UHR) of developing psychosis. The aim of this study was to provide an estimate of the cross-sectional prevalence of possible suicide risk factors in those attending a routine clinical service for people at UHR of developing psychosis. For all patients in treatment (n=34) over a 4-week period, levels of suicidal ideation and depression upon entry to the service were assessed by auditing intake scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition. Level of engagement with services, social isolation, substance and alcohol misuse, ready access to means, current suicidal ideation, previous suicide attempts, current or previous self-harm, expressions of concern from others, depression, agitation, hopelessness, worthlessness, suspiciousness and fears of mental disintegration were all assessed by case note review and interview with the treating clinician. There was a high prevalence of at least mild suicidal ideation (58.8%, n=20) and severe depressed mood (47%, n=16) in this client group at point of entry to the service. Seven people (20.6%) had engaged in serious self-harm (including attempted suicide) during the time they were in contact with the service. Forty-seven per cent (n=16) reported at least 27 suicide attempts between them; the mean number of attempts being 1.69 (standard deviation=1.08). Suicide risk was high in this small sample of people at UHR of developing psychosis. Controlled research with larger samples and better methodology is urgently required to inform legal, ethical and scientific debates surrounding this group. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Interference from previous distraction disrupts older adults' memory.

PubMed

Biss, Renée K; Campbell, Karen L; Hasher, Lynn

2013-07-01

Previously relevant information can disrupt the ability of older adults to remember new information. Here, the researchers examined whether prior irrelevant information, or distraction, can also interfere with older adults' memory for new information. Younger and older adults first completed a 1-back task on pictures that were superimposed with distracting words. After a delay, participants learned picture-word paired associates and memory was tested using picture-cued recall. In 1 condition (high interference), some pairs included pictures from the 1-back task now paired with new words. In a low-interference condition, the transfer list used all new items. Older adults had substantially lower cued-recall performance in the high- compared with the low-interference condition. In contrast, younger adults' performance did not vary across conditions. These findings suggest that even never-relevant information from the past can disrupt older adults' memory for new associations.

Plantar pressure and daily cumulative stress in persons affected by leprosy with current, previous and no previous foot ulceration.

PubMed

van Schie, Carine H M; Slim, Frederik J; Keukenkamp, Renske; Faber, William R; Nollet, Frans

2013-03-01

Not only plantar pressure but also weight-bearing activity affects accumulated mechanical stress to the foot and may be related to foot ulceration. To date, activity has not been accounted for in leprosy. The purpose was to compare barefoot pressure, in-shoe pressure and daily cumulative stress between persons affected by leprosy with and without previous or current foot ulceration. Nine persons with current plantar ulceration were compared to 15 with previous and 15 without previous ulceration. Barefoot peak pressure (EMED-X), in-shoe peak pressure (Pedar-X) and daily cumulative stress (in-shoe forefoot pressure time integral×mean daily strides (Stepwatch™ Activity Monitor)) were measured. Barefoot peak pressure was increased in persons with current and previous compared to no previous foot ulceration (mean±SD=888±222 and 763±335 vs 465±262kPa, p<0.05). In-shoe peak pressure was only increased in persons with current compared to without previous ulceration (mean±SD=412±145 vs 269±70kPa, p<0.05). Daily cumulative stress was not different between groups, although persons with current and previous foot ulceration were less active. Although barefoot peak pressure was increased in people with current and previous plantar ulceration, it did not discriminate between these groups. While in-shoe peak pressure was increased in persons with current ulceration, they were less active, resulting in no difference in daily cumulative stress. Increased in-shoe peak pressure suggests insufficient pressure reducing footwear in persons with current ulceration, highlighting the importance of pressure reducing qualities of footwear. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a high-fidelity phonomicrosurgical trainer.

PubMed

Klein, Adam M; Gross, Jennifer

2017-04-01

To validate the use of a high-fidelity phonomicrosurgical trainer. A high-fidelity phonomicrosurgical trainer, based on a previously validated model by Contag et al., 1 was designed with multilayered vocal folds that more closely mimic the consistency of true vocal folds, containing intracordal lesions to practice phonomicrosurgical removal. A training module was developed to simulate the true phonomicrosurgical experience. A validation study with novice and expert surgeons was conducted. Novices and experts were instructed to remove the lesion from the synthetic vocal folds, and novices were given four training trials. Performances were measured by the amount of time spent and tissue injury (microflap, superficial, deep) to the vocal fold. An independent Student t test and Fisher exact tests were used to compare subjects. A matched-paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare novice performance on the first and fourth trials and assess for improvement. Experts completed the excision with less total errors than novices (P = .004) and made less injury to the microflap (P = .05) and superficial tissue (P = .003). Novices improved their performance with training, making less total errors (P = .002) and superficial tissue injuries (P = .02) and spending less time for removal (P = .002) after several practice trials. This high-fidelity phonomicrosurgical trainer has been validated for novice surgeons. It can distinguish between experts and novices; and after training, it helped to improve novice performance. N/A. Laryngoscope, 127:888-893, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Dissociation in decision bias mechanism between probabilistic information and previous decision

PubMed Central

Kaneko, Yoshiyuki; Sakai, Katsuyuki

2015-01-01

Target detection performance is known to be influenced by events in the previous trials. It has not been clear, however, whether this bias effect is due to the previous sensory stimulus, motor response, or decision. Also it remains open whether or not the previous trial effect emerges via the same mechanism as the effect of knowledge about the target probability. In the present study, we asked normal human subjects to make a decision about the presence or absence of a visual target. We presented a pre-cue indicating the target probability before the stimulus, and also a decision-response mapping cue after the stimulus so as to tease apart the effect of decision from that of motor response. We found that the target detection performance was significantly affected by the probability cue in the current trial and also by the decision in the previous trial. While the information about the target probability modulated the decision criteria, the previous decision modulated the sensitivity to target-relevant sensory signals (d-prime). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we also found that activation in the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) was decreased when the probability cue indicated a high probability of the target. By contrast, activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was increased when the subjects made a target-present decision in the previous trial, but this change was observed specifically when the target was present in the current trial. Activation in these regions was associated with individual-difference in the decision computation parameters. We argue that the previous decision biases the target detection performance by modulating the processing of target-selective information, and this mechanism is distinct from modulation of decision criteria due to expectation of a target. PMID:25999844

Confronting the bomber: coping at the site of previous terror attacks.

PubMed

Strous, Rael D; Mishaeli, Nurit; Ranen, Yaniv; Benatov, Joy; Green, Dovid; Zivotofsky, Ari Z

2007-03-01

Terror exposure has become commonplace in Israel, with civilians needing to develop appropriate coping mechanisms. This study investigated coping mechanisms of those who are able to return to leisure activity at sites of previous terror attacks. A specially designed questionnaire, exploring knowledge of the terror event, previous terror exposure, coping mechanisms, state of anxiety, and mood, was administered to 93 restaurant attendees at sites of well-known recent terror attacks (2001-2005). Most respondents were aware of the previous terror attack (92.3%) and most reported no fear at revisiting (70.3%), with 20.9% reporting some anxiety and 5.5% reporting moderate or severe anxiety. Sixty percent reported that they have no fear that a terror attack will reoccur at the same place. Some (27.7%) reported change in practices or decrease in one or more activity, especially use of public transport (18%). The most helpful reported resource for facilitating stress coping following a suicide bombing was to "call or be in touch with friends or relatives," and least helpful was "medicines." Over half of respondents (53%) reported that the current security climate affected their mood. Older individuals and females were more affected by terror events. Study observations confirm that resilience develops in the general population in response to ongoing terror attacks. Response to terror is heterogeneous with a range of coping mechanisms expressed.

Principals' Perceptions of Professional Development in High- and Low-Performing High-Poverty Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Sheila; Kochan, Frances

2013-01-01

This is the second part of a two-part study examining issues related to professional development in high-poverty schools. The findings from the initial study indicated that principals in high-poverty, high-performing schools perceived higher levels of implementation of quality professional development standards in their schools than did principals…

Implications of previous space commercialization experiences for the reusable launch vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obermann, Richard M.; Williamson, Ray A.

2003-07-01

The United States' 1994 National Space Transportation Policy directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to work with industry on the development of technologies required for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). In the partnership that has evolved from that directive, NASA envisions its role as providing support for technological risk reduction and for developing space transportation to serve government needs. NASA officials assume that the development of an operational, commercial RLV will be carried out by the private sector without use of government funds. Under that scenario, the Federal government will simply become a customer for commercial RLV services. In evaluating the prospects for the development of a commercially viable RLV, it may be useful to examine "lessons learned" from previous space commercialization efforts—both those that succeeded and those that did not. It can be argued that several distinct streams of market and technological development may have to converge for successful commercialization of space systems to occur. Potential factors influencing the prospects for commercialization include the size and growth rate of the potential customer base, the extent to which a governmental customer exists to underpin the market, the development of associated "value-added" markets, the stability of governmental policies, the levels of technological and business risk, and the degree to which competitive markets exist. This paper examines two previous space commercialization experiences, evaluates the relative importance of the various factors that influence the prospects for success of commercialization efforts, and assesses the implications of those factors for the commercial viability of the proposed RLV.

Increased risk of default among previously treated tuberculosis cases in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

PubMed

Marx, F M; Dunbar, R; Hesseling, A C; Enarson, D A; Fielding, K; Beyers, N

2012-08-01

To investigate, in two urban communities with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence and high rates of TB recurrence, whether a history of previous TB treatment is associated with treatment default. Retrospective cohort study of TB cases with an episode of treatment recorded in the clinic-based treatment registers between 2002 and 2007. Probabilistic record linkage was used to ascertain treatment history of TB cases back to 1996. Based on the outcome of their most recent previous treatment episode, previously treated cases were compared to new cases regarding their risk of treatment default. Previous treatment success (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.79; 95%CI 1.17-2.73), previous default (aOR 6.18, 95%CI 3.68-10.36) and previous failure (aOR 9.72, 95%CI 3.07-30.78) were each independently associated with treatment default (P < 0.001). Other factors independently associated with default were male sex (P = 0.003) and age 19-39 years (P < 0.001). Previously treated TB cases are at increased risk of treatment default, even after previous successful treatment. This finding is of particular importance in a setting where recurrent TB is very common. Adherence to treatment should be ensured in new and retreatment cases to increase cure rates and reduce transmission of TB in the community.

Vaginal birth after one previous caesarean section in a tertiary institution in Nigeria.

PubMed

Aisien, A O; Oronsaye, A U

2004-11-01

, women in developing countries will continue to require counselling to counter the myths of aversion to operative delivery even at the expense of losing their lives. Our hospitals should have adequate monitoring equipment for high-risk pregnancies so that patients and their babies can be assured of survival.

High Temperature Transparent Furnace Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bates, Stephen C.

1997-01-01

This report describes the use of novel techniques for heat containment that could be used to build a high temperature transparent furnace. The primary objective of the work was to experimentally demonstrate transparent furnace operation at 1200 C. Secondary objectives were to understand furnace operation and furnace component specification to enable the design and construction of a low power prototype furnace for delivery to NASA in a follow-up project. The basic approach of the research was to couple high temperature component design with simple concept demonstration experiments that modify a commercially available transparent furnace rated at lower temperature. A detailed energy balance of the operating transparent furnace was performed, calculating heat losses through the furnace components as a result of conduction, radiation, and convection. The transparent furnace shells and furnace components were redesigned to permit furnace operation at at least 1200 C. Techniques were developed that are expected to lead to significantly improved heat containment compared with current transparent furnaces. The design of a thermal profile in a multizone high temperature transparent furnace design was also addressed. Experiments were performed to verify the energy balance analysis, to demonstrate some of the major furnace improvement techniques developed, and to demonstrate the overall feasibility of a high temperature transparent furnace. The important objective of the research was achieved: to demonstrate the feasibility of operating a transparent furnace at 1200 C.

Team Development for High Performance Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schermerhorn, John R., Jr.

1986-01-01

The author examines a team development approach to management that creates shared commitments to performance improvement by focusing the attention of managers on individual workers and their task accomplishments. It uses the "high-performance equation" to help managers confront shared beliefs and concerns about performance and develop realistic…

Genetic relatedness of previously Plant-Variety-Protected commercial maize inbreds.

PubMed

Beckett, Travis J; Morales, A Jason; Koehler, Klaus L; Rocheford, Torbert R

2017-01-01

The emergence of high-throughput, high-density genotyping methods combined with increasingly powerful computing systems has created opportunities to further discover and exploit the genes controlling agronomic performance in elite maize breeding populations. Understanding the genetic basis of population structure in an elite set of materials is an essential step in this genetic discovery process. This paper presents a genotype-based population analysis of all maize inbreds whose Plant Variety Protection certificates had expired as of the end of 2013 (283 inbreds) as well as 66 public founder inbreds. The results provide accurate population structure information and allow for important inferences in context of the historical development of North American elite commercial maize germplasm. Genotypic data was obtained via genotyping-by-sequencing on 349 inbreds. After filtering for missing data, 77,314 high-quality markers remained. The remaining missing data (average per individual was 6.22 percent) was fully imputed at an accuracy of 83 percent. Calculation of linkage disequilibrium revealed that the average r2 of 0.20 occurs at approximately 1.1 Kb. Results of population genetics analyses agree with previously published studies that divide North American maize germplasm into three heterotic groups: Stiff Stalk, Non-Stiff Stalk, and Iodent. Principal component analysis shows that population differentiation is indeed very complex and present at many levels, yet confirms that division into three main sub-groups is optimal for population description. Clustering based on Nei's genetic distance provides an additional empirical representation of the three main heterotic groups. Overall fixation index (FST), indicating the degree of genetic divergence between the three main heterotic groups, was 0.1361. Understanding the genetic relationships and population differentiation of elite germplasm may help breeders to maintain and potentially increase the rate of genetic gain

Second operation after the failure of previous resection for epilepsy.

PubMed

Awad, I A; Nayel, M H; Lüders, H

1991-04-01

We present our surgical experience with second operations in 15 patients with recurrent intractable partial seizures after resection for epilepsy. The interval from the first operation until the first recurrence of seizures ranged from 1 day to 7 months (mean, 62 days). The interval between the first and second operations ranged from 3 months to 12 years (mean, 38 months). Detailed video-electroencephalographic interictal and ictal recording was performed in all patients (invasive electrodes were used in 11 patients). Ictal onset was shown to be remote from the zone of previous resection in 3 of 15 cases (all 3 extratemporal and in the ipsilateral hemisphere). Recurrent seizures arose from the area of previous extratemporal resection in 2 of 15 patients, and from the area of previous temporal resection in 10 of 15 patients. Both cases of extratemporal recurrences and 3 of the 10 cases of temporal lobe recurrences in the area of previous resection were associated with residual unresected structural lesion. Of the 10 patients with local temporal recurrence, 6 had proven epileptogenicity in the residual mesial structures, and 4 had residual epileptogenicity in the unresected lateral temporal lobe. The patients have been monitored for 8 to 82 months (mean, 18 months) after the second operation: 7 patients (47%) have remained seizure-free and another 5 (33%) have achieved a reduction in seizure frequency of more than 90%. There was no mortality or significant morbidity in this series. We conclude that the extent and distribution of residual epileptogenicity after failed epilepsy surgery are highly variable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Development of a high-brightness, applied-B lithium extraction ion diode for inertial confinement fusion

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

Cuneo, M.E.; Adams, R.G.; Armijo, J.

The light ion fusion program is pursuing the development of a high brightness lithium ion beam on the SABRE accelerator at Sandia (6 MV, 0.25 MA). This will require the integration of at least three conditions: (1) an active, pre-formed, uniform lithium plasma ion source, (2) modification of the electron sheath distribution in the AK gap, and (3) mitigation of undesired electrode plasmas. These experiments represent the first attempt to combine these three conditions in a lithium ion diode. The primary goal is the production of a lithium beam with a micro-divergence at peak ion power of {le} 20 mrad,more » about half the previous value achieved on SABRE. A secondary goal is reduction of the impedance collapse rate. The primary approach is a laser-produced lithium plasma generated with 10 ns YAG laser illumination of LiAg films. Laser fluences of 0.5--1.0 J/cm{sup 2} appear to be satisfactory to generate a dense, highly ionized, low temperature plasma. An ohmically-generally, thin-film ion source is also being developed as a backup, longer term approach. Small-scale experiments are performed to study each ion source in detail, prior to fielding on the accelerator. Pre-formed anode plasmas allow the use of high magnetic fields (Vcrit/V {ge} 2) and limiters which slow the onset of a high beam divergence electromagnetic instability and slow impedance collapse. High magnetic fields will be achieved with 1.8 MJ capacitor banks. An extensive array of in-situ electrode cleaning techniques have been developed to limit parasitic ion loads and impedance collapse from electrode contaminant plasma formation. Advanced ion beam, electron sheath and spectroscopic AK gap diagnostics have also been developed.« less

Proteomics analysis in frozen horse mackerel previously high-pressure processed.

PubMed

Pazos, Manuel; Méndez, Lucía; Vázquez, Manuel; Aubourg, Santiago P

2015-10-15

The effect of high-pressure processing (HPP) (150, 300 and 450 MPa for 0, 2.5 and 5 min) on total sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-soluble and sarcoplasmic proteins in frozen (-10 °C for 3 months) horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) was evaluated. Proteomics tools based on image analysis of SDS-PAGE protein gels and protein identification by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were applied. Although total SDS-soluble fraction indicated no important changes induced by HPP, this processing modified the 1-D SDS-PAGE sarcoplasmic patterns in a direct-dependent manner and exerted a selective effect on particular proteins depending on processing conditions. Thus, application of the highest pressure (450 MPa) provoked a significant degradation of phosphoglycerate mutase 2, glycogen phosphorylase muscle form, pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme, beta-enolase and triosephosphate isomerase and phosphoglucomutase-1. Conversely, protein bands assigned to tropomyosin alpha-1 chain, fast myotomal muscle troponin T and parvalbumin beta 2 increased their intensity after applying a 450-MPa processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 60.17 - Previously qualified FSTDs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Previously qualified FSTDs. 60.17 Section 60.17 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING DEVICE INITIAL AND CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND USE § 60.17 Previously...

14 CFR 60.17 - Previously qualified FSTDs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Previously qualified FSTDs. 60.17 Section 60.17 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING DEVICE INITIAL AND CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND USE § 60.17 Previously...

14 CFR 60.17 - Previously qualified FSTDs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Previously qualified FSTDs. 60.17 Section 60.17 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING DEVICE INITIAL AND CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND USE § 60.17 Previously...

14 CFR 60.17 - Previously qualified FSTDs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Previously qualified FSTDs. 60.17 Section 60.17 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING DEVICE INITIAL AND CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND USE § 60.17 Previously...

14 CFR 60.17 - Previously qualified FSTDs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Previously qualified FSTDs. 60.17 Section 60.17 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING DEVICE INITIAL AND CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND USE § 60.17 Previously...

49 CFR 173.23 - Previously authorized packaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Previously authorized packaging. 173.23 Section... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Preparation of Hazardous Materials for Transportation § 173.23 Previously authorized packaging. (a) When the regulations specify a packaging with a specification marking...

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

Women with previous stress fractures show reduced bone material strength

PubMed Central

Duarte Sosa, Daysi; Fink Eriksen, Erik

2016-01-01

Background and purpose — Bone fragility is determined by bone mass, bone architecture, and the material properties of bone. Microindentation has been introduced as a measurement method that reflects bone material properties. The pathogenesis of underlying stress fractures, in particular the role of impaired bone material properties, is still poorly understood. Based on the hypothesis that impaired bone material strength might play a role in the development of stress fractures, we used microindentation in patients with stress fractures and in controls. Patients and methods — We measured bone material strength index (BMSi) by microindentation in 30 women with previous stress fractures and in 30 normal controls. Bone mineral density by DXA and levels of the bone markers C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type-1 collagen (CTX) and N-terminal propeptide of type-1 procollagen (P1NP) were also determined. Results — Mean BMSi in stress fracture patients was significantly lower than in the controls (SD 72 (8.7) vs. 77 (7.2); p = 0.02). The fracture subjects also had a significantly lower mean bone mineral density (BMD) than the controls (0.9 (0.02) vs. 1.0 (0.06); p = 0.03). Bone turnover—as reflected in serum levels of the bone marker CTX—was similar in both groups, while P1NP levels were significantly higher in the women with stress fractures (55 μg/L vs. 42 μg/L; p = 0.03). There was no correlation between BMSi and BMD or bone turnover. Interpretation — BMSi was inferior in patients with previous stress fracture, but was unrelated to BMD and bone turnover. The lower values of BMSi in patients with previous stress fracture combined with a lower BMD may contribute to the increased propensity to develop stress fractures in these patients. PMID:27321443

Hepatic steatosis development with four weeks of physical inactivity in previously active, hyperphagic OLETF rats.

PubMed

Linden, Melissa A; Meers, Grace M; Ruebel, Meghan L; Jenkins, Nathan T; Booth, Frank W; Laughlin, M Harold; Ibdah, Jamal A; Thyfault, John P; Rector, R Scott

2013-05-01

Physical activity-induced prevention of hepatic steatosis is maintained during short-term (7-day) transitions to an inactive state; however, whether these protective effects are present under a longer duration of physical inactivity is largely unknown. Here, we sought to determine whether previous physical activity had protective effects on hepatic steatosis and metabolic health following 4 wk of physical inactivity. Four-week old, hyperphagic, male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats were randomly assigned to either a sedentary group for 16 wk (OLETF-SED), given access to running wheels for 16 wk with wheels locked 5 h (OLETF-WL5hr) or given access to running wheels for 12 wk with wheels locked 4 wk (OLETF-WL4wk) prior to death. Four weeks of physical inactivity caused hepatic steatosis development, but liver triglycerides remained 60% lower than OLETF-SED (P < 0.01), and this was associated with only a partial loss in activity-induced improvements in body composition, serum lipids, and glycemic control. Total hepatic mitochondrial palmitate oxidation, citrate synthase, and β-HAD activity returned to SED levels following 4 wk of inactivity, whereas markers of fatty acid uptake and lipogenesis remained relatively suppressed following 4 wk of inactivity. In addition, 4 wk of inactivity caused a complete loss of activity-induced increases in serum IL-6 and reductions in regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES), and a partial loss in reductions in leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and TNF-α. In conclusion, 4 wk of physical inactivity does not result in a complete loss in physical activity-induced benefits but does cause deterioration in the liver phenotype and overall metabolic health in hyperphagic OLETF rats.

Association between urinary symptoms at 7 years old and previous urinary tract infection.

PubMed Central

Hellström, A; Hanson, E; Hansson, S; Hjälmås, K; Jodal, U

1991-01-01

The association between current micturition habits and previous urinary tract infection was analysed among 3553 school entrants aged 7 years by means of a questionnaire. A high incidence of urinary infection, confirmed by urine culture, was found (145 (8.4%) in the 1719 girls and 32 (1.7%) in the 1834 boys). There was a significant association between current symptoms that were suggestive of disturbed bladder function and previous urinary tract infection, but only among girls who were over 3 years of age at the time the first episode was diagnosed. PMID:2001110

Previous experience in manned space flight: A survey of human factors lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandlee, George O.; Woolford, Barbara

1993-01-01

Previous experience in manned space flight programs can be used to compile a data base of human factors lessons learned for the purpose of developing aids in the future design of inhabited spacecraft. The objectives are to gather information available from relevant sources, to develop a taxonomy of human factors data, and to produce a data base that can be used in the future for those people involved in the design of manned spacecraft operations. A study is currently underway at the Johnson Space Center with the objective of compiling, classifying, and summarizing relevant human factors data bearing on the lessons learned from previous manned space flights. The research reported defines sources of data, methods for collection, and proposes a classification for human factors data that may be a model for other human factors disciplines.

Strategy for the Eighties: High Technology Industrial Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kansas State Dept. of Economic Development, Topeka.

The need for high technology development in Kansas is assessed, with attention to community considerations and the roles of universities and state government in fostering technology development and community considerations. After defining a high technology industry, technologically innovative industries are identified, and influences on the…

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... Filed With Changes § 154.302 Previously submitted material. (a) If all, or any portion, of the...

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... Filed With Changes § 154.302 Previously submitted material. (a) If all, or any portion, of the...

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... Filed With Changes § 154.302 Previously submitted material. (a) If all, or any portion, of the...

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... Filed With Changes § 154.302 Previously submitted material. (a) If all, or any portion, of the...

Is Uric Acid a Missing Link between Previous Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the Development of Type 2 Diabetes at a Later Time of Life?

PubMed

Molęda, Piotr; Fronczyk, Aneta; Safranow, Krzysztof; Majkowska, Lilianna

2016-01-01

A high level of uric acid (UA) is a strong, independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The relationship between UA levels and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (pGDM) remains unclear. The aim of study was to evaluate the UA levels in pGDM women in relation to their current nutritional status and carbohydrate metabolism. 199 women with pGDM diagnoses based on oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) 5-12 years previously and a control group of 50 women without pGDM. The assessment included anthropometric parameters, body composition (Tanita SC-330S), current OGTT, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), β-cell function (HOMA-%B), HbA1c, lipids, and uric acid. No differences between groups were found in terms of age, time from the index pregnancy, anthropometric parameters, lipids or creatinine levels. The incidences of overweight and obesity were similar. Carbohydrate abnormalities were more frequent in the pGDM group than the control group (43.2% vs 12.0% p<0.001). The women with pGDM had significantly higher fasting glucose, HbA1c, glucose and insulin levels in the OGTTs, but similar HOMA-IR values. Their UA levels were significantly higher (258±58 vs 230±50 μmol/L, p<0.005) and correlated with BMI and the severity of carbohydrate disorders. The normal weight and normoglycemic pGDM women also demonstrated higher UA levels than a similar control subgroup (232±48 vs 208±48 μmol/L, p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed significant correlations of UA level with BMI (β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.25-0.51, p<0.0001), creatinine level (β = 0.23, 95% CI 0.11-0.35, p<0.0005), triglycerides (β = 0.20, 95% CI 0.07-0.33, p<0.005) and family history of diabetes (β = 0.13, 95% CI 0.01-0.25, p<0.05). In logistic regression analysis, the association between higher UA level (defined as value ≥297 μmol/L) and presence of any carbohydrate metabolism disorder (IFG, IGT or diabetes) was statistically significant (odds ratio

Adaptation to Life in the High Andes: Nocturnal Oxyhemoglobin Saturation in Early Development

PubMed Central

Hill, Catherine Mary; Baya, Ana; Gavlak, Johanna; Carroll, Annette; Heathcote, Kate; Dimitriou, Dagmara; L'Esperance, Veline; Webster, Rebecca; Holloway, John; Virues-Ortega, Javier; Kirkham, Fenella Jane; Bucks, Romola Starr; Hogan, Alexandra Marie

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Physiological adaptation to high altitude hypoxia may be impaired in Andeans with significant European ancestry. The respiratory ‘burden’ of sleep may challenge adaptation, leading to relative nocturnal hypoxia. Developmental aspects of sleep-related breathing in high-altitude native children have not previously been reported. We aimed to determine the influence of development on diurnal-nocturnal oxyhemoglobin differences in children living at high altitude. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study. Seventy-five healthy Bolivian children aged 6 mo to 17 y, native to low altitude (500 m), moderate high altitude (2,500 m), and high altitude (3,700 m) were recruited. Daytime resting pulse oximetry was compared to overnight recordings using Masimo radical oximeters. Genetic ancestry was determined from DNA samples. Results: Children had mixed European/Amerindian ancestry, with no significant differences between altitudes. Sixty-two participants had ≥ 5 h of nocturnal, artifact-free data. As predicted, diurnal mean oxyhemoglobin saturation decreased across altitudes (infants and children, both P < 0.001), with lowest diurnal values at high altitude in infants. At high altitude, there was a greater drop in nocturnal mean oxyhemoglobin saturation (infants, P < 0.001; children, P = 0.039) and an increase in variability (all P ≤ 0.001) compared to low altitude. Importantly, diurnal to nocturnal altitude differences diminished (P = 0.036), from infancy to childhood, with no further change during adolescence. Conclusions: Physiological adaptation to high-altitude living in native Andeans is unlikely to compensate for the significant differences we observed between diurnal and nocturnal oxyhemoglobin saturation, most marked in infancy. This vulnerability to sleep-related hypoxia in early childhood has potential lifespan implications. Future studies should characterize the sleep- related respiratory physiology underpinning our

24 CFR 1710.559 - Previously accepted state filings-notice of revocation rights in contracts and agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Previously accepted state filings... Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (INTERSTATE LAND...

Development of high temperature, high radiation resistant silicon semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whorl, C. A.; Evans, A. W.

1972-01-01

The development of a hardened silicon power transistor for operation in severe nuclear radiation environments at high temperature was studied. Device hardness and diffusion techniques are discussed along with the geometries of hardened power transistor chips. Engineering drawings of 100 amp and 5 amp silicon devices are included.

Developing a Framework for Research on Religious Identity Development of Highly Committed Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visser-Vogel, Elsbeth; Westerink, Janneke; de Kock, Jos; Barnard, Marcel; Bakker, Cok

2012-01-01

The aim of this article is to present a framework for studying the religious identity development of highly religious Christian and Muslim adolescents. Building on existing theories on identity development, the authors define highly religious Christian and Muslim adolescents as "orthoprax" adolescents and explore the consequences of this for…

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir for Previously Treated HCV Infection.

PubMed

Bourlière, Marc; Gordon, Stuart C; Flamm, Steven L; Cooper, Curtis L; Ramji, Alnoor; Tong, Myron; Ravendhran, Natarajan; Vierling, John M; Tran, Tram T; Pianko, Stephen; Bansal, Meena B; de Lédinghen, Victor; Hyland, Robert H; Stamm, Luisa M; Dvory-Sobol, Hadas; Svarovskaia, Evguenia; Zhang, Jie; Huang, K C; Subramanian, G Mani; Brainard, Diana M; McHutchison, John G; Verna, Elizabeth C; Buggisch, Peter; Landis, Charles S; Younes, Ziad H; Curry, Michael P; Strasser, Simone I; Schiff, Eugene R; Reddy, K Rajender; Manns, Michael P; Kowdley, Kris V; Zeuzem, Stefan

2017-06-01

Patients who are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who do not have a sustained virologic response after treatment with regimens containing direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have limited retreatment options. We conducted two phase 3 trials involving patients who had been previously treated with a DAA-containing regimen. In POLARIS-1, patients with HCV genotype 1 infection who had previously received a regimen containing an NS5A inhibitor were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the nucleotide polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir, the NS5A inhibitor velpatasvir, and the protease inhibitor voxilaprevir (150 patients) or matching placebo (150 patients) once daily for 12 weeks. Patients who were infected with HCV of other genotypes (114 patients) were enrolled in the sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir group. In POLARIS-4, patients with HCV genotype 1, 2, or 3 infection who had previously received a DAA regimen but not an NS5A inhibitor were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir (163 patients) or sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (151 patients) for 12 weeks. An additional 19 patients with HCV genotype 4 infection were enrolled in the sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir group. In the three active-treatment groups, 46% of the patients had compensated cirrhosis. In POLARIS-1, the rate of sustained virologic response was 96% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir, as compared with 0% with placebo. In POLARIS-4, the rate of response was 98% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir and 90% with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir. The most common adverse events were headache, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea. In the active-treatment groups in both trials, the percentage of patients who discontinued treatment owing to adverse events was 1% or lower. Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir taken for 12 weeks provided high rates of sustained virologic response among patients across HCV genotypes in whom treatment with a DAA regimen

Multicenter clinical trial of high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment in glaucoma patients without previous filtering surgery.

PubMed

Aptel, Florent; Denis, Philippe; Rouland, Jean-François; Renard, Jean-Paul; Bron, Alain

2016-08-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ultrasonic circular cyclocoagulation procedure in patients with open-angle glaucoma naïve of previous filtering surgery. Prospective non-comparative interventional clinical study conducted in five French University Hospitals. Thirty eyes of 30 patients with open-angle glaucoma, intra-ocular pressure (IOP) > 21 mmHg and with no previous filtering glaucoma surgeries were sonicated with a probe comprising six piezoelectric transducers. The six transducers were activated with a 6-s exposure time. Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed before the procedure and at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure. Primary outcomes were qualified surgical success (defined as IOP reduction from baseline ≥20% and IOP > 5 mmHg with possible re-intervention and without hypotensive medication adjunction) and complete surgical success (defined as IOP reduction from baseline ≥20%, IOP > 5 mmHg and IOP < 21 mmHg with possible re-intervention and without hypotensive medication adjunction) at the last follow-up visit and vision-threatening complications. Secondary outcomes were mean IOP at each follow-up visit compared with baseline, medication use, complications and re-interventions. Intra-ocular pressure was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) from a mean pre-operative value of 28.2 ± 7.2 mmHg (n = 3.6 hypotensive medications) to 19.6 ± 7.9 mmHg at 12 months (n = 3.1 hypotensive medications and n = 1.1 procedures) (mean IOP reduction of 30%). Qualified success was achieved in 63% of eyes (19/30) (mean IOP reduction of 37% in these eyes) and complete success in 46.7% of eyes (14/30) (mean IOP reduction of 37% in these eyes) at the last follow-up. No major intra- or post-operative complications occurred. The UC(3) procedure seems to be an effective and well-tolerated method to reduce IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma without previous filtering surgery. © 2015 Acta Ophthalmologica

Modular, Reconfigurable, High-Energy Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carrington, Connie; Howell, Joe

2006-01-01

The Modular, Reconfigurable High-Energy (MRHE) Technology Demonstrator project was to have been a series of ground-based demonstrations to mature critical technologies needed for in-space assembly of a highpower high-voltage modular spacecraft in low Earth orbit, enabling the development of future modular solar-powered exploration cargo-transport vehicles and infrastructure. MRHE was a project in the High Energy Space Systems (HESS) Program, within NASA's Exploration Systems Research and Technology (ESR&T) Program. NASA participants included Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Glenn Research Center (GRC). Contractor participants were the Boeing Phantom Works in Huntsville, AL, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, CA, ENTECH, Inc. in Keller, TX, and the University of AL Huntsville (UAH). MRHE's technical objectives were to mature: (a) lightweight, efficient, high-voltage, radiation-resistant solar power generation (SPG) technologies; (b) innovative, lightweight, efficient thermal management systems; (c) efficient, 100kW-class, high-voltage power delivery systems from an SPG to an electric thruster system; (d) autonomous rendezvous and docking technology for in-space assembly of modular, reconfigurable spacecraft; (e) robotic assembly of modular space systems; and (f) modular, reconfigurable distributed avionics technologies. Maturation of these technologies was to be implemented through a series of increasingly-inclusive laboratory demonstrations that would have integrated and demonstrated two systems-of-systems: (a) the autonomous rendezvous and docking of modular spacecraft with deployable structures, robotic assembly, reconfiguration both during assembly and (b) the development and integration of an advanced thermal heat pipe and a high-voltage power delivery system with a representative lightweight high-voltage SPG array. In addition, an integrated simulation testbed would have been developed

High speed bus technology development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modrow, Marlan B.; Hatfield, Donald W.

1989-09-01

The development and demonstration of the High Speed Data Bus system, a 50 Million bits per second (Mbps) local data network intended for avionics applications in advanced military aircraft is described. The Advanced System Avionics (ASA)/PAVE PILLAR program provided the avionics architecture concept and basic requirements. Designs for wire and fiber optic media were produced and hardware demonstrations were performed. An efficient, robust token-passing protocol was developed and partially demonstrated. The requirements specifications, the trade-offs made, and the resulting designs for both a coaxial wire media system and a fiber optics design are examined. Also, the development of a message-oriented media access protocol is described, from requirements definition through analysis, simulation and experimentation. Finally, the testing and demonstrations conducted on the breadboard and brassboard hardware is presented.

Development of High Temperature Gas Sensor Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Chen, Liang-Yu; Neudeck, Philip G.; Knight, Dak; Liu, Chung-Chiun; Wu, Quing-Hai; Zhou, Huan-Jun

1997-01-01

The measurement of engine emissions is important for their monitoring and control. However, the ability to measure these emissions in-situ is limited. We are developing a family of high temperature gas sensors which are intended to operate in harsh environments such as those in an engine. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) The development of SiC-based semiconductor technology; and (2) Improvements in micromachining and microfabrication technology. These technologies are being used to develop point-contact sensors to measure gases which are important in emission control especially hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this point-contact sensor technology. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. Of particular importance is sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in long-term, high temperature operation. An overview is presented of each sensor type with an evaluation of its stage of development. It is concluded that this technology has significant potential for use in engine applications but further development is necessary.

The Talent Development High School. Essential Components. Report No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaPoint, Velma; And Others

The Talent Development Model for high schools was developed to fill a major current void in American education--the lack of a proven model of high school effectiveness. This report presents the essential components of the Talent Development High School, a model of changes in high school organization, curriculum, and instruction based on research…

Developing and validating a chemical bonding instrument for Korean high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Nak Han

The major purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument designed to collect and investigate on Korean high school students' understanding about concepts regarding chemical bonding. The Chemical Bonding Diagnostic Test (CBDT) was developed by the procedure by previously relevant researches (Treagust, 1985; Peterson, 1986; Tan, 1994). The final instrument consisted of 15 two-tier items. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha) for the whole test was 0.74. Also, the range of values for the discrimination index was from 0.38 to 0.90 and the overall average difficulty index was 0.38. The test was administered to 716 science declared students in Korean high school. The 37 common misconceptions on chemical bonding were identified through analysis of the items from the CBDT. The grade 11 students had slightly more misconceptions than the grade 12 students for ionic bonding, covalent bonding, and hydrogen bonding while the grade 12 students had more misconceptions about octet rule and hydrogen bonding than the grade 11 students. From the analysis of ANCOVA, there was no significant difference in grades, and between grade levels and gender on the mean score of CBDT. However, there was a significant difference in gender and a significant interaction between grade levels and chemistry preference. In conclusion, Korean high school students had the most common misconception about the electron configuration on ionic bonding and the water density on hydrogen bonding. Korean students' understanding about the chemical bonding was dependent on the interaction between grade levels and the chemistry preference. Consequently, grade 12 chemistry-preferred students had the highest mean scores among student groups concerned by this study.

Developing course lecture notes on high-speed rail.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-15

1. Introduction a. World-wide Development of High-Speed Rail (Japan, Europe, China) b. High-speed Rail in the U.S. 2. High-Speed Rail Infrastructure a. Geometric Design of High Speed Rail i. Horizontal Curve ii. Vertical Curve iii. Grade and Turnout ...

Using RSVP for analyzing state and previous activities for the Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Brian K.; Hartman, Frank; Maxwell, Scott; Wright, John; Yen, Jeng

2004-01-01

Current developments in immersive environments for mission planning include several tools which make up a system for performing and rehearsing missions. This system, known as the Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP), includes tools for planning long range sorties for highly autonomous rovers, tools for planning operations with robotic arms, and advanced tools for visualizing telemetry from remote spacecraft and landers. One of the keys to successful planning of rover activities is knowing what the rover has accomplished to date and understanding the current rover state. RSVP builds on the lessons learned and the heritage of the Mars Pathfinder mission This paper will discuss the tools and methodologies present in the RSVP suite for examining rover state, reviewing previous activities, visually comparing telemetered results to rehearsed results, and reviewing science and engineering imagery. In addition we will present how this tool suite was used on the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) project to explore the surface of Mars.

Technology Development for High Efficiency Optical Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, William H.

2012-01-01

Deep space optical communications is a significantly more challenging operational domain than near Earth space optical communications, primarily due to effects resulting from the vastly increased range between transmitter and receiver. The NASA Game Changing Development Program Deep Space Optical Communications Project is developing four key technologies for the implementation of a high efficiency telecommunications system that will enable greater than 10X the data rate of a state-of-the-art deep space RF system (Ka-band) for similar transceiver mass and power burden on the spacecraft. These technologies are a low mass spacecraft disturbance isolation assembly, a flight qualified photon counting detector array, a high efficiency flight laser amplifier and a high efficiency photon counting detector array for the ground-based receiver.

Status of high temperature superconductor development for accelerator magnets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirabayashi, H.

1995-01-01

High temperature superconductors are still under development for various applications. As far as conductors for magnets are concerned, the development has just been started. Small coils wound by silver sheathed Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 oxide conductors have been reported by a few authors. Essential properties of high T(sub c) superconductors like pinning force, coherent length, intergrain coupling, weak link, thermal property, AC loss and mechanical strength are still not sufficiently understandable. In this talk, a review is given with comparison between the present achievement and the final requirement for high T(sub c) superconductors, which could be particularly used in accelerator magnets. Discussions on how to develop high T(sub c) superconductors for accelerator magnets are included with key parameters of essential properties. A proposal of how to make a prototype accelerator magnet with high T(sub c) superconductors with prospect for future development is also given.

Trends in high pressure developments for new perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Largeteau, Alain; Prakasam, Mythili

2018-06-01

Temperature and Pressure are two parameters in the universe, where pressure represents the largest scale in comparison to temperature. The design of high pressure equipment depends mainly on the media used which could be gas, liquid or solid and the objective could be synthesis of materials or in situ characterization. The development of new research fields requiring high pressure equipment which are currently in Bordeaux - France are based on the historical development of high pressure domain initiated by Professor Gerard DEMAZEAU and his team during the last half century, which is discussed here. The main concepts governing the effect of pressure on materials synthesis is by the combination of high pressure and high temperature which are described with apt examples. There is an upsurge in various technologies for strong development for the synthesis of materials to drive several possibilities, for example: to reach very high density to obtain optical ceramics (by conventional SPS), to diminish parameters (P, T, t) of synthesis (by HP-SPS), to sinter at low temperature thermal sensitive composition (by HyS), to consolidate porous materials (by FIP), to densify biocomposite with cold decontamination (by HHP) simultaneously, etc.

Simultaneous suppression of TGF-β and ERK signaling contributes to the highly efficient and reproducible generation of mouse embryonic stem cells from previously considered refractory and non-permissive strains.

PubMed

Hassani, Seyedeh-Nafiseh; Totonchi, Mehdi; Farrokhi, Ali; Taei, Adeleh; Larijani, Mehran Rezaei; Gourabi, Hamid; Baharvand, Hossein

2012-06-01

Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cell lines derived from pre-implantation embryos. The efficiency of mESC generation is affected by genetic variation in mice; that is, some mouse strains are refractory or non-permissive to ESC establishment. Developing an efficient method to derive mESCs from strains of various genetic backgrounds should be valuable for establishment of ESCs in various mammalian species. In the present study, we identified dual inhibition of TGF-β and ERK1/2, by SB431542 and PD0325901, respectively led to the highly efficient and reproducible generation of mESC lines from NMRI, C57BL/6, BALB/c, DBA/2, and FVB/N strains, which previously considered refractory or non-permissive for ESC establishment. These mESCs expressed pluripotency markers and retained the capacity to differentiate into derivatives of all three germ layers. The evaluated lines exhibited high rates of chimerism when reintroduced into blastocysts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of efficient (100%) mESC lines generation from different genetic backgrounds. The application of these two inhibitors will not only solve the problems of mESC derivation but also clarifies new signaling pathways in pluripotent mESCs.

Development of a High-Throughput Magnetic Separation Device for Malaria-infected Erythrocytes

PubMed Central

Martin, A. Blue; Wu, Wei-Tao; Kameneva, Marina V.; Antaki, James F.

2017-01-01

This study describes a non-dilutive high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) device intended to continuously remove malaria-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) from the circulation. A mesoscale prototype device with disposable photo-etched ferromagnetic grid and reusable permanent magnet was designed with a computationally-optimized magnetic force. The prototype device was evaluated in-vitro using a non-pathogenic analog for malaria-infected blood, comprised of 24% healthy RBCs, 6% human methemoglobin RBCs (metRBCs), and 70% phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The device provided a 27.0 ± 2.2% reduction of metRBCs in a single pass at a flow rate of 77 μL min−1. This represents a clearance rate over 380 times greater throughput than microfluidic devices reported previously. These positive results encourage development of a clinical scale system that would economize time and donor blood for treating severe malaria. PMID:28924724

Development of a High-Throughput Magnetic Separation Device for Malaria-Infected Erythrocytes.

PubMed

Blue Martin, A; Wu, Wei-Tao; Kameneva, Marina V; Antaki, James F

2017-12-01

This study describes a non-dilutive high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) device intended to continuously remove malaria-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) from the circulation. A mesoscale prototype device with disposable photo-etched ferromagnetic grid and reusable permanent magnet was designed with a computationally-optimized magnetic force. The prototype device was evaluated in vitro using a non-pathogenic analog for malaria-infected blood, comprised of 24% healthy RBCs, 6% human methemoglobin RBCs (metRBCs), and 70% phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The device provided a 27.0 ± 2.2% reduction of metRBCs in a single pass at a flow rate of 77 μL min -1 . This represents a clearance rate over 380 times greater throughput than microfluidic devices reported previously. These positive results encourage development of a clinical scale system that would economize time and donor blood for treating severe malaria.

Economic impact of feeding a phenylalanine-restricted diet to adults with previously untreated phenylketonuria.

PubMed

Brown, M C; Guest, J F

1999-02-01

The aim of the present study was to estimate the direct healthcare cost of managing adults with previously untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) for one year before any dietary restrictions and for the first year after a phenylalanine- (PHE-) restricted diet was introduced. The resource use and corresponding costs were estimated from medical records and interviews with health care professionals experienced in caring for adults with previously untreated PKU. The mean annual cost of caring for a client being fed an unrestricted diet was estimated to be 83 996 pound silver. In the first year after introducing a PHE-restricted diet, the mean annual cost was reduced by 20 647 pound silver to 63 348 pound silver as a result of a reduction in nursing time, hospitalizations, outpatient clinic visits and medications. However, the economic benefit of the diet depended on whether the clients were previously high or low users of nursing care. Nursing time was the key cost-driver, accounting for 79% of the cost of managing high users and 31% of the management cost for low users. In contrast, the acquisition cost of a PHE-restricted diet accounted for up to 6% of the cost for managing high users and 15% of the management cost for low users. Sensitivity analyses showed that introducing a PHE-restricted diet reduces the annual cost of care, provided that annual nursing time was reduced by more than 8% or more than 5% of clients respond to the diet. The clients showed fewer negative behaviours when being fed a PHE-restricted diet, which may account for the observed reduction in nursing time needed to care for these clients. In conclusion, feeding a PHE-restricted diet to adults with previously untreated PKU leads to economic benefits to the UK's National Health Service and society in general.

The early postpartum experience of previously infertile mothers.

PubMed

Ladores, Sigrid; Aroian, Karen

2015-01-01

To explore the lived experience of becoming a new mother from the unique perspectives of previously infertile women. A descriptive phenomenological design was used to extract the fundamental structure of the postpartum experience of previously infertile mothers. Central Florida. Twelve first-time, previously infertile mothers age 27 to 43 years. Face-to-face interviews were conducted twice with each participant. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi's approach. Two main themes emerged that described the early postpartum experience of first-time, previously infertile mothers: (a) lingering identity as infertile and (b) gratitude for the gift of motherhood. Participants reported that their lingering identities as infertile and immense gratitude for the gift of motherhood propelled them to establish unrealistic expectations to be perfect mothers. When they were unable to live up this expectation, they censored their feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and shame. Findings from this study may help to sensitize health care providers to the difficulties faced by previously infertile women during their transition to motherhood. © 2015 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Development of high-average-power DPSSL with high beam quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, Sadao; Kanabe, Tadashi; Kawashima, Toshiyuki; Yamanaka, Masanobu; Izawa, Yasukazu; Nakatuka, Masahiro; Kandasamy, Ranganathan; Kan, Hirofumi; Hiruma, Teruo; Niino, Masayuki

2000-08-01

The recent progress of high power diode laser is opening new fields of laser and its application. We are developing high average power diode pumped solid state laser DPSSL for laser fusion power plant, for space propulsion and for various applications in industry. The common features or requirements of our High Average-power Laser for Nuclear-fusion Application (HALNA) are large pulse energy with relatively low repetition of few tens Hz, good beam quality of order of diffraction limit and high efficiency more than 10%. We constructed HALNA 10 (10J X 10 Hz) and tested the performance to clarify the scalability to higher power system. We have obtained in a preliminary experiment a 8.5 J output energy at 0.5 Hz with beam quality of 2 times diffraction limited far-field pattern.

High-resolution AM LCD development for avionic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberth, Larry S.; Laddu, Ravindra R.; Harris, Doug; Sarma, Kalluri R.; Li, Wang-Yang; Chien, C. C.; Chu, C. Y.; Lee, C. S.; Kuo, Chen-Lung

2003-09-01

For the first time, an avionic grade MVA AM LCD with wide viewing angle has been developed for use in either landscape or portrait mode. The development of a high resolution Multi-domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AM LCD) is described. Challenges met in this development include achieving the required performance with high luminance and sunlight readability while meeting stringent optical (image quality) and environmental performance requirements of avionics displays. In this paper the optical and environmental performance of this high resolution 14.1" MVA-AM-LCD are discussed and some performance comparisons to conventional AM-LCDs are documented. This AM LCD has found multiple Business Aviation and Military display applications and cockpit pictures are presented.

Switching electrochromic performance improvement enabled by highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects of Fe-doped WO3 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, Bon-Ryul; Kim, Kue-Ho; Ahn, Hyo-Jin

2018-09-01

In recent years, owing to the capability to reversibly adjust transparency, reflection, and color by the low electric field, electrochromic devices (ECDs) have received an extensive attention for their potential use in optoelectronic applications. However, considering that the performances of the ECDs, including coloration efficiency (CE, <30.0 cm2/C) and switching speed (>10.0 s), are still low for an effective applied use, critical efforts are needed to push the development of a unique nanostructure film to improve electrochromic (EC) performances. Specifically, as the large-scale applications (e.g. refrigerators, vehicles, and airplanes) of the ECDs have been recently developed, the study for improving switching speed is urgently needed for commercialization of the devices. In this context, the present study reports a novel nanostructure film of Fe-doped WO3 films with highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects, fabricated using the Fe agent and the camphene-assisted sol-gel method. Fe-doped WO3 films with highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects show remarkable EC performances with both fast switching speed (2.8 s for the coloration speed and 0.3 s for the bleaching speed) and high CE (71.1 cm2/C). These two aspects contribute to the synergistic effects of optimized Fe doping and camphene on the films and have outstanding values as compared to previously reported results of WO3-based materials. Specifically, the fast switching speed is attributed to the shortened Li+ diffusion pathway of the highly developed mesopores; and the other is the improved electrical conductivity of the highly increased oxygen vacancy defects. In addition, the high CE value is due to an efficient charge transport as the result of a more effective electroactive contact of the morphology with highly developed mesopores, resulting in a large transmittance modulation with a small intercalated charge density.

Cutaneous protothecosis in a patient with previously undiagnosed HIV infection.

PubMed

Fong, Kenneth; Tee, Shang-Ian; Ho, Madeline S L; Pan, Jiun Yit

2015-08-01

Protothecosis is an uncommon condition resulting from infection by achlorophyllous algae of the Prototheca species. Immunocompromised individuals are generally most susceptible to protothecal infection and tend to develop severe and disseminated disease. However, the association between protothecosis and HIV-induced immunosuppression is not clear, with only a handful of cases having been described to date. Here we report a case of cutaneous protothecosis in a Chinese man with previously undiagnosed HIV infection that responded well to oral itraconazole. © 2014 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

No Previous Public Services Required

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Kelley R.

2009-01-01

In 2007, the Supreme Court heard a case that involved the question of whether a school district could be required to reimburse parents who unilaterally placed their child in private school when the child had not previously received special education and related services in a public institution ("Board of Education v. Tom F."). The…

Investigating the effect of previous treatments on wheat biomass over multiple spatial frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milne, A. E.; Castellanos, M. T.; Cartagena, M. C.; Tarquis, A. M.; Lark, R. M.

2010-09-01

In this study we use the maximum overlap discrete packet transform (MODWPT) to investigate residual effects on wheat biomass of fertigation treatments applied to a previous crop. The wheat crop covered nine subplots from a previous experiment on melon response to fertigation. Each subplot had previously received a different level of applied nitrogen. Many factors affect wheat biomass, causing it to vary at different spatial frequencies. We hypothesize that these will include residual effects from fertilizer application (at relatively low spatial frequencies) and the local influence of individual plants from the previous melon crop (at high frequency). To test this hypothesis we use the MODWPT to identify the dominant spatial frequencies of wheat biomass variation, and analyse the relationship to both the previous fertilizer application and the location of individual melon plants in the previous crop. The MODWPT is particularly appropriate for this because it allows us first to identify the key spatial frequencies in the wheat biomass objectively and to analyse them, and their relationship to hypothesized driving factors without any assumptions of uniformity (stationarity) of wheat-biomass variation. The results showed that the applied nitrogen dominated the wheat biomass response, and that there was a noticeable component of wheat-biomass variation at the spatial frequency that corresponds to the melon cropping. We expected wheat biomass to be negatively correlated with the position of melons in the previous crop, due to uptake of the applied nitrogen. The MODWPT, which allows us to detect changes in correlation between variables at different frequencies, showed that such a relationship was found across part of the experiment but not uniformly.

Development of Visual Selection in 3- to 9-Month-Olds: Evidence from Saccades to Previously Ignored Locations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amso, Dima; Johnson, Scott P.

2008-01-01

We examined changes in the efficiency of visual selection over the first postnatal year with an adapted version of a "spatial negative priming" paradigm. In this task, when a previously ignored location becomes the target to be selected, responses to it are impaired, providing a measure of visual selection. Oculomotor latencies to target selection…

Determining root correspondence between previously and newly detected objects

DOEpatents

Paglieroni, David W.; Beer, N Reginald

2014-06-17

A system that applies attribute and topology based change detection to networks of objects that were detected on previous scans of a structure, roadway, or area of interest. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The topology of the network of previously detected objects is maintained in a constellation database that stores attributes of previously detected objects and implicitly captures the geometrical structure of the network. A change detection system detects change by comparing the attributes and topology of new objects detected on the latest scan to the constellation database of previously detected objects.

Development of high performance ODS alloys

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

Shao, Lin; Gao, Fei; Garner, Frank

2018-01-29

This project aims to capitalize on insights developed from recent high-dose self-ion irradiation experiments in order to develop and test the next generation of optimized ODS alloys needed to meet the nuclear community's need for high strength, radiation-tolerant cladding and core components, especially with enhanced resistance to void swelling. Two of these insights are that ferrite grains swell earlier than tempered martensite grains, and oxide dispersions currently produced only in ferrite grains require a high level of uniformity and stability to be successful. An additional insight is that ODS particle stability is dependent on as-yet unidentified compositional combinations of dispersoidmore » and alloy matrix, such as dispersoids are stable in MA957 to doses greater than 200 dpa but dissolve in MA956 at doses less than 200 dpa. These findings focus attention on candidate next-generation alloys which address these concerns. Collaboration with two Japanese groups provides this project with two sets of first-round candidate alloys that have already undergone extensive development and testing for unirradiated properties, but have not yet been evaluated for their irradiation performance. The first set of candidate alloys are dual phase (ferrite + martensite) ODS alloys with oxide particles uniformly distributed in both ferrite and martensite phases. The second set of candidate alloys are ODS alloys containing non-standard dispersoid compositions with controllable oxide particle sizes, phases and interfaces.« less

High-temperature fatigue in metals - A brief review of life prediction methods developed at the Lewis Research Center of NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halford, G. R.

1983-01-01

The presentation focuses primarily on the progress we at NASA Lewis Research Center have made. The understanding of the phenomenological processes of high temperature fatigue of metals for the purpose of calculating lives of turbine engine hot section components is discussed. Improved understanding resulted in the development of accurate and physically correct life prediction methods such as Strain-Range partitioning for calculating creep fatigue interactions and the Double Linear Damage Rule for predicting potentially severe interactions between high and low cycle fatigue. Examples of other life prediction methods are also discussed. Previously announced in STAR as A83-12159

Novel High-Voltage, High-Power Piezoelectric Transformer Developed and Demonstrated for Space Communications Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carazo, Alfredo V.; Wintucky, Edwin G.

2004-01-01

Improvements in individual piezoelectric transformer (PT) performance and the combination of these PTs in a unique modular topology under a Phase I contract with the NASA Glenn Research Center have enabled for the first time the simultaneous achievement of both high voltage and high power at much higher levels than previously obtained with any PT. Feasibility was demonstrated by a prototype transformer (called a Tap-Soner), which is shown in the preceding photograph as part of a direct-current to direct-current (dc-dc) converter having two outputs rated at 1.5 kV/5 W and 4.5 kV/20 W. The power density of 3.5 W/cm3 is significantly lower than for magnetic transformers with the same voltage and power output. This development, which is being done under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by Face Electronics, LC (Norfolk, VA), is based on improvements in the materials and design of Face's basic patented Transoner-T3 PT, shown in the left in the following figure. The T3 PT is most simply described as a resonant multilayer transducer where electrical energy at the input section is efficiently mechanically coupled to the output section, which then vibrates in a fundamental longitudinal mode to generate a high gain in voltage. The piezoelectric material used is a modified lead-zirconium-titanate-based ceramic. One of the significant improvements in PT design was the incorporation of a symmetrical double input layer, shown on the right in the following figure, which eliminated the lossy bending vibration modes characteristic of a single input layer. The performance of the improved PT was optimized to 1.5 kV/5 W. The next step was devising a way to combine the individual PTs in a modular circuit topology needed to achieve the desired high voltage and power output. Since the optimum performance of the individual PT occurs at resonance, the most efficient operation of the modular transformer was achieved by using a separate drive circuit for each PT. The

Development of high shrinkage polyethylene terephthalate (PET) shape memory polymer tendons for concrete crack closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teall, Oliver; Pilegis, Martins; Sweeney, John; Gough, Tim; Thompson, Glen; Jefferson, Anthony; Lark, Robert; Gardner, Diane

2017-04-01

The shrinkage force exerted by restrained shape memory polymers (SMPs) can potentially be used to close cracks in structural concrete. This paper describes the physical processing and experimental work undertaken to develop high shrinkage die-drawn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) SMP tendons for use within a crack closure system. The extrusion and die-drawing procedure used to manufacture a series of PET tendon samples is described. The results from a set of restrained shrinkage tests, undertaken at differing activation temperatures, are also presented along with the mechanical properties of the most promising samples. The stress developed within the tendons is found to be related to the activation temperature, the cross-sectional area and to the draw rate used during manufacture. Comparisons with commercially-available PET strip samples used in previous research are made, demonstrating an increase in restrained shrinkage stress by a factor of two for manufactured PET filament samples.

Development of combinatorial chemistry methods for coatings: high-throughput adhesion evaluation and scale-up of combinatorial leads.

PubMed

Potyrailo, Radislav A; Chisholm, Bret J; Morris, William G; Cawse, James N; Flanagan, William P; Hassib, Lamyaa; Molaison, Chris A; Ezbiansky, Karin; Medford, George; Reitz, Hariklia

2003-01-01

Coupling of combinatorial chemistry methods with high-throughput (HT) performance testing and measurements of resulting properties has provided a powerful set of tools for the 10-fold accelerated discovery of new high-performance coating materials for automotive applications. Our approach replaces labor-intensive steps with automated systems for evaluation of adhesion of 8 x 6 arrays of coating elements that are discretely deposited on a single 9 x 12 cm plastic substrate. Performance of coatings is evaluated with respect to their resistance to adhesion loss, because this parameter is one of the primary considerations in end-use automotive applications. Our HT adhesion evaluation provides previously unavailable capabilities of high speed and reproducibility of testing by using a robotic automation, an expanded range of types of tested coatings by using the coating tagging strategy, and an improved quantitation by using high signal-to-noise automatic imaging. Upon testing, the coatings undergo changes that are impossible to quantitatively predict using existing knowledge. Using our HT methodology, we have developed several coatings leads. These HT screening results for the best coating compositions have been validated on the traditional scales of coating formulation and adhesion loss testing. These validation results have confirmed the superb performance of combinatorially developed coatings over conventional coatings on the traditional scale.

Granulomatous lobular mastitis: report of a case with previously undescribed histopathological abnormalities.

PubMed

Axelsen, R A; Reasbeck, P

1988-10-01

A 41-yr-old multiparous woman presented with a discrete breast lump which proved histologically to be an example of granulomatous lobular mastitis. The clinical and histological features were similar to those noted in previous reports. Additional histological features in the present case were an intense mononuclear cell infiltration of lobular and ductal epithelium, associated with nuclear fragments morphologically suggestive of apoptosis. These appearances, which have not previously been described, are illustrated, together with the more classical features of the condition well demonstrated by the present case. The novel histological features noted here suggest that the development of granulomatous lobular mastitis may be at least in part immunologically mediated, and that the cellular infiltrates seen may be a manifestation of cell-mediated destruction of mammary epithelium.

Development and characterization of high-resolution neutron pixel detectors based on Timepix read-out chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krejci, F.; Zemlicka, J.; Jakubek, J.; Dudak, J.; Vavrik, D.; Köster, U.; Atkins, D.; Kaestner, A.; Soltes, J.; Viererbl, L.; Vacik, J.; Tomandl, I.

2016-12-01

Using a suitable isotope such as 6Li and 10B semiconductor hybrid pixel detectors can be successfully adapted for position sensitive detection of thermal and cold neutrons via conversion into energetic light ions. The adapted devices then typically provides spatial resolution at the level comparable to the pixel pitch (55 μm) and sensitive area of about few cm2. In this contribution, we describe further progress in neutron imaging performance based on the development of a large-area hybrid pixel detector providing practically continuous neutron sensitive area of 71 × 57 mm2. The measurements characterising the detector performance at the cold neutron imaging instrument ICON at PSI and high-flux imaging beam-line Neutrograph at ILL are presented. At both facilities, high-resolution high-contrast neutron radiography with the newly developed detector has been successfully applied for objects which imaging were previously difficult with hybrid pixel technology (such as various composite materials, objects of cultural heritage etc.). Further, a significant improvement in the spatial resolution of neutron radiography with hybrid semiconductor pixel detector based on the fast read-out Timepix-based detector is presented. The system is equipped with a thin planar 6LiF convertor operated effectively in the event-by-event mode enabling position sensitive detection with spatial resolution better than 10 μm.

Development and Performance of the ACTS High Speed VSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quintana, J.; Tran, Q.; Dendy, R.

1999-01-01

The Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS), developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has demonstrated the breakthrough technologies of Ka-band, spot beam antennas, and on-board processing. These technologies have enabled the development of very small aperture terminals (VSAT) and ultra-small aperture terminals (USAT) which have capabilities greater than were previously possible with conventional satellite technologies. However, the ACTS baseband processor (BBP) is designed using a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme, which requires each earth station using the BBP to transmit data at a burst rate which is much higher than the user throughput data rate. This tends to mitigate the advantage of the new technologies by requiring a larger earth station antenna and/or a higher-powered uplink amplifier than would be necessary for a continuous transmission at the user data rate. Conversely, the user data rate is much less than the rate that can be supported by the antenna size and amplifier. For example, the ACTS TI VSAT operates at a burst rate of 27.5 Mbps, but the maximum user data rate is 1.792 Mbps. The throughput efficiency is slightly more than 6.5%. For an operational network, this level of overhead will greatly increase the cost of the user earth stations, and that increased cost must be repeated thousands of times, which may ultimately reduce the market for such a system. The ACTS High Speed VSAT (HS VSAT) is an effort to experimentally demonstrate the maximum user throughput data rate which can be achieved using the technologies developed and implemented on ACTS. Specifically, this was done by operating the system uplinks as frequency division multiple access (FDMA), essentially assigning all available TDMA time slots to a single user on each of two uplink frequencies. Preliminary results show that using a 1.2-m antenna in this mode, the HS VSAT can achieve between 22 and 24 Mbps out of the 27.5 Mbps burst

Previous experiences with illness and traumatic experiences: a specific risk factor for hypochondriasis?

PubMed

Weck, Florian; Neng, Julia M B; Göller, Kathrin; Müller-Marbach, Alexis M

2014-01-01

Previous experiences with illness and traumatic experiences are considered as important risk factors for the development of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. However, empirical research is insufficient and lacks adequate comparison groups. Therefore, we sought to determine whether experiences with illness and traumatic experiences are really specific risk factors for hypochondriasis. In the current study, patients with the diagnosis of hypochondriasis (n = 80), patients with a primary anxiety disorder (n = 80), and healthy controls (n = 83) were investigated regarding their previous experiences with illness (self and other) and traumatic childhood experiences. We found that patients with hypochondriasis reported a higher level of experience with illness and with traumatic childhood experiences than healthy controls. However, no differences were found between patients with hypochondriasis and those with an anxiety disorder, regarding their level of experience with illness and traumatic experiences. Previous experiences with illness and traumatic childhood experiences did not prove to be specific risk factors for the development of hypochondriasis. The importance of both experiences with illness and traumatic experiences as risk factors, as considered in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and in established cognitive-behavioral models, does not seem to be supported empirically. Further research should therefore also consider other potential risk factors discussed in the literature. © 2013 Published by Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine on behalf of Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Recruiting, Training, and Retaining High-Performance Development Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elder, Stephen D.

2010-01-01

This chapter offers thoughts on some key elements of a high-performing development environment. The author describes how good development officers love to be part of something big, something that transforms a place and its people, and that thinking big is a powerful concept for development officers. He reminds development officers to be clear…

Development of High Altitude UAV Weather Radars for Hurricane Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heymsfield, Gerald; Li, Li-Hua

2005-01-01

A proposed effort within NASA called (ASHE) over the past few years was aimed at studying the genesis of tropical disturbances off the east coast of Africa. This effort was focused on using an instrumented Global Hawk UAV with high altitude (%Ok ft) and long duration (30 h) capability. While the Global Hawk availability remains uncertain, development of two relevant instruments, a Doppler radar (URAD - UAV Radar) and a backscatter lidar (CPL-UAV - Cloud Physics Lidar), are in progress. The radar to be discussed here is based on two previous high-altitude, autonomously operating radars on the NASA ER-2 aircraft, the ER-2 Doppler Radar (EDOP) at X-band (9.6 GHz), and the Cloud Radar System (CRS) at W- band (94 GHz). The nadir-pointing EDOP and CRS radars profile vertical reflectivity structure and vertical Doppler winds in precipitation and clouds, respectively. EDOP has flown in all of the CAMEX flight series to study hurricanes over storms such as Hurricanes Bonnie, Humberto, Georges, Erin, and TS Chantal. These radars were developed at Goddard over the last decade and have been used for satellite algorithm development and validation (TRMM and Cloudsat), and for hurricane and convective storm research. We describe here the development of URAD that will measure wind and reflectivity in hurricanes and other weather systems from a top down, high-altitude view. URAD for the Global Hawk consists of two subsystems both of which are at X-band (9.3-9.6 GHz) and Doppler: a nadir fixed-beam Doppler radar for vertical motion and precipitation measurement, and a Conical scanning radar for horizontal winds in cloud and at the surface, and precipitation structure. These radars are being designed with size, weight, and power consumption suitable for the Global Hawk and other UAV's. The nadir radar uses a magnetron transmitter and the scanning radar uses a TWT transmitter. With conical scanning of the radar at a 35" incidence angle over an ocean surface in the absence of

49 CFR 236.1031 - Previously approved PTC systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Previously approved PTC systems. 236.1031 Section 236.1031 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD....1005 and 236.1007 and otherwise conform to this subpart. (d) Previous approval or recognition of a...

Development of Optical Crystals for High Power and Tunable Visible and Infrared Light Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-11

ultra high chemical purity (5N), 95% isotopically enriched 6Li was purified in a multi-stage vacuum distillation process previously reported by...enriched 6Li was purified in a multi-stage vacuum distillation process previously reported by Stowe et al.[4]. 6LiIn alloy was synthesized in a... quantum mechanics, it has been determined that atoms, molecules, ions have discrete energy levels. Therefore there exists allowed atomic transitions

Cervical cytology of atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion: significance of age, human papillomavirus DNA detection and previous abnormal cytology on follow-up outcomes.

PubMed

Sung, Chang Ohk; Oh, Young Lyun; Song, Sang Yong

2011-11-01

Despite the usefulness of Pap tests for cancer screening, outcomes can be difficult to predict when atypical squamous cells (ASCs) are identified. According to the 2001 Bethesda system, ASCs can be subdivided into two groups: ASCs of undetermined significance (ASC-US); and ASCs, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion (ASC-H). ASC-H interpretations are uncommon, and studies involving this type of lesion are based on small numbers of cases. Cross-sectional, retrospective study of 392 ASC-H cases. The follow-up outcomes of ASC-H cases that were diagnosed during routine primary screening between 2002 and 2008 were investigated, and relationships between clinicopathological parameters were assessed, particularly positive test for high-risk HPV (HPV) DNA, patient age at diagnosis and previous abnormal cytology. Of the 392 cases, high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion (HSIL) was detected in 111 (28.3%) cases, squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 15 (3.8%) cases, low-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion was detected in 37 (9.4%) cases, reactive change was detected in 178 (45.4%) cases, atrophy was detected in 47 (12.0%) cases, and adenocarcinoma was detected in four (1.0%) cases. The prevalence of HSIL or greater was 27.8% for women aged ≥ 40 years, and 52.3% for women aged <40 years (p<0.001). HPV positivity in ASC-H smears was significantly associated with HSIL or greater, irrespective of age (<40 years, p=0.003; ≥ 40 years, p<0.001). ASC-H with previous abnormal cytology greater than ASC-US showed a significantly higher detection rate for HSIL or greater at follow-up (p<0.001). Patient age, positive HPV DNA test and previous abnormal cytology are useful predictors of underlying HSIL or greater in women with ASC-H. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autonomous Aerobraking: Thermal Analysis and Response Surface Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dec, John A.; Thornblom, Mark N.

2011-01-01

A high-fidelity thermal model of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was developed for use in an autonomous aerobraking simulation study. Response surface equations were derived from the high-fidelity thermal model and integrated into the autonomous aerobraking simulation software. The high-fidelity thermal model was developed using the Thermal Desktop software and used in all phases of the analysis. The use of Thermal Desktop exclusively, represented a change from previously developed aerobraking thermal analysis methodologies. Comparisons were made between the Thermal Desktop solutions and those developed for the previous aerobraking thermal analyses performed on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during aerobraking operations. A variable sensitivity screening study was performed to reduce the number of variables carried in the response surface equations. Thermal analysis and response surface equation development were performed for autonomous aerobraking missions at Mars and Venus.

Development of High Performance Piezoelectric Polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Joycelyn O.; St.Clair, Terry L.; Welch, Sharon S.

1996-01-01

In this work a series of polyimides are investigated which exhibit a strong piezoelectric response and polarization stability at temperatures in excess of 100 C. This work was motivated by the need to develop piezoelectric sensors suitable for use in high temperature aerospace applications.

Effect of media composition, including gelling agents, on isolation of previously uncultured rumen bacteria.

PubMed

Nyonyo, T; Shinkai, T; Tajima, A; Mitsumori, M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop novel anaerobic media using gellan gum for the isolation of previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Four anaerobic media, a basal liquid medium (BM) with agar (A-BM), a modified BM (MBM) with agar (A-MBM), an MBM with phytagel (P-MBM) and an MBM with gelrite (G-MBM) were used for the isolation of rumen bacteria and evaluated for the growth of previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Of the 214 isolates composed of 144 OTUs, 103 isolates (83 OTUs) were previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Most of the previously uncultured strains were obtained from A-MBM, G-MBM and P-MBM, but the predominant cultural members, isolated from each medium, differed. A-MBM and G-MBM showed significantly higher numbers of different OTUs derived from isolates than A-BM (P < 0·05). The Shannon index indicated that the isolates of A-MBM showed the highest diversity (H' = 3·89) compared with those of G-MBM, P-MBM and A-BM (H' = 3·59, 3·23 and 3·39, respectively). Although previously uncultured rumen bacteria were isolated from all media used, the ratio of previously uncultured bacteria to total isolates was increased in A-MBM, P-MBM and G-MBM. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Development of a High Efficiency Dry Powder Inhaler: Effects of Capsule Chamber Design and Inhaler Surface Modifications

PubMed Central

Behara, Srinivas R.B.; Farkas, Dale R.; Hindle, Michael; Longest, P. Worth

2013-01-01

Purpose The objective of this study was to explore the performance of a high efficiency dry powder inhaler (DPI) intended for excipient enhanced growth (EEG) aerosol delivery based on changes to the capsule orientation and surface modifications of the capsule and device. Methods DPIs were constructed by combining newly designed capsule chambers (CC) with a previously developed three-dimensional (3D) rod array for particle deagglomeration and a previously optimized EEG formulation. The new CCs oriented the capsule perpendicular to the incoming airflow and were analyzed for different air inlets at a constant pressure drop across the device. Modifications to the inhaler and capsule surfaces included use of metal dispersion rods and surface coatings. Aerosolization performance of the new DPIs was evaluated and compared with commercial devices. Results The proposed capsule orientation and motion pattern increased capsule vibrational frequency and reduced the aerosol MMAD compared with commercial/modified DPIs. The use of metal rods in the 3D array further improved inhaler performance. Coating the inhaler and capsule with PTFE significantly increased emitted dose (ED) from the optimized DPI. Conclusions High efficiency performance is achieved for EEG delivery with the optimized DPI device and formulation combination producing an aerosol with MMAD < 1.5 µm, FPF<5µm/ED > 90%, and ED > 80%. PMID:23949304

Recent Progress Made in the Development of High-Energy UV Transmitter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Armstrong, Darrell J.

2007-01-01

In this paper, the status of an all-solid-state UV converter development for ozone sensing applications is discussed. A high energy Nd:YAG laser for pumping the UV converter arrangement was recently reported. The pump is an all-solid-state, single longitudinal mode, and conductively cooled Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm wavelength. Currently, this pump laser provides an output pulse energy of greater than 1J/pulse at 50 Hz PRF and a pulsewidth of 22 ns with an electrical-to-optical system efficiency of greater than 7% and a M(sup 2) value of approx. 2. The spatial profile of the output beam is a rectangular super Gaussian. This Nd:YAG pump laser has been developed to pump the nonlinear optics based UV converter arrangement to generate 320 nm and 308 nm wavelengths by means of 532 nm wavelength. Previously, this UV converter arrangement has demonstrated IR-to-UV conversion efficiency of 24% using a flash lamp pumped laser providing a round, flat top spatial profile. Recently, the UV converter was assembled and tested at NASA LaRC for pumping with the diode pumped Nd:YAG laser. With current spatial profile, the UV converter was made operational. Current efforts to maximize the nonlinear conversion efficiency by refining its spatial profile to match RISTRA OPO requirements are progressing.

44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1 applies to transportation on or discharge from ships documented...

Development of high temperature strain gages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemcoe, M. M.

1973-01-01

High temperature electric resistance wire strain gages were developed and evaluated for use at temperatures exceeding 922 K (1200 F). A special high temperature strain gage alloy (Fe-25Cr-7.5A1), designated BCL-3, was used to fabricate the gages. Pertinent gage characteristics were determined at temperatures up to 1255 K (1800 F). The results of the evaluation were reported in graphical and tabular form. It was concluded that the gages will perform satisfactorily at temperatures to at least 1089 K (1500 F) for at least one hour.

2 CFR 225.45 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuance. 225.45 Section 225.45 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements... INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS (OMB CIRCULAR A-87) § 225.45 Relationship to previous issuance. (a) The...

2 CFR 230.45 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuance. 230.45 Section 230.45 Grants and Agreements OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET CIRCULARS AND GUIDANCE Reserved COST PRINCIPLES FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (OMB CIRCULAR A-122) § 230.45 Relationship to previous issuance. (a...

Previous Cryopreservation Alters the Natural History of the Red Blood Cell Storage Lesion.

PubMed

Chang, Alex L; Hoehn, Richard S; Jernigan, Peter; Cox, Daniel; Schreiber, Martin; Pritts, Timothy A

2016-09-01

During storage, packed red blood cells (pRBCs) undergo a number of biochemical, metabolic, and morphologic changes, collectively known as the "storage lesion." We aimed to determine the effect of cryopreservation on the red blood cell storage lesion compared with traditional 4°C storage. Previously cryopreserved human pRBCs were compared with age-matched never-frozen pRBCs obtained from the local blood bank. The development of the red cell storage lesion was evaluated after 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42 days of storage at 4°C in AS-3 storage medium. We measured physiological parameters including cell counts, lactic acid, and potassium concentrations as well as signs of eryptosis including loss of phosphatidylserine (PS) asymmetry, microparticle production, and osmotic fragility in hypotonic saline. Compared with controls, previously cryopreserved pRBC at 7 days of storage in AS-3 showed lower red cell counts (3.7 vs. 5.3 × 10 cells/μL, P < 0.01), hemoglobin (Hgb) (12.0 vs. 16.5 g/dL, P < 0.01), hematocrit (33.0% vs. 46.5%, P < 0.01), and pH (6.27 vs. 6.72, P < 0.01). Over 28 days of storage, storage cryopreserved pRBC developed increased cell-free Hgb (0.7 vs. 0.3 g/dL, P < 0.01), greater PS exposure (10.1% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.01), and microparticle production (30,836 vs. 1,802 MP/μL, P < 0.01). Previously cryopreserved cells were also less resistant to osmotic stress. The red blood cell storage lesion is accelerated in previously cryopreserved pRBC after thawing. Biochemical deterioration of thawed and deglycerolized red cells suggests that storage time before transfusion should be limited to achieve similar risk profiles as never-frozen standard liquid storage pRBC units.

HIGHLY METHYL ESTERIFIED SEEDS is a pectin methyl esterase involved in embryo development.

PubMed

Levesque-Tremblay, Gabriel; Müller, Kerstin; Mansfield, Shawn D; Haughn, George W

2015-03-01

Homogalacturonan pectin domains are synthesized in a highly methyl-esterified form that later can be differentially demethyl esterified by pectin methyl esterase (PME) to strengthen or loosen plant cell walls that contain pectin, including seed coat mucilage, a specialized secondary cell wall of seed coat epidermal cells. As a means to identify the active PMEs in seed coat mucilage, we identified seven PMEs expressed during seed coat development. One of these, HIGHLY METHYL ESTERIFIED SEEDS (HMS), is abundant during mucilage secretion, peaking at 7 d postanthesis in both the seed coat and the embryo. We have determined that this gene is required for normal levels of PME activity and homogalacturonan methyl esterification in the seed. The hms-1 mutant displays altered embryo morphology and mucilage extrusion, both of which are a consequence of defects in embryo development. A significant decrease in the size of cells in the embryo suggests that the changes in embryo morphology are a consequence of lack of cell expansion. Progeny from a cross between hms-1 and the previously characterized PME inhibitor5 overexpression line suggest that HMS acts independently from other cell wall-modifying enzymes in the embryo. We propose that HMS is required for cell wall loosening in the embryo to facilitate cell expansion during the accumulation of storage reserves and that its role in the seed coat is masked by redundancy. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

High density harp for SSCL linac

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

Fritsche, C.T.; Krogh, M.L.; Crist, C.E.

1993-05-01

AlliedSignal Inc., Kansas City Division, and the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) are collaboratively developing a high density harp for the SSCL linac. This harp is designed using hybrid microcircuit (HMC) technology to obtain a higher wire density than previously available. The developed harp contains one hundred twenty-eight 33-micron-diameter carbon wires on 0.38-mm centers. The harp features an onboard broken wire detection circuit. Carbon wire preparation and attachment processes were developed. High density surface mount connectors were located. The status of high density harp development will be presented along with planned future activities.

29 CFR 1902.18 - Previous hearing or other opportunity for comment on plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Previous hearing or other opportunity for comment on plan. 1902.18 Section 1902.18 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATE PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF STATE STANDARDS Procedures for Submission, Approval and...

Previous Experience Not Required: Contextualizing the Choice to Teach School-Based Agricultural Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marx, Adam A.; Smith, Amy R.; Smalley, Scott W.; Miller, Courtney

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify key career choice items which lead students without previous experience in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) to pursuing agricultural education. The Ag Ed FIT-Choice® model adapted by Lawver (2009) and developed by Richardson and Watt (2006) provided the investigative framework to design this…

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 220.40 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuance. 220.40 Section 220.40 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements... INSTITUTIONS (OMB CIRCULAR A-21) § 220.40 Relationship to previous issuance. (a) The guidance in this part...

2 CFR 230.45 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuance. 230.45 Section 230.45 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements... ORGANIZATIONS (OMB CIRCULAR A-122) § 230.45 Relationship to previous issuance. (a) The guidance in this part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215 Section 1.215 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215 Relationship to previous issuances. Although some of the guidance was...

BALB/c mice resistant to Toxoplasma gondii infection proved to be highly susceptible when previously infected with Myocoptes musculinus fur mites

PubMed Central

Welter, Áurea; Mineo, José Roberto; de Oliveira Silva, Deise Aparecida; Lourenço, Elaine Vicente; Ferro, Eloísa Amália Vieira; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina; da Silva, Neide Maria

2007-01-01

Summary The immune response induced by Toxoplasma gondii is characterized by Th1 immune mechanisms. We previously demonstrated that C57BL/6 mice infested with Myocoptes musculinus and infected with T. gondii by intraperitoneal route undergo accelerated mortality according to Th2 immune mechanisms induced by the acarian. To evaluate whether infection with M. musculinus influences T. gondii-induced Th1 response in a resistant mouse lineage, BALB/c, which develops latent chronic toxoplasmosis in a way similar to that observed in immunocompetent humans, this study was done. The animals were infected with T. gondii ME-49 strain 1 month after M. musculinus infestation, being the survival and the immune response monitored. The double-infected displayed higher mortality rate if compared with the mono-infected mice. In addition, infection with M. musculinus changed the T. gondii-specific immune response, converting BALB/c host to a susceptible phenotype. Spleen cells had increased the levels of IL-4 in double-infected mice. This alteration was associated with severe pneumonia, encephalitis and wasting condition. In addition, a higher tissue parasitism was observed in double-infected animals. It can be concluded that infection with these two contrasting parasites, M. musculinus and T. gondii, may convert an immunocompetent host into a susceptible one, and such a host will develop severe toxoplasmosis. PMID:17877534

High-Energy Neutron Imaging Development at LLNL

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

Hall, J M; Rusnak, B; Shen, S

2005-02-16

We are proceeding with the development of a high-energy (10 MeV) neutron imaging system for use as an inspection tool in nuclear stockpile stewardship applications. Our goal is to develop and deploy an imaging system capable of detecting cubic-mm-scale voids, cracks or other significant structural defects in heavily-shielded low-Z materials within nuclear device components. The final production-line system will be relatively compact (suitable for use in existing facilities within the DOE complex) and capable of acquiring both radiographic and tomographic (CT) images. In this report, we will review our recent programmatic accomplishments, focusing primarily on progress made in FY04. Themore » design status of the high-intensity, accelerator-driven neutron source and large-format imaging detector associated with the system will be discussed and results from a recent high-energy neutron imaging experiment conducted at the Ohio University Accelerator Laboratory (OUAL) will also be presented.« less

High purity silica reflecting heat shield development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Congdon, W.

1974-01-01

A reflecting heat shield composed of fused silica in which the scattering results from the refractive index mismatch between silica particles and the voids introduced during the fabrication process is developed. Major considerations and conclusions of the development are: the best material to use is Type A, which is capable of ultra-high-purity and which does not show the 0.243 micrometer absorption band; the reflection efficiency of fused silica is decreased at higher temperatures due to the bathochromic shift of the ultraviolet cut-off; for a given silica material, over the wavelength region and particle sizes tested, the monodisperse particle size configurations produce higher reflectances than continuous particle size configurations; and the smaller monodisperse particle size configurations give higher reflectance than the larger ones. A reflecting silica configuration that is an efficient reflector of shock layer radiation at high ablation temperatures is achieved by tailoring the matrix for optimum scattering and using an ultra-high-purity material.

Lengthening of Insect Development on Bt Zone Results in Adult Emergence Asynchrony: Does It Influence the Effectiveness of the High Dose/Refuge Zone Strategy?

PubMed Central

Gryspeirt, Aiko; Grégoire, Jean-Claude

2012-01-01

The “High Dose/Refuge” strategy (HD/R) is the currently recommended Insect Resistance Management strategy (IRM) to limit resistance development to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plants. This strategy requires planting a “refuge zone” composed of non-Bt plants suitable for the target insect and in close proximity to a “Bt zone” expressing a high toxin concentration. One of the main assumptions is that enough susceptible adults mate with resistant insects. However, previous studies have suggested that the high toxin concentration produced by Bt plants induces slower insect development, creating an asynchrony in emergence between the refuge and the Bt zone and leading to assortative mating between adults inside each zone. Here, we develop a deterministic model to estimate the impact of toxin concentration, emergence asynchrony and refuge zone size on the effectiveness of the HD/R strategy. We conclude that emergence asynchrony only affects resistance when toxin concentration is high and resistance is recessive. Resistance develops more rapidly and survival of susceptible insects is higher at lower toxin concentration, but in such situations, resistance is insensitive to emergence asynchrony. PMID:23202319

High-temperature MIRAGE XL (LFRA) IRSP system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, Steve; Franks, Greg; LaVeigne, Joe

2017-05-01

The development of very-large format infrared detector arrays has challenged the IR scene projector community to develop larger-format infrared emitter arrays. Many scene projector applications also require much higher simulated temperatures than can be generated with current technology. This paper will present an overview of resistive emitterbased (broadband) IR scene projector system development, as well as describe recent progress in emitter materials and pixel designs applicable for legacy MIRAGE XL Systems to achieve apparent temperatures >1000K in the MWIR. These new high temperature MIRAGE XL (LFRA) Digital Emitter Engines (DEE) will be "plug and play" equivalent with legacy MIRAGE XL DEEs, the rest of the system is reusable. Under the High Temperature Dynamic Resistive Array (HDRA) development program, Santa Barbara Infrared Inc. (SBIR) is developing a new infrared scene projector architecture capable of producing both very large format (>2k x 2k) resistive emitter arrays and improved emitter pixel technology capable of simulating very high apparent temperatures. During earlier phases of the program, SBIR demonstrated materials with MWIR apparent temperatures in excess of 1500 K. These new emitter materials can be utilized with legacy RIICs to produce pixels that can achieve 7X the radiance of the legacy systems with low cost and low risk. A 'scalable' Read-In Integrated Circuit (RIIC) is also being developed under the same HDRA program to drive the high temperature pixels. This RIIC will utilize through-silicon via (TSV) and Quilt Packaging (QP) technologies to allow seamless tiling of multiple chips to fabricate very large arrays, and thus overcome the yield limitations inherent in large-scale integrated circuits. These quilted arrays can be fabricated in any N x M size in 512 steps.

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

44 CFR 402.5 - Forwarding commodities previously shipped.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Forwarding commodities previously shipped. 402.5 Section 402.5 Emergency Management and Assistance DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPMENTS ON AMERICAN FLAG SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT (T-1, INT. 1) § 402.5 Forwarding commodities previously shipped. Order T-1...

DOE Research and Development Accomplishments Previous Highlights

Science.gov Websites

Cloud. More Information October 23, 2015 It's a Family Matter! The third family of fundamental particles 40 years ago (1975). Evidence of this third family of fundamental particles inspired confidence in

Previous contact with Strongyloides venezuelensis contributed to prevent insulitis in MLD-STZ diabetes.

PubMed

Peres, Raphael Sanches; Chiuso-Minicucci, Fernanda; da Rosa, Larissa Camargo; Domingues, Alexandre; Zorzella-Pezavento, Sofia Fernanda Gonçalves; França, Thais Graziela Donegá; Ishikawa, Larissa Lumi Watanabe; do Amarante, Alessandro Francisco Talamini; Sartori, Alexandrina

2013-06-01

Epidemiological and experimental studies support the idea that helminth infections can induce a protective effect against the development of autoimmune and allergic diseases. In this study we characterized the immune response induced by Strongyloides venezuelensis infection in C57BL/6 mice and then evaluated the effect of a previous contact with this helminth in the outcome of type 1 diabetes. Animals were initially infected with 2000 L3 larvae from S. venezuelensis and euthanized 22 days later. An acute phase, identified by a high amount of eggs per gram of feces, was established between days 7 and 9 post-infection. Recovery from infection was associated with a Th2 polarized response characterized by a significant level of serum IgG1 specific antibodies and also a significant production of IL-5 and IL-10 by spleen cells stimulated with S. venezuelensis soluble antigen. Immunization with soluble S. venezuelensis antigen associated with complete Freund's adjuvant followed by infection with S. venezuelensis protected mice from diabetes development induced by streptozotocin. Protection was characterized by a higher body weight gain, lower glycemic levels, much less severe insulitis and preserved insulin production. Together, these results indicate that S. venezuelensis contributed to protect C57BL/6 mice against experimental diabetes induced by streptozotocin. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gestational hypothyroidism: development of mild hypothyroidism in early pregnancy in previously euthyroid women.

PubMed

Hammond, Karen R; Cataldo, Nicholas A; Hubbard, Janice A; Malizia, Beth A; Steinkampf, Michael P

2015-06-01

To determine the proportion of euthyroid women attending a fertility practice who develop hypothyroidism in very early pregnancy (gestational hypothyroidism [GHT]), and to examine the association of GHT with exogenous gonadotropin treatment. Retrospective cohort study. A private reproductive medicine practice. All healthy women (N = 94) with infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss, TSH level <2.5 mIU/L, negative thyroid peroxidase antibodies at initial evaluation, and not taking thyroid medication, who conceived during an 18-month period. Usual fertility care; 30 women who had received exogenous gonadotropins. Serum TSH level at the time of pregnancy detection. Gestational hypothyroidism (TSH ≥ 2.5 mIU/L) developed in 23 of 94 women (24%). The mean increase in serum TSH level from initial evaluation to early pregnancy was 0.45 ± 0.08 [SE] mIU/L. There was a trend toward the association of GHT with use of exogenous gonadotropins. Gestational hypothyroidism was positively associated with initial prepregnancy TSH level. Euthyroid women may develop mild hypothyroidism in early pregnancy, especially after exogenous gonadotropin treatment. Appropriate vigilance will allow for timely levothyroxine treatment. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptation to Life in the High Andes: Nocturnal Oxyhemoglobin Saturation in Early Development.

PubMed

Hill, Catherine Mary; Baya, Ana; Gavlak, Johanna; Carroll, Annette; Heathcote, Kate; Dimitriou, Dagmara; L'Esperance, Veline; Webster, Rebecca; Holloway, John; Virues-Ortega, Javier; Kirkham, Fenella Jane; Bucks, Romola Starr; Hogan, Alexandra Marie

2016-05-01

Physiological adaptation to high altitude hypoxia may be impaired in Andeans with significant European ancestry. The respiratory 'burden' of sleep may challenge adaptation, leading to relative nocturnal hypoxia. Developmental aspects of sleep-related breathing in high-altitude native children have not previously been reported. We aimed to determine the influence of development on diurnal-nocturnal oxyhemoglobin differences in children living at high altitude. This was a cross-sectional, observational study. Seventy-five healthy Bolivian children aged 6 mo to 17 y, native to low altitude (500 m), moderate high altitude (2,500 m), and high altitude (3,700 m) were recruited. Daytime resting pulse oximetry was compared to overnight recordings using Masimo radical oximeters. Genetic ancestry was determined from DNA samples. Children had mixed European/Amerindian ancestry, with no significant differences between altitudes. Sixty-two participants had ≥ 5 h of nocturnal, artifact-free data. As predicted, diurnal mean oxyhemoglobin saturation decreased across altitudes (infants and children, both P < 0.001), with lowest diurnal values at high altitude in infants. At high altitude, there was a greater drop in nocturnal mean oxyhemoglobin saturation (infants, P < 0.001; children, P = 0.039) and an increase in variability (all P ≤ 0.001) compared to low altitude. Importantly, diurnal to nocturnal altitude differences diminished (P = 0.036), from infancy to childhood, with no further change during adolescence. Physiological adaptation to high-altitude living in native Andeans is unlikely to compensate for the significant differences we observed between diurnal and nocturnal oxyhemoglobin saturation, most marked in infancy. This vulnerability to sleep-related hypoxia in early childhood has potential lifespan implications. Future studies should characterize the sleep- related respiratory physiology underpinning our observations. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies

High-throughput process development: I. Process chromatography.

PubMed

Rathore, Anurag S; Bhambure, Rahul

2014-01-01

Chromatographic separation serves as "a workhorse" for downstream process development and plays a key role in removal of product-related, host cell-related, and process-related impurities. Complex and poorly characterized raw materials and feed material, low feed concentration, product instability, and poor mechanistic understanding of the processes are some of the critical challenges that are faced during development of a chromatographic step. Traditional process development is performed as trial-and-error-based evaluation and often leads to a suboptimal process. High-throughput process development (HTPD) platform involves an integration of miniaturization, automation, and parallelization and provides a systematic approach for time- and resource-efficient chromatography process development. Creation of such platforms requires integration of mechanistic knowledge of the process with various statistical tools for data analysis. The relevance of such a platform is high in view of the constraints with respect to time and resources that the biopharma industry faces today. This protocol describes the steps involved in performing HTPD of process chromatography step. It described operation of a commercially available device (PreDictor™ plates from GE Healthcare). This device is available in 96-well format with 2 or 6 μL well size. We also discuss the challenges that one faces when performing such experiments as well as possible solutions to alleviate them. Besides describing the operation of the device, the protocol also presents an approach for statistical analysis of the data that is gathered from such a platform. A case study involving use of the protocol for examining ion-exchange chromatography of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), a therapeutic product, is briefly discussed. This is intended to demonstrate the usefulness of this protocol in generating data that is representative of the data obtained at the traditional lab scale. The agreement in the

Development of a Multi-Channel, High Frequency QRS Electrocardiograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DePalma, Jude L.

2003-01-01

With the advent of the ISS era and the potential requirement for increased cardiovascular monitoring of crewmembers during extended EVAs, NASA flight surgeons would stand to benefit from an evolving technology that allows for a more rapid diagnosis of myocardial ischemia compared to standard electrocardiography. Similarly, during the astronaut selection process, NASA flight surgeons and other physicians would also stand to benefit from a completely noninvasive technology that, either at rest or during maximal exercise tests, is more sensitive than standard ECG in identifying the presence of ischemia. Perhaps most importantly, practicing cardiologists and emergency medicine physicians could greatly benefit from such a device as it could augment (or even replace) standard electrocardiography in settings where the rapid diagnosis of myocardial ischemia (or the lack thereof) is required for proper clinical decision-making. A multi-channel, high-frequency QRS electrocardiograph is currently under development in the Life Sciences Research Laboratories at JSC. Specifically the project consisted of writing software code, some of which contained specially-designed digital filters, which will be incorporated into an existing commercial software program that is already designed to collect, plot and analyze conventional 12-lead ECG signals on a desktop, portable or palm PC. The software will derive the high-frequency QRS signals, which will be analyzed (in numerous ways) and plotted alongside of the conventional ECG signals, giving the PC-viewing clinician advanced diagnostic information that has never been available previously in all 12 ECG leads simultaneously. After the hardware and software for the advanced digital ECG monitor have been fully integrated, plans are to use the monitor to begin clinical studies both on healthy subjects and on patients with known coronary artery disease in both the outpatient and hospital settings. The ultimate goal is to get the technology

Development and application of network virtual instrument for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, X.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

Network virtual instrument (VI) is a new development direction in current automated test. Based on LabVIEW, the software and hardware system of VI used for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current (DC) discharge is developed and applied to investigate pulsed high-voltage DC discharge of nitrogen. By doing so, various functions are realized including real time collection of emission spectrum of nitrogen, monitoring operation state of instruments and real time analysis and processing of data. By using shared variables and DataSocket technology in LabVIEW, the network VI system based on field VI is established. The system can acquire the emission spectrum of nitrogen in the test site, monitor operation states of field instruments, realize real time face-to-face interchange of two sites, and analyze data in the far-end from the network terminal. By employing the network VI system, the staff in the two sites acquired the same emission spectrum of nitrogen and conducted the real time communication. By comparing with the previous results, it can be seen that the experimental data obtained by using the system are highly precise. This implies that the system shows reliable network stability and safety and satisfies the requirements for studying the emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage discharge in high-precision fields or network terminals. The proposed architecture system is described and the target group gets the useful enlightenment in many fields including engineering remote users, specifically in control- and automation-related tasks.

Highly Loaded Composite Strut Test Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, K. Chauncey; Phelps, James E.; McKenney, Martin J.; Jegley, Dawn C.

2011-01-01

Highly loaded composite struts, representative of structural elements of a proposed truss-based lunar lander descent stage concept, were selected for design, development, fabrication and testing under NASA s Advanced Composites Technology program. The focus of this paper is the development of a capability for experimental evaluation of the structural performance of these struts. Strut lengths range from 60 to over 120 inches, and compressive launch and ascent loads can exceed -100,000 lbs, or approximately two times the corresponding tensile loads. Allowing all possible compressive structural responses, including elastic buckling, were primary considerations for designing the test hardware.

Social Support Moderates the Relationship between Sleep and Inflammation in a Population at High Risk for Developing Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Tomfohr, Lianne M.; Edwards, Kate M.; Madsen, Joshua W.; Mills, Paul J.

2015-01-01

Poor sleep and low social support have each been associated with mortality and morbidity from chronic illness and a small body of research suggests that the two interact to influence systemic inflammation, whereby good social relationships may buffer the relationship between poor sleep and increased inflammation. The current study investigated interactions between sleep and social support in the prediction of inflammation in a clinical population (prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals) at high risk for the development of cardiovascular disease. Using a standardized subjective measure of sleep quality, we found that social support moderated the association between sleep and circulating levels of both IL-6 and CRP, such that poor sleep appeared to confer a risk of increased inflammation only in those participants who also reported low social support. In women, the same relationship was observed for TNF-α. These results extend previous findings into a clinical population and also demonstrate that sleep quality and social support interact in the prediction of two previously uninvestigated clinically relevant inflammatory markers (CRP and TNF-α). High levels of perceived social support may compensate for the negative health impact of poor sleep quality and vice versa. PMID:26402487

Development of iron platinum/oxide high anisotropy magnetic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, En

Because the size of magnetic grains is approaching the superparamagnetic limit in current perpendicular media, it is necessary to produce thin film media made with magnetic alloys with larger magneto-crystalline anisotropy energies to achieve higher recording densities. Due to its high anisotropy field and good environmental stability, FePt (L10) is the most promising media for achieving such ultra-high recording densities. However, there are several challenges associated with the development of FePt as a perpendicular media. As deposited FePt has disordered fee phase; either high deposition temperature, > 600 oC, or a high temperature post annealing process is required to obtain the ordered L10 structure, which is not desirable for manufacturing purposes. Therefore, techniques that enable ordering at significantly reduced temperatures are critically and urgently needed. Furthermore, in order to use it as a high density recording media, very small (less than 5 nm), uniform and fully-ordered, magnetically isolated FePt (L10) columnar grains with well defined grain boundaries, excellent perpendicular texture and high coercivity are desired. In this study, experiments and research have been mainly focused on the following aspects: (1) controlling of c axis orientation of FePt, (2) obtaining small columnar FePt grains, (3) improving order parameter and magnetic properties at lower ordering temperature. After a systematic experimental investigation, we have found an experimental approach for obtaining highly ordered L1 0 FePt-oxide thin film media at moderate deposition temperatures. In most previous studies, the FePt-Oxide layer is directly deposited on a textured MgO (001) layer. By introducing a double buffer layer in between the FePt-oxide layer and the MgO underlayer, we are able to substantially enhance the L1 0 ordering of the FePt-oxide layer while lowering the deposition temperature to 400oC. The buffer layers also yield a significantly enhanced (001) texture

Development and Testing of High Current Hollow Cathodes for High Power Hall Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Van Noord, Jonathan

2012-01-01

NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist In-Space Propulsion project is sponsoring the testing and development of high power Hall thrusters for implementation in NASA missions. As part of the project, NASA Glenn Research Center is developing and testing new high current hollow cathode assemblies that can meet and exceed the required discharge current and life-time requirements of high power Hall thrusters. This paper presents test results of three high current hollow cathode configurations. Test results indicated that two novel emitter configurations were able to attain lower peak emitter temperatures compared to state-of-the-art emitter configurations. One hollow cathode configuration attained a cathode orifice plate tip temperature of 1132 degC at a discharge current of 100 A. More specifically, test and analysis results indicated that a novel emitter configuration had minimal temperature gradient along its length. Future work will include cathode wear tests, and internal emitter temperature and plasma properties measurements along with detailed physics based modeling.

Development of a high spatial resolution neutron imaging system and performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Lei

The combination of a scintillation screen and a charged coupled device (CCD) camera is a digitized neutron imaging technology that has been widely employed for research and industry application. The maximum of spatial resolution of scintillation screens is in the range of 100 mum and creates a bottleneck for the further improvement of the overall system resolution. In this investigation, a neutron sensitive micro-channel plate (MCP) detector with pore pitch of 11.4 mum is combined with a cooled CCD camera with a pixel size of 6.8 mum to provide a high spatial resolution neutron imaging system. The optical path includes a high reflection front surface mirror for keeping the camera out of neutron beam and a macro lens for achieving the maximum magnification that could be achieved. All components are assembled into an aluminum light tight box with heavy radiation shielding to protect the camera as well as to provide a dark working condition. Particularly, a remote controlled stepper motor is also integrated into the system to provide on-line focusing ability. The best focus is guaranteed through use of an algorithm instead of perceptual observation. An evaluation routine not previously utilized in the field of neutron radiography is developed in this study. Routines like this were never previously required due to the lower resolution of other systems. Use of the augulation technique to obtain presampled MTF addresses the problem of aliasing associated with digital sampling. The determined MTF agrees well with the visual inspection of imaging a testing target. Other detector/camera combinations may be integrated into the system and their performances are also compared. The best resolution achieved by the system at the TRIGA Mark II reactor at the University of Texas at Austin is 16.2 lp/mm, which is equivalent to a minimum resolvable spacing of 30 mum. The noise performance of the device is evaluated in terms of the noise power spectrum (NPS) and the detective quantum

Wives without husbands: gendered vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections among previously married women in India.

PubMed

Walters, Kimberly; Dandona, Rakhi; Walters, Lawrence C; Lakshmi, Vemu; Dandona, Lalit; Schneider, John A

2012-01-01

Using population-based and family structural data from a high HIV-prevalence district of Southern India, this paper considers four suggested social scenarios used to explain the positive correlation between HIV prevalence and previously married status among Indian women: (1) infection from and then bereavement of an infected husband; (2) abandonment after husbands learn of their wives' HIV status; (3) economic instability after becoming previously married, leading women to seek financial support through male partners; and (4) the social status of being previously married exposing women to sexual harassment and predation. By also considering seroprevalence of two other common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), herpes and syphilis, in a combined variable with HIV, we limit the likelihood of the first two scenarios accounting for the greater part of this correlation. Through a nuanced analysis of household residences patterns (family structure), standard of living, and education, we also limit the probability that scenario three explains a greater portion of the correlation. Scenario four emerges as the most likely explanation for this correlation, recognizing that other scenarios are also possible. Further, the interdisciplinary literature on the social position of previously married women in India strongly supports the suggestion that, as a population, previously married women are sexually vulnerable in India. Previously married status as an STI risk factor requires further biosocial research and warrants concentrated public health attention.

Wives without husbands: Gendered vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections among previously married women in India

PubMed Central

Walters, Kimberly; Dandona, Rakhi; Walters, Lawrence C.; Dandona, Lalit; Lakshmi, Vemu; Schneider, John A.

2013-01-01

Using population-based and family structural data from a high HIV-prevalence district of southern India, this paper considers four suggested social scenarios used to explain the positive correlation between HIV prevalence and previously married status among Indian women: I) infection from and then bereavement of an infected husband; II) abandonment after husbands learn of their wives’ HIV status; III) economic instability after becoming previously married, leading women to seek financial support through male partners; IV) the social status of being previously married exposing women to sexual harassment and predation. By also considering seroprevalence of two other common sexually transmitted infections (STI), herpes and syphilis, in a combined variable with HIV, we limit the likelihood of the first two scenarios accounting for the greater part of this correlation. Through a nuanced analysis of household residences patterns (family structure), standard of living and education, we also limit the probability that scenario three explains a greater portion of the correlation. Scenario four emerges as the most likely explanation for this correlation, recognizing that other scenarios are also possible. Further, the interdisciplinary literature on the social position of previously married women in India strongly supports the suggestion that, as a population, previously married women are sexually vulnerable in India. Previously married status as an STI risk factor requires further biosocial research and warrants concentrated public health attention. PMID:22519844

High resolution, high frame rate video technology development plan and the near-term system conceptual design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ziemke, Robert A.

1990-01-01

The objective of the High Resolution, High Frame Rate Video Technology (HHVT) development effort is to provide technology advancements to remove constraints on the amount of high speed, detailed optical data recorded and transmitted for microgravity science and application experiments. These advancements will enable the development of video systems capable of high resolution, high frame rate video data recording, processing, and transmission. Techniques such as multichannel image scan, video parameter tradeoff, and the use of dual recording media were identified as methods of making the most efficient use of the near-term technology.

Developing Cloud Chambers with High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizuka, Ryo; Tan, Nobuaki; Sato, Shoma; Zeze, Syoji

The result and outcome of the cloud chamber project, which aims to develop a cloud chamber useful for science education is reported in detail. A project includes both three high school students and a teacher as a part of Super Science High School (SSH) program in our school. We develop a dry-ice-free cloud chamber using salt and ice (or snow). Technical details of the chamber are described. We also argue how the project have affected student's cognition, motivation, academic skills and behavior. The research project has taken steps of professional researchers, i.e., in planning research, applying fund, writing a paper and giving a talk in conferences. From interviews with students, we have learnt that such style of scientific activity is very effective in promoting student's motivation for learning science.

Amygdalar, hippocampal, and thalamic volumes in youth at high risk for development of bipolar disorder

PubMed Central

Karchemskiy, Asya; Garrett, Amy; Howe, Meghan; Adleman, Nancy; Simeonova, Diana I.; Alegria, Dylan; Reiss, Allan; Chang, Kiki

2011-01-01

Children of parents with bipolar disorder (BD), especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and symptoms of depression or mania, are significantly at high-risk for developing BD. As we have previously shown amygdalar reductions in pediatric BD, the current study examined amygdalar volumes in offspring of parents with (BD offspring) who have not yet developed a full manic episode. Youth participating in the study included 22 BD offspring and 22 healthy controls of comparable age, gender, handedness, and IQ. Subjects had no history of a manic episode, but met criteria for ADHD and moderate mood symptoms. MRI was performed on a 3T GE scanner, using a 3D volumetric spoiled gradient echo series. Amygdalae were manually traced using BrainImage Java software on positionally normalized brain stacks. Bipolar offspring had similar amygdalar volumes compared to the control group. Exploratory analyses yielded no differences in hippocampal or thalamic volumes. Bipolar offspring do not show decreased amygdala volume, possibly because these abnormalities occur after more prolonged illness rather than as a preexisting risk factor. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether amygdalar volumes change during and after the development of BD. PMID:22041532

Amygdalar, hippocampal, and thalamic volumes in youth at high risk for development of bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Karchemskiy, Asya; Garrett, Amy; Howe, Meghan; Adleman, Nancy; Simeonova, Diana I; Alegria, Dylan; Reiss, Allan; Chang, Kiki

2011-12-30

Children of parents with bipolar disorder (BD), especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and symptoms of depression or mania, are at significantly high risk for developing BD. As we have previously shown amygdalar reductions in pediatric BD, the current study examined amygdalar volumes in offspring of parents (BD offspring) who have not yet developed a full manic episode. Youth participating in the study included 22 BD offspring and 22 healthy controls of comparable age, gender, handedness, and IQ. Subjects had no history of a manic episode, but met criteria for ADHD and moderate mood symptoms. MRI was performed on a 3T GE scanner, using a 3D volumetric spoiled gradient echo series. Amygdalae were manually traced using BrainImage Java software on positionally normalized brain stacks. Bipolar offspring had similar amygdalar volumes compared to the control group. Exploratory analyses yielded no differences in hippocampal or thalamic volumes. Bipolar offspring do not show decreased amygdalar volume, possibly because these abnormalities occur after more prolonged illness rather than as a preexisting risk factor. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether amygdalar volumes change during and after the development of BD. 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of High Power Vacuum Tubes for Accelerators and Plasma Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Vishnu

2012-11-01

High pulsed power magnetrons and klystrons for medical and industrial accelerators, and high CW power klystrons and gyrotrons for plasma heating in tokamak, are being developed at CEERI. S-band 2.0MW pulsed tunable magnetrons of centre frequency 2856MHz and 2998 MHz were developed, and S-band 2.6MW pulsed tunable magnetron is being developed for medical LINAC, and 3MW pulsed tunable magnetron is being developed for industrial accelerator. S-band (2856MHz), 5MW pulsed klystron was developed for particle accelerator, and S-band 6MW pulsed klystron is under development for 10MeV industrial accelerator. 350MHz, 100kW (CW) klystron is being developed for proton accelerator, and C-band 250kW (CW) klystron is being developed for plasma heating. 42GHz, 200kW (CW/Long pulse) gyrotron is under development for plasma heating. Plasma filled tubes are also being developed for switching. 25kV/1kA and 40kV/3kA thyratrons were developed for high voltage high current switching in pulse modulators for magnetrons and klystrons. 25kV/3kA Pseudospark switch of current rise time of 1kA/|a-sec and pulse repetition rate of 500Hz is being developed. Plasma assisted high power microwave device is also being investigated.

Distractor Repetitions Retrieve Previous Responses and Previous Targets: Experimental Dissociations of Distractor-Response and Distractor-Target Bindings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giesen, Carina; Rothermund, Klaus

2014-01-01

Even an irrelevant distractor stimulus is integrated into event files. Subsequently repeating the distractor triggers retrieval of the event file; however, an unresolved issue concerns the question of "what" is retrieved by the distractor. While recent studies predominantly assume that the distractor retrieves the previous response, it…

Previous Exposure to the Fish Parasite Anisakis as a Potential Risk Factor for Gastric or Colon Adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Garcia-Perez, Juan Carlos; Rodríguez-Perez, Rosa; Ballestero, Araceli; Zuloaga, Jaime; Fernandez-Puntero, Belen; Arias-Díaz, Javier; Caballero, María Luisa

2015-10-01

Anisakiasis is a global disease caused by consumption of raw or lightly cooked fish contaminated with L3 Anisakis spp. larvae. High rates of parasitization of fish worldwide make Anisakis a serious health hazard. In fact, anisakiasis is a growing disease in countries such as Spain, Italy, and Japan, where consumption of raw/marinated fish is high. Some parasitic infections have been recognized as a causative factor for human cancer. Suggested mechanisms include chronic inflammation elicited by the parasite, and a possible tumorigenic effect from certain parasitic secretions. Anisakis can produce persistent local inflammation and granuloma, and larvae have been incidentally found in gastrointestinal (GI) tumors. Our aim was to discover possible differences in the prevalence of unnoticed or asymptomatic previous Anisakis infection in GI cancer patients compared with healthy individuals. Serum levels of specific antibodies against Anisakis antigens were used as a reliable marker of previous contact with their larvae. Ninety-four participants without a previous history of Anisakis infection were prospectively allocated into 1 of 2 groups: 47 patients with GI cancer and 47 controls. Specific IgE, IgA1, and IgG1 against the Anisakis recombinant antigens Ani s 1, Ani s 5, Ani s 9, and Ani s 10 were determined by an ELISA assay. The ratio of positivity to sIgA1, rAni s 1, or rAni s 5 was significantly higher in the cancer patients than in the controls (38.30% vs 6.38%, P < 0.001) and (42.55% vs 10.64%, P < 0.001, respectively). When disaggregated by type of tumor, the patients with gastric cancer showed a higher proportion of positive results for sIgA1 to rAni s 1 (P < 0.001), whereas a higher proportion of colon cancer patients were shown to be positive for sIgA1 to both rAni s 1 (P < 0.05) and rAni s 5 (P < 0.01). Earlier Anisakis infection might be a risk factor for the development of stomach or colon cancer.

Kidney transplantation after previous liver transplantation: analysis of the organ procurement transplant network database.

PubMed

Gonwa, Thomas A; McBride, Maureen A; Mai, Martin L; Wadei, Hani M

2011-07-15

Patients after liver transplant have a high incidence of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We investigated kidney transplantation after liver transplantation using the Organ Procurement Transplant Network database. The Organ Procurement Transplant Network database was queried for patients who received kidney transplantation after previous liver transplantation. These patients were compared with patients who received primary kidney transplantation alone during the same time period. Between 1997 and 2008, 157,086 primary kidney transplants were performed. Of these, 680 deceased donor kidney transplants and 410 living donor kidney transplants were performed in previous recipients of liver transplants. The number of kidney after liver transplants performed each year has increased from 37 per year to 124 per year in 2008. The time from liver transplant to kidney transplant increased from 8.2 to 9.0 years for living donor transplants and from 5.4 to 9.6 years for deceased donor. The 1, 3, and 5 year actuarial graft survival in both living donor kidney after liver transplant and deceased donor kidney after liver transplant are less than the kidney transplant alone patients. However, the death-censored graft survivals are equal. The patient survival is also less but is similar to what would be expected in liver transplant recipients who did not have ESRD. In 2008, kidney after liver transplantation represented 0.9% of the total kidney alone transplants performed in the United States. Kidney transplantation is an appropriate therapy for selected patients who develop ESRD after liver transplantation.

Lung Transplantation From Donors After Previous Cardiac Surgery: Ideal Graft in Marginal Donor?

PubMed

Palleschi, A; Mendogni, P; Tosi, D; Montoli, M; Carrinola, R; Mariolo, A V; Briganti, F; Nosotti, M

2017-05-01

Lung transplantation is a limited by donor pool shortage. Despite the efforts to extend the graft acceptability with recurrent donor criteria reformulations, previous cardiothoracic surgery is still considered a contraindication. A donor who underwent cardiac surgery could potentially provide an ideal lung but high intraoperative risks and intrinsic technical challenges are expected during the graft harvesting. The purpose of this study is to present our dedicated protocol and four clinical cases of successful lung procurements from donors who had a previous major cardiac surgery. One donor had ascending aortic root (AAR) substitution, another had mitral valve substitution, and two had coronary artery bypass surgery. The others' eligibility criteria for organ allocation, such as ABO compatibility, PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio, absence of aspiration, or sepsis were respected. In one of the cases with previous coronary bypass grafting, the donor had a veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Consequently, the grafts required an ex vivo lung perfusion evaluation. We report the technical details of procurement and postoperative courses of recipients. All procurements were uneventful, without lung damage or waste of abdominal organs related to catastrophic intraoperative events. All recipients had a successful clinical outcome. We believe that successful transplantation is achievable even in a complicated setting, such as cases involving donors with previous cardiac surgery frequently are. Facing lung donor shortage, we strongly support any effort to avoid the loss of possible acceptable lungs. In particular, previous major cardiac surgery does not strictly imply a poor quality of lungs as well as unsustainable graft procurement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Women With Previous Pregnancy Complications.

PubMed

Grand'Maison, Sophie; Pilote, Louise; Schlosser, Kenny; Stewart, Duncan J; Okano, Marisa; Dayan, Natalie

2017-12-01

Women with previous cardiometabolic complications of pregnancy experience double the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, few data exist on the clinical effect of these complications at the time of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The objective of this work was to compare risk factors, clinical features, and outcomes among women with premature ACS with or without previous pregnancy complications (gestational diabetes and/or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy). Data were obtained from a multicentre cohort of individuals hospitalized with premature ACS. A total of 251 parous women were included and provided obstetric history and blood samples. They were followed for the development of major adverse cardiac events at 12 months. At presentation with ACS, women with a previous pregnancy complication (38%) were slightly younger than were women without such complications (47.4 ± 6.2 vs 49.1 ± 5.6 years; P = 0.002). They also had more traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. Specifically, women with previous preeclampsia were more likely to have chronic hypertension and an elevated ratio of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase:placental growth factor. There was no between-group difference in Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score or troponin tertile but there was a trend toward higher risk of ST-elevation myocardial infarction in women who had a previous pregnancy complication (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-3.23; P = 0.05). There was also an increased risk of recurrent ACS at 12 months in women with previous preeclampsia (hazard ratio, 6.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-33.63; P = 0.02). Among a cohort of women with ACS, previous pregnancy complications were associated with more severe disease and poorer outcome. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Loss of function at RAE2, a previously unidentified EPFL, is required for awnlessness in cultivated Asian rice.

PubMed

Bessho-Uehara, Kanako; Wang, Diane R; Furuta, Tomoyuki; Minami, Anzu; Nagai, Keisuke; Gamuyao, Rico; Asano, Kenji; Angeles-Shim, Rosalyn B; Shimizu, Yoshihiro; Ayano, Madoka; Komeda, Norio; Doi, Kazuyuki; Miura, Kotaro; Toda, Yosuke; Kinoshita, Toshinori; Okuda, Satohiro; Higashiyama, Tetsuya; Nomoto, Mika; Tada, Yasuomi; Shinohara, Hidefumi; Matsubayashi, Yoshikatsu; Greenberg, Anthony; Wu, Jianzhong; Yasui, Hideshi; Yoshimura, Atsushi; Mori, Hitoshi; McCouch, Susan R; Ashikari, Motoyuki

2016-08-09

Domestication of crops based on artificial selection has contributed numerous beneficial traits for agriculture. Wild characteristics such as red pericarp and seed shattering were lost in both Asian (Oryza sativa) and African (Oryza glaberrima) cultivated rice species as a result of human selection on common genes. Awnedness, in contrast, is a trait that has been lost in both cultivated species due to selection on different sets of genes. In a previous report, we revealed that at least three loci regulate awn development in rice; however, the molecular mechanism underlying awnlessness remains unknown. Here we isolate and characterize a previously unidentified EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-LIKE (EPFL) family member named REGULATOR OF AWN ELONGATION 2 (RAE2) and identify one of its requisite processing enzymes, SUBTILISIN-LIKE PROTEASE 1 (SLP1). The RAE2 precursor is specifically cleaved by SLP1 in the rice spikelet, where the mature RAE2 peptide subsequently induces awn elongation. Analysis of RAE2 sequence diversity identified a highly variable GC-rich region harboring multiple independent mutations underlying protein-length variation that disrupt the function of the RAE2 protein and condition the awnless phenotype in Asian rice. Cultivated African rice, on the other hand, retained the functional RAE2 allele despite its awnless phenotype. Our findings illuminate the molecular function of RAE2 in awn development and shed light on the independent domestication histories of Asian and African cultivated rice.

[Prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus in Mexico.

PubMed

Rojas-Martínez, Rosalba; Basto-Abreu, Ana; Aguilar-Salinas, Carlos A; Zárate-Rojas, Emiliano; Villalpando, Salvador; Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Tonatiuh

2018-01-01

To compare the prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes in 2016 with previous national surveys and to describe treatment and its complications. Mexico's national surveys Ensa 2000, Ensanut 2006, 2012 and 2016 were used. For 2016, logistic regression models and measures of central tendency and dispersion were obtained. The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes in 2016 was 9.4%. The increase of 2.2% relative to 2012 was not significant and only observed in patients older than 60 years. While preventive measures have increased, the access to medical treatment and lifestyle has not changed. The treatment has been modified, with an increase in insulin and decrease in hypoglycaemic agents. Population aging, lack of screening actions and the increase in diabetes complications will lead to an increase on the burden of disease. Policy measures targeting primary and secondary prevention of diabetes are crucial.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

PubMed

Peeters, Edwin T H M; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E M; Zuidam, Bastiaan G van

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

L-Dopa in Parkinsonism and the Influence of Previous Thalamotomy

PubMed Central

Hughes, R. C.; Polgar, J. G.; Weightman, D.; Walton, John N.

1971-01-01

A double-blind cross-over trial over 24 weeks (10 weeks on the active remedy, 4 weeks off treatment, and 10 weeks on placebo) of the effect of L-dopa on idiopathic Parkinsonism (paralysis agitans) has shown no difference in the response obtained in patients who had undergone previous stereotaxic ventrolateral thalamotomy and in those who had not. Of the 34 patients (18 men and 16 women) in the trial 18 had been operated on (nine unilateral, nine bilateral operations) and 16 had not. All patients entering the trial were taking anticholinergic drugs in stable dosage and these were continued throughout. The only factor which seemed to limit the response to treatment was pre-existing hypertension. Of 31 patients who completed the 10-week treatment period, 12 showed marked improvement, 15 moderate improvement, and 4 and mild or negligible change. It seems that previous ventrolateral thalamotomy affords some protection against the development of L-dopa-induced involuntary limb movements on the side contralateral to the operation. As found by others, maximum benefit was seen in bradykinesia and rigidity and related features but a significant reduction in tremor was also noted during treatment. Side effects (nausea, hypotension, and involuntary movements) were common but rarely limited the therapeutic response. PMID:4923653

Design, Development and Application of New, High-Performance Gear Steels

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

thesis work focused on design principles for advanced carburized bearing steels . He also received a Master of Product Development degree from...Design computational design technology to develop a new class of high-strength, secondary hardening gear steels that are optimized for high-temperature...high contact fatigue resistance, which makes it a candidate for applications such as camshafts and bearings , as well as gear sets. (Printed with

Previous cryopreservation alters the natural history of the red blood cell storage lesion

PubMed Central

Chang, Alex L.; Hoehn, Richard S.; Jernigan, Peter; Cox, Daniel; Schreiber, Martin; Pritts, Timothy A.

2016-01-01

Background During storage, packed red blood cells (pRBCs) undergo a number of biochemical, metabolic and morphologic changes, collectively known as the “storage lesion”. We aimed to determine the effect of cryopreservation on the red blood cell storage lesion compared to traditional 4°C storage. Methods Previously cryopreserved human packed red blood cells were compared to age matched never frozen packed red blood cells obtained from the local blood bank. The development of the red cell storage lesion was evaluated after 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42 days of storage at 4°C in AS-3 storage medium. We measured physiological parameters including cell counts, lactic acid and potassium concentrations as well as signs of eryptosis including loss of phosphatidylserine (PS) asymmetry, microparticle production and osmotic fragility in hypotonic saline. Results Compared to controls, previously cryopreserved pRBC at 7 days of storage in AS-3 showed lower red cell counts (3.7 vs 5.3 ×10^6 cells/uL, p(<0.01), hemoglobin (12.0 vs 16.5 g/dL, p<0.01), hematocrit (33.0 vs 46.5%, p<0.01), and pH (6.27 vs 6.72, p<0.01). Over 28 days of storage, storage cryopreserved pRBC developed increased cell free hemoglobin (0.7 vs 0.3 g/dL, p<0.01), greater PS exposure (10.1 vs 3.3%, p<0.01), and microparticle production (30,836 vs 1,802 MP/uL, p<0.01). Previously cryopreserved cells were also less resistant to osmotic stress. Conclusion The red blood cell storage lesion is accelerated in previously cryopreserved pRBC after thawing. Biochemical deterioration of thawed and deglycerolized red cells suggests that storage time prior to transfusion should be limited in order to achieve similar risk profiles as never frozen standard liquid storage pRBC units. PMID:27380532

24 CFR 200.222 - Certification of previous record on basis of a master list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... basis of a master list. 200.222 Section 200.222 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... Certification of previous record on basis of a master list. A principal may avoid repetitious listings by providing HUD with a complete master list, acceptable to the Participation Control Officer, of all projects...

24 CFR 200.222 - Certification of previous record on basis of a master list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... basis of a master list. 200.222 Section 200.222 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... Certification of previous record on basis of a master list. A principal may avoid repetitious listings by providing HUD with a complete master list, acceptable to the Participation Control Officer, of all projects...

24 CFR 200.222 - Certification of previous record on basis of a master list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... basis of a master list. 200.222 Section 200.222 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... Certification of previous record on basis of a master list. A principal may avoid repetitious listings by providing HUD with a complete master list, acceptable to the Participation Control Officer, of all projects...

24 CFR 200.222 - Certification of previous record on basis of a master list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... basis of a master list. 200.222 Section 200.222 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... Certification of previous record on basis of a master list. A principal may avoid repetitious listings by providing HUD with a complete master list, acceptable to the Participation Control Officer, of all projects...

24 CFR 200.222 - Certification of previous record on basis of a master list.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... basis of a master list. 200.222 Section 200.222 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to... Certification of previous record on basis of a master list. A principal may avoid repetitious listings by providing HUD with a complete master list, acceptable to the Participation Control Officer, of all projects...

Development of a high-performance composite cathode for LT-SOFC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Byung Wook

-ionized (DI) water, zeta potential profile of ESB powder in DI water as a function of pH was first achieved. The effect of a dispersant (ammonium citrate dibasic) on the stability of ESB powder dispersed in DI water was also investigated. Knowledge of BRO7 wet chemical synthesis from previous study was utilized for final product of in-situ BRO7-ESB composite cathodes. Such prepared composite particles were characterized and the electrochemical performance of in-situ BRO7-ESB composite cathodes was examined as well. Performance enhancement was observed so that ASR values of 0.097Ocm2 and 3.58Ocm2 were achieved at 700°C and 500°C, respectively, which were 19% and 22% improvement, respectively compared to those of conventionally mixed composite cathodes of BRO7-ESB. Finally, a highly controlled nanostructured BRO7-ESB composite cathode was developed by infiltration of BRO7 onto ESB scaffolds to maximize the effective TPB length, to improve the connectivity of ESB phase inside the cathode for better oxygen-ion diffusion, and to minimize delamination between the electrolyte and cathode layers. ESB scaffolds were first established by adding a graphite pore-former and controlling heat treatment condition. Nano-sized BRO7 particles were successfully created on the surface of previously formed ESB scaffold by infiltration of concentrated (Bi, Ru) nitrate solution followed by the optimized heat treatment. Such prepared composite cathodes exhibited superior electrochemical performance to conventionally made BRO7-ESB composite cathodes and even better than GNC BRO7-SS ESB developed in this dissertation, e.g. 0.073Ocm2 at 700°C and 1.82Ocm2 at 500°C, respectively. This cathode system was revealed to be highly competitive among all the reported composite cathodes consisting of the same or different materials prepared by various processing techniques. It was demonstrated that the extended TPB length from continuous network of BRO7 nanoparticles and better connectivity of ESB scaffolds

Endovascular thoracic aortic repair and previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair: is the increased risk of spinal cord ischemia real?

PubMed

Baril, Donald T; Carroccio, Alfio; Ellozy, Sharif H; Palchik, Eugene; Addis, Michael D; Jacobs, Tikva S; Teodorescu, Victoria; Marin, Michael L

2006-03-01

Spinal cord ischemia after endovascular thoracic aortic repair remains a significant risk. Previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair may increase this risk. This investigation reviews the occurrence of spinal cord ischemia after endovascular repair of the descending thoracic aorta in patients with previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair. Over an 8-year period, 125 patients underwent endovascular exclusion of the thoracic aorta at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. Twenty-eight of these patients had previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair. The 27 patients who underwent staged repairs all had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage during and following repair. This population was analyzed for the complication of spinal cord ischemia and factors related to its occurrence. Mean follow-up was 19.3 months (range 1-61). Spinal cord ischemia developed in four of the 28 patients (14.3%) who underwent endovascular thoracic aortic repair with previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair, while one of 97 patients (1.0%) developed ischemia among the remaining thoracic endograft population. One patient with concomitant abdominal aortic repair developed cord ischemia that manifested 12 hr following the procedure. The remaining three patients with previous abdominal aortic repair developed more delayed-onset paralysis ranging from the third postoperative day to 7 weeks following repair. Irreversible cord ischemia occurred in three patients, with full recovery in one patient. Major complications from CSF drainage occurred in one patient (3.7%). Spinal cord ischemia occurred at a markedly higher rate in patients with previous or concomitant abdominal aortic repair. This risk continued beyond the immediate postoperative period. The benefit of perioperative and salvage CSF drainage remains to be determined.

High-Fidelity Flash Lidar Model Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Amzajerdian, Farzin

2014-01-01

NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technologies (ALHAT) project is currently developing the critical technologies to safely and precisely navigate and land crew, cargo and robotic spacecraft vehicles on and around planetary bodies. One key element of this project is a high-fidelity Flash Lidar sensor that can generate three-dimensional (3-D) images of the planetary surface. These images are processed with hazard detection and avoidance and hazard relative navigation algorithms, and then are subsequently used by the Guidance, Navigation and Control subsystem to generate an optimal navigation solution. A complex, high-fidelity model of the Flash Lidar was developed in order to evaluate the performance of the sensor and its interaction with the interfacing ALHAT components on vehicles with different configurations and under different flight trajectories. The model contains a parameterized, general approach to Flash Lidar detection and reflects physical attributes such as range and electronic noise sources, and laser pulse temporal and spatial profiles. It also provides the realistic interaction of the laser pulse with terrain features that include varying albedo, boulders, craters slopes and shadows. This paper gives a description of the Flash Lidar model and presents results from the Lidar operating under different scenarios.

Additional Development and Systems Analyses of Pneumatic Technology for High Speed Civil Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englar, Robert J.; Willie, F. Scott; Lee, Warren J.

1999-01-01

In the Task I portion of this NASA research grant, configuration development and experimental investigations have been conducted on a series of pneumatic high-lift and control surface devices applied to a generic High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) model configuration to determine their potential for improved aerodynamic performance, plus stability and control of higher performance aircraft. These investigations were intended to optimize pneumatic lift and drag performance; provide adequate control and longitudinal stability; reduce separation flowfields at high angle of attack; increase takeoff/climbout lift-to-drag ratios; and reduce system complexity and weight. Experimental aerodynamic evaluations were performed on a semi-span HSCT generic model with improved fuselage fineness ratio and with interchangeable plain flaps, blown flaps, pneumatic Circulation Control Wing (CCW) high-lift configurations, plain and blown canards, a novel Circulation Control (CC) cylinder blown canard, and a clean cruise wing for reference. Conventional tail power was also investigated for longitudinal trim capability. Also evaluated was unsteady pulsed blowing of the wing high-lift system to determine if reduced pulsed mass flow rates and blowing requirements could be made to yield the same lift as that resulting from steady-state blowing. Depending on the pulsing frequency applied, reduced mass flow rates were indeed found able to provide lift augmentation at lesser blowing values than for the steady conditions. Significant improvements in the aerodynamic characteristics leading to improved performance and stability/control were identified, and the various components were compared to evaluate the pneumatic potential of each. Aerodynamic results were provided to the Georgia Tech Aerospace System Design Lab. to conduct the companion system analyses and feasibility study (Task 2) of theses concepts applied to an operational advanced HSCT aircraft. Results and conclusions from these

Multifunctional Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Discovery of Previously Invisible Biomarkers

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Many low-abundance biomarkers for early detection of cancer and other diseases are invisible to mass spectrometry because they exist in body fluids in very low concentrations, are masked by high-abundance proteins such as albumin and immunoglobulins, and are very labile. To overcome these barriers, we created porous, buoyant, core–shell hydrogel nanoparticles containing novel high affinity reactive chemical baits for protein and peptide harvesting, concentration, and preservation in body fluids. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) nanoparticles were functionalized with amino-containing dyes via zero-length cross-linking amidation reactions. Nanoparticles functionalized in the core with 17 different (12 chemically novel) molecular baits showed preferential high affinities (KD < 10–11 M) for specific low-abundance protein analytes. A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-vinylsulfonic acid) shell was added to the core particles. This shell chemistry selectively prevented unwanted entry of all size peptides derived from albumin without hindering the penetration of non-albumin small proteins and peptides. Proteins and peptides entered the core to be captured with high affinity by baits immobilized in the core. Nanoparticles effectively protected interleukin-6 from enzymatic degradation in sweat and increased the effective detection sensitivity of human growth hormone in human urine using multiple reaction monitoring analysis. Used in whole blood as a one-step, in-solution preprocessing step, the nanoparticles greatly enriched the concentration of low-molecular weight proteins and peptides while excluding albumin and other proteins above 30 kDa; this achieved a 10,000-fold effective amplification of the analyte concentration, enabling mass spectrometry (MS) discovery of candidate biomarkers that were previously undetectable. PMID:21999289

Reflections on Developing Secondary Vocational Education in High-Poverty Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jiang; Chen, Guofeng

2013-01-01

Developing vocational education is a necessity for the economic and social development of high-poverty areas in China. But vocational education in impoverished areas lacks social recognition and faces funding shortages, along with difficulties in recruiting students. Vocational high schools themselves also have shortcomings. This article considers…

Development of high-power dye laser chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konagai, Chikara; Kimura, Hironobu; Fukasawa, Teruichiro; Seki, Eiji; Abe, Motohisa; Mori, Hideo

2000-01-01

Copper vapor laser (CVL) pumped dye laser (DL) system, both in a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration, has been developed for Atomic Vapor Isotope Separation program in Japan. Dye laser output power of about 500 W has been proved in long-term operations over 200 hours. High power fiber optic delivery system is utilized in order to efficiently transport kilowatt level CVL beams to the DL MOPA. Single model CVL pumped DL oscillator has been developed and worked for 200 hours within +/- 0.1 pm wavelength stability. Phase modulator for spreading spectrum to the linewidth of hyperfine structure has been developed and demonstrated.

Development and characterization of high-efficiency, high-specific impulse xenon Hall thrusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofer, Richard Robert

This dissertation presents research aimed at extending the efficient operation of 1600 s specific impulse Hall thruster technology to the 2000--3000 s range. While recent studies of commercially developed Hall thrusters demonstrated greater than 4000 s specific impulse, maximum efficiency occurred at less than 3000 s. It was hypothesized that the efficiency maximum resulted as a consequence of modern magnetic field designs, optimized for 1600 s, which were unsuitable at high-specific impulse. Motivated by the industry efforts and mission studies, the aim of this research was to develop and characterize xenon Hall thrusters capable of both high-specific impulse and high-efficiency operation. The research divided into development and characterization phases. During the development phase, the laboratory-model NASA-173M Hall thrusters were designed with plasma lens magnetic field topographies and their performance and plasma characteristics were evaluated. Experiments with the NASA-173M version 1 (v1) validated the plasma lens design by showing how changing the magnetic field topography at high-specific impulse improved efficiency. Experiments with the NASA-173M version 2 (v2) showed there was a minimum current density and optimum magnetic field topography at which efficiency monotonically increased with voltage. Between 300--1000 V, total specific impulse and total efficiency of the NASA-173Mv2 operating at 10 mg/s ranged from 1600--3400 s and 51--61%, respectively. Comparison of the thrusters showed that efficiency can be optimized for specific impulse by varying the plasma lens design. During the characterization phase, additional plasma properties of the NASA-173Mv2 were measured and a performance model was derived accounting for a multiply-charged, partially-ionized plasma. Results from the model based on experimental data showed how efficient operation at high-specific impulse was enabled through regulation of the electron current with the magnetic field. The

Technical Note: A novel leaf sequencing optimization algorithm which considers previous underdose and overdose events for MLC tracking radiotherapy

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

Wisotzky, Eric, E-mail: eric.wisotzky@charite.de, E-mail: eric.wisotzky@ipk.fraunhofer.de; O’Brien, Ricky; Keall, Paul J., E-mail: paul.keall@sydney.edu.au

2016-01-15

Purpose: Multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking radiotherapy is complex as the beam pattern needs to be modified due to the planned intensity modulation as well as the real-time target motion. The target motion cannot be planned; therefore, the modified beam pattern differs from the original plan and the MLC sequence needs to be recomputed online. Current MLC tracking algorithms use a greedy heuristic in that they optimize for a given time, but ignore past errors. To overcome this problem, the authors have developed and improved an algorithm that minimizes large underdose and overdose regions. Additionally, previous underdose and overdose events aremore » taken into account to avoid regions with high quantity of dose events. Methods: The authors improved the existing MLC motion control algorithm by introducing a cumulative underdose/overdose map. This map represents the actual projection of the planned tumor shape and logs occurring dose events at each specific regions. These events have an impact on the dose cost calculation and reduce recurrence of dose events at each region. The authors studied the improvement of the new temporal optimization algorithm in terms of the L1-norm minimization of the sum of overdose and underdose compared to not accounting for previous dose events. For evaluation, the authors simulated the delivery of 5 conformal and 14 intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)-plans with 7 3D patient measured tumor motion traces. Results: Simulations with conformal shapes showed an improvement of L1-norm up to 8.5% after 100 MLC modification steps. Experiments showed comparable improvements with the same type of treatment plans. Conclusions: A novel leaf sequencing optimization algorithm which considers previous dose events for MLC tracking radiotherapy has been developed and investigated. Reductions in underdose/overdose are observed for conformal and IMRT delivery.« less

T wave abnormalities, high body mass index, current smoking and high lipoprotein (a) levels predict the development of major abnormal Q/QS patterns 20 years later. A population-based study

PubMed Central

Moller, Christina Strom; Byberg, Liisa; Sundstrom, Johan; Lind, Lars

2006-01-01

Background Most studies on risk factors for development of coronary heart disease (CHD) have been based on the clinical outcome of CHD. Our aim was to identify factors that could predict the development of ECG markers of CHD, such as abnormal Q/QS patterns, ST segment depression and T wave abnormalities, in 70-year-old men, irrespective of clinical outcome. Methods Predictors for development of different ECG abnormalities were identified in a population-based study using stepwise logistic regression. Anthropometrical and metabolic factors, ECG abnormalities and vital signs from a health survey of men at age 50 were related to ECG abnormalities identified in the same cohort 20 years later. Results At the age of 70, 9% had developed a major abnormal Q/QS pattern, but 63% of these subjects had not been previously hospitalized due to MI, while 57% with symptomatic MI between age 50 and 70 had no major Q/QS pattern at age 70. T wave abnormalities (Odds ratio 3.11, 95% CI 1.18–8.17), high lipoprotein (a) levels, high body mass index (BMI) and smoking were identified as significant independent predictors for the development of abnormal major Q/QS patterns. T wave abnormalities and high fasting glucose levels were significant independent predictors for the development of ST segment depression without abnormal Q/QS pattern. Conclusion T wave abnormalities on resting ECG should be given special attention and correlated with clinical information. Risk factors for major Q/QS patterns need not be the same as traditional risk factors for clinically recognized CHD. High lipoprotein (a) levels may be a stronger risk factor for silent myocardial infarction (MI) compared to clinically recognized MI. PMID:16519804

Review of high field superconducting magnet development at Oxford Instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, F. J.; Kerley, N. W.; Knox, R. B.; Timms, K. W.

1996-02-01

Present commercial development activity for high field superconducting magnets is focused clearly in three directions. The development of solenoid magnets with flux densities in excess of 20 T, the production of highly homogeneous fields at 20 T, and development of large split pair magnets in excess of 12 T. Recent developments in split pair technology allows us to build magnets with useful access, transverse to the field, up to 15 T. Compact solenoid magnets to 20 T have been available commercially for over 3 yr now with a progressive increment in bore size, providing associated engineering challenges. A 20 T solenoid with a clear bore of 52 mm and a homogeneity of 0.1% is now a standard production item. Improving the homogeneity to the 1 ppm level involves re-assessment of critical design parameters and choice of materials. Our development over the last twelve months has culminated in a 20 T solenoid with base homogeneity of 5 ppm over a 10 mm sphere. In order to realise persistent fields in excess of 20 T, requires the priority on development to be switched from engineering and manufacturing towards material development and enhancement. We present the findings and conclusions of our high field development program over the last 3 yr, together with an outline of our requirements and activities in materials and engineering leading to the next step in high field magnet manufacture, using conventional low Tc conductors.

Triglycerides as an early pathophysiological marker of endothelial dysfunction in nondiabetic women with a previous history of gestational diabetes.

PubMed

Sokup, Alina; Góralczyk, Barbara; Góralczyk, Krzysztof; Rość, Danuta

2012-02-01

To investigate whether baseline triglyceride levels are associated with early glucose dysregulation and/or cardiovascular risk in women with a previous history of gestational diabetes. Prospective postpregnancy cohort study. Polish university hospitals. Participants included 125 women with previous gestational diabetes and 40 women with normal glucose regulation during pregnancy. All women were studied 2-24 months (mean 12 ± 10 months) after the index pregnancy. Women with previous gestational diabetes were divided into tertiles in accordance with baseline triglyceride levels. We assessed glucose regulation (oral glucose tolerance test), insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment), markers of endothelial dysfunction (soluble: intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, von Willebrand factor antigen), fibrinolysis (plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen), inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and lipid levels. Women with previous gestational diabetes (78% normal glucose regulation, 22% impaired glucose tolerance) had a high cardiometabolic risk profile compared with control women (100% normal glucose regulation). Baseline triglycerides >0.83 mmol/l were associated with a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance, higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio. Triglycerides >1.22 mmol/l were associated with higher body fat indexes, higher insulin resistance, higher levels of endothelial dysfunction biomarkers, higher plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen and dyslipidemia. Only E-selectin was independently associated with triglyceride levels. Baseline triglyceride levels are a cardiovascular risk marker as well as a pathophysiological parameter independently associated with endothelial dysfunction in nondiabetic women with previous gestational diabetes at 2-24 months after an index pregnancy. Normalization of

75 FR 76056 - FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT:

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: STATUS: Closed meeting. PLACE: 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC. DATE AND TIME OF PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED MEETING: Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 2 p.m. CHANGE IN THE MEETING: Time change. The closed...

Research and Development of High-Power and High-Energy Electrochemical Storage Devices

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

No, author

2014-04-30

The accomplishments and technology progressmade during the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26- 05NT42403 (duration: July 11, 2005 through April 30, 2014, funded for $125 million in cost- shared research) are summarized in this Final Technical Report for a total of thirty-seven (37) collaborative programs organized by the United States Advanced Battery Consortium, LLC (USABC). The USABC is a partnership, formed in 1991, between the three U.S. domestic automakers Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, to sponsor development of advanced high-performance batteries for electric and hybrid electric vehicle applications. The USABC provides a unique opportunity for developers tomore » leverage their resources in combination with those of the automotive industry and the Federal government. This type of pre-competitive cooperation minimizes duplication of effort and risk of failure, and maximizes the benefits to the public of the government funds. A major goal of this program is to promote advanced battery development that can lead to commercialization within the domestic, and as appropriate, the foreign battery industry. A further goal of this program is to maintain a consortium that engages the battery manufacturers with the automobile manufacturers and other key stakeholders, universities, the National Laboratories, and manufacturers and developers that supply critical materials and components to the battery industry. Typically, the USABC defines and establishes consensus goals, conducts pre-competitive, vehicle-related research and development (R&D) in advanced battery technology. The R&D carried out by the USABC is an integral part of the DOE’s effort to develop advanced transportation technologies that will significantly improve fuel economy, comply with projected emissions and safety regulations, and use domestically produced fuels. The USABC advanced battery development plan has the following three focus areas: 1. Existing technology

The Effects of the Previous Outcome on Probabilistic Choice in Rats

PubMed Central

Marshall, Andrew T.; Kirkpatrick, Kimberly

2014-01-01

This study examined the effects of previous outcomes on subsequent choices in a probabilistic-choice task. Twenty-four rats were trained to choose between a certain outcome (1 or 3 pellets) versus an uncertain outcome (3 or 9 pellets), delivered with a probability of .1, .33, .67, and .9 in different phases. Uncertain outcome choices increased with the probability of uncertain food. Additionally, uncertain choices increased with the probability of uncertain food following both certain-choice outcomes and unrewarded uncertain choices. However, following uncertain-choice food outcomes, there was a tendency to choose the uncertain outcome in all cases, indicating that the rats continued to “gamble” after successful uncertain choices, regardless of the overall probability or magnitude of food. A subsequent manipulation, in which the probability of uncertain food varied within each session as a function of the previous uncertain outcome, examined how the previous outcome and probability of uncertain food affected choice in a dynamic environment. Uncertain-choice behavior increased with the probability of uncertain food. The rats exhibited increased sensitivity to probability changes and a greater degree of win–stay/lose–shift behavior than in the static phase. Simulations of two sequential choice models were performed to explore the possible mechanisms of reward value computations. The simulation results supported an exponentially decaying value function that updated as a function of trial (rather than time). These results emphasize the importance of analyzing global and local factors in choice behavior and suggest avenues for the future development of sequential-choice models. PMID:23205915

The effect of previous traumatic injury on homicide risk.

PubMed

Griffin, Russell L; Davis, Gregory G; Levitan, Emily B; MacLennan, Paul A; Redden, David T; McGwin, Gerald

2014-07-01

Research has reported that a strong risk factor for traumatic injury is having a previous injury (i.e., recidivism). To date, the only study examining the relationship between recidivism and homicide reported strong associations, but was limited by possible selection bias. The current matched case-control study utilized coroner's data from 2004 to 2008. Subjects were linked to trauma registry data to determine whether the person had a previous traumatic injury. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between homicide and recidivism. Homicide risk was increased for those having a previous traumatic injury (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.09-2.99) or a previous intentional injury (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.24-5.17). These results suggest an association between homicide and injury recidivism, and that trauma centers may be an effective setting for screening individuals for secondary prevention efforts of homicide through violence prevention programs. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Development of a High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector for Synchrotrons and XFELs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Joel Todd

Advances in synchrotron radiation light source technology have opened new lines of inquiry in material science, biology, and everything in between. However, x-ray detector capabilities must advance in concert with light source technology to fully realize experimental possibilities. X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) place particularly large demands on the capabilities of detectors, and developments towards diffraction-limited storage ring sources also necessitate detectors capable of measuring very high flux [1-3]. The detector described herein builds on the Mixed Mode Pixel Array Detector (MM-PAD) framework, developed previously by our group to perform high dynamic range imaging, and the Adaptive Gain Integrating Pixel Detector (AGIPD) developed for the European XFEL by a collaboration between Deustsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), the Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI), the University of Hamburg, and the University of Bonn, led by Heinz Graafsma [4, 5]. The feasibility of combining adaptive gain with charge removal techniques to increase dynamic range in XFEL experiments is assessed by simulating XFEL scatter with a pulsed infrared laser. The strategy is incorporated into pixel prototypes which are evaluated with direct current injection to simulate very high incident x-ray flux. A fully functional 16x16 pixel hybrid integrating x-ray detector featuring several different pixel architectures based on the prototypes was developed. This dissertation describes its operation and characterization. To extend dynamic range, charge is removed from the integration node of the front-end amplifier without interrupting integration. The number of times this process occurs is recorded by a digital counter in the pixel. The parameter limiting full well is thereby shifted from the size of an integration capacitor to the depth of a digital counter. The result is similar to that achieved by counting pixel array detectors, but the integrators presented here are designed to tolerate a

Impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in women with previous gestational diabetes.

PubMed

Anastasiou, E; Lekakis, J P; Alevizaki, M; Papamichael, C M; Megas, J; Souvatzoglou, A; Stamatelopoulos, S F

1998-12-01

To assess whether otherwise healthy women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may have abnormalities in endothelial function at a very early stage, before glucose intolerance occurs. A total of 33 women with previous GDM (17 nonobese [BMI < 27] and 16 obese [BMI > or = 27]) and 19 healthy nonobese women were examined. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and insulin levels and biochemical parameters were also measured. Using high-resolution ultrasound, we measured vasodilatory responses of the brachial artery during reactive hyperemia (endothelium-dependent vasodilatation), and after nitroglycerin administration, an endothelium-independent vasodilator. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was significantly and equally decreased in both groups of women with previous GDM, compared with control subjects (1.6 +/- 3.7% in the nonobese GDM group and 1.6 +/- 2.5% in the obese GDM group vs. 10.3 +/- 4.4% in control subjects, P < 0.001). FMD correlated inversely with serum uric acid levels, BMI, serum total cholesterol, and basal insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment). Nitrate-induced dilatation was significantly decreased only in the obese GDM group compared with control subjects, (21.4 +/- 5.1 vs. 27.9 +/- 9.5, P < 0.05). Endothelial dysfunction, which is considered as a very early index of atherogenesis, is already present in both obese and nonobese women with a history of GDM, even when they have normal glucose tolerance.

5 CFR 532.405 - Use of highest previous rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Use of highest previous rate. 532.405 Section 532.405 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS Pay Administration § 532.405 Use of highest previous rate. (a)(1) Subject to the...

28 CFR 10.5 - Incorporation of papers previously filed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Incorporation of papers previously filed... CARRYING ON ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES Registration Statement § 10.5 Incorporation of papers previously filed. Papers and documents already filed with the Attorney General pursuant to the said act and...

28 CFR 10.5 - Incorporation of papers previously filed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Incorporation of papers previously filed... CARRYING ON ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES Registration Statement § 10.5 Incorporation of papers previously filed. Papers and documents already filed with the Attorney General pursuant to the said act and...

27 CFR 26.55 - Previously approved formulas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Formulas for Products From Puerto Rico § 26.55 Previously approved formulas. Any formula approved on Form...

27 CFR 26.55 - Previously approved formulas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Formulas for Products From Puerto Rico § 26.55 Previously approved formulas. Any formula approved on Form...

27 CFR 26.55 - Previously approved formulas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Formulas for Products From Puerto Rico § 26.55 Previously approved formulas. Any formula approved on Form...

27 CFR 26.55 - Previously approved formulas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Formulas for Products From Puerto Rico § 26.55 Previously approved formulas. Any formula approved on Form...

27 CFR 26.55 - Previously approved formulas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Formulas for Products From Puerto Rico § 26.55 Previously approved formulas. Any formula approved on Form...

High and low density development in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

William A. Gould; Sebastian Martinuzzi; Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez

2008-01-01

This map shows the distribution of high and low density developed lands in Puerto Rico (Martinuzzi et al. 2007). The map was created using a mosaic of Landsat ETM+ images that range from the years 2000 to 2003. The developed land cover was classified using the Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique (ISODATA) unsupervised classification (ERDAS 2003)....

Development of a High Energy Density Capacitor for Plasma Thrusters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-01

AD-A091 839 MAXWELL LAOS INC SAN DIEGO CA FIG 81/3 DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH ENERGY DENSITY CAPACITOR FOR PLASMA THRUS--ETC(U) OCT 80 A RAMRUS FO*611-77...of the program was the investigation of certain capacitor impregnants and their influence on high energy density capacitors which are employed in...PERIOD 1704,60~ 13 DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH ENERGY DENSITY CAPA- Final Technical Report CITOR FOR PLASMA THRUSTERS July 1977 - May 1980 6 PERFORMING

Project Georgia High School/High Tech

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

The High School/High Tech initiative of the President's Committee on Employment of Disabilities, Georgia's application of the collaborative "Georgia Model" and NASA's commitment of funding have shown that opportunities for High School/High Tech students are unlimited. In Georgia, the partnership approach to meeting the needs of this program has opened doors previously closed. As the program grows and develops, reflecting the needs of our students and the marketplace, more opportunities will be available. Our collaboratives are there to provide these opportunities and meet the challenge of matching our students with appropriate education and career goals. Summing up the activities and outcomes of Project Georgia High School/High Tech is not difficult. Significant outcomes have already occurred in the Savannah area as a result of NASA's grant. The support of NASA has enabled Georgia Committee to "grow" High School/High Tech throughout the region-and, by example, the state. The success of the Columbus pilot project has fostered the proliferation of projects, resulting in more than 30 Georgia High School High Tech programs-with eight in the Savannah area.

High Temperature-Induced Expression of Rice α-Amylases in Developing Endosperm Produces Chalky Grains.

PubMed

Nakata, Masaru; Fukamatsu, Yosuke; Miyashita, Tomomi; Hakata, Makoto; Kimura, Rieko; Nakata, Yuriko; Kuroda, Masaharu; Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Yamakawa, Hiromoto

2017-01-01

Global warming impairs grain filling in rice and reduces starch accumulation in the endosperm, leading to chalky-appearing grains, which damages their market value. We found previously that high temperature-induced expression of starch-lytic α-amylases during ripening is crucial for grain chalkiness. Because the rice genome carries at least eight functional α-amylase genes, identification of the α-amylase(s) that contribute most strongly to the production of chalky grains could accelerate efficient breeding. To identify α-amylase genes responsible for the production of chalky grains, we characterized the histological expression pattern of eight α-amylase genes and the influences of their overexpression on grain appearance and carbohydrate components through a series of experiments with transgenic rice plants. The promoter activity of most α - amylase genes was elevated to various extents at high temperature. Among them, the expression of Amy1A and Amy3C was induced in the internal, especially basal to dorsal, region of developing endosperm, whereas that of Amy3D was confined near the ventral aleurone. These regions coincided with the site of occurrence of chalkiness, which was in clear contrast to conventionally known expression patterns of the enzyme in the scutellum and aleurone during seed germination. Furthermore, overexpression of α-amylase genes, except for Amy3E , in developing endosperm produced various degrees of chalky grains without heat exposure, whereas that of Amy3E yielded normal translucent grains, as was the case in the vector control, even though Amy3E -overexpressing grains contained enhanced α-amylase activities. The weight of the chalky grains was decreased due to reduced amounts of starch, and microscopic observation of the chalky part of these grains revealed that their endosperm consisted of loosely packed round starch granules that had numerous pits on their surface, confirming the hydrolysis of the starch reserve by �

Development of a Single High Fat Meal Challenge to Unmask ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Stress tests are used clinically to determine the presence of underlying disease and predict future cardiovascular risk. In previous studies, we used treadmill exercise stress in rats to unmask the priming effects of air pollution inhalation. Other day-to-day activities stress the cardiovascular system, and when modeled experimentally, may be useful in identifying latent effects of air pollution exposure. For example, a single high fat (HF) meal can cause transient vascular endothelial dysfunction and increases in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), oxidative stress, and inflammation. Given the prevalence of HF meals in western diets, the goal of this study was to develop a HF meal challenge in rats to see if air pollution primes the body for a subsequent stress-induced adverse response. Healthy male Wistar Kyoto rats were fasted for six hours and then administered a single oral gavage of isocaloric lard-based HF or low fat (LF) suspensions, or a water vehicle control. We hypothesized that rats given a HF load would elicit postprandial changes in cardiopulmonary function that were distinct from LF and vehicle controls. One to four hours after gavage, rats underwent whole body plethysmography to assess breathing patterns, cardiovascular ultrasounds, blood draws for measurements of systemic lipids and hormones and a test for sensitivity to aconitine-induced arrhythmia. HF gavage caused an increase in circulating TG relative to LF and vehicle controls and an incre

No discrimination against previous mates in a sexually cannibalistic spider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fromhage, Lutz; Schneider, Jutta M.

2005-09-01

In several animal species, females discriminate against previous mates in subsequent mating decisions, increasing the potential for multiple paternity. In spiders, female choice may take the form of selective sexual cannibalism, which has been shown to bias paternity in favor of particular males. If cannibalistic attacks function to restrict a male's paternity, females may have little interest to remate with males having survived such an attack. We therefore studied the possibility of female discrimination against previous mates in sexually cannibalistic Argiope bruennichi, where females almost always attack their mate at the onset of copulation. We compared mating latency and copulation duration of males having experienced a previous copulation either with the same or with a different female, but found no evidence for discrimination against previous mates. However, males copulated significantly shorter when inserting into a used, compared to a previously unused, genital pore of the female.

The reliability of the Associate Platinum digital foot scanner in measuring previously developed footprint characteristics: a technical note.

PubMed

Papuga, M Owen; Burke, Jeanmarie R

2011-02-01

An ink pad and paper, pressure-sensitive platforms, and photography have previously been used to collect footprint data used in clinical assessment. Digital scanners have been widely used more recently to collect such data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intra- and interrater reliability of a flatbed digital image scanning technology to capture footprint data. This study used a repeated-measures design on 32 (16 male 16 female) healthy subjects. The following measured indices of footprint were recorded from 2-dimensional images of the plantar surface of the foot recorded with an Associate Platinum (Foot Levelers Inc, Roanoke, VA) digital foot scanner: Staheli index, Chippaux-Smirak index, arch angle, and arch index. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were calculated to evaluate intrarater, interday, and interclinician reliability. The ICC values for intrarater reliability were greater than or equal to .817, indicating an excellent level of reproducibility in assessing the collected images. Analyses of variance revealed that there were no significant differences between raters for each index (P > .05). The ICC values also indicated excellent reliability (.881-.971) between days and clinicians in all but one of the indices of footprint, arch angle (.689), with good reliability between clinicians. The full-factorial analysis of variance model did not reveal any interaction effects (P > .05), which indicated that indices of footprint were not changing across days and clinicians. Scanning technology used in this study demonstrated good intra- and interrater reliability measurements of footprint indices, as demonstrated by high ICC values. Copyright © 2011 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of high-performance blended cements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zichao

2000-10-01

This thesis presents the development of high-performance blended cements from industrial by-products. To overcome the low-early strength of blended cements, several chemicals were studied as the activators for cement hydration. Sodium sulfate was discovered as the best activator. The blending proportions were optimized by Taguchi experimental design. The optimized blended cements containing up to 80% fly ash performed better than Type I cement in strength development and durability. Maintaining a constant cement content, concrete produced from the optimized blended cements had equal or higher strength and higher durability than that produced from Type I cement alone. The key for the activation mechanism was the reaction between added SO4 2- and Ca2+ dissolved from cement hydration products.

Effects of the Previous Typhoon on the Track of the Following Typhoon: Bolaven (1215) and Tembin (1214)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, M.; Choi, Y.; Ha, K. J.

2017-12-01

The effects of sea surface temperature (SST) gradient induced by the previous typhoon and intensity of the previous typhoon on the following typhoon motion over East Asia have been investigated using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for the previous Typhoon Bolaven (1215) and following Typhoon Tembin (1214). Using the WRF experiments for the imposed cold wake over Yellow Sea (YS) and over East China Sea (ECS), this study demonstrates that the effects of eastward SST gradient including cold wake over YS is much significant rather than that over ECS in relation to unexpected Tembin's deflection and the effect of the strong previous typhoon is faster than weaker previous typhoon in relation to Tembin. This difference between two experiments is attributed to the fact that cold wake over YS increases the magnitude of SST gradient under the eastward SST gradient around East Asia and the resultant asymmetric flow deflects Typhoon Tembin eastward, which is mainly due to the different atmospheric response to the SST forcing between ECS and YS. the effect of the previous typhoon intensity developed mid-latitude trough and makes the following typhoon favorable to move fast.

The development of kilohertz planar laser diagnostics for applications in high power turbulent flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slabaugh, Carson Daniel

two-dimensional, two-component velocity field measurements is discussed. The effects of high flame luminosity and particle defocusing on the signal-to-noise ratio are discussed. Laser sheet absorption effects, which have been reported to be severe in many previous high pressure OH-PLIF attempts, were not observed to be significant in this work. The time-averaged peak and (spatial) mean signal to noise ratios were 12.7 and 6.3, respectively, at the flame B operating condition; 550 kW total thermal power and 1.0 MPa combustion chamber pressure. Simultaneous 5 kHz PIV and OH-PLIF measurements showed good agreement between single-shot flow-flame interactions, but unresolved, out-of-plane velocity components restricted the interpretation of the temporal context. At a 5 kHz interrogation frequency, the temporal resolution of the measurements was found to be sufficient for only the largest scales within the turbulent flame. The development of an analysis library for the extraction of physical data from highly-resolved planar measurements is also described. The resolution of the measurements, in space and time, is described with respect to the integral scales of the flow. The mean flow structure and its resultant effect on flame behavior is discussed. A method to perform mass-weighted averaging of flow variables was developed for direct comparison of turbulent flow properties between experimental measurements and computations. Conditional statistical sampling and length-scale filtering were used to elucidate details of flow-flame interactions as they pertain to sub-grid modeling in large-eddy simulations.

[Relationship between previous severity of illness and outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest].

PubMed

Serrano, M; Rodríguez, J; Espejo, A; del Olmo, R; Llanos, S; Del Castillo, J; López-Herce, J

2014-07-01

To analyze the relationship between previous severity of illness, lactic acid, creatinine and inotropic index with mortality of in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in children, and the value of a prognostic index designed for adults. The study included total of 44 children aged from 1 month to 18 years old who suffered a cardiac arrest while in hospital. The relationship between previous severity of illness scores (PRIMS and PELOD), lactic acid, creatinine, treatment with vasoactive drugs, inotropic index with return of spontaneous circulation and survival at hospital discharge was analyzed. The large majority (90.3%) of patients had a return of spontaneous circulation, and 59% survived at hospital discharge. More than two-thirds (68.2%) were treated with inotropic drugs at the time of the CA. The patients who died had a higher lactic acid before the CA (3.4 mmol/L) than survivors (1.4 mmol/L), P=.04. There were no significant differences in PRIMS, PELOD, creatinine, inotropic drugs, and inotropic index before CA between patients who died and survivors. A high lactic acid previous to cardiac arrest could be a prognostic factor of in-hospital cardiac arrest in children. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Age, training, and previous experience predict race performance in long-distance inline skaters, not anthropometry.

PubMed

Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald

2012-02-01

The association of characteristics of anthropometry, training, and previous experience with race time in 84 recreational, long-distance, inline skaters at the longest inline marathon in Europe (111 km), the Inline One-eleven in Switzerland, was investigated to identify predictor variables for performance. Age, duration per training unit, and personal best time were the only three variables related to race time in a multiple regression, while none of the 16 anthropometric variables were related. Anthropometric characteristics seem to be of no importance for a fast race time in a long-distance inline skating race in contrast to training volume and previous experience, when controlled with covariates. Improving performance in a long-distance inline skating race might be related to a high training volume and previous race experience. Also, doing such a race requires a parallel psychological effort, mental stamina, focus, and persistence. This may be reflected in the preparation and training for the event. Future studies should investigate what motivates these athletes to train and compete.

A previous hamstring injury affects kicking mechanics in soccer players.

PubMed

Navandar, Archit; Veiga, Santiago; Torres, Gonzalo; Chorro, David; Navarro, Enrique

2018-01-10

Although the kicking skill is influenced by limb dominance and sex, how a previous hamstring injury affects kicking has not been studied in detail. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sex and limb dominance on kicking in limbs with and without a previous hamstring injury. 45 professional players (males: n=19, previously injured players=4, age=21.16 ± 2.00 years; females: n=19, previously injured players=10, age=22.15 ± 4.50 years) performed 5 kicks each with their preferred and non-preferred limb at a target 7m away, which were recorded with a three-dimensional motion capture system. Kinematic and kinetic variables were extracted for the backswing, leg cocking, leg acceleration and follow through phases. A shorter backswing (20.20 ± 3.49% vs 25.64 ± 4.57%), and differences in knee flexion angle (58 ± 10o vs 72 ± 14o) and hip flexion velocity (8 ± 0rad/s vs 10 ± 2rad/s) were observed in previously injured, non-preferred limb kicks for females. A lower peak hip linear velocity (3.50 ± 0.84m/s vs 4.10 ± 0.45m/s) was observed in previously injured, preferred limb kicks of females. These differences occurred in the backswing and leg-cocking phases where the hamstring muscles were the most active. A variation in the functioning of the hamstring muscles and that of the gluteus maximus and iliopsoas in the case of a previous injury could account for the differences observed in the kicking pattern. Therefore, the effects of a previous hamstring injury must be considered while designing rehabilitation programs to re-educate kicking movement.

Career Development in Alternative High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyhof, Daniel Clark

2013-01-01

Public schools, colleges, and universities all strive to prepare students for the workforce or further education through career development activities and career education. Research shows many high school students have had insufficient exposure to and have inadequate information about career related tasks and duties. Studies also show that many…

Subsequent childbirth after a previous traumatic birth.

PubMed

Beck, Cheryl Tatano; Watson, Sue

2010-01-01

Nine percent of new mothers in the United States who participated in the Listening to Mothers II Postpartum Survey screened positive for meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth. Women who have had a traumatic birth experience report fewer subsequent children and a longer length of time before their second baby. Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder impacts couples' physical relationship, communication, conflict, emotions, and bonding with their children. The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of women's experiences of a subsequent childbirth after a previous traumatic birth. Phenomenology was the research design used. An international sample of 35 women participated in this Internet study. Women were asked, "Please describe in as much detail as you can remember your subsequent pregnancy, labor, and delivery following your previous traumatic birth." Colaizzi's phenomenological data analysis approach was used to analyze the stories of the 35 women. Data analysis yielded four themes: (a) riding the turbulent wave of panic during pregnancy; (b) strategizing: attempts to reclaim their body and complete the journey to motherhood; (c) bringing reverence to the birthing process and empowering women; and (d) still elusive: the longed-for healing birth experience. Subsequent childbirth after a previous birth trauma has the potential to either heal or retraumatize women. During pregnancy, women need permission and encouragement to grieve their prior traumatic births to help remove the burden of their invisible pain.

Functional Metagenomics Reveals Previously Unrecognized Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Gulls

PubMed Central

Martiny, Adam C.; Martiny, Jennifer B. H.; Weihe, Claudia; Field, Andrew; Ellis, Julie C.

2011-01-01

Wildlife may facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR) between human-dominated habitats and the surrounding environment. Here, we use functional metagenomics to survey the diversity and genomic context of AR genes in gulls. Using this approach, we found a variety of AR genes not previously detected in gulls and wildlife, including class A and C β-lactamases as well as six tetracycline resistance gene types. An analysis of the flanking sequences indicates that most of these genes are present in Enterobacteriaceae and various Gram-positive bacteria. In addition to finding known gene types, we detected 31 previously undescribed AR genes. These undescribed genes include one most similar to an uncharacterized gene in Verrucomicrobium and another to a putative DNA repair protein in Lactobacillus. Overall, the study more than doubled the number of clinically relevant AR gene types known to be carried by gulls or by wildlife in general. Together with the propensity of gulls to visit human-dominated habitats, this high diversity of AR gene types suggests that gulls could facilitate the spread of AR. PMID:22347872

Previous exposure to the World Trade Center terrorist attack and posttraumatic symptoms among older adults following Hurricane Sandy.

PubMed

Shrira, Amit; Palgi, Yuval; Hamama-Raz, Yaira; Goodwin, Robin; Ben-Ezra, Menachem

2014-01-01

The present study tested the maturation and inoculation hypotheses by examining whether age and previous exposure to the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attack moderated the relationship between degree of exposure to Hurricane Sandy and related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. An online sample of 1,000 participants from affected states completed self-report questionnaires one month after Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. Participants reported their degree of exposure to the WTC terrorist attack and to Hurricane Sandy, and their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following Hurricane Sandy. The positive relationship between degree of exposure to Hurricane Sandy and level of PTSD symptoms was weaker among older adults. An additional significant three-way interaction suggested that both age and previous exposure to the WTC terrorist attack moderated the relationship between degree of exposure to Hurricane Sandy and level of PTSD symptoms. Previous high degree of exposure to the WTC terrorist attack was related to a weaker effect of current exposure to Hurricane Sandy on PTSD symptoms among older adults. However, among younger adults, previous high degree of exposure to the WTC terrorist attack was related to a stronger effect of current exposure on PTSD symptoms. When confronted by a natural disaster, American older adults are generally resilient. Supporting the inoculation hypothesis, resilience of older adults may be partly related to the strength successfully extracted from previous exposure to adverse events.

Soft and wet actuator developed with responsible high-strength gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, S.; Hidema, R.; Furukawa, H.

2012-04-01

Novel high-strength gels, named double network gels (DN gels), show a smart response to altering external electric field. It was reported that a plate shape of the DN gel bends toward a positive electrode direction when a static (DC) electric field is applied. Based on this previous result, it has been tried to develop a novel soft and wet actuator, which will be used as an automatically bulging button for cellar phones, or similar small devices. First, a bending experiment of a hung plate-shape DN gel was done, and its electric field response was confirmed. Second, the response of a lying plate-shape DN gels was confirmed in order to check the bulging phenomena. The edge of three plate-shape gels that was arranged radially on a plane surface was lifted 2mm by applying DC 8V. This system is a first step to make a gels button. However the critical problem is that electrolysis occurs simultaneously under electric field. Then, the water sweep out from gels, and gels is shrinking; They cause the separation between aluminum foil working as electrode and gels. That is why, a flexible electrode should be made by gels completely attached to the gels. As a third step, a push button is tried to make by a shape memory gels (SMG). The Young's modulus of the SMG is dramatically changed by temperature. This change in the modulus is applied to control the input-acceptable state and input-not-acceptable states of the button. A novel push button is proposed as a trial, and its user-friendliness is checked by changing the size of the button. The button is deformed by pushing and is back to original shape due to the property of shape memory. We believe the mechanism of this button will be applied to develop new devices especially for visually impaired persons.

Development of miniature, high frequency pulse tube cryocoolers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, Ray; Garaway, Isaac; Veprik, Alexander M.

2010-04-01

Because acoustic power density is proportional to frequency, the size of pulse tube cryocoolers for a given refrigeration power can be reduced by operating them at higher frequencies. A frequency of about 60 Hz had been considered the maximum frequency that could be used while maintaining high efficiency. Recently, we have shown through modeling that by decreasing the volume and hydraulic diameter of the regenerator and increasing the average pressure, it is possible to maintain high efficiency even for frequencies of several hundred hertz. Subsequent experimental results have demonstrated high efficiencies for frequencies of 100 to 140 Hz. The very high power density achieved at higher pressures and higher frequencies leads to very short cooldown times and very compact devices. The use of even higher frequencies requires the development of special compressors designed for such conditions and the development of regenerator matrices with hydraulic diameters less than about 30 Μm. To demonstrate the advantages of higher frequency operation, we discuss here the development of a miniature pulse tube cryocooler designed to operate at 80 K with a frequency of 150 Hz and an average pressure of 5.0 MPa. The regenerator diameter and length are 4.4 mm and 27 mm, respectively. The lowest temperature achieved to date has been 97 K, but a net refrigeration power of 530 mW was achieved at 120 K. Acoustic mismatches with existing compressors significantly limit the efficiency, but necessary modifications to improve the acoustic impedance match between the compressor and the cold head are discussed briefly.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column

PubMed Central

Peeters, Edwin T. H. M.; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E. M.; van Zuidam, Bastiaan G.

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

Solid-Body Fuse Developed for High- Voltage Space Power Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

2001-01-01

AEM Incorporated has completed the development, under a NASA Glenn Research Center contract, of a solid-body fuse for high-voltage power systems of satellites and spacecraft systems. High-reliability fuses presently defined by MIL-PRF-23419 do not meet the increased voltage and amperage requirements for the next generation of spacecraft. Solid-body fuses exhibit electrical and mechanical attributes that enable these fuses to perform reliably in the vacuum and high-vibration and -shock environments typically present in spacecraft applications. The construction and screening techniques for solid-body fuses described by MIL-PRF-23419/12 offer an excellent roadmap for the development of high-voltage solid-body fuses.

High-Temperature, Thin-Film Ceramic Thermocouples Developed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sayir, Ali; Blaha, Charles A.; Gonzalez, Jose M.

2005-01-01

To enable long-duration, more distant human and robotic missions for the Vision for Space Exploration, as well as safer, lighter, quieter, and more fuel efficient vehicles for aeronautics and space transportation, NASA is developing instrumentation and material technologies. The high-temperature capabilities of thin-film ceramic thermocouples are being explored at the NASA Glenn Research Center by the Sensors and Electronics Branch and the Ceramics Branch in partnership with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Glenn s Sensors and Electronics Branch is developing thin-film sensors for surface measurement of strain, temperature, heat flux, and surface flow in propulsion system research. Glenn s Ceramics Branch, in conjunction with CWRU, is developing structural and functional ceramic technology for aeropropulsion and space propulsion.

Factor VIII brand and the incidence of factor VIII inhibitors in previously untreated UK children with severe hemophilia A, 2000-2011

PubMed Central

Palmer, Benedict P.; Chalmers, Elizabeth A.; Hart, Daniel P.; Liesner, Ri; Rangarajan, Savita; Talks, Katherine; Williams, Michael; Hay, Charles R. M.

2014-01-01

The effect of recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) brand on inhibitor development was investigated in all 407 severe hemophilia A previously untreated patients born in the United Kingdom (UK) between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2011. Eighty-eight (22%) had been in the RODIN study. Information was extracted from the National Haemophilia Database. Because exposure days (EDs) were not known for some patients, time from first treatment was used as a surrogate for rFVIII exposure. An inhibitor developed in 118 (29%) patients, 60 high and 58 low titer, after a median (interquartile range) of 7.8 (3.3-13.5) months from first exposure and 16 (9-30) EDs. Of 128 patients treated with Kogenate Bayer/Helixate NexGen, 45 (35.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 27.4-43.8) developed an inhibitor compared with 42/172 (24.4%, 95% CI 18.6% to 31.4%) with Advate (P = .04). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) for Kogenate Bayer/Helixate NexGen compared with Advate was 2.14 (1.12-4.10) (P = .02) for high titer and 1.75 (1.11-2.76) (P = .02) for all inhibitors. When excluding UK-RODIN patients, the adjusted HR (95% CI) for high-titer inhibitors was 2.00 (0.93-4.34) (P = .08). ReFacto AF was associated with a higher incidence of all, but not high-titer, inhibitors than Advate. These results will help inform debate around the relative immunogenicity and use of rFVIII brands. PMID:25339360

High-Power Hall Propulsion Development at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Manzella, David H.; Smith, Timothy D.; Schmidt, George R.

2014-01-01

The NASA Office of the Chief Technologist Game Changing Division is sponsoring the development and testing of enabling technologies to achieve efficient and reliable human space exploration. High-power solar electric propulsion has been proposed by NASA's Human Exploration Framework Team as an option to achieve these ambitious missions to near Earth objects. NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA Glenn) is leading the development of mission concepts for a solar electric propulsion Technical Demonstration Mission. The mission concepts are highlighted in this paper but are detailed in a companion paper. There are also multiple projects that are developing technologies to support a demonstration mission and are also extensible to NASA's goals of human space exploration. Specifically, the In-Space Propulsion technology development project at NASA Glenn has a number of tasks related to high-power Hall thrusters including performance evaluation of existing Hall thrusters; performing detailed internal discharge chamber, near-field, and far-field plasma measurements; performing detailed physics-based modeling with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Hall2De code; performing thermal and structural modeling; and developing high-power efficient discharge modules for power processing. This paper summarizes the various technology development tasks and progress made to date

High-Power Hall Propulsion Development at NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Manzella, David H.; Smith, Timothy D.; Schmidt, George R.

2012-01-01

The NASA Office of the Chief Technologist Game Changing Division is sponsoring the development and testing of enabling technologies to achieve efficient and reliable human space exploration. High-power solar electric propulsion has been proposed by NASA's Human Exploration Framework Team as an option to achieve these ambitious missions to near Earth objects. NASA Glenn Research Center is leading the development of mission concepts for a solar electric propulsion Technical Demonstration Mission. The mission concepts are highlighted in this paper but are detailed in a companion paper. There are also multiple projects that are developing technologies to support a demonstration mission and are also extensible to NASA's goals of human space exploration. Specifically, the In-Space Propulsion technology development project at the NASA Glenn has a number of tasks related to high-power Hall thrusters including performance evaluation of existing Hall thrusters; performing detailed internal discharge chamber, near-field, and far-field plasma measurements; performing detailed physics-based modeling with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Hall2De code; performing thermal and structural modeling; and developing high-power efficient discharge modules for power processing. This paper summarizes the various technology development tasks and progress made to date.

Daily changes in VPD during leaf development in high air humidity increase the stomatal responsiveness to darkness and dry air.

PubMed

Arve, Louise E; Kruse, Ole Mathis Opstad; Tanino, Karen K; Olsen, Jorunn E; Futsæther, Cecilia; Torre, Sissel

2017-04-01

Previous studies have shown that plants developed under high relative air humidity (RH>85%) develop malfunctioning stomata and therefor have increased transpiration and reduced desiccation tolerance when transferred to lower RH conditions and darkness. In this study, plants developed at high RH were exposed to daily VPD fluctuations created by changes in temperature and/or RH to evaluate the potential improvements in stomatal functioning. Daily periods with an 11°C temperature increase and consequently a VPD increase (vpd: 0.36-2.37KPa) reduced the stomatal apertures and improved the stomatal functionality and desiccation tolerance of the rosette plant Arabidopsis thaliana. A similar experiment was performed with only a 4°C temperature increase and/or a RH decrease on tomato. The results showed that a daily change in VPD (vpd: 0.36-1.43KPa) also resulted in improved stomatal responsiveness and decreased water usage during growth. In tomato, the most effective treatment to increase the stomatal responsiveness to darkness as a signal for closure was daily changes in RH without a temperature increase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Relationship between the public's belief in recovery, level of mental illness stigma, and previous contact.

PubMed

Barczyk, Amanda N

2015-01-01

Disbelief exits that individuals who have a mental health condition are able to recover and fully function in life. This study analyzed 1,437 adults from the 2006 General Social Survey. Structural equation modeling (1) examined the relationship between respondents' level of prejudicial attitudes and social distance (i.e., stigma) toward individuals who have a mental health condition and their belief in the potential of recovery (2) tested whether previous contact with an individual who received treatment was a mediator. Findings indicated that the belief in recovery led to lower levels of social distance. Prejudicial attitudes were found to be a predictor of one's level of social distance. Previous contact was not a mediator however; males, minorities and those with less education were less likely to have had previous contact. Results indicated a need to emphasize the probability of recovering from a mental health condition when developing target-specific stigma reducing strategies.

The Development of a Dual-Warhead Impact System for Dynamic Linearity Measurement of a High-g Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) Accelerometer

PubMed Central

Shi, Yunbo; Yang, Zhicai; Ma, Zongmin; Cao, Huiliang; Kou, Zhiwei; Zhi, Dan; Chen, Yanxiang; Feng, Hengzhen; Liu, Jun

2016-01-01

Despite its extreme significance, dynamic linearity measurement for high-g accelerometers has not been discussed experimentally in previous research. In this study, we developed a novel method using a dual-warhead Hopkinson bar to measure the dynamic linearity of a high-g acceleration sensor with a laser interference impact experiment. First, we theoretically determined that dynamic linearity is a performance indicator that can be used to assess the quality merits of high-g accelerometers and is the basis of the frequency response. We also found that the dynamic linearity of the dual-warhead Hopkinson bar without an accelerometer is 2.5% experimentally. Further, we verify that dynamic linearity of the accelerometer is 3.88% after calibrating the Hopkinson bar with the accelerometer. The results confirm the reliability and feasibility of measuring dynamic linearity for high-g accelerometers using this method. PMID:27338383

Developing a bright 17 keV x-ray source for probing high-energy-density states of matter at high spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntington, C. M.; Park, H.-S.; Maddox, B. R.; Barrios, M. A.; Benedetti, R.; Braun, D. G.; Hohenberger, M.; Landen, O. L.; Regan, S. P.; Wehrenberg, C. E.; Remington, B. A.

2015-04-01

A set of experiments were performed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to develop and optimize a bright, 17 keV x-ray backlighter probe using laser-irradiated Nb foils. High-resolution one-dimensional imaging was achieved using a 15 μm wide slit in a Ta substrate to aperture the Nb Heα x-rays onto an open-aperture, time integrated camera. To optimize the x-ray source for imaging applications, the effect of laser pulse shape and spatial profile on the target was investigated. Two laser pulse shapes were used—a "prepulse" shape that included a 3 ns, low-intensity laser foot preceding the high-energy 2 ns square main laser drive, and a pulse without the laser foot. The laser spatial profile was varied by the use of continuous phase plates (CPPs) on a pair of shots compared to beams at best focus, without CPPs. A comprehensive set of common diagnostics allowed for a direct comparison of imaging resolution, total x-ray conversion efficiency, and x-ray spectrum between shots. The use of CPPs was seen to reduce the high-energy tail of the x-ray spectrum, whereas the laser pulse shape had little effect on the high-energy tail. The measured imaging resolution was comparably high for all combinations of laser parameters, but a higher x-ray flux was achieved without phase plates. This increased flux was the result of smaller laser spot sizes, which allowed us to arrange the laser focal spots from multiple beams and produce an x-ray source which was more localized behind the slit aperture. Our experiments are a first demonstration of point-projection geometry imaging at NIF at the energies (>10 keV) necessary for imaging denser, higher-Z targets than have previously been investigated.

Urinary tract infections in hospital pediatrics: many previous antibiotherapy and antibiotics resistance, including fluoroquinolones.

PubMed

Garraffo, A; Marguet, C; Checoury, A; Boyer, S; Gardrat, A; Houivet, E; Caron, F

2014-02-01

We studied antibiotic resistance in pediatric UTIs and we evaluated the impact of antibiotic exposure in the previous 12 months, very little French data being available for this population. We conducted a multicenter prospective study including children consulting for, or admitted in 2 hospitals. Prior antibiotic exposure was documented from their health record. One hundred and ten patients (73 girls), 11 days to 12 years of age, were included in 10 months. Ninety-six percent presented with pyelonephritis, associated to uropathy for 25%. Escherichia coli was predominant (78%), followed by Proteus spp. and Enterococcus spp. The antibiotic resistance rate of E. coli was high and close to that reported for adults with complicated UTIs: amoxicillin 60%, amoxicillin-clavulanate 35%, cefotaxim 5%, trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole 26%, nalidixic acid 9%, ciprofloxacin 7%, gentamycin 1%, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin 0%. The antibiotic exposure in the previous 12 months involved 62 children (56%) most frequently with β-lactams (89%) for a respiratory tract infection (56%). A clear relationship between exposure and resistance was observed for amoxicillin (71% vs. 46%), first generation (65% vs. 46%) and third generation (9% vs. 3%) cephalosporins, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (36% vs. 15%). However, antibiotic exposure could not account alone for the results, as suggested by the 7% of ciprofloxacin resistance, observed without any identified previous treatment. Bacterial species and antibiotic resistance level in children are similar to those reported for adults. Antibiotic exposure in the previous 12 months increases the risk of resistance but other factors are involved (previous antibiotic therapies and fecal-oral or mother-to-child transmission). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Corneal perforation after conductive keratoplasty with previous refractive surgery.

PubMed

Kymionis, George D; Titze, Patrik; Markomanolakis, Marinos M; Aslanides, Ioannis M; Pallikaris, Ioannis G

2003-12-01

A 56-year-old woman had conductive keratoplasty (CK) for residual hyperopia and astigmatism. Three years before the procedure, the patient had arcuate keratotomy, followed by laser in situ keratomileusis 2 years later for high astigmatism correction in both eyes. During CK, a corneal perforation occurred in the right eye; during the postoperative examination, an iris perforation and anterior subcapsule opacification were seen beneath the perforation site. The perforation was managed with a bandage contact lens and an antibiotic-steroid ointment; it had a negative Seidel sign by the third day. The surgery in the left eye was uneventful. Three months after the procedure, the uncorrected visual acuity was 20/32 and the best corrected visual acuity 20/20 in both eyes with a significant improvement in corneal topography. Care must be taken to prevent CK-treated spots from coinciding with areas in the corneal stroma that might have been altered by previous refractive procedures.

Current development and patents on high-brightness white LED for illumination.

PubMed

Pang, Wen-Yuan; Lo, Ikai; Hsieh, Chia-Ho; Hsu, Yu-Chi; Chou, Ming-Chi; Shih, Cheng-Hung

2010-01-01

In this paper, we reviewed the current development and patents for the application of high-brightness and high-efficiency white light-emitting diode (LED). The high-efficiency GaN nanostructures, such as disk, pyramid, and rod were grown on LiAlO(2) substrate by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy, and a model was developed to demonstrate the growth of the GaN nanostructures. Based on the results, the GaN disk p-n junction was designed for the application of high brightness and high efficiency white LED.

The Relationship Between Functional Movement, Balance Deficits, and Previous Injury History in Deploying Marine Warfighters.

PubMed

de la Motte, Sarah J; Lisman, Peter; Sabatino, Marc; Beutler, Anthony I; OʼConnor, Francis G; Deuster, Patricia A

2016-06-01

Screening for primary musculoskeletal injury (MSK-I) is costly and time-consuming. Both the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and the Y-Balance Test (YBT) have been shown to predict future MSK-I. With a goal of optimizing the efficiency of primary MSK-I screening, we studied associations between performance on the FMS and YBT and whether history of MSK-I influenced FMS and YBT scores. In total, 365 deploying Marines performed the FMS and YBT as prescribed. Composite and individual scores were each categorized as high risk or low risk using published injury thresholds: High-risk FMS included composite scores ≤14 and right-to-left (R/L) asymmetry for Shoulder Mobility, In-Line Lunge, Straight Leg Raise, Hurdle Step, or Rotary Stability. High-risk YBT consisted of anterior, posteromedial, and/or posterolateral R/L differences >4 cm and/or composite differences ≥12 cm. Pearson's χ tests evaluated associations between: (a) all FMS and YBT risk groups and (b) previous MSK-I and all FMS and YBT risk groups. Marines with high-risk FMS were twice as likely to have high-risk YBT posteromedial scores (χ = 10.2, p = 0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-3.2). History of any MSK-I was not associated with high-risk FMS or high-risk YBT. However, previous lower extremity MSK-I was associated with In-Line Lunge asymmetries (χ = 9.8, p = 0.002, OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.3-3.6). Overall, we found limited overlap in FMS and YBT risk. Because both methods seem to assess different risk factors for injury, we recommend FMS and YBT continue to be used together in combination with a thorough injury history until their predictive capacities are further established.

Previous blood pressure measurement and associated factors in student adolescents

PubMed Central

Magalhães, Marina Gabriella Pereira de Andrada; Farah, Breno Quintella; de Barros, Mauro Virgilio Gomes; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2015-01-01

Objective To identify prevalence of previous blood pressure measurement and analyze some associated factors in adolescents. Methods This cross-sectional study included 6,077 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years. Demographic characteristics included (sex, age, period of study, region of residence, work, skin color, and economic) status, history of blood pressure measurement within last 12 months, local of blood pressure measurement, and reading obtained. To assess associations between previous blood pressure measurement with demographic characteristics and high blood pressure we used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results Out of the adolescents, 56.8% reported no blood pressure measurement within the last 12 months. The health centers and the physician’s office were most mentioned places for blood pressure measurement (28.3% and 36.9%, respectively). Boys (odds ratio of 1.64 95%CI: 1.46-1.84) aged 14 to 16 years (odds ratio of 1.12; 95%CI: 1.01-1.25), whose economic status was unfavorable (odds ratio of 1.48; 95%CI: 1.32-1.67) were significantly associated with no blood pressure measurement. Working was a protective factor for was not blood pressure measurement (odds ratio of 0.84; 95%CI: 0.73-0.97). Conclusion Most of adolescents did not have their blood pressure measured within the last 12 months. Boys aged 14 to 16 years and those with unfavorable economic status had higher chance of not having their blood pressure measured. PMID:26466061

Development of a Lightweight, High Strength, Collapsible Hose

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

they will erupt through the elastomer as the hose exits the extrusion head and result in blistering of the cover and/or the lining. The jacket is...not successful. Extreme blistering of the elastomer occurred as the hose exited the extrusion head. The conclusion was drawn that moisture was not...HIGH STRENGTH, COLLAPSIBLE HOSE ABSTRACT This report documents an exploratory development effort to produce a 6-inch diameter, lightweight, high strength

[Adolescents previously involved in Satanism: mental health problems experience].

PubMed

Heathcote, H; Gmeiner, A; Poggenpoel, M

1998-03-01

As far as the phenomena of adolescents previously involved with satanism that experience obstacles in the strive for mental health, no research has previously been done. Adolescents previously involved in satanism, presents behaviour problems like aggressive outbursts depression, "psychosis", or suicide attempts that can even lead to suicide. In the phenomena-analysis semi-structured, phenomenological interviews with the respondents and their parents, were performed. The respondents were requested to write a naive sketch about there life. After the data-control was done, guidelines for nursing staff had been set. The guidelines are set for the management of adolescents that has previously been involved in satanism, and experiences obstacles in their strive for mental health. Interviews with experts in satanism was done, literature in the form of books, magazines and newsclippings were used to verify the findings in the research. The most important guidelines are that: the caregivers have to be reborn Christians; they are not allowed to show, any fear or sympathy; they have to have sufficient knowledge about satanism; the adolescent has to be unconditionally accepted; the caregivers have to work in a team; the adolescents have to be taught to deal with their emotions.

Adolescents previously involved in Satanism experiencing mental health problems.

PubMed

Heathcote, H; Gmeiner, A; Poggenpoel, M

1999-06-01

No research has previously been done regarding the phenomenon of adolescents who have previously been involved in Satanism and who experience obstacles in their strive for mental health. Adolescents previously involved in Satanism present behavioral problems like aggressive outbursts, depression, "psychosis" or suicide attempts, that could lead to suicide. In the phenomenon-analysis semi-structured, phenomenological interviews were performed with the respondents and their parents. The respondents were requested to write a naïve sketch about their life. After completion of the data-control, guidelines for nursing staff were set. The guidelines are set for the management of adolescents who have previously been involved in Satanism and who experience obstacles in their strive for mental health. Interviews with experts in Satanism were conducted, literature in the form of books, magazines and newspaper-clippings were used to verify the research findings. The most important guidelines are that the caregivers have to be reborn Christians; they are not allowed to show any fear or sympathy; they must have sufficient knowledge about Satanism; the adolescents have to be unconditionally accepted; the caregivers have to work in a team and the adolescents have to be taught to deal with their emotions.

Development of a high-throughput assay for human proprotein convertase 5/6 for detecting uterine receptivity.

PubMed

Heng, Sophea; Dynon, Kemperly; Li, Ying; Edgell, Tracey; Walton, Kelly; Rombauts, Luk J; Vollenhoven, Beverley; Nie, Guiying

2015-04-15

Embryo implantation requires a healthy embryo and a receptive uterus. In women, the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, remains in a hostile state and becomes receptive for embryo implantation for only a short period during each menstrual cycle. Determining endometrial receptivity is vital in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment because the timing of embryo transfer needs to be synchronized with endometrial receptivity. We have previously demonstrated that proprotein convertase 5/6A (PC6) is highly expressed in the receptive endometrium and that PC6 is critical for receptivity establishment in women. Furthermore, endometrial PC6 is secreted into the uterine fluid, and levels correlate with receptivity status. Detection of PC6 in uterine fluids, therefore, would provide a nonsurgical assessment of endometrial receptivity. However, to date no assays are available for human PC6. In this study, we produced three PC6 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and developed a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PC6 detection in human uterine fluids. The PC6 mAbs were confirmed to be highly specific to PC6, and the ELISA detected PC6 in human uterine fluids with a significantly higher level during the receptive phase. This newly established PC6 ELISA provides an important tool in the development of noninvasive strategies to detect endometrial receptivity in women. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Development of high definition OCT system for clinical therapy of skin diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Daeyul; Seo, Young-Seok; Kim, Jung-Hyun

2018-02-01

OCT is a non-invasive imaging technique that can be applied to diagnose various skin disease. Since its introduction in 1997, dermatology has used OCT technology to obtain high quality images of human skin. Recently, in order to accurately diagnose skin diseases, it is essential to develop OCT equipment that can obtain high quality images. Therefore, we developed the system that can obtain a high quality image by using a 1300 nm light source with a wide bandwidth and deep penetration depth, high-resolution image, and a camera capable of high sensitivity and high speed processing. We introduce the performance of the developed system and the clinical application data.

31 CFR 202.5 - Previously designated depositaries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Previously designated depositaries. 202.5 Section 202.5 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE DEPOSITARIES AND FINANCIAL AGENTS...

31 CFR 202.5 - Previously designated depositaries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Previously designated depositaries. 202.5 Section 202.5 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE DEPOSITARIES AND FINANCIAL AGENTS...

177Lu-octreotate, alone or with radiosensitising chemotherapy, is safe in neuroendocrine tumour patients previously treated with high-activity 111In-octreotide.

PubMed

Hubble, Daniel; Kong, Grace; Michael, Michael; Johnson, Val; Ramdave, Shakher; Hicks, Rodney John

2010-10-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether patients with previous peptide receptor radionuclide therapy using high-activity (111)In-pentetreotide can be safely treated with (177)Lu-octreotate and whether addition of radiosensitising chemotherapy increases the toxicity of this agent. Records of 27 patients (aged 17-75) who received 69 (median 3 per patient) (177)Lu-octreotate administrations, including 29 in conjunction with radiosensitising infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (n = 27), or capecitabine (n = 2), between October 2005 and July 2007 subsequent to 1-8 prior cycles of (111)In-pentetreotide therapy were analysed. Toxicity was assessed during and at 8-12 weeks post-treatment, with further long-term assessments including survival status reviewed till death or study close-out date of 1 November 2009. Reduction in blood counts was most marked following the first dose of (177)Lu-octreotate but at early follow-up the only major haematological toxicity was a single case of grade 4 lymphopaenia. Both the presence of bone metastases and the administration of chemotherapy tended to result in greater reduction in blood counts, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. On long-term follow-up, 16 patients (59%) are alive with median overall survival of 36 months (32-44 months from first (177)Lu-octreotate therapy). None of the recorded deaths was directly related to treatment toxicity. One patient had late grade 4 anaemia and thrombocytopaenia secondary to bone marrow failure from progressive infiltration by tumour. No other significant long-term haematological toxicities were recorded and no leukaemia was observed. No renal toxicity was observed on serial serum creatinine or radionuclide glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determination on initial or long-term follow-up. (177)Lu-octreotate is a safe and well-tolerated therapy for patients who have previously been treated with (111)In-pentetreotide and can be safely combined with

High Detent Torque Rotary Actuator Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, I.; Sainz, I.; Allegranza, C.

2015-09-01

In the frame of an ESA ARTES 5 Contract, SENER has performed the design, manufacturing and testing at component and mechanism levels of a High Detent Torque Rotary Actuator (DTA in short), i.e. with high capability to hold a payload when unpowered.Two configurations were developed to allow the use on specific application flight opportunity; both are identical in terms of architecture, lubrication, structural and thermal design. The exception is the angular position sensor type: the DTA 100 with contactless sensors and the DTA 120 with potentiometers.The DTA is a fully european technology. This paper provides a synthesis of the obtained parameters in front of the requirements, the evolution from the initial concept to the final configuration and the results of the extensive test campaign (DTA 120). Lessons learned and the readiness for use at upper level are also highlighted.

22 CFR 40.93 - Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Aliens unlawfully present after previous... TO BOTH NONIMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.93 Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation. An alien described...

22 CFR 40.93 - Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Aliens unlawfully present after previous... TO BOTH NONIMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.93 Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation. An alien described...

22 CFR 40.93 - Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Aliens unlawfully present after previous... TO BOTH NONIMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.93 Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation. An alien described...

22 CFR 40.93 - Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Aliens unlawfully present after previous... TO BOTH NONIMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.93 Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation. An alien described...

22 CFR 40.93 - Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Aliens unlawfully present after previous... TO BOTH NONIMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.93 Aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violation. An alien described...

The biomechanics of running in athletes with previous hamstring injury: A case-control study.

PubMed

Daly, C; Persson, U McCarthy; Twycross-Lewis, R; Woledge, R C; Morrissey, D

2016-04-01

Hamstring injury is prevalent with persistently high reinjury rates. We aim to inform hamstring rehabilitation by exploring the electromyographic and kinematic characteristics of running in athletes with previous hamstring injury. Nine elite male Gaelic games athletes who had returned to sport after hamstring injury and eight closely matched controls sprinted while lower limb kinematics and muscle activity of the previously injured biceps femoris, bilateral gluteus maximus, lumbar erector spinae, rectus femoris, and external oblique were recorded. Intergroup comparisons of muscle activation ratios and kinematics were performed. Previously injured athletes demonstrated significantly reduced biceps femoris muscle activation ratios with respect to ipsilateral gluteus maximus (maximum difference -12.5%, P = 0.03), ipsilateral erector spinae (maximum difference -12.5%, P = 0.01), ipsilateral external oblique (maximum difference -23%, P = 0.01), and contralateral rectus femoris (maximum difference -22%, P = 0.02) in the late swing phase. We also detected sagittal asymmetry in hip flexion (maximum 8°, P = 0.01), pelvic tilt (maximum 4°, P = 0.02), and medial rotation of the knee (maximum 6°, P = 0.03) effectively putting the hamstrings in a lengthened position just before heel strike. Previous hamstring injury is associated with altered biceps femoris associated muscle activity and potentially injurious kinematics. These deficits should be considered and addressed during rehabilitation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Total hip arthroplasty after a previous pelvic osteotomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shigemura, T; Yamamoto, Y; Murata, Y; Sato, T; Tsuchiya, R; Wada, Y

2018-06-01

of THA after a previous PO was performed. A previous PO did not affect the results of subsequent THA, except for cup anteversion. Because of the low quality evidence currently available, high-quality randomized controlled trials are required. Level III, meta-analysis of case-control studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

High-temperature/high-pressure x-ray diffraction: Recent developments

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

Schiferl, D.; Johnson, S.W.; Zinn, A.S.

1989-01-01

We have developed two Merrill-Bassett diamond-anvil cells for specialized high-temperature uses. The first is constructed largely of rhenium to provide uniform, constant P and T on the order of 20 GPa at 1200 K for extended periods. The second is for single-crystal x-ray diffraction, but can be heated to 630 K at 20 GPa to grow single-crystal samples which cannot be produced at room temperature. With this cell, the crystal structure of /var epsilon/-O/sub 2/ was shown to be monoclinic with a = 3.649 A, b = 5.493 A, c = 7.701 A, and /Beta/ = 116.11/degree/ at 19.7 GPa.more » 15 refs.« less

Developing high coercivity in large diameter cobalt nanowire arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montazer, A. H.; Ramazani, A.; Almasi Kashi, M.; Zavašnik, J.

2016-11-01

Regardless of the synthetic method, developing high magnetic coercivity in ferromagnetic nanowires (NWs) with large diameters has been a challenge over the past two decades. Here, we report on the synthesis of highly coercive cobalt NW arrays with diameters of 65 and 80 nm, which are embedded in porous anodic alumina templates with high-aspect-ratio pores. Using a modified electrochemical deposition method enabled us to reach room temperature coercivity and remanent ratio up to 3000 Oe and 0.70, respectively, for highly crystalline as-synthesized hcp cobalt NW arrays with a length of 8 μm. The first-order reversal curve (FORC) analysis showed the presence of both soft and hard magnetic phases along the length of the resulting NWs. To develop higher coercive fields, the length of the NWs was then gradually reduced in order from bottom to top, thereby reaching NW sections governed by the hard phase. Consequently, this resulted in record high coercivities of 4200 and 3850 Oe at NW diameters of 65 and 80 nm, respectively. In this case, the FORC diagrams confirmed a significant reduction in interactions between the magnetic phases of the remaining sections of NWs. At this stage, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and dark-field transmission electron microscopy analyses indicated the formation of highly crystalline bamboo-like sections along the [0 0 2] direction during a progressive pulse-controlled electrochemical growth of NW arrays under optimized parameters. Our results both provide new insights into the growth process, crystalline characteristics and magnetic phases along the length of large diameter NW arrays and, furthermore, develop the performance of pure 3d transition magnetic NWs.

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at high count rates with a prototype High Purity Germanium detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, R. J.; Amman, M.; Vetter, K.

2018-04-01

High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers are required for applications in nuclear safeguards, emergency response, and fundamental nuclear physics. To overcome one of the shortcomings of conventional High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors, we have developed a prototype device capable of achieving high event throughput and high energy resolution at very high count rates. This device, the design of which we have previously reported on, features a planar HPGe crystal with a reduced-capacitance strip electrode geometry. This design is intended to provide good energy resolution at the short shaping or digital filter times that are required for high rate operation and which are enabled by the fast charge collection afforded by the planar geometry crystal. In this work, we report on the initial performance of the system at count rates up to and including two million counts per second.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Moon, Joon Ho; Kwak, Soo Heon; Jang, Hak C

2017-01-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy, is characterized by underlying maternal defects in the β-cell response to insulin during pregnancy. Women with a previous history of GDM have a greater than 7-fold higher risk of developing postpartum diabetes compared with women without GDM. Various risk factors for postpartum diabetes have been identified, including maternal age, glucose levels in pregnancy, family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy and postpartum body mass index, dietary patterns, physical activity, and breastfeeding. Genetic studies revealed that GDM shares common genetic variants with type 2 diabetes. A number of lifestyle interventional trials that aimed to ameliorate modifiable risk factors, including diet, exercise, and breastfeeding, succeeded in reducing the incidence of postpartum diabetes, weight retention, and other obesity-related morbidities. The present review summarizes the findings of previous studies on the incidence and risk factors of postpartum diabetes and discusses recent lifestyle interventional trials that attempted to prevent postpartum diabetes.

Development of an Attitude Scale towards High School Physics Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavas, Pervin Ünlü; Çagan, Sultan

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a Likert type attitude scale for high school students with regard to high school physics lessons. The research was carried out with high school students who were studying in Ankara. First, the opinions of 105 high school students about physics lessons were obtained and then 55 scale items were determined from…

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... concurrently with the rate change filing. There must be furnished to the Director, Office of Energy Market...

18 CFR 366.6 - Previously authorized activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Previously authorized activities. 366.6 Section 366.6 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... POWER ACT AND NATURAL GAS ACT BOOKS AND RECORDS Definitions and Provisions Under PUHCA 2005, the Federal...

18 CFR 366.6 - Previously authorized activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Previously authorized activities. 366.6 Section 366.6 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... POWER ACT AND NATURAL GAS ACT BOOKS AND RECORDS Definitions and Provisions Under PUHCA 2005, the Federal...

Development of High-Field ST Merging Experiment: TS-U for High Power Reconnection Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Y.; Koike, H.; Tanabe, H.; Himeno, S.; Ishida, S.; Kimura, K.; Kawanami, M.; Narita, M.; Takahata, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Inomoto, M.; Cheng, C. Z.

2016-10-01

We are developing high-magnetic field ST merging/ reconnection experiment TS-U with Brec = 0.3-0.5T, based on our scaling law of reconnection heating energy proportional to square of the reconnecting (poloidal) magnetic field Brec. This scaling law indicates that the high-Brec ST merging will heat ions to the burning plasma regime without using any additional heating facility. Its mechanism is that the reconnection outflow accelerates mainly ions up to the poloidal Alfven speed like the Sweet-Parker model. The shock-like density pileups thermalize the accelerated ions in the down-streams in agreement with recent solar satellite observations and PIC simulation results. We already documented significant ion heating of spheromak and ST mergings up to 0.25keV in TS-3 and 1.2keV in MAST, leading us to the high-Brec merging experiment TS-U. It is noted that high-resolution (>500 channel) 2D measurements of ion and electron temperatures is being developed for the purpose of solving all acceleration and heating effects of magnetic reconnection, such as the huge outflow heating of ions in the downstream and electron heating localized at the X-point.

[Meningitis and white matter lesions due to Streptococcus mitis in a previously healthy child].

PubMed

Yiş, Reyhan; Yüksel, Ciğdem Nükhet; Derundere, Umit; Yiş, Uluç

2011-10-01

Streptococcus mitis, an important member of viridans streptococci, is found in the normal flora of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, female genital tract and skin. Although it is of low pathogenicity and virulence, it may cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Meningitis caused by S.mitis has been described in patients with previous spinal anesthesia, neurosurgical procedure, malignancy, bacterial endocarditis with neurological complications and alcoholics, but it is rare in patients who are previously healthy. In this report, a rare case of meningoencephalitis caused by S.mitis developed in a previously healthy child has been presented. A previously healthy eight-year-old girl who presented with fever, altered state of consciousness, and headache was hospitalized in intensive care unit with the diagnosis of meningitis. Past history revealed that she was treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate for acute sinusitis ten days before her admission. Whole blood count revealed the followings: hemoglobin 13 g/dl, white blood cell count 18.6 x 109/L (90% neutrophils), platelet count 200 x 109/L and 150 leucocytes were detected on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. Protein and glucose levels of CSF were 80 mg/dl and 40 mg/dl (concomitant blood glucose 100 mg/dl), respectively. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed widespread white matter lesions, and alpha-hemolytic streptococci were grown in CSF culture. The isolate was identified as S.mitis with conventional methods, and also confirmed by VITEK2 (bioMerieux, France) and API 20 STREP (bioMerieux, France) systems. Isolate was found susceptible to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, cefotaxime, vancomycin and chloramphenicol. Regarding the etiology, echocardiography revealed no vegetation nor valve pathology, and peripheral blood smear showed no abnormality. Immunoglobulin and complement levels were within normal limits. Ongoing inflammation in maxillary sinuses detected in

Development of a Rotation Drickamer Apparatus for Deformation Studies Under High Pressure and High Temperature: Applications to magnesiowustite and Wadsleyite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y.; Karato, S.

2002-12-01

Well-controlled high-pressure deformation experiments are critical for understanding the dynamics of Earth's interior. Most of the previous works on ultrahigh-pressure (P>10 GPa) deformation experiments have two limitations. (1) The mode of deformation is "stress-relaxation", in which stress changes with time in a given experiment, and (2) the magnitude of stress is limited (<1). To overcome these limitations and to perform large-strain plastic deformation under the upper mantle and top of lower mantle conditions, we have constructed a new apparatus by modifying the Drickamer-type high-pressure press combined with a rotation actuator involving an ac servo-motor. After the desired pressure and temperature are reached, torsional stress can be applied to a sample with a constant rotation rate. The advantage of this design is that the direction of shear deformation is normal to that of compression and therefore compression and deformation can be separated. A sample (typically ~1.8 mm diameter and ~0.2 mm thickness) is sandwiched between two zirconia plates and two heater plates made of TiC + diamond. Thin foils of W3%Re and W25%Re are inserted between two halves of samples which act as a thermocouple as well as strain markers. We have conducted a preliminary test on MgO at ~12 GPa and ~1470 K to the strain up to ~3. Deformation experiments on wadsleyite are underway to investigate the fabric development and rheology in this mineral.

Rhabdomyosarcoma Arising in a Previously Irradiated Field: An Analysis of 43 Patients

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

Dang, Nguyen D.; Teh, Bin S.; Paulino, Arnold C., E-mail: apaulino@tmhs.org

2013-03-01

Patients with soft tissue sarcomas that arise from previously irradiated fields have traditionally been reported to have a poor prognosis. In this report, we examined the characteristics and outcomes of patients who developed a rhabdomyosarcoma in a previously irradiated field (RMS-RIF); we hypothesize that these patients should have a better outcome compared to other postradiation soft tissue sarcomas as these tumors are chemosensitive and radiosensitive. A PubMed search of the literature from 1961-2010 yielded 33 studies with data for patients with RMS-RIF. The study included 43 patients with a median age of 6.5 years at the time of radiation therapymore » (RT) for the initial tumor. The median RT dose was 48 Gy. The median latency period, the time from RT to development of RMS-RIF, was 8 years. The 3-year overall survival for RMS-RIF was 42%. The 3-year overall survival was 66% for patients receiving chemotherapy and local treatment (surgery and/or RT) compared to 29% for those who had systemic treatment only or local treatment only (P=.049). Other factors associated with increased 3-year overall survival included retinoblastoma initial diagnosis (P<.001), age ≤18 years at diagnosis of RMS-RIF (P=.003), favorable site (P=.008), and stage 1 disease (P=.002). Age at time of RMS-RIF, retinoblastoma initial tumor, favorable site, stage 1 disease, and use of both systemic and local treatment were found to be favorable prognostic factors for 3-year overall survival.« less

Previous prelabor or intrapartum cesarean delivery and risk of placenta previa.

PubMed

Downes, Katheryne L; Hinkle, Stefanie N; Sjaarda, Lindsey A; Albert, Paul S; Grantz, Katherine L

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between previous cesarean delivery and subsequent placenta previa while distinguishing cesarean delivery before the onset of labor from intrapartum cesarean delivery. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of electronic medical records from 20 Utah hospitals (2002-2010) with restriction to the first 2 singleton deliveries of nulliparous women at study entry (n=26,987). First pregnancy delivery mode was classified as (1) vaginal (reference), (2) cesarean delivery before labor onset (prelabor), or (3) cesarean delivery after labor onset (intrapartum). Risk of second delivery previa was estimated by previous delivery mode with the use of logistic regression and was adjusted for maternal age, insurance, smoking, comorbidities, previous pregnancy loss, and history of previa. Most first deliveries were vaginal (82%; n=22,142), followed by intrapartum cesarean delivery (14.6%; n=3931), or prelabor cesarean delivery (3.4%; n=914). Incidence of second delivery previa was 0.29% (n=78) and differed by previous delivery mode: vaginal, 0.24%; prelabor cesarean delivery, 0.98%; intrapartum cesarean delivery, 0.38% (P<.001). Relative to vaginal delivery, previous prelabor cesarean delivery was associated with an increased risk of second delivery previa (adjusted odds ratio, 2.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-5.56). There was no significant association between previous intrapartum cesarean delivery and previa (adjusted odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-2.19). Previous prelabor cesarean delivery was associated with a >2-fold significantly increased risk of previa in the second delivery, although the approximately 20% increased risk of previa that was associated with previous intrapartum cesarean delivery was not significant. Although rare, the increased risk of placenta previa after previous prelabor cesarean delivery may be important when considering nonmedically indicated prelabor cesarean delivery

Dietary self-efficacy predicts AHEI diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes.

PubMed

Ferranti, Erin Poe; Narayan, K M Venkat; Reilly, Carolyn M; Foster, Jennifer; McCullough, Marjorie; Ziegler, Thomas R; Guo, Ying; Dunbar, Sandra B

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of intrapersonal influences of diet quality as defined by the Health Belief Model constructs in women with recent histories of gestational diabetes. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used to analyze relationships between diet quality and intrapersonal variables, including perceptions of threat of type 2 diabetes mellitus development, benefits and barriers of healthy eating, and dietary self-efficacy, in a convenience sample of 75 community-dwelling women (55% minority; mean age, 35.5 years; SD, 5.5 years) with previous gestational diabetes mellitus. Diet quality was defined by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). Multiple regression was used to identify predictors of AHEI diet quality. Women had moderate AHEI diet quality (mean score, 47.6; SD, 14.3). Only higher levels of education and self-efficacy significantly predicted better AHEI diet quality, controlling for other contributing variables. There is a significant opportunity to improve diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus. Improving self-efficacy may be an important component to include in nutrition interventions. In addition to identifying other important individual components, future studies of diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus are needed to investigate the scope of influence beyond the individual to potential family, social, and environmental factors. © 2014 The Author(s).

New developments in high pressure x-ray spectroscopy beamline at High Pressure Collaborative Access Team

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

Xiao, Y. M., E-mail: yxiao@carnegiescience.edu; Chow, P.; Boman, G.

The 16 ID-D (Insertion Device - D station) beamline of the High Pressure Collaborative Access Team at the Advanced Photon Source is dedicated to high pressure research using X-ray spectroscopy techniques typically integrated with diamond anvil cells. The beamline provides X-rays of 4.5-37 keV, and current available techniques include X-ray emission spectroscopy, inelastic X-ray scattering, and nuclear resonant scattering. The recent developments include a canted undulator upgrade, 17-element analyzer array for inelastic X-ray scattering, and an emission spectrometer using a polycapillary half-lens. Recent development projects and future prospects are also discussed.

Development of high-throughput and high sensitivity capillary gel electrophoresis platform method for Western, Eastern, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (WEVEE) virus like particles (VLPs) purity determination and characterization.

PubMed

Gollapudi, Deepika; Wycuff, Diane L; Schwartz, Richard M; Cooper, Jonathan W; Cheng, K C

2017-10-01

In this paper, we describe development of a high-throughput, highly sensitive method based on Lab Chip CGE-SDS platform for purity determination and characterization of virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines. A capillary gel electrophoresis approach requiring about 41 s per sample for analysis and demonstrating sensitivity to protein initial concentrations as low as 20 μg/mL, this method has been used previously to evaluate monoclonal antibodies, but this application for lot release assay of VLPs using this platform is unique. The method was qualified and shown to be accurate for the quantitation of VLP purity. Assay repeatability was confirmed to be less than 2% relative standard deviation of the mean (% RSD) with interday precision less than 2% RSD. The assay can evaluate purified VLPs in a concentration range of 20-249 μg/mL for VEE and 20-250 μg/mL for EEE and WEE VLPs. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High Temperature-Induced Expression of Rice α-Amylases in Developing Endosperm Produces Chalky Grains

PubMed Central

Nakata, Masaru; Fukamatsu, Yosuke; Miyashita, Tomomi; Hakata, Makoto; Kimura, Rieko; Nakata, Yuriko; Kuroda, Masaharu; Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Yamakawa, Hiromoto

2017-01-01

Global warming impairs grain filling in rice and reduces starch accumulation in the endosperm, leading to chalky-appearing grains, which damages their market value. We found previously that high temperature-induced expression of starch-lytic α-amylases during ripening is crucial for grain chalkiness. Because the rice genome carries at least eight functional α-amylase genes, identification of the α-amylase(s) that contribute most strongly to the production of chalky grains could accelerate efficient breeding. To identify α-amylase genes responsible for the production of chalky grains, we characterized the histological expression pattern of eight α-amylase genes and the influences of their overexpression on grain appearance and carbohydrate components through a series of experiments with transgenic rice plants. The promoter activity of most α-amylase genes was elevated to various extents at high temperature. Among them, the expression of Amy1A and Amy3C was induced in the internal, especially basal to dorsal, region of developing endosperm, whereas that of Amy3D was confined near the ventral aleurone. These regions coincided with the site of occurrence of chalkiness, which was in clear contrast to conventionally known expression patterns of the enzyme in the scutellum and aleurone during seed germination. Furthermore, overexpression of α-amylase genes, except for Amy3E, in developing endosperm produced various degrees of chalky grains without heat exposure, whereas that of Amy3E yielded normal translucent grains, as was the case in the vector control, even though Amy3E-overexpressing grains contained enhanced α-amylase activities. The weight of the chalky grains was decreased due to reduced amounts of starch, and microscopic observation of the chalky part of these grains revealed that their endosperm consisted of loosely packed round starch granules that had numerous pits on their surface, confirming the hydrolysis of the starch reserve by �

Reduced carbon intensity in highly developed countries: environmental kuznets curves for carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornhuber, Kai; Rybski, Diego; Costa, Luis; Reusser, Dominik E.; Kropp, Jürgen P.

2014-05-01

The Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKC) postulates that pollution increases with the income per capita up to a maximum, above which it decreases with the further increase in income per capita, i.e. following an inverse U-shape in the pollution vs. income per capita. It is commonly believed that EKC occurs for "local" pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, but does not hold for CO2 emissions. This is attributed to the fact that while "local" pollutants cause a visible environmental damage on the local/regional scale (which authorities/governments seek to avoid), the consequences of CO2 emission have no immediate attributable local/regional consequences. We review EKC for CO2 exploring its relation between CO2 per capita and the Human Development Index (HDI) between 1990 and 2010 obtained from the World Bank database. We find evidence for a reduction in CO2 emissions per capita in highly developed countries. We propose a model according to which the emissions per capita of a country are composed of a component related to the actual state of development and a component related to the change of development. The model leads to four distinct cases of which two have EKC shape and two imply saturation. This outcome is in line with previously suggested qualitative relations. Our analysis indicates that the EKC shaped cases better describes the empirical values. We explore the less extreme version corresponding to the so-called conventional EKC and study the maximum of the fitted curve, providing a threshold-value for the HDI and a typical maximum value for the emissions per capita. We find that approx. 5 countries have crossed the CO2-HDI maximum, corresponding to approx. 1.5% of the world population.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and previous surgical history: a multidisciplinary approach.

PubMed

Bernstein, Adrien N; Lavery, Hugh J; Hobbs, Adele R; Chin, Edward; Samadi, David B

2013-06-01

Previous abdominal or prostate surgery can be a significant barrier to subsequent minimally invasive procedures, including radical prostatectomy (RP). This is relevant to a quarter of prostatectomy patients who have had previous surgery. The technological advances of robot-assisted laparoscopic RP (RALP) can mitigate some of these challenges. To that end, our objective was to elucidate the effect of previous surgery on RALP, and to describe a multidisciplinary approach to the previously entered abdomen. One-thousand four-hundred and fourteen RALP patients were identified from a single-surgeon database. Potentially difficult cases were discussed preoperatively and treated in a multidisciplinary fashion with a general surgeon. Operative, pathological, and functional outcomes were analyzed after stratification by previous surgical history. Four-hundred and twenty (30 %) patients underwent previous surgery at least once. Perioperative outcomes were similar among most groups. Previous major abdominal surgery was associated with increased operative time (147 vs. 119 min, p < 0.001), as was the presence of adhesions (120 vs. 154 min, p < 0.001). Incidence of complications was comparable, irrespective of surgical history. Major complications included two enterotomies diagnosed intraoperatively and one patient requiring reoperation. All cases were performed robotically, without conversion to open-RP. There was no difference in biochemical disease-free survival among surgical groups and continence and potency were equivalent between groups. In conclusion, previous abdominal surgery did not affect the safety or feasibility of RALP, with all patients experiencing comparable perioperative, functional, and oncologic outcomes.

The Genetic Control of Reproductive Development under High Ambient Temperature.

PubMed

Ejaz, Mahwish; von Korff, Maria

2017-01-01

Ambient temperature has a large impact on reproductive development and grain yield in temperate cereals. However, little is known about the genetic control of development under different ambient temperatures. Here, we demonstrate that in barley (Hordeum vulgare), high ambient temperatures accelerate or delay reproductive development depending on the photoperiod response gene PHOTOPERIOD1 (Ppd-H1) and its upstream regulator EARLY FLOWERING3 (HvELF3). A natural mutation in Ppd-H1 prevalent in spring barley delayed floral development and reduced the number of florets and seeds per spike, while the wild-type Ppd-H1 or a mutant Hvelf3 allele accelerated floral development and maintained the seed number under high ambient temperatures. High ambient temperature delayed the expression phase and reduced the amplitude of clock genes and repressed the floral integrator gene FLOWERING LOCUS T1 independently of the genotype. Ppd-H1-dependent variation in flowering time under different ambient temperatures correlated with relative expression levels of the BARLEY MADS-box genes VERNALIZATION1 (HvVRN1), HvBM3, and HvBM8 in the leaf. Finally, we show that Ppd-H1 interacts with regulatory variation at HvVRN1. Ppd-H1 only accelerated floral development in the background of a spring HvVRN1 allele with a deletion in the regulatory intron. The full-length winter Hvvrn1 allele was strongly down-regulated, and flowering was delayed by high temperatures irrespective of Ppd-H1 Our findings demonstrate that the photoperiodic and vernalization pathways interact to control flowering time and floret fertility in response to ambient temperature in barley. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of previous episodes of influenza and vaccination in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in Navarre, Spain, 2013/14 season.

PubMed

Castilla, Jesús; Navascués, Ana; Fernández-Alonso, Mirian; Reina, Gabriel; Albéniz, Esther; Pozo, Francisco; Álvarez, Nerea; Martínez-Baz, Iván; Guevara, Marcela; García-Cenoz, Manuel; Irisarri, Fátima; Casado, Itziar; Ezpeleta, Carmen

2016-06-02

We estimated whether previous episodes of influenza and trivalent influenza vaccination prevented laboratory-confirmed influenza in Navarre, Spain, in season 2013/14. Patients with medically-attended influenza-like illness (MA-ILI) in hospitals (n = 645) and primary healthcare (n = 525) were included. We compared 589 influenza cases and 581 negative controls. MA-ILI related to a specific virus subtype in the previous five seasons was defined as a laboratory-confirmed influenza infection with the same virus subtype or MA-ILI during weeks when more than 25% of swabs were positive for this subtype. Persons with previous MA-ILI had 30% (95% confidence interval (CI): -7 to 54) lower risk of MA-ILI, and those with previous MA-ILI related to A(H1N1)pdm09 or A(H3N2) virus, had a, respectively, 63% (95% CI: 16-84) and 65% (95% CI: 13-86) lower risk of new laboratory-confirmed influenza by the same subtype. Overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza was 31% (95% CI: 5-50): 45% (95% CI: 12-65) for A(H1N1)pdm09 and 20% (95% CI: -16 to 44) for A(H3N2). While a previous influenza episode induced high protection only against the same virus subtype, influenza vaccination provided low to moderate protection against all circulating subtypes. Influenza vaccine remains the main preventive option for high-risk populations.

Developing high-resolution spatial data of migration corridors for avian species of concern in regions of high potential wind development

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

Katzner, Todd

2014-06-15

The future of the US economy, our national security, and our environmental quality all depend on decreasing our reliance on foreign oil and on fossil fuels. An essential component of decreasing this reliance is the development of alternative energy sources. Wind power is among the most important alternative energy sources currently available, and the mid-Atlantic region is a primary focus for wind power development. In addition to being important to the development of wind power, the mid-Atlantic region holds a special responsibility for the conservation of the eastern North America's golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). This small population breeds in northeasternmore » Canada, winters in the southern Appalachians, and nearly all of these birds pass through the mid-Atlantic region twice each year. Movement of these birds is not random and, particularly during spring and autumn, migrating golden eagles concentrate in a narrow 30-50 mile wide corridor in central Pennsylvania. Thus, because the fate of these rare birds may depend on responsible management of the habitat they use it is critical to use research to identify ways to mitigate prospective impacts on this and similar raptor species. The goal of this project was to develop high-resolution spatial risk maps showing migration corridors of and habitat use by eastern golden eagles in regions of high potential for wind development. To accomplish this, we first expanded existing models of raptor migration for the eastern USA to identify broad-scale migration patterns. We then used data from novel high-resolution tracking devices to discover routes of passage and detailed flight behavior of individual golden eagles throughout the eastern USA. Finally, we integrated these data and models to predict population-level migration patterns and individual eagle flight behavior on migration. We then used this information to build spatially explicit, probabilistic maps showing relative risk to birds from wind development

Use of genotyping by sequencing data to develop a high-throughput and multifunctional SNP panel for conservation applications in Pacific lamprey.

PubMed

Hess, Jon E; Campbell, Nathan R; Docker, Margaret F; Baker, Cyndi; Jackson, Aaron; Lampman, Ralph; McIlraith, Brian; Moser, Mary L; Statler, David P; Young, William P; Wildbill, Andrew J; Narum, Shawn R

2015-01-01

Next-generation sequencing data can be mined for highly informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to develop high-throughput genomic assays for nonmodel organisms. However, choosing a set of SNPs to address a variety of objectives can be difficult because SNPs are often not equally informative. We developed an optimal combination of 96 high-throughput SNP assays from a total of 4439 SNPs identified in a previous study of Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and used them to address four disparate objectives: parentage analysis, species identification and characterization of neutral and adaptive variation. Nine of these SNPs are FST outliers, and five of these outliers are localized within genes and significantly associated with geography, run-timing and dwarf life history. Two of the 96 SNPs were diagnostic for two other lamprey species that were morphologically indistinguishable at early larval stages and were sympatric in the Pacific Northwest. The majority (85) of SNPs in the panel were highly informative for parentage analysis, that is, putatively neutral with high minor allele frequency across the species' range. Results from three case studies are presented to demonstrate the broad utility of this panel of SNP markers in this species. As Pacific lamprey populations are undergoing rapid decline, these SNPs provide an important resource to address critical uncertainties associated with the conservation and recovery of this imperiled species. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of High Temperature (3400F) and High Pressure (27,000 PSI) Gas Venting Process for Nitrogen Batch Heater

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

for Mach 14 possibly degrading seals ability to contain pressure due to exposure to high temperatures. A different solution for Mach 14 case will be...AEDC-TR-18-H-1 Development of High Temperature (3400°F) and High Pressure (27,000 PSI) Gas Venting Process for Nitrogen Batch...Development of High Temperature (3400°F) and High Pressure (27,000 PSI) Gas Venting Process for Nitrogen Batch Heater FA9101-10-D-0001-0010 5b. GRANT

Meningitis and septicemia caused by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in a previously healthy 2-year-old girl.

PubMed

Ito, Takao; Shibata, Hironori; Nakazawa, Mie; Myokai, Michiko; Ikegaya, Kazuko; Tsuchiya, Ken; Kamimaki, Tsutomu

2011-08-01

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) commonly colonizes the upper respiratory tract of children and causes otitis media, sinusitis, and bronchitis. Invasive NTHi diseases such as meningitis and septicemia have rarely been reported, especially in children with underlying predisposing conditions such as head trauma and immune compromise. However, we report a previously healthy 2-year-old girl who developed meningitis and septicemia caused by NTHi biotype ΙΙΙ. She was treated with dexamethasone, meropenem, and ceftriaxone, and recovered uneventfully. We wish to emphasize that NTHi should be borne in mind as a potential pathogen that can cause meningitis and septicemia, even in previously healthy children.

Groin Problems in Male Soccer Players Are More Common Than Previously Reported.

PubMed

Harøy, Joar; Clarsen, Ben; Thorborg, Kristian; Hölmich, Per; Bahr, Roald; Andersen, Thor Einar

2017-05-01

The majority of surveillance studies in soccer have used a time-loss injury definition, and many groin problems result from overuse, leading to gradually increasing pain and/or reduced performance without necessarily causing an absence from soccer training or match play. Thus, the magnitude of groin problems in soccer has probably been underestimated in previous studies based on traditional injury surveillance methods. To investigate the prevalence of groin problems among soccer players of both sexes and among male soccer players at different levels of play through a new surveillance method developed to capture acute and overuse problems. Descriptive epidemiology study. We registered groin problems during a 6-week period of match congestion using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire. A total of 240 players from 15 teams across different levels of play and from both sexes were included, and they responded to the weekly questionnaire. We calculated the average weekly prevalence of all groin problems and substantial groin problems. Of the 240 players, 112 male players (59%) and 20 female players (45%) reported at least 1 episode of groin problems. The average weekly prevalence of any groin problem and substantial groin problem for all male players was 29% (range, 23%-32% across different levels) and 10% (7%-13%), respectively. Elite male players had an increased risk of experiencing groin problems (odds ratio: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.5-6.4, P = .03) compared with elite female players. There was no difference in the risk of experiencing groin problems among elite, subelite, and amateur male players. For substantial problems, there was no difference between elite male and elite female players or among levels of play for senior male soccer players. We found a high prevalence of groin problems among male soccer players during a period with match congestion. Time-loss definition as used in previous injury surveillance studies captured only one

Development of high precision and cryogenic lens holders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reutlinger, A.; Boesz, Anton; Mottaghibonab, A.; Eckert, P.; Dubowy, M.; Gebler, H.; Grupp, F.; Geis, N.; Bode, A.; Katterloher, R.; Bender, R.

2017-11-01

The optical system of the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) of the EUCLID mission consists mainly of a filter and grism wheel and 4 aspherical lenses with large diameters up to 170 mm. The single lenses require a high precision positioning at the operational temperature of 150 K. An additional design driver represents the CaF2 material of a lens, which is very sensitive wrt brittleness. The technical maturity of the combination of single features such as CaF2, large diameter (and mass), high precision and cryogenic conditions is considered as low. Therefore, a dedicated pre-development program has been launched to design and develop a first prototype of lens holder and to demonstrate the functional performance at representative operational conditions. The 4 lenses are divided into 3x lenses for the Camera Lens Assembly (CaLA) and 1x lens for the Corrector Lens Assembly (CoLA). Each lens is glue mounted onto solid state springs, part of an adaption ring. The adaption ring shall provide protection against vibration loads, high accuracy positioning, as well as quasi load free mounting of the lens under operational conditions. To reduce thermomechanical loads on the lens, the CTE of the adaption ring is adapted to that of the lens. The glue between lens and solid state spring has to withstand high tension loads during vibration. At the operational temperature the deviating CTE between glue and lens/adaption ring introduces shear loads into the glue interface, which are critical, in particular for the fragile CaF2 lens material. For the case of NISP the shear loads are controlled with the glue pad diameter and the glue thickness. In the context of the development activity many technology aspects such as various solid state spring designs, glue selection and glue handling have been investigated. A parametric structural model was developed to derive the specific design feature of each ring, such as spring force, number of springs, eigenfrequency, etc. This

High temperature static strain gage development contract, tasks 1 and 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulse, C. O.; Bailey, R. S.; Grant, H. P.; Przybyszewski, J. S.

1987-01-01

Results are presented for the first two tasks to develop resistive strain gage systems for use up to 1250 K on blades and vanes in gas turbine engines under tests. The objective of these two tasks was to further improve and evaluate two static strain gage alloys identified as candidates in a previous program. Improved compositions were not found for either alloy. Further efforts on the Fe-11.9Al-10.6Cr weigth percent alloy were discontinued because of time dependent drift problems at 1250 K in air. When produced as a 6.5 micrometer thick sputtered film, the Pd-13Cr weight percent alloys is not sufficiently stable for this use in air at 1250 K and a protective overcoat system will need to be developed.

Thyroid abnormalities in patients previously treated with irradiation for acne vulgaris

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

Thomson, D.B.; Grammes, C.F.; Starkey, R.H.

1984-01-01

Of 1,203 patients who received radiation treatment for acne vulgaris between 1940 and 1968, 302 patients were recalled and examined, 121 at Geisinger Medical Center and the remainder by their local physicians. Radiation records were reviewed on all patients. Lead-rubber and cones had been used as shielding. Mean age at the time of exposure was 21 years and mean total exposure was 692 R. Palpable nodular thyroid disease was found in eight patients (2.6%). Of these, thyroid carcinoma was detected in two patients (0.66%). Although the number of patients examined was small, the incidence of carcinomas was unexpectedly high. Wemore » conclude that follow-up examination is worthwhile for patients previously treated by irradiation for acne vulgaris.« less

Thyroid abnormalities in patients previously treated with irradiation for acne vulgaris

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

Thomson, D.B.; Grammes, C.F.; Starkey, R.H.

1984-01-01

Of 1203 patients who received radiation treatment for acne vulgaris between 1940 and 1968, 302 were recalled and examined, 121 at Geisinger Medical Center and the remainder by their local physicians. Radiation records were reviewed on all patients. Lead-rubber and cones had been used as shielding. Mean age at the time of exposure was 21 years and mean total exposure was 692 R. Palpable nodular thyroid disease was found in eight patients (2.6%). Of these, thyroid carcinoma was detected in two patients (0.66%). Although the number of patients examined was small, the incidence of carcinomas was unexpectedly high. The authorsmore » conclude that follow-up examination is worthwhile for patients previously treated by irradiation for acne vulgaris.« less

Development of High Power Density Micro-Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenhua

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are promising for the waste heat recovery in virtue of the ability to directly convert heat to electricity. Despite of their relatively low energy conversion efficiency, TEGs have many advantages including high reliability, long lifetime, and environmental friendliness. Especially, compared to conventional heat engines, TEGs are compact, scalable, and can be easily driven by small temperature differences. Potential applications of TEGs include thermal sensing, thermal management, and thermal energy harvesting to power wireless sensors and microelectronic devices such as wearable medical sensors and wristwatches. This dissertation presents my work on development of high power density non-flexible and flexible micro-TEGs for thermal energy harvesting in the ambient environment. Micro- TEGs are developed by a bottom-up approach combing electroplating and microfabrication processes. Pulsed electroplating is mainly adopted to deposit thermoelectric materials in the device fabrication. First, I collaborated with Dr. Zhou in our lab and systematically studied the effect of deposition parameters on composition, microstructure, and thermoelectric properties of the electroplated Bi2Te3 and Sb2 Te3 thin films. We demonstrated that thermoelectric properties of both Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films can be enhanced by tuning the pulse off-to-on ratio. After the fundamental study on the deposition conditions, morphology, and thermoelectric properties of the electroplated materials, we fabricated a high power density cross-plane micro-TEG on the SiO2/Si substrate by integrating the pulsed electroplating with microfabrication processes. The TEG consists of a total of 127 pairs of n-type Bi2Te3 and ptype Sb2Te3 thermoelectric pillars embedded in a SU-8 matrix to enhance the overall mechanical strength of the device. Both bottom and top electrical connections are formed by electroplating, which is advantageous because of facile and low cost fabrication and low

Development of a 300,000-pixel ultrahigh-speed high-sensitivity CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohtake, H.; Hayashida, T.; Kitamura, K.; Arai, T.; Yonai, J.; Tanioka, K.; Maruyama, H.; Etoh, T. Goji; Poggemann, D.; Ruckelshausen, A.; van Kuijk, H.; Bosiers, Jan T.

2006-02-01

We are developing an ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity broadcast camera that is capable of capturing clear, smooth slow-motion videos even where lighting is limited, such as at professional baseball games played at night. In earlier work, we developed an ultrahigh-speed broadcast color camera1) using three 80,000-pixel ultrahigh-speed, highsensitivity CCDs2). This camera had about ten times the sensitivity of standard high-speed cameras, and enabled an entirely new style of presentation for sports broadcasts and science programs. Most notably, increasing the pixel count is crucially important for applying ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity CCDs to HDTV broadcasting. This paper provides a summary of our experimental development aimed at improving the resolution of CCD even further: a new ultrahigh-speed high-sensitivity CCD that increases the pixel count four-fold to 300,000 pixels.

Previously unknown class of metalorganic compounds revealed in meteorites

PubMed Central

Ruf, Alexander; Kanawati, Basem; Hertkorn, Norbert; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Moritz, Franco; Harir, Mourad; Lucio, Marianna; Michalke, Bernhard; Wimpenny, Joshua; Shilobreeva, Svetlana; Bronsky, Basil; Saraykin, Vladimir; Gabelica, Zelimir; Gougeon, Régis D.; Quirico, Eric; Ralew, Stefan; Jakubowski, Tomasz; Haack, Henning; Gonsior, Michael; Jenniskens, Peter; Hinman, Nancy W.; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2017-01-01

The rich diversity and complexity of organic matter found in meteorites is rapidly expanding our knowledge and understanding of extreme environments from which the early solar system emerged and evolved. Here, we report the discovery of a hitherto unknown chemical class, dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates [(OH)2MgO2CR]−, in meteoritic soluble organic matter. High collision energies, which are required for fragmentation, suggest substantial thermal stability of these Mg-metalorganics (CHOMg compounds). This was corroborated by their higher abundance in thermally processed meteorites. CHOMg compounds were found to be present in a set of 61 meteorites of diverse petrological classes. The appearance of this CHOMg chemical class extends the previously investigated, diverse set of CHNOS molecules. A connection between the evolution of organic compounds and minerals is made, as Mg released from minerals gets trapped into organic compounds. These CHOMg metalorganic compounds and their relation to thermal processing in meteorites might shed new light on our understanding of carbon speciation at a molecular level in meteorite parent bodies. PMID:28242686

Previous pregnancy outcomes and subsequent pregnancy anxiety in a Quebec prospective cohort

PubMed Central

Shapiro, Gabriel D.; Séguin, Jean R.; Muckle, Gina; Monnier, Patricia; Fraser, William D.

2017-01-01

Introduction Pregnancy anxiety is an important psychosocial risk factor that may be more strongly associated with adverse birth outcomes than other measures of stress. Better understanding of the upstream predictors and causes of pregnancy anxiety could help to identify high-risk women for adverse maternal and infant outcomes. The objective of the present study was to measure the associations between five past pregnancy outcomes (live preterm birth (PTB), live term birth, miscarriage at <20 weeks, stillbirth at ≥20 weeks, and elective abortion) and pregnancy anxiety at three trimesters in a subsequent pregnancy. Methods Analyses were conducted using data from the 3D Cohort Study, a Canadian birth cohort. Data on maternal demographic characteristics and pregnancy history for each known previous pregnancy were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires at study entry. Pregnancy anxiety for the index study pregnancy was measured prospectively by self-administered questionnaire following three prenatal study visits. Results Of 2366 participants in the 3D Study, 1505 had at least one previous pregnancy. In linear regression analyses with adjustment for confounding variables, prior live term birth was associated with lower pregnancy anxiety in all three trimesters, whereas prior miscarriage was significantly associated with higher pregnancy anxiety in the first trimester. Prior stillbirth was associated with greater pregnancy anxiety in the third trimester. Prior elective abortion was significantly associated with higher pregnancy anxiety scores in the first and second trimesters, with an association of similar magnitude observed in the third trimester. Discussion Our findings suggest that the outcomes of previous pregnancies should be incorporated, along with demographic and psychosocial characteristics, into conceptual models framing pregnancy anxiety. PMID:28079434

Risk of new or recurrent cancer under immunosuppressive therapy in patients with IBD and previous cancer.

PubMed

Beaugerie, Laurent; Carrat, Fabrice; Colombel, Jean-Frédéric; Bouvier, Anne-Marie; Sokol, Harry; Babouri, Abdenour; Carbonnel, Franck; Laharie, David; Faucheron, Jean-Luc; Simon, Tabassome; de Gramont, Aimery; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent

2014-09-01

To explore the risk of new or recurrent cancer among patients with IBD and previous cancer, exposed or not to immunosuppressants. Among the 17 047 patients of the CESAME prospective observational cohort who were enrolled from May 2004 to June 2005, and followed-up until December 2007, we identified 405 patients with cancer diagnosed previous to study entry. We calculated the rates of incident cancer in patients with or without previous cancer, and we assessed by survival analysis and nested case-control study the impact of immunosuppressants on the risk of incident new or recurrent cancer in patients with previous cancer. The rate of incident cancer was 21.1/1000 patient-years (PY) and 6.1/1000 PY in patients with and without previous cancer, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted HR of incident cancer between patients with and without previous cancer was 1.9 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.0, p=0.003). Among patients with previous cancer, the rates of new and recurrent cancers were, respectively, 13.2/1000 PY and 6.0/1000 PY in the 312 patients who were not taking immunosuppressant at the time of study entry, and 23.1/1000 PY and 3.9/1000 PY in the 93 patients treated with immunosuppressants at study entry. There was no significant association between the exposure to immunosuppressants and the risk of new or recurrent cancer. Patients with IBD with a history of cancer are at increased risk of developing any (new or recurrent) cancer, with a predominant incidence of new cancers. Treatment with immunosuppressants has no overall major impact per se on this risk. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Making Progress Toward Graduation: Evidence from the Talent Development High School Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemple, James J.; Herlihy, Corinne M.; Smith, Thomas J.

2005-01-01

In low-performing public high schools in U.S. cities, high proportions of students drop out, students who stay in school typically do not succeed academically, and efforts to make substantial reforms often meet with little success. The Talent Development High School model is a comprehensive school reform initiative that has been developed to…

High Temperature Ferroelectrics for Actuators: Recent Developments and Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sehirlioglu, Alp; Kowalski, Benjamin

2014-01-01

A variety of piezoelectric applications have been driving the research in development of new high temperature ferroelectrics; ranging from broader markets such as fuel and gas modulation and deep well oil drilling to very specific applications such as thermoacoustic engines and ultrasonic drilling on the surface of Venus. The focus has been mostly on increasing the Curie temperature. However, greater challenges for high temperature ferroelectrics limit the operating temperature to levels much below the Curie temperature. These include enhanced loss tangent and dc conductivity at high fields as well as depoling due to thermally activated domain rotation. The initial work by Eitel et al. [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 40 [10, Part 1] 59996002 (2001)] increased interest in investigation of Bismuth containing perovskites in solid solution with lead titanate. Issues that arise vary from solubility limits to increased tetragonality; the former one prohibits processing of morphotropic phase boundary, while the latter one impedes thorough poling of the polycrystalline ceramics. This talk will summarize recent advances in development of high temperature piezoelectrics and provide information about challenges encountered as well as the approaches taken to improve the high temperature behavior of ferroelectrics with a focus on applications that employ the converse piezoelectric effect.

Identification and characterisation of a previously unknown drought tolerance-associated microRNA in barley.

PubMed

Zhou, Hui; Hussain, Syed Sarfraz; Hackenberg, Michael; Bazanova, Natalia; Eini, Omid; Li, Jie; Gustafson, Perry; Shi, Bujun

2018-04-22

Drought is the most serious abiotic stress, which causes crop losses on worldwide scale. The present study identified a previously unknown microRNA (designated as hvu-miRX) of 21 nucleotides (nt) in barley. Its precursor (designated pre-miRX) and primary transcript (designated pri-miRX) were also identified, with lengths of 73 nt and 559 nt, respectively. The identified upstream sequence of pri-miRX contains both the TATA box and the CAAT box, which are both required for transcription initiation. Transient promoter activation assays showed that the core promoter region of pri-miRX ranged 500 nt from the transcription start site. In transgenic barley over-expressing the wheat DREB3 transcription factor (TaDREB3) caused hvu-miRX to be highly expressed as compared to the same miRNA in non-transgenic barley. However, the high expression was not directly associated with TaDREB3. Genomic analysis revealed that the hvu-miRX gene was a single copy located on the short arm of chromosome 2 and appeared to be only conserved in Triticeae, but not in other plant species. Notably, transgenic barley overexpressing hvu-miRX showed drought tolerance. Degradome library analysis and other tests showed that hvu-miRX targeted various genes including transcription factors via the cleavage mode. Our data open an excellent opportunity to develop drought stress tolerant cereals with hvu-miRX. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality across medium to highly developed countries in the twenty-first century.

PubMed

Arnold, Melina; Rentería, Elisenda; Conway, David I; Bray, Freddie; Van Ourti, Tom; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2016-08-01

Inequalities in the burden of cancer have been well documented, and a variety of measures exist to analyse disease disparities. While previous studies have focused on inequalities within countries, the aim of the present study was to quantify existing inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality between countries. Data on total and site-specific cancer incidence and mortality in 2003-2007 were obtained for 43 countries with medium-to-high levels of human development via Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Vol. X and the WHO Mortality Database. We calculated the concentration index as a summary measure of socioeconomic-related inequality between countries. Inequalities in cancer burden differed markedly by site; the concentration index for all sites combined was 0.03 for incidence and 0.02 for mortality, pointing towards a slightly higher burden in countries with higher levels of the human development index (HDI). For both incidence and mortality, this pattern was most pronounced for melanoma. In contrast, the burden of cervical cancer was disproportionally high in countries with lower HDI levels. Prostate, lung and breast cancer contributed most to inequalities in overall cancer incidence in countries with higher HDI levels, while for mortality these were mostly driven by lung cancer in higher HDI countries and stomach cancer in countries with lower HDI levels. Global inequalities in the burden of cancer remain evident at the beginning of the twenty-first century: with a disproportionate burden of lifestyle-related cancers in countries classified as high HDI, while infection-related cancers continue to predominate in transitioning countries with lower levels of HDI.

Recent meta-analyses neglect previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses about the same topic: a systematic examination.

PubMed

Helfer, Bartosz; Prosser, Aaron; Samara, Myrto T; Geddes, John R; Cipriani, Andrea; Davis, John M; Mavridis, Dimitris; Salanti, Georgia; Leucht, Stefan

2015-04-14

As the number of systematic reviews is growing rapidly, we systematically investigate whether meta-analyses published in leading medical journals present an outline of available evidence by referring to previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews. We searched PubMed for recent meta-analyses of pharmacological treatments published in high impact factor journals. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses were identified with electronic searches of keywords and by searching reference sections. We analyzed the number of meta-analyses and systematic reviews that were cited, described and discussed in each recent meta-analysis. Moreover, we investigated publication characteristics that potentially influence the referencing practices. We identified 52 recent meta-analyses and 242 previous meta-analyses on the same topics. Of these, 66% of identified previous meta-analyses were cited, 36% described, and only 20% discussed by recent meta-analyses. The probability of citing a previous meta-analysis was positively associated with its publication in a journal with a higher impact factor (odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 2.10) and more recent publication year (odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.37). Additionally, the probability of a previous study being described by the recent meta-analysis was inversely associated with the concordance of results (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.17 to 0.88), and the probability of being discussed was increased for previous studies that employed meta-analytic methods (odds ratio, 32.36; 95% confidence interval, 2.00 to 522.85). Meta-analyses on pharmacological treatments do not consistently refer to and discuss findings of previous meta-analyses on the same topic. Such neglect can lead to research waste and be confusing for readers. Journals should make the discussion of related meta-analyses mandatory.

Response surface models for effects of temperature and previous growth sodium chloride on growth kinetics of Salmonella typhimurium on cooked chicken breast.

PubMed

Oscar, T P

1999-12-01

Response surface models were developed and validated for effects of temperature (10 to 40 degrees C) and previous growth NaCl (0.5 to 4.5%) on lag time (lambda) and specific growth rate (mu) of Salmonella Typhimurium on cooked chicken breast. Growth curves for model development (n = 55) and model validation (n = 16) were fit to a two-phase linear growth model to obtain lambda and mu of Salmonella Typhimurium on cooked chicken breast. Response surface models for natural logarithm transformations of lambda and mu as a function of temperature and previous growth NaCl were obtained by regression analysis. Both lambda and mu of Salmonella Typhimurium were affected (P < 0.0001) by temperature but not by previous growth NaCl. Models were validated against data not used in their development. Mean absolute relative error of predictions (model accuracy) was 26.6% for lambda and 15.4% for mu. Median relative error of predictions (model bias) was 0.9% for lambda and 5.2% for mu. Results indicated that the models developed provided reliable predictions of lambda and mu of Salmonella Typhimurium on cooked chicken breast within the matrix of conditions modeled. In addition, results indicated that previous growth NaCl (0.5 to 4.5%) was not a major factor affecting subsequent growth kinetics of Salmonella Typhimurium on cooked chicken breast. Thus, inclusion of previous growth NaCl in predictive models may not significantly improve our ability to predict growth of Salmonella spp. on food subjected to temperature abuse.

Software Developed for Analyzing High- Speed Rolling-Element Bearings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, David P.

2005-01-01

COBRA-AHS (Computer Optimized Ball & Roller Bearing Analysis--Advanced High Speed, J.V. Poplawski & Associates, Bethlehem, PA) is used for the design and analysis of rolling element bearings operating at high speeds under complex mechanical and thermal loading. The code estimates bearing fatigue life by calculating three-dimensional subsurface stress fields developed within the bearing raceways. It provides a state-of-the-art interactive design environment for bearing engineers within a single easy-to-use design-analysis package. The code analyzes flexible or rigid shaft systems containing up to five bearings acted upon by radial, thrust, and moment loads in 5 degrees of freedom. Bearing types include high-speed ball, cylindrical roller, and tapered roller bearings. COBRA-AHS is the first major upgrade in 30 years of such commercially available bearing software. The upgrade was developed under a Small Business Innovation Research contract from the NASA Glenn Research Center, and incorporates the results of 30 years of NASA and industry bearing research and technology.

14 CFR 121.406 - Credit for previous CRM/DRM training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Credit for previous CRM/DRM training. 121... previous CRM/DRM training. (a) For flightcrew members, the Administrator may credit CRM training received before March 19, 1998 toward all or part of the initial ground CRM training required by § 121.419. (b...

14 CFR 121.406 - Credit for previous CRM/DRM training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Credit for previous CRM/DRM training. 121... previous CRM/DRM training. (a) For flightcrew members, the Administrator may credit CRM training received before March 19, 1998 toward all or part of the initial ground CRM training required by § 121.419. (b...

Developing A Directional High-Dose Rate (d-HDR) Brachytherapy Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heredia, Athena Yvonne

Conventional sources used in brachytherapy provide nearly isotropic or radially symmetric dose distributions. Optimizations of dose distributions have been limited to varied dwell times at specified locations within a given treatment volume, or manipulations in source position for seed implantation techniques. In years past, intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) has been used to reduce the amount of radiation to surrounding sensitive structures in select intracavitary cases by adding space or partial shields. Previous work done by Lin et al., at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has shown potential improvements in conformality for brachytherapy treatments using a directionally shielded low dose rate (LDR) source for treatments in breast and prostate. Directional brachytherapy sources irradiate approximately half of the radial angles around the source, and adequately shield a quarter of the radial angles on the opposite side, with sharp gradient zones between the treated half and shielded quarter. With internally shielded sources, the radiation can be preferentially emitted in such a way as to reduce toxicities in surrounding critical organs. The objective of this work is to present findings obtained in the development of a new directional high dose rate (d-HDR) source. To this goal, 103Pd (Z = 46) is reintroduced as a potential radionuclide for use in HDR brachytherapy. 103Pd has a low average photon energy (21 keV) and relatively short half -life (17 days), which is why it has historically been used in low dose rate applications and implantation techniques. Pd-103 has a carrier-free specific activity of 75000 Ci/g. Using cyclotron produced 103Pd, near carrier-free specific activities can be achieved, providing suitability for high dose rate applications. The evolution of the d-HDR source using Monte Carlo simulations is presented, along with dosimetric parameters used to fully characterize the source. In addition, a discussion on how to obtain elemental

Challenging previous conceptions of vegetarianism and eating disorders.

PubMed

Fisak, B; Peterson, R D; Tantleff-Dunn, S; Molnar, J M

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand upon previous research that has examined the potential association between vegetarianism and disordered eating. Limitations of previous research studies are addressed, including possible low reliability of measures of eating pathology within vegetarian samples, use of only a few dietary restraint measures, and a paucity of research examining potential differences in body image and food choice motives of vegetarians versus nonvegetarians. Two hundred and fifty-six college students completed a number of measures of eating pathology and body image, and a food choice motives questionnaire. Interestingly, no significant differences were found between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in measures of eating pathology or body image. However, significant differences in food choice motives were found. Implications for both researchers and clinicians are discussed.

High accuracy LADAR scene projector calibration sensor development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hajin J.; Cornell, Michael C.; Naumann, Charles B.; Bowden, Mark H.

2008-04-01

A sensor system for the characterization of infrared laser radar scene projectors has been developed. Available sensor systems do not provide sufficient range resolution to evaluate the high precision LADAR projector systems developed by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). With timing precision capability to a fraction of a nanosecond, it can confirm the accuracy of simulated return pulses from a nominal range of up to 6.5 km to a resolution of 4cm. Increased range can be achieved through firmware reconfiguration. Two independent amplitude triggers measure both rise and fall time providing a judgment of pulse shape and allowing estimation of the contained energy. Each return channel can measure up to 32 returns per trigger characterizing each return pulse independently. Currently efforts include extending the capability to 8 channels. This paper outlines the development, testing, capabilities and limitations of this new sensor system.

Development of high power UV irradiance meter calibration device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Ming; Gao, Jianqiang; Yin, Dejin; Li, Tiecheng

2016-09-01

With the rapid development of China's economy, many industries have more requirements for UV light applications, such as machinery manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing using high power UV light for detection, IT industry using high power UV light for curing component assembly, building materials, ink, paint and other industries using high power UV light for material aging test etc. In these industries, there are many measuring instruments for high power UV irradiance which are need to traceability. But these instruments are mostly imported instruments, these imported UV radiation meter are large range, wide wavelength range and high accuracy. They have exceeded our existing calibration capability. Expand the measuring range and improve the measurement accuracy of UV irradiance calibration device is a pressing matter of the moment. The newly developed high power UV irradiance calibration device is mainly composed of high power UV light, UV filter, condenser, UV light guide, optical alignment system, standard cavity absolute radiometer. The calibration device is using optical alignment system to form uniform light radiation field. The standard is standard cavity absolute radiometer, which can through the electrical substitution method, by means of adjusting and measuring the applied DC electric power at the receiver on a heating wire, which is equivalent to the thermo-electromotive force generated by the light radiation power, to achieve absolute optical radiation measurement. This method is the commonly used effective method for accurate measurement of light irradiation. The measuring range of calibration device is (0.2 200) mW/cm2, and the uncertainty of measurement results can reached 2.5% (k=2).

Treatment of extraskeletal osteosarcoma at a previous injection site resulting in prolonged survival in 1 dog

PubMed Central

Selmic, Laura E.; Griffin, Lynn R.; Rector, Megan H.; Lafferty, Mary; Pool, Roy; Ehrhart, Nicole P.

2016-01-01

A rare presentation of an extraskeletal osteosarcoma at a previous interscapular injection site in a dog is described. Treatment included surgical excision of the tumor followed by 6 rounds of intravenous carboplatin, oral toceranib, and cyclophosphamide. The dog survived for 20.5 months after diagnosis despite early development of pulmonary metastases. PMID:27587886

Previous Exposure to Anesthesia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Puerto Rican Population-Based Sibling Cohort Study.

PubMed

Creagh, O; Torres, H; Rivera, K; Morales-Franqui, M; Altieri-Acevedo, G; Warner, D

2016-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior, that begins usually before a child is three years old.(1) Researchers have shown that prevalence rates in the U.S. may be as high as 1 in 68.(52) A number of studies have examined the effects of early exposure to anesthesia on brain development and subsequent impairment in neurocognitive function; yet, little is known about the possible effects of anesthetic agents on social-behavioral functioning. The association between exposure to anesthesia either in uterus, during the first years of life, or later and development of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or its severity was determined in a retrospective population based cohort study. Identify if children who had previous exposure to anesthesia either in uterus, first years of life during their developing brain years, or later, are at risk of developing ASD and its severe form of the disease. Data was obtained from structured interviews administered to a sample of 515 parents/guardians distributed in two groups: ASD = 262 children diagnosed with this condition and Non-ASD: 253 children (siblings of ASD group) without diagnosis (95% confidence interval) that freely decided to participate and agreed to a consent form. Variables studied include: demographics, diagnosis and severity of ASD, exposure to anesthesia, method of childbirth, and age of exposure Children less than 2 years of age were considered into have developing brain period. Data was analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher exact test. In contrast to non-ASD group, most of the children within ASD group were male, 76% (p=0.0001). With regards to methods of childbirth, 64% of the ASD population were vaginal delivery (VD; Non-anesthesia exposure group) and 36% cesarean delivery (CD) compared to non-autistic population with 71% VD and 29% CD, which demonstrates no statistical difference between both groups (p=0.1113). Out of

Previous Exposure to Anesthesia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Puerto Rican Population-Based Sibling Cohort Study.

PubMed

Creagh, O; Torres, H; Rivera, K; Morales-Franqui, M; Altieri-Acevedo, G; Warner, D

2015-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior, that begins usually before a child is three years old.1 Researchers have shown that prevalence rates in the U.S. may be as high as 1 in 68.52 A number of studies have examined the effects of early exposure to anesthesia on brain development and subsequent impairment in neurocognitive function; yet, little is known about the possible effects of anesthetic agents on social-behavioral functioning. The association between exposure to anesthesia either in uterus, during the first years of life, or later and development of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or its severity was determined in a retrospective population based cohort study. Identify if children who had previous exposure to anesthesia either in uterus, first years of life during their developing brain years, or later, are at risk of developing ASD and its severe form of the disease. Data was obtained from structured interviews administered to a sample of 515 parents/guardians distributed in two groups: ASD = 262 children diagnosed with this condition and Non-ASD: 253 children (siblings of ASD group) without diagnosis (p = 0.8069) when comparing exposure to anesthesia in uterus to subsequent severe form of ASD. Of the 262 ASD patients, 99 had exposure to anesthetics before their diagnosis, while in Non-ASD population, 110 had exposure to anesthesia, demonstrating no statistically significant association between both groups (p = 0.2091). Out of 99 ASD patients exposed to anesthesia prior to their diagnosis, 72 were exposed before age 2. When compared to the 110 Non-ASD patients exposed to anesthesia, 86 had exposure during this developing brain period, which indicates no statistically significant association (p = 0.4207). In addition, most of the ASD children exposed to anesthesia during developing brain were diagnosed with mild degree of the disorder when compared to ASD

Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Moon, Joon Ho; Kwak, Soo Heon; Jang, Hak C.

2017-01-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy, is characterized by underlying maternal defects in the β-cell response to insulin during pregnancy. Women with a previous history of GDM have a greater than 7-fold higher risk of developing postpartum diabetes compared with women without GDM. Various risk factors for postpartum diabetes have been identified, including maternal age, glucose levels in pregnancy, family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy and postpartum body mass index, dietary patterns, physical activity, and breastfeeding. Genetic studies revealed that GDM shares common genetic variants with type 2 diabetes. A number of lifestyle interventional trials that aimed to ameliorate modifiable risk factors, including diet, exercise, and breastfeeding, succeeded in reducing the incidence of postpartum diabetes, weight retention, and other obesity-related morbidities. The present review summarizes the findings of previous studies on the incidence and risk factors of postpartum diabetes and discusses recent lifestyle interventional trials that attempted to prevent postpartum diabetes. PMID:28049284

Development of High-Power Hall Thruster Power Processing Units at NASA GRC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.; Bozak, Karin E.; Santiago, Walter; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

NASA GRC successfully designed, built and tested four different power processor concepts for high power Hall thrusters. Each design satisfies unique goals including the evaluation of a novel silicon carbide semiconductor technology, validation of innovative circuits to overcome the problems with high input voltage converter design, development of a direct-drive unit to demonstrate potential benefits, or simply identification of lessonslearned from the development of a PPU using a conventional design approach. Any of these designs could be developed further to satisfy NASA's needs for high power electric propulsion in the near future.

High Power Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheidegger, Robert J.; Santiago, Walter; Bozak, Karin E.; Pinero, Luis R.; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

NASA GRC successfully designed, built and tested a technology-push power processing unit for electric propulsion applications that utilizes high voltage silicon carbide (SiC) technology. The development specifically addresses the need for high power electronics to enable electric propulsion systems in the 100s of kilowatts. This unit demonstrated how high voltage combined with superior semiconductor components resulted in exceptional converter performance.

Instrumental Aid by Japanese Official Development Assistance for Astronomy in Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitamura, Masatoshi

In order to promote education and research in developing countries, the Japanese Government has been providing developing countries with high-grade equipment under the framework of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) cooperation programme since 1982. Under this successful cooperation programme, 24 astronomical instruments have been donated to 19 developing countries up to the end of the Japanese fiscal year 2003. The instruments donated included university-level reflecting telescopes, as well as modern planetaria used for educational purposes, together with various accessories. This paper describes a continuation of the previous ODA donations (Astronomical Herald 1997) and the subsequent follow-up programmes provided with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Can Patients Who Develop Cerebral Death in Fulminant Liver Failure Despite Liver Transplantation Be Previously Forseen?

PubMed

Sarici, K B; Karakas, S; Otan, E; Ince, V; Koc, C; Koc, S; Bayraktar, H; Aydin, C; Kayaalp, C; Gungor, S; Kablan, Y; Yilmaz, S

2017-04-01

The outcome of medical treatment is worse in fulminant liver failure (FLF) developing on acute or chronic ground. Recently, liver transplantations with the use of living and cadaveric donors have been performed in these diseases and good results obtained. In this study, we aimed to present the factors affecting the recovery of cerebral functions after liver transplantation in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) developing in FLF, to identify irreversible patient groups and to prevent unnecessary liver transplantation. In Inonu University's Liver Transplant Institute, 69 patients who made an emergency notice to the National Coordination Center for liver transplantation owing to FLF from January 2012 to December 2015 were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 52 patients who underwent liver transplantation and recovered normal brain function, and group 2 had 17 patients who underwent liver transplantation and did not recover normal brain function and had cerebral death. All patients were evaluated before surgery for clinical encephalopathy stage, light reflex, and convulsions. Groups were compared and assessed according to age (>40, 10-40 and <10 years), body mass index, etiologic factor, preoperative laboratory values, transplantation type, mortality, and encephalopathy level. Multivariate analysis was done for specific parameters. Prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), and total bilirubin values were significantly different between the groups. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding ammonia and lactate levels. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding sodium and potassium levels from serum electrolytes. However, the averages of both groups were within normal limits. pH and total bilirubin levels were meaningful for multivariate analysis. HE reversibility, mortality, and morbidity are important in patients with HE who undergo liver

Development of superconducting high gradient magnetic separation system for highly viscous fluid for practical use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, S.; Mishima, F.; Akiyama, Y.; Nishijima, S.

2011-11-01

In the industrial plants processing highly viscous fluid such as foods or industrial products, it is necessary to remove the metallic wear debris originating from pipe in manufacturing line which triggers quality loss. In this study, we developed a high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) system which consists of superconducting magnet to remove the metallic wear debris. The magnetic separation experiment and the particle trajectory simulation were conducted with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a model material (viscosity coefficient was 10 Pa s, which is 10,000 times higher than that in water). In order to develop a magnetic separation system for practical use, the particle trajectory simulation by using solenoidal superconducting magnet was conducted, and the possibility of the magnetic separation for removing ferromagnetic stainless steel (SUS) particles in highly viscous fluid of 10 Pa s was indicated. Based on the results, the number of filters to obtain required separation efficiency was examined to design the practical separation system.

[Infective fungal endocarditis in patients with no previous cardiac disease].

PubMed

Marcano Sanz, L; Naranjo Ugalde, A; González Guillén, A; Bermúdez Gutiérrez, G; Frías Griskho, F

2013-02-01

Infective endocarditis is a serious and uncommon condition affecting the endocardium. Less than 10% of these cases are of fungal origin. A growing number of individuals are at high risk, due to insertion of central venous catheters, total parenteral nutrition and prolonged exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics, even without previous heart diseases. We retrospectively analysed the records of six children with Candida endocarditis, reviewing the comorbidities, clinical outcome, and treatment. The antifungal agents used were amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine and fluconazole. Patients underwent surgical excision of vegetation, five tricuspid valve repairs and one mitral valve replacement. There were no hospital deaths, and one child needed a new valvuloplasty one year later. The mean follow up was five years, and all have good valvular function without recurrent endocarditis. A combination of synergistic long-term antifungal treatment and early surgical intervention is recommended. Copyright © 2011 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Spin exercise improves semantic fluency in previously sedentary older adults.

PubMed

Nocera, Joe R; McGregor, Keith M; Hass, Chris J; Crosson, Bruce

2015-01-01

Studies suggest improvements of neurocognitive function among older adults who undergo aerobic exercise training. This study sought to examine the impact of an aerobic exercise intervention on verbal fluency in sedentary older adults. Twenty community-dwelling older adults were recruited and enrolled in either a spin exercise group or a control condition. Participants were evaluated with an estimated V02max test and on measures of letter, category, and switching verbal fluency both before and after a 12-week intervention period. Spin exercise resulted in a significant improvement in category (semantic) verbal fluency when compared with the control group (15% vs. 2% increase, respectively; P = .001). Spin exercise also resulted in a significant improvement in estimated V02max (P = .005). Also important, the spin exercise group demonstrated a high level of adherence (mean adherence = 82.5%). Spin exercise can be an effective mode of aerobic exercise to improve semantic fluency in previously sedentary older adults.

The obesogenic effect of high fructose exposure during early development

PubMed Central

Goran, Michael I.; Dumke, Kelly; Bouret, Sebastien G.; Kayser, Brandon; Walker, Ryan W.; Blumberg, Bruce

2016-01-01

Obesogens are compounds that disrupt the function and development of adipose tissue or the normal metabolism of lipids, leading to an increased risk of obesity and associated diseases. Evidence for the adverse effects of industrial and agricultural obesogens, such as tributyltin, bisphenol A and other organic pollutants is well-established. Current evidence suggests that high maternal consumption of fat promotes obesity and increased metabolic risk in offspring, but less is known about the effects of other potential nutrient obesogens. Widespread increase in dietary fructose consumption over the past 30 years is associated with chronic metabolic and endocrine disorders and alterations in feeding behaviour that promote obesity. In this Perspectives, we examine the evidence linking high intakes of fructose with altered metabolism and early obesity. We review the evidence suggesting that high fructose exposure during critical periods of development of the fetus, neonate and infant can act as an obesogen by affecting lifelong neuroendocrine function, appetite control, feeding behaviour, adipogenesis, fat distribution and metabolic systems. These changes ultimately favour the long-term development of obesity and associated metabolic risk. PMID:23732284

Development of embedded real-time and high-speed vision platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Zhenxing; Dong, Yimin; Yang, Hua

2015-12-01

Currently, high-speed vision platforms are widely used in many applications, such as robotics and automation industry. However, a personal computer (PC) whose over-large size is not suitable and applicable in compact systems is an indispensable component for human-computer interaction in traditional high-speed vision platforms. Therefore, this paper develops an embedded real-time and high-speed vision platform, ER-HVP Vision which is able to work completely out of PC. In this new platform, an embedded CPU-based board is designed as substitution for PC and a DSP and FPGA board is developed for implementing image parallel algorithms in FPGA and image sequential algorithms in DSP. Hence, the capability of ER-HVP Vision with size of 320mm x 250mm x 87mm can be presented in more compact condition. Experimental results are also given to indicate that the real-time detection and counting of the moving target at a frame rate of 200 fps at 512 x 512 pixels under the operation of this newly developed vision platform are feasible.

High temperature dynamic engine seal technology development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinetz, Bruce M.; Dellacorte, Christopher; Machinchick, Michael; Mutharasan, Rajakkannu; Du, Guang-Wu; Ko, Frank; Sirocky, Paul J.; Miller, Jeffrey H.

1992-01-01

Combined cycle ramjet/scramjet engines being designed for advanced hypersonic vehicles, including the National Aerospace Plane (NASP), require innovative high temperature dynamic seals to seal the sliding interfaces of the articulated engine panels. New seals are required that will operate hot (1200 to 2000 F), seal pressures ranging from 0 to 100 psi, remain flexible to accommodate significant sidewall distortions, and resist abrasion over the engine's operational life. This report reviews the recent high temperature durability screening assessments of a new braided rope seal concept, braided of emerging high temperature materials, that shows promise of meeting many of the seal demands of hypersonic engines. The paper presents durability data for: (1) the fundamental seal building blocks, a range of candidate ceramic fiber tows; and for (2) braided rope seal subelements scrubbed under engine simulated sliding, temperature, and preload conditions. Seal material/architecture attributes and limitations are identified through the investigations performed. The paper summarizes the current seal technology development status and presents areas in which future work will be performed.

Development of high-sensitivity SWIR APD receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Xiaogang; Yuan, Ping; Chang, James; Sudharsanan, Rengarajan; Krainak, Michael; Yang, Guangning; Sun, Xiaoli; Lu, Wei

2013-06-01

Emerging short wavelength infrared (SWIR) LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and long range laser rangefinder systems, require large optical aperture avalanche photodiodes (APDs) receivers with high sensitivity and high bandwidth. A large optical aperture is critical to increase the optical coupling efficiency and extend the LIDAR sensing range of the above systems. Both APD excess noise and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) noise need to be reduced in order to achieve high receiver sensitivity. The dark current and capacitance of large area APDs increase with APD aperture and thus limit the sensitivity and bandwidth of receivers. Spectrolab has been developing low excess noise InAlAs/InGaAs APDs with impact ionization engineering (I2E) designs for many years and has demonstrated APDs with optical gain over 100 utilizing multiple period I2E structures in the APD multiplier. These high gain I2E APDs have an excess noise factor less than 0.15. With an optical aperture of 200 μm, low excess noise multiple periods I2E APDs have capacitances about 1.7 pF. In addition, optical gains of InAlAs based APDs show very little temperature dependence and will enable APD photoreceivers without thermal electric cooling.

42 CFR 51c.507 - Facility which has previously received Federal grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... § 51c.507 Facility which has previously received Federal grant. No grant for the acquisition of a facility which has previously received a Federal grant for construction, acquisition, or equipment shall... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Facility which has previously received Federal...

14 CFR 47.37 - Aircraft last previously registered in a foreign country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION Certificates of Aircraft Registration § 47.37 Aircraft last previously registered in a foreign country. (a) A person who is the owner of an aircraft last previously... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Aircraft last previously registered in a...

14 CFR 47.37 - Aircraft last previously registered in a foreign country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION Certificates of Aircraft Registration § 47.37 Aircraft last previously registered in a foreign country. (a) A person who is the owner of an aircraft last previously... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Aircraft last previously registered in a...

Development of DNA markers for newly identified high-oleate peanut mutants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Development of high-oleate cultivars is one of the important objectives of peanut breeding because consuming products containing high oleate can benefit human health in many aspects. By screening the entire USDA cultivated peanut collection, we have identified two new high-oleate mutants (PI 342664...

The influence of normal and high ultimate muscle pH on the microbiology and colour stability of previously frozen black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) meat.

PubMed

Shange, Nompumelelo; Makasi, Thandeka N; Gouws, Pieter A; Hoffman, Louwrens C

2018-01-01

Changes in pH, colour and microbiological counts were investigated in previously frozen Biceps femoris (BF) muscles from black wildebeest. Samples were stored under vacuum at refrigerated conditions (4.2±0.8°C) for 12days. Seven BF muscles had a high pH (DFD) (pH≥6) and five had a normal pH (pH<6). Overtime the pH of DFD did not significantly change whilst that of normal pH meat decreased. Browning under anaerobic storage conditions was seen, more for normal meat than DFD meat. Initial total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria and coliform counts from samples with normal pH, were significantly higher than counts from the DFD samples. However, overtime DFD meat showed a faster increase for all microorganisms tested compared to normal pH meat. Overall, this study revealed that DFD meat can have a shorter shelf-life than normal pH meat stored at 4.2±0.8°C. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of high strength, high temperature ceramics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, W. B.

1982-01-01

Improvement in the high-pressure turbopumps, both fuel and oxidizer, in the Space Shuttle main engine were considered. The operation of these pumps is limited by temperature restrictions of the metallic components used in these pumps. Ceramic materials that retain strength at high temperatures and appear to be promising candidates for use as turbine blades and impellers are discussed. These high strength materials are sensitive to many related processing parameters such as impurities, sintering aids, reaction aids, particle size, processing temperature, and post thermal treatment. The specific objectives of the study were to: (1) identify and define the processing parameters that affect the properties of Si3N4 ceramic materials, (2) design and assembly equipment required for processing high strength ceramics, (3) design and assemble test apparatus for evaluating the high temperature properties of Si3N4, and (4) conduct a research program of manufacturing and evaluating Si3N4 materials as applicable to rocket engine applications.

49 CFR 383.35 - Notification of previous employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE STANDARDS; REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES Notification Requirements and Employer Responsibilities § 383.35 Notification of previous employment. (a) Any person applying for employment as an... information specified in paragraph (c) of this section. (b) All employers shall request the information...

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives

PubMed Central

Cornell, Rodger; Wrobel, Erik; Anderson, Paul E.

2016-01-01

Developmental testing of high explosives for military applications involves small-scale formulation, safety testing, and finally detonation performance tests to verify theoretical calculations. small-scale For newly developed formulations, the process begins with small-scale mixes, thermal testing, and impact and friction sensitivity. Only then do subsequent larger scale formulations proceed to detonation testing, which will be covered in this paper. Recent advances in characterization techniques have led to unparalleled precision in the characterization of early-time evolution of detonations. The new technique of photo-Doppler velocimetry (PDV) for the measurement of detonation pressure and velocity will be shared and compared with traditional fiber-optic detonation velocity and plate-dent calculation of detonation pressure. In particular, the role of aluminum in explosive formulations will be discussed. Recent developments led to the development of explosive formulations that result in reaction of aluminum very early in the detonation product expansion. This enhanced reaction leads to changes in the detonation velocity and pressure due to reaction of the aluminum with oxygen in the expanding gas products. PMID:26966969

New developments in the field of high voltage and extra-high voltage cables

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

Jocteur, R.

1990-04-01

In this paper, the author presents the developments in progress at the present time in France concerning the high voltage (HV) and extra-high voltage (EHV) cables with synthetic insulation and their accessories up to the 500 kV range. The authors have adopted a maximum operating field strength approaching 16 kV/mm (405 V/mil) for low density polyethylene (LDPE) insulated cables. The on-going studies should allow to bring the maximum operating field strength for crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation from 7 to 10 kV/mm (180 to 255 V/mil) and cables could be manufactured more economically with this material.

High-Energy Pulsar Models: Developments and New Questions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venter, C.; Harding, A. K.

2014-01-01

The past few years have seen a major advance in observational knowledge of high-energy (HE) pulsars. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and AGILE have increased the number of known gamma-ray pulsars by an order of magnitude, its members being divided roughly equally among millisecond pulsars (MSPs), young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. Many new and diverse emission characteristics are being measured, while radio and X-ray follow-up observations increase the pulsar detection rate and enrich our multiwavelength picture of these extreme sources. The wealth of new data has provided impetus for further development and improvement of existing theoretical pulsar models. Geometric light curve (LC) modelling has uncovered three broad classes into which HE pulsars fall: those where the radio profile leads, is aligned with, or lags the gamma-ray profile. For example, the original MSP and original black widow system are members of the second class, requiring co-located emission regions and thereby breaking with traditional notions of radio emission origin. These models imply narrow accelerator gaps in the outer magnetosphere, indicating copious pair production even in MSP magnetospheres that were previously thought to be pair-starved. The increased quality and variety of the LCs necessitate construction of ever more sophisticated models. We will review progress in global magnetosphere solutions which specify a finite conductivity on field lines above the stellar surface, filling the gap between the standard vacuum and force-free (FF; plasma-filled) models. The possibility of deriving phase-resolved spectra for the brightest pulsars, coupled with the fact that the HE pulsar population is sizable enough to allow sampling of various pulsar geometries, will enable much more stringent testing of future radiation models. Reproduction of the observed phase-resolved behavior of this disparate group will be one of the next frontiers in pulsar science, impacting on

Examining Thai high school students' developing STEM projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teenoi, Kultida; Siripun, Kulpatsorn; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

Like others, Thailand education strongly focused on STEM education. This paper aimed to examine existing Thai high school students' integrated knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their developing science project. The participants included 49 high school students were studying the subject of individual study (IS) in Khon Kaen wittayayon school, Khon Kaen, Thailand. The IS was provided to gradually enhance students to know how to do science project starting from getting start to do science projects, They enrolled to study the individual study of science project for three year in roll. Methodology was qualitative research. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM were interpreted through participant observation, interview, and students' science projects. The first author as participant observation has taught this group of students for 3 years. It found that 16 science projects were developed. Views of students' integrated knowledge about STEM could be categorized into three categories. These included (1) completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, (2) partial indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and (3) no integration. The findings revealed that majority of science projects could be categorized as completely indicated integration of knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The paper suggested some ideas of enhancing students to applying STEM for developing science projects.

High density harp for SSCL linac. [Suerconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL)

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

Fritsche, C.T.; Krogh, M.L.; Crist, C.E.

1993-05-01

AlliedSignal Inc., Kansas City Division, and the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) are collaboratively developing a high density harp for the SSCL linac. This harp is designed using hybrid microcircuit (HMC) technology to obtain a higher wire density than previously available. The developed harp contains one hundred twenty-eight 33-micron-diameter carbon wires on 0.38-mm centers. The harp features an onboard broken wire detection circuit. Carbon wire preparation and attachment processes were developed. High density surface mount connectors were located. The status of high density harp development will be presented along with planned future activities.

Evaluation of cleansing methods for previously worn prostheses.

PubMed

Glass, R Thomas; Conrad, Robert S; Bullard, James W; Goodson, Leigh B; Mehta, Naresh; Lech, Stanley J; Loewy, Zvi G

2011-04-01

Although there are many product claims that address the issue of denture sanitization, controlled scientific studies on previously worn dentures have not been performed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate procedures directed at sanitizing previously worn contaminated dentures from two regions of the United States. This study examined 51 previously worn dentures from two regions. An established method of denture retrieval, sectioning, and culturing was used, including isolation of anaerobes. Evaluation of microbial contamination posttreatment was used to determine the effects of soaking dentures in Polident (US and European formulations) for varying periods of times/temperatures, microwaving dentures with varying temperatures, sonicating dentures, and immersing the dentures while using a vacuum. A combination of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and general linear model (GLM) of the SPSS was used to analyze the data with P < .05 being considered statistically significant when using a two-tailed test. While all Polident treatments were found to significantly reduce microorganism loads in dentures, extended soaking (8 hours) and 65 degrees C (5 minutes) were the most effective. Microwaving was slightly more effective than either sonication or vacuum. Regardless the treatment, dentures underwent sanitization rather than sterilization. Denture-borne microorganisms can be significantly reduced by using a Polident solution for 8 hours at room temperature or for 5 minutes at 65 degrees C. Microwaving, sonication, and use of a vacuum were less effective. ClLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The importance of daily use of Polident solution for 8 hours or for 5 minutes at 65 degrees C to sanitize worn prostheses must be stressed.

Previous history of tuberculosis is associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Shen, T-C; Lin, C-L; Wei, C-C; Chen, C-H; Tu, C-Y; Hsia, T-C; Shih, C-M; Hsu, W-H; Chung, C-J; Sung, F-C; Kao, C-H

2015-11-01

Previous studies have suggested that mycobacterial infections could trigger autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explore the association between previous tuberculosis (TB) and RA. We conducted a case-control study using data obtained from the National Health Insurance (NHI) system of Taiwan. We identified 26 535 adults with RA from 2002 to 2011, with the date of diagnosis as the index date. This number was randomly selected and frequency-matched four times by age, sex and the year of index date from among non-RA individuals. Odds ratios (ORs) of RA were calculated for associations with TB. Compared with controls, RA patients had a crude OR of 1.77 for TB (95%CI 1.61-1.94). The strength of the association between RA and TB remained at the same level after controlling for other potential risk factors (adjusted OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.57-1.90), although RA patients tended to have a higher prevalence of hypertension, coronary artery disease and kidney disease. TB was much more prevalent in RA patients than in control subjects. Prospective cohort studies are required to establish a causal relationship between previous TB and RA.

Design and Development of High-Repetition-Rate Satellite Laser Ranging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Eun-Jung; Bang, Seong-Cheol; Sung, Ki-Pyoung; Lim, Hyung-Chul; Jung, Chan-Gyu; Kim, In-Yeung; Choi, Jae-Seung

2015-09-01

The Accurate Ranging System for Geodetic Observation ? Mobile (ARGO-M) was successfully developed as the first Korean mobile Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) system in 2012, and has joined in the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) tracking network, DAEdeoK (DAEK) station. The DAEK SLR station was approved as a validated station in April 2014, through the ILRS station ¡°data validation¡± process. The ARGO-M system is designed to enable 2 kHz laser ranging with millimeter-level precision for geodetic, remote sensing, navigation, and experimental satellites equipped with Laser Retroreflector Arrays (LRAs). In this paper, we present the design and development of a next generation high-repetition-rate SLR system for ARGO-M. The laser ranging rate up to 10 kHz is becoming an important issue in the SLR community to improve ranging precision. To implement high-repetition-rate SLR system, the High-repetition-rate SLR operation system (HSLR-10) was designed and developed using ARGO-M Range Gate Generator (A-RGG), so as to enable laser ranging from 50 Hz to 10 kHz. HSLR-10 includes both hardware controlling software and data post-processing software. This paper shows the design and development of key technologies of high-repetition-rate SLR system. The developed system was tested successfully at DAEK station and then moved to Sejong station, a new Korean SLR station, on July 1, 2015. HSLR-10 will begin normal operations at Sejong station in the near future.

Gifted High-School Students' Perspectives on the Development of Perfectionism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Speirs Neumeister, Kristie L.; Williams, Kristen Kay; Cross, Tracy L.

2009-01-01

Through the use of in-depth interviews, this study investigated how gifted high-school students scoring high on at least one measure of perfectionism (self-oriented, socially prescribed, or other-oriented) perceived their perfectionism as developing. Findings suggested support for three family history models outlined by Flett, Hewitt, Oliver, and…

High Temperature Metallic Seal Development For Aero Propulsion and Gas Turbine Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

More, Greg; Datta, Amit

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on metallic high temperature static seal development at NASA for gas turbine applications is shown. The topics include: 1) High Temperature Static Seal Development; 2) Program Review; 3) Phase IV Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 4) Spring Design; 5) Phase IV: Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 6) PHase IV: Testing Results; 7) Seal Seating Load; 8) Spring Seal Manufacturing; and 9) Other Applications for HIgh Temperature Spring Design

Development of high-fidelity multiphysics system for light water reactor analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magedanz, Jeffrey W.

codes into a single executable, they are usually still developed and maintained separately. It should thus be a design objective to minimize the changes to those codes, and keep the changes to each code free of dependence on the details of the other codes. This will ease the incorporation of new versions of the code into the coupling, as well as re-use of parts of the coupling to couple with different codes. In order to fulfill this objective, an interface for each code was created in the form of an object-oriented abstract data type. Object-oriented programming is an effective method for enforcing a separation between different parts of a program, and clarifying the communication between them. The interfaces enable the main program to control the codes in terms of high-level functionality. This differs from the established practice of a master/slave relationship, in which the slave code is incorporated into the master code as a set of subroutines. While this PhD research continues previous work with a coupling between CTF and TORT-TD, it makes two major original contributions: (1) using a fuel-performance code, instead of a thermal-hydraulics code's simplified built-in models, to model the feedback from the fuel rods, and (2) the design of an object-oriented interface as an innovative method to interact with a coupled code in a high-level, easily-understandable manner. The resulting code system will serve as a tool to study the question of under what conditions, and to what extent, these higher-fidelity methods will provide benefits to reactor core analysis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in adults with previous cardiovascular surgery.

PubMed

von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff, Florian; Trauzeddel, Ralf Felix; Schulz-Menger, Jeanette

2014-03-01

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a versatile non-invasive imaging modality that serves a broad spectrum of indications in clinical cardiology and has proven evidence. Most of the numerous applications are appropriate in patients with previous cardiovascular surgery in the same manner as in non-surgical subjects. However, some specifics have to be considered. This review article is intended to provide information about the application of CMR in adults with previous cardiovascular surgery. In particular, the two main scenarios, i.e. following coronary artery bypass surgery and following heart valve surgery, are highlighted. Furthermore, several pictorial descriptions of other potential indications for CMR after cardiovascular surgery are given.

40 CFR 141.707 - Grandfathering previously collected data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... determines that a previously collected data set submitted for grandfathering was generated during source... additional source water monitoring data, as determined by the State, to ensure that the data set used under... data. 141.707 Section 141.707 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 141.707 - Grandfathering previously collected data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... determines that a previously collected data set submitted for grandfathering was generated during source... additional source water monitoring data, as determined by the State, to ensure that the data set used under... data. 141.707 Section 141.707 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 141.707 - Grandfathering previously collected data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... determines that a previously collected data set submitted for grandfathering was generated during source... additional source water monitoring data, as determined by the State, to ensure that the data set used under... data. 141.707 Section 141.707 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer in individuals with previous colorectal neoplasia: systematic review and network meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Dulai, Parambir S; Marquez, Evelyn; Khera, Rohan; Prokop, Larry J; Limburg, Paul J; Gupta, Samir; Murad, Mohammad Hassan

2016-01-01

Objective To assess the comparative efficacy and safety of candidate agents (low and high dose aspirin, non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, alone or in combination) for prevention of advanced metachronous neoplasia (that is, occurring at different times after resection of initial neoplasia) in individuals with previous colorectal neoplasia, through a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, Web of Science, from inception to 15 October 2015; clinical trial registries. Study selection Randomized controlled trials in adults with previous colorectal neoplasia, treated with candidate chemoprevention agents, and compared with placebo or another candidate agent. Primary efficacy outcome was risk of advanced metachronous neoplasia; safety outcome was serious adverse events. Data extraction Two investigators identified studies and abstracted data. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed and relative ranking of agents was assessed with surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities (ranging from 1, indicating that the treatment has a high likelihood to be best, to 0, indicating the treatment has a high likelihood to be worst). Quality of evidence was appraised with GRADE criteria. Results 15 randomized controlled trials (12 234 patients) comparing 10 different strategies were included. Compared with placebo, non-aspirin NSAIDs were ranked best for preventing advanced metachronous neoplasia (odds ratio 0.37, 95% credible interval 0.24 to 0.53; SUCRA=0.98; high quality evidence), followed by low-dose aspirin (0.71, 0.41 to 1.23; SUCRA=0.67; low quality evidence). Low dose aspirin, however, was ranked the safest among chemoprevention agents (0.78, 0.43 to 1.38; SUCRA=0.84), whereas non-aspirin NSAIDs (1.23, 0.95 to 1.64; SUCRA=0.26) were ranked low for safety. High dose aspirin was comparable with low dose aspirin in efficacy (1.12, 0.59 to 2.10; SUCRA=0.58) but

Development of Self-Consolidating High Strength Concrete Incorporating Treated Palm Oil Fuel Ash

PubMed Central

Alsubari, Belal; Shafigh, Payam; Jumaat, Mohd Zamin

2015-01-01

Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) has previously been used as a partial cement replacement in concrete. However, limited research has been undertaken to utilize POFA in high volume in concrete. This paper presents a study on the treatment and utilization of POFA in high volume of up to 50% by weight of cement in self-consolidating high strength concrete (SCHSC). POFA was treated via heat treatment to reduce the content of unburned carbon. Ordinary Portland cement was substituted with 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50% treated POFA in SCHSC. Tests have been conducted on the fresh properties, such as filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance, as well as compressive strength, drying shrinkage and acid attack resistance to check the effect of high volume treated POFA on SCHSC. The results revealed that compared to the control concrete mix, the fresh properties, compressive strength, drying shrinkage, and resistance against acid attack have been significantly improved. Conclusively, treated POFA can be used in high volume as a cement replacement to produce SCHSC with an improvement in its properties.

A Systematic Process for Developing High Quality SaaS Cloud Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La, Hyun Jung; Kim, Soo Dong

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a type of cloud service which provides software functionality through Internet. Its benefits are well received in academia and industry. To fully utilize the benefits, there should be effective methodologies to support the development of SaaS services which provide high reusability and applicability. Conventional approaches such as object-oriented methods do not effectively support SaaS-specific engineering activities such as modeling common features, variability, and designing quality services. In this paper, we present a systematic process for developing high quality SaaS and highlight the essentiality of commonality and variability (C&V) modeling to maximize the reusability. We first define criteria for designing the process model and provide a theoretical foundation for SaaS; its meta-model and C&V model. We clarify the notion of commonality and variability in SaaS, and propose a SaaS development process which is accompanied with engineering instructions. Using the proposed process, SaaS services with high quality can be effectively developed.

Is Previous Respiratory Disease a Risk Factor for Lung Cancer?

PubMed Central

Denholm, Rachel; Schüz, Joachim; Straif, Kurt; Stücker, Isabelle; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Brenner, Darren R.; De Matteis, Sara; Boffetta, Paolo; Guida, Florence; Brüske, Irene; Wichmann, Heinz-Erich; Landi, Maria Teresa; Caporaso, Neil; Siemiatycki, Jack; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Pohlabeln, Hermann; Zaridze, David; Field, John K.; McLaughlin, John; Demers, Paul; Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila; Lissowska, Jolanta; Rudnai, Peter; Fabianova, Eleonora; Dumitru, Rodica Stanescu; Bencko, Vladimir; Foretova, Lenka; Janout, Vladimir; Kendzia, Benjamin; Peters, Susan; Behrens, Thomas; Vermeulen, Roel; Brüning, Thomas; Kromhout, Hans

2014-01-01

Rationale: Previous respiratory diseases have been associated with increased risk of lung cancer. Respiratory conditions often co-occur and few studies have investigated multiple conditions simultaneously. Objectives: Investigate lung cancer risk associated with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and asthma. Methods: The SYNERGY project pooled information on previous respiratory diseases from 12,739 case subjects and 14,945 control subjects from 7 case–control studies conducted in Europe and Canada. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between individual diseases adjusting for co-occurring conditions, and patterns of respiratory disease diagnoses and lung cancer. Analyses were stratified by sex, and adjusted for age, center, ever-employed in a high-risk occupation, education, smoking status, cigarette pack-years, and time since quitting smoking. Measurements and Main Results: Chronic bronchitis and emphysema were positively associated with lung cancer, after accounting for other respiratory diseases and smoking (e.g., in men: odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–1.48 and OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.21–1.87, respectively). A positive relationship was observed between lung cancer and pneumonia diagnosed 2 years or less before lung cancer (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 2.33–4.70 for men), but not longer. Co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and/or pneumonia had a stronger positive association with lung cancer than chronic bronchitis “only.” Asthma had an inverse association with lung cancer, the association being stronger with an asthma diagnosis 5 years or more before lung cancer compared with shorter. Conclusions: Findings from this large international case–control consortium indicate that after accounting for co-occurring respiratory diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema continue to have a positive association with lung cancer. PMID:25054566

High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Cause-Specific Mortality in Individuals Without Previous Cardiovascular Conditions: The CANHEART Study.

PubMed

Ko, Dennis T; Alter, David A; Guo, Helen; Koh, Maria; Lau, Geoffrey; Austin, Peter C; Booth, Gillian L; Hogg, William; Jackevicius, Cynthia A; Lee, Douglas S; Wijeysundera, Harindra C; Wilkins, John T; Tu, Jack V

2016-11-08

The prognostic importance of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as a specific risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease has been challenged by recent clinical trials and genetic studies. This study sought to reappraise the association of HDL-C level with CV and non-CV mortality using a "big data" approach. An observational cohort study was conducted using the CANHEART (Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team) dataset, which was created by linking together 17 different individual-level data sources. People were included if they were between 40 and 105 years old on January 1, 2008, living in Ontario, Canada, without previous CV conditions or severe comorbidities, and had an outpatient fasting cholesterol measurement in the year prior to the inception date. The primary outcome was cause-specific mortality. A total of 631,762 individuals were included. The mean age of our cohort was 57.2 years, 55.4% were women, and mean HDL-C level was 55.2 mg/dl. There were 17,952 deaths during a mean follow-up of 4.9 ± 0.4 years. The overall all-cause mortality rate was 8.1 per 1,000 person-years for men and 6.6 per 1,000 person-years for women. Individuals with lower HDL-C levels were more likely to have low incomes, unhealthy lifestyle, higher triglycerides levels, other cardiac risk factors, and medical comorbidities. Individuals with lower HDL-C levels were independently associated with higher risk of CV, cancer, and other mortality compared with individuals in the reference ranges of HDL-C levels. In addition, individuals with higher HDL levels (>70 mg/dl in men, >90 mg/dl in women) had increased hazard of non-CV mortality. Complex associations exist between HDL-C levels and sociodemographic, lifestyle, comorbidity factors, and mortality. HDL-C level is unlikely to represent a CV-specific risk factor given similarities in its associations with non-CV outcomes. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High purity silica reflective heat shield development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nachtscheim, P. R.; Blome, J. C.

1976-01-01

A hyperpure vitreous silica material is being developed for use as a reflective and ablative heat shield for planetary entry. Various purity grades and forms of raw materials were evaluated along with various processing methods. Slip casting of high purity grain was selected as the best processing method, resulting in a highly reflective material in the wavelength bands of interest (the visible and ultraviolet regions). The selected material was characterized with respect to optical, mechanical and physical properties using a limited number of specimens. The process has been scaled up to produce a one-half scale heat shield (18 in. dia.) (45.72 cm) for a Jupiter entry vehicle. This work is now being extended to improve the structural safety factor of the heat shield by making hyperpure silica material tougher through the addition of silica fibers.

Survival of high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients in a developing country.

PubMed

Easton, Joseph C; Gomez, Sergio; Asdahl, Peter H; Conner, J Michael; Fynn, Alcira B; Ruiz, Claudia; Ojha, Rohit P

2016-09-01

Little information is available about survival of high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients in developing countries. We aimed to assess survival among high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients in La Plata, Argentina. Individuals eligible for our cohort were aged <20 yr when diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma and received cancer-directed therapy including stem cell transplantation at Hospital de Niños Sor Maria Ludovica between February 1999 and February 2015. We estimated overall survival probabilities using an extended Kaplan-Meier approach. Our study population comprised 39 high-risk neuroblastoma patients, of whom 39% were aged >4 yr at diagnosis, 54% were male, and 62% had adrenal neuroblastoma. We observed 18 deaths, and the median survival time of our study population was 1.7 yr. The five-yr overall survival probability was 24% (95% CL: 10%, 41%). In contrast, five-yr survival of high-risk neuroblastoma patients ranges between 23% and 76% in developed countries. Survival among high-risk neuroblastoma patients is generally poor regardless of geographic location, but our results illustrate dramatically worse survival for patients in a developing country. We speculate that the observed survival differences could be attenuated or eliminated with improvements in treatment and supportive care, but addressing these issues will require creative solutions because of resource limitations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Technology Requirements and Development for Affordable High-Temperature Distributed Engine Controls

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-04

long lasting, high temperature modules is to use high temperature electronics on ceramic modules. The electronic components are “ brazed ” onto the...Copyright © 2012 by ISA Technology Requirements and Development for Affordable High - Temperature Distributed Engine Controls Alireza Behbahani 1...with regards to high temperature capability. The Government and Industry Distributed Engine Controls Working Group (DECWG) [5] has been established

Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound diagnosis and laparoscopic management of a pregancy in a previous cesarean scar.

PubMed

Wang, Chin-Jung; Yuen, Leung-To; Yen, Chih-Feng; Lee, Chyi-Long; Soong, Yung-Kuei

2004-12-01

An ectopic pregnancy developing in a previous Cesarean section scar is a rare event, and there is still a lack of information concerning the adequacy of management strategies. So far, no modality can guarantee the integrity of the uterus. We report the case of a 29-year-old woman with three Cesarean deliveries who was transferred to our hospital with a diagnosis of cervical pregnancy. Transvaginal three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound revealed a well-encapsulated bulging mass displacing anteriorly over the lower anterior uterine wall sounding with an irregular course and branching vessels. The diagnosis of pregnancy in a previous Cesarean scar was made. Laparoscopic ligation of bilateral uterine arteries followed by excision of the ectopic pregnant mass was undertaken, and the patient's uterus was successfully preserved. Conservative management with the laparoscopic approach may be a safe and effective alternative to hysterectomy in patients with a pregnacy in a previous Cesarean scar.

High Tc bolometer developments for planetary missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brasunas, J.; Lakew, B.

1991-01-01

A simple polishing technique was developed for thinning the LaAlO3 substrates for high-quality Tc bolometer films, and thus reducing their heat capacity. A 150-ms bolometer was made on a LaAlO3 substrate with a 5-Hz D* value of 1.5 x 10 exp 8. It is shown that passive temperature stabilization is adequate for operation at the transition. There remained excess noise at the transition, but this noise appears to be of nonbolometric origin.

Development and Application of Plasma Actuators for Active Control of High-Speed and High Reynolds Number Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sammy, Mo

2010-01-01

Active flow control is often used to manipulate flow instabilities to achieve a desired goal (e.g. prevent separation, enhance mixing, reduce noise, etc.). Instability frequencies normally scale with flow velocity scale and inversely with flow length scale (U/l). In a laboratory setting for such flow experiments, U is high, but l is low, resulting in high instability frequency. In addition, high momentum and high background noise & turbulence in the flow necessitate high amplitude actuation. Developing a high amplitude and high frequency actuator is a major challenge. Ironically, these requirements ease up in application (but other issues arise).

2 CFR 220.40 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Section 220.40 Grants and Agreements OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET CIRCULARS AND GUIDANCE Reserved COST PRINCIPLES FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (OMB CIRCULAR A-21) § 220.40 Relationship to previous issuance. (a...) The Attachment to the circular, entitled “Principles For Determining Costs Applicable to Grants...

Development of a 64 channel ultrasonic high frequency linear array imaging system

PubMed Central

Hu, ChangHong; Zhang, Lequan; Cannata, Jonathan M.; Yen, Jesse; Shung, K. Kirk

2011-01-01

In order to improve the lateral resolution and extend the field of view of a previously reported 48 element 30 MHz ultrasound linear array and 16-channel digital imaging system, the development of a 256 element 30 MHz linear array and an ultrasound imaging system with increased channel count has been undertaken. This paper reports the design and testing of a 64 channel digital imaging system which consists of an analog front-end pulser/receiver, 64 channels of Time-Gain Compensation (TGC), 64 channels of high-speed digitizer as well as a beamformer. A Personal Computer (PC) is used as the user interface to display real-time images. This system is designed as a platform for the purpose of testing the performance of high frequency linear arrays that have been developed in house. Therefore conventional approaches were taken it its implementation. Flexibility and ease of use are of primary concern whereas consideration of cost-effectiveness and novelty in design are only secondary. Even so, there are many issues at higher frequencies but do not exist at lower frequencies need to be solved. The system provides 64 channels of excitation pulsers while receiving simultaneously at a 20 MHz–120 MHz sampling rate to 12-bits. The digitized data from all channels are first fed through Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and then stored in memories. These raw data are accessed by the beamforming processor to re-build the image or to be downloaded to the PC for further processing. The beamformer that applies delays to the echoes of each channel is implemented with the strategy that combines coarse (8.3ns) and fine delays (2 ns). The coarse delays are integer multiples of the sampling clock rate and are achieved by controlling the write enable pin of the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) memory to obtain valid beamforming data. The fine delays are accomplished with interpolation filters. This system is capable of achieving a maximum frame rate of 50 frames per second. Wire phantom

Recent development on high-power tandem-pumped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Pu; Xiao, Hu; Leng, Jinyong; Zhang, Hanwei; Xu, Jiangmin; Wu, Jian

2016-11-01

High power fiber laser is attracting more and more attention due to its advantage in excellent beam quality, high electricto- optical conversion efficiency and compact system configuration. Power scaling of fiber laser is challenged by the brightness of pump source, nonlinear effect, modal instability and so on. Pumping active fiber by using high-brightness fiber laser instead of common laser diode may be the solution for the brightness limitation. In this paper, we will present the recent development of various kinds of high power fiber laser based on tandem pumping scheme. According to the absorption property of Ytterbium-doped fiber, Thulium-doped fiber and Holmium-doped fiber, we have theoretically studied the fiber lasers that operate at 1018 nm, 1178 nm and 1150 nm, respectively in detail. Consequently, according to the numerical results we have optimized the fiber laser system design, and we have achieved (1) 500 watt level 1018nm Ytterbium-doped fiber laser (2) 100 watt level 1150 nm fiber laser and 100 watt level random fiber laser (3) 30 watt 1178 nm Ytterbium-doped fiber laser, 200 watt-level random fiber laser. All of the above-mentioned are the record power for the corresponded type of fiber laser to the best of our knowledge. By using the high-brightness fiber laser operate at 1018 nm, 1178 nm and 1150 nm that we have developed, we have achieved the following high power fiber laser (1) 3.5 kW 1090 nm Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier (2) 100 watt level Thulium-doped fiber laser and (3) 50 watt level Holmium -doped fiber laser.

Central venous stenosis in haemodialysis patients without a previous history of catheter placement.

PubMed

Oguzkurt, Levent; Tercan, Fahri; Yildirim, Sedat; Torun, Dilek

2005-08-01

To evaluate dialysis history, imaging findings and outcome of endovascular treatment in six patients with central venous stenosis without a history of previous catheter placement. Between April 2000 and June 2004, six (10%) of 57 haemodialysis patients had stenosis of a central vein without a previous central catheter placement. Venography findings and outcome of endovascular treatment in these six patients were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were three women (50%) and three men aged 32-60 years (mean age: 45 years) and all had massive arm swelling as the main complaint. The vascular accesses were located at the elbow in five patients and at the wrist in one patient. Three patients had stenosis of the left subclavian vein and three patients had stenosis of the left brachiocephalic vein. The mean duration of the vascular accesses from the time of creation was 25.1 months. Flow volumes of the vascular access were very high in four patients who had flow volume measurement. The mean flow volume was 2347 ml/min. One of three patients with brachiocephalic vein stenosis had compression of the vein by the brachiocephalic artery. All the lesions were first treated with balloon angioplasty and two patients required stent placement on long term. Number of interventions ranged from 1 to 4 (mean: 2.1). Symptoms resolved in five patients and improved in one patient who had a stent placed in the left BCV. Central venous stenosis in haemodialysis patients without a history of central venous catheterization tends to occur or be manifested in patients with a proximal permanent vascular access with high flow rates. Balloon angioplasty with or without stent placement offers good secondary patency rates in mid-term.

Fixed and dilated pupils after trauma, stroke, and previous intracranial surgery: management and outcome

PubMed Central

Clusmann, H; Schaller, C; Schramm, J

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES—To clarify whether different causative events (trauma, stroke, intracranial surgery), time of intervention, and treatment mode influence outcome, patients with fixed and dilated pupils (FDPs) in a prospective neurosurgical series were evaluated.
METHODS—Ninety nine consecutive patients who presented with or developed one or two FDPs, were split into three groups according to the respective aetiology: 46 patients had a trauma, 41 patients a stroke (subarachnoid or intracerebral haemorrhage), and 12 patients had undergone previous elective intracranial surgery. Appropriate therapy was performed depending on the CT findings. Outcome was classified according to the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS).
RESULTS—Overall mortality was 75%. In 15% outcome was unfavourable (GOS 2 and 3), and in 10% favourable (GOS 4, 5) at 24 month follow up. No differences in outcome were found between trauma, stroke, and postelective surgery groups. Unilaterally FDP was associated with a better chance of survival (46% v 13%; p<0.01). Age did not correlate with survival, but younger survivors had a significantly better outcome. Patients in whom an intracranial mass was removed surgically had a 42% survival rate, compared with 8% with conservative treatment (p<0.01). Patients with a shorter delay from FDPs to intervention had a better chance of recovery after trauma and previous intracranial surgery (p<0.05). No patient survived better than a vegetative state, if previous FDPs did not become reactive shortly after therapy. If both pupils became reactive on therapy, the chance of survival was 62%. Of these survivors 42% had a favourable outcome.
CONCLUSION—Bilateral restoration of pupillary reactivity shortly after therapy is crucial for survival. Surgical evacuation of an intracranial mass, unilateral FDPs, early intervention, and younger age are related to better chances of survival or recovery. The prognosis of patients with FDPs after trauma, stroke, and previous elective

Developing precipitation hardenable high entropy alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwalani, Bharat

High entropy alloys (HEAs) is a concept wherein alloys are constructed with five or more elements mixed in equal proportions; these are also known as multi-principle elements (MPEs) or complex concentrated alloys (CCAs). This PhD thesis dissertation presents research conducted to develop precipitation-hardenable high entropy alloys using a much-studied fcc-based equi-atomic quaternary alloy (CoCrFeNi). Minor additions of aluminium make the alloy amenable for precipitating ordered intermetallic phases in an fcc matrix. Aluminum also affects grain growth kinetics and Hall-Petch hardenability. The use of a combinatorial approach for assessing composition-microstructure-property relationships in high entropy alloys, or more broadly in complex concentrated alloys; using laser deposited compositionally graded AlxCrCuFeNi 2 (0 < x < 1.5) complex concentrated alloys as a candidate system. The composition gradient has been achieved from CrCuFeNi2 to Al 1.5CrCuFeNi2 over a length of ˜25 mm, deposited using the laser engineered net shaping process from a blend of elemental powders. With increasing Al content, there was a gradual change from an fcc-based microstructure (including the ordered L12 phase) to a bcc-based microstructure (including the ordered B2 phase), accompanied with a progressive increase in microhardness. Based on this combinatorial assessment, two promising fcc-based precipitation strengthened systems have been identified; Al0.3CuCrFeNi2 and Al0.3CoCrFeNi, and both compositions were subsequently thermo-mechanically processed via conventional techniques. The phase stability and mechanical properties of these alloys have been investigated and will be presented. Additionally, the activation energy for grain growth as a function of Al content in these complex alloys has also been investigated. Change in fcc grain growth kinetic was studied as a function of aluminum; the apparent activation energy for grain growth increases by about three times going from Al0.1Co

Development of a High Resolution-High Sensitivity Ion Microprobe Facility for Cosmochemical Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKeegan, Kevin D.

1998-01-01

NASA NAGW-4112 has supported development of the CAMECA ims 1270 ion microprobe at UCLA for applications in cosmochemistry. The instrument has been brought to an operational status and techniques developed for accurate, precise microbeam analysis of oxygen isotope ratios in polished thin-sections. We made the first oxygen isotopic (delta(18)O and delta(17)O) measurements of rare mafic silicates in the most chemically primitive meteorites, the a chondrites (Leshin et al., 1997). The results have implications for both high temperature processing in the nebula and low-T aqueous alteration on the CI asteroid. We have performed measurements of oxygen isotopic compositions of magnetite and co-existing olivine from carbonaceous (Choi et al., 1997) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (Choi et al., in press). This work has identified a significant new oxygen isotope reservoir in the early solar system: water characterized by a very high Delta(17)) value of approx. 5 % per thousand. We have determined the spatial distributions of oxygen isotopic anomalies in all major mineral phases of a type B CAI from Allende. We have also studied an unusual fractionated CAI from Leoville and made the first oxygen isotopic measurements in rare CAIs from ordinary chondrites.

Development and characterization of high refractive index and high scattering acrylate polymer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiselt, Thomas; Gomard, Guillaume; Preinfalk, Jan; Gleißner, Uwe; Lemmer, Uli; Hanemann, Thomas

2016-11-01

In this work, we develop a wet-processable scattering layer exhibiting a high refractive index that can be used in organic light-emitting diodes for light outcoupling purposes. The composite layers contain an acrylate casting resin, benzylmethacrylate, and phenanthrene, which is employed to increase the refractive index. The mixtures are first rheologically characterized and then polymerized with heat and UV radiation. For the refractive index measurements, the polymerized samples require a planar surface without air bubbles. To produce flat samples, a special construction consisting of a glass plate, a teflon sheet, a silicone ring (PDMS mold), another teflon sheet, and another glass plate is developed. Glue clamps are used to hold the construction together. The refractive index of the samples can be increased from 1.565 to 1.585 at 20°C at a wavelength of 589 nm following the addition of 20 wt% phenanthrene. A master mixture with a high refractive index is taken for further experiments. Nanoscaled titanium dioxide is added and dispersed into the master mixture and then spin coated on a glass substrate. These layers are optically characterized. Most of the presented layers present the expected haze of over 50%.

Recent Advances in the Development of Processable High-Temperature POLYMERS1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meador, Michael A.

1998-08-01

High-temperature polymers have found widespread use in aerospace and electronics applications. This review deals with recent developments in the chemistry of these materials that have led to improvements in processability and high-temperature stability.

14 CFR 302.413 - Evidence of previous violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Evidence of previous violations. 302.413 Section 302.413 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION... proceeding or criminal or civil action may, if relevant and material, be admitted in any enforcement...

14 CFR 302.413 - Evidence of previous violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Evidence of previous violations. 302.413 Section 302.413 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION... proceeding or criminal or civil action may, if relevant and material, be admitted in any enforcement...

14 CFR 302.413 - Evidence of previous violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Evidence of previous violations. 302.413 Section 302.413 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION... proceeding or criminal or civil action may, if relevant and material, be admitted in any enforcement...

14 CFR 302.413 - Evidence of previous violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Evidence of previous violations. 302.413 Section 302.413 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION... proceeding or criminal or civil action may, if relevant and material, be admitted in any enforcement...

14 CFR 302.413 - Evidence of previous violations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Evidence of previous violations. 302.413 Section 302.413 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION... proceeding or criminal or civil action may, if relevant and material, be admitted in any enforcement...

Characterization of previously unidentified lunar pyroclastic deposits using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gustafson, J. Olaf; Bell, James F.; Gaddis, Lisa R.R.; Hawke, B. Ray Ray; Giguere, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

We used a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) global monochrome Wide-angle Camera (WAC) mosaic to conduct a survey of the Moon to search for previously unidentified pyroclastic deposits. Promising locations were examined in detail using LROC multispectral WAC mosaics, high-resolution LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images, and Clementine multispectral (ultraviolet-visible or UVVIS) data. Out of 47 potential deposits chosen for closer examination, 12 were selected as probable newly identified pyroclastic deposits. Potential pyroclastic deposits were generally found in settings similar to previously identified deposits, including areas within or near mare deposits adjacent to highlands, within floor-fractured craters, and along fissures in mare deposits. However, a significant new finding is the discovery of localized pyroclastic deposits within floor-fractured craters Anderson E and F on the lunar farside, isolated from other known similar deposits. Our search confirms that most major regional and localized low-albedo pyroclastic deposits have been identified on the Moon down to ~100 m/pix resolution, and that additional newly identified deposits are likely to be either isolated small deposits or additional portions of discontinuous, patchy deposits.

Preparing for High Technology: Robotics Programs. Research & Development Series No. 233.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashley, William; And Others

This guide is one of three developed to provide guidelines, information, and resources useful in planning and developing postsecondary technician training programs in high technology. It is specifically intended for program planners and developers in the initial stages of planning a new program or specialized option in robotics. (Two companion…

Previous Mental Health Service Utilization and Change in Clients' Depressive Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boswell, James F.; McAleavey, Andrew A.; Castonguay, Louis G.; Hayes, Jeffrey A.; Locke, Benjamin D.

2012-01-01

Although a potentially important factor in case conceptualization and treatment planning, the impact of previous treatment on subsequent counseling response has received little empirical attention. Using archival data, this study aimed to (a) report the prevalence of previous treatment utilization in a counseling population, (b) examine potential…

Development of high-efficiency solar cells on silicon web

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rohatgi, A.; Meier, D. L.; Campbell, R. B.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

1984-01-01

The development of high efficiency solar cells on a silicon web is discussed. Heat treatment effects on web quality; the influence of twin plane lamellae, trace impurities and stress on minority carrier lifetime; and the fabrication of cells are discussed.

Early detection of hospitalized patients with previously diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea using computer decision support alerts.

PubMed

Evans, R Scott; Flint, Vrena B; Cloward, Tom V; Beninati, William; Lloyd, James F; Megwalu, Kimberly; Simpson, Kathy J; Alsharit, Ahmed M; Balls, Shayna B; Farney, Robert J

2013-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a worldwide problem affecting 2-14% of the general population and most patients remain undiagnosed. OSA patients are at elevated risk for hypoxemia, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiorespiratory arrest, hypoxic encephalopathy, stroke and death during hospitalization. Clinical screening questionnaires are used to identify hospitalized patients with OSA; especially before surgery. However, current screening questionnaires miss a significant number of patients and require more definitive testing before specific therapy can be started. Moreover, many patients are admitted to the hospital with a previous diagnosis of OSA that is not reported. Thus, many patients with OSA do not receive appropriate therapy during hospitalization due to the lack of information from previous inpatient and outpatient encounters. Large enterprise data warehouses provide the ability to monitor patient encounters over wide geographical areas. This study found that previously diagnosed OSA is highly prevalent and undertreated in hospitalized patients and the use of early computer alerts by respiratory therapists resulted in significantly more OSA patients receiving appropriate medical care (P < 0.002) which resulted in significantly fewer experiencing hypoxemia (P < 0.006). The impact was greater for non-surgery patients compared to surgery patients.

40 CFR 152.93 - Citation of a previously submitted valid study.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Data Submitters' Rights § 152.93 Citation of a previously submitted valid study. An applicant may demonstrate compliance for a data requirement by citing a valid study previously submitted to the Agency. The... the original data submitter, the applicant may cite the study only in accordance with paragraphs (b...

2 CFR 225.45 - Relationship to previous issuance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuance. 225.45 Section 225.45 Grants and Agreements OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET CIRCULARS AND GUIDANCE Reserved COST PRINCIPLES FOR STATE, LOCAL, AND INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS (OMB CIRCULAR A-87) § 225.45 Relationship to...

What about the Misgav-Ladach surgical technique in patients with previous cesarean sections?

PubMed

Bolze, Pierre-Adrien; Massoud, Mona; Gaucherand, Pascal; Doret, Muriel

2013-03-01

The Misgav-Ladach technique is recommended worldwide to perform cesarean sections but there is no consensus about the appropriate technique to use in patients with previous cesarean sections. This study evaluated the feasibility of the Misgav-Ladach technique in patients with previous cesarean sections. This prospective cohort study included all women undergoing cesarean section after 36 weeks of gestation over a 5-month period, with the Misgav-Ladach technique as first choice, whatever the previous number of cesarean sections. Among the 204 patients included, the Misgav-Ladach technique was successful in 100%, 80%, and 65.6% of patients with no, one, and multiple previous cesarean sections, respectively. When successful, the Misgav-Ladach technique was associated with a shorter incision to birth interval in patients with no previous cesarean section compared with patients with one or multiple previous cesarean sections. Anterior rectus aponeurosis fibrosis and severe peritoneal adherences were the two main reasons explaining the Misgav-Ladach technique failure. The Misgav-Ladach technique is possible in over three-fourths of patients with previous cesarean sections with a slight increase in incision to birth interval compared with patients without previous cesarean section. Further studies comparing the Misgav-Ladach and the Pfannenstiel techniques in women with previous cesarean should be done. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Psychological impact of von Hippel-Lindau genetic screening in patients with a previous history of hemangioblastoma of the central nervous system.

PubMed

Rochette, Claire; Baumstarck, Karine; Canoni-Zattara, Hélène; Abdullah, Ahmad Esmaeel; Figarella-Branger, Dominique; Pertuit, Morgane; Barlier, Anne; Castinetti, Frédéric; Pacak, Karel; Metellus, Philippe; Taïeb, David

2018-05-15

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome is a hereditary cancer syndrome characterized by a high risk of developing benign and malignant tumors, including central nervous system hemangioblastomas (CNS HBs). For an early diagnosis of VHL, before the occurrence of cancers (especially renal cell carcinoma), it is of huge importance to initiate VHL genetic testing in at-risk patients. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological impact of VHL genetic testing in patients previously diagnosed with a CNS HB. From 1999 until 2015, 55 patients underwent surgery for CNS HBs. Eleven patients were already screened for VHL mutations and 3 patients deceased before the start of the study. From the remaining 42 patients, 24 were accepted to be enrolled in the study. Assessment of psychological impact of VHL genetic testing was performed by measuring anxiety levels, mood disorders, quality of life, and psychological consequences of genetic screening. Twenty-one of the enrolled 24 patients underwent VHL genetic testing and 12 patients came back for the communication of positive genetic results. The baseline psychological status did not differ between these 2 groups. Patients who attended the visit of communication of genetic results had similar anxiety levels compared to those who had not. Furthermore, they also experienced an improvement in the level of anxiety and two QoL dimension scores compared to their baseline status. In summary, there is no evidence of a negative psychosocial impact of VHL genetic testing in patients with a previous history of CNS HB. We, therefore, recommend the recall of patients who have not been previously screened.

Development of high-rise buildings: digitalization of life cycle management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusakova, Elena

2018-03-01

The analysis of the accumulated long-term experience in the construction and operation of high-rise buildings reveals not only the engineering specificity of such projects, but also systemic problems in the field of project management. Most of the project decisions are made by the developer and the investor in the early stages of the life cycle - from the acquisition of the site to the start of operation, so most of the participants in the construction and operation of the high-rise building are far from the strategic life-cycle management of the project. The solution of these tasks due to the informatization of management has largely exhausted its efficiency resource. This is due to the fact that the applied IT-systems automated traditional "inherited" processes and management structures, and, in addition, they were focused on informatization of the activities of the construction company, rather than the construction project. Therefore, in the development of high-rise buildings, the tasks of researching approaches and methods for managing the full life cycle of projects that will improve their competitiveness become topical. For this purpose, the article substantiates the most promising approaches and methods of informational modeling of high-rise construction as a basis for managing the full life cycle of this project. Reengineering of information interaction schemes for project participants is considered; formation of a unified digital environment for the life cycle of the project; the development of systems for integrating data management and project management.

MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT. (TITLE SUPPLIED).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VAN DEVENTER, W.C.

REPORTED ARE THE RESULTS OF A CURRICULUM RESEARCH PROJECT OF THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT FOR USE IN TEACHING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED SCIENCE. THE COMMITTEE USED PREVIOUS RESEARCH DATA, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF INSTRUCTION AND INQUIRY TRAINING, TO DEVELOP 13 UNITS INCLUDING 55 OPEN-ENDED LABORATORY…

Knowledge of Previous Tasks: Task Similarity Influences Bias in Task Duration Predictions

PubMed Central

Thomas, Kevin E.; König, Cornelius J.

2018-01-01

Bias in predictions of task duration has been attributed to misremembering previous task duration and using previous task duration as a basis for predictions. This research sought to further examine how previous task information affects prediction bias by manipulating task similarity and assessing the role of previous task duration feedback. Task similarity was examined through participants performing two tasks 1 week apart that were the same or different. Duration feedback was provided to all participants (Experiment 1), its recall was manipulated (Experiment 2), and its provision was manipulated (Experiment 3). In all experiments, task similarity influenced bias on the second task, with predictions being less biased when the first task was the same task. However, duration feedback did not influence bias. The findings highlight the pivotal role of knowledge about previous tasks in task duration prediction and are discussed in relation to the theoretical accounts of task duration prediction bias. PMID:29881362

An Overview of the Development of High Temperature Wireless Smart Sensor Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2014-01-01

The harsh environment inherent in propulsion systems is especially challenging for Smart Sensor Systems; this paper addresses technology development for such applications. A basic sensing system for high temperature wireless pressure monitoring composed of a sensor, electronics, and wireless communication with scavenged power developed for health monitoring of aircraft engines and other high temperature applications has been demonstrated at 475 C. Other efforts will be discussed including a brief overview of the status of high temperature electronics and sensors, as well as their use and applications.

Development Status of High-Thrust Density Electrostatic Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Michael J.; Haag, Thomas W.; Foster, John E.; Young, Jason A.; Crofton, Mark W.

2017-01-01

Ion thruster technology offers the highest performance and efficiency of any mature electric propulsion thruster. It has by far the highest demonstrated total impulse of any technology option, demonstrated at input power levels appropriate for primary propulsion. It has also been successfully implemented for primary propulsion in both geocentric and heliocentric environments, with excellent ground/in-space correlation of both its performance and life. Based on these attributes there is compelling reasoning to continue the development of this technology: it is a leading candidate for high power applications; and it provides risk reduction for as-yet unproven alternatives. As such it is important that the operational limitations of ion thruster technology be critically examined and in particular for its application to primary propulsion its capabilities relative to thrust the density and thrust-to-power ratio be understood. This publication briefly addresses some of the considerations relative to achieving high thrust density and maximizing thrust-to-power ratio with ion thruster technology, and discusses the status of development work in this area being executed under a collaborative effort among NASA Glenn Research Center, the Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Michigan.

Global functional atlas of Escherichia coli encompassing previously uncharacterized proteins.

PubMed

Hu, Pingzhao; Janga, Sarath Chandra; Babu, Mohan; Díaz-Mejía, J Javier; Butland, Gareth; Yang, Wenhong; Pogoutse, Oxana; Guo, Xinghua; Phanse, Sadhna; Wong, Peter; Chandran, Shamanta; Christopoulos, Constantine; Nazarians-Armavil, Anaies; Nasseri, Negin Karimi; Musso, Gabriel; Ali, Mehrab; Nazemof, Nazila; Eroukova, Veronika; Golshani, Ashkan; Paccanaro, Alberto; Greenblatt, Jack F; Moreno-Hagelsieb, Gabriel; Emili, Andrew

2009-04-28

One-third of the 4,225 protein-coding genes of Escherichia coli K-12 remain functionally unannotated (orphans). Many map to distant clades such as Archaea, suggesting involvement in basic prokaryotic traits, whereas others appear restricted to E. coli, including pathogenic strains. To elucidate the orphans' biological roles, we performed an extensive proteomic survey using affinity-tagged E. coli strains and generated comprehensive genomic context inferences to derive a high-confidence compendium for virtually the entire proteome consisting of 5,993 putative physical interactions and 74,776 putative functional associations, most of which are novel. Clustering of the respective probabilistic networks revealed putative orphan membership in discrete multiprotein complexes and functional modules together with annotated gene products, whereas a machine-learning strategy based on network integration implicated the orphans in specific biological processes. We provide additional experimental evidence supporting orphan participation in protein synthesis, amino acid metabolism, biofilm formation, motility, and assembly of the bacterial cell envelope. This resource provides a "systems-wide" functional blueprint of a model microbe, with insights into the biological and evolutionary significance of previously uncharacterized proteins.

Way Forward for High Performance Payload Processing Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notebaert, Olivier; Franklin, John; Lefftz, Vincent; Moreno, Jose; Patte, Mathieu; Syed, Mohsin; Wagner, Arnaud

2012-08-01

Payload processing is facing technological challenges due to the large increase of performance requirements of future scientific, observation and telecom missions as well as the future instruments technologies capturing much larger amount of data. For several years, with the perspective of higher performance together with the planned obsolescence of solutions covering the current needs, ESA and the European space industry has been developing several technology solutions. Silicon technologies, radiation mitigation techniques and innovative functional architectures are developed with the goal of designing future space qualified processing devices with a much higher level of performance than today. The fast growing commercial market application have developed very attractive technologies but which are not fully suitable with respect to their tolerance to space environment. Without the financial capacity to explore and develop all possible technology paths, a specific and global approach is required to cover the future mission needs and their necessary performance targets with effectiveness.The next sections describe main issues and priorities and provides further detailed relevant for this approach covering the high performance processing technology.

Detection of mumps virus genotype H in two previously vaccinated patients from Mexico City.

PubMed

Del Valle, Alberto; García, Alí A; Barrón, Blanca L

2016-06-01

Infections caused by mumps virus (MuV) have been successfully prevented through vaccination; however, in recent years, an increasing number of mumps outbreaks have been reported within vaccinated populations. In this study, MuV was genotyped for the first time in Mexico. Saliva samples were obtained from two previously vaccinated patients in Mexico City who had developed parotitis. Viral isolation was carried out in Vero cells, and the SH and HN genes were amplified by RT-PCR. Amplicons were sequenced and compared to a set of reference sequences to identify the MuV genotype.

Induction of abnormal respiratory sounds by capsaicin in rats previously infected with Bordetella pertussis.

PubMed

Parton, R; Hall, E; Wardlaw, A C

1998-02-01

Sprague Dawley rats, previously infected with Phase-I Bordetella pertussis, developed more severe abnormal respiratory sounds than normal animals, but not coughing, when exposed to aerosolized capsaicin, one of several cough-inducing agents tested. Stethoscope examination suggested that greater production of pulmonary mucus might be occurring after capsaicin challenge of the infected animals, compared to the uninfected controls. Rats of three other strains gave characteristically different responses from the Sprague Dawleys. The administration of capsaicin to B. pertussis-infected rats may provide useful insights into the pathophysiology of excess mucus secretion in human pertussis.

Development of high frequency low weight power magnetics for aerospace power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.

1984-01-01

A dominant design consideration in the development of space type power mangetic devices is the application of reliable thermal control methods to prevent device failure which is due to excessive temperature rises and hot temperatures in critical areas. The resultant design must also yield low weight, high efficiency, high reliability and maintainability, and long life. The weight savings and high efficiency that results by going to high frequency and unique thermal control techniques is demonstrated by the development of a 25 kVA, 20 kHz space type transformer under the power magnetics technology program. Work in the area of power rotary transformer is also discussed.

Development of crossbreeding high-yield-potential strains for commercial cultivation in the medicinal mushroom Wolfiporia cocos (Higher Basidiomycetes).

PubMed

Xiang, Xiaozhao; Wang, Xiaoxia; Bian, Yinbing; Xu, Zhangyi

2016-07-01

Wolfiporia cocos is a well-known medicinal mushroom, and its dried sclerotia has been widely used as a traditional medicine in China, Japan, and other Asian countries for centuries. However, long-term asexual reproduction of the breeding system in W. cocos results in a current universal degeneration of cultivated strains. To develop a W. cocos breeding program that will benefit commercial cultivation, we previously developed an optimum method for indoor induction of W. cocos fruiting bodies and clarified the nature of preponderant binuclear sexual basidiospores. In this paper, we first show that the majority of W. cocos single-spore isolates cannot form sclerotium in field cultivation. We then investigated the possibility of breeding new strains by crossbreeding. Three types of mating reactions were observed in both intra-strain pairings and inter-strain pairings, and a total of fifty-five hybrids were selected by antagonistic testing and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Field cultivation of hybrids demonstrated that some hybrids can form sclerotium via two cultivated methods. Two new high-yield strains were identified. This report will stimulate new thinking on W. cocos and promote further extensive studies on crossbreeding in W. cocos, a new topic related to the development of more efficient protocols for the discrimination of hybrids in W. cocos.

[Comparison of the present and previously used protocol of risk stratification in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

PubMed

Glodkowska, Eliza; Bialas, Agnieszka; Jackowska, Teresa

2007-01-01

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is one of the most common cancers in children. In Poland, since November 2002 a new protocol of risk stratification has been recommended for assessment of risk factors and for choosing therapy regimens. assessment of accuracy of protocol ALL-IC 2002 in comparison to previously used risk stratification protocols. ALL was diagnosed in 100 children (44 girls, 56 boys; 1-18 years of age) in the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Warsaw Medical University, over the period from November 2002 to November 2006. According to the ALL-IC 2002 protocol the patients were divided into three risk groups: SR-standard, IR-intermediate and HR-high. The stratification was by age, leukocyte count, cytogenetic changes, early response to prednisone therapy and bone marrow remission. In the previously used risk stratification protocols-BFM-90, only hepatosplenomegaly and the number of blasts in peripheral blood (PB) were considered, and the patients were divided into three risk groups: low (LRG<0.8), medium (MRG) and high (HRG>1.2). out of the 100 patients qualified for treatment regimens according to the ALL-IC 2002 protocol, 97 entered remission, 11 died and 3 had a relapse. Under the ALL-IC 2002 protocol these children were stratified into the following groups: SR-31%, IR-44% and HR-25%. In the previously used stratification, there would be 26% children in low, 46% in the medium and 28% in the high risk group. According to the BFM-90 protocol 18/31 (58%) and 16/44 (36%) patients from the SR and IR groups respectively would be given more intensive treatment. On the other hand 11/44 (25%) and 14/25 (56%) patients from the IR and HR groups respectively would be given less intensive treatment. 1. ALL-IC 2002 protocol in comparison with the previously used protocol BFM-90, changes the qualification of children with ALL for the SR, IR and HR risk groups. This is linked to basic change of treatment protocol, adequate to severity of disease. 2

Development of a high-frequency and large-stroke fatigue testing system for rubber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gang; Wu, Hao; Gao, Jianwen; Lin, Qiang

2017-04-01

The limited capabilities of current fatigue testing machines have resulted in studies on the fatigue behavior of rubber under large-displacement amplitude and high frequency being very sparse. In this study, a fatigue testing system that can carry out large-displacement amplitude and high-frequency fatigue tests on rubber was developed using a moving magnet voice coil motor (MMVCM) actuator, with finite element analysis applied to analyze the thrust of the MMVCM actuator. The results of a series of cyclic tension tests conducted on vulcanized natural rubber specimens using the developed fatigue testing system verify that it has high precision, low noise, large-stroke, and high-frequency characteristics. Further, the load frame with the developed MMVCM actuator is feasible for material testing, especially for large-stroke and high-frequency fatigue tests.

Development of high damage threshold multilayer thin film beam combiner for laser application

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

Nand, Mangla, E-mail: mnand@rrcat.gov.in; Babita,; Jena, S.

2016-05-23

A polarized wavelength multiplexer with high laser induced damage threshold has been developed to combine two laser beam of high peak power in the visible region. The present wavelength multiplexer is a multilayer thin film device deposited by reactive electron beam evaporation. The developed device is capable of combining two p-polarized laser beams of peak power density of 1.7 GW/cm{sup 2} at an angle of incidence of 45°. High transmission (T> 90%) in high pass region and high reflection (R> 99%) in stop band region have been achieved.

Development of high damage threshold multilayer thin film beam combiner for laser application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nand, Mangla; Babita, Jena, S.; Tokas, R. B.; Rajput, P.; Mukharjee, C.; Thakur, S.; Jha, S. N.; Sahoo, N. K.

2016-05-01

A polarized wavelength multiplexer with high laser induced damage threshold has been developed to combine two laser beam of high peak power in the visible region. The present wavelength multiplexer is a multilayer thin film device deposited by reactive electron beam evaporation. The developed device is capable of combining two p-polarized laser beams of peak power density of 1.7 GW/cm2 at an angle of incidence of 45°. High transmission (T> 90%) in high pass region and high reflection (R> 99%) in stop band region have been achieved.

Miniature cryocooler developments for high operating temperatures at Thales Cryogenics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)