Association of fatty acid-binding protein 2 and fat mass and obesity-associated gene polymorphism with primary open-angle glaucoma

PubMed Central

Abbas, Shania; Raza, Syed Tasleem; Chandra, Anu; Singh, Luxmi; Mahdi, Farzana

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: The present study was carried out to investigate the association of fatty acid-binding protein 2 (FABP2) and fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene polymorphism with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) cases and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study includes 122 POAG cases and 112 controls. FABP2 and FTO gene polymorphisms in cases and controls were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: The mean ages were 49.88 ± 12.34 and 53.74 ± 11.87 years in POAG cases and control groups, respectively. The FABP2 gene AA, AT, TT genotype frequencies were 12.90%, 62.40%, 24.80% in POAG cases and 20.60%, 64.70%, 14.70% in healthy controls, respectively. The frequencies of A and T allele in POAG cases were 44.06% and 55.94% as compared to 52.94% and 47.06% in the controls. The FTO gene AA, AT, TT genotype frequencies were 2.00%, 79.20%, 18.80% in cases and 0%, 75.50%, 24.50% in healthy controls, respectively. The frequencies of A and T allele in POAG cases were 41.58% and 58.42% as compared to 37.75% and 62.25% in the controls. No significant difference in the frequencies of FABP2 and FTO genotype was found between POAG cases and controls. CONCLUSION: We could not identify the possible association of FABP2 and FTO gene polymorphism with POAG; however, further studies with larger sample size in different population are require to clarify the role of FABP2 and FTO genes in susceptibility to POAG. PMID:29034152

Deep tissue afferents, but not cutaneous afferents, mediate transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation-Induced antihyperalgesia.

PubMed

Radhakrishnan, Rajan; Sluka, Kathleen A

2005-10-01

In this study we investigated the involvement of cutaneous versus knee joint afferents in the antihyperalgesia produced by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) by differentially blocking primary afferents with local anesthetics. Hyperalgesia was induced in rats by inflaming one knee joint with 3% kaolin-carrageenan and assessed by measuring paw withdrawal latency to heat before and 4 hours after injection. Skin surrounding the inflamed knee joint was anesthetized using an anesthetic cream (EMLA). Low (4 Hz) or high (100 Hz) frequency TENS was then applied to the anesthetized skin. In another group, 2% lidocaine gel was injected into the inflamed knee joint, and low or high frequency TENS was applied. Control experiments were done using vehicles. In control and EMLA groups, both low and high frequency TENS completely reversed hyperalgesia. However, injection of lidocaine into the knee joint prevented antihyperalgesia produced by both low and high frequency TENS. Recordings of cord dorsum potentials showed that both low and high frequency TENS at sensory intensity activates only large diameter afferent fibers. Increasing intensity to twice the motor threshold recruits Adelta afferent fibers. Furthermore, application of EMLA cream to the skin reduces the amplitude of the cord dorsum potential by 40% to 70% for both high and low frequency TENS, confirming a loss of large diameter primary afferent input after EMLA is applied to the skin. Thus, inactivation of joint afferents, but not cutaneous afferents, prevents the antihyperalgesia effects of TENS. We conclude that large diameter primary afferent fibers from deep tissue are required and that activation of cutaneous afferents is not sufficient for TENS-induced antihyperalgesia. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an accepted clinical modality used for pain relief. It is generally believed that TENS analgesia is caused mainly by cutaneous afferent activation. In this study by differentially blocking cutaneous and deep tissue primary afferents, we show that the activation of large diameter primary afferents from deep somatic tissues, and not cutaneous afferents, are pivotal in causing TENS analgesia.

Analysis and design of segment control system in segmented primary mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Wenhao; Li, Bin; Chen, Mo; Xian, Hao

2017-10-01

Segmented primary mirror will be adopted widely in giant telescopes in future, such as TMT, E-ELT and GMT. High-performance control technology of the segmented primary mirror is one of the difficult technologies for telescopes using segmented primary mirror. The control of each segment is the basis of control system in segmented mirror. Correcting the tilt and tip of single segment is the main work of this paper which is divided into two parts. Firstly, harmonic response done in finite element model of single segment matches the Bode diagram of a two-order system whose natural frequency is 45 hertz and damping ratio is 0.005. Secondly, a control system model is established, and speed feedback is introduced in control loop to suppress resonance point gain and increase the open-loop bandwidth, up to 30Hz or even higher. Corresponding controller is designed based on the control system model described above.

Improved Controller Design of Grid Friendly™ Appliances for Primary Frequency Response

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

Lian, Jianming; Sun, Yannan; Marinovici, Laurentiu D.

2015-09-01

The Grid Friendlymore » $$^\\textrm{TM}$$ Appliance~(GFA) controller, developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, can autonomously switch off the appliances by detecting the under-frequency events. In this paper, the impacts of curtailing frequency threshold on the performance of frequency responsive GFAs are carefully analyzed first. The current method of selecting curtailing frequency thresholds for GFAs is found to be insufficient to guarantee the desired performance especially when the frequency deviation is shallow. In addition, the power reduction of online GFAs could be so excessive that it can even impact the system response negatively. As a remedy to the deficiency of the current controller design, a different way of selecting curtailing frequency thresholds is proposed to ensure the effectiveness of GFAs in frequency protection. Moreover, it is also proposed to introduce a supervisor at each distribution feeder to monitor the curtailing frequency thresholds of online GFAs and take corrective actions if necessary.« less

Dynamical simulation of E-ELT segmented primary mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedghi, B.; Muller, M.; Bauvir, B.

2011-09-01

The dynamical behavior of the primary mirror (M1) has an important impact on the control of the segments and the performance of the telescope. Control of large segmented mirrors with a large number of actuators and sensors and multiple control loops in real life is a challenging problem. In virtual life, modeling, simulation and analysis of the M1 bears similar difficulties and challenges. In order to capture the dynamics of the segment subunits (high frequency modes) and the telescope back structure (low frequency modes), high order dynamical models with a very large number of inputs and outputs need to be simulated. In this paper, different approaches for dynamical modeling and simulation of the M1 segmented mirror subject to various perturbations, e.g. sensor noise, wind load, vibrations, earthquake are presented.

Efficacy of the device combining high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and thermotherapy for relieving primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Lee, Banghyun; Hong, Seung Hwa; Kim, Kidong; Kang, Wee Chang; No, Jae Hong; Lee, Jung Ryeol; Jee, Byung Chul; Yang, Eun Joo; Cha, Eun-Jong; Kim, Yong Beom

2015-11-01

To investigate the efficacy and safety of the combined therapy with high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (hf-TENS) and thermotherapy in relieving primary dysmenorrheal pain. In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study, 115 women with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea were assigned to the study or control group at a ratio of 1:1. Subjects in the study group used an integrated hf-TENS/thermotherapy device, whereas control subjects used a sham device. A visual analog scale was used to measure pain intensity. Variables related to pain relief, including reduction rate of dysmenorrheal score, were compared between the groups. The dysmenorrheal score was significantly reduced in the study group compared to the control group following the use of the devices. The duration of pain relief was significantly increased in the study group compared to the control group. There were no differences between the groups in the brief pain inventory scores, numbers of ibuprofen tablets taken orally, and World Health Organization quality of life-BREF scores. No adverse events were observed related to the use of the study device. The combination of hf-TENS and thermotherapy was effective in relieving acute pain in women with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cholinergic Neuromodulation Controls Directed Temporal Communication in Neocortex in Vitro

PubMed Central

Roopun, Anita K.; LeBeau, Fiona E.N.; Rammell, James; Cunningham, Mark O.; Traub, Roger D.; Whittington, Miles A.

2010-01-01

Acetylcholine is the primary neuromodulator involved in cortical arousal in mammals. Cholinergic modulation is involved in conscious awareness, memory formation and attention – processes that involve intercommunication between different cortical regions. Such communication is achieved in part through temporal structuring of neuronal activity by population rhythms, particularly in the beta and gamma frequency ranges (12–80 Hz). Here we demonstrate, using in vitro and in silico models, that spectrally identical patterns of beta2 and gamma rhythms are generated in primary sensory areas and polymodal association areas by fundamentally different local circuit mechanisms: Glutamatergic excitation induced beta2 frequency population rhythms only in layer 5 association cortex whereas cholinergic neuromodulation induced this rhythm only in layer 5 primary sensory cortex. This region-specific sensitivity of local circuits to cholinergic modulation allowed for control of the extent of cortical temporal interactions. Furthermore, the contrasting mechanisms underlying these beta2 rhythms produced a high degree of directionality, favouring an influence of association cortex over primary auditory cortex. PMID:20407636

Modeling the directivity of parametric loudspeaker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chuang; Gan, Woon-Seng

2012-09-01

The emerging applications of the parametric loudspeaker, such as 3D audio, demands accurate directivity control at the audible frequency (i.e. the difference frequency). Though the delay-and-sum beamforming has been proven adequate to adjust the steering angles of the parametric loudspeaker, accurate prediction of the mainlobe and sidelobes remains a challenging problem. It is mainly because of the approximations that are used to derive the directivity of the difference frequency from the directivity of the primary frequency, and the mismatches between the theoretical directivity and the measured directivity caused by system errors incurred at different stages of the implementation. In this paper, we propose a directivity model of the parametric loudspeaker. The directivity model consists of two tuning vectors corresponding to the spacing error and the weight error for the primary frequency. The directivity model adopts a modified form of the product directivity principle for the difference frequency to further improve the modeling accuracy.

Decoding 3-D Reach and Grasp Kinematics from High-Frequency Local Field Potentials in Primate Primary Motor Cortex

PubMed Central

Zhuang, Jun; Vargas-Irwin, Carlos; Donoghue, John P.

2011-01-01

Intracortical microelectrode array recordings generate a variety of neural signals with potential application as control signals in neural interface systems. Previous studies have focused on single and multiunit activity, as well as low frequency local field potentials (LFPs), but have not explored higher frequency (>200 Hz) LFPs. In addition, the potential to decode three dimensional (3-D) reach and grasp kinematics based on LFPs has not been demonstrated. Here, we use mutual information and decoding analyses to probe the information content about 3-D reaching and grasping of 7 different LFP frequency bands in the range of 0.3 Hz – 400 Hz. LFPs were recorded via 96-microelectrode arrays in primary motor cortex (M1) of two monkeys performing free reaching to grasp moving objects. Mutual information analyses revealed that higher frequency bands (e.g. 100 – 200 Hz and 200 – 400 Hz) carried the most information about the examined kinematics. Furthermore, Kalman filter decoding revealed that broadband high frequency LFPs, likely reflecting multiunit activity, provided the best decoding performance as well as substantial accuracy in reconstructing reach kinematics, grasp aperture and aperture velocity. These results indicate that LFPs, especially high frequency bands, could be useful signals for neural interfaces controlling 3-D reach and grasp kinematics. PMID:20403782

The role of treatment timing and mode of stimulation in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea with acupuncture: An exploratory randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Armour, Mike; Dahlen, Hannah G; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Farquhar, Cindy; Smith, Caroline A

2017-01-01

We examined the effect of changing treatment timing and the use of manual, electro acupuncture on the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. A randomised controlled trial was performed with four arms, low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro acupuncture (LF-EA) and high frequency electro acupuncture (HF-EA). A manualised trial protocol was used to allow differentiation and individualized treatment over three months. A total of 74 women were randomly assigned to one of the four groups (LF-MA n = 19, HF-MA n = 18, LF-EA n = 18, HF-EA n = 19). Twelve treatments were performed over three menstrual cycles, either once per week (LF groups) or three times in the week prior to menses (HF groups). All groups received a treatment in the first 48 hours of menses. The primary outcome was the reduction in peak menstrual pain at 12 months from trial entry. During the treatment period and nine month follow-up all groups showed statistically significant (p < .001) reductions in peak and average menstrual pain compared to baseline but there were no differences between groups (p > 0.05). Health related quality of life increased significantly in six domains in groups having high frequency of treatment compared to two domains in low frequency groups. Manual acupuncture groups required less analgesic medication than electro-acupuncture groups (p = 0.02). HF-MA was most effective in reducing secondary menstrual symptoms compared to both-EA groups (p<0.05). Acupuncture treatment reduced menstrual pain intensity and duration after three months of treatment and this was sustained for up to one year after trial entry. The effect of changing mode of stimulation or frequency of treatment on menstrual pain was not significant. This may be due to a lack of power. The role of acupuncture stimulation on menstrual pain needs to be investigated in appropriately powered randomised controlled trials.

The role of treatment timing and mode of stimulation in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea with acupuncture: An exploratory randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Dahlen, Hannah G.; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Farquhar, Cindy; Smith, Caroline A.

2017-01-01

Objectives We examined the effect of changing treatment timing and the use of manual, electro acupuncture on the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed with four arms, low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro acupuncture (LF-EA) and high frequency electro acupuncture (HF-EA). A manualised trial protocol was used to allow differentiation and individualized treatment over three months. A total of 74 women were randomly assigned to one of the four groups (LF-MA n = 19, HF-MA n = 18, LF-EA n = 18, HF-EA n = 19). Twelve treatments were performed over three menstrual cycles, either once per week (LF groups) or three times in the week prior to menses (HF groups). All groups received a treatment in the first 48 hours of menses. The primary outcome was the reduction in peak menstrual pain at 12 months from trial entry. Results During the treatment period and nine month follow-up all groups showed statistically significant (p < .001) reductions in peak and average menstrual pain compared to baseline but there were no differences between groups (p > 0.05). Health related quality of life increased significantly in six domains in groups having high frequency of treatment compared to two domains in low frequency groups. Manual acupuncture groups required less analgesic medication than electro-acupuncture groups (p = 0.02). HF-MA was most effective in reducing secondary menstrual symptoms compared to both–EA groups (p<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture treatment reduced menstrual pain intensity and duration after three months of treatment and this was sustained for up to one year after trial entry. The effect of changing mode of stimulation or frequency of treatment on menstrual pain was not significant. This may be due to a lack of power. The role of acupuncture stimulation on menstrual pain needs to be investigated in appropriately powered randomised controlled trials. PMID:28700680

47 CFR 95.669 - External controls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Audio frequency power amplifier output connector and selector switch. (5) On-off switch for primary power to transmitter. This switch may be combined with receiver controls such as the receiver on-off switch and volume control. (6) Upper/lower sideband selector switch (for a transmitter that transmits...

High frequency magnetostrictive transducers for waveguide applications

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

Daw, Joshua Earl; Taylor, Steven Cheney; Rempe, Joy Lynn

A high frequency magnetostrictive transducer includes a magnetostrictive rod or wire inserted co-axially into a driving coil, wherein the driving coil includes a coil arrangement with a plurality of small coil segments along the magnetostrictive rod or wire; wherein frequency operation of the high frequency magnetostrictive transducer is controlled by a length of the small coil segments and a material type of the magnetostrictive rod or wire. This design of the high frequency magnetostrictive transducer retains the beneficial aspects of the magnetostrictive design, while reducing its primary drawback, lower frequency operation.

Modelling the impact of new patient visits on risk adjusted access at 2 clinics.

PubMed

Kolber, Michael A; Rueda, Germán; Sory, John B

2018-06-01

To evaluate the effect new outpatient clinic visits has on the availability of follow-up visits for established patients when patient visit frequency is risk adjusted. Diagnosis codes for patients from 2 Internal Medicine Clinics were extracted through billing data. The HHS-HCC risk adjusted scores for each clinic were determined based upon the average of all clinic practitioners' profiles. These scores were then used to project encounter frequencies for established patients, and for new patients entering the clinic based on risk and time of entry into the clinics. A distinct mean risk frequency distribution for physicians in each clinic could be defined providing model parameters. Within the model, follow-up visit utilization at the highest risk adjusted visit frequencies would require more follow-up slots than currently available when new patient no-show rates and annual patient loss are included. Patients seen at an intermediate or lower visit risk adjusted frequency could be accommodated when new patient no-show rates and annual patient clinic loss are considered. Value-based care is driven by control of cost while maintaining quality of care. In order to control cost, there has been a drive to increase visit frequency in primary care for those patients at increased risk. Adding new patients to primary care clinics limits the availability of follow-up slots that accrue over time for those at highest risk, thereby limiting disease and, potentially, cost control. If frequency of established care visits can be reduced by improved disease control, closing the practice to new patients, hiring health care extenders, or providing non-face to face care models then quality and cost of care may be improved. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome is characterized by distinct phenotypic and transcriptional profiles of IgD+ unswitched memory B cells.

PubMed

Roberts, Mustimbo E P; Kaminski, Denise; Jenks, Scott A; Maguire, Craig; Ching, Kathryn; Burbelo, Peter D; Iadarola, Michael J; Rosenberg, Alexander; Coca, Andreea; Anolik, Jennifer; Sanz, Iñaki

2014-09-01

The significance of distinct B cell abnormalities in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) remains to be established. We undertook this study to analyze the phenotype and messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript profiles of B cell subsets in patients with primary SS and to compare them with those in sicca syndrome patients and healthy controls. CD19+ B cells from 26 patients with primary SS, 27 sicca syndrome patients, and 22 healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry. Gene expression profiles of purified B cell subsets (from 3-5 subjects per group per test) were analyzed using Affymetrix gene arrays. Patients with primary SS had lower frequencies of CD27+IgD- switched memory B cells and CD27+IgD+ unswitched memory B cells compared with healthy controls. Unswitched memory B cell frequencies were also lower in sicca syndrome patients and correlated inversely with serologic hyperactivity in both disease states. Further, unswitched memory B cells in primary SS had lower expression of CD1c and CD21. Gene expression analysis of CD27+ memory B cells separated patients with primary SS from healthy controls and identified a subgroup of sicca syndrome patients with a primary SS-like transcript profile. Moreover, unswitched memory B cell gene expression analysis identified 187 genes differentially expressed between patients with primary SS and healthy controls. A decrease in unswitched memory B cells with serologic hyperactivity is characteristic of both established primary SS and a subgroup of sicca syndrome, which suggests the value of these B cells both as biomarkers of future disease progression and for understanding disease pathogenesis. Overall, the mRNA transcript analysis of unswitched memory B cells suggests that their activation in primary SS takes place through innate immune pathways in the context of attenuated antigen-mediated adaptive signaling. Thus, our findings provide important insight into the mechanisms and potential consequences of decreased unswitched memory B cells in primary SS. Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.

[Profiles of high-frequency users of primary care services and associations with depressive anxiety disorders in Cali, Colombia].

PubMed

Rodriguez-Lopez, Mérida; Arrivillaga, Marcela; Holguín, Jorge; León, Hoover; Ávila, Alfonso; Hernández, Carlos; Rincón-Hoyos, Hernán G

2016-01-01

To determine the profiles of highly frequent users of primary care services and the associations of these profiles with depressive anxiety disorders in Cali, Colombia. A case-control study, high-frequency cases were defined as those involving patients with a percentile >75 with regard to the frequency of spontaneous use of outpatient facilities in the last 12 months; controls were defined as those with a percentile <25. A multiple correspondence analysis was used to describe patient profiles, and the influences of depression and anxiety on frequent attendance was determined via logistic regression. Among the 780 participating patients, differences in the profiles among frequent users and controls were related to predisposing factors such as sex, age, and education, capacity factors such as the time required to visit the institution and the means of transport used, and need factors such as health perceptions, social support, family function, and the presence of anxiety or depressive disorders. A depression or anxiety disorder was found to associate positively with frequent attendance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-3.31) and a referral system (aOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.01-2.76), but negatively with mild or no family dysfunction (aOR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.48-0.88) after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and health service-providing institutions. The profiles of high-frequency patients differ from control patients with respect to factors related to capacity, need, and willingness; in particular, the latter were independently associated with frequent attendance. Notably, the presence of an anxious or depressive disorder doubled the risk of highfrequency attendance at a primary care facility.

Specific music therapy techniques in the treatment of primary headache disorders in adolescents: a randomized attention-placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Koenig, Julian; Oelkers-Ax, Rieke; Kaess, Michael; Parzer, Peter; Lenzen, Christoph; Hillecke, Thomas Karl; Resch, Franz

2013-10-01

Migraine and tension-type headache have a high prevalence in children and adolescents. In addition to common pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, music therapy has been shown to be efficient in the prophylaxis of pediatric migraine. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of specific music therapy techniques in the treatment of adolescents with primary headache (tension-type headache and migraine). A prospective, randomized, attention-placebo-controlled parallel group trial was conducted. Following an 8-week baseline, patients were randomized to either music therapy (n = 40) or a rhythm pedagogic program (n = 38) designed as an "attention placebo" over 6 sessions within 8 weeks. Reduction of both headache frequency and intensity after treatment (8-week postline) as well as 6 months after treatment were taken as the efficacy variables. Treatments were delivered in equal dose and frequency by the same group of therapists. Data analysis of subjects completing the protocol showed that neither treatment was superior to the other at any point of measurement (posttreatment and follow-up). Intention-to-treat analysis revealed no impact of drop-out on these results. Both groups showed a moderate mean reduction of headache frequency posttreatment of about 20%, but only small numbers of responders (50% frequency reduction). Follow-up data showed no significant deteriorations or improvements. This article presents a randomized placebo-controlled trial on music therapy in the treatment of adolescents with frequent primary headache. Music therapy is not superior to an attention placebo within this study. These results draw attention to the need of providing adequate controls within therapeutic trials in the treatment of pain. Copyright © 2013 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved Intrapulse Raman Scattering Control via Asymmetric Airy Pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yi; Tehranchi, Amirhossein; Wabnitz, Stefan; Kashyap, Raman; Chen, Zhigang; Morandotti, Roberto

2015-02-01

We experimentally demonstrate the possibility of tuning the frequency of a laser pulse via the use of an Airy pulse-seeded soliton self-frequency shift. The intrinsically asymmetric nature of Airy pulses, typically featured by either leading or trailing oscillatory tails (relatively to the main lobe), is revealed through the nonlinear generation of both a primary and a secondary Raman soliton self-frequency shift, a phenomenon which is driven by the soliton fission processes. The resulting frequency shift can be carefully controlled by using time-reversed Airy pulses or, alternatively, by applying an offset to the cubic phase modulation used to generate the pulses. When compared with the use of conventional chirped Gaussian pulses, our technique brings about unique advantages in terms of both efficient frequency tuning and feasibility, along with the generation and control of multicolor Raman solitons with enhanced tunability. Our theoretical analysis agrees well with our experimental observations.

Engineering Inertial and Primary-Frequency Response for Distributed Energy Resources: Preprint

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

Dall-Anese, Emiliano; Zhao, Changhong; Guggilam, Swaroop

We propose a framework to engineer synthetic-inertia and droop-control parameters for distributed energy resources (DERs) so that the system frequency in a network composed of DERs and synchronous generators conforms to prescribed transient and steady-state performance specifications. Our approach is grounded in a second-order lumped-parameter model that captures the dynamics of synchronous generators and frequency-responsive DERs endowed with inertial and droop control. A key feature of this reduced-order model is that its parameters can be related to those of the originating higher-order dynamical model. This allows one to systematically design the DER inertial and droop-control coefficients leveraging classical frequency-domain responsemore » characteristics of second-order systems. Time-domain simulations validate the accuracy of the model-reduction method and demonstrate how DER controllers can be designed to meet steady-state-regulation and transient-performance specifications.« less

Engineering Inertial and Primary-Frequency Response for Distributed Energy Resources

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

Dall-Anese, Emiliano; Zhao, Changhong; Guggilam, Swaroop

We propose a framework to engineer synthetic-inertia and droop-control parameters for distributed energy resources (DERs) so that the system frequency in a network composed of DERs and synchronous generators conforms to prescribed transient and steady-state performance specifications. Our approach is grounded in a second-order lumped-parameter model that captures the dynamics of synchronous generators and frequency-responsive DERs endowed with inertial and droop control. A key feature of this reduced-order model is that its parameters can be related to those of the originating higherorder dynamical model. This allows one to systematically design the DER inertial and droop-control coefficients leveraging classical frequency-domain responsemore » characteristics of second-order systems. Time-domain simulations validate the accuracy of the model-reduction method and demonstrate how DER controllers can be designed to meet steady-state-regulation and transient-performance specifications.« less

Air-flow regulation system for a coal gasifier

DOEpatents

Fasching, George E.

1984-01-01

An improved air-flow regulator for a fixed-bed coal gasifier is provided which allows close air-flow regulation from a compressor source even though the pressure variations are too rapid for a single primary control loop to respond. The improved system includes a primary controller to control a valve in the main (large) air supply line to regulate large slow changes in flow. A secondary controller is used to control a smaller, faster acting valve in a secondary (small) air supply line parallel to the main line valve to regulate rapid cyclic deviations in air flow. A low-pass filter with a time constant of from 20 to 50 seconds couples the output of the secondary controller to the input of the primary controller so that the primary controller only responds to slow changes in the air-flow rate, the faster, cyclic deviations in flow rate sensed and corrected by the secondary controller loop do not reach the primary controller due to the high frequency rejection provided by the filter. This control arrangement provides at least a factor of 5 improvement in air-flow regulation for a coal gasifier in which air is supplied by a reciprocating compressor through a surge tank.

[Symptoms related to the use of agricultural pesticides. The perspective from the primary care service].

PubMed

Subías Lorén, P J; Salvador Milian, M A; Moragues Farràs, C; Casanova Sandoval, J M; Marina Ortega, V

1995-12-01

To find whether agricultural workers seen in the general medical clinic attend due to symptoms connected with the use of pesticides. A crossover descriptive study comparing agricultural workers with a control group. Primary care. The clinical histories of 40 agricultural workers and a control group (sample of 58 paired for age and gender) who had been seen over the previous year. Age, gender, frequency of attendance, motives for consultation, risk factors and the number of consultations for symptoms possibly due to exposure to pesticides--in line with a previously composed list. There were no differences in frequency of attendance, overall reasons for consultation or risk factors. It was seen that agricultural workers consulted 4 times more than the control group for suspected pesticide poisoning (p = 0.0015). In our health area agricultural workers present symptoms which should probably be attributed to insufficient protection against pesticides. The primary care doctor working in rural zones where these products are heavily used must be able to identify these symptoms and take appropriate measures.

Primary-Side Power Flow Control of Wireless Power Transfer for Electric Vehicle Charging

DOE PAGES

Miller, John M.; Onar, Omer C.; Chinthavali, Madhu

2014-12-22

Various noncontacting methods of plug-in electric vehicle charging are either under development or now deployed as aftermarket options in the light-duty automotive market. Wireless power transfer (WPT) is now the accepted term for wireless charging and is used synonymously for inductive power transfer and magnetic resonance coupling. WPT technology is in its infancy; standardization is lacking, especially on interoperability, center frequency selection, magnetic fringe field suppression, and the methods employed for power flow regulation. This paper proposes a new analysis concept for power flow in WPT in which the primary provides frequency selection and the tuned secondary, with its resemblancemore » to a power transmission network having a reactive power voltage control, is analyzed as a transmission network. Analysis is supported with experimental data taken from Oak Ridge National Laboratory s WPT apparatus. Lastly, this paper also provides an experimental evidence for frequency selection, fringe field assessment, and the need for low-latency communications in the feedback path.« less

[Analysis of individualized primary prophylactic treatment of 19 cases of children with severe hemophilia A].

PubMed

Liu, G Q; Tang, L; Wu, X Y; Zhen, Y Z; Li, G; Chen, Z P; Wang, Y; Zhang, N N; Zhang, J S; Yu, G X; Wu, R H

2016-12-02

Objective: To study the current situation of primary prophylaxis in severe hemophilia A children and to explore rational regimen in order to provide evidence for the development of primary prophylaxis in China. Method: A retrospective clinical data collection and analysis was conducted for 19 severe hemophilia A children who received primary prophylaxis in Beijing Children's Hospital outpatient clinic between February 2011 and September 2015 and evaluated the regimen and efficacy. Result: (1) Primary prophylaxis regimen: the median beginning age 1.8 (range 0.5-2.9) years, the median FⅧ preparation using dosage 16.7 (8.0-23.5) U/(kg·time), the median using frequency was 1.0 (1.0-3.0) time/week. Eight cases among the patients received escalation of treatment intensity because of the poor bleeding control. (2) Efficacy: the median annual bleeding rate (ABR) was 1.9 (0-6.0) times/year, the median annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR) was 0 (0-3.3) times/year, without life threatening bleeding. All of them kept in 4th scale of Beijing Children Hospital daily activity level. The median annual factor consumption was 1 844 (840-5 040) U/kg. Conclusion: Low-dose primary prophylaxis regimen which were in low-dose /low frequencies and adjusted by bleeding frequency could decrease bleeding and joint bleeding frequency significantly, maintained the normal daily activity capacity and saved the factor consumption compared to standard regimen in severe hemophilia A children.

Analytically optimal parameters of dynamic vibration absorber with negative stiffness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yongjun; Peng, Haibo; Li, Xianghong; Yang, Shaopu

2017-02-01

In this paper the optimal parameters of a dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) with negative stiffness is analytically studied. The analytical solution is obtained by Laplace transform method when the primary system is subjected to harmonic excitation. The research shows there are still two fixed points independent of the absorber damping in the amplitude-frequency curve of the primary system when the system contains negative stiffness. Then the optimum frequency ratio and optimum damping ratio are respectively obtained based on the fixed-point theory. A new strategy is proposed to obtain the optimum negative stiffness ratio and make the system remain stable at the same time. At last the control performance of the presented DVA is compared with those of three existing typical DVAs, which were presented by Den Hartog, Ren and Sims respectively. The comparison results in harmonic and random excitation show that the presented DVA in this paper could not only reduce the peak value of the amplitude-frequency curve of the primary system significantly, but also broaden the efficient frequency range of vibration mitigation.

A frequency control method for regulating wireless power to implantable devices.

PubMed

Ping Si; Hu, A P; Malpas, S; Budgett, D

2008-03-01

This paper presents a method to regulate the power transferred over a wireless link by adjusting the resonant operating frequency of the primary converter. A significant advantage of this method is that effective power regulation is maintained under variations in load, coupling and circuit parameters. This is particularly important when the wireless supply is used to power implanted medical devices where substantial coupling variations between internal and external systems is expected. The operating frequency is changed dynamically by altering the effective tuning capacitance through soft switched phase control. A thorough analysis of the proposed system has been undertaken, and experimental results verify its functionality.

Aeroelastic Considerations For Rotorcraft Primary Control with On-Blade Elevons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ormiston, Robert A.; Rutkowski, Michael (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Replacing the helicopter rotor swashplate and blade pitch control system with on-blade elevon control surfaces for primary flight control may significantly reduce weight and drag to improve mission performance. Simplified analyses are used to examine the basic aeroelastic characteristics of such rotor blades, including pitch and flap dynamic response, elevon reversal, and elevon control effectiveness. The profile power penalty associated with deflections of elevon control surfaces buried within the blade planform is also evaluated. Results suggest that with aeroelastic design for pitch frequencies in the neighborhood of 2/rev, reasonable elevon control effectiveness may be achieved and that, together with collective pitch indexing, the aerodynamic profile power penalty of on-blade control surface deflections may be minimized.

Automatic Frequency Controller for Power Amplifiers Used in Bio-Implanted Applications: Issues and Challenges

PubMed Central

Hannan, Mahammad A.; Hussein, Hussein A.; Mutashar, Saad; Samad, Salina A.; Hussain, Aini

2014-01-01

With the development of communication technologies, the use of wireless systems in biomedical implanted devices has become very useful. Bio-implantable devices are electronic devices which are used for treatment and monitoring brain implants, pacemakers, cochlear implants, retinal implants and so on. The inductive coupling link is used to transmit power and data between the primary and secondary sides of the biomedical implanted system, in which efficient power amplifier is very much needed to ensure the best data transmission rates and low power losses. However, the efficiency of the implanted devices depends on the circuit design, controller, load variation, changes of radio frequency coil's mutual displacement and coupling coefficients. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on various power amplifier classes and their characteristics, efficiency and controller techniques that have been used in bio-implants. The automatic frequency controller used in biomedical implants such as gate drive switching control, closed loop power control, voltage controlled oscillator, capacitor control and microcontroller frequency control have been explained. Most of these techniques keep the resonance frequency stable in transcutaneous power transfer between the external coil and the coil implanted inside the body. Detailed information including carrier frequency, power efficiency, coils displacement, power consumption, supplied voltage and CMOS chip for the controllers techniques are investigated and summarized in the provided tables. From the rigorous review, it is observed that the existing automatic frequency controller technologies are more or less can capable of performing well in the implant devices; however, the systems are still not up to the mark. Accordingly, current challenges and problems of the typical automatic frequency controller techniques for power amplifiers are illustrated, with a brief suggestions and discussion section concerning the progress of implanted device research in the future. This review will hopefully lead to increasing efforts towards the development of low powered, highly efficient, high data rate and reliable automatic frequency controllers for implanted devices. PMID:25615728

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

Bacon, L. D.

Hybrid Band{trademark} (H-band) is a Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LMMFC) designation for a specific RF modulation that causes disruption of select electronic components and circuits. H-Band enables conventional high-power microwave (HPM) effects (with a center frequency of 1 to 2 GHz, for example) using a higher frequency carrier signal. The primary technical objective of this project was to understand the fundamental physics of Hybrid Band{trademark} Radio Frequency effects on electronic systems. The follow-on objective was to develop and validate a Hybrid Band{trademark} effects analysis process.

Flying qualities and control system characteristics for superaugmented aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, T. T.; Mcruer, D. T.; Johnston, D. E.

1984-01-01

Aircraft-alone dynamics and superaugmented control system fundamental regulatory properties including stability and regulatory responses of the basic closed-loop systems; fundamental high and low frequency margins and governing factors; and sensitivity to aircraft and controller parameters are addressed. Alternative FCS mechanizations, and mechanizational side effects are also discussed. An overview of flying qualities considerations encompasses general pilot operations as a controller in unattended, intermittent and trim, and full-attention regulatory or command control; effective vehicle primary and secondary response properties to pilot inputs and disturbances; pilot control architectural possibilities; and comparison of superaugmented and conventional aircraft path responses for different forms of pilot control. Results of a simple experimental investigation into pilot dynamic behavior in attitude control of superaugmented aircraft configurations with high frequency time laps and time delays are presented.

Robustness of Thirty Meter Telescope primary mirror control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macmynowski, Douglas G.; Thompson, Peter M.; Shelton, Chris; Roberts, Lewis C., Jr.

2010-07-01

The primary mirror control system for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) maintains the alignment of the 492 segments in the presence of both quasi-static (gravity and thermal) and dynamic disturbances due to unsteady wind loads. The latter results in a desired control bandwidth of 1Hz at high spatial frequencies. The achievable bandwidth is limited by robustness to (i) uncertain telescope structural dynamics (control-structure interaction) and (ii) small perturbations in the ill-conditioned influence matrix that relates segment edge sensor response to actuator commands. Both of these effects are considered herein using models of TMT. The former is explored through multivariable sensitivity analysis on a reduced-order Zernike-basis representation of the structural dynamics. The interaction matrix ("A-matrix") uncertainty has been analyzed theoretically elsewhere, and is examined here for realistic amplitude perturbations due to segment and sensor installation errors, and gravity and thermal induced segment motion. The primary influence of A-matrix uncertainty is on the control of "focusmode"; this is the least observable mode, measurable only through the edge-sensor (gap-dependent) sensitivity to the dihedral angle between segments. Accurately estimating focus-mode will require updating the A-matrix as a function of the measured gap. A-matrix uncertainty also results in a higher gain-margin requirement for focus-mode, and hence the A-matrix and CSI robustness need to be understood simultaneously. Based on the robustness analysis, the desired 1 Hz bandwidth is achievable in the presence of uncertainty for all except the lowest spatial-frequency response patterns of the primary mirror.

Phonetogram changes for trained singers over a nine-month period of vocal training.

PubMed

LeBorgne, Wendy DeLeo; Weinrich, Barbara D

2002-03-01

Professional vocalists encounter demands requiring voluntary control of phonation, while utilizing a considerable range of frequency and intensity. These quantifiable acoustic events can be measured and represented in a phonetogram. Previous research has compared the phonetograms of trained and untrained voices and found significant differences between these groups. This study was designed to assess the effects of vocal training for singers over a period of nine months. Phonetogram contour changes were examined, with the primary focus on expansion of frequency range and/or intensity control. Twenty-one first-year, master's level, vocal music students, who were engaged in an intensive vocal performance curriculum, participated in this study. Following nine months of vocal training, significant differences were revealed in the subjects' mean frequency range and minimum vocal intensity across frequency levels. There was no significant difference for the mean maximum vocal intensity across frequency levels following vocal training.

Rising nutrient-pulse frequency and high UVR strengthen microbial interactions

PubMed Central

Cabrerizo, Marco J.; Medina-Sánchez, Juan Manuel; Dorado-García, Irene; Villar-Argaiz, Manuel; Carrillo, Presentación

2017-01-01

Solar radiation and nutrient pulses regulate the ecosystem’s functioning. However, little is known about how a greater frequency of pulsed nutrients under high ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels, as expected in the near future, could alter the responses and interaction between primary producers and decomposers. In this report, we demonstrate through a mesocosm study in lake La Caldera (Spain) that a repeated (press) compared to a one-time (pulse) schedule under UVR prompted higher increases in primary (PP) than in bacterial production (BP) coupled with a replacement of photoautotrophs by mixotrophic nanoflagellates (MNFs). The mechanism underlying these amplified phytoplanktonic responses was a dual control by MNFs on bacteria through the excretion of organic carbon and an increased top-down control by bacterivory. We also show across a 6-year whole-lake study that the changes from photoautotrophs to MNFs were related mainly to the frequency of pulsed nutrients (e.g. desert dust inputs). Our results underscore how an improved understanding of the interaction between chronic and stochastic environmental factors is critical for predicting ongoing changes in ecosystem functioning and its responses to climatically driven changes. PMID:28252666

Rising nutrient-pulse frequency and high UVR strengthen microbial interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrerizo, Marco J.; Medina-Sánchez, Juan Manuel; Dorado-García, Irene; Villar-Argaiz, Manuel; Carrillo, Presentación

2017-03-01

Solar radiation and nutrient pulses regulate the ecosystem’s functioning. However, little is known about how a greater frequency of pulsed nutrients under high ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels, as expected in the near future, could alter the responses and interaction between primary producers and decomposers. In this report, we demonstrate through a mesocosm study in lake La Caldera (Spain) that a repeated (press) compared to a one-time (pulse) schedule under UVR prompted higher increases in primary (PP) than in bacterial production (BP) coupled with a replacement of photoautotrophs by mixotrophic nanoflagellates (MNFs). The mechanism underlying these amplified phytoplanktonic responses was a dual control by MNFs on bacteria through the excretion of organic carbon and an increased top-down control by bacterivory. We also show across a 6-year whole-lake study that the changes from photoautotrophs to MNFs were related mainly to the frequency of pulsed nutrients (e.g. desert dust inputs). Our results underscore how an improved understanding of the interaction between chronic and stochastic environmental factors is critical for predicting ongoing changes in ecosystem functioning and its responses to climatically driven changes.

Action Verbs and the Primary Motor Cortex: A Comparative TMS Study of Silent Reading, Frequency Judgments, and Motor Imagery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomasino, Barbara; Fink, Gereon R.; Sparing, Roland; Dafotakis, Manuel; Weiss, Peter H.

2008-01-01

Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied to the hand area of the left primary motor cortex or, as a control, to the vertex (STIMULATION: TMS[subscript M1] vs. TMS[subscript vertex]) while right-handed volunteers silently read verbs related to hand actions. We examined three different tasks and time points for stimulation…

Deep low-frequency earthquakes in tremor localize to the plate interface in multiple subduction zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Justin R.; Beroza, Gregory C.; Ide, Satoshi; Ohta, Kazuaki; Shelly, David R.; Schwartz, Susan Y.; Rabbel, Wolfgang; Thorwart, M.; Kao, Honn

2009-01-01

Deep tremor under Shikoku, Japan, consists primarily, and perhaps entirely, of swarms of low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) that occur as shear slip on the plate interface. Although tremor is observed at other plate boundaries, the lack of cataloged low-frequency earthquakes has precluded a similar conclusion about tremor in those locales. We use a network autocorrelation approach to detect and locate LFEs within tremor recorded at three subduction zones characterized by different thermal structures and levels of interplate seismicity: southwest Japan, northern Cascadia, and Costa Rica. In each case we find that LFEs are the primary constituent of tremor and that they locate on the deep continuation of the plate boundary. This suggests that tremor in these regions shares a common mechanism and that temperature is not the primary control on such activity.

Sporadic adult onset primary torsion dystonia is a genetic disorder by the temporal discrimination test.

PubMed

Kimmich, Okka; Bradley, David; Whelan, Robert; Mulrooney, Nicola; Reilly, Richard B; Hutchinson, Siobhan; O'Riordan, Sean; Hutchinson, Michael

2011-09-01

Adult-onset primary torsion dystonia is an autosomal dominant disorder with markedly reduced penetrance; patients with sporadic adult-onset primary torsion dystonia are much more prevalent than familial. The temporal discrimination threshold is the shortest time interval at which two stimuli are detected to be asynchronous and has been shown to be abnormal in adult-onset primary torsion dystonia. The aim was to determine the frequency of abnormal temporal discrimination thresholds in patients with sporadic adult-onset primary torsion dystonia and their first-degree relatives. We hypothesized that abnormal temporal discrimination thresholds in first relatives would be compatible with an autosomal dominant endophenotype. Temporal discrimination thresholds were examined in 61 control subjects (39 subjects <50 years of age; 22 subjects >50 years of age), 32 patients with sporadic adult-onset primary torsion dystonia (cervical dystonia n = 30, spasmodic dysphonia n = 1 and Meige's syndrome n = 1) and 73 unaffected first-degree relatives (36 siblings, 36 offspring and one parent) using visual and tactile stimuli. Z-scores were calculated for all subjects; a Z > 2.5 was considered abnormal. Abnormal temporal discrimination thresholds were found in 1/61 (2%) control subjects, 27/32 (84%) patients with adult-onset primary torsion dystonia and 32/73 (44%) unaffected relatives [siblings (20/36; 56%), offspring (11/36; 31%) and one parent]. When two or more relatives were tested in any one family, 22 of 24 families had at least one first-degree relative with an abnormal temporal discrimination threshold. The frequency of abnormal temporal discrimination thresholds in first-degree relatives of patients with sporadic adult-onset primary torsion dystonia is compatible with an autosomal dominant disorder and supports the hypothesis that apparently sporadic adult-onset primary torsion dystonia is genetic in origin.

Attention Drives Synchronization of Alpha and Beta Rhythms between Right Inferior Frontal and Primary Sensory Neocortex

PubMed Central

Sacchet, Matthew D.; LaPlante, Roan A.; Wan, Qian; Pritchett, Dominique L.; Lee, Adrian K.C.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Moore, Christopher I.; Kerr, Catherine E.

2015-01-01

The right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) is specifically associated with attentional control via the inhibition of behaviorally irrelevant stimuli and motor responses. Similarly, recent evidence has shown that alpha (7–14 Hz) and beta (15–29 Hz) oscillations in primary sensory neocortical areas are enhanced in the representation of non-attended stimuli, leading to the hypothesis that allocation of these rhythms plays an active role in optimal inattention. Here, we tested the hypothesis that selective synchronization between rIFC and primary sensory neocortex occurs in these frequency bands during inattention. We used magnetoencephalography to investigate phase synchrony between primary somatosensory (SI) and rIFC regions during a cued-attention tactile detection task that required suppression of response to uncertain distractor stimuli. Attentional modulation of synchrony between SI and rIFC was found in both the alpha and beta frequency bands. This synchrony manifested as an increase in the alpha-band early after cue between non-attended SI representations and rIFC, and as a subsequent increase in beta-band synchrony closer to stimulus processing. Differences in phase synchrony were not found in several proximal control regions. These results are the first to reveal distinct interactions between primary sensory cortex and rIFC in humans and suggest that synchrony between rIFC and primary sensory representations plays a role in the inhibition of irrelevant sensory stimuli and motor responses. PMID:25653364

Tuning the resonance frequencies and mode shapes in a large range multi-degree of freedom micromirror.

PubMed

Morrison, Jessica; Imboden, Matthias; Bishop, David J

2017-04-03

The ability to actively shift the primary resonance of a 2D scanning micromirror allows the user to set the scanning direction, set the scanning frequency, and lift otherwise degenerate modes in a symmetrically designed system. In most cases, resonant scanning micromirrors require frequency stability in order to perform imaging and projection functions properly. This paper suggests a method to tune the tip and tilt resonant frequencies in real time while actively suppressing or allowing degeneracy of the two modes in a symmetric electrothermal micromirror. We show resonant frequency tuning with a range of degeneracy separation of 470 Hz or by approximately ±15% and controllable coupling.

SSF loads and controllability during assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Charles R.; Ghofranian, S.; Fujii, E.

1993-01-01

The Orbiter Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) pulse width and firing frequency is restricted to prevent excessive loads in the Space Station Freedom (SSF). The feasibility of using the SSF Control Moment Gyros (CMG) as a secondary controller for load relief is evaluated. The studies revealed the CMG not only reduced loads but were useful for other SSF functions: vibration suppression and modal excitation. Vibration suppression lowers the g level for the SSF micro-g experiments and damps the low frequency oscillations that cause crew sickness. Modal excitation could be used for the modal identification experiment and health monitoring. The CMG's reduced the peak loads and damped the vibrations. They were found to be an effective multi-purpose ancillary device for SSF operation.

Digital phase-locked loop speed control for a brushless dc motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wise, M. G.

1985-06-01

Speed control of d.c. motors by phase-locked loops (PLL) is becoming increasingly popular. Primary interest has been in employing PLL for constant speed control. This thesis investigates the theory and techniques of digital PLL to speed control of a brushless d.c. motor with a variable speed of operation. Addition of logic controlled count enable/disable to a synchronous up/down counter, used as a phase-frequency detector, is shown to improve the performance of previously proposed PLL control schemes.

A synthetic mammalian electro-genetic transcription circuit.

PubMed

Weber, Wilfried; Luzi, Stefan; Karlsson, Maria; Sanchez-Bustamante, Carlota Diaz; Frey, Urs; Hierlemann, Andreas; Fussenegger, Martin

2009-03-01

Electric signal processing has evolved to manage rapid information transfer in neuronal networks and muscular contraction in multicellular organisms and controls the most sophisticated man-built devices. Using a synthetic biology approach to assemble electronic parts with genetic control units engineered into mammalian cells, we designed an electric power-adjustable transcription control circuit able to integrate the intensity of a direct current over time, to translate the amplitude or frequency of an alternating current into an adjustable genetic readout or to modulate the beating frequency of primary heart cells. Successful miniaturization of the electro-genetic devices may pave the way for the design of novel hybrid electro-genetic implants assembled from electronic and genetic parts.

A synthetic mammalian electro-genetic transcription circuit

PubMed Central

Weber, Wilfried; Luzi, Stefan; Karlsson, Maria; Sanchez-Bustamante, Carlota Diaz; Frey, Urs; Hierlemann, Andreas; Fussenegger, Martin

2009-01-01

Electric signal processing has evolved to manage rapid information transfer in neuronal networks and muscular contraction in multicellular organisms and controls the most sophisticated man-built devices. Using a synthetic biology approach to assemble electronic parts with genetic control units engineered into mammalian cells, we designed an electric power-adjustable transcription control circuit able to integrate the intensity of a direct current over time, to translate the amplitude or frequency of an alternating current into an adjustable genetic readout or to modulate the beating frequency of primary heart cells. Successful miniaturization of the electro-genetic devices may pave the way for the design of novel hybrid electro-genetic implants assembled from electronic and genetic parts. PMID:19190091

Multiple Frequency Parametric Sonar

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-28

300003 1 MULTIPLE FREQUENCY PARAMETRIC SONAR STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST [0001] The invention described herein may be manufactured and...a method for increasing the bandwidth of a parametric sonar system by using multiple primary frequencies rather than only two primary frequencies...2) Description of Prior Art [0004] Parametric sonar generates narrow beams at low frequencies by projecting sound at two distinct primary

High-volume manufacturing device overlay process control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Honggoo; Han, Sangjun; Woo, Jaeson; Lee, DongYoung; Song, ChangRock; Heo, Hoyoung; Brinster, Irina; Choi, DongSub; Robinson, John C.

2017-03-01

Overlay control based on DI metrology of optical targets has been the primary basis for run-to-run process control for many years. In previous work we described a scenario where optical overlay metrology is performed on metrology targets on a high frequency basis including every lot (or most lots) at DI. SEM based FI metrology is performed ondevice in-die as-etched on an infrequent basis. Hybrid control schemes of this type have been in use for many process nodes. What is new is the relative size of the NZO as compared to the overlay spec, and the need to find more comprehensive solutions to characterize and control the size and variability of NZO at the 1x nm node: sampling, modeling, temporal frequency and control aspects, as well as trade-offs between SEM throughput and accuracy.

Counterfeit Electronic Parts Controls in the Department of Defense Supply Chain

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

Equipment Manufacturer RFID Radio Frequency Identification SASC Senate Armed Services Committee SECDEF Secretary of Defense SWPaC Space, Weight...radio frequency identification ( RFID ). Upon the use of that printer, the RFID is checked to ensure it is a valid platform, and will not work if the... RFID is not confirmed to be valid (Richetto, 2011). Greater collaboration with industry would also help with one of the primary drivers of

Towards a more efficient diabetes control in primary care: six-monthly monitoring compared with three-monthly monitoring in type 2 diabetes - The EFFIMODI trial. Design of a randomised controlled patient-preference equivalence trial in primary care.

PubMed

Wermeling, Paulien R; van den Donk, Maureen; Gorter, Kees J; Ardine de Wit, G; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Rutten, Guy Ehm

2010-05-11

Scientific evidence for the frequency of monitoring of type 2 diabetes patients is lacking. If three-monthly control in general practice could be reduced to six-monthly control in some patients, this would on the one hand reduce the use of medical services including involvement of practice nurses, and thus reduce costs, and on the other hand alleviate the burden of people with type 2 diabetes. The goal of this study is to make primary diabetes care as efficient as possible for patients and health care providers. Therefore, we want to determine whether six-monthly monitoring of well-controlled type 2 diabetes patients in primary care leads to equivalent cardiometabolic control compared to the generally recommended three-monthly monitoring. The study is a randomised controlled patient-preference equivalence trial. Participants are asked if they prefer three-monthly (usual care) or six-monthly diabetes monitoring. If they do not have a preference, they are randomised to a three-monthly or six-monthly monitoring group. Patients are eligible for the study if they are between 40 and 80 years old, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more than one year ago, treated by a general practitioner, not on insulin treatment, and with HbA1c < or = 7.5%, systolic blood pressure < or = 145 mmHg and total cholesterol < or = 5.2 mmol/l. The intervention group (six-monthly monitoring) will receive the same treatment with the same treatment targets as the control group (three-monthly monitoring). The intervention period will last one and a half year. After the intervention, the three-monthly and six-monthly monitoring groups are compared on equivalence of cardiometabolic control. Secondary outcome measures are HbA1c, blood pressure, cholesterol level, Body Mass Index, smoking behaviour, physical activity, loss of work due to illness, health status, diabetes-specific distress, satisfaction with treatment and adherence to medications. We will use intention-to-treat analysis with repeated measures. For outcomes that have only baseline and final measurements, we will use ANCOVA. Depending on the results, a cost-minimisation analysis or an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis will be done. This study will provide valuable information on the most efficient control frequency of well-controlled type 2 diabetes patients in primary care.

A theoretical study on directivity control of multiple-loudspeaker system with a quadrupole radiation pattern in low frequency range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwansyah, Kuse, Naoyuki; Usagawa, Tsuyoshi

2017-08-01

Directivity pattern of an ordinary loudspeaker becomes more directive at higher frequencies. However, because a single loudspeaker tends to radiate uniformly in all directions at low frequencies, reverberation from surrounding building walls may affect speech intelligibility when installing a multiple-loudspeaker system at crossroads. As an alternative, a sharply directive sound source is recommended to be used, but in many cases the directivity of an ordinary loudspeaker is less sharp at lower frequencies. Therefore, in order to overcome such a limitation, this paper discusses the possibility of using four loudspeakers under active control to realize a quadrupole radiation pattern in low frequency range. In this study, the radiation pattern of a primary loudspeaker and three secondary loudspeakers has been modelled. By placing the loudspeakers close together in the direction of 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°, it was theoretically demonstrated that a quadrupole radiation pattern can be shaped in the target frequency range up to 600 Hz by simply controlling the directivity in three of four directions which are 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315°. Although, the radiation pattern model is far from realistic configurations and conditions, it is possible to realize a quadrupole radiation pattern in the low frequency range.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a source of distributed frequency regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullen, Sara Kathryn

The movement to transform the North American power grid into a smart grid may be accomplished by expanding integrated sensing, communications, and control technologies to include every part of the grid to the point of end-use. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) provide an opportunity for small-scale distributed storage while they are plugged-in. With large numbers of PHEV and the communications and sensing associated with the smart grid, PHEV could provide ancillary services for the grid. Frequency regulation is an ideal service for PHEV because the duration of supply is short (order of minutes) and it is the highest priced ancillary service on the market offering greater financial returns for vehicle owners. Using Simulink a power system simulator modeling the IEEE 14 Bus System was combined with a model of PHEV charging and the controllers which facilitate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) regulation supply. The system includes a V2G controller for each vehicle which makes regulation supply decisions based on battery state, user preferences, and the recommended level of supply. A PHEV coordinator controller located higher in the system has access to reliable frequency measurements and can determine a suitable local automatic generation control (AGC) raise/lower signal for participating vehicles. A first step implementation of the V2G supply system where battery charging is modulated to provide regulation was developed. The system was simulated following a step change in loading using three scenarios: (1) Central generating units provide frequency regulation, (2) PHEV contribute to primary regulation analogous to generator speed governor control, and (3) PHEV contribute to primary and secondary regulation using an additional integral term in the PHEV control signal. In both cases the additional regulation provided by PHEV reduced the area control error (ACE) compared to the base case. Unique contributions resulting from this work include: (1) Studied PHEV energy systems and limitations on battery charging/discharging, (2) Reviewed standards for interconnection of distributed resources and electric vehicle charging [1], [2], (3) Explored strategies for distributed control of PHEV charging, (4) Developed controllers to accommodate PHEV regulation, and (5) Developed a simulator combining a power system model and PHEV/V2G components.

The effect of sex counselling in the sexual activity of acute myocardial infarction patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Xu, Feng; Ming, Qiang; Hou, Lei

2015-08-01

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention has improved the outcome of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Counsel-guided sex rehabilitation efficacy in acute myocardial infarction patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention remains unknown. The aim of the study was to study counsel-guided sex rehabilitation efficacy in AMI patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention. 240 AMI patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention were randomly divided into a control and a counselling group. Control group patients were given written sex rehabilitation instruction before discharge, while counselling group patients were given written instruction before discharge and monthly counselling with healthcare providers. Before discharge, the first evaluation was performed for frequency of and satisfaction with sexual activity before AMI. At one year of follow-up, the time of resuming, frequency of and satisfaction with sexual activity was evaluated. The main adverse event rates were also investigated. No significant differences in age, sex, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, PVD (peripheral vascular disease), EF (ejection fraction) or GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) score were found between the groups. Both groups suffered reduced frequency of and satisfaction with sexual activity after AMI as compared with prior to presentation with AMI. However, compared with controls, the counselling group had higher scores for frequency of and satisfaction with sexual activity after AMI. The time to resume sexual activity after AMI in the counselling group was significantly shorter than was found for the control group.There were no significant differences between the groups for recurrent AMI, non-fatal stroke, admitting the patient for angina, all-cause death or adverse events. Intermittent discussions between healthcare providers and AMI patients improved resumption of sexual activity. Encouraging patients who received complete coronary revascularization to resume sexual activity shortly after AMI was safe.

Duloxetine in the treatment of binge eating disorder with depressive disorders: a placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Guerdjikova, Anna I; McElroy, Susan L; Winstanley, Erin L; Nelson, Eric B; Mori, Nicole; McCoy, Jessica; Keck, Paul E; Hudson, James I

2012-03-01

This study evaluated duloxetine in the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED) with comorbid current depressive disorders. In this 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR BED and a comorbid current depressive disorder received duloxetine (N = 20) or placebo (N = 20). The primary outcome measure was weekly binge eating day frequency. In the primary analysis, duloxetine (mean 78.7 mg/day) was superior to placebo in reducing weekly frequency of binge eating days (p = .04), binge eating episodes (p = .02), weight (p = .04), and Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness ratings for binge eating (p = .02) and depressive disorders (p = .01). Changes in body mass index and measures of eating pathology, depression, and anxiety did not differ between the two groups. Duloxetine may be effective for reducing binge eating, weight, and global severity of illness in BED with a comorbid current depressive disorder, but this finding needs confirmation in larger, placebo-controlled trials. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advances in 133Cs Fountains: Control of the Cold Collision Shift and Observation of Feshbach Resonances

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

Bize, S.; Marion, H.; Cacciapuoti, L.

2005-05-05

This paper describes the work performed at BNM-SYRTE (Observatoire de Paris) over the past few years toward the improvement and the use of microwave frequency standards using laser-cooled atoms. First, recent improvements of the 133Cs and 87Rb atomic fountains are described. An important advance is the achievement of a fractional frequency instability of 1.6 x 10-14{tau}-1/2 where {tau} is the measurement time in seconds, thanks to the routine use of a cryogenic sapphire oscillator as an ultra-stable local frequency reference. The second advance is a powerful method to control the frequency shift due to cold collisions. These two advances leadmore » to a frequency stability of 2 x 10-16 at 50,000 s for the first time for primary standards. In addition, these clocks realize the SI second with an accuracy of 7 x 10-16, one order of magnitude below that of uncooled devices.« less

Analysis and compensation of reference frequency mismatch in multiple-frequency feedforward active noise and vibration control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinxin; Chen, Xuefeng; Yang, Liangdong; Gao, Jiawei; Zhang, Xingwu

2017-11-01

In the field of active noise and vibration control (ANVC), a considerable part of unwelcome noise and vibration is resulted from rotational machines, making the spectrum of response signal multiple-frequency. Narrowband filtered-x least mean square (NFXLMS) is a very popular algorithm to suppress such noise and vibration. It has good performance since a priori-knowledge of fundamental frequency of the noise source (called reference frequency) is adopted. However, if the priori-knowledge is inaccurate, the control performance will be dramatically degraded. This phenomenon is called reference frequency mismatch (RFM). In this paper, a novel narrowband ANVC algorithm with orthogonal pair-wise reference frequency regulator is proposed to compensate for the RFM problem. Firstly, the RFM phenomenon in traditional NFXLMS is closely investigated both analytically and numerically. The results show that RFM changes the parameter estimation problem of the adaptive controller into a parameter tracking problem. Then, adaptive sinusoidal oscillators with output rectification are introduced as the reference frequency regulator to compensate for the RFM problem. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can dramatically suppress the multiple-frequency noise and vibration with an improved convergence rate whether or not there is RFM. Finally, case studies using experimental data are conducted under the conditions of none, small and large RFM. The shaft radial run-out signal of a rotor test-platform is applied to simulate the primary noise, and an IIR model identified from a real steel structure is applied to simulate the secondary path. The results further verify the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Continuous monitoring reveals multiple controls on ecosystem metabolism in a suburban stream.

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem metabolism is an important mechanism for nutrient retention in streams, yet few high studies have investigated temporal patterns in gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) using high frequency measurements. This is a potentially important oversig...

76 FR 75518 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... occupational injury survey. Together the survey's are designed to: (1) Provide estimates of childhood nonfatal injury incidence rates, annual injury frequencies, and descriptive injury information for children under... Injury and Adult Occupational Survey. OMB Control Number: 0535-0235. Summary of Collection: Primary...

Germline PARP4 mutations in patients with primary thyroid and breast cancers.

PubMed

Ikeda, Yuji; Kiyotani, Kazuma; Yew, Poh Yin; Kato, Taigo; Tamura, Kenji; Yap, Kai Lee; Nielsen, Sarah M; Mester, Jessica L; Eng, Charis; Nakamura, Yusuke; Grogan, Raymon H

2016-03-01

Germline mutations in the PTEN gene, which cause Cowden syndrome, are known to be one of the genetic factors for primary thyroid and breast cancers; however, PTEN mutations are found in only a small subset of research participants with non-syndrome breast and thyroid cancers. In this study, we aimed to identify germline variants that may be related to genetic risk of primary thyroid and breast cancers. Genomic DNAs extracted from peripheral blood of 14 PTEN WT female research participants with primary thyroid and breast cancers were analyzed by whole-exome sequencing. Gene-based case-control association analysis using the information of 406 Europeans obtained from the 1000 Genomes Project database identified 34 genes possibly associated with the phenotype with P < 1.0 × 10(-3). Among them, rare variants in the PARP4 gene were detected at significant high frequency (odds ratio = 5.2; P = 1.0 × 10(-5)). The variants, G496V and T1170I, were found in six of the 14 study participants (43%) while their frequencies were only 0.5% in controls. Functional analysis using HCC1143 cell line showed that knockdown of PARP4 with siRNA significantly enhanced the cell proliferation, compared with the cells transfected with siControl (P = 0.02). Kaplan-Meier analysis using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets showed poor relapse-free survival (P < 0.001, Hazard ratio 1.27) and overall survival (P = 0.006, Hazard ratio 1.41) in a PARP4 low-expression group, suggesting that PARP4 may function as a tumor suppressor. In conclusion, we identified PARP4 as a possible susceptibility gene of primary thyroid and breast cancer. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

Germline PARP4 mutations in patients with primary thyroid and breast cancers

PubMed Central

Ikeda, Yuji; Kiyotani, Kazuma; Yew, Poh Yin; Kato, Taigo; Tamura, Kenji; Yap, Kai-Lee; Nielsen, Sarah M.; Mester, Jessica L; Eng, Charis; Nakamura, Yusuke; Grogan, Raymon H.

2016-01-01

Germline mutations in the PTEN gene, which cause Cowden syndrome (CS), are known to be one of the genetic factors for primary thyroid and breast cancers, however, PTEN mutations are found in only a small subset of research participants with non-syndrome breast and thyroid cancers. In this study, we aimed to identify germline variants that may be related to genetic risk of primary thyroid and breast cancers. Genomic DNAs extracted from peripheral blood of 14 PTEN-wild-type female research participants with primary thyroid and breast cancers were analyzed by whole-exome sequencing. Gene-based case control association analysis using the information of 406 Europeans obtained from the 1000 Genomes Project database identified 34 genes possibly associated with the phenotype with P<1.0×10−3. Among them, rare variants in the PARP4 gene were detected at significant high frequency (odds ratio = 5.2, P = 1.0×10−5). The variants, G496V and T1170I, were found in 6 of the 14 study participants (43%) while their frequencies were only 0.5% in controls. Functional analysis using HCC1143 cell line showed that knockdown of PARP4 with siRNA significantly enhanced the cell proliferation, compared with the cells transfected with siControl (P = 0.02). Kaplan-Meier analysis using GEO, EGA and TCGA datasets showed poor progression-free survival (P = 0.006, Hazard ratio 0.71) and overall survival (P < 0.0001, Hazard ratio 0.79) in a PARP4 low-expression group, suggesting that PARP4 may function as a tumor suppression. In conclusion, we identified PARP4 as a possible susceptibility gene of primary thyroid and breast cancer. PMID:26699384

Modeling and control of beam-like structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, A.; Skelton, R. E.; Yang, T. Y.

1987-01-01

The most popular finite element codes are based upon appealing theories of convergence of modal frequencies. For example, the popularity of cubic elements for beam-like structures is due to the rapid convergence of modal frequencies and stiffness properties. However, for those problems in which the primary consideration is the accuracy of response of the structure at specified locations it is more important to obtain accuracy in the modal costs than in the modal frequencies. The modal cost represents the contribution of a mode in the norm of the response vector. This paper provides a complete modal cost analysis for beam-like continua. Upper bounds are developed for mode truncation errors in the model reduction process and modal cost analysis dictates which modes to retain in order to reduce the model for control design purposes.

Analysis of TMT primary mirror control-structure interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMynowski, Douglas G.; Thompson, Peter M.; Sirota, Mark J.

2008-07-01

The primary mirror control system (M1CS) keeps the 492 segments of the Thirty Meter Telescope primary mirror aligned in the presence of disturbances. A global position control loop uses feedback from inter-segment edge sensors to three actuators behind each segment that control segment piston, tip and tilt. If soft force actuators are used (e.g. voice-coil), then in addition to the global position loop there will be a local servo loop to provide stiffness. While the M1 control system at Keck compensates only for slow disturbances such as gravity and thermal variations, the M1CS for TMT will need to provide some compensation for higher frequency wind disturbances in order to meet stringent error budget targets. An analysis of expected high-wavenumber wind forces on M1 suggests that a 1Hz control bandwidth is required for the global feedback of segment edge-sensorbased position information in order to minimize high spatial frequency segment response for both seeing-limited and adaptive optics performance. A much higher bandwidth is required from the local servo loop to provide adequate stiffness to wind or acoustic disturbances. A related paper presents the control designs for the local actuator servo loops. The disturbance rejection requirements would not be difficult to achieve for a single segment, but the structural coupling between segments mounted on a flexible mirror cell results in controlstructure interaction (CSI) that limits the achievable bandwidth. Using a combination of simplified modeling to build intuition and the full telescope finite element model for verification, we present designs and analysis for both the local servo loop and global loop demonstrating sufficient bandwidth and resulting wind-disturbance rejection despite the presence of CSI.

Intracranial EEG reveals a time- and frequency-specific role for the right inferior frontal gyrus and primary motor cortex in stopping initiated responses.

PubMed

Swann, Nicole; Tandon, Nitin; Canolty, Ryan; Ellmore, Timothy M; McEvoy, Linda K; Dreyer, Stephen; DiSano, Michael; Aron, Adam R

2009-10-07

Inappropriate response tendencies may be stopped via a specific fronto/basal ganglia/primary motor cortical network. We sought to characterize the functional role of two regions in this putative stopping network, the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the primary motor cortex (M1), using electocorticography from subdural electrodes in four patients while they performed a stop-signal task. On each trial, a motor response was initiated, and on a minority of trials a stop signal instructed the patient to try to stop the response. For each patient, there was a greater right IFG response in the beta frequency band ( approximately 16 Hz) for successful versus unsuccessful stop trials. This finding adds to evidence for a functional network for stopping because changes in beta frequency activity have also been observed in the basal ganglia in association with behavioral stopping. In addition, the right IFG response occurred 100-250 ms after the stop signal, a time range consistent with a putative inhibitory control process rather than with stop-signal processing or feedback regarding success. A downstream target of inhibitory control is M1. In each patient, there was alpha/beta band desynchronization in M1 for stop trials. However, the degree of desynchronization in M1 was less for successfully than unsuccessfully stopped trials. This reduced desynchronization on successful stop trials could relate to increased GABA inhibition in M1. Together with other findings, the results suggest that behavioral stopping is implemented via synchronized activity in the beta frequency band in a right IFG/basal ganglia network, with downstream effects on M1.

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 01-2-624 High Power Microwave (HPM) Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-06

Requests _____ The proposed frequency list for the HPM facility is listed below. Source Primary Frequencies (MHz) Alternate Frequencies (MHz) NBTS...during testing. The proposed frequency list for the HPM facility is listed below. Source Primary Frequencies (MHz) Alternate Frequencies (MHz

Tonal noise of a controlled-diffusion airfoil at low angle of attack and Reynolds number.

PubMed

Padois, Thomas; Laffay, Paul; Idier, Alexandre; Moreau, Stéphane

2016-07-01

The acoustic signature of a controlled-diffusion airfoil immersed in a flow is experimentally characterized. Acoustic measurements have been carried out in an anechoic open-jet-wind-tunnel for low Reynolds numbers (from 5 × 10(4) to 4.3 × 10(5)) and several angles of attack. As with the NACA0012, the acoustic spectrum is dominated by discrete tones. These tonal behaviors are divided into three different regimes. The first one is characterized by a dominant primary tone which is steady over time, surrounded by secondary peaks. The second consists of two unsteady primary tones associated with secondary peaks and the third consists of a hump dominated by several small peaks. A wavelet study allows one to identify an amplitude modulation of the acoustic signal mainly for the unsteady tonal regime. This amplitude modulation is equal to the frequency interval between two successive tones. Finally, a bispectral analysis explains the presence of tones at higher frequencies.

Primary prevention of childhood obesity through counselling sessions at Swedish child health centres: design, methods and baseline sample characteristics of the PRIMROSE cluster-randomised trial.

PubMed

Döring, Nora; Hansson, Lena M; Andersson, Elina Scheers; Bohman, Benjamin; Westin, Maria; Magnusson, Margaretha; Larsson, Christel; Sundblom, Elinor; Willmer, Mikaela; Blennow, Margareta; Heitmann, Berit L; Forsberg, Lars; Wallin, Sanna; Tynelius, Per; Ghaderi, Ata; Rasmussen, Finn

2014-04-09

Childhood obesity is a growing concern in Sweden. Children with overweight and obesity run a high risk of becoming obese as adults, and are likely to develop comorbidities. Despite the immense demand, there is still a lack of evidence-based comprehensive prevention programmes targeting pre-school children and their families in primary health care settings. The aims are to describe the design and methodology of the PRIMROSE cluster-randomised controlled trial, assess the relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire, and describe the baseline characteristics of the eligible young children and their mothers. The PRIMROSE trial targets first-time parents and their children at Swedish child health centres (CHC) in eight counties in Sweden. Randomisation is conducted at the CHC unit level. CHC nurses employed at the participating CHC received training in carrying out the intervention alongside their provision of regular services. The intervention programme, starting when the child is 8-9 months of age and ending at age 4, is based on social cognitive theory and employs motivational interviewing. Primary outcomes are children's body mass index and waist circumference at four years. Secondary outcomes are children's and mothers' eating habits (assessed by a food frequency questionnaire), and children's and mothers' physical activity (measured by accelerometer and a validated questionnaire), and mothers' body mass index and waist circumference. The on-going population-based PRIMROSE trial, which targets childhood obesity, is embedded in the regular national (routine) preventive child health services that are available free-of-charge to all young families in Sweden. Of the participants (n = 1369), 489 intervention and 550 control mothers (75.9%) responded to the validated physical activity and food frequency questionnaire at baseline (i.e., before the first intervention session, or, for children in the control group, before they reached 10 months of age). The food frequency questionnaire showed acceptable relative validity when compared with an 8-day food diary. We are not aware of any previous RCT, concerned with the primary prevention of childhood obesity through sessions at CHC that addresses healthy eating habits and physical activity in the context of a routine child health services programme. ISRCTN16991919.

Manipulation of BDNF signaling modifies the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in the primary auditory cortex.

PubMed

Anomal, Renata; de Villers-Sidani, Etienne; Merzenich, Michael M; Panizzutti, Rogerio

2013-01-01

Sensory experience powerfully shapes cortical sensory representations during an early developmental "critical period" of plasticity. In the rat primary auditory cortex (A1), the experience-dependent plasticity is exemplified by significant, long-lasting distortions in frequency representation after mere exposure to repetitive frequencies during the second week of life. In the visual system, the normal unfolding of critical period plasticity is strongly dependent on the elaboration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes the establishment of inhibition. Here, we tested the hypothesis that BDNF signaling plays a role in the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in the primary auditory cortex. Elvax resin implants filled with either a blocking antibody against BDNF or the BDNF protein were placed on the A1 of rat pups throughout the critical period window. These pups were then exposed to 7 kHz pure tone for 7 consecutive days and their frequency representations were mapped. BDNF blockade completely prevented the shaping of cortical tuning by experience and resulted in poor overall frequency tuning in A1. By contrast, BDNF infusion on the developing A1 amplified the effect of 7 kHz tone exposure compared to control. These results indicate that BDNF signaling participates in the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in A1.

The NIST Real-Time Control System (RCS): A Reference Model Architecture for Computational Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albus, James S.

1996-01-01

The Real-time Control System (RCS) developed at NIST and elsewhere over the past two decades defines a reference model architecture for design and analysis of complex intelligent control systems. The RCS architecture consists of a hierarchically layered set of functional processing modules connected by a network of communication pathways. The primary distinguishing feature of the layers is the bandwidth of the control loops. The characteristic bandwidth of each level is determined by the spatial and temporal integration window of filters, the temporal frequency of signals and events, the spatial frequency of patterns, and the planning horizon and granularity of the planners that operate at each level. At each level, tasks are decomposed into sequential subtasks, to be performed by cooperating sets of subordinate agents. At each level, signals from sensors are filtered and correlated with spatial and temporal features that are relevant to the control function being implemented at that level.

Effects of telephone-delivered lifestyle support on the development of diabetes in participants at high risk of type 2 diabetes: J-DOIT1, a pragmatic cluster randomised trial.

PubMed

Sakane, Naoki; Kotani, Kazuhiko; Takahashi, Kaoru; Sano, Yoshiko; Tsuzaki, Kokoro; Okazaki, Kentaro; Sato, Juichi; Suzuki, Sadao; Morita, Satoshi; Oshima, Yoshitake; Izumi, Kazuo; Kato, Masayuki; Ishizuka, Naoki; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Kuzuya, Hideshi

2015-08-19

To examine the effects of telephone-delivered lifestyle coaching on preventing the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in participants with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Cluster randomised trial. 40 groups from 17 healthcare divisions in Japan: companies (31), communities (6) and mixed settings (3). Participants aged 20-65 years with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 5.6-6.9 mmol/L were invited from the 17 healthcare divisions. The groups were then randomly assigned to an intervention or a control arm by independent statisticians according to a computer-generated list. The intervention arm received a 1-year telephone-delivered intervention provided by three private lifestyle support centres (at different frequencies: low-frequency (3 times), middle-frequency (6 times) and high-frequency (10 times) support calls). The intervention and control arms both received self-help devices such as a weight scale and pedometer. Participants were followed up using data from annual health check-ups and a questionnaire regarding lifestyle. The primary outcome was the development of T2DM defined as FPG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, the diagnosis of diabetes, or use of an antidiabetic drug, confirmed by referring to medical cards. Of 14,473 screened individuals, participants were enrolled in either the intervention (n = 1240) arm or control (n = 1367) arm. Overall, the HR for the development of T2DM in the intervention arm during 5.5 years was 1.00 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.34). In the subanalysis, the HR was 0.59 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.83) in the subgroup that received phone calls the most frequently, compared with the control arm. A limitation of the study includes a lack of blinding. High-frequency telephone-delivered lifestyle support could effectively prevent T2DM in participants with IFG in a primary healthcare setting, although low-frequency and middle-frequency phone calls did not. This trial has been registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000000662). 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.

Experimental study of a smart foam sound absorber.

PubMed

Leroy, Pierre; Berry, Alain; Herzog, Philippe; Atalla, Noureddine

2011-01-01

This article presents the experimental implementation and results of a hybrid passive/active absorber (smart foam) made up from the combination of a passive absorbent (foam) and a curved polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film actuator bonded to the rear surface of the foam. Various smart foam prototypes were built and tested in active absorption experiments conducted in an impedance tube under plane wave propagation condition at frequencies between 100 and 1500 Hz. Three control cases were tested. The first case used a fixed controller derived in the frequency domain from estimations of the primary disturbance at a directive microphone position in the tube and the transfer function between the control PVDF and the directive microphone. The two other cases used an adaptive time-domain feedforward controller to absorb either a single-frequency incident wave or a broadband incident wave. The non-linearity of the smart foams and the causality constraint were identified to be important factors influencing active control performance. The effectiveness of the various smart foam prototypes is discussed in terms of the active and passive absorption coefficients as well as the control voltage of the PVDF actuator normalized by the incident sound pressure.

Investigation of multidimensional control systems in the state space and wavelet medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedosenkov, D. B.; Simikova, A. A.; Fedosenkov, B. A.

2018-05-01

The notions are introduced of “one-dimensional-point” and “multidimensional-point” automatic control systems. To demonstrate the joint use of approaches based on the concepts of state space and wavelet transforms, a method for optimal control in a state space medium represented in the form of time-frequency representations (maps), is considered. The computer-aided control system is formed on the basis of the similarity transformation method, which makes it possible to exclude the use of reduced state variable observers. 1D-material flow signals formed by primary transducers are converted by means of wavelet transformations into multidimensional concentrated-at-a point variables in the form of time-frequency distributions of Cohen’s class. The algorithm for synthesizing a stationary controller for feeding processes is given here. The conclusion is made that the formation of an optimal control law with time-frequency distributions available contributes to the improvement of transient processes quality in feeding subsystems and the mixing unit. Confirming the efficiency of the method presented is illustrated by an example of the current registration of material flows in the multi-feeding unit. The first section in your paper.

Automated outreach to increase primary adherence to cholesterol-lowering medications.

PubMed

Derose, Stephen F; Green, Kelley; Marrett, Elizabeth; Tunceli, Kaan; Cheetham, T Craig; Chiu, Vicki Y; Harrison, Teresa N; Reynolds, Kristi; Vansomphone, Southida S; Scott, Ronald D

2013-01-14

Primary nonadherence occurs when new prescriptions are not dispensed. Little is known about how to reduce primary nonadherence. We performed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an automated system to decrease primary nonadherence to statins for lowering cholesterol. Adult members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California with no history of statin use within the past year who did not fill a statin prescription after 1 to 2 weeks were passively enrolled. The intervention group received automated telephone calls followed 1 week later by letters for continued nonadherence; the control group received no outreach. The primary outcome was a statin dispensed up to 2 weeks after delivery of the letter. Secondary outcomes included refills at intervals up to 1 year. Intervention effectiveness was determined by intent-to-treat analysis and Fisher exact test. Subgroups were examined using logistic regression. There were 2606 participants in the intervention group and 2610 in the control group. Statins were dispensed to 42.3% of intervention participants and 26.0% of control participants (absolute difference, 16.3%; P < .001). The relative risk for the intervention vs control group was 1.63 (95% CI, 1.50-1.76). Intervention effectiveness varied slightly by age (P = .045) but was effective across all age strata. Differences in the frequency of statin dispensations persisted up to 1 year (P < .001). The intervention was effective in reducing primary nonadherence to statin medications. Because of low marginal costs for outreach, this strategy appears feasible for reducing primary nonadherence. This approach may generalize well to other medications and chronic conditions.

A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Adolescent Cannabis Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, Kimberly; Tripodi, Stephen J.; Sarteschi, Christy; Vaughn, Michael G.

2011-01-01

Objective: This meta-analytic review assesses the effectiveness of substance abuse interventions to reduce adolescent cannabis use. Method: A systematic search identified 15 randomized controlled evaluations of interventions to reduce adolescent cannabis use published between 1960 and 2008. The primary outcome variables, frequency of cannabis use,…

THE VERTICAL PLANAR MOTION MECHANISM; A DYNAMIC TEST APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING CURRENT METERS AND OTHER MARINE INSTRUMENTATION

EPA Science Inventory

The overall objective was to provide a dynamic test apparatus that can produce known, controlled high frequency dynamics for the evaluation of current meters and other marine instrumentation. Of primary interest is the establishment of flow sensor measurement capabilities, and he...

Influence of handrim wheelchair propulsion training in adolescent wheelchair users, a pilot study.

PubMed

Dysterheft, Jennifer L; Rice, Ian M; Rice, Laura A

2015-01-01

Ten full-time adolescent wheelchair users (ages 13-18) completed a total of three propulsion trials on carpet and tile surfaces, at a self-selected velocity, and on a concrete surface, at a controlled velocity. All trials were performed in their personal wheelchair with force and moment sensing wheels attached bilaterally. The first two trials on each surface were used as pre-intervention control trials. The third trial was performed after receiving training on proper propulsion technique. Peak resultant force, contact angle, stroke frequency, and velocity were recorded during all trials for primary analysis. Carpet and tile trials resulted in significant increases in contact angle and peak total force with decreased stroke frequency after training. During the velocity controlled trials on concrete, significant increases in contact angle occurred, as well as decreases in stroke frequency after training. Overall, the use of a training video and verbal feedback may help to improve short-term propulsion technique in adolescent wheelchair users and decrease the risk of developing upper limb pain and injury.

Randomized controlled trial of foot reflexology for patients with symptomatic idiopathic detrusor overactivity.

PubMed

Mak, Ho-Leung Jimmy; Cheon, Willy Cecilia; Wong, To; Liu, Yu Sun John; Tong, Wai Mei Anny

2007-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether foot reflexology has beneficial effects on patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity. One hundred and nine women with symptomatic idiopathic detrusor overactivity were randomized into either foot reflexology treatment group or nonspecific foot massage control group. The primary outcome measure was the change in the diurnal micturition frequency. There was significant change in the number of daytime frequency in the reflexology group when compared with the massage group (-1.90 vs -0.55, p = 0.029). There was also a decrease in the 24-h micturition frequency in both groups, but the change was not statistically significant (-2.80 vs -1.04 p = 0.055). In the reflexology group, more patients believed to have received "true" reflexology (88.9 vs 67.4%, p = 0.012). This reflects the difficulty of blinding in trials of reflexology. Larger scale studies with a better-designed control group and an improved blinding are required to examine if reflexology is effective in improving patients' overall outcome.

Phrenic motoneuron discharge patterns following chronic cervical spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Lee, Kun-Ze; Dougherty, Brendan J.; Sandhu, Milapjit S.; Lane, Michael A.; Reier, Paul J.; Fuller, David D.

2013-01-01

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) dramatically disrupts synaptic inputs and triggers biochemical, as well as morphological, plasticity in relation to the phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) pool. Accordingly, our primary purpose was to determine if chronic SCI induces fundamental changes in the recruitment profile and discharge patterns of PhMNs. Individual PhMN action potentials were recorded from the phrenic nerve ipsilateral to lateral cervical (C2) hemisection injury (C2Hx) in anesthetized adult male rats at 2, 4 or 8 wks post-injury and in uninjured controls. PhMNs were phenotypically classified as early (Early-I) or late inspiratory (Late-I), or silent according to discharge patterns. Following C2Hx, the distribution of PhMNs was dominated by Late-I and silent cells. Late-I burst parameters (e.g., spikes per breath, burst frequency and duration) were initially reduced but returned towards control values by 8 wks post-injury. In addition, a unique PhMN burst pattern emerged after C2Hx in which Early-I cells burst tonically during hypocapnic inspiratory apnea. We also quantified the impact of gradual reductions in end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PETCO2) on bilateral phrenic nerve activity. Compared to control rats, as PETCO2 declined, the C2Hx animals had greater inspiratory frequencies (breaths*min−1) and more substantial decreases in ipsilateral phrenic burst amplitude. We conclude that the primary physiological impact of C2Hx on ipsilateral PhMN burst patterns is a persistent delay in burst onset, transient reductions in burst frequency, and the emergence of tonic burst patterns. The inspiratory frequency data suggest that plasticity in brainstem networks is likely to play an important role in phrenic motor output after cervical SCI. PMID:23954215

Emergent HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations Were Not Present at Low-Frequency at Baseline in Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Treated Subjects in the STaR Study

PubMed Central

Porter, Danielle P.; Daeumer, Martin; Thielen, Alexander; Chang, Silvia; Martin, Ross; Cohen, Cal; Miller, Michael D.; White, Kirsten L.

2015-01-01

At Week 96 of the Single-Tablet Regimen (STaR) study, more treatment-naïve subjects that received rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (RPV/FTC/TDF) developed resistance mutations compared to those treated with efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF by population sequencing. Furthermore, more RPV/FTC/TDF-treated subjects with baseline HIV-1 RNA >100,000 copies/mL developed resistance compared to subjects with baseline HIV-1 RNA ≤100,000 copies/mL. Here, deep sequencing was utilized to assess the presence of pre-existing low-frequency variants in subjects with and without resistance development in the STaR study. Deep sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) was performed on baseline and virologic failure samples for all subjects analyzed for resistance by population sequencing during the clinical study (n = 33), as well as baseline samples from control subjects with virologic response (n = 118). Primary NRTI or NNRTI drug resistance mutations present at low frequency (≥2% to 20%) were detected in 6.6% of baseline samples by deep sequencing, all of which occurred in control subjects. Deep sequencing results were generally consistent with population sequencing but detected additional primary NNRTI and NRTI resistance mutations at virologic failure in seven samples. HIV-1 drug resistance mutations emerging while on RPV/FTC/TDF or EFV/FTC/TDF treatment were not present at low frequency at baseline in the STaR study. PMID:26690199

Emergent HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations Were Not Present at Low-Frequency at Baseline in Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Treated Subjects in the STaR Study.

PubMed

Porter, Danielle P; Daeumer, Martin; Thielen, Alexander; Chang, Silvia; Martin, Ross; Cohen, Cal; Miller, Michael D; White, Kirsten L

2015-12-07

At Week 96 of the Single-Tablet Regimen (STaR) study, more treatment-naïve subjects that received rilpivirine/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (RPV/FTC/TDF) developed resistance mutations compared to those treated with efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF by population sequencing. Furthermore, more RPV/FTC/TDF-treated subjects with baseline HIV-1 RNA >100,000 copies/mL developed resistance compared to subjects with baseline HIV-1 RNA ≤100,000 copies/mL. Here, deep sequencing was utilized to assess the presence of pre-existing low-frequency variants in subjects with and without resistance development in the STaR study. Deep sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) was performed on baseline and virologic failure samples for all subjects analyzed for resistance by population sequencing during the clinical study (n = 33), as well as baseline samples from control subjects with virologic response (n = 118). Primary NRTI or NNRTI drug resistance mutations present at low frequency (≥2% to 20%) were detected in 6.6% of baseline samples by deep sequencing, all of which occurred in control subjects. Deep sequencing results were generally consistent with population sequencing but detected additional primary NNRTI and NRTI resistance mutations at virologic failure in seven samples. HIV-1 drug resistance mutations emerging while on RPV/FTC/TDF or EFV/FTC/TDF treatment were not present at low frequency at baseline in the STaR study.

Analysis, design, and control of a transcutaneous power regulator for artificial hearts.

PubMed

Qianhong Chen; Siu Chung Wong; Tse, C K; Xinbo Ruan

2009-02-01

Based on a generic transcutaneous transformer model, a remote power supply using a resonant topology for use in artificial hearts is analyzed and designed for easy controllability and high efficiency. The primary and secondary windings of the transcutaneous transformer are positioned outside and inside the human body, respectively. In such a transformer, the alignment and gap may change with external positioning. As a result, the coupling coefficient of the transcutaneous transformer is also varying, and so are the two large leakage inductances and the mutual inductance. Resonant-tank circuits with varying resonant-frequency are formed from the transformer inductors and external capacitors. For a given range of coupling coefficients, an operating frequency corresponding to a particular coupling coefficient can be found, for which the voltage transfer function is insensitive to load. Prior works have used frequency modulation to regulate the output voltage under varying load and transformer coupling. The use of frequency modulation may require a wide control frequency range which may extend well above the load insensitive frequency. In this paper, study of the input-to-output voltage transfer function is carried out, and a control method is proposed to lock the switching frequency at just above the load insensitive frequency for optimized efficiency at heavy loads. Specifically, operation at above resonant of the resonant circuits is maintained under varying coupling-coefficient. Using a digital-phase-lock-loop (PLL), zero-voltage switching is achieved in a full-bridge converter which is also programmed to provide output voltage regulation via pulsewidth modulation (PWM). A prototype transcutaneous power regulator is built and found to to perform excellently with high efficiency and tight regulation under variations of the alignment or gap of the transcutaneous transformer, load and input voltage.

Compact atmospheric pressure plasma self-resonant drive circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, V. J.; Anghel, S. D.

2012-02-01

This paper reports on compact solid-state self-resonant drive circuits that are specifically designed to drive an atmospheric pressure plasma jet and a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge of small volume (0.5 cm3). The atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) device can be operated with helium, argon or a mixture of both. Equivalent electrical models of the self-resonant drive circuits and discharge are developed and used to estimate the plasma impedance, plasma power density, current density or electron number density of three APP devices. These parameters and the kinetic gas temperature are dependent on the self-resonant frequency of the APP device. For a fixed switching frequency and APP device geometry, the plasma parameters are controlled by adjusting the dc voltage at the primary coil and the gas flow rate. The resonant frequency is controlled by the selection of the switching power transistor and means of step-up voltage transformation (ferrite core, flyback transformer, or Tesla coil). The flyback transformer operates in the tens of kHz, the ferrite core in the hundreds of kHz and Tesla coil in the MHz range. Embedded within this work is the principle of frequency pulling which is exemplified in the flyback transformer circuit that utilizes a pickup coil for feedback control of the switching frequency.

Primary cilia are increased in number and demonstrate structural abnormalities in human cancer.

PubMed

Yasar, Binnaz; Linton, Kim; Slater, Christian; Byers, Richard

2017-07-01

Primary cilia play an important role in the regulation of cell signalling pathways and are thought to have a role in cancer but have seldom been studied in human cancer samples. Primary cilia were visualised by dual immunofluorescence for anti-CROCC (ciliary rootlet coiled-coil) and anti-tubulin in a range of human cancers (including carcinomas of stomach, pancreas, prostate, lung and colon, lobular and ductal breast cancers and follicular lymphoma) and in matched normal tissue (stomach, pancreas, lung, large and small intestines, breast and reactive lymph nodes) samples using a tissue microarray; their frequency, association with proliferation, was measured by Ki-67 staining and their structure was analysed. Compared with normal tissues, primary cilia frequency was significantly elevated in adenocarcinoma of the lung (2.75% vs 1.85%, p=0.016), adenocarcinoma of the colon (3.80% vs 2.43%, respectively, p=0.017), follicular lymphoma (1.18% vs 0.83%, p=0.003) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (7.00% vs 5.26%, p=0.002); there was no statistically significant difference compared with normal control tissue for gastric and prostatic adenocarcinomas or for lobular and ductal breast cancers. Additionally, structural abnormalities of primary cilia were identified in cancer tissues, including elongation of the axoneme, multiple basal bodies and branching of the axoneme. Ki-67 scores ranged from 0.7% to 78.4% and showed no statistically significant correlation with primary cilia frequency across all tissues (p=0.1501). The results show upregulation of primary cilia and the presence of structural defects in a wide range of human cancer tissue samples demonstrating association of dysregulation of primary cilia with human cancer. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Outpatient clinic visits during heat waves: findings from a large family medicine clinical database.

PubMed

Vashishtha, Devesh; Sieber, William; Hailey, Brittany; Guirguis, Kristen; Gershunov, Alexander; Al-Delaimy, Wael K

2018-03-10

The purpose of this study was to determine whether heat waves are associated with increased frequency of clinic visits for ICD-9 codes of illnesses traditionally associated with heat waves. During 4 years of family medicine clinic data between 2012 and 2016, we identified six heat wave events in San Diego County. For each heat wave event, we selected a control period in the same season that was twice as long. Scheduling a visit on a heat wave day (versus a non-heat wave day) was the primary predictor, and receiving a primary ICD-9 disease code related to heat waves was the outcome. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity and marital status. Of the 5448 visits across the heat wave and control periods, 6.4% of visits (n = 346) were for heat wave-related diagnoses. Scheduling a visit on heat wave day was not associated with receiving a heat wave-related ICD code as compared with the control period (adjusted odds ratio: 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.36; P = 0.51). We show that in a relatively large and demographically diverse population, patients who schedule appointments during heat waves are not being more frequently seen for diagnoses typically associated with heat waves in the acute setting. Given that heat waves are increasing in frequency due to climate change, there is an opportunity to increase utilization of primary care clinics during heat waves.

Study on rejection characteristic of current loop to the base disturbance of optical communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yao; Deng, Chao; Liu, Qiong; Cao, Zheng

2016-10-01

As laser has narrow transmitting beam and small divergence angle, the LOS (Line of Sight) stabilization of optical communication system is a primary precondition of laser communication links. Compound axis control is usually adopted in LOS stabilization of optical communication system, in which coarse tracking and fine tracking are included. Rejection against high frequency disturbance mainly depends on fine tracking LOS stabilization platform. Limited by different factors such as mechanical characteristic of the stabilization platform and bandwidth/noise of the sensor, the control bandwidth of LOS stabilization platform is restricted so that effective rejection of high frequency disturbance cannot be achieved as it mainly depends on the isolation characteristic of the platform itself. It is proposed by this paper that current loop may reject the effect of back-EMF. By adopting the method of electric control, high frequency isolation characteristic of the platform can be improved. The improvement effect is similar to increasing passive vibration reduction devices. Adopting the double closed loop control structure of velocity and current with the combining of the rejection effect of back-EMF caused by current loop is equivalent to reducing back-EMF coefficient, which can enhance the isolation ability of the LOS stabilization platform to high frequency disturbance.

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

Zhang, Yingchen; Tan, Jin; Krad, Ibrahim

Power system frequency needs to be maintained close to its nominal value at all times to successfully balance load and generation and maintain system reliability. Adequate primary frequency response and secondary frequency response are the primary forces to correct an energy imbalance at the second-to-minute level. As wind energy becomes a larger portion of the world's energy portfolio, there is an increased need for wind to provide frequency response. This paper addresses one of the major concerns about using wind for frequency regulation: the unknown factor of the interaction between primary and secondary reserves. The lack of a commercially availablemore » tool to model this has limited the energy industry's understanding of when the depletion of primary reserves will impact the performance of secondary response or vice versa. This paper investigates the issue by developing a multi-area frequency response integration tool with combined primary and secondary capabilities. The simulation is conducted in close coordination with economical energy scheduling scenarios to ensure credible simulation results.« less

A Survey of Distributed Optimization and Control Algorithms for Electric Power Systems

DOE PAGES

Molzahn, Daniel K.; Dorfler, Florian K.; Sandberg, Henrik; ...

2017-07-25

Historically, centrally computed algorithms have been the primary means of power system optimization and control. With increasing penetrations of distributed energy resources requiring optimization and control of power systems with many controllable devices, distributed algorithms have been the subject of significant research interest. Here, this paper surveys the literature of distributed algorithms with applications to optimization and control of power systems. In particular, this paper reviews distributed algorithms for offline solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems as well as online algorithms for real-time solution of OPF, optimal frequency control, optimal voltage control, and optimal wide-area control problems.

A Survey of Distributed Optimization and Control Algorithms for Electric Power Systems

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

Molzahn, Daniel K.; Dorfler, Florian K.; Sandberg, Henrik

Historically, centrally computed algorithms have been the primary means of power system optimization and control. With increasing penetrations of distributed energy resources requiring optimization and control of power systems with many controllable devices, distributed algorithms have been the subject of significant research interest. Here, this paper surveys the literature of distributed algorithms with applications to optimization and control of power systems. In particular, this paper reviews distributed algorithms for offline solution of optimal power flow (OPF) problems as well as online algorithms for real-time solution of OPF, optimal frequency control, optimal voltage control, and optimal wide-area control problems.

A boundary element approach to optimization of active noise control sources on three-dimensional structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunefare, K. A.; Koopmann, G. H.

1991-01-01

This paper presents the theoretical development of an approach to active noise control (ANC) applicable to three-dimensional radiators. The active noise control technique, termed ANC Optimization Analysis, is based on minimizing the total radiated power by adding secondary acoustic sources on the primary noise source. ANC Optimization Analysis determines the optimum magnitude and phase at which to drive the secondary control sources in order to achieve the best possible reduction in the total radiated power from the noise source/control source combination. For example, ANC Optimization Analysis predicts a 20 dB reduction in the total power radiated from a sphere of radius at a dimensionless wavenumber ka of 0.125, for a single control source representing 2.5 percent of the total area of the sphere. ANC Optimization Analysis is based on a boundary element formulation of the Helmholtz Integral Equation, and thus, the optimization analysis applies to a single frequency, while multiple frequencies can be treated through repeated analyses.

The long-term outcome of atomic bomb survivors with gastric carcinoma.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Manabu; Matsuyama, Ayumi; Kameyama, Toshifumi; Okamoto, Masahiro; Okazaki, Jin; Utsunomiya, Tohru; Tsutsui, Shinichi; Ishida, Teruyoshi

2009-12-01

During the decade following the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a high incidence of leukemia was observed among atomic bomb survivors. Subsequently, the incidence of other cancers gradually increased while that of leukemia decreased. We examined the long-term clinical outcome of gastric cancer and second primary cancer in atomic bomb survivors. Results of surgical treatment of gastric cancer were reviewed in 231 atomic bomb survivors and 759 control patients between 1995 and 2006. Long-term prognosis of gastric cancer in atomic bomb survivors was significantly poorer than that in control patients (P < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, age, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastases, and curability were found to be significant and independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer. The incidence of second primary cancer after gastric cancer was significantly higher in survivors than in control patients (P < 0.01), because the number of elderly patients in the survivors was higher. Gastric cancer in survivors had a significantly poorer prognosis. Although the frequency of second primary cancer after gastric cancer in survivors was higher than that in control patients, it did not influence the prognosis.

Common genetic variants in the CLDN2 and PRSS1-PRSS2 loci alter risk for alcohol-related and sporadic pancreatitis

PubMed Central

Whitcomb, David C.; LaRusch, Jessica; Krasinskas, Alyssa M.; Klei, Lambertus; Smith, Jill P.; Brand, Randall E.; Neoptolemos, John P.; Lerch, Markus M.; Tector, Matt; Sandhu, Bimaljit S.; Guda, Nalini M.; Orlichenko, Lidiya; Alkaade, Samer; Amann, Stephen T.; Anderson, Michelle A.; Baillie, John; Banks, Peter A.; Conwell, Darwin; Coté, Gregory A.; Cotton, Peter B.; DiSario, James; Farrer, Lindsay A.; Forsmark, Chris E.; Johnstone, Marianne; Gardner, Timothy B.; Gelrud, Andres; Greenhalf, William; Haines, Jonathan L.; Hartman, Douglas J.; Hawes, Robert A.; Lawrence, Christopher; Lewis, Michele; Mayerle, Julia; Mayeux, Richard; Melhem, Nadine M.; Money, Mary E.; Muniraj, Thiruvengadam; Papachristou, Georgios I.; Pericak-Vance, Margaret A.; Romagnuolo, Joseph; Schellenberg, Gerard D.; Sherman, Stuart; Simon, Peter; Singh, Vijay K.; Slivka, Adam; Stolz, Donna; Sutton, Robert; Weiss, Frank Ulrich; Wilcox, C. Mel; Zarnescu, Narcis Octavian; Wisniewski, Stephen R.; O'Connell, Michael R.; Kienholz, Michelle L.; Roeder, Kathryn; Barmada, M. Michael; Yadav, Dhiraj; Devlin, Bernie; Albert, Marilyn S.; Albin, Roger L.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Arnold, Steven E.; Baldwin, Clinton T.; Barber, Robert; Barnes, Lisa L.; Beach, Thomas G.; Beecham, Gary W.; Beekly, Duane; Bennett, David A.; Bigio, Eileen H.; Bird, Thomas D.; Blacker, Deborah; Boxer, Adam; Burke, James R.; Buxbaum, Joseph D.; Cairns, Nigel J.; Cantwell, Laura B.; Cao, Chuanhai; Carney, Regina M.; Carroll, Steven L.; Chui, Helena C.; Clark, David G.; Cribbs, David H.; Crocco, Elizabeth A.; Cruchaga, Carlos; DeCarli, Charles; Demirci, F. Yesim; Dick, Malcolm; Dickson, Dennis W.; Duara, Ranjan; Ertekin-Taner, Nilufer; Faber, Kelley M.; Fallon, Kenneth B.; Farlow, Martin R.; Ferris, Steven; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Frosch, Matthew P.; Galasko, Douglas R.; Ganguli, Mary; Gearing, Marla; Geschwind, Daniel H.; Ghetti, Bernardino; Gilbert, John R.; Gilman, Sid; Glass, Jonathan D.; Goate, Alison M.; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Green, Robert C.; Growdon, John H.; Hakonarson, Hakon; Hamilton-Nelson, Kara L.; Hamilton, Ronald L.; Harrell, Lindy E.; Head, Elizabeth; Honig, Lawrence S.; Hulette, Christine M.; Hyman, Bradley T.; Jicha, Gregory A.; Jin, Lee-Way; Jun, Gyungah; Kamboh, M. Ilyas; Karydas, Anna; Kaye, Jeffrey A.; Kim, Ronald; Koo, Edward H.; Kowall, Neil W.; Kramer, Joel H.; Kramer, Patricia; Kukull, Walter A.; LaFerla, Frank M.; Lah, James J.; Leverenz, James B.; Levey, Allan I.; Li, Ge; Lin, Chiao-Feng; Lieberman, Andrew P.; Lopez, Oscar L.; Lunetta, Kathryn L.; Lyketsos, Constantine G.; Mack, Wendy J.; Marson, Daniel C.; Martin, Eden R.; Martiniuk, Frank; Mash, Deborah C.; Masliah, Eliezer; McKee, Ann C.; Mesulam, Marsel; Miller, Bruce L.; Miller, Carol A.; Miller, Joshua W.; Montine, Thomas J.; Morris, John C.; Murrell, Jill R.; Naj, Adam C.; Olichney, John M.; Parisi, Joseph E.; Peskind, Elaine; Petersen, Ronald C.; Pierce, Aimee; Poon, Wayne W.; Potter, Huntington; Quinn, Joseph F.; Raj, Ashok; Raskind, Murray; Reiman, Eric M.; Reisberg, Barry; Reitz, Christiane; Ringman, John M.; Roberson, Erik D.; Rosen, Howard J.; Rosenberg, Roger N.; Sano, Mary; Saykin, Andrew J.; Schneider, Julie A.; Schneider, Lon S.; Seeley, William W.; Smith, Amanda G.; Sonnen, Joshua A.; Spina, Salvatore; Stern, Robert A.; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Trojanowski, John Q.; Troncoso, Juan C.; Tsuang, Debby W.; Valladares, Otto; Van Deerlin, Vivianna M.; Van Eldik, Linda J.; Vardarajan, Badri N.; Vinters, Harry V.; Vonsattel, Jean Paul; Wang, Li-San; Weintraub, Sandra; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A.; Williamson, Jennifer; Woltjer, Randall L.; Wright, Clinton B.; Younkin, Steven G.; Yu, Chang-En; Yu, Lei

2012-01-01

Pancreatitis is a complex, progressively destructive inflammatory disorder. Alcohol was long thought to be the primary causative agent, but genetic contributions have been of interest since the discovery that rare PRSS1, CFTR, and SPINK1 variants were associated with pancreatitis risk. We now report two significant genome-wide associations identified and replicated at PRSS1-PRSS2 (1×10-12) and x-linked CLDN2 (p < 1×10-21) through a two-stage genome-wide study (Stage 1, 676 cases and 4507 controls; Stage 2, 910 cases and 4170 controls). The PRSS1 variant affects susceptibility by altering expression of the primary trypsinogen gene. The CLDN2 risk allele is associated with atypical localization of claudin-2 in pancreatic acinar cells. The homozygous (or hemizygous male) CLDN2 genotype confers the greatest risk, and its alleles interact with alcohol consumption to amplify risk. These results could partially explain the high frequency of alcohol-related pancreatitis in men – male hemizygous frequency is 0.26, female homozygote is 0.07. PMID:23143602

Facies-related fracturing in turbidites: insights from the Marnoso-Arenacea Fm. (Northern Apennines, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogata, Kei; Storti, Fabrizio; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Bedogni, Enrico; Tinterri, Roberto; Fetter, Marcos; Gomes, Leonardo; Hatushika, Raphael

2016-04-01

Natural fractures deeply influence subsurface fluid flow, exerting a primary control on resources like aquifers, hydrocarbons and geothermal reservoirs, and on environmental issues like CO2 storage and nuclear waste disposal. In layered sedimentary rocks, depositional processes-imprinted rock rheology favours the development of both mechanical anisotropy and heterogeneity on a wide range of scales, and are thus expected to strongly influence location and frequency of fractures. To better constrain the contribution of stratigraphic, sedimentological and petrophysical attributes, we performed a high-resolution, multidisciplinary study on a selected stratigraphic interval of jointed foredeep turbidites in the Miocene Marnoso-arenacea Formation (Northern Apennines, Italy), which are characterised by a great lateral and vertical variability of grain-size and depositional structures. Statistical relationships among field and laboratory data significantly improve when the single facies scale is considered, and, for similar facies recording different evolutionary stages of the parent turbidity currents, we observed a direct correlation between the three-dimensional anisotropies of rock hardness tensors and the normalized fracture frequencies, testifying for the primary sedimentary flow-related control on fracture distributions.

Impact of a Pay-for-Performance Program on Care for Black Patients with Hypertension: Important Answers in the Era of the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Petersen, Laura A; Ramos, Kate Simpson; Pietz, Kenneth; Woodard, LeChauncy D

2017-06-01

Evaluate the effect of a pay-for-performance intervention on the quality of hypertension care provided to black patients and determine whether it produced risk selection. Primary data collected between 2007 and 2009 from Veterans Affairs physicians and their primary care panels. Nested study within a cluster randomized controlled trial of three types of financial incentives and no incentives (control). We compared the proportion of physicians' black patients meeting hypertension performance measures for baseline and final performance periods. We measured risk selection by comparing the proportion of patients who switched providers, patient visit frequency, and panel turnover. Due to limited power, we prespecified in the analysis plan combining the three incentive groups and oversampling black patients. Data collected electronically and by chart review. The proportion of black patients who achieved blood pressure control or received an appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure in the final period was 6.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0.8-11.7 percent) greater for physicians who received an incentive than for controls. There was no difference between intervention and controls in the proportion of patients who switched providers, visit frequency, or panel turnover. A pay-for-performance intervention improved blood pressure control or appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure in black patients and did not produce risk selection. © Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Effect of autogenic training on drug consumption in patients with primary headache: an 8-month follow-up study.

PubMed

Zsombok, Terezia; Juhasz, Gabriella; Budavari, Agota; Vitrai, Jozsef; Bagdy, Gyorgy

2003-03-01

To examine the effects of Schultz-type autogenic training on headache-related drug consumption and headache frequency in patients with migraine, tension-type, or mixed (migraine plus tension-type) headache over an 8-month period. Behavioral treatments often are used alone or adjunctively for different types of headache. There are, however, only a few studies that have compared the efficacy and durability of the same treatment in different types of primary headache, and the effects of treatment on headache-related drug consumption rarely have been assessed even in these studies. Twenty-five women with primary headache (11 with mixed headache, 8 with migraine, and 6 with tension-type headache) were evaluated via an open-label, self-controlled, 8-month, follow-up study design. After an initial 4 months of observation, patients began learning Schultz-type autogenic training as modified for patients with headache. They practiced autogenic training on a regular basis for 4 months. Based on data from headache diaries and daily medication records, headache frequencies and the amounts of analgesics, "migraine-specific" drugs (ergots and triptans), and anxiolytics taken by the patients were compared in the three subgroups over the 8-month period. Results.-From the first month of implementation of autogenic training, headache frequencies were significantly reduced in patients with tension-type and mixed headache. Significant reduction in frequency was achieved in patients with migraine only from the third month of autogenic training. Decreases in headache frequencies were accompanied by decreases in consumption of migraine drugs and analgesics resulting in significant correlations among these parameters. Reduction in consumption of anxiolytic drugs was more rapid and robust in patients with tension-type headache compared to patients with migraine, and this outcome failed to show any correlation with change in headache frequency. Schultz-type autogenic training is an effective therapeutic approach that may lead to a reduction in both headache frequency and the use of headache medication.

Frequency of rare mutations and common genetic variations in severe hypertriglyceridemia in the general population of Spain.

PubMed

Lamiquiz-Moneo, Itziar; Blanco-Torrecilla, Cristian; Bea, Ana M; Mateo-Gallego, Rocío; Pérez-Calahorra, Sofía; Baila-Rueda, Lucía; Cenarro, Ana; Civeira, Fernando; de Castro-Orós, Isabel

2016-04-23

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a common complex metabolic trait that results of the accumulation of relatively common genetic variants in combination with other modifier genes and environmental factors resulting in increased plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. The majority of severe primary hypertriglyceridemias is diagnosed in adulthood and their molecular bases have not been fully defined yet. The prevalence of HTG is highly variable among populations, possibly caused by differences in environmental factors and genetic background. However, the prevalence of very high TG and the frequency of rare mutations causing HTG in a whole non-selected population have not been previously studied. The total of 23,310 subjects over 18 years from a primary care-district in a middle-class area of Zaragoza (Spain) with TG >500 mg/dL were selected to establish HTG prevalence. Those affected of primary HTG were considered for further genetic analysis. The promoters, coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of LPL, LMF1, APOC2, APOA5, APOE and GPIHBP1 genes were sequenced. The frequency of rare variants identified was studied in 90 controls. One hundred ninety-four subjects (1.04%) had HTG and 90 subjects (46.4%) met the inclusion criteria for primary HTG. In this subgroup, nine patients (12.3%) were carriers of 7 rare variants in LPL, LMF1, APOA5, GPIHBP1 or APOE genes. Three of these mutations are described for the first time in this work. The presence of a rare pathogenic mutation did not confer a differential phenotype or a higher family history of HTG. The prevalence of rare mutations in candidate genes in subjects with primary HTG is low. The low frequency of rare mutations, the absence of a more severe phenotype or the dominant transmission of the HTG would not suggest the use of genetic analysis in the clinical practice in this population.

Mining volume measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heyman, Joseph Saul (Inventor)

1988-01-01

In a shaft with a curved or straight primary segment and smaller off-shooting segments, at least one standing wave is generated in the primary segment. The shaft has either an open end or a closed end and approximates a cylindrical waveguide. A frequency of a standing wave that represents the fundamental mode characteristic of the primary segment can be measured. Alternatively, a frequency differential between two successive harmonic modes that are characteristic of the primary segment can be measured. In either event, the measured frequency or frequency differential is characteristic of the length and thus the volume of the shaft based on length times the bore area.

Dermatoglyphics and Karyotype Analysis in Primary Amenorrhoea

PubMed Central

Sontakke, Bharat R; Waghmare, Jwalant E; Tarnekar, Aditya M; Shende, Moreshwar R; Pal, Asoke K

2014-01-01

Background: Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of the skin ridge patterns on the fingers, toes, palms of the hands and soles of feet. Dermatoglyphics is in use as a supportive diagnostic tool in genetic or chromosomal disorders as well as in clinical conditions with genetic etiologies. Primary amenorrhoea and Dermatoglyphics, both have the suspected multifactorial (genetic and environmental) aetiologies. Objective: In the present study the finger dermatoglyphic patterns were studied in primary amenorrhoea cases and age matched fertile control females and also attention was given to find out whether a specific dermatoglyphic trait exists in primary amenorrhoea cases and whether it was statistically significant. Materials and Methods: To study the role of dermatoglyphics in primary amenorrhoea, a study was conducted on 30 subjects with primary amenorrhoea (as cases) and compared it with equal number of age matched fertile females (as controls). We studied fingertip patterns in all the subjects enrolled. Simultaneously we have assessed the Karyotype of primary amenorrhoea cases. Result and Conclusion: Two subjects in experimental group have shown abnormal Karyotypes. The most significant finding in present study was increased total finger ridge count (TFRC) in primary amenorrhoea cases which was statistically significant. We also found higher frequency of loops and arches in primary amenorrhoea with abnormal karyotypes. This type of study may be quite useful as a supportive investigation, in stating the predisposition of an individual to primary amenorrhoea and referral of an individual for karyotyping. PMID:25653930

Cytogenetic Abnormality in Exfoliated Cells of Buccal Mucosa in Head and Neck Cancer Patients in the Tunisian Population: Impact of Different Exposure Sources

PubMed Central

Khlifi, Rim; Trabelsi-Ksibi, Fatma; Chakroun, Amine; Rebai, Ahmed; Hamza-Chaffai, Amel

2013-01-01

Chromosome/DNA instability could be one of the primary causes of malignant cell transformation. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the spontaneous genetic damages in exfoliated cells of buccal mucosa of head and neck cancer (HNC) by counting micronucleus (MN) and binucleated (BN) cells frequencies. MN and BN frequencies were significantly increased in HNC patients compared with controls (5.53 ± 3.09/1000 cells, 5.63 ± 2.99/1000 cells versus 2.36 ± 2.11/1000 cells, 3.09 ± 1.82/1000 cells, P < 0.001). Regarding the gender and the age, the frequencies of the MN and BN were significantly higher than those of controls (P < 0.01). The evaluation of the MN and BN frequencies revealed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in the cases in relation to the control group after controlling the risk factors (tobacco smoking and chewing and occupational exposure) of HNC. Moreover, MN and BN frequencies were significantly increased in smokers and chewers compared with nonsmokers and nonchewers among patients (P < 0.05). MN frequency was significantly (P = 0.014) different between patients occupationally exposed (6.99 ± 3.40/1000 cells) and nonexposed (4.70 ± 2.48/1000 cells) among HNC group. The logistic regression model illustrated that HNC was significantly associated with frequencies of MN (OR = 8.63, P < 0.0001) and BN (OR = 5.62, P = 0.001). Our results suggest that increased chromosome/DNA instabilities may be associated with HNC. PMID:23957010

First uncertainty evaluation of the FoCS-2 primary frequency standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jallageas, A.; Devenoges, L.; Petersen, M.; Morel, J.; Bernier, L. G.; Schenker, D.; Thomann, P.; Südmeyer, T.

2018-06-01

We report the uncertainty evaluation of the Swiss continuous primary frequency standard FoCS-2 (Fontaine Continue Suisse). Unlike other primary frequency standards which are working with clouds of cold atoms, this fountain uses a continuous beam of cold caesium atoms bringing a series of metrological advantages and specific techniques for the evaluation of the uncertainty budget. Recent improvements of FoCS-2 have made possible the evaluation of the frequency shifts and of their uncertainties in the order of . When operating in an optimal regime a relative frequency instability of is obtained. The relative standard uncertainty reported in this article, , is strongly dominated by the statistics of the frequency measurements.

Interaction of feel system and flight control system dynamics on lateral flying qualities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, R. E.; Knotts, L. H.

1990-01-01

An experimental investigation of the influence of lateral feel system characteristics on fighter aircraft roll flying qualities was conducted using the variable stability USAF NT-33. Forty-two evaluation flights were flown by three engineering test pilots. The investigation utilized the power approach, visual landing task and up-and-away tasks including formation, gun tracking, and computer-generated compensatory attitude tracking tasks displayed on the Head-Up Display. Experimental variations included the feel system frequency, force-deflection gradient, control system command type (force or position input command), aircraft roll mode time constant, control system prefilter frequency, and control system time delay. The primary data were task performance records and evaluation pilot comments and ratings using the Cooper-Harper scale. The data highlight the unique and powerful effect of the feel system of flying qualities. The data show that the feel system is not 'equivalent' in flying qualities influence to analogous control system elements. A lower limit of allowable feel system frequency appears warranted to ensure good lateral flying qualities. Flying qualities criteria should most properly treat the feel system dynamic influence separately from the control system, since the input and output of this dynamic element is apparent to the pilot and thus, does not produce a 'hidden' effect.

Pilot trial of osteopathic manipulative therapy for patients with frequent episodic tension-type headache.

PubMed

Rolle, Guido; Tremolizzo, Lucio; Somalvico, Francesco; Ferrarese, Carlo; Bressan, Livio C

2014-09-01

Osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMTh; manipulative care provided by foreign-trained osteopaths) may be used for managing headache pain and related disability, but there is a need for high-quality randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of this intervention. To explore the efficacy of OMTh for pain management in frequent episodic tension-type headache (TTH). Single-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. Patients were recruited from 5 primary care settings. Forty-four patients who were affected by frequent episodic TTH and not taking any drugs for prophylactic management of episodic TTH were recruited. Patients were randomly allocated to an experimental or control group. The experimental group received corrective OMTh techniques, tailored for each patient; the control group received assessment of the cranial rhythmic impulse (sham therapy). The study included a 1-month baseline period, a 1-month treatment period, and a 3-month follow-up period. The primary outcome was the change in patient-reported headache frequency, and secondary outcomes included changes in headache pain intensity (discrete score, 1 [lowest perceived pain] to 5 [worst perceived pain]), over-the-counter medication use, and Headache Disability Inventory score. Forty patients completed the study (OMTh, n=21; control, n=19). The OMTh group had a significant reduction in headache frequency over time that persisted 1 month (approximate reduction, 40%; P<.001) and 3 months (approximate reduction, 50%; P<.001) after the end of treatment. Moreover, there was an absolute difference between the 2 treatment groups at the end of the study, with a 33% lower frequency of headache in the OMTh group (P<.001). This feasibility study demonstrated the efficacy of OMTh in the management of frequent episodic TTH, compared with sham therapy in a control group. Osteopathic manipulative therapy may be preferred over other treatment modalities and may benefit patients who have adverse effects to medications or who have difficulty complying with pharmacologic regimens. This protocol may serve as a model for future studies. © 2014 The American Osteopathic Association.

Tuning In to Sound: Frequency-Selective Attentional Filter in Human Primary Auditory Cortex

PubMed Central

Da Costa, Sandra; van der Zwaag, Wietske; Miller, Lee M.; Clarke, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Cocktail parties, busy streets, and other noisy environments pose a difficult challenge to the auditory system: how to focus attention on selected sounds while ignoring others? Neurons of primary auditory cortex, many of which are sharply tuned to sound frequency, could help solve this problem by filtering selected sound information based on frequency-content. To investigate whether this occurs, we used high-resolution fMRI at 7 tesla to map the fine-scale frequency-tuning (1.5 mm isotropic resolution) of primary auditory areas A1 and R in six human participants. Then, in a selective attention experiment, participants heard low (250 Hz)- and high (4000 Hz)-frequency streams of tones presented at the same time (dual-stream) and were instructed to focus attention onto one stream versus the other, switching back and forth every 30 s. Attention to low-frequency tones enhanced neural responses within low-frequency-tuned voxels relative to high, and when attention switched the pattern quickly reversed. Thus, like a radio, human primary auditory cortex is able to tune into attended frequency channels and can switch channels on demand. PMID:23365225

Intracranial EEG reveals a time– and frequency–specific role for the right inferior frontal gyrus and primary motor cortex in stopping initiated responses

PubMed Central

Swann, Nicole; Tandon, Nitin; Canolty, Ryan; Ellmore, Timothy M; McEvoy, Linda K; Dreyer, Stephen; DiSano, Michael; Aron, Adam R

2009-01-01

Inappropriate response tendencies may be stopped via a specific fronto/basal-ganglia/primary-motor-cortical network. We sought to characterize the functional role of two regions in this putative stopping network, the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the primary motor cortex (M1), using electocorticography from sub-dural electrodes in four patients while they performed a stop signal task. On each trial, a motor response was initiated, and on a minority of trials a stop signal instructed the patient to try to stop the response. For each patient, there was a greater right IFG response in the beta frequency band (∼16 Hz) for successful vs. unsuccessful stop trials. This finding adds to evidence for a functional network for stopping because changes in beta frequency activity have also been observed in the basal ganglia in association with behavioral stopping. In addition, the right IFG response occurred 100 - 250 ms after the stop signal – a time range consistent with a putative inhibitory control process, rather than stop signal processing or feedback regarding success. A downstream target of inhibitory control is M1. In each patient, there was alpha/beta-band desynchronization in M1 for stop trials. However, the degree of desynchronization in M1 was less for successfully than unsuccessfully stopped trials. This reduced desynchronization on successful stop trials could relate to increased gamma-aminobutyric acid inhibition in M1. Taken together with other findings, the results suggest that behavioral stopping is implemented via synchronized activity in the beta-frequency band in a right IFG/basal-ganglia network, with downstream effects on M1. PMID:19812342

Investigation into the association between P2RX7 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to primary gout and hyperuricemia in a Chinese Han male population.

PubMed

Ying, Ying; Chen, Yong; Li, Zhen; Huang, Haiyan; Gong, Qiongyao

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between P2RX7 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and primary gout and hyperuricemia in a Chinese Han male population. The genetic distributions of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2230911, rs208294, rs435309, rs28360447, rs1718119, rs28360457, and rs3751143 in P2RX7 were detected in 293 primary gout patients, 187 hyperuricemia patients and 269 controls using SNaPshot technology. Statistical analyses were implemented using SPSS version 20.0. The genetic distributions of each group were tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). T test, analysis of variance, rank sum test and Chi-square test were measured to assess differences in clinical data and polymorphisms among groups. Logistic regression was used to assess susceptibility to disease with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). SHEsis software was used to calculate linkage disequilibrium blocks and haplotype association risk. P < .05 was regarded as statistically significant. Three SNPs (rs2230911, rs208294 and rs435309) did not deviate significantly from HWE (P > .05). In the comparison between primary gout and control, the frequencies of rs2230911 genotypes were significantly different (P = .002), and allele G was associated with a higher risk of primary gout than allele C [OR (95% CI) = 1.755 (1.278, 2.410), P < .001]. There was also a higher risk of primary gout in genotype (CG + GG) compared with genotype CC [OR (95% CI) = 1.876 (1.303, 2.701), P = .001]. However, no significant difference in allelic or genotypic frequency was observed between primary gout patients and hyperuricemia patients (P > .0167). Similarly, there were no obvious differences in the other two polymorphisms among the three groups (P > .05). Our results reveal that P2RX7 rs2230911 may be associated with primary gout risk in a Chinese Han male population and allele G may be a susceptibility factor for primary gout.

Combined Diosmectite and Mesalazine Treatment for Mild-to-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xue-Liang; Wang, Hua-Hong; Cui, Hui-Fei

2015-01-01

Background The relapse rate of ulcerative colitis (UC) is high. The efficacy of combined diosmectite and mesalazine treatment for active mild-to-moderate UC was investigated. Material/Methods A total of 120 patients with UC were enrolled in this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study. Sixty patients were assigned to the Diosmectite group (diosmectite and mesalazine) and 60 were assigned to Placebo group (placebo and mesalazine). In the induction phase, the primary end point was the clinical remission rate at 8 weeks; secondary end points were clinical response, endothelial mucosal healing, Mayo score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein levels, and defecation frequency. In the maintenance phase, the primary end point was clinical remission at 52 weeks; secondary end points were clinical response, endothelial mucosal healing, Mayo score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and defecation frequency. Results At 8 weeks, the Diosmectite group had a significantly higher clinical remission rate (68.3% vs. 50%) and mucosal healing rate (66.7% vs. 48.3%) compared with the Placebo group. There were no significant differences in clinical response rates, Mayo score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, or defecation frequency. At 52 weeks, the Diosmectite group had a significantly higher clinical remission rate (61.7% vs. 40%) and mucosal healing rate (60% vs. 38.3%) compared with the Placebo group. Defecation frequency was lower, but this was not significant. Conclusions Combined diosmectite and mesalazine treatment successfully induced and maintained the treatment of active mild-to-moderate UC as indicated by higher rates of clinical remission and mucosal healing. PMID:25582578

Triply redundant integrated navigation and asset visibility system

DOEpatents

Smith, Stephen F [Loudon, TN; Moore, James A [Powell, TN

2011-11-29

Methods and apparatus are described for a navigation system. A method includes providing a global positioning system fix having a plurality of tracking parameters; providing a theater positioning system fix; monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for predetermined conditions; and, when the predetermined conditions are met, sending a notifying signal and switching to the theater positioning system fix as a primary fix. An apparatus includes a system controller; a global positioning system receiver coupled to the system controller; a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller; and an operator interface coupled to the system controller.

Triply redundant integrated navigation and asset visibility system

DOEpatents

Smith, Stephen F.; Moore, James A.

2013-01-22

Methods and apparatus are described for a navigation system. A method includes providing a global positioning system fix having a plurality of tracking parameters; providing a theater positioning system fix; monitoring the plurality of tracking parameters for predetermined conditions; and, when the predetermined conditions are met, sending a notifying signal and switching to the theater positioning system fix as a primary fix. An apparatus includes a system controller; a global positioning system receiver coupled to the system controller; a radio frequency locating receiver coupled to the system controller; and an operator interface coupled to the system controller.

Evaluation of genotoxic effects of lead in pottery-glaze workers using micronucleus assay, alkaline comet assay and DNA diffusion assay.

PubMed

Kašuba, V; Rozgaj, R; Milić, M; Zelježić, D; Kopjar, N; Pizent, A; Kljaković-Gašpić, Z; Jazbec, A

2012-10-01

We investigated genotoxic effects of occupational exposure to lead acetate in pottery-glaze ceramic workers. The study was carried out in 30 exposed workers and 30 matched controls, to whom several biochemical parameters-the blood lead (B-Pb; range: exposed, 41.68-404.77; controls, 12-52) and cadmium (B-Cd) level, the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), the level of vitamin B(12) and folate in serum-were measured. The genotoxic effects were evaluated by the alkaline comet assay, the DNA diffusion assay and micronucleus test in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Subjects exposed to lead had significantly higher B-Pb level and, consequently, increased values of tail intensity (TI), frequency of apoptotic and necrotic cells, and frequency of micronuclei (MN). In contrast, their activity of ALAD, the level of vitamin B(12) and folate in serum were significantly lower compared to controls. Poisson regression analysis showed a significant correlation of profession, duration of exposure, smoking, level of cadmium in blood, ALAD and EP with primary DNA damage. A majority of primary damage repairs in a short period after exposure to a genotoxic agent. In addition, the influence of gender and level of vitamin B(12) and folate in serum MN frequency in exposed group was observed. In this study, DNA diffusion and micronucleus test showed higher influence of tested parameters to DNA damage. The results indicate a need for concomitant use of at least two different biomarkers of exposure when estimating a genetic risk of lead exposure.

Influence of Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion Training in Adolescent Wheelchair Users, A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Dysterheft, Jennifer L.; Rice, Ian M.; Rice, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Ten full-time adolescent wheelchair users (ages 13–18) completed a total of three propulsion trials on carpet and tile surfaces, at a self-selected velocity, and on a concrete surface, at a controlled velocity. All trials were performed in their personal wheelchair with force and moment sensing wheels attached bilaterally. The first two trials on each surface were used as pre-intervention control trials. The third trial was performed after receiving training on proper propulsion technique. Peak resultant force, contact angle, stroke frequency, and velocity were recorded during all trials for primary analysis. Carpet and tile trials resulted in significant increases in contact angle and peak total force with decreased stroke frequency after training. During the velocity controlled trials on concrete, significant increases in contact angle occurred, as well as decreases in stroke frequency after training. Overall, the use of a training video and verbal feedback may help to improve short-term propulsion technique in adolescent wheelchair users and decrease the risk of developing upper limb pain and injury. PMID:26042217

Transcervical embryoscopic and cytogenetic findings reveal distinctive differences in primary and secondary recurrent pregnancy loss.

PubMed

Feichtinger, Michael; Wallner, Elisabeth; Hartmann, Beda; Reiner, Angelika; Philipp, Thomas

2017-01-01

To assess the cytogenetic and embryoscopic characteristics of primary and secondary recurrent pregnancy loss. Clinical prospective descriptive study. Tertiary care center. Nine hundred and eighty-four women affected by first-trimester pregnancy loss; 145 patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and 839 patients with nonrecurrent pregnancy loss as controls. Transcervical embryoscopic examination of the embryo before uterine evacuation, and cytogenetic analysis of the chorionic villi by standard G-banding cytogenetic techniques. Aneuploidy frequency in the primary and secondary RPL group and the nonrecurrent pregnancy loss (non-RPL) control group. Patients with RPL showed statistically significantly fewer aneuploid pregnancy losses (odds ratio [OR] 0.596; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.88). Primary RPL was associated with lower aneuploidy rates compared with the non-RPL group (OR 0.423; 95% CI, 0.27-0.66) while secondary RPL was not (OR 1.414; 95% CI, 0.67-2.99). Patients with primary RPL had statistically significantly more morphologically normal embryos compared with non-RPL and secondary RPL. Patients' embryos after primary and secondary RPL show distinctive differences in aneuploidy and morphologic defect rates. These findings suggest different treatment approaches for the patients with primary and secondary RPL. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Implant Stability Using Resonance Frequency Analysis: Osteotome Versus Conventional Drilling

PubMed Central

Sadeghi, Rokhsareh; Miremadi, Asghar

2015-01-01

Objectives: Implant primary stability is one of the important factors in achieving implant success. The osteotome technique may improve primary stability in patients with poor bone quality. The aim of this study was to compare implant stability using two different techniques namely osteotome versus conventional drilling in the posterior maxilla. Materials and Methods: In this controlled randomized clinical trial, 54 dental implants were placed in 32 patients; 29 implants were placed in the osteotome group and 25 in the conventional drilling group. Implant stability was assessed at four time intervals namely at baseline, one, two and three months after implant placement using resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Results: Primary stability based on implant stability quotient (ISQ) units was 71.4±7 for the osteotome group and 67.4±10 for the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in implant stability at any of the measurement times. In each group, changes in implant stability from baseline to one month and also from two months to three months post-operatively were not significant but from one month to two months after implant placement, implant stability showed a significant increase in both groups. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that in both techniques, good implant stability was achieved and osteotome technique did not have any advantage compared to conventional drilling in this regard. PMID:27148375

Dual Gamma Rhythm Generators Control Interlaminar Synchrony in Auditory Cortex

PubMed Central

Ainsworth, Matthew; Lee, Shane; Cunningham, Mark O.; Roopun, Anita K.; Traub, Roger D.; Kopell, Nancy J.; Whittington, Miles A.

2013-01-01

Rhythmic activity in populations of cortical neurons accompanies, and may underlie, many aspects of primary sensory processing and short-term memory. Activity in the gamma band (30 Hz up to > 100 Hz) is associated with such cognitive tasks and is thought to provide a substrate for temporal coupling of spatially separate regions of the brain. However, such coupling requires close matching of frequencies in co-active areas, and because the nominal gamma band is so spectrally broad, it may not constitute a single underlying process. Here we show that, for inhibition-based gamma rhythms in vitro in rat neocortical slices, mechanistically distinct local circuit generators exist in different laminae of rat primary auditory cortex. A persistent, 30 – 45 Hz, gap-junction-dependent gamma rhythm dominates rhythmic activity in supragranular layers 2/3, whereas a tonic depolarization-dependent, 50 – 80 Hz, pyramidal/interneuron gamma rhythm is expressed in granular layer 4 with strong glutamatergic excitation. As a consequence, altering the degree of excitation of the auditory cortex causes bifurcation in the gamma frequency spectrum and can effectively switch temporal control of layer 5 from supragranular to granular layers. Computational modeling predicts the pattern of interlaminar connections may help to stabilize this bifurcation. The data suggest that different strategies are used by primary auditory cortex to represent weak and strong inputs, with principal cell firing rate becoming increasingly important as excitation strength increases. PMID:22114273

[Reparative Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis in Low Intensity Electromagnetic Radiation of Ultra-High Frequency].

PubMed

Iryanov, Y M; Kiryanov, N A

2015-01-01

Non-drug correction of reparative bone tissue regeneration in different pathological states - one of the most actual problems of modern medicine. Our aim was to conduct morphological analysis of the influence of electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency and low intensity on reparative osteogenesis and angiogenesis in fracture treatment under transosseous osteosynthesis. A controlled nonrandomized study was carried out. In the experiment conducted on rats we modeled tibial fracture with reposition and fixation of the bone fragments both in control and experimental groups. In the animals of the experimental group the fracture zone was exposed to low intensity electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency. Exposure simulation was performed in the control group. The operated bones were examined using radiography, light and electronic microscopy, X-ray electronic probe microanalysis. It has been established that electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency sessions in fracture treatment stimulate secretory activity and degranulation of mast cells, produce microcirculatory bed vascular permeability increase, endotheliocyte migration phenotype expression, provide endovascular endothelial outgrowth formation, activate reparative osteogenesis and angiogenesis while fracture reparation becomes the one of the primary type. The full periosteal, intermediary and intraosteal bone union was defined in 28 days. Among the therapeutic benefits of electromagnetic radiation of ultra-high frequency in fracture treatment we can detect mast cell secretorv activity stimulation and endovascular anziozenesis activation.

Modulation of electrocortical brain activity by attention in individuals with and without tinnitus.

PubMed

Paul, Brandon T; Bruce, Ian C; Bosnyak, Daniel J; Thompson, David C; Roberts, Larry E

2014-01-01

Age and hearing-level matched tinnitus and control groups were presented with a 40 Hz AM sound using a carrier frequency of either 5 kHz (in the tinnitus frequency region of the tinnitus subjects) or 500 Hz (below this region). On attended blocks subjects pressed a button after each sound indicating whether a single 40 Hz AM pulse of variable increased amplitude (target, probability 0.67) had or had not occurred. On passive blocks subjects rested and ignored the sounds. The amplitude of the 40 Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) localizing to primary auditory cortex (A1) increased with attention in control groups probed at 500 Hz and 5 kHz and in the tinnitus group probed at 500 Hz, but not in the tinnitus group probed at 5 kHz (128 channel EEG). N1 amplitude (this response localizing to nonprimary cortex, A2) increased with attention at both sound frequencies in controls but at neither frequency in tinnitus. We suggest that tinnitus-related neural activity occurring in the 5 kHz but not the 500 Hz region of tonotopic A1 disrupted attentional modulation of the 5 kHz ASSR in tinnitus subjects, while tinnitus-related activity in A1 distributing nontonotopically in A2 impaired modulation of N1 at both sound frequencies.

Modulation of Electrocortical Brain Activity by Attention in Individuals with and without Tinnitus

PubMed Central

Paul, Brandon T.; Bruce, Ian C.; Bosnyak, Daniel J.; Thompson, David C.; Roberts, Larry E.

2014-01-01

Age and hearing-level matched tinnitus and control groups were presented with a 40 Hz AM sound using a carrier frequency of either 5 kHz (in the tinnitus frequency region of the tinnitus subjects) or 500 Hz (below this region). On attended blocks subjects pressed a button after each sound indicating whether a single 40 Hz AM pulse of variable increased amplitude (target, probability 0.67) had or had not occurred. On passive blocks subjects rested and ignored the sounds. The amplitude of the 40 Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) localizing to primary auditory cortex (A1) increased with attention in control groups probed at 500 Hz and 5 kHz and in the tinnitus group probed at 500 Hz, but not in the tinnitus group probed at 5 kHz (128 channel EEG). N1 amplitude (this response localizing to nonprimary cortex, A2) increased with attention at both sound frequencies in controls but at neither frequency in tinnitus. We suggest that tinnitus-related neural activity occurring in the 5 kHz but not the 500 Hz region of tonotopic A1 disrupted attentional modulation of the 5 kHz ASSR in tinnitus subjects, while tinnitus-related activity in A1 distributing nontonotopically in A2 impaired modulation of N1 at both sound frequencies. PMID:25024849

Optimizing DER Participation in Inertial and Primary-Frequency Response

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

Dall-Anese, Emiliano; Zhao, Changhong; Guggilam, Swaroop

This paper develops an approach to enable the optimal participation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in inertial and primary-frequency response alongside conventional synchronous generators. Leveraging a reduced-order model description of frequency dynamics, DERs' synthetic inertias and droop coefficients are designed to meet time-domain performance objectives of frequency overshoot and steady-state regulation. Furthermore, an optimization-based method centered around classical economic dispatch is developed to ensure that DERs share the power injections for inertial- and primary-frequency response in proportion to their power ratings. Simulations for a modified New England test-case system composed of ten synchronous generators and six instances of the IEEEmore » 37-node test feeder with frequency-responsive DERs validate the design strategy.« less

Hydro turbine governor’s power control of hydroelectric unit with sloping ceiling tailrace tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Liang; Wu, Changli; Tang, Weiping

2018-02-01

The primary frequency regulation and load regulation transient process when the hydro turbine governor is under the power mode of hydropower unit with sloping ceiling tailrace are analysed by field test and numerical simulation in this paper. A simulation method based on “three-zone model” to simulate small fluctuation transient process of the sloping ceiling tailrace is proposed. The simulation model of hydraulic turbine governor power mode is established by governor’s PLC program identification and parameter measurement, and the simulation model is verified by the test. The slow-fast-slow “three-stage regulation” method which can improve the dynamic quality of hydro turbine governor power mode is proposed. The power regulation strategy and parameters are optimized by numerical simulation, the performance of primary frequency regulation and load regulation transient process when the hydro turbine governor is under power mode are improved significantly.

The Association between Gravidity and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

PubMed Central

PARIKH-PATEL, ARTI; GOLD, ELLEN; UTTS, JESSICA; GERSHWIN, M. ERIC

2011-01-01

PURPOSE Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease with female predominance that leads to liver failure. The goal of this study was to identify reproductive risk factors associated with this disease. METHODS We compared 182 cases of PBC with 225 age- and sex-matched friend controls to examine the role of reproductive factors. The survey instrument was developed using standardized questions obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III. RESULTS A total of 126/182 cases (69%) and 141/225 (62.6%) friend controls responded to the survey. More cases than controls reported ever having genitourinary infection [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 4.42] among those without a personal or family history of autoimmune disease. The most notable finding was that cases reported significantly more pregnancies than controls (p = 0.008). The adjusted OR for each additional pregnancy among those without a personal or family history of autoimmune disease was 1.40 (95% CI 1.14, 1.7). More controls (24.4%) than cases (16.0%) were nulliparous. Cases reported having five or more children (16.0%) with double the frequency of controls (8.2%). CONCLUSIONS The association reported herein, between primary biliary cirrhosis and gravidity, is particularly significant because of the overwhelming female predominance. PMID:11988415

Reduced Coffee Consumption Among Individuals with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis but Not Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

PubMed Central

Lammert, Craig; Juran, Brian D.; Schlicht, Erik; Xie, Xiao; Atkinson, Elizabeth J.; de Andrade, Mariza; Lazaridis, Konstantinos N.

2014-01-01

Background & Aims Coffee consumption has been associated with decreased risk of liver disease and related outcomes. However, coffee drinking has not been investigated among patients with cholestatic autoimmune liver diseases, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and risk of PBC and PSC in a large North American cohort. Methods Lifetime coffee drinking habits were determined from responses to questionnaires from 606 patients with PBC, 480 with PSC, and 564 healthy volunteers (controls). Patients (those with PBC or PSC) were compared to controls utilizing the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and c2 method for discrete variables. Logistic regression was used to analyze the estimate the effects of different coffee parameters (time, frequency, and type of coffee consumption) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and education level. Results Patients with PBC and controls did not differ in coffee parameters. However, 24% of patients with PSC had never drank coffee compared to 16% of controls (P<.05), and only 67% were current drinkers compared with 77% of controls (P<.05). Patients with PSC also consumed fewer lifetime cups per month (45 vs 47 for controls, P<.05) and spent a smaller percentage of their lifetime of coffee drinking coffee (46.6% vs 66.7% for controls, P<.05). These differences remained significant in a multivariate model. Among PSC patients with concurrent ulcerative colitis, coffee protected against proctocolectomy (hazard ratio=0.34, P<.001). Conclusions Coffee consumption is lower among patients with PSC, but not PBC, compared to controls. PMID:24440215

A Comparison of Multivariable Control Design Techniques for a Turbofan Engine Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garg, Sanjay; Watts, Stephen R.

1995-01-01

This paper compares two previously published design procedures for two different multivariable control design techniques for application to a linear engine model of a jet engine. The two multivariable control design techniques compared were the Linear Quadratic Gaussian with Loop Transfer Recovery (LQG/LTR) and the H-Infinity synthesis. The two control design techniques were used with specific previously published design procedures to synthesize controls which would provide equivalent closed loop frequency response for the primary control loops while assuring adequate loop decoupling. The resulting controllers were then reduced in order to minimize the programming and data storage requirements for a typical implementation. The reduced order linear controllers designed by each method were combined with the linear model of an advanced turbofan engine and the system performance was evaluated for the continuous linear system. Included in the performance analysis are the resulting frequency and transient responses as well as actuator usage and rate capability for each design method. The controls were also analyzed for robustness with respect to structured uncertainties in the unmodeled system dynamics. The two controls were then compared for performance capability and hardware implementation issues.

Coordinated Control Strategy of a Battery Energy Storage System to Support a Wind Power Plant Providing Multi-Timescale Frequency Ancillary Services

DOE PAGES

Tan, Jin; Zhang, Yingchen

2017-02-02

With increasing penetrations of wind generation on electric grids, wind power plants (WPPs) are encouraged to provide frequency ancillary services (FAS); however, it is a challenge to ensure that variable wind generation can reliably provide these ancillary services. This paper proposes using a battery energy storage system (BESS) to ensure the WPPs' commitment to FAS. This method also focuses on reducing the BESS's size and extending its lifetime. In this paper, a state-machine-based coordinated control strategy is developed to utilize a BESS to support the obliged FAS of a WPP (including both primary and secondary frequency control). This method takesmore » into account the operational constraints of the WPP (e.g., real-time reserve) and the BESS (e.g., state of charge [SOC], charge and discharge rate) to provide reliable FAS. Meanwhile, an adaptive SOC-feedback control is designed to maintain SOC at the optimal value as much as possible and thus reduce the size and extend the lifetime of the BESS. In conclusion, the effectiveness of the control strategy is validated with an innovative, multi-area, interconnected power system simulation platform that can mimic realistic power systems operation and control by simulating real-time economic dispatch, regulating reserve scheduling, multi-area automatic generation control, and generators' dynamic response.« less

Coordinated Control Strategy of a Battery Energy Storage System to Support a Wind Power Plant Providing Multi-Timescale Frequency Ancillary Services

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

Tan, Jin; Zhang, Yingchen

With increasing penetrations of wind generation on electric grids, wind power plants (WPPs) are encouraged to provide frequency ancillary services (FAS); however, it is a challenge to ensure that variable wind generation can reliably provide these ancillary services. This paper proposes using a battery energy storage system (BESS) to ensure the WPPs' commitment to FAS. This method also focuses on reducing the BESS's size and extending its lifetime. In this paper, a state-machine-based coordinated control strategy is developed to utilize a BESS to support the obliged FAS of a WPP (including both primary and secondary frequency control). This method takesmore » into account the operational constraints of the WPP (e.g., real-time reserve) and the BESS (e.g., state of charge [SOC], charge and discharge rate) to provide reliable FAS. Meanwhile, an adaptive SOC-feedback control is designed to maintain SOC at the optimal value as much as possible and thus reduce the size and extend the lifetime of the BESS. In conclusion, the effectiveness of the control strategy is validated with an innovative, multi-area, interconnected power system simulation platform that can mimic realistic power systems operation and control by simulating real-time economic dispatch, regulating reserve scheduling, multi-area automatic generation control, and generators' dynamic response.« less

Evaluation of different inertial control methods for variable-speed wind turbines simulated by fatigue, aerodynamic, structures and turbulence (FAST)

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

Wang, Xiao; Gao, Wenzhong; Scholbrock, Andrew

To mitigate the degraded power system inertia and undesirable primary frequency response caused by large-scale wind power integration, the frequency support capabilities of variable-speed wind turbines is studied in this work. This is made possible by controlled inertial response, which is demonstrated on a research turbine - controls advanced research turbine, 3-bladed (CART3). Two distinct inertial control (IC) methods are analysed in terms of their impacts on the grids and the response of the turbine itself. The released kinetic energy in the IC methods are determined by the frequency measurement or shaped active power reference in the turbine speed-power plane.more » The wind turbine model is based on the high-fidelity turbine simulator fatigue, aerodynamic, structures and turbulence, which constitutes the aggregated wind power plant model with the simplified power converter model. The IC methods are implemented over the baseline CART3 controller, evaluated in the modified 9-bus and 14-bus testing power grids considering different wind speeds and different wind power penetration levels. The simulation results provide various insights on designing such kinds of ICs. The authors calculate the short-term dynamic equivalent loads and give a discussion about the turbine structural loadings related to the inertial response.« less

A pilot study exploring the impact of cardiac medications on ciliary beat frequency: possible implications for clinical management.

PubMed

Loomba, Rohit S; Bhushan, Abhinav; Afolayan, Adeleye J

2018-05-03

Cilia are involved in several physiologic processes, and at least a single primary cilium can be found on nearly every cell in the human body. Various factors, such as pH, temperature, exposure to medications and toxins can impact ciliary function as is manifested by changes in the ciliary beat frequency. Those with ciliary dyskinesia may also have congenital cardiac malformations and may require care in a cardiac intensive care unit. This study investigates the effect on the ciliary beat frequency of medications frequently used in a cardiac intensive care unit. The ciliated epithelial cells were obtained via nasal swab from a relatively healthy individual. These cells were cultured for 24 h. Video microscopy was then employed to determine the ciliary beat frequency at baseline and then at 15, 30, 60 and 90 min after exposure to either normal saline (control) or one of several medications. The ciliary beat frequency at each time point was then compared to the ciliary beat frequency at the same time point in the control sample as well as the baseline value for that particular sample. Epinephrine increased the ciliary beat frequency compared to the baseline and the controls up to 30 min and then subsequently led to a significant decrease in ciliary beat frequency at 90 min. On the one hand, norepinephrine, dexmedetomidine, procainamide, propranolol and enalapril all decreased ciliary beat frequency significantly throughout the 90-min observation period. On the other hand, Milrinone significantly increased the ciliary beat frequency throughout the observation period, while heparin had no impact on ciliary beat frequency. The medications frequently used in cardiac intensive care unit impact ciliary function, with most being ciliodepressant. Further investigation is needed to determine the clinical impacts and whether these effects are exaggerated in those with ciliary dyskinesia.

Finite Element Analysis of Reverberation Chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bunting, Charles F.; Nguyen, Duc T.

2000-01-01

The primary motivating factor behind the initiation of this work was to provide a deterministic means of establishing the validity of the statistical methods that are recommended for the determination of fields that interact in -an avionics system. The application of finite element analysis to reverberation chambers is the initial step required to establish a reasonable course of inquiry in this particularly data-intensive study. The use of computational electromagnetics provides a high degree of control of the "experimental" parameters that can be utilized in a simulation of reverberating structures. As the work evolved there were four primary focus areas they are: 1. The eigenvalue problem for the source free problem. 2. The development of a complex efficient eigensolver. 3. The application of a source for the TE and TM fields for statistical characterization. 4. The examination of shielding effectiveness in a reverberating environment. One early purpose of this work was to establish the utility of finite element techniques in the development of an extended low frequency statistical model for reverberation phenomena. By employing finite element techniques, structures of arbitrary complexity can be analyzed due to the use of triangular shape functions in the spatial discretization. The effects of both frequency stirring and mechanical stirring are presented. It is suggested that for the low frequency operation the typical tuner size is inadequate to provide a sufficiently random field and that frequency stirring should be used. The results of the finite element analysis of the reverberation chamber illustrate io-W the potential utility of a 2D representation for enhancing the basic statistical characteristics of the chamber when operating in a low frequency regime. The basic field statistics are verified for frequency stirring over a wide range of frequencies. Mechanical stirring is shown to provide an effective frequency deviation.

Germinal centre frequency is decreased in pancreatic lymph nodes from individuals with recent-onset type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Willcox, Abby; Richardson, Sarah J; Walker, Lucy S K; Kent, Sally C; Morgan, Noel G; Gillespie, Kathleen M

2017-07-01

Pancreatic lymph nodes (PLNs) are critical sites for the initial interaction between islet autoantigens and autoreactive lymphocytes, but the histology of PLNs in tissue from individuals with type 1 diabetes has not been analysed in detail. The aim of this study was to examine PLN tissue sections from healthy donors compared with those at risk of, or with recent-onset and longer-duration type 1 diabetes. Immunofluorescence staining was used to examine PLN sections from the following donor groups: non-diabetic (n=15), non-diabetic islet autoantibody-positive (n=5), recent-onset (≤1.5 years duration) type 1 diabetes (n=13), and longer-duration type 1 diabetes (n=15). Staining for CD3, CD20 and Ki67 was used to detect primary and secondary (germinal centre-containing) follicles and CD21 and CD35 to detect follicular dendritic cell networks. The frequency of secondary follicles was lower in the recent-onset type 1 diabetes group compared with the non-diabetic control group. The presence of insulitis (as evidence of ongoing beta cell destruction) and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at a younger age, however, did not appear to be associated with a lower frequency of secondary follicles. A higher proportion of primary B cell follicles were observed to lack follicular dendritic cell networks in the recent-onset type 1 diabetes group. Histological analysis of rare PLNs from individuals with type 1 diabetes suggests a previously unrecognised phenotype comprising decreased primary B cell follicle frequency and fewer follicular dendritic cell networks in recent-onset type 1 diabetes.

Clusters of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors are Associated with Body Mass Index Among Adults

PubMed Central

Heerman, William J.; Jackson, Natalie; Hargreaves, Margaret; Mulvaney, Shelagh A.; Schlundt, David; Wallston, Kenneth A.; Rothman, Russell L.

2017-01-01

Objective To identify eating styles from 6 eating behaviors and test their association with Body Mass Index (BMI) among adults. Design Cross-sectional analysis of self-report survey data Setting 12 primary care and specialty clinics in 5 states Participants 11,776 adult patients consented to participate; 9,977 completed survey questions. Variables measured Frequency of eating healthy food; frequency of eating unhealthy food; breakfast frequency; frequency of snacking; overall diet quality; and problem eating behaviors. The primary dependent variable was BMI, calculated from self-reported height and weight data. Analysis Kmeans cluster analysis of eating behaviors was used to determine eating styles. A categorical variable representing each eating style cluster was entered in a multivariate linear regression predicting BMI, controlling for covariates. Results Four eating styles were identified and defined by healthy vs. unhealthy diet patterns and engagement in problem eating behaviors. Each group had significantly higher average BMI than the healthy eating style: healthy with problem eating behaviors (β=1.9, p<0.001); unhealthy (β=2.5, p<0.001), and unhealthy with problem eating behaviors (β=5.1, p<0.001). Conclusions Future attempts to improve eating styles should address not only the consumption of healthy foods, but also snacking behaviors and the emotional component of eating. PMID:28363804

High frequency longitudinal profiling reveals hydrologic controls on solute sourcing, transport and processing in a karst river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hensley, R. T.; Cohen, M. J.; Spangler, M.; Gooseff, M. N.

2017-12-01

The lower Santa Fe River is a large, karst river of north Florida, fed by numerous artesian springs and also containing multiple sink-rise systems. We performed repeated longitudinal profiles collecting very high frequency measurements of multiple stream parameters including temperature, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, dissolved organic matter, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and turbidity. This high frequency dataset provided a spatially explicit understanding of solute sources and coupled biogeochemical processing rates along the 25 km study reach. We noted marked changes in river profiles as the river transitioned from low to high flow during the onset of the wet season. The role of lateral inflow from springs as the primary solute source was greatly reduced under high flow conditions. Effects of sink-rise systems, which under low flow conditions allow the majority of flow to bypass several kilometer long sections of the main channel, virtually disappeared under high flow conditions. Impeded light transmittance at high flow reduced primary production and by extension assimilatory nutrient uptake. This study demonstrates how high frequency longitudinal profiling can be used to observe how hydrologic conditions can alter groundwater-surface water interactions and modulate the sourcing, transport and biogeochemical processing of stream solutes.

Active Structural Acoustic Control in an Original A400M Aircraft Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehne, C.; Sachau, D.; Renger, K.

2016-09-01

Low frequency noise has always been a challenge in propeller driven aircraft. At low frequencies passive noise treatments are not as efficient as active noise reduction systems. The Helmut-Schmidt-University has built up a full-scale test rig with an original A400M aircraft structure. This provides a good opportunity to develop and test active noise reduction systems in a realistic environment. The currently installed system consists of mechanical actuators and acoustical sensors. The actuators are called TVAs (Tuneable Vibration Absorber) and contain two spring-mass systems whose natural frequencies are adjusted to the BPFs (Blade Passage Frequency) of the propellers. The TVAs are mounted to the frames and the force direction is normal to the skin. The sensors are condenser microphones which are attached to the primary structure of the airframe. The TVAs are equipped with signal processing devices. These components carry out Fourier transforms and signal amplification for the sensor data and actuator signals. The communication between the TVAs and the central control unit is implemented by the CAN Bus protocol and mainly consists of complex coefficients for the sensor and actuator data. This paper describes the basic structure of the system, the hardware set-up and function tests of the controller.

Assessment of injection practice in primary health care facilities of Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Mclaws, Mary-Louise; Ghahramani, Sulmaz; Palenik, Charles John; Keshtkar, Vahid; Askarian, Mehrdad

2014-03-01

Occupational risk for several bloodborne viruses is attributable to unsafe injection practices. To understand injection frequency and safety, we surveyed injection rates and factors influencing injection prescription in primary health care facilities and associated health clinics in Shiraz, Iran. We used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to study the frequency and safety of injections delivered in 27 primary health care facilities. We used observations and 3 data collecting tools. Patterns of 600 general practice physicians' (GPs) prescriptions were also reviewed. In-depth interviews to elicit the factors contributing to injection prescriptions were conducted. The annual per capita injection rate was 3.12. Corticosteroids were prescribed more frequently than antibiotics (P < .001). Knowledge of participants concerning transmission risks for 3 of the most common bloodborne infections (BBIs) was less than 75%. Factors affecting use of injections by GPs included strong patient preference for injections over oral medications and financial benefit for GPs, especially those in private practice settings. Frequency of therapeutic injections in the participating facilities in Shiraz was high. Sociocultural factors in the patient community and their beliefs in the effectiveness of injections exerted influence on GP prescribing practices. Programs for appropriate and safe injection practices should target GP and injection providers, as well as patients, informing them about alternative treatments and possible complications of unnecessary and unsafe injections. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

Coal gasification system with a modulated on/off control system

DOEpatents

Fasching, George E.

1984-01-01

A modulated control system is provided for improving regulation of the bed level in a fixed-bed coal gasifier into which coal is fed from a rotary coal feeder. A nuclear bed level gauge using a cobalt source and an ion chamber detector is used to detect the coal bed level in the gasifier. The detector signal is compared to a bed level set point signal in a primary controller which operates in proportional/integral modes to produce an error signal. The error signal is modulated by the injection of a triangular wave signal of a frequency of about 0.0004 Hz and an amplitude of about 80% of the primary deadband. The modulated error signal is fed to a triple-deadband secondary controller which jogs the coal feeder speed up or down by on/off control of a feeder speed change driver such that the gasifier bed level is driven toward the set point while preventing excessive cycling (oscillation) common in on/off mode automatic controllers of this type. Regulation of the bed level is achieved without excessive feeder speed control jogging.

Pandemic influenza immunization in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS): a trigger to thrombosis and autoantibody production?

PubMed

de Medeiros, D Martins; Silva, C A; Bueno, C; Ribeiro, A C Medeiros; Viana, V dos Santos T; Carvalho, J Freire; Bonfa, E

2014-11-01

The objective of this report is to conduct short- and long-term evaluation of a large panel of antiphospholipid (aPL) autoantibodies following pandemic influenza A/H1N1 non-adjuvant vaccine in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients and healthy controls. Forty-five PAPS and 33 healthy controls were immunized with H1N1 vaccine. They were prospectively assessed at pre-vaccination, and three weeks and six months after vaccination. aPL autoantibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and included IgG/IgM: anticardiolipin (aCL), anti-beta2glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI); anti-annexin V, anti-phosphatidyl serine and anti-prothrombin antibodies. Anti-Sm was determined by ELISA and anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) by indirect immunofluorescence. Arterial and venous thrombosis were also clinically assessed. Pre-vaccination frequency of at least one aPL antibody was significantly higher in PAPS patients versus controls (58% vs. 24%, p = 0.0052). The overall frequencies of aPL antibody at pre-vaccination, and three weeks and six months after immunization remained unchanged in patients (p = 0.89) and controls (p = 0.83). The frequency of each antibody specificity for patients and controls remained stable in the three evaluated periods (p > 0.05). At three weeks, two PAPS patients developed a new but transient aPL antibody (aCL IgG and IgM), whereas at six months new aPL antibodies were observed in six PAPS patients and none had high titer. Anti-Sm and anti-dsDNA autoantibodies were uniformly negative and no new arterial or venous thrombosis were observed throughout the study. This is the first study to demonstrate that pandemic influenza vaccine in PAPS patients does not trigger short- and long-term thrombosis or a significant production of aPL-related antibodies (ClinicalTrials.gov, #NCT01151644). © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Aspects on dental hard tissues in primary teeth from patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

PubMed

Klingberg, Gunilla; Hagberg, Catharina; Norén, Jörgen G; Nietzsche, Sandor

2009-07-01

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a rare hereditary condition affecting connective tissues and dental hard tissues. Primary enamel and dentine from EDS patients were expected to differ from those of healthy subjects regarding morphology and chemical composition. Forty-seven exfoliated primary teeth from 25 patients with EDS were investigated. Morphology was studied using a polarized light microscope, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray microanalysis. Comparisons were made with 36 primary teeth from 36 healthy patients. Morphological analysis of enamel in EDS teeth showed a high frequency of postnatally hypomineralized enamel and postnatally located incremental lines, whereas dentine was normal in all patients. Chemical analysis could not reveal any differences between EDS and control patients except for lower content of C and a higher Ca/P ratio in the enamel in the EDS teeth, indicating porous enamel. Regarding dentine, EDS teeth had a lower content of C, and a higher content of Ca, P, and O. Ratios for Ca/C and Ca/O were also higher compared with controls. There are several aberrations of booth enamel and dentine in primary teeth from patients with EDS. These could explain the occurrence of both more dental caries and tooth fractures in patients with EDS.

A systematic review of adverse drug events associated with administration of common asthma medications in children

PubMed Central

Johnson, David W.; Sperou, Arissa J.; Crotts, Jennifer; Saude, Erik; Hartling, Lisa; Stang, Antonia

2017-01-01

Objective To systematically review the literature and determine frequencies of adverse drug events (ADE) associated with pediatric asthma medications. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched six bibliographic databases between January 1991 and January 2017. Study eligibility, data extraction and quality assessment were independently completed and verified by two reviewers. We included randomized control trials (RCT), case-control, cohort, or quasi-experimental studies where the primary objective was identifying ADE in children 1 month– 18 years old exposed to commercial asthma medications. The primary outcome was ADE frequency. Findings Our search identified 14,540 citations. 46 studies were included: 24 RCT, 15 cohort, 4 RCT pooled analyses, 1 case-control, 1 open-label trial and 1 quasi-experimental study. Studies examined the following drug classes: inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (n = 24), short-acting beta-agonists (n = 10), long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) (n = 3), ICS + LABA (n = 3), Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists (n = 3) and others (n = 3). 29 studies occurred in North America, and 29 were industry funded. We report a detailed index of 406 ADE descriptions and frequencies organized by drug class. The majority of data focuses on ICS, with 174 ADE affecting 13 organ systems including adrenal and growth suppression. We observed serious ADE, although they were rare, with frequency ranging between 0.9–6% per drug. There were no confirmed deaths, except for 13 potential deaths in a LABA study including combined adult and pediatric participants. We identified substantial methodological concerns, particularly with identifying ADE and determining severity. No studies utilized available standardized causality, severity or preventability assessments. Conclusion The majority of studies focus on ICS, with adrenal and growth suppression described. Serious ADE are relatively uncommon, with no confirmed pediatric deaths. We identify substantial methodological concerns, highlighting need for standardization with future research examining pediatric asthma medication safety. PMID:28793336

Falls prevention and balance rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: a bi-centre randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Davide; Rasova, Kamila; Gervasoni, Elisa; Dobrovodská, Gabriela; Montesano, Angelo; Jonsdottir, Johanna

2018-03-01

People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) have a high incidence of accidental falls that have a potentially detrimental effect on their daily life participation. The effect of balance specific rehabilitation on clinical balance measures and frequency of falls in PwMS was studied. A bi-centre randomised rater-blinded controlled trial. Participants in both groups received 20 treatment sessions. Participants in the intervention group received treatment aimed at improving balance and mobility. Participants in the control group received treatments to reduce limitations at activity and body function level. Primary measures were frequency of fallers (>1 fall in two months) and responders (>3 points improvement) at the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Data was analysed according to an intention to treat approach. One hundred and nineteen participants were randomised. Following treatment frequency of fallers was 22% in the intervention group and 23% in the control group, odds ratio (OR) and (confidence limits): 1.05 (0.41 to 2.77). Responders on the BBS were 28% in the intervention group and 33% in the control group, OR = 0.75 (0.30 to 1.91). At follow up ORs for fallers and responders at BBS were 0.98 (0.48 to 2.01) and 0.79 (0.26 to 2.42), respectively. Twenty sessions 2-3 times/week of balance specific rehabilitation did not reduce fall frequency nor improve balance suggesting the need for more frequent and challenging interventions. Implications for Rehabilitation Programs for balance rehabilitation can improve balance but their effects in fall prevention are unclear. Twenty treatments sessions 2/3 times per week did not reduced frequency of falls in MS. The comparison with similar studies suggests that higher intensity of practice of highly challenging balance activities appears to be critical to maximizing effectiveness.

Control of ELT false alarms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toth, S.; Gershkoff, I.

1979-01-01

The statistics of emergency locator transmitter (ELT) alarms are presented. The primary sources of data include ELT Incident Logs, Service Difficulty Reports, and Frequency Interference Reports. The number of reported and unreported alarms is discussed, as are seasonal variations, duration of ELT transmissions, and cost of silencing. Origin, causes, and possible strategies for reducing the impact of alarms on the aviation community are considered.

A finite state machine read-out chip for integrated surface acoustic wave sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Sambarta; Iliadis, Agis A.

2015-01-01

A finite state machine based integrated sensor circuit suitable for the read-out module of a monolithically integrated SAW sensor on Si is reported. The primary sensor closed loop consists of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a peak detecting comparator, a finite state machine (FSM), and a monolithically integrated SAW sensor device. The output of the system oscillates within a narrow voltage range that correlates with the SAW pass-band response. The period of oscillation is of the order of the SAW phase delay. We use timing information from the FSM to convert SAW phase delay to an on-chip 10 bit digital output operating on the principle of time to digital conversion (TDC). The control inputs of this digital conversion block are generated by a second finite state machine operating under a divided system clock. The average output varies with changes in SAW center frequency, thus tracking mass sensing events in real time. Based on measured VCO gain of 16 MHz/V our system will convert a 10 kHz SAW frequency shift to a corresponding mean voltage shift of 0.7 mV. A corresponding shift in phase delay is converted to a one or two bit shift in the TDC output code. The system can handle alternate SAW center frequencies and group delays simply by adjusting the VCO control and TDC delay control inputs. Because of frequency to voltage and phase to digital conversion, this topology does not require external frequency counter setups and is uniquely suitable for full monolithic integration of autonomous sensor systems and tags.

Power and type I error results for a bias-correction approach recently shown to provide accurate odds ratios of genetic variants for the secondary phenotypes associated with primary diseases.

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Shete, Sanjay

2011-11-01

We recently proposed a bias correction approach to evaluate accurate estimation of the odds ratio (OR) of genetic variants associated with a secondary phenotype, in which the secondary phenotype is associated with the primary disease, based on the original case-control data collected for the purpose of studying the primary disease. As reported in this communication, we further investigated the type I error probabilities and powers of the proposed approach, and compared the results to those obtained from logistic regression analysis (with or without adjustment for the primary disease status). We performed a simulation study based on a frequency-matching case-control study with respect to the secondary phenotype of interest. We examined the empirical distribution of the natural logarithm of the corrected OR obtained from the bias correction approach and found it to be normally distributed under the null hypothesis. On the basis of the simulation study results, we found that the logistic regression approaches that adjust or do not adjust for the primary disease status had low power for detecting secondary phenotype associated variants and highly inflated type I error probabilities, whereas our approach was more powerful for identifying the SNP-secondary phenotype associations and had better-controlled type I error probabilities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effectiveness of a selective intervention program targeting personality risk factors for alcohol misuse among young adolescents: results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lammers, Jeroen; Goossens, Ferry; Conrod, Patricia; Engels, Rutger; Wiers, Reinout W; Kleinjan, Marloes

2015-07-01

The effectiveness of Preventure was tested on drinking behaviour of young adolescents in secondary education in the Netherlands. A cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out, with participants assigned randomly to a two-session coping skills intervention or a control no-intervention condition. Fifteen secondary schools throughout the Netherlands; seven schools in the intervention and eight schools in the control condition. A total of 699 adolescents aged 13-15 years participated, 343 allocated to the intervention and 356 to the control condition, with drinking experience and elevated scores in either negative thinking, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity or sensation-seeking. Preventure is a selective school-based alcohol prevention programme targeting personality risk factors. The comparator was a no-intervention control. The effects of the intervention on the primary outcome past-month binge drinking, and the secondary outcomes binge drinking frequency, alcohol use, alcohol frequency and problem drinking, were examined. The primary analyses of interest were intervention main effects at 12 months post-intervention. In addition, intervention effects on the linear development of binge drinking using a latent-growth curve approach were examined. Binge drinking rates were not significantly different between the intervention (42.9%) and control group (49.2%) at 12 months follow-up [odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, confidence interval (CI) = 0.99, 1.11]. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no significant intervention effects on alcohol use (53.9 versus 61.5%; OR = 0.99, CI = 0.86, 1.14) and problem drinking (37.0 versus 44.7%; OR = 1.03, CI = 0.92, 1.10) at 12 months follow-up. The post-hoc latent-growth analyses revealed significant effects on the development of binge drinking (β = -0.16, P = 0.05), and binge drinking frequency (β = -0.14, P = 0.05). The alcohol prevention programme, Preventure, appears to have little or no effect on overall prevalence of binge drinking in adolescents in the Netherlands but may reduce the development of binge drinking over time. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Understanding the Patient Experience with Carcinoid Syndrome: Exit Interviews from a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study of Telotristat Ethyl.

PubMed

Anthony, Lowell; Ervin, Claire; Lapuerta, Pablo; Kulke, Matthew H; Kunz, Pamela; Bergsland, Emily; Hörsch, Dieter; Metz, David C; Pasieka, Janice; Pavlakis, Nick; Pavel, Marianne; Caplin, Martyn; Öberg, Kjell; Ramage, John; Evans, Emily; Yang, Qi Melissa; Jackson, Shanna; Arnold, Karie; Law, Linda; DiBenedetti, Dana B

2017-11-01

Telotristat ethyl, an oral tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, is intended to treat carcinoid syndrome by reducing serotonin production. Telotristat ethyl was evaluated in TELESTAR, a Phase III study for patients who had carcinoid syndrome with at least 4 bowel movements (BMs) per day and who were receiving somatostatin analogue therapy. This interview substudy was conducted to provide insight into the patient experience in TELESTAR and to help understand whether reductions in BM frequency (the primary end point) and other symptoms were clinically meaningful. Participating sites were asked to invite (before randomization) all eligible patients to telephone interviews scheduled at the end of the double-blind treatment period. Patients and interviewers were blinded to treatment. All 35 interviewed participants reported diarrhea and/or excessive BMs at baseline. Patients reported that these symptoms negatively affected emotional, social, physical, and occupational well-being. Prespecified criteria for treatment response (achieving ≥30% reduction in BM frequency for at least 50% of the days) were met by 8 of 26 patients taking telotristat ethyl and 1 of 9 patients taking placebo. All 8 patients taking telotristat ethyl described clinically meaningful reductions in BM frequency and were very satisfied with the ability of the study drug to control their carcinoid syndrome symptoms. Overall, reports of being very satisfied were observed in 12 patients taking telotristat ethyl and 0 taking placebo. Patient interviews revealed that TELESTAR patients, at baseline, were significantly affected by their high BM frequency. Patient reports of their clinical trial experience supported the significance of the primary end point and clinical responder analysis in TELESTAR, helping identify and understand clinically meaningful change produced by telotristat ethyl. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distributed cooperative control of AC microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bidram, Ali

In this dissertation, the comprehensive secondary control of electric power microgrids is of concern. Microgrid technical challenges are mainly realized through the hierarchical control structure, including primary, secondary, and tertiary control levels. Primary control level is locally implemented at each distributed generator (DG), while the secondary and tertiary control levels are conventionally implemented through a centralized control structure. The centralized structure requires a central controller which increases the reliability concerns by posing the single point of failure. In this dissertation, the distributed control structure using the distributed cooperative control of multi-agent systems is exploited to increase the secondary control reliability. The secondary control objectives are microgrid voltage and frequency, and distributed generators (DGs) active and reactive powers. Fully distributed control protocols are implemented through distributed communication networks. In the distributed control structure, each DG only requires its own information and the information of its neighbors on the communication network. The distributed structure obviates the requirements for a central controller and complex communication network which, in turn, improves the system reliability. Since the DG dynamics are nonlinear and non-identical, input-output feedback linearization is used to transform the nonlinear dynamics of DGs to linear dynamics. Proposed control frameworks cover the control of microgrids containing inverter-based DGs. Typical microgrid test systems are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control protocols.

An international observational prospective study to determine the cost of asthma exacerbations (COAX).

PubMed

Lane, Stephen; Molina, Jesus; Plusa, Tadeusz

2006-03-01

Asthma is a common chronic condition that places substantial burden on patients and healthcare services. Despite the standards of asthma control that international guidelines recommend should be achieved, many patients continue to suffer sub-optimal control of symptoms and experience exacerbations (acute asthma attacks). In addition to being associated with reduced quality of life, asthma exacerbations are a key cost driver in asthma management. Routine clinical practice for the management of asthma exacerbations varies in different healthcare systems, so healthcare providers require local costs to be able to assess the value of therapies that reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations. This prospective study, conducted in a total of 15 countries, assessed the local cost of asthma exacerbations managed in either primary or secondary care. Healthcare resources used were costed using actual values appropriate to each country in local currency and in Euros. Results are presented for exacerbations managed in primary care in Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Ukraine, and in secondary care in Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Multiple regression analysis of the 2052 exacerbations included in the economic analysis showed that the cost of exacerbations was significantly affected by country (P<0.0001). Mean costs were significantly higher in secondary care (euro 1349) than primary care (euro 445, P=0.0003). Age was a significant variable (P=0.0002), though the effect showed an interaction with care type (P<0.0001). As severity of exacerbation increased, so did secondary care costs, though primary care costs remained essentially constant. In conclusion, the study showed that asthma exacerbations are costly to manage, suggesting that therapies able to increase asthma control and reduce the frequency or severity of exacerbations may bring economic benefits, as well as improved quality of life.

A comparative study of primary and secondary stereotypies.

PubMed

Ghosh, Debabrata; Rajan, Prashant V; Erenberg, Gerald

2013-12-01

This study compares primary stereotypies (repetitive, self-stimulating, and seemingly nonsensical movements that can occur within typically developing children) and secondary stereotypies (those occurring within autistic or mentally retarded children). Utilizing a retrospective chart review from 1995 to 2010, the current study compares primary and secondary stereotypies by the application of a classification system that organizes the movement by its type (motor only, phonic only, mixed) and complexity. In addition, it investigates other parameters associated with the movements such as duration, frequency, age, functional impairment, and progression. The sample group consisted of 28 primary and 28 secondary cases. Primary stereotypies were predominantly motor, simple, of shorter duration, and of less frequency, whereas secondary stereotypies had more vocalization, complexity, longer durations, and higher frequencies. Moreover, functional impairment due to stereotypies was noted in 3 primary and 7 secondary cases, and worsening of stereotypies was noted in 70% of primary versus 44% of secondary cases.

Automated classification of primary progressive aphasia subtypes from narrative speech transcripts.

PubMed

Fraser, Kathleen C; Meltzer, Jed A; Graham, Naida L; Leonard, Carol; Hirst, Graeme; Black, Sandra E; Rochon, Elizabeth

2014-06-01

In the early stages of neurodegenerative disorders, individuals may exhibit a decline in language abilities that is difficult to quantify with standardized tests. Careful analysis of connected speech can provide valuable information about a patient's language capacities. To date, this type of analysis has been limited by its time-consuming nature. In this study, we present a method for evaluating and classifying connected speech in primary progressive aphasia using computational techniques. Syntactic and semantic features were automatically extracted from transcriptions of narrative speech for three groups: semantic dementia (SD), progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA), and healthy controls. Features that varied significantly between the groups were used to train machine learning classifiers, which were then tested on held-out data. We achieved accuracies well above baseline on the three binary classification tasks. An analysis of the influential features showed that in contrast with controls, both patient groups tended to use words which were higher in frequency (especially nouns for SD, and verbs for PNFA). The SD patients also tended to use words (especially nouns) that were higher in familiarity, and they produced fewer nouns, but more demonstratives and adverbs, than controls. The speech of the PNFA group tended to be slower and incorporate shorter words than controls. The patient groups were distinguished from each other by the SD patients' relatively increased use of words which are high in frequency and/or familiarity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical and microbiological effectiveness of photodynamic therapy on primary endodontic infections: a 6-month randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

de Miranda, Rachel Garcia; Colombo, Ana Paula Vieira

2018-05-01

This short-term randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on clinical success (periapical healing) and on the microbiota of primary endodontic infections. Thirty-two patients presenting mandibular molars with apical periodontitis (one tooth/patient) were selected and randomly allocated into two therapeutic groups: control (chemo-mechanical debridement [CMD]; n = 16) and PDT (CMD + PDT; n = 16). All teeth in both groups had intracanal medication with calcium hydroxide for 7 days before final obturation. Follow-up radiographs were made at 3 and 6 months. Periapical healing was evaluated by the periapical index (PAI). Samples were obtained at baseline, after CMD with or without PDT, and just before root filling to determine the frequency and levels of 37 taxa by checkerboard. Significant decreases in PAI scores were observed in both groups over time, although at 6 months, the PDT group presented a significantly better healing score than the control (p < 0.05). At baseline, the most prevalent species in all samples were Candida albicans (46.9%), Dialister pneumosintes (31.2%), Prevotella nigrescens (28.2%), Prevotella tannerae (28.1%), and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (25%). Most species reduced over time in both groups, and no significant differences in frequency and levels of the tested species were observed between groups in any time point evaluated. C. albicans and D. pneumosintes were still detected in high frequency in both groups at 3 months post-therapy. Conventional endodontic therapy with or without PDT is effective in reducing microbial load, resulting in periapical healing. Nevertheless, adjunctive PDT provides better periapical healing at 6-month follow-up. Teeth with apical periodontitis treated with PDT adjunct to conventional treatment would demonstrate superior healing and reduction of microorganisms.

Intramyocardial autologous CD34+ cell therapy for refractory angina: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Velagapudi, Poonam; Turagam, Mohit; Kolte, Dhaval; Khera, Sahil; Hyder, Omar; Gordon, Paul; Aronow, Herbert D; Leopold, Jane; Abbott, J Dawn

2018-06-05

Previous studies have demonstrated that intramyocardial human CD34+ cells may relieve symptoms and improve clinical outcomes in chronic refractory angina unresponsive to optimal medical therapy or not amenable to revascularization. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of human CD34+ cells compared with placebo in chronic refractory angina. Primary efficacy outcomes in our analysis were angina frequency and exercise time. Primary safety outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and death. Three eligible randomized trials including 269 patients (placebo = 90, CD34+ = 179) were included. Dose of auto-CD34+ cells ranged from 5 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5  cells/kg. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 24 months. In a pooled analysis, administration of CD34+ cells decreased the risk of all-cause mortality [OR 0.24, 95% CI (0.08-0.73), p = 0.01], reduced angina frequency [mean difference -2.91, 95% CI (-4.57 to -1.25), p = 0.0006] and improved exercise time [mean difference 58.62 s, 95% CI (21.19 to 96.06), p = 0.02] compared with control group. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke between groups. In a meta-analysis, intra-myocardial CD34+ cell therapy was superior to placebo in improving risk of all - cause mortality, angina frequency with an increase in exercise time, without a significant increase in adverse events. This analysis supports further trials of CD34+ cell therapy for ischemic heart disease. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Restriction polymorphism of the proto-oncogene c-Ha-ras-1 in patients with multiple primary malignant neoplasms and non-small-cell lung cancer].

PubMed

Gaspar'ian, A V; Sel'chuk, V Iu; Iakubovskaia, M G; Zborovskaia, I B; Tatosian, A G

1997-01-01

Restriction fragment length polymorphism in the human c-Ha-ras-1 locus, associated with a minisatellite sequence, was examined in 45 multiple primary cancer (MPC) patients, 56 patients with squamous cell lung cancer (SCLC), 21 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LAC), and 53 individuals having no oncopathology. Southern analysis of cellular DNA revealed the presence of 4 common alleles (with collective allele frequency close to 94% in the control group) and a set of rare alleles. Allele a3, (2.1 kb in size under MspI/HpaII digestion) was shown to be more frequent in the MPC than in the control group. The same tendency was observed in the patients with highly differentiated cell lung cancer. An increased frequency of the a4 allele (2.5 kb under MspI/HpaII digestion) was observed in the patients with adenocarcinomas as well as in the patients with metastases and low levels of tumor tissue differentiation. The elevated frequencies of a3 in the MPC group and of a4 in the LAC patients did not correlate with increased risk of the cancers mentioned above but was associated with type of tumor progression. Previously, it was reported that the mini-satellite sequence within the c-Ha-ras-1 locus possesses enhancer activity. Our data indirectly confirm the hypothesis that the efficiency of minisatellite modulator activity is associated with fragment size.

Optimizing an Actuator Array for the Control of Multi-Frequency Noise in Aircraft Interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palumbo, D. L.; Padula, S. L.

1997-01-01

Techniques developed for selecting an optimized actuator array for interior noise reduction at a single frequency are extended to the multi-frequency case. Transfer functions for 64 actuators were obtained at 5 frequencies from ground testing the rear section of a fully trimmed DC-9 fuselage. A single loudspeaker facing the left side of the aircraft was the primary source. A combinatorial search procedure (tabu search) was employed to find optimum actuator subsets of from 2 to 16 actuators. Noise reduction predictions derived from the transfer functions were used as a basis for evaluating actuator subsets during optimization. Results indicate that it is necessary to constrain actuator forces during optimization. Unconstrained optimizations selected actuators which require unrealistically large forces. Two methods of constraint are evaluated. It is shown that a fast, but approximate, method yields results equivalent to an accurate, but computationally expensive, method.

cyclostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and organic matter accumulation mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cong, F.; Li, J.

2016-12-01

The first member of Maokou Formation of Sichuan basin is composed of well preserved carbonate ramp couplets of limestone and marlstone/shale. It acts as one of the potential shale gas source rock, and is suitable for time-series analysis. We conducted time-series analysis to identify high-frequency sequences, reconstruct high-resolution sedimentation rate, estimate detailed primary productivity for the first time in the study intervals and discuss organic matter accumulation mechanism of source rock under sequence stratigraphic framework.Using the theory of cyclostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy, the high-frequency sequences of one outcrop profile and one drilling well are identified. Two third-order sequences and eight fourth-order sequences are distinguished on outcrop profile based on the cycle stacking patterns. For drilling well, sequence boundary and four system tracts is distinguished by "integrated prediction error filter analysis" (INPEFA) of Gamma-ray logging data, and eight fourth-order sequences is identified by 405ka long eccentricity curve in depth domain which is quantified and filtered by integrated analysis of MTM spectral analysis, evolutive harmonic analysis (EHA), evolutive average spectral misfit (eASM) and band-pass filtering. It suggests that high-frequency sequences correlate well with Milankovitch orbital signals recorded in sediments, and it is applicable to use cyclostratigraphy theory in dividing high-frequency(4-6 orders) sequence stratigraphy.High-resolution sedimentation rate is reconstructed through the study interval by tracking the highly statistically significant short eccentricity component (123ka) revealed by EHA. Based on sedimentation rate, measured TOC and density data, the burial flux, delivery flux and primary productivity of organic carbon was estimated. By integrating redox proxies, we can discuss the controls on organic matter accumulation by primary production and preservation under the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework. Results show that high average organic carbon contents in the study interval are mainly attributed to high primary production. The results also show a good correlation between high organic carbon accumulation and intervals of transgression.

Transfer and dissipation of energy during wave group propagation on a gentle beach slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padilla, Enrique M.; Alsina, José M.

2017-08-01

The propagation of bichromatic wave groups over a constant 1:100 beach slope and the influence of the group modulation is presented. The modulation is controlled by varying the group frequency, fg, which is shown to remarkably affect the energy transfer to high and low frequency components. The growth of the high frequency (hf) wave skewness increases when fg decreases. This is explained by nonlinear coupling between the primary frequencies, which results in a larger growth of hf components as fg decreases, causing the hf waves to break earlier. Due to high spatial resolution, wave tracking has provided an accurate measurement of the varying breakpoint. These breaking locations are very well described (R2>0.91) by the wave-height to effective-depth ratio (γ). However, for any given Iribarren number, this γ is shown to increase with fg. Therefore, a modified Iribarren number is proposed to include the grouping structure, leading to a considerable improvement in reproducing the measured γ-values. Within the surf zone, the behavior of the Incident Long Wave also depends on the group modulation. For low fg conditions, the lf wave decays only slightly by transferring energy back to the hf wave components. However, for high fg wave conditions, strong dissipation of low frequency (lf) components occurs close to the shoreline associated with lf wave breaking. This mechanism is explained by the growth of the lf wave height, induced partly by the self-self interaction of fg, and partly by the nonlinear coupling between the primary frequencies and fg.

EEG spectral analysis in primary insomnia: NREM period effects and sex differences.

PubMed

Buysse, Daniel J; Germain, Anne; Hall, Martica L; Moul, Douglas E; Nofzinger, Eric A; Begley, Amy; Ehlers, Cindy L; Thompson, Wesley; Kupfer, David J

2008-12-01

To compare NREM EEG power in primary insomnia (PI) and good sleeper controls (GSC), examining both sex and NREM period effects; to examine relationships between EEG power, clinical characteristics, and self-reports of sleep. Overnight polysomnographic study. Sleep laboratory. PI (n=48; 29 women) and GSC (n=25; 15 women). None. EEG power from 1-50 Hz was computed for artifact-free sleep epochs across four NREM periods. Repeated measures mixed effect models contrasted differences between groups, EEG frequency bands, and NREM periods. EEG power-frequency curves were modeled using regressions with fixed knot splines. Mixed models showed no significant group (PI vs. GSC) differences; marginal sex differences (delta and theta bands); significant differences across NREM periods; and group*sex and group*NREM period interactions, particularly in beta and gamma bands. Modeled power-frequency curves showed no group difference in whole-night NREM, but PI had higher power than GSC from 18-40 Hz in the first NREM period. Among women, PI had higher 16 to 44-Hz power than GSC in the first 3 NREM periods, and higher 3 to 5-Hz power across all NREM periods. PI and GSC men showed no consistent differences in EEG power. High-frequency EEG power was not related to clinical or subjective sleep ratings in PI. Women with PI, but not men, showed increased high-frequency and low-frequency EEG activity during NREM sleep compared to GSC, particularly in early NREM periods. Sex and NREM period may moderate quantitative EEG differences between PI and GSC.

Phenotype and specificity of T cells in primary human cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy: IL-7Rpos long-term memory phenotype is associated with protection from vertical transmission.

PubMed

Mele, Federico; Fornara, Chiara; Jarrossay, David; Furione, Milena; Arossa, Alessia; Spinillo, Arsenio; Lanzavecchia, Antonio; Gerna, Giuseppe; Sallusto, Federica; Lilleri, Daniele

2017-01-01

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the major cause of birth defects and a precise definition of the HCMV-specific T-cell response in primary infection may help define reliable correlates of immune protection during pregnancy. In this study, a high throughput method was used to define the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for four HCMV proteins in the naïve compartment of seronegative subjects and the effector/memory compartments of subjects with primary/remote HCMV infection. The naïve repertoire displayed comparable frequencies of T cells that were reactive with HCMV structural (pp65, gB and the pentamer gHgLpUL128L) and non-structural (IE-1) proteins. Whereas, following natural infection, the majority of effector/memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells recognized either gB or IE-1, respectively, and pp65. The pattern of T cell reactivity was comparable at early and late stages of infection and in pregnant women with primary HCMV infection transmitting or not transmitting the virus to the fetus. At an early stage of primary infection, about 50% of HCMV-reactive CD4+ T cells were long-term IL-7Rpos memory cells, while 6-12 months later, the frequency of these cells increased to 70%, approaching 100% in remote infections. In contrast, only 10-20% of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells were long-term memory cells up to 12 months after infection onset, thereafter increasing to 70% in remote infections. Interestingly, a significantly higher frequency of HCMV-specific CD4+ T cells with a long-term IL-7Rpos memory phenotype was observed in non-transmitting compared to transmitting women. These findings indicate that immunodominance in HCMV infection is not predetermined in the naïve compartment, but is the result of virus-host interactions and suggest that prompt control of HCMV infection in pregnancy is associated with the rapid development of long-term IL-7Rpos memory HCMV-specific CD4+ T cells and a low risk of virus transmission to the fetus.

Biomechanically Induced and Controller Coupled Oscillations Experienced on the F-16XL Aircraft During Rolling Maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, John W.; Montgomery, Terry

1996-01-01

During rapid rolling maneuvers, the F-16 XL aircraft exhibits a 2.5 Hz lightly damped roll oscillation, perceived and described as 'roll ratcheting.' This phenomenon is common with fly-by-wire control systems, particularly when primary control is derived through a pedestal-mounted side-arm controller. Analytical studies have been conducted to model the nature of the integrated control characteristics. The analytical results complement the flight observations. A three-degree-of-freedom linearized set of aerodynamic matrices was assembled to simulate the aircraft plant. The lateral-directional control system was modeled as a linear system. A combination of two second-order transfer functions was derived to couple the lateral acceleration feed through effect of the operator's arm and controller to the roll stick force input. From the combined systems, open-loop frequency responses and a time history were derived, describing and predicting an analogous in-flight situation. This report describes the primary control, aircraft angular rate, and position time responses of the F-16 XL-2 aircraft during subsonic and high-dynamic-pressure rolling maneuvers. The analytical description of the pilot's arm and controller can be applied to other aircraft or simulations to assess roll ratcheting susceptibility.

DNA immunization against experimental genital herpes simplex virus infection.

PubMed

Bourne, N; Stanberry, L R; Bernstein, D I; Lew, D

1996-04-01

A nucleic acid vaccine, expressing the gene encoding herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 glycoprotein D (gD2) under control of the cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene promoter, was used to immunize guinea pigs against genital HSV-2 infection. The vaccine elicited humoral immune responses comparable to those seen after HSV-2 infection. Immunized animals exhibited protection from primary genital HSV-2 disease with little or no development of vesicular skin lesions and significantly reduced HSV-2 replication in the genital tract. After recovery from primary infection, immunized guinea pigs experienced significantly fewer recurrences and had significantly less HSV-2 genomic DNA detected in the sacral dorsal root ganglia compared with control animals. Thus, immunization reduced the burden of latent infection resulting from intravaginal HSV-2 challenge, and a nucleic acid vaccine expressing the HSV-2 gD2 antigen protected guinea pigs against genital herpes, limiting primary infection and reducing the magnitude of latent infection and the frequency of recurrent disease.

Coordinated control of wind generation and energy storage for power system frequency regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baone, Chaitanya Ashok

Large-scale centralized synchronous generators have long been the primary actors in exercising active power and frequency control, and much of the existing grid control framework is predicated upon their dynamic terminal characteristics. Important among these characteristics is the inertia of such generators. These play key roles in determining the electromechanical stability of the electric power grid. Modern wind generator systems are partially or fully connected to the grid through power electronic interfaces, and hence do not present the same level of inertial coupling. The absence of inertial frequency response from modern wind generator systems is a topic of growing concern in power engineering practice, as the penetration of wind generation is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years. Solutions proposed in the literature have sought to address this problem by seeking to mimic the inherent inertial response characteristics of traditional synchronous generators via control loops added to wind generators. Recent literature has raised concerns regarding this approach, and the work here will further examine its shortcomings, motivating approaches that seek to optimally design for the characteristics of the equipment exercising the control, rather than forcing new technologies to mimic the characteristics of synchronous machines. In particular, this work will develop a new approach to power system frequency regulation, with features suited to distributed energy storage devices such as grid-scale batteries and wind turbine speed and blade pitch control. The dynamic characteristics of these new technologies are treated along with existing mechanisms, such as synchronous machine governor control, to develop a comprehensive multi-input control design approach. To make the method practically feasible for geographically distributed power systems, an observer-based distributed control design utilizing phasor measurement unit (PMU) signals along with local measurements is developed. In addition to the system-wide objective of frequency regulation, a local objective of reducing the wind turbine drivetrain stress is considered. Also, an algorithm is proposed to characterize the modal degrees of controllability and observability on a subspace of critical modes of the system, so that the most effective sensor and actuator locations to be used in the control design can be found.

Comparison of healing rate in diabetes-related foot ulcers with low frequency ultrasonic debridement versus non-surgical sharps debridement: a randomised trial protocol

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Foot ulceration has been reported as the leading cause of hospital admission and amputation in individuals with diabetes. Diabetes-related foot ulcers require multidisciplinary management and best practice care, including debridement, offloading, dressings, management of infection, modified footwear and management of extrinsic factors. Ulcer debridement is a commonly applied management approach involving removal of non-viable tissue from the ulcer bed. Different methods of debridement have been reported in the literature including autolytic debridement via moist wound healing, mechanical debridement utilising wet to dry dressings, theatre based sharps debridement, biological debridement, non-surgical sharps debridement and newer technology such as low frequency ultrasonic debridement. Methods People with diabetes and a foot ulcer, referred to and treated by the Podiatry Department at Monash Health and who meet the inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in this randomised controlled trial. Participants will be randomly and equally allocated to either the non-surgical sharps debridement (control) or low frequency ultrasonic debridement (intervention) group (n = 322 ulcers/n = 108 participants). Where participants have more than one ulcer, only the participant will be randomised, not the ulcer. An investigator not involved in participant recruitment or assessment will be responsible for preparing the random allocation sequence and envelopes. Each participant will receive weekly treatment for six months including best practice podiatric management. Each ulcer will be measured on a weekly basis by calculating total area in centimetres squared. Measurement will be undertaken by a trained research assistant to ensure outcomes are blinded from the treating podiatrist. Another member of the research team will assess the final primary outcome. Discussion The primary aim of this study is to compare healing rates for diabetes-related foot ulcers using non-surgical sharps debridement versus low frequency ultrasonic debridement over a six month period. The primary outcome measure for this study is the proportion of ulcers healed by the six month follow-up period. Secondary outcomes will include a quality of life measure, assessment of pain and health care resource use between the two treatment modalities. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12612000490875. PMID:24423411

Evidence for differential modulation of primary and nonprimary auditory cortex by forward masking in tinnitus.

PubMed

Roberts, Larry E; Bosnyak, Daniel J; Bruce, Ian C; Gander, Phillip E; Paul, Brandon T

2015-09-01

It has been proposed that tinnitus is generated by aberrant neural activity that develops among neurons in tonotopic of regions of primary auditory cortex (A1) affected by hearing loss, which is also the frequency region where tinnitus percepts localize (Eggermont and Roberts 2004; Roberts et al., 2010, 2013). These models suggest (1) that differences between tinnitus and control groups of similar age and audiometric function should depend on whether A1 is probed in tinnitus frequency region (TFR) or below it, and (2) that brain responses evoked from A1 should track changes in the tinnitus percept when residual inhibition (RI) is induced by forward masking. We tested these predictions by measuring (128-channel EEG) the sound-evoked 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) known to localize tonotopically to neural sources in A1. For comparison the N1 transient response localizing to distributed neural sources in nonprimary cortex (A2) was also studied. When tested under baseline conditions where tinnitus subjects would have heard their tinnitus, ASSR responses were larger in a tinnitus group than in controls when evoked by 500 Hz probes while the reverse was true for tinnitus and control groups tested with 5 kHz probes, confirming frequency-dependent group differences in this measure. On subsequent trials where RI was induced by masking (narrow band noise centered at 5 kHz), ASSR amplitude increased in the tinnitus group probed at 5 kHz but not in the tinnitus group probed at 500 Hz. When collapsed into a single sample tinnitus subjects reporting comparatively greater RI depth and duration showed comparatively larger ASSR increases after masking regardless of probe frequency. Effects of masking on ASSR amplitude in the control groups were completely reversed from those in the tinnitus groups, with no change seen to 5 kHz probes but ASSR increases to 500 Hz probes even though the masking sound contained no energy at 500 Hz (an "off-frequency" masking effect). In contrast to these findings for the ASSR, N1 amplitude was larger in tinnitus than control groups at both probe frequencies under baseline conditions, decreased after masking in all conditions, and did not relate to RI. These results suggest that aberrant neural activity occurring in the TFR of A1 underlies tinnitus and its modulation during RI. They indicate further that while neural changes occur in A2 in tinnitus, these changes do not reflect the tinnitus percept. Models for tinnitus and forward masking are described that integrate these findings within a common framework. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microwave-to-optical frequency conversion with a Rydberg atom coupled to a coplanar waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gard, Bryan; Jacobs, Kurt; McDermott, Robert; Saffman, Mark

2017-04-01

A primary candidate for converting quantum information from microwave to optical frequencies is the use of Rydberg states of a single atom trapped near a surface. The fact that the Rydberg states possess both large electric dipole moments and microwave transition frequencies allows them to interact with superconducting mesoscopic circuits. By considering a concrete example, that of a Cesium atom, and using numerical search methods to optimize the control protocols, we determine the fidelities and transmission rates that could be achievable with such a device. We show that while protocols that exploit the adiabatic STIRAP mechanism provide the best raw transfer fidelities, the fastest communication speeds can be obtained by using heralding, which allows one to remove the adiabatic constraint. Support from Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Observations of Traveling Crossflow Resonant Triad Interactions on a Swept Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppink, Jenna L.; Wlezien, Richard

2012-01-01

Experimental evidence indicates the presence of a triad resonance interaction between traveling crossflow modes in a swept wing flow. Results indicate that this interaction occurs when the stationary and traveling crossflow modes have similar and relatively low amplitudes (approx.1% to 6% of the total freestream velocity). The resonant interaction occurs at instability amplitudes well below those typically known to cause transition, yet transition is observed to occur just downstream of the resonance. In each case, two primary linearly unstable traveling crossflow modes are nonlinearly coupled to a higher frequency linearly stable mode at the sum of their frequencies. The higher-frequency mode is linearly stable and presumed to exist as a consequence of the interaction of the two primary modes. Autoand cross-bicoherence are used to determine the extent of phase-matching between the modes, and wavenumber matching confirms the triad resonant nature of the interaction. The bicoherence results indicate a spectral broadening mechanism and the potential path to early transition. The implications for laminar flow control in swept wing flows are significant. Even if stationary crossflow modes remain subcritical, traveling crossflow interactions can lead to early transition.

Binaural beat technology in humans: a pilot study to assess neuropsychologic, physiologic, and electroencephalographic effects.

PubMed

Wahbeh, Helané; Calabrese, Carlo; Zwickey, Heather; Zajdel, Dan

2007-03-01

When two auditory stimuli of different frequency are presented to each ear, binaural beats are perceived by the listener. The binaural beat frequency is equal to the difference between the frequencies applied to each ear. Our primary objective was to assess whether steady-state entrainment of electroencephalographic activity to the binaural beat occurs when exposed to a specific binaural beat frequency as has been hypothesized. Our secondary objective was to gather preliminary data on neuropsychologic and physiologic effects of binaural beat technology. A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled crossover experiment in 4 healthy adult subjects. Subjects were randomized to experimental auditory stimulus of 30 minutes of binaural beat at 7 Hz (carrier frequencies: 133 Hz L; 140 Hz R) with an overlay of pink noise resembling the sound of rain on one session and control stimuli of the same overlay without the binaural beat carrier frequencies on the other session. Data were collected during two separate sessions 1 week apart. Neuropsychologic and blood pressure data were collected before and after the intervention; electroencephalographic data were collected before, during, and after listening to either binaural beats or control. Neuropsychologic measures included State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Profile of Mood States, Rey Auditory Verbal List Test, Stroop Test, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Spectral and coherence analysis was performed on the electroencephalogram (EEG), and all measures were analyzed for changes between sessions with and without binaural beat stimuli. There were no significant differences between the experimental and control conditions in any of the EEG measures. There was an increase of the Profile of Mood States depression subscale in the experimental condition relative to the control condition (p = 0.02). There was also a significant decrease in immediate verbal memory recall (p = 0.03) in the experimental condition compared to control condition. We did not find support for steady-state entrainment of the scalp-recorded EEG while listening to 7-Hz binaural beats. Although our data indicated increased depression and poorer immediate recall after listening to binaural beats, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Perampanel for tonic-clonic seizures in idiopathic generalized epilepsy

PubMed Central

Krauss, Gregory L.; Wechsler, Robert T.; Wang, Xue-Feng; DiVentura, Bree; Brandt, Christian; Trinka, Eugen; O'Brien, Terence J.; Laurenza, Antonio; Patten, Anna; Bibbiani, Francesco

2015-01-01

Objective: To assess efficacy and safety of adjunctive perampanel in patients with drug-resistant, primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures in idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Methods: In this multicenter, double-blind study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01393743; funded by Eisai Inc.), patients 12 years or older with PGTC seizures and IGE were randomized to placebo or perampanel during a 4-week titration period (perampanel uptitrated from 2 to 8 mg/d, or highest tolerated dose) and 13-week maintenance period. The primary endpoint was percent change in PGTC seizure frequency per 28 days (titration plus maintenance vs baseline). The key secondary endpoint (primary endpoint for European Union registration) was 50% PGTC seizure responder rate (patients achieving ≥50% reduction in PGTC seizure frequency; maintenance vs baseline). Treatment-emergent adverse events were monitored. Results: Of 164 randomized patients, 162 comprised the full analysis set (placebo, 81; perampanel, 81). Compared with placebo, perampanel conferred a greater median percent change in PGTC seizure frequency per 28 days (−38.4% vs −76.5%; p < 0.0001) and greater 50% PGTC seizure responder rate (39.5% vs 64.2%; p = 0.0019). During maintenance, 12.3% of placebo-treated patients and 30.9% of perampanel-treated patients achieved PGTC seizure freedom. For the safety analysis (placebo, 82; perampanel, 81), the most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events with perampanel were dizziness (32.1%) and fatigue (14.8%). Conclusions: Adjunctive perampanel was well tolerated and improved control of drug-resistant PGTC seizures in patients with IGE. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that adjunctive perampanel reduces PGTC seizure frequency, compared with placebo, in patients with drug-resistant PGTC seizures in IGE. PMID:26296511

Neural plasticity expressed in central auditory structures with and without tinnitus

PubMed Central

Roberts, Larry E.; Bosnyak, Daniel J.; Thompson, David C.

2012-01-01

Sensory training therapies for tinnitus are based on the assumption that, notwithstanding neural changes related to tinnitus, auditory training can alter the response properties of neurons in auditory pathways. To assess this assumption, we investigated whether brain changes induced by sensory training in tinnitus sufferers and measured by electroencephalography (EEG) are similar to those induced in age and hearing loss matched individuals without tinnitus trained on the same auditory task. Auditory training was given using a 5 kHz 40-Hz amplitude-modulated (AM) sound that was in the tinnitus frequency region of the tinnitus subjects and enabled extraction of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) and P2 transient response known to localize to primary and non-primary auditory cortex, respectively. P2 amplitude increased over training sessions equally in participants with tinnitus and in control subjects, suggesting normal remodeling of non-primary auditory regions in tinnitus. However, training-induced changes in the ASSR differed between the tinnitus and control groups. In controls the phase delay between the 40-Hz response and stimulus waveforms reduced by about 10° over training, in agreement with previous results obtained in young normal hearing individuals. However, ASSR phase did not change significantly with training in the tinnitus group, although some participants showed phase shifts resembling controls. On the other hand, ASSR amplitude increased with training in the tinnitus group, whereas in controls this response (which is difficult to remodel in young normal hearing subjects) did not change with training. These results suggest that neural changes related to tinnitus altered how neural plasticity was expressed in the region of primary but not non-primary auditory cortex. Auditory training did not reduce tinnitus loudness although a small effect on the tinnitus spectrum was detected. PMID:22654738

Demonstration of Active Combustion Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovett, Jeffrey A.; Teerlinck, Karen A.; Cohen, Jeffrey M.

2008-01-01

The primary objective of this effort was to demonstrate active control of combustion instabilities in a direct-injection gas turbine combustor that accurately simulates engine operating conditions and reproduces an engine-type instability. This report documents the second phase of a two-phase effort. The first phase involved the analysis of an instability observed in a developmental aeroengine and the design of a single-nozzle test rig to replicate that phenomenon. This was successfully completed in 2001 and is documented in the Phase I report. This second phase was directed toward demonstration of active control strategies to mitigate this instability and thereby demonstrate the viability of active control for aircraft engine combustors. This involved development of high-speed actuator technology, testing and analysis of how the actuation system was integrated with the combustion system, control algorithm development, and demonstration testing in the single-nozzle test rig. A 30 percent reduction in the amplitude of the high-frequency (570 Hz) instability was achieved using actuation systems and control algorithms developed within this effort. Even larger reductions were shown with a low-frequency (270 Hz) instability. This represents a unique achievement in the development and practical demonstration of active combustion control systems for gas turbine applications.

Impaired brainstem and thalamic high-frequency oscillatory EEG activity in migraine between attacks.

PubMed

Porcaro, Camillo; Di Lorenzo, Giorgio; Seri, Stefano; Pierelli, Francesco; Tecchio, Franca; Coppola, Gianluca

2017-09-01

Introduction We investigated whether interictal thalamic dysfunction in migraine without aura (MO) patients is a primary determinant or the expression of its functional disconnection from proximal or distal areas along the somatosensory pathway. Methods Twenty MO patients and twenty healthy volunteers (HVs) underwent an electroencephalographic (EEG) recording during electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. We used the functional source separation algorithm to extract four functionally constrained nodes (brainstem, thalamus, primary sensory radial, and primary sensory motor tangential parietal sources) along the somatosensory pathway. Two digital filters (1-400 Hz and 450-750 Hz) were applied in order to extract low- (LFO) and high- frequency (HFO) oscillatory activity from the broadband signal. Results Compared to HVs, patients presented significantly lower brainstem (BS) and thalamic (Th) HFO activation bilaterally. No difference between the two cortical HFO as well as in LFO peak activations between the two groups was seen. The age of onset of the headache was positively correlated with HFO power in the right brainstem and thalamus. Conclusions This study provides evidence for complex dysfunction of brainstem and thalamocortical networks under the control of genetic factors that might act by modulating the severity of migraine phenotype.

Posttraumatic stress disorder in women with binge eating disorder in primary care.

PubMed

Grilo, Carlos M; White, Marney A; Barnes, Rachel D; Masheb, Robin M

2012-11-01

To examine the frequency and significance of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ethnically diverse obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED) seeking treatment for obesity and binge eating in primary care. Participants were a consecutive series of 105 obese women with BED; 43% were African- American, 36% were Caucasian, and 21% were Hispanic-American/other. Participants were evaluated with reliable semi-structured interviews and established measures. Of the 105 women, 25 (24%) met criteria for PTSD. PTSD was associated with significantly elevated rates of mood, anxiety, and drug use disorders, significantly elevated eating disorder psychopathology (Eating Disorder Examination global score and scales), greater depressive affect, and lower self-esteem, even though the patients with comorbid PTSD did not have higher body mass indexes (BMIs) or greater frequency of binge eating. The heightened eating disorder psychopathology and depression and the lower self-esteem among patients with comorbid PTSD persisted even after controlling for anxiety disorder comorbidity. Our findings suggest that among ethnically/ racially diverse obese women with BED who present for obesity and binge eating treatment in primary care settings, PTSD is common and is associated with heightened psychiatric comorbidity, greater eating disorder psychopathology, and poorer psychological functioning.

Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine: a study protocol of a single-blinded placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial

PubMed Central

Chaibi, Aleksander; Šaltytė Benth, Jūratė; Tuchin, Peter J; Russell, Michael Bjørn

2015-01-01

Introduction Migraine affects 15% of the population, and has substantial health and socioeconomic costs. Pharmacological management is first-line treatment. However, acute and/or prophylactic medicine might not be tolerated due to side effects or contraindications. Thus, we aim to assess the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) for migraineurs in a single-blinded placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial (RCT). Method and analysis According to the power calculations, 90 participants are needed in the RCT. Participants will be randomised into one of three groups: CSMT, placebo (sham manipulation) and control (usual non-manual management). The RCT consists of three stages: 1 month run-in, 3 months intervention and follow-up analyses at the end of the intervention and 3, 6 and 12 months. The primary end point is migraine frequency, while migraine duration, migraine intensity, headache index (frequency x duration x intensity) and medicine consumption are secondary end points. Primary analysis will assess a change in migraine frequency from baseline to the end of the intervention and follow-up, where the groups CSMT and placebo and CSMT and control will be compared. Owing to two group comparisons, p values below 0.025 will be considered statistically significant. For all secondary end points and analyses, a p value below 0.05 will be used. The results will be presented with the corresponding p values and 95% CIs. Ethics and dissemination The RCT will follow the clinical trial guidelines from the International Headache Society. The Norwegian Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics and the Norwegian Social Science Data Services have approved the project. Procedure will be conducted according to the declaration of Helsinki. The results will be published at scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT01741714. PMID:26586317

Impact of the 4G/5G polymorphism in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene on primary nephrotic syndrome.

PubMed

Luo, Yuezhong; Wang, Chao; Tu, Haitao

2014-03-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the four guanosines (4G)/five guanosines (5G) polymorphism in the gene coding for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) affects the clinical features of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS). A cohort of 200 biopsy-diagnosed PNS patients was studied, with 40 healthy subjects as controls. The PAI-1 gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Associations between the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and clinical features and pathological types of PNS were analyzed. The results indicated that the PAI-1 genotype distribution is significantly different between patients with PNS and healthy controls, with significantly higher numbers of the 4G/4G genotype and lower numbers of the 5G5G genotype detected in PNS patients compared to controls (both P<0.05). The frequency of the 4G allele was also significantly higher in PNS patients compared to healthy controls (P<0.01). Among the different pathological types of PNS, IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and membranous nephropathy (MN) were associated with significantly increased frequencies of the 4G/4G and 4G/5G genotypes, as well as of the 4G allele. The increased 4G frequency was also detected in patients with minimal change disease (MCD). Significantly increased international normalized ratio (INR) and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were observed in 4G/4G compared to 5G/5G PNS subjects. The response to steroids was not significantly different among the three genotypes. In conclusion, the 4G allele of the PAI-1 gene appears to be associated with PNS, especially in MN and IgAN patients. These findings suggest that specific targeting may be required for the treatment of PNS patients with the 4G/4G genotype.

Management of geriatric incontinence in nursing homes.

PubMed Central

Schnelle, J F; Traughber, B; Morgan, D B; Embry, J E; Binion, A F; Coleman, A

1983-01-01

A behavioral management system designed to reduce urinary incontinence was evaluated in two nursing homes with a pretest-posttest control group design with repeated measures. The primary components of the system were prompting and contingent social approval/disapproval which required approximately 2.5 minutes per patient per hour to administer. The frequency of correct toileting for experimental subjects increased by approximately 45%. The experimental groups were significantly different from the control groups on both incontinence and correct toileting measures. The results are discussed in view of the management issues inherent in nursing home settings. PMID:6885672

Robust energy-absorbing compensators for the ACTEX II test article

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaurock, Carl A.; Miller, David W.; Nye, Ted

1995-05-01

The paper addresses the problem of satellite solar panel vibration. A multi-layer vibration control scheme is investigated using a flight test article. Key issues in the active control portion are presented in the paper. The paper discusses the primary control design drivers, which are the time variations in modal frequencies due to configuration and thermal changes. A local control design approach is investigated, but found to be unworkable due to sensor/actuator non-collocation. An alternate design process uses linear robust control techniques, by describing the modal shifts as uncertainties. Multiple modal design, alpha- shifted multiple model, and a feedthrough compensation scheme are examined. Ground and simulation tests demonstrate that the resulting controllers provide significant vibration reduction in the presence of expected system variations.

Clusters of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors Are Associated With Body Mass Index Among Adults.

PubMed

Heerman, William J; Jackson, Natalie; Hargreaves, Margaret; Mulvaney, Shelagh A; Schlundt, David; Wallston, Kenneth A; Rothman, Russell L

2017-05-01

To identify eating styles from 6 eating behaviors and test their association with body mass index (BMI) among adults. Cross-sectional analysis of self-report survey data. Twelve primary care and specialty clinics in 5 states. Of 11,776 adult patients who consented to participate, 9,977 completed survey questions. Frequency of eating healthy food, frequency of eating unhealthy food, breakfast frequency, frequency of snacking, overall diet quality, and problem eating behaviors. The primary dependent variable was BMI, calculated from self-reported height and weight data. k-Means cluster analysis of eating behaviors was used to determine eating styles. A categorical variable representing each eating style cluster was entered in a multivariate linear regression predicting BMI, controlling for covariates. Four eating styles were identified and defined by healthy vs unhealthy diet patterns and engagement in problem eating behaviors. Each group had significantly higher average BMI than the healthy eating style: healthy with problem eating behaviors (β = 1.9; P < .001), unhealthy (β = 2.5; P < .001), and unhealthy with problem eating behaviors (β = 5.1; P < .001). Future attempts to improve eating styles should address not only the consumption of healthy foods but also snacking behaviors and the emotional component of eating. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Top-Down Beta Enhances Bottom-Up Gamma

PubMed Central

Thompson, William H.

2017-01-01

Several recent studies have demonstrated that the bottom-up signaling of a visual stimulus is subserved by interareal gamma-band synchronization, whereas top-down influences are mediated by alpha-beta band synchronization. These processes may implement top-down control of stimulus processing if top-down and bottom-up mediating rhythms are coupled via cross-frequency interaction. To test this possibility, we investigated Granger-causal influences among awake macaque primary visual area V1, higher visual area V4, and parietal control area 7a during attentional task performance. Top-down 7a-to-V1 beta-band influences enhanced visually driven V1-to-V4 gamma-band influences. This enhancement was spatially specific and largest when beta-band activity preceded gamma-band activity by ∼0.1 s, suggesting a causal effect of top-down processes on bottom-up processes. We propose that this cross-frequency interaction mechanistically subserves the attentional control of stimulus selection. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Contemporary research indicates that the alpha-beta frequency band underlies top-down control, whereas the gamma-band mediates bottom-up stimulus processing. This arrangement inspires an attractive hypothesis, which posits that top-down beta-band influences directly modulate bottom-up gamma band influences via cross-frequency interaction. We evaluate this hypothesis determining that beta-band top-down influences from parietal area 7a to visual area V1 are correlated with bottom-up gamma frequency influences from V1 to area V4, in a spatially specific manner, and that this correlation is maximal when top-down activity precedes bottom-up activity. These results show that for top-down processes such as spatial attention, elevated top-down beta-band influences directly enhance feedforward stimulus-induced gamma-band processing, leading to enhancement of the selected stimulus. PMID:28592697

Hardware-in-the-loop grid simulator system and method

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

Fox, John Curtiss; Collins, Edward Randolph; Rigas, Nikolaos

A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) electrical grid simulation system and method that combines a reactive divider with a variable frequency converter to better mimic and control expected and unexpected parameters in an electrical grid. The invention provides grid simulation in a manner to allow improved testing of variable power generators, such as wind turbines, and their operation once interconnected with an electrical grid in multiple countries. The system further comprises an improved variable fault reactance (reactive divider) capable of providing a variable fault reactance power output to control a voltage profile, therein creating an arbitrary recovery voltage. The system further comprises anmore » improved isolation transformer designed to isolate zero-sequence current from either a primary or secondary winding in a transformer or pass the zero-sequence current from a primary to a secondary winding.« less

The frequency and characteristics of chronic widespread pain in general practice: a case-control study.

PubMed

Rohrbeck, Jens; Jordan, Kelvin; Croft, Peter

2007-02-01

Chronic widespread pain is common in the community but is not often diagnosed in primary care. One explanation may be that widespread pain is presented and treated in primary care as multiple episodes of regional pain. To determine whether patients who consult with multiple regional pain syndromes have characteristics consistent with chronic widespread pain. Case-control study. One general practice in North Staffordshire, UK. Participants were 148 cases who consulted regularly with different musculoskeletal pains over 5 years, and 524 controls who had not consulted for musculoskeletal pain during the same period. A postal questionnaire survey and medical record review were undertaken. Cases with musculoskeletal pain reported more health problems and higher levels of fatigue than controls, and significantly worse general health and greater sleep disturbance (odds ratios 3.3. and 3.1, respectively). They generally reported more severe symptoms and consulted more frequently for a range of problems, but this was not explained by a general propensity to consult. Patients who consult in primary care with multiple regional pain syndromes have similar characteristics to those associated with chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia. Recognising the need for general approaches to pain management, rather than treating each syndrome as a regional problem of pain, may improve the outcome in such patients.

[Community resources prescription for self-care improvement in chronic illnesses. Clinical case management in Primary Health Care].

PubMed

Pérez-Vico-Díaz de Rada, Lucía; González-Suárez, Miriam; Duarte-Clíments, Gonzalo; Brito-Brito, Pedro Ruymán

2014-01-01

A case is presented of a 52 year-old male seen in a Primary Care nursing clinic for a type 2 diabetes mellitus metabolic control. The frequency of the visits increased due to perceived difficulties caused by changing the medical treatment. A focused interview was conducted under functional health patterns framework. The patient was unable to write or read, had not worked for the last 25 years, and expressed a lack of control over his self-care. An action plan was prepared, prioritizing Ineffective Health Maintenance, Powerlessness, and Impaired Social Interaction NANDA-I nursing diagnoses. The goals were set at improving knowledge and control over his disease and participating in leisure activities. To achieve these, the social health resources in the area were contacted, and agreed that the patient could attend activities that could improve his self-care and his quality of life. An improvement in his diabetes control was observed in the following evaluations, with an increase in his level of knowledge and self-care. The Primary Health care nurse should consider available community resources by using a comprehensive approach to chronic diseases for their therapeutic benefit and management, especially in those patients with adverse sociocultural conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Effect of the consumption of a fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on constipation in childhood: a multicentre randomised controlled trial (NTRTC: 1571).

PubMed

Tabbers, Merit M; Chmielewska, Ania; Roseboom, Maaike G; Boudet, Claire; Perrin, Catherine; Szajewska, Hania; Benninga, Marc A

2009-03-18

Constipation is a frustrating symptom affecting 3% of children worldwide. Randomised controlled trials show that both polyethylene glycol and lactulose are effective in increasing defecation frequency in children with constipation. However, in 30-50%, these children reported abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea and bad taste of the medication. Two recent studies have shown that the fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis strain DN-173 010 is effective in increasing stool frequency in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients with a defecation frequency < 3/week and in constipated women with a defecation frequency < 3/week. Goal of this study is to determine whether this fermented dairy product is effective in the treatment of constipated children with a defecation frequency < 3/week. It is a two nation (The Netherlands and Poland) double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised multicentre trial in which 160 constipated children (age 3-16 years) with a defecation frequency <3/week will be randomly allocated to consume a fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 or a control product, twice a day, for 3 weeks. During the study all children are instructed to try to defecate on the toilet for 5-10 minutes after each meal (3 times a day) and daily complete a standardized bowel diary. Primary endpoint is stool frequency. Secondary endpoints are stool consistency, faecal incontinence frequency, pain during defecation, digestive symptoms (abdominal pain, flatulence), adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, bad taste) and intake of rescue medication (Bisacodyl). Rate of success and rate of responders are also evaluated, with success defined as > or = 3 bowel movements per week and < or =1 faecal incontinence episode over the last 2 weeks of product consumption and responder defined as a subject reporting a stool frequency > or = 3 on the last week of product consumption. To demonstrate that the success percentage in the intervention group will be 35% and the success percentage in the control group (acidified milk without ferments, toilet training, bowel diary) will be 15%, with alpha 0.05 and power 80%, a total sample size of 160 patients was calculated. This study is aimed to show that the fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis strain DN-173 010 is effective in increasing stool frequency after 3 weeks of product consumption in children with functional constipation and a defecation frequency < 3/week.

Effect of the consumption of a fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on constipation in childhood: a multicentre randomised controlled trial (NTRTC: 1571)

PubMed Central

Tabbers, Merit M; Chmielewska, Ania; Roseboom, Maaike G; Boudet, Claire; Perrin, Catherine; Szajewska, Hania; Benninga, Marc A

2009-01-01

Background Constipation is a frustrating symptom affecting 3% of children worldwide. Randomised controlled trials show that both polyethylene glycol and lactulose are effective in increasing defecation frequency in children with constipation. However, in 30–50%, these children reported abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea and bad taste of the medication. Two recent studies have shown that the fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis strain DN-173 010 is effective in increasing stool frequency in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients with a defecation frequency < 3/week and in constipated women with a defecation frequency < 3/week. Goal of this study is to determine whether this fermented dairy product is effective in the treatment of constipated children with a defecation frequency < 3/week. Methods/design It is a two nation (The Netherlands and Poland) double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised multicentre trial in which 160 constipated children (age 3–16 years) with a defecation frequency <3/week will be randomly allocated to consume a fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 or a control product, twice a day, for 3 weeks. During the study all children are instructed to try to defecate on the toilet for 5–10 minutes after each meal (3 times a day) and daily complete a standardized bowel diary. Primary endpoint is stool frequency. Secondary endpoints are stool consistency, faecal incontinence frequency, pain during defecation, digestive symptoms (abdominal pain, flatulence), adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, bad taste) and intake of rescue medication (Bisacodyl). Rate of success and rate of responders are also evaluated, with success defined as ≥ 3 bowel movements per week and ≤1 faecal incontinence episode over the last 2 weeks of product consumption and responder defined as a subject reporting a stool frequency ≥ 3 on the last week of product consumption. To demonstrate that the success percentage in the intervention group will be 35% and the success percentage in the control group (acidified milk without ferments, toilet training, bowel diary) will be 15%, with alpha 0.05 and power 80%, a total sample size of 160 patients was calculated. Conclusion This study is aimed to show that the fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis strain DN-173 010 is effective in increasing stool frequency after 3 weeks of product consumption in children with functional constipation and a defecation frequency < 3/week. PMID:19296845

[Evaluating the relation of premenstrual syndrome and primary dysmenorrhea in women diagnosed with fibromyalgia].

PubMed

Terzi, Rabia; Terzi, Hasan; Kale, Ahmet

2015-01-01

In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and depression among women with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy females and to determine possible factors related with PMS and PD in FM. The present study was conducted on 98 female patients diagnosed with FM and 102 age and sex-matched healthy controls. All patients were evaluated for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Premenstrual syndrome was assessed among the patients for the presence of one or more affective or somatic symptoms within the five days preceding menses. The diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea was defined as having abdominal pain or lower back pain lasting at least two days during a menstrual period. Dysmenorrhea was assessed via visual analog scale. Dysmenorrhea was rated via Multidimensional Scoring System. The Hamilton depression scale was applied to all patients. Primary dysmenorrhea was established in 41% of FM patients and 28% of the control group. A statistically significant difference was found in PD between the two groups (p=0.03). PMS was established in 42% of the FM patients and 25% of the control group. A statistically significant difference was found in PMS between the two groups (p=0.03). There is an increased frequency of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in FM patients. The patients with high symptom severity scores and high depression scores among the FM patients are at risk of PMS and PD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Frequency-Selective Attention in Auditory Scenes Recruits Frequency Representations Throughout Human Superior Temporal Cortex.

PubMed

Riecke, Lars; Peters, Judith C; Valente, Giancarlo; Kemper, Valentin G; Formisano, Elia; Sorger, Bettina

2017-05-01

A sound of interest may be tracked amid other salient sounds by focusing attention on its characteristic features including its frequency. Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings have indicated that frequency representations in human primary auditory cortex (AC) contribute to this feat. However, attentional modulations were examined at relatively low spatial and spectral resolutions, and frequency-selective contributions outside the primary AC could not be established. To address these issues, we compared blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses in the superior temporal cortex of human listeners while they identified single frequencies versus listened selectively for various frequencies within a multifrequency scene. Using best-frequency mapping, we observed that the detailed spatial layout of attention-induced BOLD response enhancements in primary AC follows the tonotopy of stimulus-driven frequency representations-analogous to the "spotlight" of attention enhancing visuospatial representations in retinotopic visual cortex. Moreover, using an algorithm trained to discriminate stimulus-driven frequency representations, we could successfully decode the focus of frequency-selective attention from listeners' BOLD response patterns in nonprimary AC. Our results indicate that the human brain facilitates selective listening to a frequency of interest in a scene by reinforcing the fine-grained activity pattern throughout the entire superior temporal cortex that would be evoked if that frequency was present alone. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought

DOE PAGES

Stuart-Haëntjens, Ellen; De Boeck, Hans J.; Lemoine, Nathan P.; ...

2018-09-01

Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitationmore » (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.« less

Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought.

PubMed

Stuart-Haëntjens, Ellen; De Boeck, Hans J; Lemoine, Nathan P; Mänd, Pille; Kröel-Dulay, György; Schmidt, Inger K; Jentsch, Anke; Stampfli, Andreas; Anderegg, William R L; Bahn, Michael; Kreyling, Juergen; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Lloret, Francisco; Classen, Aimée T; Gough, Christopher M; Smith, Melinda D

2018-04-27

Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought - a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought

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

Stuart-Haëntjens, Ellen; De Boeck, Hans J.; Lemoine, Nathan P.

Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitationmore » (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.« less

R-plasmid transfer in a wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed Central

Mach, P A; Grimes, D J

1982-01-01

Enteric bacteria have been examined for their ability to transfer antibiotic resistance in a wastewater treatment plant. Resistant Salmonella enteritidis, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli were isolated from clinical specimens and primary sewage effluent. Resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfadiazine, and tetracycline was demonstrated by spread plate and tube dilution techniques. Plasmid mediation of resistance was shown by ethidium bromide curing, agarose gel electrophoresis, and direct cell transfer. Each donor was mated with susceptible E. coli and Shigella sonnei. Mating pairs (and recipient controls) were suspended in unchlorinated primary effluent that had been filtered and autoclaved. Suspensions were added to membrane diffusion chambers which were then placed in the primary and secondary setting tanks of the wastewater treatment plant. Resistant recombinants were detected by replica plating nutrient agar master plates onto xylose lysine desoxycholate agar plates that contained per milliliter of medium 10 micrograms of ampicillin, 30 micrograms of chloramphenicol, 10 micrograms of streptomycin, 100 micrograms of sulfadiazine, or 30 micrograms of tetracycline. Mean transfer frequencies for laboratory matings were 2.1 X 10(-3). In situ matings for primary and secondary settling resulted in frequencies of 4.9 X 10(-5) and 7.5 X 10(-5), respectively. These values suggest that a significant level of resistance transfer occurs in wastewater treatment plants in the absence of antibiotics as selective agents. Images PMID:6760813

Conventional and power spectrum analysis of the effects of zolpidem on sleep EEG in patients with chronic primary insomnia.

PubMed

Monti, J M; Alvariño, F; Monti, D

2000-12-15

The purpose of this study was 1) to assess the effect of zolpidem or a placebo on sleep in two groups of insomniac patients with a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe chronic primary insomnia and 2) to determine the effect of zolpidem on sleep structure using spectral analysis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Sleep laboratory of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Clinics Hospital. 12 female outpatients with chronic primary insomnia. Zolpidem was given at a daily dose of 10 mg for 15 nights. The hypnotic drug reduced sleep latency and waking time after sleep onset, and increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency. Values corresponding to visually scored slow wave sleep (stage 3 and 4) showed no significant changes. All-night spectral analysis of the EEG revealed that power density in NREM sleep was significantly increased in the low frequency band (0.25-1.0 Hz) in the zolpidem group during the first 2-h interval. In agreement with previous findings obtained in patients with chronic primary insomnia, zolpidem significantly improved sleep induction and maintenance. Moreover, zolpidem increased power density in the 0.25-1.0 Hz band during short-term and intermediate-term treatment. Nevertheless, other frequency bands in the delta range showed a relative decrease which was not statistically significant.

Bidirectional Regulation of Innate and Learned Behaviors That Rely on Frequency Discrimination by Cortical Inhibitory Neurons

PubMed Central

Aizenberg, Mark; Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, Laetitia; Briguglio, John J.; Natan, Ryan G.; Geffen, Maria N.

2015-01-01

The ability to discriminate tones of different frequencies is fundamentally important for everyday hearing. While neurons in the primary auditory cortex (AC) respond differentially to tones of different frequencies, whether and how AC regulates auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination remains poorly understood. Here, we find that the level of activity of inhibitory neurons in AC controls frequency specificity in innate and learned auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination. Photoactivation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVs) improved the ability of the mouse to detect a shift in tone frequency, whereas photosuppression of PVs impaired the performance. Furthermore, photosuppression of PVs during discriminative auditory fear conditioning increased generalization of conditioned response across tone frequencies, whereas PV photoactivation preserved normal specificity of learning. The observed changes in behavioral performance were correlated with bidirectional changes in the magnitude of tone-evoked responses, consistent with predictions of a model of a coupled excitatory-inhibitory cortical network. Direct photoactivation of excitatory neurons, which did not change tone-evoked response magnitude, did not affect behavioral performance in either task. Our results identify a new function for inhibition in the auditory cortex, demonstrating that it can improve or impair acuity of innate and learned auditory behaviors that rely on frequency discrimination. PMID:26629746

Not extinct yet: innovations in frequency domain HEM triggered by sea ice studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfaffhuber, Andreas A.; Hendricks, Stefan

2015-10-01

The last 15 years have brought major innovations in helicopter towed time domain electromagnetics (EM), while few further developments have been made within the classic frequency domain segment. Operational use of frequency domain EM for sea ice thickness mapping acted as a driving force to develop new concepts such as the system under our consideration. Since its introduction we have implemented new concepts aiming at noise reduction and drift elimination. We decreased signal noise base levels by one to two orders of magnitude with changes to the signal transmission concept. Further, we increased the receiver coil dynamic range creating an EM setup without the need for primary field bucking. Finally, we implemented control signals inside the receiver coils to potentially eliminate system drift. Ground tests demonstrate the desired noise reduction and demonstrate drift control, leading to essentially drift free data. Airborne field data confirm these results, yet also show that the procedures can still be improved. The remaining quest is whether these specialised system improvements could also be implemented in exploration helicopter EM (HEM) systems to increase accuracy and efficiency.

Golf putt outcomes are predicted by sensorimotor cerebral EEG rhythms

PubMed Central

Babiloni, Claudio; Del Percio, Claudio; Iacoboni, Marco; Infarinato, Francesco; Lizio, Roberta; Marzano, Nicola; Crespi, Gianluca; Dassù, Federica; Pirritano, Mirella; Gallamini, Michele; Eusebi, Fabrizio

2008-01-01

It is not known whether frontal cerebral rhythms of the two hemispheres are implicated in fine motor control and balance. To address this issue, electroencephalographic (EEG) and stabilometric recordings were simultaneously performed in 12 right-handed expert golfers. The subjects were asked to stand upright on a stabilometric force platform placed at a golf green simulator while playing about 100 golf putts. Balance during the putts was indexed by body sway area. Cortical activity was indexed by the power reduction in spatially enhanced alpha (8–12 Hz) and beta (13–30 Hz) rhythms during movement, referred to as the pre-movement period. It was found that the body sway area displayed similar values in the successful and unsuccessful putts. In contrast, the high-frequency alpha power (about 10–12 Hz) was smaller in amplitude in the successful than in the unsuccessful putts over the frontal midline and the arm and hand region of the right primary sensorimotor area; the stronger the reduction of the alpha power, the smaller the error of the unsuccessful putts (i.e. distance from the hole). These results indicate that high-frequency alpha rhythms over associative, premotor and non-dominant primary sensorimotor areas subserve motor control and are predictive of the golfer's performance. PMID:17947315

Modal cost analysis for simple continua

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, A.; Skelton, R. E.; Yang, T. Y.

1988-01-01

The most popular finite element codes are based upon appealing theories of convergence of modal frequencies. For example, the popularity of cubic elements for beam-like structures is due to the rapid convergence of modal frequencies and stiffness properties. However, for those problems in which the primary consideration is the accuracy of response of the structure at specified locations, it is more important to obtain accuracy in the modal costs than in the modal frequencies. The modal cost represents the contribution of a mode in the norm of the response vector. This paper provides a complete modal cost analysis for simple continua such as beam-like structures. Upper bounds are developed for mode truncation errors in the model reduction process and modal cost analysis dictates which modes to retain in order to reduce the model for control design purposes.

The safety climate in primary care (SAP-C) study: study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study.

PubMed

Lydon, Sinéad; Cupples, Margaret E; Hart, Nigel; Murphy, Andrew W; Faherty, Aileen; O'Connor, Paul

2016-01-01

Research on patient safety has focused largely on secondary care settings, and there is a dearth of knowledge relating to safety culture or climate, and safety climate improvement strategies, in the context of primary care. This is problematic given the high rates of usage of primary care services and the myriad of opportunities for clinical errors daily. The current research programme aimed to assess the effectiveness of an intervention derived from the Scottish Patient Safety Programme in Primary Care. The intervention consists of safety climate measurement and feedback and patient chart audit using the trigger review method. The purpose of this paper is to describe the background to this research and to present the methodology of this feasibility study in preparation for a future definitive RCT. The SAP-C study is a feasibility study employing a randomised controlled pretest-posttest design that will be conducted in 10 general practices in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Five practices will receive the safety climate intervention over a 9-month period. The five practices in the control group will continue care as usual but will complete the GP-SafeQuest safety climate questionnaire at baseline (month 1) and at the terminus of the intervention (month 9). The outcomes of the study include process evaluation metrics (i.e. rates of participant recruitment and retention, rates of completion of safety climate measures, qualitative data regarding participants' perceptions of the intervention's potential efficacy, acceptability, and sustainability), patient safety culture in intervention and control group practices at posttest, and instances of undetected patient harm identified through patient chart audit using the trigger review method. The planned study investigates an intervention to improve safety climate in Irish primary care settings. The resulting data may inform our knowledge of the frequency of undetected patient safety incidents in primary care, may contribute to improved patient safety practices in primary care settings, and may inform future research on patient safety improvement initiatives.

Calculation of selective filters of a device for primary analysis of speech signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudnovskii, L. S.; Ageev, V. M.

2014-07-01

The amplitude-frequency responses of filters for primary analysis of speech signals, which have a low quality factor and a high rolloff factor in the high-frequency range, are calculated using the linear theory of speech production and psychoacoustic measurement data. The frequency resolution of the filter system for a sinusoidal signal is 40-200 Hz. The modulation-frequency resolution of amplitude- and frequency-modulated signals is 3-6 Hz. The aforementioned features of the calculated filters are close to the amplitudefrequency responses of biological auditory systems at the level of the eighth nerve.

Operation ranges and dynamic capabilities of variable-speed pumped-storage hydropower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercier, Thomas; Olivier, Mathieu; Dejaeger, Emmanuel

2017-04-01

The development of renewable and intermittent power generation creates incentives for the development of both energy storage solutions and more flexible power generation assets. Pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) is the most established and mature energy storage technology, but recent developments in power electronics have created a renewed interest by providing PSH units with a variable-speed feature, thereby increasing their flexibility. This paper reviews technical considerations related to variable-speed PSH in link with the provision of primary frequency control, also referred to as frequency containment reserves (FCRs). Based on the detailed characteristics of a scale model pump-turbine, the variable-speed operation ranges in pump and turbine modes are precisely assessed and the implications for the provision of FCRs are highlighted. Modelling and control for power system studies are discussed, both for fixed- and variable-speed machines and simulation results are provided to illustrate the high dynamic capabilities of variable-speed PSH.

Measurements of Acoustic Properties of Porous and Granular Materials and Application to Vibration Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Junhong; Palumbo, Daniel L.

2004-01-01

For application of porous and granular materials to vibro-acoustic controls, a finite dynamic strength of the solid component (frame) is an important design factor. The primary goal of this study was to investigate structural vibration damping through this frame wave propagation for various poroelastic materials. A measurement method to investigate the vibration characteristics of the frame was proposed. The measured properties were found to follow closely the characteristics of the viscoelastic materials - the dynamic modulus increased with frequency and the degree of the frequency dependence was determined by its loss factor. The dynamic stiffness of hollow cylindrical beams containing porous and granular materials as damping treatment was measured also. The data were used to extract the damping materials characteristics using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The results suggested that the acoustic structure interaction between the frame and the structure enhances the dissipation of the vibration energy significantly.

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-73, Launched October 20, 1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Melissa J. B.; DeLombard, Richard

1996-01-01

The microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia was measured during the STS-73 mission using accelerometers from five different instruments: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, the Space Acceleration Measurement System, the Three-dimensional Microgravity Accelerometer, the Microgravity Measuring Device, and Suppression of Transient Accelerations by Levitation Evaluation System. The Microgravity Analysis Workstation quasi-steady environment calculation and comparison of this calculation with Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data was used to assess how appropriate a planned attitude was expected to be for one Crystal Growth Facility experiment sample. The microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew, and experiment operations is presented and interpreted in this report. Data are examined to show the effects of vernier reaction control system jet firings for Orbiter attitude control. This is compared to examples of data when no thrusters were firing, when the primary reaction control system jets were used for attitude control, and when single vernier jets were fired for test purposes. In general, vernier jets, when used for attitude control, cause accelerations in the 3 x 10(exp -4) g to 7 x 10(exp -4) g range. Primary jets used in this manner cause accelerations in the 0.01 to 0.025 g range. Other significant disturbance sources characterized are water dump operations, with Y(sub b) axis acceleration deviations of about 1 x 10(exp -6) g; payload bay door opening motion, with Y(sub o) and Z(sub o) axis accelerations of frequency 0.4 Hz; and probable Glovebox fan operations with notable frequency components at 20, 38, 43, 48, and 53 Hz. The STS-73 microgravity environment is comparable to the environments measured on earlier microgravity science missions.

[Association of ABCG2 gene C421A polymorphism and susceptibility of primary gout in Han Chinese males].

PubMed

Li, Fa-gui; Chu, Yi; Meng, Dong-mei; Tong, Ya-wen

2011-12-01

To assess the association between a C421A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 5 of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G (WHITE), member 2 (ABCG2) gene and susceptibility of primary gout in Han Chinese males. For 200 male patients with primary gout and 235 controls, the genotype of C421A locus was analyzed by PCR and direct sequencing. Blood glucose, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine and urea nitrogen was measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Compared with the controls, there was a higher frequency for AA genotype and A allele of the rs2231142 SNP in gout patients (22.5% vs. 8.5% by genotype; 44.9% vs. 32.3% by allele). The association with gout reached significance (chi-square =15.91, P< 0.001, crude OR=3.02, 95% CI:1.36-4.90 and OR (adjusted by age)=1.80, 95% CI: 1.32-2.45 by dominant mode; chi-square=6.82, P=0.009, OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.54-2.27 by recessive mode). Blood glucose, uric acid, triglycerides, creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in gout patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P< 0.001). The C421A SNP, in particular AA phenotype, may be associated with susceptibility of primary gout in Han Chinese males.

Wind Evaluation Breadboard electronics and software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Núñez, Miguel; Reyes, Marcos; Viera, Teodora; Zuluaga, Pablo

2008-07-01

WEB, the Wind Evaluation Breadboard, is an Extremely Large Telescope Primary Mirror simulator, developed with the aim of quantifying the ability of a segmented primary mirror to cope with wind disturbances. This instrument supported by the European Community (Framework Programme 6, ELT Design Study), is developed by ESO, IAC, MEDIA-ALTRAN, JUPASA and FOGALE. The WEB is a bench of about 20 tons and 7 meter diameter emulating a segmented primary mirror and its cell, with 7 hexagonal segments simulators, including electromechanical support systems. In this paper we present the WEB central control electronics and the software development which has to interface with: position actuators, auxiliary slave actuators, edge sensors, azimuth ring, elevation actuator, meteorological station and air balloons enclosure. The set of subsystems to control is a reduced version of a real telescope segmented primary mirror control system with high real time performance but emphasizing on development time efficiency and flexibility, because WEB is a test bench. The paper includes a detailed description of hardware and software, paying special attention to real time performance. The Hardware is composed of three computers and the Software architecture has been divided in three intercommunicated applications and they have been implemented using Labview over Windows XP and Pharlap ETS real time operating system. The edge sensors and position actuators close loop has a sampling and commanding frequency of 1KHz.

Therapeutic Exercise Training to Reduce Chronic Headache in Working Women: Design of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Rinne, Marjo; Garam, Sanna; Häkkinen, Arja; Ylinen, Jari; Kukkonen-Harjula, Katriina; Nikander, Riku

2016-05-01

Cervicogenic headache and migraine are common causes of visits to physicians and physical therapists. Few randomized trials utilizing active physical therapy and progressive therapeutic exercise have been previously published. The existing evidence on active treatment methods supports a moderate effect on cervicogenic headache. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a progressive, group-based therapeutic exercise program decreases the intensity and frequency of chronic headache among women compared with a control group receiving a sham dose of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and stretching exercises. A randomized controlled trial with 6-month intervention and follow-up was developed. The participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. The study is being conducted at 2 study centers. The participants are women aged 18 to 60 years with chronic cervicogenic headache or migraine. The treatment group's exercise program consisted of 6 progressive therapeutic exercise modules, including proprioceptive low-load progressive craniocervical and cervical exercises and high-load exercises for the neck muscles. The participants in the control group received 6 individually performed sham TENS treatment sessions. The primary outcome is the intensity of headache. The secondary outcomes are changes in frequency and duration of headache, neck muscle strength, neck and shoulder flexibility, impact of headache on daily life, neck disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, work ability, and quality of life. Between-group differences will be analyzed separately at 6, 12, and 24 months with generalized linear mixed models. In the case of count data (eg, frequency of headache), Poisson or negative binomial regression will be used. The therapists are not blinded. The effects of specific therapeutic exercises on frequency, intensity, and duration of chronic headache and migraine will be reported. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

The Tracking Study: Description of a randomized controlled trial of variations on weight tracking frequency in a behavioral weight loss program

PubMed Central

Linde, Jennifer A.; Jeffery, Robert W.; Crow, Scott J.; Brelje, Kerrin L.; Pacanowski, Carly R.; Gavin, Kara L.; Smolenski, Derek J.

2014-01-01

Observational evidence from behavioral weight control trials and community studies suggests that greater frequency of weighing oneself, or tracking weight, is associated with better weight outcomes. Conversely, it has also been suggested that frequent weight tracking may have a negative impact on mental health and outcomes during weight loss, but there are minimal experimental data that address this concern in the context of an active weight loss program. To achieve the long-term goal of strengthening behavioral weight loss programs, the purpose of this randomized controlled trial (the Tracking Study) is to test variations on frequency of self-weighing during a behavioral weight loss program, and to examine psychosocial and mental health correlates of weight tracking and weight loss outcomes. Three hundred thirty-nine overweight and obese adults were recruited and randomized to one of three variations on weight tracking frequency during a 12-month weight loss program with a 12-month follow-up: daily weight tracking, weekly weight tracking, or no weight tracking. The primary outcome is weight in kilograms at 24 months. The weight loss program integrates each weight tracking instruction with standard behavioral weight loss techniques (goal setting, self-monitoring, stimulus control, dietary and physical activity enhancements, lifestyle modifications); participants in weight tracking conditions were provided with wireless Internet technology (Wi-Fi-enabled digital scales and touchscreen personal devices) to facilitate weight tracking during the study. This paper describes the study design, intervention features, recruitment, and baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in the Tracking Study. PMID:25533727

Education on tick bite and Lyme borreliosis prevention, aimed at schoolchildren in the Netherlands: comparing the effects of an online educational video game versus a leaflet or no intervention.

PubMed

Beaujean, D J M A; Gassner, F; Wong, A; Steenbergen, J E; Crutzen, R; Ruwaard, D

2016-11-16

Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne disease both in the United States and Europe. Children, in particular, are at high risk of contracting LB. Since child-specific educational tools on ticks, tick bites and LB are lacking, we developed an online educational video game. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of an online educational video game versus a newly developed leaflet aimed to improve prevention of tick bites and LB among Dutch schoolchildren. A total of 887 children, aged 9-13 years and attending the two final years of primary schooling, were recruited from 25 primary schools in June and July 2012. They were assigned through cluster randomization to one of three intervention groups: 'game' (22.4%), 'leaflet' (35.6%) or 'control' (41.9%). Prior to and directly following intervention, the children were asked to complete a short questionnaire. The main outcome measures were knowledge, perception (perceived susceptibility and importance) and preventive behavior in relation to tick bites and LB. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the data. In the game group, the leaflet group and the control group, knowledge about ticks and tick bites improved significantly. The game was also an effective tool for improving preventive behavior; the frequency of checking for ticks increased significantly. However, there were no significant differences in knowledge improvement between the interventions. The game outperformed the leaflet in terms of improving preventive behavior, whereas the frequency of tick checks increased significantly. But this frequency didn't increase more than in the control group. The positive knowledge effects observed in the control group suggests the presence of a mere measurement effect related to completion of the questionnaire. The game did not outperform the leaflet or control group on all outcome measures. Therefore, the game may be of value as a complementary role, in addition to other media, in child-specific public health education programs on ticks and LB. This trial was retrospectively registered on October 21, 2016 (trial registration number: ISRCTN15142369).

Evaluation of primary DNA damage, cytogenetic biomarkers and genetic polymorphisms for CYP1A1 and GSTM1 in road tunnel construction workers.

PubMed

Villarini, M; Moretti, M; Fatigoni, C; Agea, E; Dominici, L; Mattioli, A; Volpi, R; Pasquini, R

2008-01-01

In tunnel construction workers, occupational exposure to dust (alpha-quartz and other particles from blasting), gases (nitrogen dioxide, NO(2)), diesel exhausts, and oil mist has been associated with lung function decline, induction of inflammatory reactions in the lungs with release of mediators that may influence blood coagulation, and increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The present molecular epidemiology study was designed to evaluate whether occupational exposure to indoor pollutants during road tunnel construction might result in genotoxic effects. A study group of 39 underground workers and a reference group of 34 unexposed subjects were examined. Primary and oxidative DNA damage, sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), and micronuclei (MN) were measured in peripheral blood cells. The possible influences of polymorphisms in gene encoding for CYP1A1 and GSTM1 xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were also investigated. Exposure assessment was performed with detailed interviews and questionnaires. There were no significant differences in the level of primary and oxidative DNA damage and frequency of SCE between the tunnel workers and controls, whereas the frequency of MN showed a significant increase in exposed subjects compared to controls. No effects of CYP1A1 or GSTM1 variants were observed for the analyzed biomarkers. Since MN in peripheral blood lymphocytes are recognized as a predictive biomarker of cancer risk within a population of healthy subjects, the genotoxic risk of occupational exposure to various indoor environmental pollutants during road tunnel construction cannot be excluded by this biomonitoring study.

A mobile phone intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men: study protocol for a randomised controlled cost-effectiveness trial.

PubMed

Crombie, Iain K; Irvine, Linda; Williams, Brian; Sniehotta, Falko F; Petrie, Dennis; Evans, Josie Mm; Emslie, Carol; Jones, Claire; Ricketts, Ian W; Humphris, Gerry; Norrie, John; Rice, Peter; Slane, Peter W

2014-12-19

Socially disadvantaged men are at a substantially higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems. The frequency of heavy drinking in a single session is high among disadvantaged men. Brief alcohol interventions were developed for, and are usually delivered in, healthcare settings. The group who binge drink most frequently, young to middle-aged disadvantaged men, have less contact with health services and there is a need for an alternative method of intervention delivery. Text messaging has been used successfully to modify other adverse health behaviours. This study will test whether text messages can reduce the frequency of binge drinking by disadvantaged men. Disadvantaged men aged 25 to 44 years who drank >8 units of alcohol at least twice in the preceding month will be recruited from the community. Two recruitment strategies will be used: contacting men listed in primary care registers, and a community outreach method (time-space sampling). The intended sample of 798 men will be randomised to intervention or control, stratifying by recruitment method. The intervention group will receive a series of text messages designed to reduce the frequency of binge drinking through the formation of specific action plans. The control group will receive behaviourally neutral text messages intended to promote retention in the study. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of men consuming >8 units on at least three occasions in the previous 30 days. Secondary outcomes include total alcohol consumption and the frequency of consuming more than 16 units of alcohol in one session in the previous month. Process measures, developed during a previous feasibility study, will monitor engagement with the key behaviour change components of the intervention. The study will incorporate an economic evaluation comparing the costs of recruitment and intervention delivery with the benefits of reduced alcohol-related harm. This study will assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention, delivered by text messages, aimed at reducing the frequency of binge drinking in disadvantaged men. The process measures will identify components of the intervention which contribute to effectiveness. The study will also determine whether any benefit of the intervention is justified by the costs of intervening. ISRCTN07695192. Date assigned: 14 August 2013.

Treatment of Non-neurogenic Overactive Bladder with OnabotulinumtoxinA: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Arruda, Raquel Martins; Takano, Claudia Cristina; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castelo; Haddad, Jorge Milhem; Aleixo, Gabriel Francisco; Castro, Rodrigo Aquino

2018-04-01

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials that studied non-neurogenic overactive bladder patients who were treated with 100 units of onabotulinumtoxinA or placebo. The primary purpose of our study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness with regard to urinary urgency, urinary frequency, nocturia, and incontinence episodes. Our secondary purpose consisted of evaluating the adverse effects. Our initial search yielded 532 entries. Of these, seven studies met all the inclusion criteria (prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled studies, ≥ 3 points on the Jadad scale) and were selected for analysis. For all primary endpoints, the toxin was more effective than placebo ( p  < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval [95CI]), namely: urgency (mean difference = -2.07; 95CI = [-2.55-1.58]), voiding frequency (mean difference = -1.64; 95CI = [-2.10-1.18]), nocturia (mean difference = -0.25; 95CI = [-0.39-0.11]) and incontinence episodes (mean difference = -2.06; 95CI= [-2.60-1.52]). The need for intermittent catheterization and the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI) were more frequent in patients treated with onabotulinumtoxinA than in patients treated with placebo ( p  < 0.0001). Compared with placebo, onabotulinumtoxinA had significantly and clinically relevant reductions in overactive bladder symptoms and is associated with higher incidence of intermittent catheterization and UTI. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Validity and reliability of parental report of frequency, severity and risk factors of urinary tract infection and urinary incontinence in children.

PubMed

Sureshkumar, Premala; Cumming, Robert G; Craig, Jonathan C

2006-06-01

We describe the validity and reliability of a questionnaire designed to determine frequency, severity and risk factors of urinary tract infection and daytime urinary incontinence in primary school-age children. Based on published validated questionnaires and advice from content experts, a questionnaire was developed and piloted in children attending outpatient clinics. Construct validity for parent report of frequency and severity of daytime urinary incontinence was tested by comparison with a daily accident diary in 52 primary school children, and criterion validity of parent report for UTI was verified by comparison with the reference standard (urine culture) in 100 primary school children. Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was assessed in 106 children from primary schools. There was excellent agreement between the questionnaire and accident diary in severity (weighted kappa 0.94, 95% confidence intervals 0.85 to 1.03) and frequency of daytime urinary incontinence (0.88, 0.7 to 1.0). Parents reported urinary tract infection in 15% of children, compared to a positive urine culture in 8% (sensitivity 100% and specificity 68.5%). Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was excellent (mean k 0.78, range 0.61 to 1.00). Parents overreport UTI by about 2-fold but can recall frequency and severity of daytime urinary incontinence well during a 3-month period. The developed questionnaire is a valid tool to estimate frequency, severity and risk factors of daytime urinary incontinence and UTI in primary school children.

Landing response of Aedes (Stegomyia) polynesiensis mosquitoes to coloured targets.

PubMed

Chambers, E W; Bossin, H C; Ritchie, S A; Russell, R C; Dobson, S L

2013-09-01

Aedes polynesiensis Marks (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary vector of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in the island countries and territories of the South Pacific. In the development of a novel control tool, the response of Ae. polynesiensis to six different colours (three solid fabrics, two patterned fabrics and a plastic tarp) was measured using a digital photographic system. Adult mosquitoes were placed into an environmental chamber and allowed to choose between a white target and one of six experimental targets. Mosquito landing frequency and landing duration were calculated. Adult female Ae. polynesiensis preferred all of the experimental targets to the white control target. Mosquito landing frequency was highest for the solid targets (black, navy blue and red) followed in turn by the two colour pattern targets and the polyethylene target. Mosquito landing duration was greater for experimental targets when compared with white control targets. Mosquito landing frequencies did not change over time during the course of the assay. The response of male Ae. polynesiensis was also measured when exposed to a 100% cotton black target. Male mosquitoes preferred the black target to the white control target, although at levels lower than that observed in female mosquitoes. The results suggest that future investigations evaluating the visual responses of Ae. polynesiensis mosquitoes are warranted, with a special emphasis on semi-field and field-based experiments. © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society.

An innovative approach to compensator design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J. R.

1972-01-01

The primary goal is to present for a control system a computer-aided-compensator design technique from a frequency domain point of view. The thesis for developing this technique is to describe the open loop frequency response by n discrete frequency points which result in n functions of the compensator coefficients. Several of these functions are chosen so that the system specifications are properly portrayed; then mathematical programming is used to improve all of these functions which have values below minimum standards. In order to do this several definitions in regard to measuring the performance of a system in the frequency domain are given. Next, theorems which govern the number of compensator coefficients necessary to make improvements in a certain number of functions are proved. After this a mathematical programming tool for aiding in the solution of the problem is developed. Then for applying the constraint improvement algorithm generalized gradients for the constraints are derived. Finally, the necessary theory is incorporated in a computer program called CIP (compensator improvement program).

Application of Calspan pitch rate control system to the Space Shuttle for approach and landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weingarten, N. C.; Chalk, C. R.

1983-01-01

A pitch rate control system designed for use in the shuttle during approach and landing was analyzed and compared with a revised control system developed by NASA and the existing OFT control system. The design concept control system uses filtered pitch rate feedback with proportional plus integral paths in the forward loop. Control system parameters were designed as a function of flight configuration. Analysis included time and frequency domain techniques. Results indicate that both the Calspan and NASA systems significantly improve the flying qualities of the shuttle over the OFT. Better attitude and flight path control and less time delay are the primary reasons. The Calspan system is preferred because of reduced time delay and simpler mechanization. Further testing of the improved flight control systems in an in-flight simulator is recommended.

Tuned Chamber Core Panel Acoustic Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiller, Noah H.; Allen, Albert R.

2016-01-01

This report documents acoustic testing of tuned chamber core panels, which can be used to supplement the low-frequency performance of conventional acoustic treatment. The tuned chamber core concept incorporates low-frequency noise control directly within the primary structure and is applicable to sandwich constructions with a directional core, including corrugated-, truss-, and fluted-core designs. These types of sandwich structures have long, hollow channels (or chambers) in the core. By adding small holes through one of the facesheets, the hollow chambers can be utilized as an array of low-frequency acoustic resonators. These resonators can then be used to attenuate low-frequency noise (below 400 Hz) inside a vehicle compartment without increasing the weight or size of the structure. The results of this test program demonstrate that the tuned chamber core concept is effective when used in isolation or combined with acoustic foam treatments. Specifically, an array of acoustic resonators integrated within the core of the panels was shown to improve both the low-frequency absorption and transmission loss of the structure in targeted one-third octave bands.

Research and Development for an Alternative RF Source Using Magnetrons in CEBAF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Andrew

2016-09-01

At Jefferson Lab, klystrons are currently used as a radiofrequency (RF) power source for the 1497 MHz Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) Continuous Wave (CW) system. A drop-in replacement for the klystrons in the form of a system of magnetrons is being developed. The klystron DC-RF efficiency at CEBAF is 35-51% while the estimated magnetron efficiency is 80-90%. Thus, the introduction of magnetrons to CEBAF will have enormous benefits in terms of electrical power saving. The primary focus of this project was to characterize a magnetron's frequency pushing and pulling curves at 2.45 GHz with stub tuner and anode current adjustments so that a Low Level RF controller for a new 1.497 GHz magnetron can be built. A Virtual Instrument was created in LabVIEW, and data was taken. The resulting data allowed for the creation of many constant lines of frequency and output power. Additionally, the results provided a characterization of magnetron oven temperature drift over the operation time and the relationship between anode current and frequency. Using these results, the control model of different variables and their feedback or feedforward that affect the frequency pushing and pulling of the magnetron is better developed. Department of Energy, Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships, and Jefferson Lab.

Multifunction waveform generator for EM receiver testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kai; Jin, Sheng; Deng, Ming

2018-01-01

In many electromagnetic (EM) methods - such as magnetotelluric, spectral-induced polarization (SIP), time-domain-induced polarization (TDIP), and controlled-source audio magnetotelluric (CSAMT) methods - it is important to evaluate and test the EM receivers during their development stage. To assess the performance of the developed EM receivers, controlled synthetic data that simulate the observed signals in different modes are required. In CSAMT and SIP mode testing, the waveform generator should use the GPS time as the reference for repeating schedule. Based on our testing, the frequency range, frequency precision, and time synchronization of the currently available function waveform generators on the market are deficient. This paper presents a multifunction waveform generator with three waveforms: (1) a wideband, low-noise electromagnetic field signal to be used for magnetotelluric, audio-magnetotelluric, and long-period magnetotelluric studies; (2) a repeating frequency sweep square waveform for CSAMT and SIP studies; and (3) a positive-zero-negative-zero signal that contains primary and secondary fields for TDIP studies. In this paper, we provide the principles of the above three waveforms along with a hardware design for the generator. Furthermore, testing of the EM receiver was conducted with the waveform generator, and the results of the experiment were compared with those calculated from the simulation and theory in the frequency band of interest.

Frequency and peak stretch magnitude affect alveolar epithelial permeability.

PubMed

Cohen, T S; Cavanaugh, K J; Margulies, S S

2008-10-01

The present study measured stretch-induced changes in transepithelial permeability to uncharged tracers (1.5-5.5 A) using cultured monolayers of alveolar epithelial type-I like cells. Cultured alveolar epithelial cells were subjected to uniform cyclic (0, 0.25 and 1.0 Hz) biaxial stretch from 0% to 12, 25 or 37% change in surface area (DeltaSA) for 1 h. Significant changes in permeability of cell monolayers were observed when stretched from 0% to 37% DeltaSA at all frequencies, and from 0% to 25% DeltaSA only at high frequency (1 Hz), but not at all when stretched from 0% to 12% DeltaSA compared with unstretched controls. At stretch oscillation amplitudes of 25 and 37% DeltaSA, imposed at 1 Hz, tracer permeability increased compared with that at 0.25 Hz. Cells subjected to a single stretch cycle at 37% DeltaSA (0.25 Hz), to simulate a deep sigh, were not distinguishable from unstretched controls. Reducing stretch oscillation amplitude while maintaining a peak stretch of 37% DeltaSA (0.25 Hz) via the application of a simulated post-end-expiratory pressure did not protect barrier properties. In conclusion, peak stretch magnitude and stretch frequency were the primary determining factors for epithelial barrier dysfunction, as opposed to oscillation amplitude.

Patterns of hand preference for pairs of actions and the classification of handedness.

PubMed

Annett, Marian

2009-08-01

Pairs of actions such as write x throw and throw x racquet were examined for items of the Annett hand preference questionnaire (AHPQ). Right (R) and left (L) responses were described for frequencies of RR, RL, LR, and LL pairings (write x throw etc.) in a large representative combined sample with the aim of discovering the distribution over the population as a whole. The frequencies of RL pairings varied significantly over the different item pairs but the frequencies of LR pairings were fairly constant. An important difference was found between primary actions (originally write, throw, racquet, match, toothbrush, hammer with the later addition of scissors for right-handers) and non-primary actions (needle and thread, broom, spade, dealing playing cards, and unscrewing the lid of a jar). For primary actions, there were similar numbers of right and left writers using the 'other' hand. For non-primary actions more right-handers used the left hand than for primary actions but more left-handers did not use the right hand. That is, different frequencies of response to primary versus non-primary actions were found for right-handers but not for left-handers. The pattern of findings was repeated for a corresponding analysis of left-handed throwing x AHPQ actions. The findings have implications for the classification of hand preferences and for analyses of the nature of hand skill.

Design, analysis and control of large transports so that control of engine thrust can be used as a back-up of the primary flight controls. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roskam, Jan; Ackers, Deane E.; Gerren, Donna S.

1995-01-01

A propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA) system has been developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to provide safe, emergency landing capability should the primary flight control system of the aircraft fail. As a result of the successful PCA work being done at NASA Dryden, this project investigated the possibility of incorporating the PCA system as a backup flight control system in the design of a large, ultra-high capacity megatransport in such a way that flight path control using only the engines is not only possible, but meets MIL-Spec Level 1 or Level 2 handling quality requirements. An 800 passenger megatransport aircraft was designed and programmed into the NASA Dryden simulator. Many different analysis methods were used to evaluate the flying qualities of the megatransport while using engine thrust for flight path control, including: (1) Bode and root locus plot analysis to evaluate the frequency and damping ratio response of the megatransport; (2) analysis of actual simulator strip chart recordings to evaluate the time history response of the megatransport; and (3) analysis of Cooper-Harper pilot ratings by two NaSA test pilots.

FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN GAP JUNCTION FUNCTION IN PRIMARY HEPATOCYTES

EPA Science Inventory

FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN GAP JUNCTION FUNCTION IN PRIMARY HEPATOCYTES. X. Wang1 *, D.E. Housel *, J. Page2, C.F. Blackmanl. 1 National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, USEPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711 USA, 2Oakland, California USA
...

Real-Time Load-Side Control of Electric Power Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Changhong

Two trends are emerging from modern electric power systems: the growth of renewable (e.g., solar and wind) generation, and the integration of information technologies and advanced power electronics. The former introduces large, rapid, and random fluctuations in power supply, demand, frequency, and voltage, which become a major challenge for real-time operation of power systems. The latter creates a tremendous number of controllable intelligent endpoints such as smart buildings and appliances, electric vehicles, energy storage devices, and power electronic devices that can sense, compute, communicate, and actuate. Most of these endpoints are distributed on the load side of power systems, in contrast to traditional control resources such as centralized bulk generators. This thesis focuses on controlling power systems in real time, using these load side resources. Specifically, it studies two problems. (1) Distributed load-side frequency control: We establish a mathematical framework to design distributed frequency control algorithms for flexible electric loads. In this framework, we formulate a category of optimization problems, called optimal load control (OLC), to incorporate the goals of frequency control, such as balancing power supply and demand, restoring frequency to its nominal value, restoring inter-area power flows, etc., in a way that minimizes total disutility for the loads to participate in frequency control by deviating from their nominal power usage. By exploiting distributed algorithms to solve OLC and analyzing convergence of these algorithms, we design distributed load-side controllers and prove stability of closed-loop power systems governed by these controllers. This general framework is adapted and applied to different types of power systems described by different models, or to achieve different levels of control goals under different operation scenarios. We first consider a dynamically coherent power system which can be equivalently modeled with a single synchronous machine. We then extend our framework to a multi-machine power network, where we consider primary and secondary frequency controls, linear and nonlinear power flow models, and the interactions between generator dynamics and load control. (2) Two-timescale voltage control: The voltage of a power distribution system must be maintained closely around its nominal value in real time, even in the presence of highly volatile power supply or demand. For this purpose, we jointly control two types of reactive power sources: a capacitor operating at a slow timescale, and a power electronic device, such as a smart inverter or a D-STATCOM, operating at a fast timescale. Their control actions are solved from optimal power flow problems at two timescales. Specifically, the slow-timescale problem is a chance-constrained optimization, which minimizes power loss and regulates the voltage at the current time instant while limiting the probability of future voltage violations due to stochastic changes in power supply or demand. This control framework forms the basis of an optimal sizing problem, which determines the installation capacities of the control devices by minimizing the sum of power loss and capital cost. We develop computationally efficient heuristics to solve the optimal sizing problem and implement real-time control. Numerical experiments show that the proposed sizing and control schemes significantly improve the reliability of voltage control with a moderate increase in cost.

Calibration of TWSTFT Links Through the Triangle Closure Condition

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

40th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Meeting 467 CALIBRATION OF TWSTFT LINKS THROUGH THE TRIANGLE CLOSURE CONDITION Z... TWSTFT (Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer, TW for short) is, together with GPS time transfer, the primary technique used for UTC generation...valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 01 DEC 2008 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Calibration Of Twstft Links

Coronary artery ectasia, an independent predictor of no-reflow after primary PCI for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Schram, H C F; Hemradj, V V; Hermanides, R S; Kedhi, E; Ottervanger, J P

2018-04-25

The no-reflow phenomenon is a serious complication after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) may increase the risk of no-reflow, however, only limited data is available on the potential impact of CAE. The aim of this study was to determine the potential association between CAE and no-reflow after primary PCI. A case control study was performed based on a prospective cohort of STEMI patients from January 2000 to December 2011. All patients with TIMI 0-1 flow post primary PCI, in the absence of dissection, thrombus, spasm or high-grade residual stenosis, were considered as no-reflow case. Control subjects were two consecutive STEMI patients after each case, with TIMI flow ≥2 after primary PCI. CAE was defined as dilatation of an arterial segment to a diameter at least 1.5 times that of the adjacent normal coronary artery. In the no-reflow group, frequency of CAE was significantly higher (33.8% vs 3.9%, p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Baseline variables were comparable between patients with and without CAE. Patients with CAE had more often TIMI 0-1 flow pre-PCI (91% vs 71% p = 0.03), less often anterior STEMI (3% vs 37%, p < 0.001) and underwent significantly less often a PCI with stenting (47% vs 74%, p = 0.003). After multivariate analysis, CAE remained a strong and independent predictor of no-reflow (OR 13.9, CI 4.7-41.2, p < 0.001). CAE is a strong and independent predictor of no-reflow after primary PCI for STEMI. Future studies should assess optimal treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

- 174 G>C IL-6 polymorphism and primary iron overload in male patients.

PubMed

Tetzlaff, Walter F; Meroño, Tomás; Botta, Eliana E; Martín, Maximiliano E; Sorroche, Patricia B; Boero, Laura E; Castro, Marcelo; Frechtel, Gustavo D; Rey, Jorge; Daruich, Jorge; Cerrone, Gloria E; Brites, Fernando

2018-04-14

Primary iron overload (IO) is commonly associated with mutations in the hereditary hemochromatosis gene (HFE). Nonetheless, other genetic variants may influence the development of IO beyond HFE mutations. There is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at - 174 G>C of the interleukin (IL)-6 gene which might be associated with primary IO. Our aim was to study the association between the SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6 and primary IO in middle-aged male patients. We studied 37 men with primary IO diagnosed by liver histology. Controls were age-matched male volunteers (n = 37). HFE mutations and the SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6 were evaluated by PCR-RFLP. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between primary IO and SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6. Patients and control subjects were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6 (p = 0.17). Significantly different genotype frequencies were observed between patients (43% CC, 43% CG, and 14% GG) and control subjects (10% CC, 41% CG, and 49% GG) (OR = 4.09, 95% CI = 2.06-8.13; p < 0.0001). The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that IO was significantly associated with CC homozygosis in the SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6 (OR = 6.3, 95% CI = 1.9-21.4; p < 0.005) in a model adjusted by age and body mass index. In conclusion, CC homozygosis in the SNP - 174 G>C gene promoter of IL-6 can be proposed as one of the gene variants influencing iron accumulation in male adults with HFE mutations. Studies in larger cohorts are warranted.

Clonal haemopoiesis and therapy-related myeloid malignancies in elderly patients: a proof-of-concept, case-control study.

PubMed

Gillis, Nancy K; Ball, Markus; Zhang, Qing; Ma, Zhenjun; Zhao, YuLong; Yoder, Sean J; Balasis, Maria E; Mesa, Tania E; Sallman, David A; Lancet, Jeffrey E; Komrokji, Rami S; List, Alan F; McLeod, Howard L; Alsina, Melissa; Baz, Rachid; Shain, Kenneth H; Rollison, Dana E; Padron, Eric

2017-01-01

Clonal haemopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is an age-associated genetic event linked to increased risk of primary haematological malignancies and increased all-cause mortality, but the prevalence of CHIP in patients who develop therapy-related myeloid neoplasms is unknown. We did this study to investigate whether chemotherapy-treated patients with cancer who have CHIP are at increased risk of developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. We did a nested, case-control, proof-of-concept study to compare the prevalence of CHIP between patients with cancer who later developed therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (cases) and patients who did not develop these neoplasms (controls). We identified cases from our internal biorepository of 123 357 patients who consented to participate in the Total Cancer Care biobanking protocol at Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL, USA) between Jan 1, 2006, and June 1, 2016. We included all individuals who were diagnosed with a primary malignancy, were treated with chemotherapy, subsequently developed a therapy-related myeloid neoplasm, and were 70 years or older at either diagnosis. For inclusion in this study, individuals must have had a peripheral blood or mononuclear cell sample collected before the diagnosis of therapy-related myeloid neoplasm. Controls were individuals who were diagnosed with a primary malignancy at age 70 years or older and were treated with chemotherapy but did not develop therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. Controls were matched to cases in at least a 4:1 ratio on the basis of sex, primary tumour type, age at diagnosis, smoking status, chemotherapy drug class, and duration of follow-up. We used sequential targeted and whole-exome sequencing and described clonal evolution in cases for whom paired CHIP and therapy-related myeloid neoplasm samples were available. The primary endpoint of this study was the development of therapy-related myeloid neoplasm and the primary exposure was CHIP. We identified 13 cases and 56 case-matched controls. The prevalence of CHIP in all patients (23 [33%] of 69 patients) was higher than has previously been reported in elderly individuals without cancer (about 10%). Cases had a significantly higher prevalence of CHIP than did matched controls (eight [62%] of 13 cases vs 15 [27%] of 56 controls, p=0·024; odds ratio 5·75, 95% CI 1·52-25·09, p=0·013). The most commonly mutated genes in cases with CHIP were TET2 (three [38%] of eight patients) and TP53(three [38%] of eight patients), whereas controls most often had TET2 mutations (six [40%] of 15 patients). In most (four [67%] of six patients) cases for whom paired CHIP and therapy-related myeloid neoplasm samples were available, the mean allele frequency of CHIP mutations had expanded by the time of the therapy-related myeloid neoplasm diagnosis. However, a subset of paired samples (two [33%] of six patients) had CHIP mutations that decreased in allele frequency, giving way to expansion of a distinct mutant clone. Patients with cancer who have CHIP are at increased risk of developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. The distribution of CHIP-related gene mutations differs between individuals with therapy-related myeloid neoplasm and those without, suggesting that mutation-specific differences might exist in therapy-related myeloid neoplasm risk. Moffitt Cancer Center. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear dual-axis biodynamic response of the semi-supine human body during longitudinal horizontal whole-body vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ya; Griffin, Michael J.

2008-04-01

The resonance frequencies in frequency response functions of the human body (e.g. apparent mass and transmissibility) decrease with increasing vibration magnitude. This nonlinear biodynamic response is found with various sitting and standing postures requiring postural control. The present study measured the apparent mass of the body in a relaxed semi-supine posture with two types of longitudinal horizontal vibration (in the z-axis of the semi-supine body): (i) continuous random excitation (0.25-20 Hz) at five magnitudes (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 ms -2 rms); (ii) intermittent random excitation (0.25-20 Hz) alternately at 0.25 and 1.0 ms -2 rms. With continuous random vibration, the dominant primary resonance frequency in the median normalised apparent mass decreased from 3.7 to 2.4 Hz as the vibration magnitude increased from 0.125 to 1.0 ms -2 rms. A nonlinear response was apparent in both the horizontal ( z-axis) apparent mass and the vertical ( x-axis) cross-axis apparent mass. With intermittent random vibration, as the vibration magnitude increased from 0.25 to 1.0 ms -2 rms, the median resonance frequency of the apparent mass decreased from 3.2 to 2.5 Hz whereas, with continuous random vibration over the same range of magnitudes, the resonance frequency decreased from 3.4 to 2.4 Hz. The median change in the resonance frequency (between 0.25 and 1.0 ms -2 rms) was 0.6 Hz with the intermittent random vibration and 0.9 Hz with the continuous random vibration. With intermittent vibration, the resonance frequency was higher at the high magnitude and lower at the low magnitude than with continuous vibration at the same magnitudes. The responses were consistent with passive thixotropy being a primary cause of nonlinear biodynamic responses to whole-body vibration, although reflex activity of the muscles may also have an influence.

Performance seeking control excitation mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schkolnik, Gerard

1995-01-01

Flight testing of the performance seeking control (PSC) excitation mode was successfully completed at NASA Dryden on the F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC) aircraft. Although the excitation mode was not one of the original objectives of the PSC program, it was rapidly prototyped and implemented into the architecture of the PSC algorithm, allowing valuable and timely research data to be gathered. The primary flight test objective was to investigate the feasibility of a future measurement-based performance optimization algorithm. This future algorithm, called AdAPT, which stands for adaptive aircraft performance technology, generates and applies excitation inputs to selected control effectors. Fourier transformations are used to convert measured response and control effector data into frequency domain models which are mapped into state space models using multiterm frequency matching. Formal optimization principles are applied to produce an integrated, performance optimal effector suite. The key technical challenge of the measurement-based approach is the identification of the gradient of the performance index to the selected control effector. This concern was addressed by the excitation mode flight test. The AdAPT feasibility study utilized the PSC excitation mode to apply separate sinusoidal excitation trims to the controls - one aircraft, inlet first ramp (cowl), and one engine, throat area. Aircraft control and response data were recorded using on-board instrumentation and analyzed post-flight. Sensor noise characteristics, axial acceleration performance gradients, and repeatability were determined. Results were compared to pilot comments to assess the ride quality. Flight test results indicate that performance gradients were identified at all flight conditions, sensor noise levels were acceptable at the frequencies of interest, and excitations were generally not sensed by the pilot.

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

Miller, John M.; Onar, Omer C.; Chinthavali, Madhu

Various noncontacting methods of plug-in electric vehicle charging are either under development or now deployed as aftermarket options in the light-duty automotive market. Wireless power transfer (WPT) is now the accepted term for wireless charging and is used synonymously for inductive power transfer and magnetic resonance coupling. WPT technology is in its infancy; standardization is lacking, especially on interoperability, center frequency selection, magnetic fringe field suppression, and the methods employed for power flow regulation. This paper proposes a new analysis concept for power flow in WPT in which the primary provides frequency selection and the tuned secondary, with its resemblancemore » to a power transmission network having a reactive power voltage control, is analyzed as a transmission network. Analysis is supported with experimental data taken from Oak Ridge National Laboratory s WPT apparatus. Lastly, this paper also provides an experimental evidence for frequency selection, fringe field assessment, and the need for low-latency communications in the feedback path.« less

STARSYS: A view after WARC-92

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaveeshwar, Ashok; Rodriguez, Raul

1993-01-01

The STARSYS system is aimed at providing low cost global positioning and messaging by satellite. STARSYS is a data only system using very brief message transmission times. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is used for frequency sharing; it enables transmitted data to be coded for unique user identification and also to employ Doppler and radio ranging to determine the geographical location of a transmitting terminal. The STARSYS system is composed of the field receiver/transmitter, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation and the ground station elements. Each message transmission is able to contain up to thirty two digital characters. Market applications are numerous: theft control, vehicle and logistic tracking and messaging, personal communications, utility and environmental data acquisition and transfer. Co-primary frequency allocation at WARC-92 accelerated interest for potential customers and investors, although the amount of frequency allocation (less than 1 GHz) is small.

The effects of temporal variability of mixed layer depth on primary productivity around Bermuda

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bissett, W. Paul; Meyers, Mark B.; Walsh, John J.; Mueller-Karger, Frank E.

1994-01-01

Temporal variations in primary production and surface chlorophyll concentrations, as measured by ship and satellite around Bermuda, were simulated with a numerical model. In the upper 450 m of the water column, population dynamics of a size-fractionated phytoplankton community were forced by daily changes of wind, light, grazing stress, and nutrient availability. The temporal variations of production and chlorophyll were driven by changes in nutrient introduction to the euphotic zone due to both high- and low-frequency changes of the mixed layer depth within 32 deg-34 deg N, 62 deg-64 deg W between 1979 and 1984. Results from the model derived from high-frequency (case 1) changes in the mixed layer depth showed variations in primary production and peak chlorophyll concentrations when compared with results from the model derived from low-frequency (case 2) mixed layer depth changes. Incorporation of size-fractionated plankton state variables in the model led to greater seasonal resolution of measured primary production and vertical chlorophyll profiles. The findings of this study highlight the possible inadequacy of estimating primary production in the sea from data of low-frequency temporal resolution and oversimplified biological simulations.

Hybrid Architecture Active Wavefront Sensing and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, Lee; Dean, Bruce; Hyde, Tupper

2010-01-01

A method was developed for performing relatively high-speed wavefront sensing and control to overcome thermal instabilities in a segmented primary mirror telescope [e.g., James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at L2], by using the onboard fine guidance sensor (FGS) to minimize expense and complexity. This FGS performs centroiding on a bright star to feed the information to the pointing and control system. The proposed concept is to beam split the image of the guide star (or use a single defocused guide star image) to perform wavefront sensing using phase retrieval techniques. Using the fine guidance sensor star image for guiding and fine phasing eliminates the need for other, more complex ways of achieving very accurate sensing and control that is needed for UV-optical applications. The phase retrieval occurs nearly constantly, so passive thermal stability over fourteen days is not required. Using the FGS as the sensor, one can feed segment update information to actuators on the primary mirror that can update the primary mirror segment fine phasing with this frequency. Because the thermal time constants of the primary mirror are very slow compared to this duration, the mirror will appear extremely stable during observations (to the level of accuracy of the sensing and control). The sensing can use the same phase retrieval techniques as the JWST by employing an additional beam splitter, and having each channel go through a weak lens (one positive and one negative). The channels can use common or separate detectors. Phase retrieval can be performed onboard. The actuation scheme would include a coarse stage able to achieve initial alignment of several millimeters of range (similar to JWST and can use a JWST heritage sensing approach in the science camera) and a fine stage capable of continual updates.

Neurocognitive Function in Children with Primary Hypertension

PubMed Central

Lande, Marc B.; Batisky, Donald L.; Kupferman, Juan C.; Samuels, Joshua; Hooper, Stephen R.; Falkner, Bonita; Waldstein, Shari R.; Szilagyi, Peter G.; Wang, Hongyue; Staskiewicz, Jennifer; Adams, Heather R.

2016-01-01

Objective To compare neurocognitive test performance of children with primary hypertension to that of normotensive controls. Study design Seventy-five children (10-18 years of age) with newly diagnosed, untreated hypertension and 75 frequency matched normotensive controls had baseline neurocognitive testing as part of a prospective multicenter study of cognition in primary hypertension. Subjects completed tests of general intelligence, attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed. Parents completed rating scales of executive function and the Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder scale of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ-SRBD). Results Hypertension and control groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, maternal education, income, race, ethnicity, obesity, anxiety, depression, cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein. Subjects with hypertension had higher PSQ-SRBD scores (p = 0.04) and triglycerides (p = 0.037). Multivariate analyses showed that hypertension was independently associated with worse performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (List A Trial 1, p = 0.034; List A Total, p = 0.009; Short delay recall, p = 0.013), CogState Groton Maze Learning Test delayed recall (p = 0.002), Grooved Pegboard dominant hand (p = 0.045), and Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence Vocabulary (p = 0.016). Results indicated a significant interaction between disordered sleep (PSQ-SRBD score) and hypertension on ratings of executive function (p = 0.04), such that hypertension heightened the association between increased disordered sleep and worse executive function. Conclusions Youth with primary hypertension demonstrated significantly lower performance on neurocognitive testing compared with normotensive controls, in particular, on measures of memory, attention, and executive functions. PMID:27692987

Neurocognitive Function in Children with Primary Hypertension.

PubMed

Lande, Marc B; Batisky, Donald L; Kupferman, Juan C; Samuels, Joshua; Hooper, Stephen R; Falkner, Bonita; Waldstein, Shari R; Szilagyi, Peter G; Wang, Hongyue; Staskiewicz, Jennifer; Adams, Heather R

2017-01-01

To compare neurocognitive test performance of children with primary hypertension with that of normotensive controls. Seventy-five children (10-18 years of age) with newly diagnosed, untreated hypertension and 75 frequency-matched normotensive controls had baseline neurocognitive testing as part of a prospective multicenter study of cognition in primary hypertension. Subjects completed tests of general intelligence, attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed. Parents completed rating scales of executive function and the Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder scale of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ-SRBD). Hypertension and control groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, maternal education, income, race, ethnicity, obesity, anxiety, depression, cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein. Subjects with hypertension had greater PSQ-SRBD scores (P = .04) and triglycerides (P = .037). Multivariate analyses showed that hypertension was independently associated with worse performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (List A Trial 1, P = .034; List A Total, P = .009; Short delay recall, P = .013), CogState Groton Maze Learning Test delayed recall (P = .002), Grooved Pegboard dominant hand (P = .045), and Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence Vocabulary (P = .016). Results indicated a significant interaction between disordered sleep (PSQ-SRBD score) and hypertension on ratings of executive function (P = .04), such that hypertension heightened the association between increased disordered sleep and worse executive function. Youth with primary hypertension demonstrated significantly lower performance on neurocognitive testing compared with normotensive controls, in particular, on measures of memory, attention, and executive functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Control of base-excited dynamical systems through piezoelectric energy harvesting absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelmoula, H.; Dai, H. L.; Abdelkefi, A.; Wang, L.

2017-09-01

The spring-mass absorber usually offers a good control to dynamical systems under direct base excitations for a specific value of the excitation frequency. As the vibrational energy of a primary dynamical system is transferred to the absorber, it gets dissipated. In this study, this energy is no longer dissipated but converted to available electrical power by designing efficient energy harvesters. A novel design of a piezoelectric beam installed inside an elastically-mounted dynamical system undergoing base excitations is considered. A design is carried out in order to determine the properties and dimensions of the energy harvester with the constraint of simultaneously decreasing the oscillating amplitudes of the primary dynamical system and increasing the harvested power of the energy harvesting absorber. An analytical model for the coupled system is constructed using Euler-Lagrange principle and Galerkin discretization. Different strategies for controlling the primary structure displacement and enhancing the harvested power as functions of the electrical load resistance and thickness of the beam substrate are performed. The linear polynomial approximation of the system’s key parameters as a function of the beam’s substrate thickness is first carried out. Then, the gradient method is applied to determine the adequate values of the electrical load resistance and thickness of the substrate under the constraints of minimizing the amplitudes of the primary structure or maximizing the levels of the harvested power. After that, an iterative strategy is considered in order to simultaneously minimize the amplitudes of the primary structure and maximize the levels of the harvested power as functions of the thickness of the substrate and electrical load resistance. In addition to harmonic excitations, the coupled system subjected to a white noise is explored. Through this analysis, the load resistance and thickness of the substrate of the piezoelectric energy harvester are determined. It is shown that, in addition to efficiently control the oscillating amplitudes of the primary structure, broadband resonance regions can take place and hence high levels of the harvested power are obtained.

A review of people who did not attend an epilepsy clinic and their clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Minshall, I; Neligan, A

2017-08-01

To review the clinical outcomes of people who failed to attend or failed subsequent follow up in a Primary Care based specialist epilepsy service. The case notes of 200 people who had failed to initially attend the service or subsequent follow up from 2005 to 2013 were reviewed. Clinical outcomes were determined for 152 people, with the remaining 48 having left the area. For those not attending at all, 64% had no further recorded events, a further 22% came under alternative specialist care and were managed appropriately, 6% were already in remission at the time of referral or at follow up and stayed seizure free. For people attending, but were subsequently lost to follow up, 78% were in remission, had improved seizure frequency, and normal pregnancies. In total 6% of those with poor control came under subsequent Neurological care. This study suggests that for the majority of people who fail to attend or are lost to follow up in a primary care specialist epilepsy clinic, the primary reasons appear to be that they had no further events, improved seizure control or that seizure remission has been achieved. The majority with persistent poor control came under Neurological care. Copyright © 2017 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Web-based weight loss in primary care: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Bennett, Gary G; Herring, Sharon J; Puleo, Elaine; Stein, Evelyn K; Emmons, Karen M; Gillman, Matthew W

2010-02-01

Evidence is lacking regarding effective and sustainable weight loss approaches for use in the primary care setting. We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial to evaluate the short-term efficacy of a web-based weight loss intervention among 101 primary care patients with obesity and hypertension. Patients had access to a comprehensive website that used a moderate-intensity weight loss approach designed specifically for web-based implementation. Patients also participated in four (two in-person and two telephonic) counseling sessions with a health coach. Intent-to-treat analysis showed greater weight loss at 3 months (-2.56 kg; 95% CI -3.60, -1.53) among intervention participants (-2.28 +/- 3.21 kg), relative to usual care (0.28 +/- 1.87 kg). Similar findings were observed among intervention completers (-3.05 kg; 95% CI -4.24, -1.85). High rates of participant retention (84%) and website utilization were observed, with the greatest weight loss found among those with a high frequency of website logins (quartile 4 vs. 1: -4.16 kg; 95% CI -1.47, -6.84). The intervention's approach promoted moderate weight loss at 12 weeks, though greater weight loss was observed among those with higher levels of website utilization. Efficacious web-based weight loss interventions can be successfully offered in the primary care setting.

Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in Primary Carnitine Deficiency

PubMed Central

Rose, Emily Cornforth; di San Filippo, Cristina Amat; Ndukwe Erlingsson, Uzochi C.; Ardon, Orly; Pasquali, Marzia; Longo, Nicola

2011-01-01

Primary carnitine deficiency is caused by defective OCTN2 carnitine transporters encoded by the SLC22A5 gene. Lack of carnitine impairs fatty acid oxidation resulting in hypoketotic hypoglycemia, hepatic encephalopathy, skeletal and cardiac myopathy. Recently, asymptomatic mothers with primary carnitine deficiency were identified by low carnitine levels in their infant by newborn screening. Here we evaluate mutations in the SLC22A5 gene and carnitine transport in fibroblasts from symptomatic patients and asymptomatic women. Carnitine transport was significantly reduced in fibroblasts obtained from all patients with primary carnitine deficiency, but was significantly higher in the asymptomatic women’s than in the symptomatic patients’ fibroblasts (p<0.01). By contrast, ergothioneine transport (a selective substrate of the OCTN1 transporter, tested here as a control) was similar in cells from controls and patients with carnitine deficiency. DNA sequencing indicated an increased frequency of nonsense mutations in symptomatic patients (p<0.001). Expression of the missense mutations in CHO cells indicated that many mutations retained residual carnitine transport activity, with no difference in the average activity of missense mutations identified in symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients. These results indicate that cells from asymptomatic women have on average higher levels of residual carnitine transport activity as compared to that of symptomatic patients due to the presence of at least one missense mutation. PMID:21922592

Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on upper extremity motor recovery in the early period after stroke: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Tosun, Aliye; Türe, Sabiha; Askin, Ayhan; Yardimci, Engin Ugur; Demirdal, Secil Umit; Kurt Incesu, Tülay; Tosun, Ozgur; Kocyigit, Hikmet; Akhan, Galip; Gelal, Fazıl Mustafa

2017-07-01

To assess the efficacy of inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on upper extremity motor function in patients with acute/subacute ischemic stroke. Twenty-five ischemic acute/subacute stroke subjects were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial. Experimental group 1 received low frequency (LF) rTMS to the primary motor cortex of the unaffected side + physical therapy (PT) including activities to improve strength, flexibility, transfers, posture, balance, coordination, and activities of daily living, mainly focusing on upper limb movements; experimental group 2 received the same protocol combined with NMES to hand extensor muscles; and the control group received only PT. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan was used to evaluate the activation or inhibition of the affected and unaffected primary motor cortex. No adverse effect was reported. Most of the clinical outcome scores improved significantly in all groups, however no statistically significant difference was found between groups due to the small sample sizes. The highest percent improvement scores were observed in TMS + NMES group (varying between 48 and 99.3%) and the lowest scores in control group (varying between 13.1 and 28.1%). Hand motor recovery was significant in both experimental groups while it did not change in control group. Some motor cortex excitability changes were also observed in fMRI. LF-rTMS with or without NMES seems to facilitate the motor recovery in the paretic hand of patients with acute/subacute ischemic stroke. TMS or the combination of TMS + NMES may be a promising additional therapy in upper limb motor training. Further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to establish their effectiveness in upper limb motor rehabilitation of stroke.

Comprehensive mutation screening in 55 probands with type 1 primary hyperoxaluria shows feasibility of a gene-based diagnosis.

PubMed

Monico, Carla G; Rossetti, Sandro; Schwanz, Heidi A; Olson, Julie B; Lundquist, Patrick A; Dawson, D Brian; Harris, Peter C; Milliner, Dawn S

2007-06-01

Mutations in AGXT, a locus mapped to 2q37.3, cause deficiency of liver-specific alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT), the metabolic error in type 1 primary hyperoxaluria (PH1). Genetic analysis of 55 unrelated probands with PH1 from the Mayo Clinic Hyperoxaluria Center, to date the largest with availability of complete sequencing across the entire AGXT coding region and documented hepatic AGT deficiency, suggests that a molecular diagnosis (identification of two disease alleles) is feasible in 96% of patients. Unique to this PH1 population was the higher frequency of G170R, the most common AGXT mutation, accounting for 37% of alleles, and detection of a new 3' end deletion (Ex 11_3'UTR del). A described frameshift mutation (c.33_34insC) occurred with the next highest frequency (11%), followed by F152I and G156R (frequencies of 6.3 and 4.5%, respectively), both surpassing the frequency (2.7%) of I244T, the previously reported third most common pathogenic change. These sequencing data indicate that AGXT is even more variable than formerly believed, with 28 new variants (21 mutations and seven polymorphisms) detected, with highest frequencies on exons 1, 4, and 7. When limited to these three exons, molecular analysis sensitivity was 77%, compared with 98% for whole-gene sequencing. These are the first data in support of comprehensive AGXT analysis for the diagnosis of PH1, obviating a liver biopsy in most well-characterized patients. Also reported here is previously unavailable evidence for the pathogenic basis of all AGXT missense variants, including evolutionary conservation data in a multisequence alignment and use of a normal control population.

Alcohol use, anxiety, and insomnia in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Ivan, M Cristina; Amspoker, Amber B; Nadorff, Michael R; Kunik, Mark E; Cully, Jeffrey A; Wilson, Nancy; Calleo, Jessica; Kraus-Schuman, Cynthia; Stanley, Melinda A

2014-09-01

To examine alcohol consumption among older primary care patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); its relationship to demographic variables, insomnia, worry, and anxiety; and its moderating role on the anxiety-insomnia relationship. We expected alcohol use to be similar to previous reports, correlate with higher anxiety and insomnia, and worsen the anxiety-insomnia relationship. Baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine. 223 patients, 60 years and older, with GAD. Frequency of alcohol use, insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire - Abbreviated, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait subscale, Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale [SIGH-A]). Most patients endorsed alcohol use, but frequency was low. Presence and frequency were greater than in previous reports of primary care samples. Alcohol use was associated with higher education, female gender, less severe insomnia, and lower worry (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait subscale; SIGH-A). Whites reported more drinks/week than African-Americans. More drinks/week were associated with higher education and lower anxiety (SIGH-A). Weaker relationships between worry/anxiety and insomnia occurred for those drinking. Drink frequency moderated the positive association between the Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated and insomnia, which was lower with higher frequency of drinking. Older adults with GAD use alcohol at an increased rate, but mild to moderate drinkers do not experience sleep difficulties. A modest amount of alcohol may minimize the association between anxiety/worry and insomnia among this group. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Timer for Synchronous Digital Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKenney, Elizabeth; Irwin, Philip

2003-01-01

The Real-Time Interferometer Control Systems Testbed (RICST) timing board is a VersaModule Eurocard (VME)-based board that can generate up to 16 simultaneous, phase-locked timing signals at a rate defined by the user. It can also generate all seven VME interrupt requests (IRQs). The RICST timing board is suitable mainly for robotic, aerospace, and real-time applications. Several circuit boards on the market are capable of generating periodic IRQs. Most are associated with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and Inter Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) time-code generators, whereas this board uses either an internal VME clock or an externally generated clock signal to synchronize multiple components of the system. The primary advantage of this board is that there is no discernible jitter in the output clock waveforms because the signals are divided down from a high-frequency clock signal instead of being phase-locked from a lower frequency. The primary disadvantage to this board, relative to other periodic-IRQ-generating boards, is that it is more difficult to synchronize the system to wall clock time.

Signal Analysis Algorithms for Optimized Fitting of Nonresonant Laser Induced Thermal Acoustics Damped Sinusoids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balla, R. Jeffrey; Miller, Corey A.

2008-01-01

This study seeks a numerical algorithm which optimizes frequency precision for the damped sinusoids generated by the nonresonant LITA technique. It compares computed frequencies, frequency errors, and fit errors obtained using five primary signal analysis methods. Using variations on different algorithms within each primary method, results from 73 fits are presented. Best results are obtained using an AutoRegressive method. Compared to previous results using Prony s method, single shot waveform frequencies are reduced approx.0.4% and frequency errors are reduced by a factor of approx.20 at 303K to approx. 0.1%. We explore the advantages of high waveform sample rates and potential for measurements in low density gases.

Systematic review: probiotics for functional constipation in children.

PubMed

Wojtyniak, Katarzyna; Szajewska, Hania

2017-09-01

We updated our 2010 systematic review on the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of constipation in children. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases; clinical trial registries; and reference lists of included studies were searched to February 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) performed in children, with no language restriction. The primary outcome measure was treatment success, as defined by the investigators. We included seven RCTs with a total of 515 participants. Included trials were heterogeneous with respect to study population, probiotic strains, dosages, study duration, and follow-up. Pooled results of two RCTs showed no significant difference between the Lactobacillus rhamnosus casei Lcr35 and placebo groups with respect to treatment success. Other probiotics were studied in single trials only. There was no significant difference between the probiotic and control groups with respect to treatment success. While some probiotic strains showed some effects on defecation frequency, none of the probiotics had beneficial effects on frequency of fecal incontinence or frequency of abdominal pain. Adverse events were rare and not serious. Limited evidence does not support the use of any of currently evaluated probiotics in the treatment of functional constipation in children. What is Known: • Conventional treatment for functional constipation in children does not always provide satisfying improvement. • Probiotics have been suggested as potential treatment modalities for this condition. What is New: • Probiotics are ineffective for the management of functional constipation in children in terms of treatment success, frequency of fecal incontinence, and frequency of abdominal pain.

Exploiting elasticity: Modeling the influence of neural control on mechanics and energetics of ankle muscle-tendons during human hopping.

PubMed

Robertson, Benjamin D; Sawicki, Gregory S

2014-07-21

We present a simplified Hill-type model of the human triceps surae-Achilles tendon complex working on a gravitational-inertial load during cyclic contractions (i.e. vertical hopping). Our goal was to determine the role that neural control plays in governing muscle, or contractile element (CE), and tendon, or series elastic element (SEE), mechanics and energetics within a compliant muscle-tendon unit (MTU). We constructed a 2D parameter space consisting of many combinations of stimulation frequency and magnitude (i.e. neural control strategies). We compared the performance of each control strategy by evaluating peak force and average positive mechanical power output for the system (MTU) and its respective components (CE, SEE), force-length (F-L) and -velocity (F-V) operating point of the CE during active force production, average metabolic rate for the CE, and both MTU and CE apparent efficiency. Our results suggest that frequency of stimulation plays a primary role in governing whole-MTU mechanics. These include the phasing of both activation and peak force relative to minimum MTU length, average positive power, and apparent efficiency. Stimulation amplitude was primarily responsible for governing average metabolic rate and within MTU mechanics, including peak force generation and elastic energy storage and return in the SEE. Frequency and amplitude of stimulation both played integral roles in determining CE F-L operating point, with both higher frequency and amplitude generally corresponding to lower CE strains, reduced injury risk, and elimination of the need for passive force generation in the CE parallel elastic element (PEE). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of manual acupuncture manipulations with different frequencies on epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hong, Shou-Hai; Ding, Sha-Sha; Wu, Fei; Bi, Ying; Xu, Fu; Wan, Yi-Jia; Xuan, Li-Hua

2017-03-06

Manual acupuncture (MA) manipulations are one of the key factors influencing acupuncture effects in traditional Chinese medicine theory. Different MA manipulations contain different stimulating parameters, thus generating different acupuncture responses or effects. Evidence has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective for functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the effects of different stimulating parameters of MA manipulations on FD remain unclear. This study is a randomized controlled trial with a four-arm, parallel-group structure. Patients with FD with epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) will be included and randomly allocated into four groups: three MA manipulation groups (separately treated with a frequency of 1 Hz, 2 Hz, or 3 Hz) and a control group. All groups will receive omeprazole as a basic treatment and acupuncture: in the MA manipulation groups, the needles will be manipulated manually with three different frequencies on the basis when de qi is reached, while in the control group, the needles will be inserted without any manipulation. All patients will receive acupuncture treatment of five consecutive sessions per week for 2 weeks and be followed up at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study include patients' response to the treatment. The secondary outcomes include dyspeptic symptoms, quality of life, mental status, fasting serum gastrin, motilin, and ghrelin concentrations, and adverse events. The protocol was approved by the Ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (2016-K-057-01). The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MA manipulations with different stimulating parameters (different frequencies) on EPS in patients with FD. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-16008189 . Registered on 30 March 2016.

Active Power Control of Wind Turbines for Ancillary Services: A Comparison of Pitch and Torque Control Methodologies

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

Aho, Jacob; Fleming, Paul; Pao, Lucy Y.

As wind energy generation becomes more prevalent in some regions, there is increased demand for wind power plants to provide ancillary services, which are essential for grid reliability. This paper compares two different wind turbine control methodologies to provide active power control (APC) ancillary services, which include derating or curtailing power generation, providing automatic generation control (AGC), and providing primary frequency control (PFC). The torque APC controller provides all power control through the power electronics whereas the pitch APC controller uses the blade pitch actuators as the primary means of power control. These controllers are simulated under various wind conditionsmore » with different derating set points and AGC participation levels. The metrics used to compare their performance are the damage equivalent loads (DELs) induced on the structural components and AGC performance metrics, which are used to determine the payments for AGC services by system operators in the United States. The simulation results show that derating the turbine reduces structural loads for both control methods, with the APC pitch control providing larger reductions in DELs, lower AGC performance scores, and higher root-mean-square pitch rates. Providing AGC increases the structural loads when compared to only derating the turbine, but even the AGC DELs are generally lower than those of the baseline control system. The torque APC control methodology also allows for more sustained PFC responses under certain derating conditions.« less

Distribution of FMR1 and FMR2 Repeats in Argentinean Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Espeche, Lucía Daniela; Chiauzzi, Violeta; Ferder, Ianina; Arrar, Mehrnoosh; Solari, Andrea Paula; Bruque, Carlos David; Delea, Marisol; Belli, Susana; Fernández, Cecilia Soledad; Buzzalino, Noemí Delia; Charreau, Eduardo Hernán; Dain, Liliana Beatriz

2017-01-01

The premutation state of FMR1 (Fragile X Mental Retardation 1) has been associated with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), and is the most common known genetic cause for 46,XX patients. Nevertheless, very few studies have analyzed its frequency in Latin American populations. Additionally, a relationship between alleles carrying a cryptic microdeletion in the 5’UTR of FMR2 and the onset of POI has only been studied in one population. Our aim was to analyze the incidence of FMR1 premutations and putative microdeletions in exon 1 of FMR2 in a cohort of Argentinean women with POI. We studied 133 patients and 84 controls. Fluorescent PCR was performed, and the FMR2 exon 1 was further sequenced in samples presenting less than 11 repeats. We found the frequency of FMR1 premutations to be 6.7% and 2.9% for familial and sporadic patients, respectively. Among controls, 1/84 women presented a premutation. In addition, although we did not find microdeletions in FMR2, we observed a change (T >C) adjacent to the repeats in two sisters with POI. Given the repetitive nature of the sequence involved, we could not ascertain whether this represents a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or a deletion. Therefore, a relationship between FMR2 and POI could not be established for our population. PMID:28812997

Distribution of FMR1 and FMR2 Repeats in Argentinean Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency.

PubMed

Espeche, Lucía Daniela; Chiauzzi, Violeta; Ferder, Ianina; Arrar, Mehrnoosh; Solari, Andrea Paula; Bruque, Carlos David; Delea, Marisol; Belli, Susana; Fernández, Cecilia Soledad; Buzzalino, Noemí Delia; Charreau, Eduardo Hernán; Dain, Liliana Beatriz

2017-08-16

The premutation state of FMR1 (Fragile X Mental Retardation 1) has been associated with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), and is the most common known genetic cause for 46,XX patients. Nevertheless, very few studies have analyzed its frequency in Latin American populations. Additionally, a relationship between alleles carrying a cryptic microdeletion in the 5'UTR of FMR2 and the onset of POI has only been studied in one population. Our aim was to analyze the incidence of FMR1 premutations and putative microdeletions in exon 1 of FMR2 in a cohort of Argentinean women with POI. We studied 133 patients and 84 controls. Fluorescent PCR was performed, and the FMR2 exon 1 was further sequenced in samples presenting less than 11 repeats. We found the frequency of FMR1 premutations to be 6.7% and 2.9% for familial and sporadic patients, respectively. Among controls, 1/84 women presented a premutation. In addition, although we did not find microdeletions in FMR2 , we observed a change (T >C) adjacent to the repeats in two sisters with POI. Given the repetitive nature of the sequence involved, we could not ascertain whether this represents a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or a deletion. Therefore, a relationship between FMR2 and POI could not be established for our population.

The Association of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T-Cell Concentrations With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Brief Report.

PubMed

Cannioto, Rikki A; Sucheston-Campbell, Lara E; Hampras, Shalaka; Goode, Ellen L; Knutson, Keith; Ness, Roberta; Modugno, Francesmary; Wallace, Paul; Szender, J Brian; Mayor, Paul; Hong, Chi-Chen; Joseph, Janine M; Friel, Grace; Davis, Warren; Nesline, Mary; Eng, Kevin H; Edwards, Robert P; Kruszka, Bridget; Schmitt, Kristina; Odunsi, Kunle; Moysich, Kirsten B

2017-01-01

There is a mounting body of evidence demonstrating higher percentages of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer in comparison to healthy controls, but there is a paucity of epidemiological literature characterizing circulating Treg cells among patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To investigate the role of peripheral Treg cells in ovarian neoplasms, we conducted a case-control study to characterize circulating concentrations of Treg cells among patients with EOC, women with benign ovarian conditions, and healthy controls without a history of cancer. Participants were identified for inclusion due to their participation in the Data Bank and BioRepository program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Patients included 71 women with a primary diagnosis of EOC and 195 women with a diagnosis of benign ovarian conditions. Controls included 101 age- and race-matched women without a history of cancer. Nonfasting, pretreatment peripheral blood levels of CD3+CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells were measured using flow cytometric analyses and expressed as a percentage of total CD3+ cells and as a percentage of total CD3+CD4+ cells. Compared to healthy controls and women with benign ovarian conditions, patients with EOC had significantly higher frequency of Treg cells (P < 0.04). In multivariable logistic regression analyses using Treg frequency expressed as a percentage of CD+3 cells, we observed a significant positive association between Treg cell percentage and EOC risk, with each 1% increase associated with a 37% increased risk of EOC (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.80). We observed a similar trend when Treg frequency was expressed as a percentage of CD3+CD+4 cells (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.49). The current study provides support that peripheral Treg cell frequency is elevated in patients with EOC in comparison to women with benign ovarian conditions and healthy controls.

The association of peripheral blood regulatory T-cell concentrations with epithelial ovarian cancer: A brief report

PubMed Central

Hampras, Shalaka; Goode, Ellen L.; Knutson, Keith; Ness, Roberta; Modugno, Francesmary; Wallace, Paul; Szender, J. Brian; Mayor, Paul; Hong, Chi-Chen; Joseph, Janine M.; Friel, Grace; Davis, Warren; Nesline, Mary; Eng, Kevin H.; Edwards, Robert P.; Kruszka, Bridget; Schmitt, Kristina; Odunsi, Kunle; Moysich, Kirsten B.

2016-01-01

Objective There is a mounting body of evidence demonstrating higher percentages of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood of cancer patients in comparison to healthy controls, but there is a paucity of epidemiological literature characterizing circulating Treg cells among epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. To investigate the role of peripheral Treg cells in ovarian neoplasms, we conducted a case-control study to characterize circulating concentrations of Treg cells among EOC patients, women with benign ovarian conditions, and healthy controls without a history of cancer. Materials and Methods Participants were identified for inclusion due to their participation in the Data Bank and BioRepository program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Patients included 71 women with a primary diagnosis of EOC and 195 women with a diagnosis of benign ovarian conditions. Controls included 101 age- and race-matched women without a history of cancer. Non-fasting, pre-treatment peripheral blood levels of CD3+CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells were measured using flow cytometric analyses and expressed as a percentage of total CD3+ cells and as a percentage of total CD3+CD4+ cells. Results Compared to healthy controls and women with benign ovarian conditions, EOC patients had significantly higher frequency of Treg cells (p<0.04). In multivariable logistic regression analyses utilizing Treg frequency expressed as a percentage of CD+3 cells, we observed a significant positive association between Treg cell percentage and EOC risk, with each one percent increase associated with a 37% increased risk of EOC (OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80). We observed a similar trend when Treg frequency was expressed as a percentage of CD3+CD+4 cells (OR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.99-1.49). Conclusions The current study provides support that peripheral Treg cell frequency is elevated in EOC patients in comparison to women with benign ovarian conditions and healthy controls. PMID:27759594

Laser modulator for LISA pathfinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voland, C.; Lund, G.; Coppoolse, W.; Crosby, P.; Stadler, M.; Kudielka, K.; Özkan, C.

2017-11-01

LISA Pathfinder is an ESA experiment to demonstrate the key technologies needed for the LISA mission to detect gravitational waves in space. The LISA Pathfinder spacecraft represents one arm of the LISA interferometer, containing an optical metrology system and two proof masses as inertial references for the drag-free control system. The LISA Pathfinder payload consists of two drag-free floating test masses located in the inertial sensors with their control electronics and an optical metrology subsystem. The optical metrology subsystem monitors the movement of both test masses relative to each other and to the spacecraft with very high sensitivity and resolution. This is achieved with a heterodyne Mach- Zehnder interferometer. This interferometer requires as input two coherent laser beams with a heterodyne frequency difference of a few kHz. To generate the two laser beams with a heterodyne frequency difference a Nd:YAG laser is used together with the Laser Modulator. The Nd:YAG laser generates a single coherent laser signal at a wavelength of 1064nm which is fibre coupled to the Laser Modulator. The Laser Modulator then generates the two optical beams with the required heterodyne frequency offset. In addition, the Laser Modulator is required to perform laser amplitude stabilization and optical path difference control for the two optical signals. The Laser Modulator consists of an optical unit - the LMU - and RF synthesiser, power amplification and control electronics. These electronics are all housed in the Laser Modulator Electronics (LME). The LMU has four primary functions: • Splitting of the input laser beam into two paths for later superposition in the interferometer. • Applying different frequency shifts to each of the beams. • Providing amplitude modulation control to each of the beams. • Providing active control of the optical path length difference between the two optical paths. The present paper describes the design and performance of the LMU together with a summary of the results of the Laser Modulator engineering model test campaign.

Physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy intervention for patients with refractory chronic cough: a multicentre randomised control trial.

PubMed

Chamberlain Mitchell, Sarah A F; Garrod, Rachel; Clark, Lynne; Douiri, Abdel; Parker, Sean M; Ellis, Jenny; Fowler, Stephen J; Ludlow, Siobhan; Hull, James H; Chung, Kian Fan; Lee, Kai K; Bellas, H; Pandyan, Anand; Birring, Surinder S

2017-02-01

Physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy are emerging non-pharmacological treatments for refractory chronic cough. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of a physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy intervention (PSALTI) to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to reduce cough frequency in patients with refractory chronic cough. In this multicentre randomised controlled trial, patients with refractory chronic cough were randomised to four weekly 1:1 sessions of either PSALTI consisting of education, laryngeal hygiene and hydration, cough suppression techniques, breathing exercises and psychoeducational counselling or control intervention consisting of healthy lifestyle advice. We assessed the change in HRQoL at week 4 with the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Secondary efficacy outcomes included 24-hour objective cough frequency (Leicester Cough Monitor) and cough reflex sensitivity. The primary analysis used an analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline measurements with the intention-to-treat population. This study was registered at UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN ID 10678). Between December 2011 and April 2014, we randomly assigned 75 participants who underwent baseline assessment (34 PSALTI and 41 controls). In the observed case analysis, HRQoL (LCQ) improved on average by 1.53 (95% CI 0.21 to 2.85) points more in PSALTI group than with control (p=0.024). Cough frequency decreased by 41% (95% CI 36% to 95%) in PSALTI group relative to control (p=0.030). The improvements within the PSALTI group were sustained up to 3 months. There was no significant difference between groups in the concentration of capsaicin causing five or more coughs. Greater improvements in HRQoL and cough frequency were observed with PSALTI intervention. Our findings support the use of PSALTI for patients with refractory chronic cough. UKCRN ID 10678 and ISRCTN 73039760; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A role for GPx3 in activity of normal and leukemia stem cells

PubMed Central

Herault, Olivier; Hope, Kristin J.; Deneault, Eric; Mayotte, Nadine; Chagraoui, Jalila; Wilhelm, Brian T.; Cellot, Sonia; Sauvageau, Martin; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel A.; Hébert, Josée

2012-01-01

The determinants of normal and leukemic stem cell self-renewal remain poorly characterized. We report that expression of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) positively correlates with the frequency of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in Hoxa9+Meis1-induced leukemias. Compared with a leukemia with a low frequency of LSCs, a leukemia with a high frequency of LSCs showed hypomethylation of the Gpx3 promoter region, and expressed high levels of Gpx3 and low levels of ROS. LSCs and normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) engineered to express Gpx3 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were much less competitive in vivo than control cells. However, progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation was not affected by Gpx3 shRNA. Consistent with this, HSCs overexpressing Gpx3 were significantly more competitive than control cells in long-term repopulation experiments, and overexpression of the self-renewal genes Prdm16 or Hoxb4 boosted Gpx3 expression. In human primary acute myeloid leukemia samples, GPX3 expression level directly correlated with adverse prognostic outcome, revealing a potential novel target for the eradication of LSCs. PMID:22508837

Active room compensation for sound reinforcement using sound field separation techniques.

PubMed

Heuchel, Franz M; Fernandez-Grande, Efren; Agerkvist, Finn T; Shabalina, Elena

2018-03-01

This work investigates how the sound field created by a sound reinforcement system can be controlled at low frequencies. An indoor control method is proposed which actively absorbs the sound incident on a reflecting boundary using an array of secondary sources. The sound field is separated into incident and reflected components by a microphone array close to the secondary sources, enabling the minimization of reflected components by means of optimal signals for the secondary sources. The method is purely feed-forward and assumes constant room conditions. Three different sound field separation techniques for the modeling of the reflections are investigated based on plane wave decomposition, equivalent sources, and the Spatial Fourier transform. Simulations and an experimental validation are presented, showing that the control method performs similarly well at enhancing low frequency responses with the three sound separation techniques. Resonances in the entire room are reduced, although the microphone array and secondary sources are confined to a small region close to the reflecting wall. Unlike previous control methods based on the creation of a plane wave sound field, the investigated method works in arbitrary room geometries and primary source positions.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase-2 Deletion Impairs Synaptic Plasticity and Hippocampal-Dependent Memory.

PubMed

Abdul Rahman, Nor Zaihana; Greenwood, Sam M; Brett, Ros R; Tossell, Kyoko; Ungless, Mark A; Plevin, Robin; Bushell, Trevor J

2016-02-24

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate brain function and their dysfunction is implicated in a number of brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, there is great interest in understanding the signaling systems that control MAPK function. One family of proteins that contribute to this process, the mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatases (MKPs), directly inactivate MAPKs through dephosphorylation. Recent studies have identified novel functions of MKPs in development, the immune system, and cancer. However, a significant gap in our knowledge remains in relation to their role in brain functioning. Here, using transgenic mice where the Dusp4 gene encoding MKP-2 has been knocked out (MKP-2(-/-) mice), we show that long-term potentiation is impaired in MKP-2(-/-) mice compared with MKP-2(+/+) controls whereas neuronal excitability, evoked synaptic transmission, and paired-pulse facilitation remain unaltered. Furthermore, spontaneous EPSC (sEPSC) frequency was increased in acute slices and primary hippocampal cultures prepared from MKP-2(-/-) mice with no effect on EPSC amplitude observed. An increase in synapse number was evident in primary hippocampal cultures, which may account for the increase in sEPSC frequency. In addition, no change in ERK activity was detected in both brain tissue and primary hippocampal cultures, suggesting that the effects of MKP-2 deletion were MAPK independent. Consistent with these alterations in hippocampal function, MKP-2(-/-) mice show deficits in spatial reference and working memory when investigated using the Morris water maze. These data show that MKP-2 plays a role in regulating hippocampal function and that this effect may be independent of MAPK signaling. Copyright © 2016 Abdul Rahman et al.

A 2-to-48-MHz Phase-Locked Loop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koudelka, Robert D.

2004-01-01

A 2-to-48-MHz phase-locked loop (PLL), developed for the U.S. space program, meets or exceeds all space shuttle clock electrical interface requirements by taking as its reference a 2-to-48-MHz clock signal and outputting a phaselocked clock signal set at the same frequency as the reference clock with transistor- transistor logic (TTL) voltage levels. Because it is more adaptable than other PLLs, the new PLL can be used in industries that employ signaling devices and as a tool in future space missions. A conventional PLL consists of a phase/frequency detector, loop filter, and voltage-controlled oscillator in which each component exists individually and is integrated into a single device. PLL components phase-lock to a single frequency or to a narrow bandwidth of frequencies. It is this design, however, that prohibits them from maintaining phase lock to a dynamically changing reference clock when a large bandwidth is required a deficiency the new PLL overcomes. Since most PLL components require their voltage-controlled oscillators to operate at greater than 2-MHz frequencies, conventional PLLs often cannot achieve the low-frequency phase lock allowed by the new PLL. The 2-to-48-MHz PLL is built on a wire-wrap board with pins wired to three position jumpers; this makes changing configurations easy. It responds to variations in voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) ranges, duty cycle, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), amplitude, and jitter, exceeding design specifications. A consensus state machine, implemented in a VCO range detector which assures the PLL continues to operate in the correct range, is the primary control state machine for the 2-to-48-MHz PLL circuit. By using seven overlapping frequency ranges with hysteresis, the PLL output sets the resulting phase-locked clock signal at a frequency that agrees with the reference clock with TTL voltage levels. As a space-shuttle tool, the new PLL circuit takes the noisy, degraded reference clock signals as input and outputs phase-locked clock signals of the same frequency but with a corrected wave shape. Since its configuration circuit can be easily changed, the new PLL can do the following: readily respond to variations in VCO ranges, duty cycle, SNR, amplitude, and jitter; continuously operate in the correct VCO range because of its consensus state machine; and use its range detector implements to overlap seven frequency ranges with hysteresis, thus giving the current design a flexibility that exceeds anything available at the time of this development. These features will benefit any industry in which safe and timely clock signals are vital to operation.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to Reduce Chronic Migraine: A Sequential Bayesian Analysis.

PubMed

Smitherman, Todd A; Kuka, Alexander J; Calhoun, Anne H; Walters, A Brooke Pellegrino; Davis-Martin, Rachel E; Ambrose, Carrie E; Rains, Jeanetta C; Houle, Timothy T

2018-05-06

Insomnia is frequently comorbid with chronic migraine, and small trials suggest that cognitive-behavioral treatment of insomnia (CBTi) may reduce migraine frequency. This study endeavored to provide a quantitative synthesis of existing CBTi trials for adults with chronic migraine using Bayesian statistical methods, given their utility in combining prior knowledge with sequentially gathered data. Completer analyses of 2 randomized trials comparing CBTi to a sham control intervention (Calhoun and Ford, 2007; Smitherman et al, 2016) were used to quantify the effects of a brief course of treatment on headache frequency. Change in headache frequency from baseline to the primary endpoint (6-8 weeks posttreatment) was regressed on group status using a Gaussian linear model with each study specified in the order of completion. To estimate the combined effect, posterior distributions from the Calhoun and Ford study were used as informative priors for conditioning on the Smitherman et al data. In a combined analysis of these prior studies, monthly headache frequency of the treatment group decreased by 6.2 days (95%CrI: -9.7 to -2.7) more than the control group, supporting an interpretation that there is a 97.5% chance that the treatment intervention is at least 2.7 days better than the control intervention. The analysis supports the hypothesis that at least for those who complete treatment, there is high probability that individuals who receive CBTi experience greater headache reduction than those who receive a control intervention equated for therapist time and out-of-session skills practice. Cognitive-behavioral interventions for comorbid insomnia hold promise for reducing headache frequency among those with chronic migraine. These findings add to a small but growing body of literature that migraineurs with comorbid conditions often respond well to behavioral interventions, and that targeting comorbidities may improve migraine itself. © 2018 American Headache Society.

Medium-term effectiveness of online behavioral training in migraine self-management: A randomized trial controlled over 10 months.

PubMed

Sorbi, M J; Kleiboer, A M; van Silfhout, H G; Vink, G; Passchier, J

2015-06-01

This randomized, controlled trial examined the medium-term effectiveness of online behavioral training in migraine self-management (oBT; N = 195) versus waitlist control (WLC; N = 173) on attack frequency, indicators of self-management (primary outcomes), headache top intensity, use of rescue medications, quality of life and disability (secondary outcomes). An online headache diary following the ICHD-II and questionnaires were completed at baseline (T0), post-training (T1) and six months later (T2). Missing data (T1: 24%; T2: 37%) were handled by multiple imputation. We established effect sizes (ES) and tested between-group differences over time with linear mixed modelling techniques based on the intention-to-treat principle. At T2, attack frequency had improved significantly in oBT (-23%, ES = 0.66) but also in WLC (-19%; ES = 0.52). Self-efficacy, internal and external control in migraine management--and triptan use--improved only in oBT, however. This indicates different processes in both groups and could signify (the start of) active self-management in oBT. Also, only oBT improved migraine-specific quality of life to a sizable extent. oBT produced self-management gains but could not account for improved attack frequency, because WLC improved as well. The perspective that BT effects develop gradually, and that online delivery will boost BT outreach, justifies further research. © International Headache Society 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Evolving design criteria for very large aperture space-based telescopes and their influence on the need for intergrated tools in the optimization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, William R.

2015-09-01

NASA's Advanced Mirror Technology Development (AMTD) program has been developing the means to design and build the future generations of space based telescopes. With the nearing completion of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the astrophysics community is already starting to define the requirements for follow on observatories. The restrictions of available launch vehicles and the possibilities of planned future vehicles have fueled the competition between monolithic primaries (with better optical quality) and segmented primaries (with larger apertures, but with diffraction, costs and figure control issues). Regardless of the current shroud sizes and lift capacities, these competing architectures share the need for rapid design tools. As part of the AMTD program a number of tools have been developed and tested to speed up the design process. Starting with the Arnold Mirror Modeler (which creates Finite Element Models (FEM) for structural analysis) and now also feeds these models into thermal stability analyses. They share common file formats and interchangeable results. During the development of the program, numerous trade studies were created for 4 meter and 8 meter monolithic primaries, complete with support systems. Evaluation of these results has led to a better understanding of how the specification drives the results. This paper will show some of the early trade studies for typical specification requirements such as lowest mirror bending frequency and suspension system lowest frequency. The results use representative allowable stress values for each mirror substrate material and construction method and generic material properties. These studies lead to some interesting relationships between feasible designs and the realities of actually trying to build these mirrors. Much of the traditional specifications were developed for much smaller systems, where the mass and volume of the primary where a small portion of the overall satellite. JWST shows us that as the aperture grows, the primary takes up the majority of the mass and volume and the established rules need to be adjusted. For example, a small change in lowest frequency requirement can change the cost by millions of dollars.

Evolving Design Criteria for Very Large Aperture Space-Based Telescopes and Their Influence on the Need for Integrated Tools in the Optimization Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, William R., Sr.

2015-01-01

NASA's Advanced Mirror Technology Development (AMTD) program has been developing the means to design and build the future generations of space based telescopes. With the nearing completion of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the astrophysics community is already starting to define the requirements for follow on observatories. The restrictions of available launch vehicles and the possibilities of planned future vehicles have fueled the competition between monolithic primaries (with better optical quality) and segmented primaries (with larger apertures, but with diffraction, costs and figure control issues). Regardless of the current shroud sizes and lift capacities, these competing architectures share the need for rapid design tools. As part of the AMTD program a number of tools have been developed and tested to speed up the design process. Starting with the Arnold Mirror Modeler (which creates Finite Element Models (FEM) for structural analysis) and now also feeds these models into thermal stability analyses. They share common file formats and interchangeable results. During the development of the program, numerous trade studies were created for 4 meter and 8 meter monolithic primaries, complete with support systems. Evaluation of these results has led to a better understanding of how the specification drives the results. This paper will show some of the early trade studies for typical specification requirements such as lowest mirror bending frequency and suspension system lowest frequency. The results use representative allowable stress values for each mirror substrate material and construction method and generic material properties. These studies lead to some interesting relationships between feasible designs and the realities of actually trying to build these mirrors. Much of the traditional specifications were developed for much smaller systems, where the mass and volume of the primary where a small portion of the overall satellite. JWST shows us that as the aperture grows, the primary takes up the majority of the mass and volume and the established rules need to be adjusted. For example, a small change in lowest frequency requirement can change the cost by millions of dollars.

[Frequency of pain as a reason for visiting a primary care clinic and its influence on sleep].

PubMed

Calsina-Berna, Agnès; Moreno Millán, Nemesio; González-Barboteo, Jesús; Solsona Díaz, Luis; Porta Sales, Josep

2011-11-01

To determine the frequency of pain as a reason to visit a Primary Care doctor and to investigate the influence of pain on sleep disturbances. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Urban Primary Health Care Centre. The first five patients who came to the primary health care centre with an appointment were included. Those who came with pain were labelled as cases, the others as controls. Socio-demographic variables, background, use of co-analgesics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (a global PSQI score greater than 5 indicated "poor sleepers"). For the cases, pain intensity was also assessed, chronology and kind of pain, the system affected and treatment. A total of 206 patients were included and 31 excluded. The mean age was 50 years and 56% were women. Pain was the reason for consultation in 39% of the patients, of whom 78% had acute pain, 80% nociceptive, 75% incidental and 71% musculoskeletal. The average VAS score was 4.98. A total of 62% were receiving treatment according to the first step of the WHO pain ladder. Forty-five per cent of patients were categorized as "good sleepers". The multivariate analysis showed that acute pain (P=.022) and pain intensity (P=.035) in men appeared as independent factors of sleep disturbances; in women there were no statistically significant variables. In our study, a high percentage of patients came to the primary health care centre for pain, mainly musculoskeletal. In men, there is a clear relationship between sleep disturbances, pain intensity and acute pain. Further research is needed to study this topic in depth, in order to alleviate pain and improve the sleep quality in our patients. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

A cross-national trial of brief interventions with heavy drinkers. WHO Brief Intervention Study Group.

PubMed Central

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVES. The relative effects of simple advice and brief counseling were evaluated with heavy drinkers identified in primary care and other health settings in eight countries. METHODS. Subjects (1260 men, 299 women) with no prior history of alcohol dependence were selected if they consumed alcohol with sufficient frequency or intensity to be considered at risk of alcohol-related problems. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group, a simple advice group, or a group receiving brief counseling. Seventy-five percent of subjects were evaluated 9 months later. RESULTS. Male patients exposed to the interventions reported approximately 17% lower average daily alcohol consumption than those in the control group. Reductions in the intensity of drinking were approximately 10%. For women, significant reductions were observed in both the control and the intervention groups. Five minutes of simple advice were as effective as 20 minutes of brief counseling. CONCLUSIONS. Brief interventions are consistently robust across health care settings and sociocultural groups and can make a significant contribution to the secondary prevention of alcohol-related problems if they are widely used in primary care. PMID:8669518

Fourier Transformation Theory for Averaged Functions, with Application to Very Long Baseline Radio Interferometry.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

primary parameters affecting the SNR. For an earth-based interferometer, the physical aperture may usually be constructed adequately large to keep the...bandwidth Av cent--.c. on vo0 by an interferometer with frequency characteristic F(v) and primary power pattern G(s-s ) (defined as the product of the...infinitely narrow beam for the primary power pattern, G(g- 0 ) = (;-S )] we have where we have assumed a flat frequency response and included as a

Switching power supply

DOEpatents

Mihalka, A.M.

1984-06-05

The invention is a repratable capacitor charging, switching power supply. A ferrite transformer steps up a dc input. The transformer primary is in a full bridge configuration utilizing power MOSFETs as the bridge switches. The transformer secondary is fed into a high voltage, full wave rectifier whose output is connected directly to the energy storage capacitor. The transformer is designed to provide adequate leakage inductance to limit capacitor current. The MOSFETs are switched to the variable frequency from 20 to 50 kHz to charge a capacitor from 0.6 kV. The peak current in a transformer primary and secondary is controlled by increasing the pulse width as the capacitor charges. A digital ripple counter counts pulses and after a preselected desired number is reached an up-counter is clocked.

Effectiveness of a passive-active vibration isolation system with actuator constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Lingling; Sun, Wei; Song, Kongjie; Hansen, Colin H.

2014-05-01

In the prediction of active vibration isolation performance, control force requirements were ignored in previous work. This may limit the realization of theoretically predicted isolation performance if control force of large magnitude cannot be supplied by actuators. The behavior of a feed-forward active isolation system subjected to actuator output constraints is investigated. Distributed parameter models are developed to analyze the system response, and to produce a transfer matrix for the design of an integrated passive-active isolation system. Cost functions comprising a combination of the vibration transmission energy and the sum of the squared control forces are proposed. The example system considered is a rigid body connected to a simply supported plate via two passive-active isolation mounts. Vertical and transverse forces as well as a rotational moment are applied at the rigid body, and resonances excited in elastic mounts and the supporting plate are analyzed. The overall isolation performance is evaluated by numerical simulation. The simulation results are then compared with those obtained using unconstrained control strategies. In addition, the effects of waves in elastic mounts are analyzed. It is shown that the control strategies which rely on unconstrained actuator outputs may give substantial power transmission reductions over a wide frequency range, but also require large control force amplitudes to control excited vibration modes of the system. Expected power transmission reductions for modified control strategies that incorporate constrained actuator outputs are considerably less than typical reductions with unconstrained actuator outputs. In the frequency range in which rigid body modes are present, the control strategies can only achieve 5-10 dB power transmission reduction, when control forces are constrained to be the same order of the magnitude as the primary vertical force. The resonances of the elastic mounts result in a notable increase of power transmission in high frequency range and cannot be attenuated by active control. The investigation provides a guideline for design and evaluation of active vibration isolation systems.

Description of a 2.3 kW power transformer for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, I.

1979-01-01

The principle features and special testing of a high voltage high power transformer designed and developed for space application are described. The transformer is operated in a series resonant inverter supplying beam power to a 30 cm mercury ion thruster. Electrical requirements include operation of 2.3 kW continuous power output, primary currents to 35 amps rms, and frequencies up to 20 kHz. High efficiency was obtained through detailed considerations of the tradeoffs available in core materials, wire selection, coil configurations and thermal control. A number of novel heat removal techniques are discussed which control the winding temperature using only the available conductive cooling.

Primary and secondary parasitoids (Hymenoptera) of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on blueberry and other Vaccinium in the Pacific Northwest.

PubMed

Raworth, D A; Pike, K S; Tanigoshi, L K; Mathur, S; Graf, G

2008-04-01

Blueberry scorch virus, a commercially important Carlavirus in highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., is vectored by aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We surveyed the aphids, primary parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae, Braconidae), and associated secondary parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Charipidae, Megaspilidae, Pteromalidae) on highbush blueberry and other Vaccinium in the Pacific Northwest from 1995 to 2006, with samples concentrated in 2005 and 2006, to lay the groundwork for augmentative biological control. Ericaphis fimbriata (Richards) was the principal aphid. The dominant parasitoid species were Praon unicum Smith, Aphidius n. sp., A. sp., and Aphidius ervi Haliday. Their frequency in relation to the other primary parasitoids varied significantly with geographical area; P. unicum dominated the frequency distribution in southwestern British Columbia, A. n. sp., west of the Cascades, and A. sp. and A. ervi east of the Cascades. Among the secondary parasitoids, pteromalids dominated, and their frequency in relation to the other secondary parasitoids was lowest in southwestern British Columbia. The parasitization rate for P. unicum and A. n. sp. in southwestern British Columbia increased from May or June to a maximum of 0.080 +/- 0.024 and 0.090 +/- 0.084 (SD), respectively, in late July or early August. P. unicum emerged in the spring 4 wk before A. n. sp. The parasitization rate for P. unicum was lower in conventional than organic fields. Whereas aphid density increased monotonically, P. unicum had two spring peaks. A simulation model showed that these peaks could reflect discrete generations. Releases of insectary-reared P. unicum at 150 or 450 DD above 5.6 degrees C, summing from 1 January, may effectively augment the natural spring populations by creating overlapping generations.

Spatiotemporal frequency tuning of BOLD and gamma band MEG responses compared in primary visual cortex.

PubMed

Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D; Singh, Krish D

2008-05-01

In this study, the spatial and temporal frequency tuning characteristics of the MEG gamma (40-60 Hz) rhythm and the BOLD response in primary visual cortex were measured and compared. In an identical MEG/fMRI paradigm, 10 participants viewed reversing square wave gratings at 2 spatial frequencies [0.5 and 3 cycles per degree (cpd)] reversing at 5 temporal frequencies (0, 1 6, 10, 15 Hz). Three-dimensional images of MEG source power were generated with synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) and showed a high degree of spatial correspondence with BOLD responses in primary visual cortex with a mean spatial separation of 6.5 mm, but the two modalities showed different tuning characteristics. The gamma rhythm showed a clear increase in induced power for the high spatial frequency stimulus while BOLD showed no difference in activity for the two spatial frequencies used. Both imaging modalities showed a general increase of activity with temporal frequency, however, BOLD plateaued around 6-10 Hz while the MEG generally increased with a dip exhibited at 6 Hz. These results demonstrate that the two modalities may show activation in similar spatial locations but that the functional pattern of these activations may differ in a complex manner, suggesting that they may be tuned to different aspects of neuronal activity.

Species Identification and Resistance Status of Anopheles gambiae s.l. (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Guinea.

PubMed

Keita, K; Camara, D; Barry, Y; Ossè, R; Wang, L; Sylla, M; Miller, D; Leite, L; Schopp, P; Lawrence, G G; Akogbéto, M; Dotson, E M; Guilavogui, T; Keita, M; Irish, S R

2017-05-01

Insecticide resistance is one of the primary threats to the recent gains in malaria control. This is especially true in Guinea, where long-lasting insecticidal nets are currently the primary vector control intervention. To better inform the national malaria control program on the current status of insecticide resistance in Guinea, resistance bioassays were conducted, using Anopheles gambiae s.l. Giles, in three sites. Molecular analyses were also done on An. gambiae s.l. to determine the species and find whether the target-site mutations kdr and Ace1R were present. Susceptibility tests revealed resistance to DDT and pyrethroids, although mosquitoes were susceptible to deltamethrin in two of the three sites tested. Mosquitoes were susceptible to bendiocarb, except in Kissidougou, Guinea. The kdr-west mutation was widespread and the frequency was 60% or more in all sites. However, the Ace1R mutation was present in low levels. Insecticide susceptibility should continue to be monitored in Guinea to ensure insecticide-based vector control methods remain effective. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Investigation of the Feasibility of an Intervention to Manage Fall Risk in Wheeled Mobility Device Users with Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

Rice, Laura A; Isaacs, Zadok; Ousley, Cherita; Sosnoff, Jacob

2018-01-01

Falls are a common concern for wheeled mobility device users with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, no evidence-based fall prevention programs have been developed to meet the specific needs of the population. We examine the preliminary feasibility of a fall management intervention in wheeled mobility device users with MS. Study participants were exposed to an intervention program targeting risk factors for falls, including transfer skills and seated postural control. The feasibility of the program was evaluated by assessing participant perspectives, cost, recruitment rates, study adherence, participant retention, safety, and the ability to collect primary and secondary outcomes, including fall frequency, concerns about falling, transfer quality, and seated postural control. 16 wheeled mobility device users completed the program, which was found to be feasible and was positively evaluated by participants. No adverse events were experienced. After exposure to the intervention, fall frequency significantly decreased (P < .001) and transfer quality (P = .001) and seated postural control (P = .002) significantly improved. No significant differences were found regarding concerns about falling (P = .728). This study examined the feasibility of an intervention program to manage fall risk in wheeled mobility device users with MS. The program was found to be feasible, and preliminary results showed the intervention to be effective in decreasing fall frequency. Additional testing is needed to further examine the efficacy and long-term impact of the intervention.

Efficacy of alginate-based reflux suppressant and magnesium-aluminium antacid gel for treatment of heartburn in pregnancy: a randomized double-blind controlled trial

PubMed Central

Meteerattanapipat, Pontip; Phupong, Vorapong

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of alginate-based reflux suppressant and magnesium-aluminium antacid gel for treatment of heartburn in pregnancy. A double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial was conducted. One hundred pregnant women at less than 36 weeks gestation with heartburn at least twice per week were randomized to either alginate-based reflux suppressant or to magnesium-aluminium antacid gel. Details of heartburn were recorded before beginning the treatment and the second week of study. Primary outcome measure was the improvement of heartburn frequency after treatment and secondary outcome were the improvement of heartburn intensity, quality of life, maternal satisfaction, maternal side effects, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. There was no difference between treatment and control groups in improvement of heartburn frequency (80% vs 88%, p = 0.275), 50% reduction of frequency of heartburn (56% vs 52%, p = 0.688), improvement of heartburn intensity (92% vs 92%, p = 1.000) and 50% reduction of heartburn intensity (68% vs 80% cases, p = 0.075). There were also no significant differences in quality of life, maternal satisfaction, maternal side effects, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Alginate-based reflux suppressant was not different from magnesium-aluminium antacid gel in the treatment of heartburn in pregnancy. PMID:28317885

The role of virulence for in vivo superinfection fitness of a vertebrate RNA virus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kell, Alison M.; Wargo, Andrew R.; Kurath, Gael

2013-01-01

We have developed a novel, in vivo superinfection fitness assay to examine superinfection dynamics and the role of virulence in superinfection fitness. This assay involves controlled, sequential infections of a natural, vertebrate host, Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout), with variants of a co-evolved viral pathogen, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Intervals between infections ranged from 12 hours to 7 days, and both frequency of superinfection and viral replication levels were examined. Using virus genotype pairs of equal and unequal virulence, we observed that superinfection generally occurred with decreasing frequency as the interval between exposures to each genotype increased. For both the equal virulence and unequal virulence genotype pairs, the frequency of superinfection was the same regardless of which genotype was used in the primary exposure. However, the ability to replicate in the context of superinfection did not differ between the genotypes of equal or unequal virulence tested here. For both genotype pairs, the mean viral load of the secondary virus was significantly reduced in superinfection, while primary virus replication was unaffected. Our results demonstrate, for the two genotype pairs examined, that superinfection restriction does occur for IHNV, and that higher virulence did not correlate with a significant difference in superinfection fitness. To our knowledge, this is the first assay to examine the role of virulence of an RNA virus in determining superinfection fitness dynamics within a natural, vertebrate host.

Real-Time Digital Simulation of Inertial Response with Hardware-in-the-Loop Implementation on the CART3 Wind Turbine at the National Wind Technology Center

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

Gao, Wenzhong; Wang, Xiao; Muljadi, Eduard

With increasing penetrations of wind power on electric grids, the stability and reliability of interconnected power systems may be impacted. In some countries that have developed renewable energy sources and systems, grid codes have been revised to require wind power plants (WPPs) to provide ancillary services to support the power system frequency in case of severe grid events. To do this, wind turbine generators (WTGs) should be deloaded to reserve a certain amount of active power for primary frequency response; however, deloading curtails annual energy production, and the market for this type of service needs to be further developed. Inmore » this report, we focus on the temporary frequency support provided by WTGs through inertial response. WTGs have potential to provide inertial response, but appropriate control methods should be implemented. With the implemented inertial control methods, wind turbines are capable of increasing their active power output by releasing some of their stored kinetic energy when a frequency excursion occurs. Active power can be temporarily boosted above the maximum power points, after which the rotor speed decelerates, and subsequently an active power output reduction restores the kinetic energy. In this report, we develop two types of models for wind power systems: the first is common, based on the wind power aerodynamic equation, and the power coefficient can be regressed using nonlinear functions; the second is much more complicated, wherein the wind turbine system is modeled using the Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence Modeling (FAST) tool with several degrees of freedoms. A nine-bus test power system is built in Simulink and the Real-Time Digital Simulator, respectively, which are used to evaluate the frequency support performance of the WPPs. We implement two distinct types of inertial control methods in the modeled wind turbines: frequency-based inertial control (FBIC) and stepwise inertial control (SIC). We compare the performances of the two methods in terms of their frequency nadirs, rates of change of frequency, and recovery times. We conclude the results under various wind speeds and penetration cases, which provide insight into designing the inertial response of WTGs. Further, we discuss the impact of the parameters on the performance of the inertial control methods. We evaluate both the scaling factors for the FBIC method and the slope values for the TLIC methods. The simulation work shows the characteristics of different inertial responses compared to conventional synchronous generators. Based on the simulation results, we modify, improve, and test the inertial control methods under a more realistic wind turbine model based on FAST. We then validate the inertial responses under highly turbulent wind conditions generated by TurbSim, and we examine their influences on the turbine mechanical components. The extensive simulation proves the effectiveness of the proposed inertial control methods as well as the nine-bus test power system. We then reconsider the parameters. We rebuild the same test power system using Real time Simulator Computer Aided Design (RSCAD), and we implement the inertial control methods in the real Controls Advanced Research Turbine (CART3), which is prepared for the hardware-in-the-loop field-test simulation. After the setups for the hardware and software hybrid simulation platform are complete, the inertial response is further tested on a real wind turbine for the first time, in which CART3 release the controlled inertial response against the emulated frequency excursion, provided by the real-time simulated power system test bed in RTDS.« less

Implementation and evaluation of the 5As framework of obesity management in primary care: design of the 5As Team (5AsT) randomized control trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Obesity is a pressing public health concern, which frequently presents in primary care. With the explosive obesity epidemic, there is an urgent need to maximize effective management in primary care. The 5As of Obesity Management™ (5As) are a collection of knowledge tools developed by the Canadian Obesity Network. Low rates of obesity management visits in primary care suggest provider behaviour may be an important variable. The goal of the present study is to increase frequency and quality of obesity management in primary care using the 5As Team (5AsT) intervention to change provider behaviour. Methods/design The 5AsT trial is a theoretically informed, pragmatic randomized controlled trial with mixed methods evaluation. Clinic-based multidisciplinary teams (RN/NP, mental health, dietitians) will be randomized to control or the 5AsT intervention group, to participate in biweekly learning collaborative sessions supported by internal and external practice facilitation. The learning collaborative content addresses provider-identified barriers to effective obesity management in primary care. Evidence-based shared decision making tools will be co-developed and iteratively tested by practitioners. Evaluation will be informed by the RE-AIM framework. The primary outcome measure, to which participants are blinded, is number of weight management visits/full-time equivalent (FTE) position. Patient-level outcomes will also be assessed, through a longitudinal cohort study of patients from randomized practices. Patient outcomes include clinical (e.g., body mass index [BMI], blood pressure), health-related quality of life (SF-12, EQ5D), and satisfaction with care. Qualitative data collected from providers and patients will be evaluated using thematic analysis to understand the context, implementation and effectiveness of the 5AsT program. Discussion The 5AsT trial will provide a wide range of insights into current practices, knowledge gaps and barriers that limit obesity management in primary practice. The use of existing resources, collaborative design, practice facilitation, and integrated feedback loops cultivate an applicable, adaptable and sustainable approach to increasing the quantity and quality of weight management visits in primary care. Trial registration NCT01967797. PMID:24947045

Implementation and evaluation of the 5As framework of obesity management in primary care: design of the 5As Team (5AsT) randomized control trial.

PubMed

Campbell-Scherer, Denise L; Asselin, Jodie; Osunlana, Adedayo M; Fielding, Sheri; Anderson, Robin; Rueda-Clausen, Christian F; Johnson, Jeffrey A; Ogunleye, Ayodele A; Cave, Andrew; Manca, Donna; Sharma, Arya M

2014-06-19

Obesity is a pressing public health concern, which frequently presents in primary care. With the explosive obesity epidemic, there is an urgent need to maximize effective management in primary care. The 5As of Obesity Management™ (5As) are a collection of knowledge tools developed by the Canadian Obesity Network. Low rates of obesity management visits in primary care suggest provider behaviour may be an important variable. The goal of the present study is to increase frequency and quality of obesity management in primary care using the 5As Team (5AsT) intervention to change provider behaviour. The 5AsT trial is a theoretically informed, pragmatic randomized controlled trial with mixed methods evaluation. Clinic-based multidisciplinary teams (RN/NP, mental health, dietitians) will be randomized to control or the 5AsT intervention group, to participate in biweekly learning collaborative sessions supported by internal and external practice facilitation. The learning collaborative content addresses provider-identified barriers to effective obesity management in primary care. Evidence-based shared decision making tools will be co-developed and iteratively tested by practitioners. Evaluation will be informed by the RE-AIM framework. The primary outcome measure, to which participants are blinded, is number of weight management visits/full-time equivalent (FTE) position. Patient-level outcomes will also be assessed, through a longitudinal cohort study of patients from randomized practices. Patient outcomes include clinical (e.g., body mass index [BMI], blood pressure), health-related quality of life (SF-12, EQ5D), and satisfaction with care. Qualitative data collected from providers and patients will be evaluated using thematic analysis to understand the context, implementation and effectiveness of the 5AsT program. The 5AsT trial will provide a wide range of insights into current practices, knowledge gaps and barriers that limit obesity management in primary practice. The use of existing resources, collaborative design, practice facilitation, and integrated feedback loops cultivate an applicable, adaptable and sustainable approach to increasing the quantity and quality of weight management visits in primary care. NCT01967797.

Hydrogen masers and cesium fountains at NRC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boulanger, J.-S.; Morris, D.; Douglas, R. J.; Gagne, M.-C.

1994-01-01

The NRC masers H-3 and H-4 have been operating since June 1993 with cavity servo control. These low-flux active H masers are showing stabilities of about 10(exp -15) from 1 hour to several days. Stability results are presented, and the current and planned uses of the masers are discussed. A cesium fountain primary frequency standard project has been started at NRC. Trapping and launching experiments with the goal of 7 m/s launches are beginning. We discuss our plans for a local oscillator and servo that exploit the pulsed aspect of cesium fountain standards, and meet the challenge of 10(exp -14) tau(exp -1/2) stability without requiring masers. At best, we expect to run this frequency standard initially for periods of hours each working day rather than continuously for years, and so frequency transfer to outside laboratories has been carefully considered. We conclude that masers (or other even better secondary clocks) are required to exploit this potential accuracy of the cesium fountain. We present and discuss our conclusion that it is feasible to transfer frequency in this way with a transfer-induced uncertainty of less than 10(exp -15), even in the presence of maser frequency drift and random walk noise.

Analytical study of acoustic response of a semireverberant enclosure with application to active noise control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrott, T. L.; Schein, D. B.; Gridley, D.

1985-01-01

The acoustic response of a semireverberant enclosure with two interacting, velocity-prescribed source distributions was analyzed using standard modal analysis techniques with a view toward a better understanding of active noise control. Different source and enclosure dimensions, source separations, and single-wall admittances were studied over representative frequency bandwidths of 10 Hz with source relative phase as a parameter. Results indicate that power radiated into the enclosure agree qualitatively with the spatial average of the mean square pressure, even though the reverberant field is nondiffuse. Decreases in acoustic power can therefore be used to estimate global noise reduction in a nondiffuse semireverberant environment. As might be expected, parametric studies indicate that maximum power reductions of up to 25 dB can be achieved when secondary and primary sources are compact and closely spaced. Although less success is achieved with increasing frequency and source separation or size, significant suppression of up to 8 dB still occurs over the 1 to 2 Hz bandwidth.

[Evaluation of the pro- and antioxidant status of women with HIV or coinfection].

PubMed

Kolesnikova, L I; Kolesnikov, S I; Darenskaya, M A; Grebenkina, L A; Timofeeva, E V; Leshchenko, O Ya; Vanteeva, O A; Rashidova, M A

2016-01-01

To reveal the specific features of changes in the parameters of lipid peroxidation - antioxidant defense and the status of the reproductive system in women of fertile age with monoinfection (HIV) or coinfection (HIV and hepatitis B and/or C). 81 reproductive-aged women were examined and divided into 3 groups: 1) 28 apparently healthy women (controls); 2) 26 patients with HIV monoinfection; and 3) 27 patients with HIV coinfection (HIV + hepatitis B and/or C) who had not previously received antiretroviral therapy. The HIV coinfection group showed the higher values of primary (conjugated dienes) and secondary (ketodienes and conjugated trienes) lipid peroxidation products in the presence of lower superoxide dismutase activity and obvious α-tocopherol deficiency than the control and HIV monoinfection groups. HIV coinfection in reproductive-aged women was accompanied by the high frequency of luteal phase deficiency. HIV coinfection is characterized by a more pronounced oxidative stress, antioxidant factor deficiency, and the high frequency of luteal phase deficiency in the patients.

Abnormal hepatic biochemistries and clinical liver disease in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

PubMed

Montaño-Loza, Aldo J; Crispín-Acuña, José Carlos; Remes-Troche, José María; Uribe, Misael

2007-01-01

Patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome may present liver involvement. Our goals were to establish the prevalence of abnormal hepatic biochemistries and clinical liver disease in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and correlate their presence with other clinical and laboratory features. Ninety-five patients with diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome were studied. Data on gender, age, clinical features, liver biochemistries, tests of inflammation and autoimmunity, and concomitant diseases were collected. Forty-two patients (44%) had abnormal hepatic biochemistries, and of these 19 patients (20%) had clinical liver disease. Patients with abnormal hepatic biochemistries had higher frequency of autoimmune hypotiroidism, arthritis, vasculitis, Raynaud's phenomenon, higher sedimentation rate,and higher frequency of antinuclear and antimitochondrial antibodies than patients with normal liver biochemistries (P < 0.05 for each). Patients with clinical liver disease had higher frequency of arthritis, vasculitis, and higher frequency of antimitochondrial antibodies than patients without clinical liver disease (P < 0.05 for each). Twenty-one patients had diagnosis of a specific liver disease, such as hepatitis C virus infection (n = 11), autoimmune hepatitis (n = 2), primary biliary cirrhosis (n =5),nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 2), and hepatitis B virus infection (n = 1). In half of patients with liver involvement a definitive cause could not be identified. Liver involvement is frequently found in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, and its presence is associated with clinical features of systemic disease, and markers of autoimmunity and inflammation. There may be a subgroup of patients with liver involvement secondary to primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Rare, low frequency and common coding variants in CHRNA5 and their contribution to nicotine dependence in European and African Americans.

PubMed

Olfson, E; Saccone, N L; Johnson, E O; Chen, L-S; Culverhouse, R; Doheny, K; Foltz, S M; Fox, L; Gogarten, S M; Hartz, S; Hetrick, K; Laurie, C C; Marosy, B; Amin, N; Arnett, D; Barr, R G; Bartz, T M; Bertelsen, S; Borecki, I B; Brown, M R; Chasman, D I; van Duijn, C M; Feitosa, M F; Fox, E R; Franceschini, N; Franco, O H; Grove, M L; Guo, X; Hofman, A; Kardia, S L R; Morrison, A C; Musani, S K; Psaty, B M; Rao, D C; Reiner, A P; Rice, K; Ridker, P M; Rose, L M; Schick, U M; Schwander, K; Uitterlinden, A G; Vojinovic, D; Wang, J-C; Ware, E B; Wilson, G; Yao, J; Zhao, W; Breslau, N; Hatsukami, D; Stitzel, J A; Rice, J; Goate, A; Bierut, L J

2016-05-01

The common nonsynonymous variant rs16969968 in the α5 nicotinic receptor subunit gene (CHRNA5) is the strongest genetic risk factor for nicotine dependence in European Americans and contributes to risk in African Americans. To comprehensively examine whether other CHRNA5 coding variation influences nicotine dependence risk, we performed targeted sequencing on 1582 nicotine-dependent cases (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score⩾4) and 1238 non-dependent controls, with independent replication of common and low frequency variants using 12 studies with exome chip data. Nicotine dependence was examined using logistic regression with individual common variants (minor allele frequency (MAF)⩾0.05), aggregate low frequency variants (0.05>MAF⩾0.005) and aggregate rare variants (MAF<0.005). Meta-analysis of primary results was performed with replication studies containing 12 174 heavy and 11 290 light smokers. Next-generation sequencing with 180 × coverage identified 24 nonsynonymous variants and 2 frameshift deletions in CHRNA5, including 9 novel variants in the 2820 subjects. Meta-analysis confirmed the risk effect of the only common variant (rs16969968, European ancestry: odds ratio (OR)=1.3, P=3.5 × 10(-11); African ancestry: OR=1.3, P=0.01) and demonstrated that three low frequency variants contributed an independent risk (aggregate term, European ancestry: OR=1.3, P=0.005; African ancestry: OR=1.4, P=0.0006). The remaining 22 rare coding variants were associated with increased risk of nicotine dependence in the European American primary sample (OR=12.9, P=0.01) and in the same risk direction in African Americans (OR=1.5, P=0.37). Our results indicate that common, low frequency and rare CHRNA5 coding variants are independently associated with nicotine dependence risk. These newly identified variants likely influence the risk for smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer.

Is Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Sufficient for Routine Dental Treatment in 4- to 6-year-old Children?

PubMed

Pourkazemi, Maryam; Erfanparast, Leila; Sheykhgermchi, Sanaz; Ghanizadeh, Milad

2017-01-01

Pain control is one of the most important aspects of behavior management in children. The most common way to achieve pain control is by using local anesthetics (LA). Many studies describe that the buccal nerve innervates the buccal gingiva and mucosa of the mandible for a variable extent from the vicinity of the lower third molar to the lower canine. Regarding the importance of appropriate and complete LA in child-behavior control, in this study, we examined the frequency of buccal gingiva anesthesia of primary mandibular molars and canine after inferior alveolar nerve block injection in 4- to 6-year-old children. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 220 4- to 6-year-old children were randomly selected and entered into the study. Inferior alveolar nerve block was injected with the same method and standards for all children, and after ensuring the success of block injection, anesthesia of buccal mucosa of primary molars and canine was examined by stick test and reaction of child using sound, eye, motor (SEM) scale. The data from the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The area that was the highest nonanesthetized was recorded as in the distobuccal of the second primary molars. The area of the lowest nonanesthesia was also reported in the gingiva of primary canine tooth. According to this study, in 15 to 30% of cases, after inferior alveolar nerve block injection, the primary mandibular molars' buccal mucosa is not anesthetized. How to cite this article: Pourkazemi M, Erfanparast L, Sheykhgermchi S, Ghanizadeh M. Is Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Sufficient for Routine Dental Treatment in 4- to 6-year-old Children? Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(4):369-372.

The NAv1.7 blocker protoxin II reduces burn injury-induced spinal nociceptive processing.

PubMed

Torres-Pérez, Jose Vicente; Adamek, Pavel; Palecek, Jiri; Vizcaychipi, Marcela; Nagy, Istvan; Varga, Angelika

2018-01-01

Controlling pain in burn-injured patients poses a major clinical challenge. Recent findings suggest that reducing the activity of the voltage-gated sodium channel Na v 1.7 in primary sensory neurons could provide improved pain control in burn-injured patients. Here, we report that partial thickness scalding-type burn injury on the rat paw upregulates Na v 1.7 expression in primary sensory neurons 3 h following injury. The injury also induces upregulation in phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (p-CREB), a marker for nociceptive activation in primary sensory neurons. The upregulation in p-CREB occurs mainly in Na v 1.7-immunopositive neurons and exhibits a peak at 5 min and, following a decline at 30 min, a gradual increase from 1 h post-injury. The Na v 1.7 blocker protoxin II (ProTxII) or morphine injected intraperitoneally 15 min before or after the injury significantly reduces burn injury-induced spinal upregulation in phosphorylated serine 10 in histone H3 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, which are both markers for spinal nociceptive processing. Further, ProTxII significantly reduces the frequency of spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents in spinal dorsal horn neurons following burn injury. Together, these findings indicate that using Na v 1.7 blockers should be considered to control pain in burn injury. • Burn injury upregulates Na v 1.7 expression in primary sensory neurons. • Burn injury results in increased activity of Na v 1.7-expressing primary sensory neurons. • Inhibiting Na v 1.7 by protoxin II reduces spinal nociceptive processing. • Na v 1.7 represents a potential target to reduce pain in burn injury.

Altered soleus responses to magnetic stimulation in pure cerebellar ataxia.

PubMed

Kurokawa-Kuroda, Tomomi; Ogata, Katsuya; Suga, Rie; Goto, Yoshinobu; Taniwaki, Takayuki; Kira, Jun-Ichi; Tobimatsu, Shozo

2007-06-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the leg motor area elicits a soleus primary response (SPR) and a soleus late response (SLR). We evaluated the influence of the cerebellofugal pathway on the SPR and SLR in patients with 'pure' cerebellar ataxia. SPRs and SLRs were recorded from 11 healthy subjects and 9 patients with 'pure' cerebellar cortical degeneration; 5 with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), and 4 with late cortical cerebellar ataxia (LCCA). In addition, three patients with localized cerebellar lesions were tested. The SPR latency was significantly longer in patients than in controls, but primary responses in the tibialis anterior muscle were normal. The frequency of abnormal SLR was 38.9% in the supine position and 83.3% in the standing position. Two out of three patients with localized cerebellar lesions also showed abnormal SLR. Altered SPRs in patients may result from a dysfunction of the primary motor cortex caused by crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis. In addition, our results suggest that 'pure' cerebellar degeneration involves the mechanism responsible for evoking SLR which is related to the control of posture. SLR can be a useful neurophysiological parameter for evaluating cerebellofugal function.

Current oncologic applications of radiofrequency ablation therapies

PubMed Central

Shah, Dhruvil R; Green, Sari; Elliot, Angelina; McGahan, John P; Khatri, Vijay P

2013-01-01

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses high frequency alternating current to heat a volume of tissue around a needle electrode to induce focal coagulative necrosis with minimal injury to surrounding tissues. RFA can be performed via an open, laparoscopic, or image guided percutaneous approach and be performed under general or local anesthesia. Advances in delivery mechanisms, electrode designs, and higher power generators have increased the maximum volume that can be ablated, while maximizing oncological outcomes. In general, RFA is used to control local tumor growth, prevent recurrence, palliate symptoms, and improve survival in a subset of patients that are not candidates for surgical resection. It’s equivalence to surgical resection has yet to be proven in large randomized control trials. Currently, the use of RFA has been well described as a primary or adjuvant treatment modality of limited but unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, liver metastasis, especially colorectal cancer metastases, primary lung tumors, renal cell carcinoma, boney metastasis and osteoid osteomas. The role of RFA in the primary treatment of early stage breast cancer is still evolving. This review will discuss the general features of RFA and outline its role in commonly encountered solid tumors. PMID:23671734

Analysis of genomic instability in the offspring of fathers exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Aghajanyan, Anna; Kuzmina, Nina; Sipyagyna, Alla; Baleva, Larisa; Suskov, Igor

2011-08-01

Transgenerational genomic instability was studied in nonirradiated children born from fathers who were irradiated with low doses of ionizing radiation while working as clean-up workers at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (liquidators) and nonirradiated mothers from nuclear families. Aberrant cell frequencies (ACFs), chromosomal type aberration frequencies, and chromatid break frequencies (CBFs) in the lymphocytes of fathers-liquidators, and their children were significantly higher when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Individual ACFs, aberration frequencies, and CBFs were independent of the time between irradiation of the father and conception of the child (1 month to 18 years). Chromosomes were categorized into seven groups (A through G). Analysis of aberrant chromosomes within these groups showed no differences in the average frequency of aberrant chromosomes between children and fathers-liquidators. However, significant differences were observed in the average frequency of aberrant chromosomes in groups A, B, and C between children and mothers in the families of liquidators. These results suggest that low doses of radiation induce genomic instability in fathers. Moreover, low radiation doses might be responsible for individual peculiarities in transgenerational genomic instability in children (as a consequence of response to primary DNA damage). Thus, genomic instability may contribute to increased morbidity over the lifetime of these children. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Loss of memory B cells impairs maintenance of long-term serologic memory during HIV-1 infection.

PubMed

Titanji, Kehmia; De Milito, Angelo; Cagigi, Alberto; Thorstensson, Rigmor; Grützmeier, Sven; Atlas, Ann; Hejdeman, Bo; Kroon, Frank P; Lopalco, Lucia; Nilsson, Anna; Chiodi, Francesca

2006-09-01

Circulating memory B cells are severely reduced in the peripheral blood of HIV-1-infected patients. We investigated whether dysfunctional serologic memory to non-HIV antigens is related to disease progression by evaluating the frequency of memory B cells, plasma IgG, plasma levels of antibodies to measles, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and enumerating measles-specific antibody-secreting cells in patients with primary, chronic, and long-term nonprogressive HIV-1 infection. We also evaluated the in vitro production of IgM and IgG antibodies against measles and S pneumoniae antigens following polyclonal activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients. The percentage of memory B cells correlated with CD4+ T-cell counts in patients, thus representing a marker of disease progression. While patients with primary and chronic infection had severe defects in serologic memory, long-term nonprogressors had memory B-cell frequency and levels of antigen-specific antibodies comparable with controls. We also evaluated the effect of antiretroviral therapy on these serologic memory defects and found that antiretroviral therapy did not restore serologic memory in primary or in chronic infection. We suggest that HIV infection impairs maintenance of long-term serologic immunity to HIV-1-unrelated antigens and this defect is initiated early in infection. This may have important consequences for the response of HIV-infected patients to immunizations.

Creating a Test Validated Structural Dynamic Finite Element Model of the X-56A Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pak, Chan-Gi; Truong, Samson

2014-01-01

Small modeling errors in the finite element model will eventually induce errors in the structural flexibility and mass, thus propagating into unpredictable errors in the unsteady aerodynamics and the control law design. One of the primary objectives of the Multi Utility Technology Test-bed, X-56A aircraft, is the flight demonstration of active flutter suppression, and therefore in this study, the identification of the primary and secondary modes for the structural model tuning based on the flutter analysis of the X-56A aircraft. The ground vibration test-validated structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A aircraft is created in this study. The structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A aircraft is improved using a model tuning tool. In this study, two different weight configurations of the X-56A aircraft have been improved in a single optimization run. Frequency and the cross-orthogonality (mode shape) matrix were the primary focus for improvement, while other properties such as center of gravity location, total weight, and offdiagonal terms of the mass orthogonality matrix were used as constraints. The end result was a more improved and desirable structural dynamic finite element model configuration for the X-56A aircraft. Improved frequencies and mode shapes in this study increased average flutter speeds of the X-56A aircraft by 7.6% compared to the baseline model.

Creating a Test-Validated Finite-Element Model of the X-56A Aircraft Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pak, Chan-Gi; Truong, Samson

2014-01-01

Small modeling errors in a finite-element model will eventually induce errors in the structural flexibility and mass, thus propagating into unpredictable errors in the unsteady aerodynamics and the control law design. One of the primary objectives of the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed aircraft is the flight demonstration of active flutter suppression and, therefore, in this study, the identification of the primary and secondary modes for the structural model tuning based on the flutter analysis of the X-56A aircraft. The ground-vibration test-validated structural dynamic finite-element model of the X-56A aircraft is created in this study. The structural dynamic finite-element model of the X-56A aircraft is improved using a model-tuning tool. In this study, two different weight configurations of the X-56A aircraft have been improved in a single optimization run. Frequency and the cross-orthogonality (mode shape) matrix were the primary focus for improvement, whereas other properties such as c.g. location, total weight, and off-diagonal terms of the mass orthogonality matrix were used as constraints. The end result was an improved structural dynamic finite-element model configuration for the X-56A aircraft. Improved frequencies and mode shapes in this study increased average flutter speeds of the X-56A aircraft by 7.6% compared to the baseline model.

[Frequency of the metabolic syndrome among overweight and obese patients in a primary health care facility in northern Mexico].

PubMed

Zonana-Nacach, Abraham; Castillón-Chapa, Mario Arturo

2006-01-01

Assess the frequency of the metabolic syndrome (MS) among overweight and obese subjects attending a primary health care clinic in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Male and female patients over 20 years of age attending a primary health care setting during April-Sept 2004 were selected to participate in the study. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (NCEP III). Three-hundred twenty one patients with a mean age 47.9 years were assessed. The MS frequency was 44% for those patients without previous history of diabetes mellitus or hypertension (n = 281). The MS was present in 30% and 53% of overweight and obese patients respectively. Being an older male who had not been born in Baja California State were significantly associated with the presence of MS. The frequency of MS in a selected group of patients was common and higher than the national prevalence. The high frequency of MS in our study could be associated with a high prevalence of diabetes and obesity in the northwest population of Mexico.

Fifty years of atomic time-keeping at VNIIFTRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domnin, Yu; Gaigerov, B.; Koshelyaevsky, N.; Poushkin, S.; Rusin, F.; Tatarenkov, V.; Yolkin, G.

2005-06-01

Time metrology in Russia in the second half of the twentieth century has been marked, as in other advanced countries, by the rapid development of time and frequency quantum standards and the beginning of atomic time-keeping. This brief review presents the main developments and studies in time and frequency measurement, and the improvement of accuracy and atomic time-keeping at the VNIIFTRI—the National Metrology Institute keeping primary time and frequency standards and ensuring unification of measurement. The milestones along the way have been the ammonia and hydrogen masers, primary caesium beam and fountain standards and laser frequency standards. For many years, VNIIFTRI was the only world laboratory that applied hydrogen-maser clock ensembles for time-keeping. VNIIFTRI's work on international laser standard frequency comparisons and absolute frequency measurements contributed greatly to the adoption by the CIPM of a highly accurate value for the He-Ne/CH4 laser frequency. VNIIFTRI and the VNIIM were the first to establish a united time, frequency and length standard.

Influence of Stepped Osteotomy on Primary Stability of Implants Inserted in Low-Density Bone Sites: An In Vitro Study.

PubMed

Degidi, Marco; Daprile, Giuseppe; Piattelli, Adriano

The aims of this study were to evaluate the ability of a stepped osteotomy to improve dental implant primary stability in low-density bone sites and to investigate possible correlations between primary stability parameters. The study was performed on fresh humid bovine bone classified as type III. The test group consisted of 30 Astra Tech EV implants inserted following the protocol provided by the manufacturer. The first control group consisted of 30 Astra Tech EV implants inserted in sites without the underpreparation of the apical portion. The second control group consisted of 30 Astra Tech TX implants inserted following the protocol provided by the manufacturer. Implant insertion was performed at the predetermined 30 rpm. The insertion torque data were recorded and exported as a curve; using a trapezoidal integration technique, the area underlying the curve was calculated: this area represents the variable torque work (VTW). Peak insertion torque (pIT) and resonance frequency analysis (RFA) were also recorded. A Mann-Whitney test showed that the mean VTW was significantly higher in the test group compared with the first control and second control groups; furthermore, statistical analysis showed that pIT also was significantly higher in the test group compared with the first and second control groups. Analyzing RFA values, only the difference between the test group and second control group showed statistical significance. Pearson correlation analysis showed a very strong positive correlation between pIT and VTW values in all groups; furthermore, it showed a positive correlation between pIT and RFA values and between VTW and RFA values only in the test group. Within the limitations of an in vitro study, the results show that stepped osteotomy can be a viable method to improve implant primary stability in low-density bone sites, and that, when a traditional osteotomy method is performed, RFA presents no correlation with pIT and VTW.

An Online Intervention for Co-Occurring Depression and Problematic Alcohol Use in Young People: Primary Outcomes From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Deady, Mark; Mills, Katherine L; Teesson, Maree; Kay-Lambkin, Frances

2016-03-23

Depression and problematic alcohol use represent two of the major causes of disease burden in young adults. These conditions frequently co-occur and this is associated with increased harm and poorer outcomes than either disorder in isolation. Integrated treatments have been shown to be effective; however, there remains a significant gap between those in need of treatment and those receiving it. The increased availability of eHealth programs presents a unique opportunity to treat these conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an automated Web-based self-help intervention (DEAL Project) in treating co-occurring depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use in young people. Young people (aged 18 to 25 years) with moderate depression symptoms and drinking at hazardous levels (recruited largely via social media) were randomly allocated to the DEAL Project (n=60) or a Web-based attention-control condition (HealthWatch; n=44). The trial consisted of a 4-week intervention phase with follow-up assessment at posttreatment and at 3 and 6 months postbaseline. The primary outcomes were change in depression severity according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as well as quantity and frequency of alcohol use (TOT-AL). The DEAL Project was associated with statistically significant improvement in depression symptom severity (d=0.71) and reductions in alcohol use quantity (d=0.99) and frequency (d=0.76) in the short term compared to the control group. At 6-month follow-up, the improvements in the intervention group were maintained; however, the differences between the intervention and control groups were no longer statistically significant, such that between-group effects were in the small to moderate range at 6 months (depression symptoms: d=0.39; alcohol quantity: d=-0.09; alcohol frequency: d=0.24). Overall, the DEAL Project was associated with more rapid improvement in both depression symptoms and alcohol use outcomes in young people with these co-occurring conditions relative to an attention-control condition. However, long-term outcomes are less clear. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000033741; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=363461 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fpsLEGOy).

Viscoelastic properties of three vocal-fold injectable biomaterials at low audio frequencies.

PubMed

Klemuk, Sarah A; Titze, Ingo R

2004-09-01

Previous measurements of viscoelastic properties of Zyderm were to be extended to low audio frequencies, and properties of two other biomaterials not previously measured, thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA-DTPH) and Cymetra, were obtained. Rheologic investigation. Oscillatory shear stress was applied to each sample using a controlled stress rheometer at frequencies between 0.01 and 100 Hz with a parallel plate apparatus. Versuscoelastic moduli were recorded at each frequency. The calculated resonance frequency of the machine and sample were then used to determine the maximum frequency at which reliable data existed. Extrapolation functions were fit to viscoelastic parameters, which predicted the properties up to 1,000 Hz. Frequency trends of Zyderm were similar to those previously reported, whereas magnitudes were different. The elastic moduli logarithmically increased with frequency, whereas dynamic viscosity demonstrated shear thinning, a condition of primary importance for humans to vocalize over a broad frequency range. Previous measurements were extended from 15 Hz up to 74 Hz. Differences in magnitude between a previous study and the present study were attributed to particulate orientation during testing. Cymetra was found to have nearly identical viscoelastic properties to those of bovine collagen, both in magnitude and frequency trend, with reliable measures extending up to 81 Hz. Rheologic properties of the hyaluronic acid gel were the closest match to cadaveric vocal fold mucosa in magnitude and frequency trend. Viscoelastic properties of Cymetra and Zyderm are nearly the same and are significantly greater than those of vocal fold mucosa. HA-DTPH possesses a good viscoelastic match to vocal fold mucosa and may be useful in future lamina propria repair.

Clinical characteristics and penile afferent neuronal function in patients with primary delayed ejaculation.

PubMed

Xia, J-D; Han, Y-F; Pan, F; Zhou, L-H; Chen, Y; Dai, Y-T

2013-09-01

Primary delayed ejaculation (DE) is a relatively uncommon condition and has not been studied broadly. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and penile afferent neuronal function using somatosensory evoked potentials in patients with primary DE. Twenty-four patients with primary DE and 24 age-matched normally potent men were enrolled in this study. Results indicated that patients with primary DE had remarkably higher frequency of masturbatory activity (especially, some with idiosyncratic styles), lower night emissions, longer intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT), higher anxiety and depression states (p = 0.010, p = 0.017, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 respectively). In addition, the mean penile shaft sensory threshold values in the patients were considerably higher than those in the healthy men (p < 0.001). Mean latencies of dorsal nerve somatosensory evoked potential DNSEP were 4.32 ms longer in the DE group than those in the control group (p < 0.001). However, the latencies of glans penis somatosensory evoked potential (GPSEP) between the two group showed no significant difference (p = 0.985). At the same time, in comparison with the control group, the amplitudes of DNSEP were considerably lower in the DE group (p = 0.016), but not in the amplitudes of GPSEP (p = 0.934). This study indicates that the patients with primary DE appear to have penile shaft rather than glans hyposensitivity and hypoexcitability, and adaptation to a certain masturbatory technique (higher and idiosyncratic) may be related to the causes of primary DE, which is also associated with lower night emissions, longer IELT, higher anxiety and depression states. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

An altered redox balance and increased genetic instability characterize primary fibroblasts derived from xeroderma pigmentosum group A patients.

PubMed

Parlanti, Eleonora; Pietraforte, Donatella; Iorio, Egidio; Visentin, Sergio; De Nuccio, Chiara; Zijno, Andrea; D'Errico, Mariarosaria; Simonelli, Valeria; Sanchez, Massimo; Fattibene, Paola; Falchi, Mario; Dogliotti, Eugenia

2015-12-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)-A patients are characterized by increased solar skin carcinogenesis and present also neurodegeneration. XPA deficiency is associated with defective nucleotide excision repair (NER) and increased basal levels of oxidatively induced DNA damage. In this study we search for the origin of increased levels of oxidatively generated DNA lesions in XP-A cell genome and then address the question of whether increased oxidative stress might drive genetic instability. We show that XP-A human primary fibroblasts present increased levels and different types of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) as compared to normal fibroblasts, with O₂₋• and H₂O₂ being the major reactive species. Moreover, XP-A cells are characterized by decreased reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratios as compared to normal fibroblasts. The significant increase of ROS levels and the alteration of the glutathione redox state following silencing of XPA confirmed the causal relationship between a functional XPA and the control of redox balance. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) analysis of the metabolic profile revealed a more glycolytic metabolism and higher ATP levels in XP-A than in normal primary fibroblasts. This perturbation of bioenergetics is associated with different morphology and response of mitochondria to targeted toxicants. In line with cancer susceptibility, XP-A primary fibroblasts showed increased spontaneous micronuclei (MN) frequency, a hallmark of cancer risk. The increased MN frequency was not affected by inhibition of ROS to normal levels by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of disease-management programs for improving diabetes care: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pimouguet, Clément; Le Goff, Mélanie; Thiébaut, Rodolphe; Dartigues, Jean François; Helmer, Catherine

2011-02-08

We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of disease-management programs for improving glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus and to study which components of programs are associated with their effectiveness. We searched several databases for studies published up to December 2009. We included randomized controlled trials involving adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes that evaluated the effect of disease-management programs on glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A₁(C)) concentrations. We performed a meta-regression analysis to determine the effective components of the programs. We included 41 randomized controlled trials in our review. Across these trials, disease-management programs resulted in a significant reduction in hemoglobin A₁(C) levels (pooled standardized mean difference between intervention and control groups -0.38 [95% confidence interval -0.47 to -0.29], which corresponds to an absolute mean difference of 0.51%). The finding was robust in the sensitivity analyses based on quality assessment. Programs in which the disease manager was able to start or modify treatment with or without prior approval from the primary care physician resulted in a greater improvement in hemoglobin A₁(C) levels (standardized mean difference -0.60 v. -0.28 in trials with no approval to do so; p < 0.001). Programs with a moderate or high frequency of contact reported a significant reduction in hemoglobin A₁(C) levels compared with usual care; nevertheless, only programs with a high frequency of contact led to a significantly greater reduction compared with low-frequency contact programs (standardized mean difference -0.56 v. -0.30, p = 0.03). Disease-management programs had a clinically moderate but significant impact on hemoglobin A₁(C) levels among adults with diabetes. Effective components of programs were a high frequency of patient contact and the ability for disease managers to adjust treatment with or without prior physician approval.

Effectiveness of disease-management programs for improving diabetes care: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Pimouguet, Clément; Le Goff, Mélanie; Thiébaut, Rodolphe; Dartigues, Jean François; Helmer, Catherine

2011-01-01

Background We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of disease-management programs for improving glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus and to study which components of programs are associated with their effectiveness. Methods We searched several databases for studies published up to December 2009. We included randomized controlled trials involving adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes that evaluated the effect of disease-management programs on glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1C) concentrations. We performed a meta-regression analysis to determine the effective components of the programs. Results We included 41 randomized controlled trials in our review. Across these trials, disease-management programs resulted in a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1C levels (pooled standardized mean difference between intervention and control groups −0.38 [95% confidence interval −0.47 to −0.29], which corresponds to an absolute mean difference of 0.51%). The finding was robust in the sensitivity analyses based on quality assessment. Programs in which the disease manager was able to start or modify treatment with or without prior approval from the primary care physician resulted in a greater improvement in hemoglobin A1C levels (standardized mean difference −0.60 v. −0.28 in trials with no approval to do so; p < 0.001). Programs with a moderate or high frequency of contact reported a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1C levels compared with usual care; nevertheless, only programs with a high frequency of contact led to a significantly greater reduction compared with low-frequency contact programs (standardized mean difference −0.56 v. −0.30, p = 0.03). Interpretation Disease-management programs had a clinically moderate but significant impact on hemoglobin A1C levels among adults with diabetes. Effective components of programs were a high frequency of patient contact and the ability for disease managers to adjust treatment with or without prior physician approval. PMID:21149524

Sirolimus for epilepsy in children with tuberous sclerosis complex: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Overwater, Iris E; Rietman, André B; Bindels-de Heus, Karen; Looman, Caspar W N; Rizopoulos, Dimitris; Sibindi, Tafadzwa M; Cherian, Perumpillichira J; Jansen, Floor E; Moll, Henriëtte A; Elgersma, Ype; de Wit, Marie-Claire Y

2016-09-06

To investigate whether mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitors could reduce seizure frequency in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Due to slow inclusion rate, target inclusion of 30 children was not reached. Twenty-three children with TSC and intractable epilepsy (age 1.8-10.9 years) were randomly assigned (1:1) to open-label, add-on sirolimus treatment immediately or after 6 months. Sirolimus was titrated to trough levels of 5-10 ng/mL. Primary endpoint was seizure frequency change during the sixth month of sirolimus treatment. Intention-to-treat analysis showed sirolimus treatment resulted in 41% seizure frequency decrease (95% confidence interval [CI] -69% to +14%; p = 0.11) compared to the standard-care period. Per protocol analysis of 14 children who reached sirolimus target trough levels in the sixth sirolimus month showed a seizure frequency decrease of 61% (95% CI -86% to +6%; p = 0.06). Cognitive development did not change. All children had adverse events. Five children discontinued sirolimus prematurely. We describe a randomized controlled trial for a non-antiepileptic drug that directly targets a presumed causal mechanism of epileptogenesis in a genetic disorder. Although seizure frequency decreased, especially in children reaching target trough levels, we could not show a significant benefit. Larger trials or meta-analyses are needed to investigate if patients with TSC with seizures benefit from mTORC1 inhibition. This trial was registered at trialregister.nl (NTR3178) and supported by the Dutch Epilepsy Foundation. This study provides Class III evidence that sirolimus does not significantly reduce seizure frequency in children with TSC and intractable epilepsy. The study lacked the precision to exclude a benefit from sirolimus. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Consequences of routine delivery at 38 weeks for A-2 gestational diabetes.

PubMed

Rayburn, William F; Sokkary, Nancy; Clokey, Diana E; Moore, Lisa E; Curet, Luis B

2005-11-01

To report our intrapartum experience with routine delivery at 38 weeks of gestation of A-2 diabetic pregnancies requiring primarily oral hypoglycemic therapy. This retrospective study consisted of 143 consecutive women with gestational diabetes not controlled with diet alone (A-2). Each underwent a routine trial of labor at 38 weeks of gestation. The preinduction condition of the cervix, need for oxytocin, and primary cesarean rates were primary endpoints. For comparison, a control group during that same period consisted of 137 consecutive diet-controlled diabetic (A-1) pregnancies with the same eligibility criteria who underwent expectant management at 38 weeks. The study group was more likely to have an unfavorable cervix (75% versus 45%; p < 0.001) and to require oxytocin (76% versus 56%; p < 0.001). Early onset meconium was less common in the study group (3.5% versus 13.1%; p < 0.01). Primary cesarean rates were low and not different between the study and control groups (12.7% versus 11.7%; p < 0.8). The only stillbirth was in the control group and was associated with a tight double nuchal cord encirclement. Mean birth weights and the frequency of birth weights > 4000 g were not different between groups. Shoulder dystocia, low Apgar scores, and admissions to the special care nursery were infrequent in either group. No respiratory difficulties requiring resuscitation or prolonged nursery care were encountered. Routine delivery at 38 weeks in an A-2 diabetic population is not associated with additional intrapartum morbidity or a greater need for cesarean delivery.

Standardizing communication from acute care providers to primary care providers on critically ill adults.

PubMed

Ellis, Kerri A; Connolly, Ann; Hosseinnezhad, Alireza; Lilly, Craig M

2015-11-01

To increase the frequency of communication of patient information between acute and primary care providers. A secondary objective was to determine whether higher rates of communication were associated with lower rates of hospital readmission 30 days after discharge. A validated instrument was used for telephone surveys before and after an intervention designed to increase the frequency of communication among acute care and primary care providers. The communication intervention was implemented in 3 adult intensive care units from 2 campuses of an academic medical center. The frequency of communication among acute care and primary care providers, the perceived usefulness of the intervention, and its association with 30-day readmission rates were assessed for 202 adult intensive care episodes before and 100 episodes after a communication intervention. The frequency of documented communication increased significantly (5/202 or 2% before to 72/100 or 72% after the intervention; P < .001) and the communication was considered useful by every participating primary care provider. Rates of rehospitalization at 30 days were lower for the intervention group than the preintervention group, but the difference was not statistically significant (41/202 or 23% vs 16/88 or 18% of discharged patients; P = .45; power 0.112 at P = .05). The frequency of communication episodes that provide value can be increased through standardized processes. The key aspects of this effective intervention were setting the expectation that communication should occur, documenting when communication has occurred, and reviewing that documentation during multiprofessional rounds. ©2015 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Association between polymorphisms in renin-angiotensin system genes and primary ovarian insufficiency in Korean women.

PubMed

Jung, Yong Wook; Jeon, Young Joo; Park, Hye Mi; Lee, Bo Eun; Rah, Hyungchul; Lee, Woo Sik; Yoon, Tae Ki; Kim, Nam Keun

2013-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE; insertion/deletion), angiotensinogen (AGT M235T), and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R 1166A>C) and the prevalence of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in Korean women. A total of 133 women with POI and 238 controls were genotyped for polymorphic sites in each gene using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. ACE ID and ID + II variants occurred more frequently in women with POI than in controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.830; 95% CI, 1.040-3.221; P = 0.040; and OR, 1.797; 95% CI, 1.055-3.060; P = 0.031, respectively). The AT1R 1166AC genotype occurred more frequently in participants with POI than in controls (OR, 3.171; 95% CI, 1.562-6.436; P = 0.002). Comparing the combined genotype frequencies of ACE/AT1R revealed that the frequencies of ID/AA, ID/AC, and II/AC were higher in participants than in controls (OR, 1.916; 95% CI, 1.053-3.485; P = 0.043; OR, 3.544; 95% CI, 1.207-10.407; P = 0.036; and OR, 7.875; 95% CI, 2.224-27.881; P = 0.001, respectively). The TT/AC genotype for combined genotyping of AGT/AT1R was more frequently observed in the POI group than in the control group (OR, 3.472; 95% CI, 1.450-8.313; P = 0.006). In multifactor dimensionality reduction-based haplotype analysis, the I-T-C genotype of ACE/AGT/AT1R was a possible predisposing factor for POI (OR, 4.678; 95% CI, 1.721-12.717; P = 0.002). This study demonstrates that polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin system are related to the prevalence of POI. Thus, these renin-angiotensin system genes may serve as a novel marker for predicting the development of POI.

IL-10 -1082 SNP and IL-10 in primary CNS and vitreoretinal lymphomas.

PubMed

Ramkumar, Hema L; Shen, De Fen; Tuo, Jingsheng; Braziel, Rita M; Coupland, Sarah E; Smith, Justine R; Chan, Chi-Chao

2012-10-01

Most primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) and primary vitreoretinal lymphomas (PVRLs) are B-cell lymphomas that produce high levels of interleukin (IL)-10, which is linked to rapid disease progression. The IL-10 (-1082) G → A polymorphism (IL-10 SNP) is associated with improved survival in certain non-CNS lymphoma patients. PDCD4 is a tumor suppressor gene and upstream regulator of IL-10. This study examined the correlation between the IL-10 SNP, PDCD4 mRNA expression, and IL-10 expression (at transcript and protein levels) in these lymphoma cells. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-typing at IL-10 (-1082) was performed after microdissecting cytospun PVRL cells from 26 specimens. Vitreal IL-10 and IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA. PCNSL cells from 52 paraffin-embedded sections were microdissected and SNP typed on genomic DNA. RT-PCR was performed to analyze expression of IL-10 and PDCD4 mRNA. IL-10 (-1082) SNP typing was performed on blood samples of 96 healthy controls. We measured IL-10 (-1082) SNP expression in 26 PVRLs and 52 PCNSLs and examined its relationship with IL-10 protein and gene expression, respectively. More PVRL patients expressed one copy of the IL-10 ( -1082 )  G → A SNP with the GA genotype compared to controls. The frequencies of the three genotypes (AA, AG, GG) significantly differed in PVRL versus controls and in PCNSL versus controls. In PVRLs, the vitreal IL-10/IL-6 ratio was higher in IL-10 (-1082) AG and IL-10 (-1082) AA patients, compared to IL-10 (-1082) GG patients. IL-10 mRNA expression was higher in IL-10 (-1082) AG and IL-10 (-1082) AA PCNSLs, compared to IL-10 (-1082) GG PCNSLs. No correlation was found between IL-10 and PDCD4 expression levels in 37 PCNSL samples. PVRL and PCNSL patients had similar IL-10 (-1082) A allele frequencies, but genotype distributions differed from healthy controls. The findings suggest that the IL-10 (-1082) A allele is a risk factor for higher IL-10 levels in PVRLs and PCNSLs. Higher IL-10 levels have been correlated with more aggressive disease in both PVRLs and PCNSLs, making this finding an important and potentially clinically significant observation.

IL-10 -1082 SNP and IL-10 in primary CNS and vitreoretinal lymphomas

PubMed Central

Ramkumar, Hema L.; Shen, De Fen; Tuo, Jingsheng; Braziel, Rita M.; Coupland, Sarah E.; Smith, Justine R.

2012-01-01

Objectives Most primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) and primary vitreoretinal lymphomas (PVRLs) are B-cell lymphomas that produce high levels of interleukin (IL)-10, which is linked to rapid disease progression. The IL-10-1082G→A polymorphism (IL-10 SNP) is associated with improved survival in certain non-CNS lymphoma patients. PDCD4 is a tumor suppressor gene and upstream regulator of IL-10. This study examined the correlation between the IL-10 SNP, PDCD4 mRNA expression, and IL-10 expression (at transcript and protein levels) in these lymphoma cells. Materials and methods Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-typing at IL-10-1082 was performed after micro-dissecting cytospun PVRL cells from 26 specimens. Vitreal IL-10 and IL-6 levels were measured by ELISA. PCNSL cells from 52 paraffin-embedded sections were microdissected and SNP typed on genomic DNA. RT-PCR was performed to analyze expression of IL-10 and PDCD4 mRNA. IL-10-1082 SNP typing was performed on blood samples of 96 healthy controls. We measured IL-10-1082 SNP expression in 26 PVRLs and 52 PCNSLs and examined its relationship with IL-10 protein and gene expression, respectively. Results More PVRL patients expressed one copy of the IL-10-1082G→A SNP with the GA genotype compared to controls. The frequencies of the three genotypes (AA, AG, GG) significantly differed in PVRL versus controls and in PCNSL versus controls. In PVRLs, the vitreal IL-10/IL-6 ratio was higher in IL-10-1082 AG and IL-10-1082 AA patients, compared to IL-10-1082 GG patients. IL-10 mRNA expression was higher in IL-10-1082 AG and IL-10-1082 AA PCNSLs, compared to IL-10-1082 GG PCNSLs. No correlation was found between IL-10 and PDCD4 expression levels in 37 PCNSL samples. Conclusions PVRL and PCNSL patients had similar IL-10-1082 A allele frequencies, but genotype distributions differed from healthy controls. The findings suggest that the IL-10-1082 A allele is a risk factor for higher IL-10 levels in PVRLs and PCNSLs. Higher IL-10 levels have been correlated with more aggressive disease in both PVRLs and PCNSLs, making this finding an important and potentially clinically significant observation. PMID:22628023

Randomized controlled trial of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care.

PubMed

Kypri, Kypros; Langley, John D; Saunders, John B; Cashell-Smith, Martine L; Herbison, Peter

2008-03-10

There is compelling evidence supporting screening and brief intervention (SBI) for hazardous drinking, yet it remains underused in primary health care. Electronic (computer or Web-based) SBI (e-SBI) offers the prospects of ease and economy of access. We sought to determine whether e-SBI reduces hazardous drinking. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in a university primary health care service. Participants were 975 students (age range, 17-29 years) screened using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Of 599 students who scored in the hazardous or harmful range, 576 (300 of whom were women) consented to the trial and were randomized to receive an information pamphlet (control group), a Web-based motivational intervention (single-dose e-SBI group), or a Web-based motivational intervention with further interventions 1 and 6 months later (multidose e-SBI group). Relative to the control group, the single-dose e-SBI group at 6 months reported a lower frequency of drinking (rate ratio [RR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.94), less total consumption (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95), and fewer academic problems (RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64-0.91). At 12 months, statistically significant differences in total consumption (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95 [equivalent to 3.5 standard drinks per week]) and in academic problems (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.97) remained, and the AUDIT scores were 2.17 (95% CI, -1.10 to -3.24) points lower. Relative to the control group, the multidose e-SBI group at 6 months reported a lower frequency of drinking (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.98), less total consumption (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64-0.97 [equivalent to 3.0 standard drinks per week]), reduced episodic heavy drinking (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.45-0.93), and fewer academic problems (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93). At 12 months, statistically significant differences in academic problems remained (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.90), while the AUDIT scores were 2.02 (95% CI, -0.97 to -3.10) points lower. Single-dose e-SBI reduces hazardous drinking, and the effect lasts 12 months. Additional sessions seem not to enhance the effect. Trial Registration www.anzctr.org.au Identifier:ACTRN012607000103460.

Optimal apparent damping as a function of the bandwidth of an array of vibration absorbers.

PubMed

Vignola, Joseph; Glean, Aldo; Judge, John; Ryan, Teresa

2013-08-01

The transient response of a resonant structure can be altered by the attachment of one or more substantially smaller resonators. Considered here is a coupled array of damped harmonic oscillators whose resonant frequencies are distributed across a frequency band that encompasses the natural frequency of the primary structure. Vibration energy introduced to the primary structure, which has little to no intrinsic damping, is transferred into and trapped by the attached array. It is shown that, when the properties of the array are optimized to reduce the settling time of the primary structure's transient response, the apparent damping is approximately proportional to the bandwidth of the array (the span of resonant frequencies of the attached oscillators). Numerical simulations were conducted using an unconstrained nonlinear minimization algorithm to find system parameters that result in the fastest settling time. This minimization was conducted for a range of system characteristics including the overall bandwidth of the array, the ratio of the total array mass to that of the primary structure, and the distributions of mass, stiffness, and damping among the array elements. This paper reports optimal values of these parameters and demonstrates that the resulting minimum settling time decreases with increasing bandwidth.

[Medical and ecological assessment of climate effects on urolithiasis morbidity in population of Primorsky territory].

PubMed

Koval'chuk, V K

2004-01-01

The article presents medicoecological estimation of quantitative relations between monsoon climate and urolithiasis primary morbidity in the Primorsky Territory. Quantitative estimation of the climate was performed by V. I. Rusanov (1973) who calculated daily meteorological data for 1 p.m. throughout 1991-1999. Primary urolithiasis morbidity for this period of time was provided by regional health department. The data were processed by methods of medical mapping and paired correlation analysis. In the Territory, mapping revealed the same location of the zones with high frequency of discomfortable weather of class V and VI causing chilblain in positive air temperatures and zones with elevated primary urolithiasis morbidity in children and adults. Correlation analysis confirmed mapping results and determined significant negative correlations between frequency of relatively comfortable moment weather classes II-IV and morbidity of children and adults, positive correlation between frequency of discomfortable class VI and adult morbidity. Thus, high frequency of days per year with discomfortable classes of moment weather in low positive air temperatures may be one of the factors of urolithiasis risk in population of the Primorsky Territory. Climatic factors should be taken into consideration in planning primary prophylaxis of this disease in the Primorsky Territory.

Off-resonance frequency operation for power transfer in a loosely coupled air core transformer

DOEpatents

Scudiere, Matthew B

2012-11-13

A power transmission system includes a loosely coupled air core transformer having a resonance frequency determined by a product of inductance and capacitance of a primary circuit including a primary coil. A secondary circuit is configured to have a substantially same product of inductance and capacitance. A back EMF generating device (e.g., a battery), which generates a back EMF with power transfer, is attached to the secondary circuit. Once the load power of the back EMF generating device exceeds a certain threshold level, which depends on the system parameters, the power transfer can be achieved at higher transfer efficiency if performed at an operating frequency less than the resonance frequency, which can be from 50% to 95% of the resonance frequency.

A comparison of position and rate control for telemanipulations with consideration of manipulator system dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Won S.; Tendick, Frank; Stark, Lawrence W.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1987-01-01

Position and rate control are the two common manual control modes in teleoperations. Human operator performance using the two modes is evaluated and compared. Simulated three-axis pick-and-place operations are used as the primary task for evaluation. First, ideal position and rate control are compared by considering several factors, such as joystick gain, joystick type, display mode, task, and manipulator work space size. Then the effects of the manipulator system dynamics are investigated by varying the natural frequency and speed limit. Experimental results show that ideal position control is superior to ideal rate control, regardless of joystick type or display mode, when the manipulation work space is small or comparable to the human operator's control space. Results also show that when the manipulator system is slow, the superiority of position control disappears. Position control is recommended for small-work-space telemanipulation tasks, while rate control is recommended for slow wide-work-space telemanipulation tasks.

Metrological assurance and traceability for Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing in Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skliarov, Volodymyr; Neyezhmakov, Pavel; Prokopov, Alexander

2018-03-01

The national measurement standards from the point of view of traceability of the results of measurement in additive manufacturing in Ukraine are considered in the paper. The metrological characteristics of the national primary measurement standards in the field of geometric, temperature, optical-physical and time-frequency measurements, which took part in international comparisons within COOMET projects, are presented. The accurate geometric, temperature, optical-physical and time-frequency measurements are the key ones in controlling the quality of additive manufacturing. The use of advanced CAD/CAE/CAM systems allows to simulate the process of additive manufacturing at each stage. In accordance with the areas of the technology of additive manufacturing, the ways of improving the national measurement standards of Ukraine for the growing needs of metrology of additive manufacturing are considered.

Metal-backed versus all-polyethylene tibial components in primary total knee arthroplasty

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background and purpose The choice of either all-polyethylene (AP) tibial components or metal-backed (MB) tibial components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. We therefore performed a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials that have evaluated MB and AP tibial components in primary TKA. Methods The search strategy included a computerized literature search (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and a manual search of major orthopedic journals. A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized trials that compared the performance of tibial components in primary TKA was performed using a fixed or random effects model. We assessed the methodological quality of studies using Detsky quality scale. Results 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2000 and 2009 met the inclusion quality standards for the systematic review. The mean standardized Detsky score was 14 (SD 3). We found that the frequency of radiolucent lines in the MB group was significantly higher than that in the AP group. There were no statistically significant differences between the MB and AP tibial components regarding component positioning, knee score, knee range of motion, quality of life, and postoperative complications. Interpretation Based on evidence obtained from this study, the AP tibial component was comparable with or better than the MB tibial component in TKA. However, high-quality RCTs are required to validate the results. PMID:21895503

Servo-controlled hind-limb electrical stimulation for short-term arterial pressure control.

PubMed

Kawada, Toru; Shimizu, Shuji; Yamamoto, Hiromi; Shishido, Toshiaki; Kamiya, Atsunori; Miyamoto, Tadayoshi; Sunagawa, Kenji; Sugimachi, Masaru

2009-05-01

Autonomic neural intervention is a promising tool for modulating the circulatory system thereby treating some cardiovascular diseases. In 8 pentobarbital-anesthetized cats, it was examined whether the arterial pressure (AP) could be controlled by acupuncture-like hind-limb electrical stimulation (HES). With a 0.5-ms pulse width, HES monotonically reduced AP as the stimulus current increased from 1 to 5 mA, suggesting that the stimulus current could be a primary control variable. In contrast, the depressor effect of HES showed a nadir approximately 10 Hz in the frequency range between 1 and 100 Hz. Dynamic characteristics of the AP response to HES approximated a second-order low-pass filter with dead time (gain: -10.2 +/- 1.6 mmHg/mA, natural frequency: 0.040 +/- 0.004 Hz, damping ratio 1.80 +/- 0.24, dead time: 1.38 +/- 0.13 s, mean +/- SE). Based on these dynamic characteristics, a servo-controlled HES system was developed. When a target AP value was set at 20 mmHg below the baseline AP, the time required for the AP response to reach 90% of the target level was 38 +/- 10 s. The steady-state error between the measured and target AP values was 1.3 +/- 0.1 mmHg. Autonomic neural intervention by acupuncture-like HES might provide an additional modality to quantitatively control the circulatory system.

Shifts in biomass and productivity for a subtropical dry forest in response to simulated elevated hurricane disturbances

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

Holm, Jennifer A.; Van Bloem, Skip J.; Larocque, Guy R.

Caribbean tropical forests are subject to hurricane disturbances of great variability. In addition to natural storm incongruity, climate change can alter storm formation, duration, frequency, and intensity. This model -based investigation assessed the impacts of multiple storms of different intensities and occurrence frequencies on the long-term dynamics of subtropical dry forests in Puerto Rico. Using the previously validated individual-based gap model ZELIG-TROP, we developed a new hurricane damage routine and parameterized it with site- and species-specific hurricane effects. A baseline case with the reconstructed historical hurricane regime represented the control condition. Ten treatment cases, reflecting plausible shifts in hurricane regimes,more » manipulated both hurricane return time (i.e. frequency) and hurricane intensity. The treatment-related change in carbon storage and fluxes were reported as changes in aboveground forest biomass (AGB), net primary productivity (NPP), and in the aboveground carbon partitioning components, or annual carbon accumulation (ACA). Increasing the frequency of hurricanes decreased aboveground biomass by between 5% and 39%, and increased NPP between 32% and 50%. Decadal-scale biomass fluctuations were damped relative to the control. In contrast, increasing hurricane intensity did not create a large shift in the long-term average forest structure, NPP, or ACA from that of historical hurricane regimes, but produced large fluctuations in biomass. Decreasing both the hurricane intensity and frequency by 50% produced the highest values of biomass and NPP. For the control scenario and with increased hurricane intensity, ACA was negative, which indicated that the aboveground forest components acted as a carbon source. However, with an increase in the frequency of storms or decreased storms, the total ACA was positive due to shifts in leaf production, annual litterfall, and coarse woody debris inputs, indicating a carbon sink into the forest over the long-term. The carbon loss from each hurricane event, in all scenarios, always recovered over sufficient time. Our results suggest that subtropical dry forests will remain resilient to hurricane disturbance. However carbon stocks will decrease if future climates increase hurricane frequency by 50% or more.« less

Shifts in biomass and productivity for a subtropical dry forest in response to simulated elevated hurricane disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holm, Jennifer A.; Van Bloem, Skip J.; Larocque, Guy R.; Shugart, Herman H.

2017-02-01

Caribbean tropical forests are subject to hurricane disturbances of great variability. In addition to natural storm incongruity, climate change can alter storm formation, duration, frequency, and intensity. This model-based investigation assessed the impacts of multiple storms of different intensities and occurrence frequencies on the long-term dynamics of subtropical dry forests in Puerto Rico. Using the previously validated individual-based gap model ZELIG-TROP, we developed a new hurricane damage routine and parameterized it with site- and species-specific hurricane effects. A baseline case with the reconstructed historical hurricane regime represented the control condition. Ten treatment cases, reflecting plausible shifts in hurricane regimes, manipulated both hurricane return time (i.e. frequency) and hurricane intensity. The treatment-related change in carbon storage and fluxes were reported as changes in aboveground forest biomass (AGB), net primary productivity (NPP), and in the aboveground carbon partitioning components, or annual carbon accumulation (ACA). Increasing the frequency of hurricanes decreased aboveground biomass by between 5% and 39%, and increased NPP between 32% and 50%. Decadal-scale biomass fluctuations were damped relative to the control. In contrast, increasing hurricane intensity did not create a large shift in the long-term average forest structure, NPP, or ACA from that of historical hurricane regimes, but produced large fluctuations in biomass. Decreasing both the hurricane intensity and frequency by 50% produced the highest values of biomass and NPP. For the control scenario and with increased hurricane intensity, ACA was negative, which indicated that the aboveground forest components acted as a carbon source. However, with an increase in the frequency of storms or decreased storms, the total ACA was positive due to shifts in leaf production, annual litterfall, and coarse woody debris inputs, indicating a carbon sink into the forest over the long-term. The carbon loss from each hurricane event, in all scenarios, always recovered over sufficient time. Our results suggest that subtropical dry forests will remain resilient to hurricane disturbance. However carbon stocks will decrease if future climates increase hurricane frequency by 50% or more.

Shifts in biomass and productivity for a subtropical dry forest in response to simulated elevated hurricane disturbances

DOE PAGES

Holm, Jennifer A.; Van Bloem, Skip J.; Larocque, Guy R.; ...

2017-02-07

Caribbean tropical forests are subject to hurricane disturbances of great variability. In addition to natural storm incongruity, climate change can alter storm formation, duration, frequency, and intensity. This model -based investigation assessed the impacts of multiple storms of different intensities and occurrence frequencies on the long-term dynamics of subtropical dry forests in Puerto Rico. Using the previously validated individual-based gap model ZELIG-TROP, we developed a new hurricane damage routine and parameterized it with site- and species-specific hurricane effects. A baseline case with the reconstructed historical hurricane regime represented the control condition. Ten treatment cases, reflecting plausible shifts in hurricane regimes,more » manipulated both hurricane return time (i.e. frequency) and hurricane intensity. The treatment-related change in carbon storage and fluxes were reported as changes in aboveground forest biomass (AGB), net primary productivity (NPP), and in the aboveground carbon partitioning components, or annual carbon accumulation (ACA). Increasing the frequency of hurricanes decreased aboveground biomass by between 5% and 39%, and increased NPP between 32% and 50%. Decadal-scale biomass fluctuations were damped relative to the control. In contrast, increasing hurricane intensity did not create a large shift in the long-term average forest structure, NPP, or ACA from that of historical hurricane regimes, but produced large fluctuations in biomass. Decreasing both the hurricane intensity and frequency by 50% produced the highest values of biomass and NPP. For the control scenario and with increased hurricane intensity, ACA was negative, which indicated that the aboveground forest components acted as a carbon source. However, with an increase in the frequency of storms or decreased storms, the total ACA was positive due to shifts in leaf production, annual litterfall, and coarse woody debris inputs, indicating a carbon sink into the forest over the long-term. The carbon loss from each hurricane event, in all scenarios, always recovered over sufficient time. Our results suggest that subtropical dry forests will remain resilient to hurricane disturbance. However carbon stocks will decrease if future climates increase hurricane frequency by 50% or more.« less

Decomposing Intra-Subject Variability in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Di Martino, Adriana; Ghaffari, Manely; Curchack, Jocelyn; Reiss, Philip; Hyde, Christopher; Vannucci, Marina; Petkova, Eva; Klein, Donald F.; Castellanos, F. Xavier

2009-01-01

Background Increased intra-subject response time standard deviations (RT-SD) discriminate children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from healthy controls. RT-SD is averaged over time, thus it does not provide information about the temporal structure of response time variability. We previously hypothesized that such increased variability may be related to slow spontaneous fluctuations in brain activity occurring with periods between 15s and 40s. Here, we investigated whether these slow response time fluctuations add unique differentiating information beyond the global increase in RT-SD. Methods We recorded RT at 3s intervals for 15 minutes during an Eriksen flanker task for 29 children with ADHD and 26 age-matched typically developing controls (TDC) (mean ages 12.5 ± 2.4 and 11.6 ± 2.5; 26 and 12 boys, respectively). The primary outcome was the magnitude of the spectral component in the frequency range between 0.027 and 0.073 Hz measured with continuous Morlet wavelet transform. Results The magnitude of the low frequency fluctuation was greater for children with ADHD compared to TDC (p=0.02, d= 0.69). After modeling ADHD diagnosis as a function of RT-SD, adding this specific frequency range significantly improved the model fit (p=0.03; odds ratio= 2.58). Conclusions Fluctuations in low frequency response time variability predict the diagnosis of ADHD beyond the effect associated with global differences in variability. Future studies will examine whether such spectrally specific fluctuations in behavioral responses are linked to intrinsic regional cerebral hemodynamic oscillations which occur at similar frequencies. PMID:18423424

Hyper telomere recombination accelerates replicative senescence and may promote premature aging

PubMed Central

Hagelstrom, R. Tanner; Blagoev, Krastan B.; Niedernhofer, Laura J.; Goodwin, Edwin H.; Bailey, Susan M.

2010-01-01

Werner syndrome and Bloom syndrome result from defects in the RecQ helicases Werner (WRN) and Bloom (BLM), respectively, and display premature aging phenotypes. Similarly, XFE progeroid syndrome results from defects in the ERCC1-XPF DNA repair endonuclease. To gain insight into the origin of cellular senescence and human aging, we analyzed the dependence of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies on location [i.e., genomic (G-SCE) vs. telomeric (T-SCE) DNA] in primary human fibroblasts deficient in WRN, BLM, or ERCC1-XPF. Consistent with our other studies, we found evidence of elevated T-SCE in telomerase-negative but not telomerase-positive backgrounds. In telomerase-negative WRN-deficient cells, T-SCE—but not G-SCE—frequencies were significantly increased compared with controls. In contrast, SCE frequencies were significantly elevated in BLM-deficient cells irrespective of genome location. In ERCC1-XPF-deficient cells, neither T- nor G-SCE frequencies differed from controls. A theoretical model was developed that allowed an in silico investigation into the cellular consequences of increased T-SCE frequency. The model predicts that in cells with increased T-SCE, the onset of replicative senescence is dramatically accelerated even though the average rate of telomere loss has not changed. Premature cellular senescence may act as a powerful tumor-suppressor mechanism in telomerase-deficient cells with mutations that cause T-SCE levels to rise. Furthermore, T-SCE-driven premature cellular senescence may be a factor contributing to accelerated aging in Werner and Bloom syndromes, but not XFE progeroid syndrome. PMID:20798040

Inhaled uranium ore dust and lung cancer risk in rats.

PubMed

Mitchel, R E; Jackson, J S; Heinmiller, B

1999-02-01

Using a nose-only inhalation system, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 4.2 h d(-1), 5 days per week for 65 weeks to one of two concentrations of natural uranium ore dust aerosol (44% U, 50 mg m(-3) and 19 mg m(-3)) without significant radon content. After inhalation exposure ceased, the rats were allowed to live for their natural lifetime. Lung uranium burdens, measured at the time of death of each animal, declined exponentially after dust inhalation ceased, and the rate of decline was independent of the initial lung burden. Lymph node specific burdens ranged from 1 to 60 fold greater than the specific lung burden in the same animal. No lymph node tumors were observed. The frequency of primary malignant lung tumors was 0.016, 0.175 and 0.328 and primary non-malignant lung tumors 0.016, 0.135 and 0.131 in the control, low and high aerosol exposed groups, respectively. There was no difference in tumor latency between the groups. Absorbed dose to the lung was calculated for each animal in the study. The average doses for all the animals exposed to the low and high dust aerosol concentrations were 0.87 Gy and 1.64 Gy respectively, resulting in an average risk of malignant lung tumors of about 0.20 tumors per animal per Gy in both groups. The frequency of primary lung tumors was also calculated as a function of dose increment for both exposed groups individually and combined. The data indicate that, in spite of the above result, lung tumor frequency was not directly proportional to dose. However, when malignant lung tumor frequency was calculated as a function of dose rate (as measured by the lung burden at the end of dust inhalation) a direct linear relationship was seen (p < 0.01) suggesting dose rate may be a more important determinant of lung cancer risk than dose. Conversely, non-malignant lung tumors were significantly correlated with low lung burdens (p = 0.01). We conclude that chronic inhalation of natural uranium ore dust alone in rats creates a risk of primary malignant and non-malignant lung tumor formation and that malignant tumor risk was not directly proportional to dose, but was directly proportional to dose rate.

Pathological ponto-cerebello-thalamo-cortical activations in primary orthostatic tremor during lying and stance.

PubMed

Schöberl, Florian; Feil, Katharina; Xiong, Guoming; Bartenstein, Peter; la Fougére, Christian; Jahn, Klaus; Brandt, Thomas; Strupp, Michael; Dieterich, Marianne; Zwergal, Andreas

2017-01-01

Primary orthostatic tremor is a rare neurological disease characterized mainly by a high frequency tremor of the legs while standing. The aim of this study was to identify the common core structures of the oscillatory circuit in orthostatic tremor and how it is modulated by changes of body position. Ten patients with orthostatic tremor and 10 healthy age-matched control subjects underwent a standardized neurological and neuro-ophthalmological examination including electromyographic and posturographic recordings. Task-dependent changes of cerebral glucose metabolism during lying and standing were measured in all subjects by sequential 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography on separate days. Results were compared between groups and conditions. All the orthostatic tremor patients, but no control subject, showed the characteristic 13-18 Hz tremor in coherent muscles during standing, which ceased in the supine position. While lying, patients had a significantly increased regional cerebral glucose metabolism in the pontine tegmentum, the posterior cerebellum (including the dentate nuclei), the ventral intermediate and ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus, and the primary motor cortex bilaterally compared to controls. Similar glucose metabolism changes occurred with clinical manifestation of the tremor during standing. The glucose metabolism was relatively decreased in mesiofrontal cortical areas (i.e. the medial prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area and anterior cingulate cortex) and the bilateral anterior insula in orthostatic tremor patients while lying and standing. The mesiofrontal hypometabolism correlated with increased body sway in posturography. This study confirms and further elucidates ponto-cerebello-thalamo-primary motor cortical activations underlying primary orthostatic tremor, which presented consistently in a group of patients. Compared to other tremor disorders one characteristic feature in orthostatic tremor seems to be the involvement of the pontine tegmentum in the pathophysiology of tremor generation. High frequency oscillatory properties of pontine tegmental neurons have been reported in pathological oscillatory eye movements. It is remarkable that the characteristic activation and deactivation pattern in orthostatic tremor is already present in the supine position without tremor presentation. Multilevel changes of neuronal excitability during upright stance may trigger activation of the orthostatic tremor network. Based on the functional imaging data described in this study, it is hypothesized that a mesiofrontal deactivation is another characteristic feature of orthostatic tremor and plays a pivotal role in development of postural unsteadiness during prolonged standing. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Depression screening optimization in an academic rural setting.

PubMed

Aleem, Sohaib; Torrey, William C; Duncan, Mathew S; Hort, Shoshana J; Mecchella, John N

2015-01-01

Primary care plays a critical role in screening and management of depression. The purpose of this paper is to focus on leveraging the electronic health record (EHR) as well as work flow redesign to improve the efficiency and reliability of the process of depression screening in two adult primary care clinics of a rural academic institution in USA. The authors utilized various process improvement tools from lean six sigma methodology including project charter, swim lane process maps, critical to quality tree, process control charts, fishbone diagrams, frequency impact matrix, mistake proofing and monitoring plan in Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control format. Interventions included change in depression screening tool, optimization of data entry in EHR. EHR data entry optimization; follow up of positive screen, staff training and EHR redesign. Depression screening rate for office-based primary care visits improved from 17.0 percent at baseline to 75.9 percent in the post-intervention control phase (p<0.001). Follow up of positive depression screen with Patient History Questionnaire-9 data collection remained above 90 percent. Duplication of depression screening increased from 0.6 percent initially to 11.7 percent and then decreased to 4.7 percent after optimization of data entry by patients and flow staff. Impact of interventions on clinical outcomes could not be evaluated. Successful implementation, sustainability and revision of a process improvement initiative to facilitate screening, follow up and management of depression in primary care requires accounting for voice of the process (performance metrics), system limitations and voice of the customer (staff and patients) to overcome various system, customer and human resource constraints.

78 FR 58487 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-24

... display units (DUs). These DUs exhibited susceptibility to radio frequency emissions in WiFi frequency... certification of WiFi system installations. The phase 3 DUs provide primary flight information including... flickering and blanking when subjected to radio frequency emissions in WiFi frequency bands at radiated power...

Glycemic control and use of A1c in primary care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Alonso-Fernández, Margarita; Mancera-Romero, José; Mediavilla-Bravo, José Javier; Comas-Samper, José Manuel; López-Simarro, Flora; Pérez-Unanua, Ma Paz; Iturralde-Iriso, Jesús

2015-10-01

To evaluate the degree of glycemic control and its relationship with disease characteristics and antidiabetic treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), as well as the frequency of A1c use. For this purpose, an observational, cross-sectorial, and multicenter study was performed. A total of 443 patients were monitored in 17 Spanish primary healthcare centers. Demographic and clinical variables were recorded from the clinical history of patients. Mean age was 68.9±12.0 years. Time of evolution of DM was 9.2±6.4 years. Mean A1c was 7.38±1.34% and 45% of patients achieved A1c <7%. There was a no significant relationship between the degree of control and time of evolution of DM. In 16% of patients no A1c determination was performed in the previous twelve months. In those patients in whom A1c was determined, 95% received pharmacologic treatment, and 31% insulin therapy. 66% of patients on monotherapy attained A1C <7%, compared with 39% and 23% of those receiving double- and triple-oral therapy, respectively (p<0.001). Only 21% of patients on insulin therapy achieved A1c <7%. The worst-controlled patients were those receiving oral antidiabetic agents and insulin (24% had A1c levels ≥9%). A large proportion of patients are poorly controlled. Poor control increases according to complexity of treatment. A1c is underdetermined in many patients, likely related to clinical inertia. Copyright © 2015 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of prophylactic antibiotic treatment for manual removal of the placenta on frequency of postpartum endometritis.

PubMed

Safrai, Myriam; Kabiri, Doron; Haj-Yahya, Rani; Reuveni-Salzman, Adi; Lipschuetz, Michal; Ezra, Yossef

2017-10-01

To determine whether prophylactic antibiotics reduce the frequency of postpartum endometritis after manual removal of the placenta. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data for all women who underwent manual removal of the placenta after vaginal delivery at a tertiary medical center in Jerusalem, Israel, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015. The study group comprised women who had not received prophylactic antibiotic treatment, whereas the control group comprised women who had received prophylactic antibiotic treatment. The primary outcome measure was the frequency of postpartum endometritis. Of the 407 women included in the analysis, 7 (1.7%) developed postpartum endometritis. Six of the women with postpartum endometritis had received prophylactic treatment with antibiotics, whereas one woman had not (odds ratio 0.555, 95% confidence interval 0.065-4.630). Prophylactic antibiotics before manual removal of the placenta did not decrease the odds of postpartum endometritis. © 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

What Are the Primary Limitations in B-Cell Affinity Maturation, and How Much Affinity Maturation Can We Drive with Vaccination?

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A key goal of HIV-1 vaccine development is the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeted to the vulnerable regions of the HIV envelope. BnAbs develop overtime in ∼50%of HIV-1-infected individuals. However, to date, no vaccines have induced bnAbs and few or none of these vaccine-elicited HIV-1 antibodies carry the high frequencies of V(D)J mutations characteristic of bnAbs. Do the high frequencies of mutations characteristic of naturally induced bnAbs represent a fundamental barrier to the induction of bnAbs by vaccines? Recent studies suggest that high frequencies of V(D)J mutations can be achieved by serial vaccination strategies. Rather, it appears that, in the absence of HIV-1 infection, physiologic immune tolerance controls, including a germinal center process termed affinity reversion, may limit vaccine-driven bnAb development by clonal elimination or selecting for mutations incompatible with bnAb activity. PMID:28630077

Low frequency spectra of type III solar radio bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weber, R. R.

1978-01-01

Flux density spectra have been determined for 91 simple type III solar bursts observed by the Goddard Space Flight Center radio astronomy experiment on the IMP-6 spacecraft during 1971 and 1972. Spectral peaks were found to occur at frequencies ranging from 44 kHz up to 2500 kHz. Half of the bursts peaked between 250 kHz and 900 kHz, corresponding to emission at solar distances of about 0.3 to 0.1 AU. Maximum burst flux density sometimes exceeds 10 to the -14th W/sq m/Hz. The primary factor controlling the spectral peak frequency of these bursts appears to be a variation in intrinsic power radiated by the source as the exciter moves outward from the sun, rather than radio propagation effects between the source and IMP-6. Thus, a burst spectrum strongly reflects the evolution of the properties of the exciting electron beam, and according to current theory, beam deceleration could help account for the observations.

The Relationship Between Child Anxiety Related Disorders and Primary Nocturnal Enuresis.

PubMed

Salehi, Bahman; Yousefichaijan, Parsa; Rafeei, Mohammad; Mostajeran, Mahssa

2016-06-01

Nocturnal enuresis, often called bedwetting or sleep wetting, is a common problem in children after the age of five and may lead to symptoms such as infection, incontinence and frequent urination. This problem refers to a state in which children after the age of five have no control of their urine for six continuous months and it cannot be attributed to any organic factors or drug use. In this study we aimed to study generalized anxiety disorder as one of the possible causes of primary nocturnal enuresis. In this case-control study 180 children with primary nocturnal enuresis and same number of healthy children with a mean age of 7 - 17 years old with the same demographic characteristics were selected. The study took place at Amir Kabir hospital of Arak, Iran during year 2014. After collecting the information, diagnosis was verified based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) IV-TR criteria. Results were analyzed using the SPSS software (IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Frequency of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, school phobia, social anxiety, separation anxiety, history of anxiety in mother, history of primary nocturnal enuresis in parent's family and body mass index had a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.005). With the results obtained from this study we could say that there was a clear significant difference between the two control and patient groups for all subgroups of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and their relationship with primary nocturnal enuresis. Given the higher prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, school phobia, social anxiety, separation anxiety and comparison with healthy children, it is recommended for all children with primary nocturnal enuresis to be investigated and treated for generalized anxiety disorder.

High-frequency, resonance-enhanced microactuators with active structures for high-speed flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreth, Phillip Andrew

The need for actuators that are adaptable for use in a wide array of applications has been the motivation behind actuator development research over the past few years. Recent developments at the Advanced Aero-Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL) at Florida State University have produced a microactuator that uses the unsteadiness of a small-scale impinging jet to produce pulsed, supersonic microjets -- this is referred to as the Resonance-Enhanced Microjet (REM) actuator. Prior studies on these actuators at AAPL have been somewhat limited in that the actuator response has only been characterized through pressure/acoustic measurements and qualitative flow visualizations. Highly-magnified particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed to measure the velocity fields of both a 1 mm underexpanded jet and an REM actuator. The results demonstrate that this type of microactuator is capable of producing pulsed, supersonic microjets that have velocities of approximately 400 m/s that are sustained for significant portions of their cycles (> 60 %). These are the first direct velocity measurements of these flowfields, and they allow for a greater understanding of the flow physics associated with this microactuator. The previous studies on the REM actuators have shown that the microactuator volume is among the principal parameters in determining the actuator's maximum-amplitude frequency component. In order to use this actuator in a closed-loop, feedback control system, a modified design that incorporates smart materials is studied. The smart materials (specifically piezoelectric ceramic stack actuators) have been implemented into the microactuator to actively change its geometry, thus permitting controllable changes in the microactuator's resonant frequency. The distinct feature of this design is that the smart materials are not used to produce the primary perturbation or flow from the actuator (which has in the past limited the control authority of other designs) but to change its dynamic properties. Various static and dynamic control inputs to the piezo-stacks illustrate that the actuator's resonant frequency can be modulated by a few hundred Hertz at very fast rates (up to 1 kHz or more). These frequency modulation capabilities allow for off-design frequencies to be present in the actuator's output, thereby increasing its range of potential flow control applications. A series of closed-loop control demonstrations clearly show the ability of this actuator to track and produce outputs at specified frequencies. The robustness of this control technique was also demonstrated. By combining the REM actuator concept with the precision and control authority of smart materials, the new actuator system (known as the SmartREM actuator) is shown to produce supersonic, pulsing microjets whose frequency can be controlled actively in a closed-loop manner. Three different design possibilities are developed and characterized in this study. An optimal configuration was identified for cavity flow control experiments in both sub- and supersonic freestream conditions (M = 0.4 - 0.7 and M = 1.5). The actuator was designed such that its frequency would lie within the range of the predicted cavity oscillations. The actuator's performance was evaluated in its three modes of operations: pulsed (REM mode), active pulsed (SmartREM mode), and steady. It was found that when the actuator operates in its pulsed modes, the amplitude of the dominant peak is reduced by as much as 6 dB. The high-frequency broadband levels and overall sound pressure levels (OASPLs) are reduced with control as well (by about 3 dB). Operating the actuator in its steady mode at very high pressures provides the most effective results. The dominant peaks were completely eliminated (amplitudes reduced by over 25 dB), and the reductions in the OASPLs exceeded 10 dB.

Spray formation processes of impinging jet injectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. E.; Ryan, H. M.; Pal, S.; Santoro, R. J.

1993-01-01

A study examining impinging liquid jets has been underway to determine physical mechanisms responsible for combustion instabilities in liquid bi-propellant rocket engines. Primary atomization has been identified as an important process. Measurements of atomization length, wave structure, and drop size and velocity distribution were made under various ambient conditions. Test parameters included geometric effects and flow effects. It was observed that pre-impingement jet conditions, specifically whether they were laminar or turbulent, had the major effect on primary atomization. Comparison of the measurements with results from a two dimensional linear aerodynamic stability model of a thinning, viscous sheet were made. Measured turbulent impinging jet characteristics were contrary to model predictions; the structure of waves generated near the point of jet impingement were dependent primarily on jet diameter and independent of jet velocity. It has been postulated that these impact waves are related to pressure and momentum fluctuations near the impingement region and control the eventual disintegration of the liquid sheet into ligaments. Examination of the temporal characteristics of primary atomization (ligament shedding frequency) strongly suggests that the periodic nature of primary atomization is a key process in combustion instability.

Rationale for the Assessment of Metoprolol in the Prevention of Vasovagal Syncope in Aging Subjects Trial (POST5).

PubMed

Raj, Satish R; Faris, Peter D; Semeniuk, Lisa; Manns, Braden; Krahn, Andrew D; Morillo, Carlos A; Benditt, David G; Sheldon, Robert S

2016-04-01

Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a common problem associated with a poor quality of life, which improves when syncope frequency is reduced. Effective pharmacological therapies for VVS are lacking. Metoprolol is a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist that is ineffective in younger patients, but may benefit older (≥40 years) VVS patients. Given the limited therapeutic options, a placebo-controlled clinical trial of metoprolol for the prevention of VVS in older patients is needed. The POST5 is a multicenter, international, randomized, placebo-controlled study of metoprolol in the prevention of VVS in patients ≥40 years old. The primary endpoint is the time to first recurrence of syncope. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive metoprolol 25 to 100 mg BID or matching placebo, and followed up for 1 year. Secondary end points include syncope frequency, presyncope, quality of life, and cost analysis. Primary analysis will be intention to treat, with a secondary on-treatment analysis. A sample size of 222, split equally between the groups achieves 85% power to detect a hazard rate of 0.3561 when the event rates are 50% and 30% in the placebo and metoprolol arms. Allowing for 10% dropout, we propose to enroll 248 patients. This study will be the first adequately powered trial to determine whether metoprolol is effective in preventing VVS in patients ≥40 years. If effective, metoprolol may become the first line pharmacological therapy for these patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detecting At-Risk Alzheimer's Disease Cases.

PubMed

Fladby, Tormod; Pålhaugen, Lene; Selnes, Per; Waterloo, Knut; Bråthen, Geir; Hessen, Erik; Almdahl, Ina Selseth; Arntzen, Kjell-Arne; Auning, Eirik; Eliassen, Carl Fredrik; Espenes, Ragna; Grambaite, Ramune; Grøntvedt, Gøril Rolfseng; Johansen, Krisztina Kunszt; Johnsen, Stein Harald; Kalheim, Lisa Flem; Kirsebom, Bjørn-Eivind; Müller, Kai Ivar; Nakling, Arne Exner; Rongve, Arvid; Sando, Sigrid Botne; Siafarikas, Nikias; Stav, Ane Løvli; Tecelao, Sandra; Timon, Santiago; Bekkelund, Svein Ivar; Aarsland, Dag

2017-01-01

While APOEɛ4 is the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid dysmetabolism is an initial or early event predicting clinical disease and is an important focus for secondary intervention trials. To improve identification of cases with increased AD risk, we evaluated recruitment procedures using pathological CSF concentrations of Aβ42 (pAβ) and APOEɛ4 as risk markers in a multi-center study in Norway. In total, 490 subjects aged 40-80 y were included after response to advertisements and media coverage or memory clinics referrals. Controls (n = 164) were classified as normal controls without first-degree relatives with dementia (NC), normal controls with first-degree relatives with dementia (NCFD), or controls scoring below norms on cognitive screening. Patients (n = 301) were classified as subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment. Subjects underwent a clinical and cognitive examination and MRI according to standardized protocols. Core biomarkers in CSF from 411 and APOE genotype from 445 subjects were obtained. Cases (both self-referrals (n = 180) and memory clinics referrals (n = 87)) had increased fractions of pAβ and APOEɛ4 frequency compared to NC. Also, NCFD had higher APOEɛ4 frequencies without increased fraction of pAβ compared to NC, and cases recruited from memory clinics had higher fractions of pAβ and APOEɛ4 frequency than self-referred. This study shows that memory clinic referrals are pAβ enriched, whereas self-referred and NCFD cases more frequently are pAβ negative but at risk (APOEɛ4 positive), suitable for primary intervention.

Dual Active Bridge based DC Transformer LabVIEW FPGA Control Code

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

In the area of power electronics control, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have the capability to outperform their Digital Signal Processor (DSP) counterparts due to the FPGA’s ability to implement true parallel processing and therefore facilitate higher switching frequencies, higher control bandwidth, and/or enhanced functionality. National Instruments (NI) has developed two platforms, Compact RIO (cRIO) and Single Board RIO (sbRIO), which combine a real-time processor with an FPGA. The FPGA can be programmed with a subset of the well-known LabVIEW graphical programming language. The candidate software implements complete control algorithms in LabVIEW FPGA for a DC Transformer (DCX) based onmore » a dual active bridge (DAB). A DCX is an isolated bi-directional DC-DC converter designed to operate at unity conversion ratio, M, defined by where Vin is the primary-side DC bus voltage, Vout is the secondary-side DC bus voltage, and n is the turns ratio of the embedded high frequency transformer (HFX). The DCX based on a DAB incorporates two H-bridges, a resonant inductor, and an HFX to provide this functionality. The candidate software employs phase-shift modulation of the two H-bridges and a feedback loop to regulate the conversion ratio at unity. The software also includes alarm-handling capabilities as well as debugging and tuning tools. The software fits on the Xilinx Virtex V LX110 FPGA embedded in the NI cRIO-9118 FPGA chassis, and with a 40 MHz base clock, supports a modulation update rate of 40 MHz, and user-settable switching frequencies and synchronized control loop update rates of tens of kHz.« less

Substance P release and neurokinin 1 receptor activation in the rat spinal cord increase with the firing frequency of C-fibers.

PubMed

Adelson, D; Lao, L; Zhang, G; Kim, W; Marvizón, J C G

2009-06-30

Both the firing frequency of primary afferents and neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) internalization in dorsal horn neurons increase with the intensity of noxious stimulus. Accordingly, we studied how the pattern of firing of primary afferent influences NK1R internalization. In rat spinal cord slices, electrical stimulation of the dorsal root evoked NK1R internalization in lamina I neurons by inducing substance P release from primary afferents. The stimulation frequency had pronounced effects on NK1R internalization, which increased up to 100 Hz and then diminished abruptly at 200 Hz. Peptidase inhibitors increased NK1R internalization at frequencies below 30 Hz, indicating that peptidases limit the access of substance P to the receptor at moderate firing rates. NK1R internalization increased with number of pulses at all frequencies, but maximal internalization was substantially lower at 1-10 Hz than at 30 Hz. Pulses organized into bursts produced the same NK1R internalization as sustained 30 Hz stimulation. To determine whether substance P release induced at high stimulation frequencies was from C-fibers, we recorded compound action potentials in the sciatic nerve of anesthetized rats. We observed substantial NK1R internalization when stimulating at intensities evoking a C-elevation, but not at intensities evoking only an Adelta-elevation. Each pulse in trains at frequencies up to 100 Hz evoked a C-elevation, demonstrating that C-fibers can follow these high frequencies. C-elevation amplitudes declined progressively with increasing stimulation frequency, which was likely caused by a combination of factors including temporal dispersion. In conclusion, the instantaneous firing frequency in C-fibers determines the amount of substance P released by noxious stimuli.

Substance P release and neurokinin 1 receptor activation in the rat spinal cord increases with the firing frequency of C-fibers

PubMed Central

Adelson, David; Lao, Lijun; Zhang, Guohua; Kim, Woojae; Marvizón, Juan Carlos G.

2009-01-01

Both the firing frequency of primary afferents and neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) internalization in dorsal horn neurons increase with the intensity of noxious stimulus. Accordingly, we studied how the pattern of firing of primary afferent influences NK1R internalization. In rat spinal cord slices, electrical stimulation of the dorsal root evoked NK1R internalization in lamina I neurons by inducing substance P release from primary afferents. The stimulation frequency had pronounced effects on NK1R internalization, which increased up to 100 Hz and then diminished abruptly at 200 Hz. Peptidase inhibitors increased NK1R internalization at frequencies below 30 Hz, indicating that peptidases limit the access of substance P to the receptor at moderate firing rates. NK1R internalization increased with number of pulses at all frequencies, but maximal internalization was substantially lower at 1–10 Hz than at 30 Hz. Pulses organized into bursts produced the same NK1R internalization as sustained 30 Hz stimulation. To determine whether substance P release induced at high stimulation frequencies was from C-fibers, we recorded compound action potentials in the sciatic nerve of anesthetized rats. We observed substantial NK1R internalization when stimulating at intensities evoking a C-elevation, but not at intensities evoking only an Aδ-elevation. Each pulse in trains at frequencies up to 100 Hz evoked a C-elevation, demonstrating that C-fibers can follow these high frequencies. C-elevation amplitudes declined progressively with increasing stimulation frequency, which was likely caused by a combination of factors including temporal dispersion. In conclusion, the instantaneous firing frequency in C-fibers determines the amount of substance P released by noxious stimuli. PMID:19336248

Central implementation strategies outperform local ones in improving HIV testing in Veterans Healthcare Administration facilities.

PubMed

Goetz, Matthew Bidwell; Hoang, Tuyen; Knapp, Herschel; Burgess, Jane; Fletcher, Michael D; Gifford, Allen L; Asch, Steven M

2013-10-01

Pilot data suggest that a multifaceted approach may increase HIV testing rates, but the scalability of this approach and the level of support needed for successful implementation remain unknown. To evaluate the effectiveness of a scaled-up multi-component intervention in increasing the rate of risk-based and routine HIV diagnostic testing in primary care clinics and the impact of differing levels of program support. Three arm, quasi-experimental implementation research study. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. Persons receiving primary care between June 2009 and September 2011 INTERVENTION: A multimodal program, including a real-time electronic clinical reminder to facilitate HIV testing, provider feedback reports and provider education, was implemented in Central and Local Arm Sites; sites in the Central Arm also received ongoing programmatic support. Control Arm sites had no intervention Frequency of performing HIV testing during the 6 months before and after implementation of a risk-based clinical reminder (phase I) or routine clinical reminder (phase II). The adjusted rate of risk-based testing increased by 0.4 %, 5.6 % and 10.1 % in the Control, Local and Central Arms, respectively (all comparisons, p < 0.01). During phase II, the adjusted rate of routine testing increased by 1.1 %, 6.3 % and 9.2 % in the Control, Local and Central Arms, respectively (all comparisons, p < 0.01). At study end, 70-80 % of patients had been offered an HIV test. Use of clinical reminders, provider feedback, education and social marketing significantly increased the frequency at which HIV testing is offered and performed in VHA facilities. These findings support a multimodal approach toward achieving the goal of having every American know their HIV status as a matter of routine clinical practice.

Klinefelter syndrome has increased brain responses to auditory stimuli and motor output, but not to visual stimuli or Stroop adaptation

PubMed Central

Wallentin, Mikkel; Skakkebæk, Anne; Bojesen, Anders; Fedder, Jens; Laurberg, Peter; Østergaard, John R.; Hertz, Jens Michael; Pedersen, Anders Degn; Gravholt, Claus Højbjerg

2016-01-01

Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY) (KS) is a genetic syndrome characterized by the presence of an extra X chromosome and low level of testosterone, resulting in a number of neurocognitive abnormalities, yet little is known about brain function. This study investigated the fMRI-BOLD response from KS relative to a group of Controls to basic motor, perceptual, executive and adaptation tasks. Participants (N: KS = 49; Controls = 49) responded to whether the words “GREEN” or “RED” were displayed in green or red (incongruent versus congruent colors). One of the colors was presented three times as often as the other, making it possible to study both congruency and adaptation effects independently. Auditory stimuli saying “GREEN” or “RED” had the same distribution, making it possible to study effects of perceptual modality as well as Frequency effects across modalities. We found that KS had an increased response to motor output in primary motor cortex and an increased response to auditory stimuli in auditory cortices, but no difference in primary visual cortices. KS displayed a diminished response to written visual stimuli in secondary visual regions near the Visual Word Form Area, consistent with the widespread dyslexia in the group. No neural differences were found in inhibitory control (Stroop) or in adaptation to differences in stimulus frequencies. Across groups we found a strong positive correlation between age and BOLD response in the brain's motor network with no difference between groups. No effects of testosterone level or brain volume were found. In sum, the present findings suggest that auditory and motor systems in KS are selectively affected, perhaps as a compensatory strategy, and that this is not a systemic effect as it is not seen in the visual system. PMID:26958463

Klinefelter syndrome has increased brain responses to auditory stimuli and motor output, but not to visual stimuli or Stroop adaptation.

PubMed

Wallentin, Mikkel; Skakkebæk, Anne; Bojesen, Anders; Fedder, Jens; Laurberg, Peter; Østergaard, John R; Hertz, Jens Michael; Pedersen, Anders Degn; Gravholt, Claus Højbjerg

2016-01-01

Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY) (KS) is a genetic syndrome characterized by the presence of an extra X chromosome and low level of testosterone, resulting in a number of neurocognitive abnormalities, yet little is known about brain function. This study investigated the fMRI-BOLD response from KS relative to a group of Controls to basic motor, perceptual, executive and adaptation tasks. Participants (N: KS = 49; Controls = 49) responded to whether the words "GREEN" or "RED" were displayed in green or red (incongruent versus congruent colors). One of the colors was presented three times as often as the other, making it possible to study both congruency and adaptation effects independently. Auditory stimuli saying "GREEN" or "RED" had the same distribution, making it possible to study effects of perceptual modality as well as Frequency effects across modalities. We found that KS had an increased response to motor output in primary motor cortex and an increased response to auditory stimuli in auditory cortices, but no difference in primary visual cortices. KS displayed a diminished response to written visual stimuli in secondary visual regions near the Visual Word Form Area, consistent with the widespread dyslexia in the group. No neural differences were found in inhibitory control (Stroop) or in adaptation to differences in stimulus frequencies. Across groups we found a strong positive correlation between age and BOLD response in the brain's motor network with no difference between groups. No effects of testosterone level or brain volume were found. In sum, the present findings suggest that auditory and motor systems in KS are selectively affected, perhaps as a compensatory strategy, and that this is not a systemic effect as it is not seen in the visual system.

Self-help cognitive behavior therapy for working women with problematic hot flushes and night sweats (MENOS@Work): a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hardy, Claire; Griffiths, Amanda; Norton, Sam; Hunter, Myra S

2018-05-01

The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of an unguided, self-help cognitive behavior therapy (SH-CBT) booklet on hot flush and night sweat (HFNS) problem rating, delivered in a work setting. Women aged 45 to 60 years, having 10 or more problematic HFNS a week, were recruited to a multicenter randomized controlled trial, via the occupational health/human resources departments of eight organizations. Participants were 1:1 randomized to SH-CBT or no treatment waitlist control (NTWC). The primary outcome was HFNS problem rating; secondary outcomes included HFNS frequency, work and social adjustment, sleep, mood, beliefs and behaviors, and work-related variables (absence, performance, turnover intention, and work impairment due to presenteeism). Intention-to-treat analysis was used, and between-group differences estimated using linear mixed models. A total of 124 women were randomly allocated to SH-CBT (n = 60) and NTWC (n = 64). 104 (84%) were assessed for primary outcome at 6 weeks and 102 (82%) at 20 weeks. SH-CBT significantly reduced HFNS problem rating at 6 weeks (SH-CBT vs NTWC adjusted mean difference, -1.49; 95% CI, -2.11 to -0.86; P < 0.001) and at 20 weeks (-1.09; 95% CI, -1.87 to -0.31; P < 0.01). SH-CBT also significantly reduced HFNS frequency, improved work and social adjustment; sleep, menopause beliefs, HFNS beliefs/behaviors at 6 and 20 weeks; improved wellbeing and somatic symptoms and reduced work impairment due to menopause-related presenteeism at 20 weeks, compared with the NTWC. There was no difference between groups in other work-related outcomes. A brief, unguided SH-CBT booklet is a potentially effective management option for working women experiencing problematic HFNS.

A search for the primary abnormality in adult-onset type II citrullinemia.

PubMed

Kobayashi, K; Shaheen, N; Kumashiro, R; Tanikawa, K; O'Brien, W E; Beaudet, A L; Saheki, T

1993-11-01

Deficiency of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) causes citrullinemia in human beings. Type II citrullinemia is found in most patients with adult-onset citrullinemia in Japan, and ASS deficiency is found specifically in the liver. Previous studies have shown that the decrease of hepatic ASS activity is caused by a decrease in enzyme protein with normal kinetic properties and that there were no apparent abnormalities in the amount, translational activity, and gross structure of hepatic ASS mRNA. In the present work, we show by sequencing analysis that there was no mutation in the ASS mRNA from two patients with type II citrullinemia. We also report RFLP analysis of a consanguineous family with type II citrullinemia, by using three DNA polymorphisms located within the ASS gene locus. In spite of having consanguineous parents, the patient was not a homozygous haplotype for the ASS gene. The RFLP analysis of 16 affected patients from consanguineous parents showed that 5 of 16 patients had the heterozygous pattern for one of the three DNA probes and that the frequency of the heterozygous haplotype was not different from the control frequency. These results suggest that the primary defect of type II citrullinemia is not within the ASS gene locus.

The effects of media, self-esteem, and BMI on youth's unhealthy weight control behaviors.

PubMed

Mayer-Brown, Sarah; Lawless, Casey; Fedele, David; Dumont-Driscoll, Marilyn; Janicke, David M

2016-04-01

Youth engage in a variety of methods to manage their weight, including unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs). The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with youth's engagement in UWCBs, including media influence, youth's BMI z-score and self-esteem. Participants were 179 youth, aged 10-17, attending a primary care clinic appointment. Youth completed questionnaires assessing frequency of UWCBs, global self-worth, and perception of media influence to lose weight. BMI z-score was calculated based on height and weight measurements obtained from medical charts. The SPSS macro, PROCESS, was used to conduct moderation analyses. Over 40% of youth endorsed using at least one UWCB in the past year. Girls reported using more UWCBs and engaging in UWCBs more frequently than boys. For boys, media influence to lose weight was only related to UWCB frequency for those with a BMI z-score of 1.23 and above. For girls, media influence was only related to UWCB frequency for those with low to average levels of global self-worth. Girls' and boys' use of UWCBs is impacted by different factors. Prevention efforts should consider targeting factors, such as weight status and self-esteem, which are uniquely associated with gender. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pursuit tracking and higher levels of skill development in the human pilot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, R. A.

1981-01-01

A model of the human pilot is offered for pursuit tracking tasks; the model encompasses an existing model for compensatory tracking. The central hypothesis in the development of this model states that those primary structural elements in the compensatory model responsible for the pilot's equalization capabilities remain intact in the pursuit model. In this latter case, effective low-frequency inversion of the controlled-element dynamics occurs by feeding-forward derived input rate through the equalization dynamics, with low-frequency phase droop minimized. The sharp reduction in low-frequency phase lag beyond that associated with the disappearance of phase droop is seen to accompany relatively low-gain feedback of vehicle output. The results of some recent motion cue research are discussed and interpreted in terms of the compensatory-pursuit display dichotomy. Tracking with input preview is discussed in a qualitative way. In terms of the model, preview is shown to demand no fundamental changes in structure or equalization and to allow the pilot to eliminate the effective time delays that accrue in the inversion of the controlled-element dynamics. Precognitive behavior is discussed, and a model that encompasses all the levels of skill development outlined in the successive organizations of perception theory is finally proposed.

Active Flow Control at Low Reynolds Numbers on a NACA 0015 Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melton, LaTunia Pack; Hannon, Judith; Yao, Chung-Sheng; Harris, Jerome

2008-01-01

Results from a low Reynolds number wind tunnel experiment on a NACA 0015 airfoil with a 30% chord trailing edge flap tested at deflection angles of 0, 20, and 40 are presented and discussed. Zero net mass flux periodic excitation was applied at the ap shoulder to control flow separation for flap deflections larger than 0. The primary objective of the experiment was to compare force and moment data obtained from integrating surface pressures to data obtained from a 5-component strain-gage balance in preparation for additional three-dimensional testing of the model. To achieve this objective, active flow control is applied at an angle of attack of 6 where published results indicate that oscillatory momentum coefficients exceeding 1% are required to delay separation. Periodic excitation with an oscillatory momentum coefficient of 1.5% and a reduced frequency of 0.71 caused a significant delay of separation on the airfoil with a flap deflection of 20. Higher momentum coefficients at the same reduced frequency were required to achieve a similar level of flow attachment on the airfoil with a flap deflection of 40. There was a favorable comparison between the balance and integrated pressure force and moment results.

Design and verification of a hybrid nonlinear MRE vibration absorber for controllable broadband performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, S. S.; Yildirim, T.; Wu, Jichu; Yang, J.; Du, H.; Zhang, S. W.; Li, W. H.

2017-09-01

In this work, a hybrid nonlinear magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) vibration absorber has been designed, theoretically investigated and experimentally verified. The proposed nonlinear MRE absorber has the dual advantages of a nonlinear force-displacement relationship and variable stiffness technology; the purpose for coupling these two technologies is to achieve a large broadband vibration absorber with controllable capability. To achieve a nonlinear stiffness in the device, two pairs of magnets move at a rotary angle against each other, and the theoretical nonlinear force-displacement relationship has been theoretically calculated. For the experimental investigation, the effects of base excitation, variable currents applied to the device (i.e. variable stiffness of the MRE) and semi-active control have been conducted to determine the enhanced broadband performance of the designed device. It was observed the device was able to change resonance frequency with the applied current; moreover, the hybrid nonlinear MRE absorber displayed a softening-type nonlinear response with clear discontinuous bifurcations observed. Furthermore, the performance of the device under a semi-active control algorithm displayed the optimal performance in attenuating the vibration from a primary system to the absorber over a large frequency bandwidth from 4 to 12 Hz. By coupling nonlinear stiffness attributes with variable stiffness MRE technology, the performance of a vibration absorber is substantially improved.

Active flow control of the laminar separation bubble on a plunging airfoil near stall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pande, Arth; Agate, Mark; Little, Jesse; Fasel, Hermann

2017-11-01

The effects of small amplitude (A/c = 0.048) high frequency (πfc/U∞ = 0.70) plunging motion on the X-56A airfoil are examined experimentally at Re = 200,000 for 12° angle of attack (CL,MAX = 12.25°) . The purpose of this research is to study the aerodynamic influence of structural motion when the wing is vibrating close to its eigenfrequency near static stall. Specific focus is placed on the laminar separation bubble (LSB) near the leading edge and its control via plasma actuation. In the baseline case, the leading edge bubble bursts during the oscillation cycle causing moment stall. A collaborative computational effort has shown that small amplitude forcing at a frequency that is most amplified by the primary instability of the LSB (FLSB+= 1, Fc+= 52) generates coherent spanwise vortices that entrain freestream momentum, thus reducing separation all while maintaining a laminar flow state. Results (PIV and surface pressure) indicate that a similar control mechanism is effective in the experiments. This is significant given the existence of freestream turbulence in the wind tunnel which has been shown to limit the efficacy of this active flow control technique in a model problem using Direct Numerical Simulation. The implications of these results are discussed.

Towards efficient use of research resources: a nationwide database of ongoing primary care research projects in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Kortekaas, Marlous F; van de Pol, Alma C; van der Horst, Henriëtte E; Burgers, Jako S; Slort, Willemjan; de Wit, Niek J

2014-04-01

PURPOSE. Although in the last decades primary care research has evolved with great success, there is a growing need to prioritize the topics given the limited resources available. Therefore, we constructed a nationwide database of ongoing primary care research projects in the Netherlands, and we assessed if the distribution of research topics matched with primary care practice. We conducted a survey among the main primary care research centres in the Netherlands and gathered details of all ongoing primary care research projects. We classified the projects according to research topic, relation to professional guidelines and knowledge deficits, collaborative partners and funding source. Subsequently, we compared the frequency distribution of clinical topics of research projects to the prevalence of problems in primary care practice. We identified 296 ongoing primary care research projects from 11 research centres. Most projects were designed as randomized controlled trial (35%) or observational cohort (34%), and government funded mostly (60%). Thematically, most research projects addressed chronic diseases, mainly cardiovascular risk management (8%), depressive disorders (8%) and diabetes mellitus (7%). One-fifth of the projects was related to defined knowledge deficits in primary care guidelines. From a clinical primary care perspective, research projects on dermatological problems were significantly underrepresented (P = 0.01). This survey of ongoing projects demonstrates that primary care research has a firm basis in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on chronic disease. The fit with primary care practice can improve, and future research should address knowledge deficits in professional guidelines more.

Frequency-specific attentional modulation in human primary auditory cortex and midbrain.

PubMed

Riecke, Lars; Peters, Judith C; Valente, Giancarlo; Poser, Benedikt A; Kemper, Valentin G; Formisano, Elia; Sorger, Bettina

2018-07-01

Paying selective attention to an audio frequency selectively enhances activity within primary auditory cortex (PAC) at the tonotopic site (frequency channel) representing that frequency. Animal PAC neurons achieve this 'frequency-specific attentional spotlight' by adapting their frequency tuning, yet comparable evidence in humans is scarce. Moreover, whether the spotlight operates in human midbrain is unknown. To address these issues, we studied the spectral tuning of frequency channels in human PAC and inferior colliculus (IC), using 7-T functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and frequency mapping, while participants focused on different frequency-specific sounds. We found that shifts in frequency-specific attention alter the response gain, but not tuning profile, of PAC frequency channels. The gain modulation was strongest in low-frequency channels and varied near-monotonically across the tonotopic axis, giving rise to the attentional spotlight. We observed less prominent, non-tonotopic spatial patterns of attentional modulation in IC. These results indicate that the frequency-specific attentional spotlight in human PAC as measured with FMRI arises primarily from tonotopic gain modulation, rather than adapted frequency tuning. Moreover, frequency-specific attentional modulation of afferent sound processing in human IC seems to be considerably weaker, suggesting that the spotlight diminishes toward this lower-order processing stage. Our study sheds light on how the human auditory pathway adapts to the different demands of selective hearing. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Add-on anticholinergic therapy for residual nocturia in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms receiving α1-blocker treatment: a multi-centre, prospective, randomised study.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Osamu; Tsujimura, Akira; Akino, Hironobu; Segawa, Naoki; Tamada, Satoshi; Oguchi, Naoki; Kitagawa, Yasuhide; Tsuji, Hidenori; Watanabe, Akihiko; Inamoto, Teruo; Shimizu, Nobutaka; Fujiuchi, Yasuyoshi; Katsuoka, Yoji; Azuma, Haruhito; Matsuda, Tadashi; Namiki, Mikio; Uemura, Hirotsugu; Okuyama, Akihiko; Nonomura, Norio; Fuse, Hideki; Nakatani, Tatsuya

2015-05-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of imidafenacin (IM), a novel short half-life anticholinergic, as add-on therapy for male LUTS with nocturia and nocturnal polyuria. This multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-labelled study was conducted and involved men who had frequency, urgency, and nocturia despite receiving a stable dose of α1-blocker for ≥1 month. Subjects were randomised to control (α1-blocker alone), IM twice/day (α1-blocker +0.1 mg imidafenacin twice daily), or IM nightly (α1-blocker plus 0.1 mg imidafenacin nightly) group; the treatment period was 8 weeks. Primary endpoints included improvements in night-time frequency and Nocturia Quality of Life Questionnaire (N-QOL) scores. Secondary endpoints included changes from the baseline in frequency volume chart variables, and post-void residual volume. Compared with the controls, IM twice/day and IM nightly patients had a significantly lower night-time frequency (changes from baseline: 0.1 ± 0.8 in control, -0.6 ± 0.9 in IM twice/day, and -0.4 ± 1.0 in IM nightly, p = 0.5227, 0.0006 and 0.0143, respectively). The hours of undisturbed sleep and N-QOL score were significantly improved in IM twice/day group, though not IM nightly group. Nocturnal urine volume was significantly reduced in IM nightly group, although total urine volume remained unchanged. A short half-life anticholinergic is suggested to be safe and effective as an add-on therapy for residual nocturia in patients with male LUTS receiving α1-blocker treatment. Anticholinergic administration nightly could reduce the nocturnal urine volume.

Association between G1733A (rs6152) polymorphism in androgen receptor gene and recurrent spontaneous abortions in Mexican population.

PubMed

Porras-Dorantes, Ángela; Brambila-Tapia, Aniel Jessica Leticia; Lazcano-Castellanos, Alma Benita; Da Silva-José, Thiago Donizete; Juárez-Osuna, Jesús Alejandro; García-Ortiz, José Elías

2017-10-01

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a multifactorial condition that occurs with a frequency of 0.2-5% in women of reproductive age. Among genetic factors, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) G1733A in the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been associated with its presence in Greek and Iranian populations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine its possible association with RSA in this population. A total of 156 Mexican RSA (with at least 2 consecutive abortions) unrelated patients and 152 unrelated healthy women were included, the presence of karyotype anomalies in the parents as well as uterine anomalies as well as antiphospholipid antibodies was excluded in patients; while all the controls presented at least two healthy pregnancies and no abortion. In all the included women, the presence of the SNP G1733A was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique. No significant differences were observed in age between groups. The genotype GG, GA, and AA had a frequency of 0.70, 0.27, and 0.03 in controls and of 0.89, 0.10, and 0.01 in patients (p < 0.001); while the A allele frequency was of 0.06 and 0.16 in controls and patients, respectively (p < 0.0001). The difference in allele frequency increased 10-15% when patients with primary RSA (with no live births) and with at least three abortions were included. The SNP G1733A of the AR gene is significantly associated with RSA in Mexican patients. These results coincide with previous reports in other populations.

PEG 3350 (Transipeg) versus lactulose in the treatment of childhood functional constipation: a double blind, randomised, controlled, multicentre trial.

PubMed

Voskuijl, W; de Lorijn, F; Verwijs, W; Hogeman, P; Heijmans, J; Mäkel, W; Taminiau, J; Benninga, M

2004-11-01

Recently, polyethylene glycol (PEG 3350) has been suggested as a good alternative laxative to lactulose as a treatment option in paediatric constipation. However, no large randomised controlled trials exist evaluating the efficacy of either laxative. To compare PEG 3350 (Transipeg: polyethylene glycol with electrolytes) with lactulose in paediatric constipation and evaluate clinical efficacy/side effects. One hundred patients (aged 6 months-15 years) with paediatric constipation were included in an eight week double blinded, randomised, controlled trial. After faecal disimpaction, patients <6 years of age received PEG 3350 (2.95 g/sachet) or lactulose (6 g/sachet) while children > or =6 years started with 2 sachets/day. Primary outcome measures were: defecation and encopresis frequency/week and successful treatment after eight weeks. Success was defined as a defecation frequency > or =3/week and encopresis < or =1 every two weeks. Secondary outcome measures were side effects after eight weeks of treatment. A total of 91 patients (49 male) completed the study. A significant increase in defecation frequency (PEG 3350: 3 pre v 7 post treatment/week; lactulose: 3 pre v 6 post/week) and a significant decrease in encopresis frequency (PEG 3350: 10 pre v 3 post/week; lactulose: 8 pre v 3 post/week) was found in both groups (NS). However, success was significantly higher in the PEG group (56%) compared with the lactulose group (29%). PEG 3350 patients reported less abdominal pain, straining, and pain at defecation than children using lactulose. However, bad taste was reported significantly more often in the PEG group. PEG 3350 (0.26 (0.11) g/kg), compared with lactulose (0.66 (0.32) g/kg), provided a higher success rate with fewer side effects. PEG 3350 should be the laxative of first choice in childhood constipation.

Active member vibration control for a 4 meter primary reflector support structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Umland, J. W.; Chen, G.-S.

1992-01-01

The design and testing of a new low voltage piezoelectric active member with integrated load cell and displacement sensor is described. This active member is intended for micron level vibration and structural shape control of the Precision Segmented Reflector test-bed. The test-bed is an erectable 4 meter diameter backup support truss for a 2.4 meter focal length parabolic reflector. Active damping of the test-bed is then demonstrated using the newly developed active members. The control technique used is referred to as bridge feedback. With this technique the internal sensors are used in a local feedback loop to match the active member's input impedance to the structure's load impedance, which then maximizes vibrational energy dissipation. The active damping effectiveness is then evaluated from closed loop frequency responses.

Peripheral facial nerve lesions induce changes in the firing properties of primary motor cortex layer 5 pyramidal cells.

PubMed

Múnera, A; Cuestas, D M; Troncoso, J

2012-10-25

Facial nerve lesions elicit long-lasting changes in vibrissal primary motor cortex (M1) muscular representation in rodents. Reorganization of cortical representation has been attributed to potentiation of preexisting horizontal connections coming from neighboring muscle representation. However, changes in layer 5 pyramidal neuron activity induced by facial nerve lesion have not yet been explored. To do so, the effect of irreversible facial nerve injury on electrophysiological properties of layer 5 pyramidal neurons was characterized. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats were randomly subjected to two experimental treatments: either surgical transection of mandibular and buccal branches of the facial nerve (n=18) or sham surgery (n=6). Unitary and population activity of vibrissal M1 layer 5 pyramidal neurons recorded in vivo under general anesthesia was compared between sham-operated and facial nerve-injured animals. Injured animals were allowed either one (n=6), three (n=6), or five (n=6) weeks recovery before recording in order to characterize the evolution of changes in electrophysiological activity. As compared to control, facial nerve-injured animals displayed the following sustained and significant changes in spontaneous activity: increased basal firing frequency, decreased spike-associated local field oscillation amplitude, and decreased spontaneous theta burst firing frequency. Significant changes in evoked-activity with whisker pad stimulation included: increased short latency population spike amplitude, decreased long latency population oscillations amplitude and frequency, and decreased peak frequency during evoked single-unit burst firing. Taken together, such changes demonstrate that peripheral facial nerve lesions induce robust and sustained changes of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in vibrissal motor cortex. Copyright © 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

B Cell Depletion Therapy Normalizes Circulating Follicular Th Cells in Primary Sjögren Syndrome.

PubMed

Verstappen, Gwenny M; Kroese, Frans G M; Meiners, Petra M; Corneth, Odilia B; Huitema, Minke G; Haacke, Erlin A; van der Vegt, Bert; Arends, Suzanne; Vissink, Arjan; Bootsma, Hendrika; Abdulahad, Wayel H

2017-01-01

To assess the effect of B cell depletion therapy on effector CD4+ T cell homeostasis and its relation to objective measures of disease activity in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS). Twenty-four patients with pSS treated with rituximab (RTX) and 24 healthy controls (HC) were included. Frequencies of circulating effector CD4+ T cell subsets were examined by flow cytometry at baseline and 16, 24, 36, and 48 weeks after the first RTX infusion. Th1, Th2, follicular Th (TFH), and Th17 cells were discerned based on surface marker expression patterns. Additionally, intracellular cytokine staining was performed for interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-21, and IL-17 and serum levels of these cytokines were analyzed. In patients with pSS, frequencies of circulating TFH cells and Th17 cells were increased at baseline compared with HC, whereas frequencies of Th1 and Th2 cells were unchanged. B cell depletion therapy resulted in a pronounced decrease in circulating TFH cells, whereas Th17 cells were only slightly lowered. Frequencies of IL-21-producing and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells and serum levels of IL-21 and IL-17 were also reduced. Importantly, the decrease in circulating TFH cells was associated with lower systemic disease activity over time, as measured by the European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index scores and serum IgG levels. B cell depletion therapy in patients with pSS results in normalization of the elevated levels of circulating TFH cells. This reduction is associated with improved objective clinical disease activity measures. Our observations illustrate the pivotal role of the crosstalk between B cells and TFH cells in the pathogenesis of pSS.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in young adult and geriatric cats.

PubMed

Strain, George M; McGee, Kain A

2017-03-01

Recordings of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were taken from 15 geriatric cats (mean age ± standard deviation, SD, 13.6 ± 2.7 years; range 10.2-19.4 years) and 12 young adult control cats (mean ± SD 4.6 ± 0.5 years; range 3.4-5 years) to identify frequency-specific age-related changes in cochlear responses. Recordings were performed for primary frequencies from 2 to 12 kHz in 2 kHz increments. Cats were considered to be geriatric > 11.9 ± 1.9 years of age. Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) recordings were also made for subjective comparison with DPOAE responses. No differences in DPOAE response amplitudes were observed at any tested frequency in geriatric cats compared to control cats, reflecting an apparent absence of loss of cochlear outer hair cells along the length of the cochlea. No linear regression relationships were found for DPOAE response amplitude versus age in geriatric cats, despite the progressive nature of age-related hearing loss in other species. The absence of reductions in response at any of the tested frequencies in cats within the age span where cats are considered to be geriatric indicates that age-related hearing loss, if it does develop in cats, begins later in the life span of cats than in dogs or human beings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accompanying migrainous features in pediatric migraine patients with restless legs syndrome.

PubMed

Sevindik, Melis Sohtaoğlu; Demirci, Seden; Göksan, Baki; Özge, Aynur; Savrun, Feray Karaali; Onur, Hatice; Yıldırım, Veli; Simsek, Ismail; Ozhan, Harika; Uludüz, Derya

2017-09-01

The present study aimed to examine the frequency of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in pediatric patients with migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) and to investigate accompanying migrainous symptoms, sleep characteristics, as well as levels of serum ferritin between the pediatric migraine patients with RLS and those without RLS. We included 65 consecutive patients diagnosed with migraine, 20 patients with TTH, and 97 headache-free children in our study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were noted. The presence of a primary headache was diagnosed using the ICHD-II criteria, and RLS was determined with face-to-face interviews conducted by an experienced neurologist based on the revised International RLS Study Group criteria for pediatrics. The frequency of RLS in pediatric migraine and TTH patients was significantly higher than in the controls (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.025, respectively). The frequencies of allodynia, vertigo/dizziness, and self-reported frequent arousals were significantly higher, and serum ferritin levels were significantly lower in migraine patients with RLS compared to those without RLS (p = 0.05, p = 0.028, p = 0.02, and p = 0.038, respectively). Our study suggests that the frequency of RLS is higher in pediatric migraine and TTH patients compared to controls. Therefore, pediatric headache patients should be questioned about the presence of RLS, as this co-occurrence may lead to more frequent accompanying migrainous symptoms and sleep disturbances.

Low and High-Frequency Field Potentials of Cortical Networks ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Neural networks grown on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have become an important, high content in vitro assay for assessing neuronal function. MEA experiments typically examine high- frequency (HF) (>200 Hz) spikes, and bursts which can be used to discriminate between different pharmacological agents/chemicals. However, normal brain activity is additionally composed of integrated low-frequency (0.5-100 Hz) field potentials (LFPs) which are filtered out of MEA recordings. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationship between HF and LFP neural network signals, and to assess the relative sensitivity of LFPs to selected neurotoxicants. Rat primary cortical cultures were grown on glass, single-well MEA chips. Spontaneous activity was sampled at 25 kHz and recorded (5 min) (Multi-Channel Systems) from mature networks (14 days in vitro). HF (spike, mean firing rate, MFR) and LF (power spectrum, amplitude) components were extracted from each network and served as its baseline (BL). Next, each chip was treated with either 1) a positive control, bicuculline (BIC, 25μM) or domoic acid (DA, 0.3μM), 2) or a negative control, acetaminophen (ACE, 100μM) or glyphosate (GLY, 100μM), 3) a solvent control (H2O or DMSO:EtOH), or 4) a neurotoxicant, (carbaryl, CAR 5, 30μM ; lindane, LIN 1, 10μM; permethrin, PERM 25, 50μM; triadimefon, TRI 5, 65μM). Post treatment, 5 mins of spontaneous activity was recorded and analyzed. As expected posit

Spike Timing Matters in Novel Neuronal Code Involved in Vibrotactile Frequency Perception.

PubMed

Birznieks, Ingvars; Vickery, Richard M

2017-05-22

Skin vibrations sensed by tactile receptors contribute significantly to the perception of object properties during tactile exploration [1-4] and to sensorimotor control during object manipulation [5]. Sustained low-frequency skin vibration (<60 Hz) evokes a distinct tactile sensation referred to as flutter whose frequency can be clearly perceived [6]. How afferent spiking activity translates into the perception of frequency is still unknown. Measures based on mean spike rates of neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex are sufficient to explain performance in some frequency discrimination tasks [7-11]; however, there is emerging evidence that stimuli can be distinguished based also on temporal features of neural activity [12, 13]. Our study's advance is to demonstrate that temporal features are fundamental for vibrotactile frequency perception. Pulsatile mechanical stimuli were used to elicit specified temporal spike train patterns in tactile afferents, and subsequently psychophysical methods were employed to characterize human frequency perception. Remarkably, the most salient temporal feature determining vibrotactile frequency was not the underlying periodicity but, rather, the duration of the silent gap between successive bursts of neural activity. This burst gap code for frequency represents a previously unknown form of neural coding in the tactile sensory system, which parallels auditory pitch perception mechanisms based on purely temporal information where longer inter-pulse intervals receive higher perceptual weights than short intervals [14]. Our study also demonstrates that human perception of stimuli can be determined exclusively by temporal features of spike trains independent of the mean spike rate and without contribution from population response factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of a Smartphone application and wearable device for weight loss in overweight or obese primary care patients: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Granado-Font, Esther; Flores-Mateo, Gemma; Sorlí-Aguilar, Mar; Montaña-Carreras, Xavier; Ferre-Grau, Carme; Barrera-Uriarte, Maria-Luisa; Oriol-Colominas, Eulàlia; Rey-Reñones, Cristina; Caules, Iolanda; Satué-Gracia, Eva-María

2015-06-04

To evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental intervention based on standard diet recommendations plus free Smartphone application (app) and wearable device for weight loss, compared with the standard diet intervention alone, in primary care patients aged 18 years or older who are overweight or obese. Multicentre randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary health care centres in the city of Tarragona and surrounding areas. 70 primary care patients, aged 18 years or older, with body mass index of 25 g/m2 or greater who wish to lose weight. Description of the intervention: 12 months of standard diet recommendations without (n = 35) or with (n = 35) assistance of a free Smartphone app that allows the participant to maintain a record of dietary intake and a bracelet monitor that records physical activity. The outcomes will be weight loss at 12 months (primary outcome), changes in physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors, frequency of app use, and participant satisfaction after 12 months. The results of our study will offer evidence of the effectiveness of an intervention using one of the most popular free apps and wearable devices in achieving weight loss among patients who are overweight or obese. If these new technologies are proven effective in our population, they could be readily incorporated into primary care interventions promoting healthy weight. The open design and study characteristics make it impossible for the participants and researchers to be blinded to study group assignment. Researchers responsible for data analysis will be blinded to participant allocation. Clinical Register: NCT02417623. Registered 26 March 2015.

Cortical thickness as a contributor to abnormal oscillations in schizophrenia?

PubMed

Edgar, J Christopher; Chen, Yu-Han; Lanza, Matthew; Howell, Breannan; Chow, Vivian Y; Heiken, Kory; Liu, Song; Wootton, Cassandra; Hunter, Michael A; Huang, Mingxiong; Miller, Gregory A; Cañive, José M

2014-01-01

Although brain rhythms depend on brain structure (e.g., gray and white matter), to our knowledge associations between brain oscillations and structure have not been investigated in healthy controls (HC) or in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ). Observing function-structure relationships, for example establishing an association between brain oscillations (defined in terms of amplitude or phase) and cortical gray matter, might inform models on the origins of psychosis. Given evidence of functional and structural abnormalities in primary/secondary auditory regions in SZ, the present study examined how superior temporal gyrus (STG) structure relates to auditory STG low-frequency and 40 Hz steady-state activity. Given changes in brain activity as a function of age, age-related associations in STG oscillatory activity were also examined. Thirty-nine individuals with SZ and 29 HC were recruited. 40 Hz amplitude-modulated tones of 1 s duration were presented. MEG and T1-weighted sMRI data were obtained. Using the sources localizing 40 Hz evoked steady-state activity (300 to 950 ms), left and right STG total power and inter-trial coherence were computed. Time-frequency group differences and associations with STG structure and age were also examined. Decreased total power and inter-trial coherence in SZ were observed in the left STG for initial post-stimulus low-frequency activity (~ 50 to 200 ms, ~ 4 to 16 Hz) as well as 40 Hz steady-state activity (~ 400 to 1000 ms). Left STG 40 Hz total power and inter-trial coherence were positively associated with left STG cortical thickness in HC, not in SZ. Left STG post-stimulus low-frequency and 40 Hz total power were positively associated with age, again only in controls. Left STG low-frequency and steady-state gamma abnormalities distinguish SZ and HC. Disease-associated damage to STG gray matter in schizophrenia may disrupt the age-related left STG gamma-band function-structure relationships observed in controls.

Recognition, correlation, and hierarchical stacking patterns of cycles in the Ferry Lake - Uppe Glen Rose, East Texas Basin: Implications for grainstone reservoir distribution

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

Fitchen, W.M.; Bebout, D.G.; Hoffman, C.L.

1994-12-31

Core descriptions and regional log correlation/interpretation of Ferry Lake-Upper Glen Rose strata in the East Texas Basin exhibit the uniformity of cyclicity in these shelf units. The cyclicity is defined by an upward decrease in shale content within each cycle accompanied by an upward increase in anhydrite (Ferry Lake) or carbonate (Upper Glen Rose). Core-to-log calibration of facies indicates that formation resistivity is inversely proportional to shale content and thus is a potential proxy for facies identification beyond core control. Cycles (delineated by resistivity log patterns) were correlated for 90 mi across the shelf; they show little change in logmore » signature despite significant updip thinning due to the regional subsidence gradient. The Ferry-Lake-Upper Glen Rose intervals is interpreted as a composite sequence composed of 13 high-frequency sequences (4 in the Ferry Lake and 9 in the Upper Glen Rose). High-frequency sequences contain approximately 20 ({+-}5) cycles; in the Upper Glen Rose, successive cycles exhibit decreasing proportions of shale and increasing proportions of grain-rich carbonate. High-frequency sequences were terminated by terrigenous inundation, possibly preceded by subaerial exposure. Cycle and high-frequency sequence composition is interpreted to reflect composite, periodic(?) fluctuations is terrigeneous dilution from nearby source areas. Grainstones typically occur (stratigraphically) within the upper cycles of high-frequency sequences, where terrigeneous dilution and turbidity were least and potential for carbonate production and shoaling was greatest. Published mid-Cretaceous geographic reconstructions and climate models suggest that precipitation and runoff in the area were controlled by the seasonal amplitude in solar insolation. In this model, orbital variations, combined with subsidence, hydrography, and bathymetry, were in primary controls on Ferry Lake-Upper Glen Rose facies architecture and stratigraphic development.« less

Spinal NMDA-receptor dependent amplification of nociceptive transmission to rat primary somatosensory cortex (SI).

PubMed

Kalliomäki, Jarkko; Granmo, Marcus; Schouenborg, Jens

2003-07-01

The role of NMDA mechanisms in spinal pathways mediating acute nociceptive input to the somatosensory cortex is not clear. In this study, the effect of NMDA-antagonists on nociceptive C fibre transmission to the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) was investigated. Cortical field potentials evoked by CO(2)-laser stimulation of the skin were recorded in the halothane/nitrous oxide anaesthetized rat. The SI nociceptive evoked potential (EP) amplitudes were dependent on the frequency of noxious heat stimulation. The amplitudes of SI potentials evoked by CO(2)-laser pulses (duration 15-20 ms, stimulation energy 21-28 mJ/mm(2)) delivered at a frequency of 0.1 Hz were approximately 40% of the amplitudes of potentials evoked by 1.0 Hz stimulation. After intrathecal lumbar application of either of the NMDA-antagonists CPP or MK-801, the amplitudes of nociceptive SI potentials, evoked by 1.0 Hz stimulation of the contralateral hindpaw, were reduced to approximately 40% of controls. By contrast, field potentials evoked by 0.1 Hz stimulation of the hindpaw were unaffected by MK-801. SI potentials evoked by 1.0 Hz stimulation of the contralateral forepaw did not change after lumbar application of CPP or MK-801, indicating that the depression of hindpaw EPs was due to a segmental effect in the spinal cord. It is concluded that spinal NMDA-receptor mechanisms amplify the acute transmission of nociceptive C fiber input to SI in a frequency-dependent way.

Network-State Modulation of Power-Law Frequency-Scaling in Visual Cortical Neurons

PubMed Central

Béhuret, Sébastien; Baudot, Pierre; Yger, Pierre; Bal, Thierry; Destexhe, Alain; Frégnac, Yves

2009-01-01

Various types of neural-based signals, such as EEG, local field potentials and intracellular synaptic potentials, integrate multiple sources of activity distributed across large assemblies. They have in common a power-law frequency-scaling structure at high frequencies, but it is still unclear whether this scaling property is dominated by intrinsic neuronal properties or by network activity. The latter case is particularly interesting because if frequency-scaling reflects the network state it could be used to characterize the functional impact of the connectivity. In intracellularly recorded neurons of cat primary visual cortex in vivo, the power spectral density of Vm activity displays a power-law structure at high frequencies with a fractional scaling exponent. We show that this exponent is not constant, but depends on the visual statistics used to drive the network. To investigate the determinants of this frequency-scaling, we considered a generic recurrent model of cortex receiving a retinotopically organized external input. Similarly to the in vivo case, our in computo simulations show that the scaling exponent reflects the correlation level imposed in the input. This systematic dependence was also replicated at the single cell level, by controlling independently, in a parametric way, the strength and the temporal decay of the pairwise correlation between presynaptic inputs. This last model was implemented in vitro by imposing the correlation control in artificial presynaptic spike trains through dynamic-clamp techniques. These in vitro manipulations induced a modulation of the scaling exponent, similar to that observed in vivo and predicted in computo. We conclude that the frequency-scaling exponent of the Vm reflects stimulus-driven correlations in the cortical network activity. Therefore, we propose that the scaling exponent could be used to read-out the “effective” connectivity responsible for the dynamical signature of the population signals measured at different integration levels, from Vm to LFP, EEG and fMRI. PMID:19779556

Network-state modulation of power-law frequency-scaling in visual cortical neurons.

PubMed

El Boustani, Sami; Marre, Olivier; Béhuret, Sébastien; Baudot, Pierre; Yger, Pierre; Bal, Thierry; Destexhe, Alain; Frégnac, Yves

2009-09-01

Various types of neural-based signals, such as EEG, local field potentials and intracellular synaptic potentials, integrate multiple sources of activity distributed across large assemblies. They have in common a power-law frequency-scaling structure at high frequencies, but it is still unclear whether this scaling property is dominated by intrinsic neuronal properties or by network activity. The latter case is particularly interesting because if frequency-scaling reflects the network state it could be used to characterize the functional impact of the connectivity. In intracellularly recorded neurons of cat primary visual cortex in vivo, the power spectral density of V(m) activity displays a power-law structure at high frequencies with a fractional scaling exponent. We show that this exponent is not constant, but depends on the visual statistics used to drive the network. To investigate the determinants of this frequency-scaling, we considered a generic recurrent model of cortex receiving a retinotopically organized external input. Similarly to the in vivo case, our in computo simulations show that the scaling exponent reflects the correlation level imposed in the input. This systematic dependence was also replicated at the single cell level, by controlling independently, in a parametric way, the strength and the temporal decay of the pairwise correlation between presynaptic inputs. This last model was implemented in vitro by imposing the correlation control in artificial presynaptic spike trains through dynamic-clamp techniques. These in vitro manipulations induced a modulation of the scaling exponent, similar to that observed in vivo and predicted in computo. We conclude that the frequency-scaling exponent of the V(m) reflects stimulus-driven correlations in the cortical network activity. Therefore, we propose that the scaling exponent could be used to read-out the "effective" connectivity responsible for the dynamical signature of the population signals measured at different integration levels, from Vm to LFP, EEG and fMRI.

In-situ Condition Monitoring of Components in Small Modular Reactors Using Process and Electrical Signature Analysis. Final report, volume 1. Development of experimental flow control loop, data analysis and plant monitoring

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

Upadhyaya, Belle; Hines, J. Wesley; Damiano, Brian

The research and development under this project was focused on the following three major objectives: Objective 1: Identification of critical in-vessel SMR components for remote monitoring and development of their low-order dynamic models, along with a simulation model of an integral pressurized water reactor (iPWR). Objective 2: Development of an experimental flow control loop with motor-driven valves and pumps, incorporating data acquisition and on-line monitoring interface. Objective 3: Development of stationary and transient signal processing methods for electrical signatures, machinery vibration, and for characterizing process variables for equipment monitoring. This objective includes the development of a data analysis toolbox. Themore » following is a summary of the technical accomplishments under this project: - A detailed literature review of various SMR types and electrical signature analysis of motor-driven systems was completed. A bibliography of literature is provided at the end of this report. Assistance was provided by ORNL in identifying some key references. - A review of literature on pump-motor modeling and digital signal processing methods was performed. - An existing flow control loop was upgraded with new instrumentation, data acquisition hardware and software. The upgrading of the experimental loop included the installation of a new submersible pump driven by a three-phase induction motor. All the sensors were calibrated before full-scale experimental runs were performed. - MATLAB-Simulink model of a three-phase induction motor and pump system was completed. The model was used to simulate normal operation and fault conditions in the motor-pump system, and to identify changes in the electrical signatures. - A simulation model of an integral PWR (iPWR) was updated and the MATLAB-Simulink model was validated for known transients. The pump-motor model was interfaced with the iPWR model for testing the impact of primary flow perturbations (upsets) on plant parameters and the pump electrical signatures. Additionally, the reactor simulation is being used to generate normal operation data and data with instrumentation faults and process anomalies. A frequency controller was interfaced with the motor power supply in order to vary the electrical supply frequency. The experimental flow control loop was used to generate operational data under varying motor performance characteristics. Coolant leakage events were simulated by varying the bypass loop flow rate. The accuracy of motor power calculation was improved by incorporating the power factor, computed from motor current and voltage in each phase of the induction motor.- A variety of experimental runs were made for steady-state and transient pump operating conditions. Process, vibration, and electrical signatures were measured using a submersible pump with variable supply frequency. High correlation was seen between motor current and pump discharge pressure signal; similar high correlation was exhibited between pump motor power and flow rate. Wide-band analysis indicated high coherence (in the frequency domain) between motor current and vibration signals. - Wide-band operational data from a PWR were acquired from AMS Corporation and used to develop time-series models, and to estimate signal spectrum and sensor time constant. All the data were from different pressure transmitters in the system, including primary and secondary loops. These signals were pre-processed using the wavelet transform for filtering both low-frequency and high-frequency bands. This technique of signal pre-processing provides minimum distortion of the data, and results in a more optimal estimation of time constants of plant sensors using time-series modeling techniques.« less

Non-collinear interaction of guided elastic waves in an isotropic plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, Yosuke; Biwa, Shiro; Adachi, Tadaharu

2018-04-01

The nonlinear wave propagation in a homogeneous and isotropic elastic plate is analyzed theoretically to investigate the non-collinear interaction of plate wave modes. In the presence of two primary plate waves (Rayleigh-Lamb or shear horizontal modes) propagating in arbitrary directions, an explicit expression for the modal amplitude of nonlinearly generated wave fields with the sum or difference frequency of the primary modes is derived by using the perturbation analysis. The modal amplitude is shown to grow in proportion with the propagation distance when the resonance condition is satisfied, i.e., when the wavevector of secondary wave coincides with the sum or difference of those of primary modes. Furthermore, the non-collinear interaction of two symmetric or two antisymmetric modes is shown to produce the secondary wave fields consisting only of the symmetric modes, while a pair of symmetric and antisymmetric primary modes is shown to produce only the antisymmetric modes. The influence of the intersection angle, the primary frequencies, and the mode combinations on the modal amplitude of secondary wave is examined for a low-frequency range where the lowest-order symmetric and antisymmetric Rayleigh-Lamb waves and the lowest-order symmetric shear horizontal wave are the only propagating modes.

FSensitive detection of mono- and polyclonal ESR1 mutations in primary tumors, metastatic lesions and cell free DNA of breast cancer patients

PubMed Central

Wang, Peilu; Bahreini, Amir; Gyanchandani, Rekha; Lucas, Peter C.; Hartmaier, Ryan J.; Watters, Rebecca J.; Jonnalagadda, Amruth R.; Trejo Bittar, Humberto E.; Berg, Aaron; Hamilton, Ronald L.; Kurland, Brenda F.; Weiss, Kurt R.; Mathew, Aju; Leone, Jose Pablo; Davidson, Nancy E; Nikiforova, Marina N.; Brufsky, Adam M.; Ambros, Tadeu F.; Stern, Andrew M.; Puhalla, Shannon L.; Lee, Adrian V.; Oesterreich, Steffi

2015-01-01

Purpose Given the clinical relevance of ESR1 mutations as potential drivers of resistance to endocrine therapy, this study used sensitive detection methods to determine the frequency of ESR1 mutations in primary and metastatic breast cancer, and in cell free DNA (cfDNA). Patients and Methods Six ESR1 mutations (K303R, S463P, Y537C, Y537N, Y537S, D538G) were assessed by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), with lower limits of detection of 0.05% to 0.16%, in primary tumors (n=43), bone (n=12) and brain metastases (n=38), and cfDNA (n=29). Correlations between ESR1 mutations in metastatic lesions and single (1 patient) or serial blood draws (4 patients) were assessed. Results ESR1 mutations were detected for D538G (n=13), Y537S (n=3) and Y537C (n=1), and not for K303R, S463P or Y537N. Mutation rates were 7.0% (3/43 primary tumors), 9.1% (1/11 bone metastases), 12.5% (3/24 brain metastases), and 24.1% (7/29 cfDNA). Two patients showed polyclonal disease with more than one ESR1 mutation. Mutation allele frequencies were 0.07% to 0.2% in primary tumors, 1.4% in bone metastases, 34.3 to 44.9% in brain metastases, and 0.2% to 13.7% in cfDNA. In cases with both cfDNA and metastatic samples (n=5), mutations were detected in both (n=3) or in cfDNA only (n=2). Treatment was associated with changes in ESR1 mutation detection and allele frequency. Conclusions ESR1 mutations were detected at very low allele frequencies in some primary breast cancers, and at high allele frequency in metastases, suggesting that in some tumors rare ESR1 mutant clones are enriched by endocrine therapy. Further studies should address if sensitive detection of ESR1 mutations in primary breast cancer and in serial blood draws may be predictive for development of resistant disease. PMID:26500237

Sensitive Detection of Mono- and Polyclonal ESR1 Mutations in Primary Tumors, Metastatic Lesions, and Cell-Free DNA of Breast Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Wang, Peilu; Bahreini, Amir; Gyanchandani, Rekha; Lucas, Peter C; Hartmaier, Ryan J; Watters, Rebecca J; Jonnalagadda, Amruth R; Trejo Bittar, Humberto E; Berg, Aaron; Hamilton, Ronald L; Kurland, Brenda F; Weiss, Kurt R; Mathew, Aju; Leone, Jose Pablo; Davidson, Nancy E; Nikiforova, Marina N; Brufsky, Adam M; Ambros, Tadeu F; Stern, Andrew M; Puhalla, Shannon L; Lee, Adrian V; Oesterreich, Steffi

2016-03-01

Given the clinical relevance of ESR1 mutations as potential drivers of resistance to endocrine therapy, this study used sensitive detection methods to determine the frequency of ESR1 mutations in primary and metastatic breast cancer, and in cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Six ESR1 mutations (K303R, S463P, Y537C, Y537N, Y537S, D538G) were assessed by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), with lower limits of detection of 0.05% to 0.16%, in primary tumors (n = 43), bone (n = 12) and brain metastases (n = 38), and cfDNA (n = 29). Correlations between ESR1 mutations in metastatic lesions and single (1 patient) or serial blood draws (4 patients) were assessed. ESR1 mutations were detected for D538G (n = 13), Y537S (n = 3), and Y537C (n = 1), and not for K303R, S463P, or Y537N. Mutation rates were 7.0% (3/43 primary tumors), 9.1% (1/11 bone metastases), 12.5% (3/24 brain metastases), and 24.1% (7/29 cfDNA). Two patients showed polyclonal disease with more than one ESR1 mutation. Mutation allele frequencies were 0.07% to 0.2% in primary tumors, 1.4% in bone metastases, 34.3% to 44.9% in brain metastases, and 0.2% to 13.7% in cfDNA. In cases with both cfDNA and metastatic samples (n = 5), mutations were detected in both (n = 3) or in cfDNA only (n = 2). Treatment was associated with changes in ESR1 mutation detection and allele frequency. ESR1 mutations were detected at very low allele frequencies in some primary breast cancers, and at high allele frequency in metastases, suggesting that in some tumors rare ESR1-mutant clones are enriched by endocrine therapy. Further studies should address whether sensitive detection of ESR1 mutations in primary breast cancer and in serial blood draws may be predictive for development of resistant disease. See related commentary by Gu and Fuqua, p. 1034. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Analysis of primary gingivoperiosteoplasty in alveolar cleft repair. Part I: Facial growth.

PubMed

Henkel, K O; Gundlach, K K

1997-10-01

The primary gingivoperiosteoplasty by Millard consists of presurgical active orthognathic treatment ('Latham device') of the alveolar margins at the age of 3 months and of surgical closure of the alveolar cleft with local gingivoperiosteal flaps at the age of 5 months. The aim of this investigation was to analyse the facial growth following this treatment. The following material was studied: lateral head X-rays and plaster casts from 146 patients with unilateral (UCLP) and bilateral (BCLP) clefts of lip and palate from birth to 16 years of age. Ninety-one of these patients formed the control group, who received neither gingivoperiosteoplasty nor pre-surgical active orthognathic treatment. The same surgeon and orthodontist treated all 146 patients. A three-dimensional growth disturbance after gingivoperiosteoplasty was observed: 42% patients with UCLP and 40% patients with BCLP had an 'open bite' following closure of the alveolar cleft (control group 5%/10%). The length of the upper jaw in patients who underwent gingivoperiosteoplasty was shorter than in the control group. The frequency of posterior cross bite was also higher in the gingivoperiosteoplasty group. These results demonstrate that treatment with a 'Latham device' disturbs facial growth. Therefore, this treatment should be abandoned.

Cancer in Indonesia, present and future.

PubMed

Tjindarbumi, Didid; Mangunkusumo, Rukmini

2002-03-01

Cancer control has been in effect in Indonesia since the early 1920s. It was the Dutch Colonial Government who started with the Institution for Cancer Control, which was closed by the Japanese Occupation Administration between 1942 and 1945. After the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, a Cancer Control Foundation was established in 1962. At present, clinical and non-clinical departments in government teaching hospitals (there are 13 teaching hospitals) usually handle all cancer problems. In 1993, Dharmais Cancer Center in Jakarta was established and has become the top referral cancer hospital for Indonesia. Until now, there have been no nationwide accurate data on cancer registration, owing to a lack of funds and manpower. Cancer data collection is usually provided as a relative frequency study from several departments of the teaching hospitals. It is currently estimated that there will be at least 170-190 new cancer cases annually for each 100 000 people. The most frequent and primary cancers are cervix, breast, lymph node, skin and nasopharynx. Since Indonesia is now in a transition phase and has many problems concerning the economy and health care, we suggested a well-planned cancer control program. It includes the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of cancer in cities, where inhabitants can afford to subsidize a certain proportion of the budgets for the implementation of this program.

Dynamic Increase in Corticomuscular Coherence during Bilateral, Cyclical Ankle Movements

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Takashi; Masani, Kei; Zabjek, Karl; Chen, Robert; Popovic, Milos R.

2017-01-01

In humans, the midline primary motor cortex is active during walking. However, the exact role of such cortical participation is unknown. To delineate the role of the primary motor cortex in walking, we examined whether the primary motor cortex would activate leg muscles during movements that retained specific requirements of walking (i.e., locomotive actions). We recorded electroencephalographic and electromyographic signals from 15 healthy, young men while they sat and performed bilateral, cyclical ankle movements. During dorsiflexion, near-20-Hz coherence increased cyclically between the midline primary motor cortex and the co-contracting antagonistic pair (i.e., tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscles) in both legs. Thus, we have shown that dynamic increase in corticomuscular coherence, which has been observed during walking, also occurs during simple bilateral cyclical movements of the feet. A possible mechanism for such coherence is corticomuscular communication, in which the primary motor cortex participates in the control of movement. Furthermore, because our experimental task isolated certain locomotive actions, the observed coherence suggests that the human primary motor cortex may participate in these actions (i.e., maintaining a specified movement frequency, bilaterally coordinating the feet, and stabilizing the posture of the feet). Additional studies are needed to identify the exact cortical and subcortical interactions that cause corticomuscular coherence and to further delineate the functional role of the primary motor cortex during bilateral cyclical movements such as walking. PMID:28420971

Pressure and Thrust Measurements of a High-Frequency Pulsed Detonation Tube

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, N.; Cutler, A. D.

2008-01-01

This paper describes measurements of a small-scale, high-frequency pulsed detonation tube. The device utilized a mixture of H2 fuel and air, which was injected into the device at frequencies of up to 1200 Hz. Pulsed detonations were demonstrated in an 8-inch long combustion volume, at about 600 Hz, for the quarter wave mode of resonance. The primary objective of this experiment was to measure the generated thrust. A mean value of thrust was measured up to 6.0 lb, corresponding to H2 flow based specific impulse of 2970 s. This value is comparable to measurements in H2-fueled pulsed detonation engines (PDEs). The injection and detonation frequency for this new experimental case was much higher than typical PDEs, where frequencies are usually less than 100 Hz. The compact size of the device and high frequency of detonation yields a thrust-per-unit-volume of approximately 2.0 pounds per cubic inch, and compares favorably with other experiments, which typically have thrust-per-unit-volume of order 0.01 pound per cubic inch. This much higher volumetric efficiency results in a potentially much more practical device than the typical PDE, for a wide range of potential applications, including high-speed boundary layer separation control, for example in hypersonic engine inlets, and propulsion for small aircraft and missiles.

Nonlinear dual-axis biodynamic response of the semi-supine human body during vertical whole-body vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ya; Griffin, Michael J.

2008-04-01

Nonlinear biodynamic responses are evident in many studies of the apparent masses of sitting and standing subjects in static postures that require muscle activity for postural control. In the present study, 12 male subjects adopted a relaxed semi-supine posture assumed to involve less muscle activity than during static sitting and standing. The supine subjects were exposed to two types of vertical vibration (in the x-axis of the semi-supine body): (i) continuous random vibration (0.25-20 Hz) at five magnitudes (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 m s -2 rms); (ii) intermittent random vibration (0.25-20 Hz) alternately at 0.25 and 1.0 m s -2 rms. With continuous random vibration, the dominant primary resonance frequency in the median normalised apparent mass decreased from 10.35 to 7.32 Hz as the vibration magnitude increased from 0.125 to 1.0 m s -2 rms. This nonlinear response was apparent in both the vertical ( x-axis) apparent mass and in the horizontal ( z-axis) cross-axis apparent mass. As the vibration magnitude increased from 0.25 to 1.0 m s -2 rms, the median resonance frequency of the apparent mass with intermittent random vibration decreased from 9.28 to 8.06 Hz whereas, over the same range of magnitudes with continuous random vibration, the resonance frequency decreased from 9.62 to 7.81 Hz. The median change in the resonance frequency (between 0.25 and 1.0 m s -2 rms) was 1.37 Hz with the intermittent random vibration and 1.71 with the continuous random vibration. With the intermittent vibration, the resonance frequency was higher at the high magnitude and lower at the low magnitude than with continuous vibration of the same magnitudes. The response was typical of thixotropy that may be a primary cause of the nonlinear biodynamic responses to whole-body vibration.

Rare, low frequency, and common coding variants in CHRNA5 and their contribution to nicotine dependence in European and African Americans

PubMed Central

Olfson, Emily; Saccone, Nancy L.; Johnson, Eric O.; Chen, Li-Shiun; Culverhouse, Robert; Doheny, Kimberly; Foltz, Steven M.; Fox, Louis; Gogarten, Stephanie M.; Hartz, Sarah; Hetrick, Kurt; Laurie, Cathy C.; Marosy, Beth; Amin, Najaf; Arnett, Donna; Barr, R. Graham; Bartz, Traci M.; Bertelsen, Sarah; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Brown, Michael R.; Chasman, Daniel I.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Feitosa, Mary F.; Fox, Ervin R.; Franceschini, Nora; Franco, Oscar H.; Grove, Megan L.; Guo, Xiuqing; Hofman, Albert; Kardia, Sharon L.R.; Morrison, Alanna C.; Musani, Solomon K.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Rao, D.C.; Reiner, Alex P.; Rice, Kenneth; Ridker, Paul M.; Rose, Lynda M.; Schick, Ursula M.; Schwander, Karen; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Vojinovic, Dina; Wang, Jen-Chyong; Ware, Erin B.; Wilson, Gregory; Yao, Jie; Zhao, Wei; Breslau, Naomi; Hatsukami, Dorothy; Stitzel, Jerry A.; Rice, John; Goate, Alison; Bierut, Laura J.

2015-01-01

The common nonsynonymous variant rs16969968 in the α5 nicotinic receptor subunit gene (CHRNA5) is the strongest genetic risk factor for nicotine dependence in European Americans and contributes to risk in African Americans. To comprehensively examine whether other CHRNA5 coding variation influences nicotine dependence risk, we performed targeted sequencing on 1582 nicotine dependent cases (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score≥4) and 1238 non-dependent controls, with independent replication of common and low frequency variants using 12 studies with exome chip data. Nicotine dependence was examined using logistic regression with individual common variants (MAF≥0.05), aggregate low frequency variants (0.05>MAF≥0.005), and aggregate rare variants (MAF<0.005). Meta-analysis of primary results was performed with replication studies containing 12 174 heavy and 11 290 light smokers. Next-generation sequencing with 180X coverage identified 24 nonsynonymous variants and 2 frameshift deletions in CHRNA5, including 9 novel variants in the 2820 subjects. Meta-analysis confirmed the risk effect of the only common variant (rs16969968, European ancestry: OR=1.3, p=3.5×10−11; African ancestry: OR=1.3, p=0.01) and demonstrated that 3 low frequency variants contributed an independent risk (aggregate term, European ancestry: OR=1.3, p=0.005; African ancestry: OR=1.4, p=0.0006). The remaining 22 rare coding variants were associated with increased risk of nicotine dependence in the European American primary sample (OR=12.9, p=0.01) and in the same risk direction in African Americans (OR=1.5, p=0.37). Our results indicate that common, low frequency and rare CHRNA5 coding variants are independently associated with nicotine dependence risk. These newly identified variants likely influence risk for smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer. PMID:26239294

The headache under-response to treatment (HURT) questionnaire, an outcome measure to guide follow-up in primary care: development, psychometric evaluation and assessment of utility.

PubMed

Steiner, T J; Buse, D C; Al Jumah, M; Westergaard, M L; Jensen, R H; Reed, M L; Prilipko, L; Mennini, F S; Láinez, M J A; Ravishankar, K; Sakai, F; Yu, S-Y; Fontebasso, M; Al Khathami, A; MacGregor, E A; Antonaci, F; Tassorelli, C; Lipton, R B

2018-02-14

Headache disorders are both common and burdensome but, given the many people affected, provision of health care to all is challenging. Structured headache services based in primary care are the most efficient, equitable and cost-effective solution but place responsibility for managing most patients on health-care providers with limited training in headache care. The development of practical management aids for primary care is therefore a purpose of the Global Campaign against Headache. This manuscript presents an outcome measure, the Headache Under-Response to Treatment (HURT) questionnaire, describing its purpose, development, psychometric evaluation and assessment for clinical utility. The objective was a simple-to-use instrument that would both assess outcome and provide guidance to improving outcome, having utility across the range of headache disorders, across clinical settings and across countries and cultures. After literature review, an expert consensus group drawn from all six world regions formulated HURT through item development and item reduction using item-response theory. Using the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study's general-population respondent panel, two mailed surveys assessed the psychometric properties of HURT, comparing it with other instruments as external validators. Reliability was assessed in patients in two culturally-contrasting clinical settings: headache specialist centres in Europe (n = 159) and primary-care centres in Saudi Arabia (n = 40). Clinical utility was assessed in similar settings (Europe n = 201; Saudi Arabia n = 342). The final instrument, an 8-item self-administered questionnaire, addressed headache frequency, disability, medication use and effect, patients' perceptions of headache "control" and their understanding of their diagnoses. Psychometric evaluation revealed a two-factor model (headache frequency, disability and medication use; and medication efficacy and headache control), with scale properties apparently stable across disorders and correlating well and in the expected directions with external validators. The literature review found few instruments linking assessment to clinical advice or suggested actions: HURT appeared to fill this gap. In European specialist care, it showed utility as an outcome measure across headache disorders. In Saudi Arabian primary care, HURT (translated into Arabic) was reliable and responsive to clinical change. With demonstrated validity and clinical utility across disorders, cultures and settings, HURT is available for clinical and research purposes.

Effectiveness of an intensive multidisciplinary headache treatment program.

PubMed

Gunreben-Stempfle, Birgit; Griessinger, Norbert; Lang, Eberhard; Muehlhans, Barbara; Sittl, Reinhard; Ulrich, Kathrin

2009-07-01

To investigate if the effectiveness of a 96-hour multidisciplinary headache treatment program exceeds the effectiveness of a 20-hour program and primary care. When dealing with chronic back pain, low-intensity multidisciplinary treatment yields no significantly better results than standard care and monodisciplinary therapy; however, high-intensity treatment does. For multidisciplinary headache treatment, such comparisons are not yet available. In a previous study undertaken by our Pain Center, the outcome of a minimal multidisciplinary intervention model (20-hour) did not exceed primary care. Forty-two patients suffering from frequent headaches (20 +/- 9 headache days/month; range: 8-30) were treated and evaluated in a 96-hour group program. The results were compared with the outcomes of the previous study. Subjects who had undergone either the 20-hour multidisciplinary program or the primary care were used as historical control groups. A significant reduction in migraine days (P < .001), tension-type headache days (P < .001), frequency of migraine attacks (P = .004), and depression score (P < .001) was seen at the follow-up after 22 (+/-2) weeks. Comparing the intensive multidisciplinary program with primary care, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant time x group interactions for migraine days (P = .020), tension-type headache days (P = .016), and frequency of migraine attacks (P = .016). In comparison with the 20-hour multidisciplinary program, the 96-hour program showed significantly better effects only in the reduction of migraine days (P = .037) and depression score (P = .003). The responder-rates (> or =50% improvement) in the 96-hour program were significantly higher than in the 20-hour program (migraine days, P = .008; tension-type headache days, P = .044) and primary care (migraine days, P = .007; tension-type headache days, P = .003; tension-type headache intensity, P = .037). The effect sizes were small to medium in the 96-hour program. Particularly with the reduction of migraine symptomatology, the 96-hour program performed better than the 20-hour program, which produced only negligible or small effects. Intensive multidisciplinary headache treatment is highly effective for patients with chronic headaches. Furthermore, migraine symptomatology responds especially well to this intensive treatment program, whereas effects on tension-type headaches were realized by both multidisciplinary programs. Randomized controlled trials and subgroup analysis are needed to find out if these results can be replicated and which patient characteristics allow for sufficient improvements for headache sufferers even with less complex treatment.

The effect of time-variant acoustical properties on orchestral instrument timbres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajda, John Michael

1999-06-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the timbre of orchestral instrument tones. Kendall (1986) showed that time-variant features are important to instrument categorization. But the relative salience of specific time-variant features to each other and to other acoustical parameters is not known. As part of a convergence strategy, a battery of experiments was conducted to assess the importance of global amplitude envelope, spectral frequencies, and spectral amplitudes. An omnibus identification experiment investigated the salience of global envelope partitions (attack, steady state, and decay). Valid partitioning models should identify important boundary conditions in the evolution of a signal; therefore, these models should be based on signal characteristics. With the use of such a model for sustained continuant tones, the steady-state segment was more salient than the attack. These findings contradicted previous research, which used questionable operational definitions for signal partitioning. For the next set of experiments, instrument tones were analyzed by phase vocoder, and stimuli were created by additive synthesis. Edits and combinations of edits controlled global amplitude envelope, spectral frequencies, and relative spectral amplitudes. Perceptual measurements were made with distance estimation, Verbal Attribute Magnitude Estimation, and similarity scaling. Results indicated that the primary acoustical attribute was the long-time-average spectral centroid. Spectral centroid is a measure of the center of energy distribution for spectral frequency components. Instruments with high values of spectral centroid (bowed strings) sound nasal while instruments with low spectral centroid (flute, clarinet) sound not nasal. The secondary acoustical attribute was spectral amplitude time variance. Predictably, time variance correlated highly with subject ratings of vibrato. The control of relative spectral amplitudes was more salient than the control of global envelope and spectral frequencies. Both amplitude phase relationships and time- variant spectral centroid were affected by the control of relative spectral amplitudes. Further experimentation is required to determine the salience of these features. The finding that instrumental vibrato is a manifestation of spectral amplitude time variance contradicts the common belief that vibrato is due to frequency (pitch) and intensity (loudness) modulation. This study suggests that vibrato is due to a periodic modulation in timbre. Future research should employ musical contexts.

A School Support Intervention and Educational Outcomes Among Orphaned Adolescents: Results of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Kenya.

PubMed

Cho, Hyunsan; Catherine Ryberg, Renee; Hwang, Karam; Pearce, Lisa D; Iritani, Bonita J

2017-11-01

Globally, significant progress has been made in primary school enrollment. However, there are millions of adolescents-including orphans in sub-Saharan Africa-who still experience barriers to remaining in school. We conducted a 4-year cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) (N = 835) in a high HIV prevalence area in western Kenya to test whether providing orphaned adolescents with a school support intervention improves their educational outcomes. The school support intervention consisted of directly paying tuition, exam fees, and uniform costs to primary and secondary schools for those students who remained enrolled. In addition, research staff monitored intervention participants' school attendance and helped to address barriers to staying in school. This school support intervention had significant positive impacts on educational outcomes for orphaned adolescents. Over the course of the study, school absence remained stable for intervention group participants but increased in frequency for control group participants. Intervention group participants were less likely to drop out of school compared to the control group. Furthermore, the intervention participants were more likely to make age-appropriate progression in grade, matriculate into secondary school, and achieve higher levels of education by the end of the study. The intervention also increased students' expectations of graduating from college in the future. However, we found no significant intervention impact on primary and secondary school test scores. Results from this cRCT suggest that directly covering school-related expenses for male and female orphaned adolescents in western Kenya can improve their educational outcomes.

Platelet GP IIIA polymorphism HPA-1 (PLA1/2) is associated with hypertension as the primary cause for end-stage renal disease in hemodialysis patients from Greece.

PubMed

Chiras, Theodore; Papadakis, Emmanuel D; Katopodi, Aggeliki; Chatzianesti, Efrosini; Fourtounas, Kostas; Papakonstantinou, Stamatina; Theodoropoulos, Ilias; Dakouras, Anastasios; Zerefos, Nikolas; Valis, Dimitrios; Tzanatos-Exarchou, Helen

2009-01-01

Human platelets carry membrane glycoproteins that control platelet aggregation and activation. A number of clinical studies have suggested that certain polymorphisms of genes encoding these proteins increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. The frequency of gene polymorphisms for the four most common platelet glycoproteins (HPA 1, 2, 3 and 5) was examined and correlated with the primary cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Greek patients on HD. Fifty-five (55) patients on chronic maintenance haemodialysis (HD) (22 female, 33 male), aged from 23- to 87-years-old, (mean age 66 years), being on dialysis for 53 +/- 34 months, were included in the study. HPA-1, -2, -3, and -5 genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). Calculated relative frequencies of the alleles were as follows: HPA-1a/b 0.81/0.19, HPA-2a/b 0.92/0.08, HPA-3a/b 0.62/0.38 and HPA-5a/b 0.93/0.07. There was a statistically significant association between the HPA-1b allele and hypertension as the primary cause of ESRD (65% of patients with hypertension vs 23% of all other patients carried the HPA-1b allele, p=0.02, Fisher's exact test). The results suggest that Greek carriers of the HPA-1b allele with hypertension may be at increased risk for developing end-stage renal disease.

Treating primary dysmenorrhoea with acupuncture: a narrative review of the relationship between acupuncture 'dose' and menstrual pain outcomes.

PubMed

Armour, Mike; Smith, Caroline A

2016-12-01

A number of randomised controlled trials have been performed to determine the effectiveness or efficacy of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhoea. The objective of this review was to explore the relationship between the 'dose' of the acupuncture intervention and menstrual pain outcomes. Eight databases were systematically searched for trials examining penetrating body acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea published in English up to September 2015. Dose components for each trial were extracted, assessed by the two authors and categorised by neurophysiological dose (number of needles, retention time and mode of stimulation), cumulative dose (total number and frequency of treatments), needle location and treatment timing. Eleven trials were included. Components of acupuncture dose were well reported across all trials. The relationship between needle location and menstrual pain demonstrated conflicting results. Treatment before the menses appeared to produce greater reductions in pain than treatment starting at the onset of menses. A single needle during menses may provide greater pain reduction compared to multiple needles. Conversely, multiple needles before menses were superior to a single needle. Electroacupuncture may provide more rapid pain reduction compared to manual acupuncture but may not have a significantly different effect on overall menstrual pain. There appear to be relationships between treatment timing and mode of needle stimulation, and menstrual pain outcomes. Needle location, number of needles used and frequency of treatment show clear dose-response relationships with menstrual pain outcomes. Current research is insufficient to make definitive clinical recommendations regarding optimum dose parameters for treating primary dysmenorrhoea. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Association study of two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms of neuropeptide y gene with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Seyed Mahdi; Shirvani Farsani, Zeinab; Dosti, Rozita; Sahraian, Mohammad Ali; Behmanesh, Mehrdad

2016-12-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by brain inflammation, demyelination and axonal loss. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has a critical role in the maintenance of homeostasis in the immune system and coping of stress condition. In the current study we analyzed 188 patients suffering from MS and 204 unrelated healthy controls for two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), NPY 20T>C (rs16139) and NPY -485T>C (rs16147) using PCR-RFLP and Mismatch PCR-RFLP methods. Our results demonstrated that homozygocity in the minor allele for NPY -485T>C polymorphism is associated with the MS risk in patients in compare with healthy controls (CC vs. TT, P=0.033; CC vs. TT+TC, P=0.02). In addition, by comparison with allele T, the frequency of NPY -485C allele was higher in cases than in control subjects and present increased risk of MS, but statistically significant was borderline (P=0.053). The stratification for disease progression revealed a significant difference in the allelic and genotypic distribution between subgroups of MS and controls. The frequency of the CC genotype and C allele was higher in the primary progressive MS patients when compared with control group (CC vs. TT, P=0.019; CC vs. TT+TC, P=0.008; C vs. T, P=0.022). In addition, the frequency of CC genotype was higher in the relapsing remitting MS patients when compared with control group (CC vs. TT, P=0.034; CC vs. TT+TC, P=0.016). Haplotype analysis demonstrated that the haplotype 3 (CT) is more common in RR MS (P=0.041), and PP MS (P=0.031) than control group. In conclusion, the obtained results demonstrate the probable role of NPY SNPs in susceptibility to MS within the Iranian population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of impedance matching capillaries for reducing resonance in rosette infrasonic spatial filters.

PubMed

Hedlin, Michael A H; Alcoverro, Benoit

2005-04-01

Rosette spatial filters are used at International Monitoring System infrasound array sites to reduce noise due to atmospheric turbulence. A rosette filter consists of several clusters, or rosettes, of low-impedance inlets. Acoustic energy entering each rosette of inlets is summed, acoustically, at a secondary summing manifold. Acoustic energy from the secondary manifolds are summed acoustically at a primary summing manifold before entering the microbarometer. Although rosette filters have been found to be effective at reducing infrasonic noise across a broad frequency band, resonance inside the filters reduces the effectiveness of the filters at high frequencies. This paper presents theoretical and observational evidence that the resonance inside these filters that is seen below 10 Hz is due to reflections occuring at impedance discontinuities at the primary and secondary summing manifolds. Resonance involving reflections at the inlets amplifies noise levels at frequencies above 10 Hz. This paper further reports results from theoretical and observational tests of impedance matching capillaries for removing the resonance problem. Almost total removal of resonant energy below 5 Hz was found by placing impedance matching capillaries adjacent to the secondary summing manifolds in the pipes leading to the primary summing manifold and the microbarometer. Theory and recorded data indicate that capillaries with resistance equal to the characteristic impedance of the pipe connecting the secondary and primary summing manifolds suppresses resonance but does not degrade the reception of acoustic signals. Capillaries at the inlets can be used to remove resonant energy at higher frequencies but are found to be less effective due to the high frequency of this energy outside the frequency band of interest.

Thyrotropin secretion in mild and severe primary hypothyroidism is distinguished by amplified burst mass and Basal secretion with increased spikiness and approximate entropy.

PubMed

Roelfsema, Ferdinand; Pereira, Alberto M; Adriaanse, Ria; Endert, Erik; Fliers, Eric; Romijn, Johannes A; Veldhuis, Johannes D

2010-02-01

Twenty-four-hour TSH secretion profiles in primary hypothyroidism have been analyzed with methods no longer in use. The insights afforded by earlier methods are limited. We studied TSH secretion in patients with primary hypothyroidism (eight patients with severe and eight patients with mild hypothyroidism) with up-to-date analytical tools and compared the results with outcomes in 38 healthy controls. Patients and controls underwent a 24-h study with 10-min blood sampling. TSH data were analyzed with a newly developed automated deconvolution program, approximate entropy, spikiness assessment, and cosinor regression. Both basal and pulsatile TSH secretion rates were increased in hypothyroid patients, the latter by increased burst mass with unchanged frequency. Secretory regularity (approximate entropy) was diminished, and spikiness was increased only in patients with severe hypothyroidism. A diurnal TSH rhythm was present in all but two patients, although with an earlier acrophase in severe hypothyroidism. The estimated slow component of the TSH half-life was shortened in all patients. Increased TSH concentrations in hypothyroidism are mediated by amplification of basal secretion and burst size. Secretory abnormalities quantitated by approximate entropy and spikiness were only present in patients with severe disease and thus are possibly related to the increased thyrotrope cell mass.

"Everybody brush!": protocol for a parallel-group randomized controlled trial of a family-focused primary prevention program with distribution of oral hygiene products and education to increase frequency of toothbrushing.

PubMed

Cunha-Cruz, Joana; Milgrom, Peter; Shirtcliff, R Michael; Huebner, Colleen E; Ludwig, Sharity; Allen, Gary; Scott, JoAnna

2015-05-22

Twice daily toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste is the most widely advocated preventive strategy for dental caries (tooth decay) and is recommended by professional dental associations. Not all parents, children, or adolescents follow this recommendation. This protocol describes the methods for the implementation and evaluation of a quality improvement health promotion program. The objective of the study is to show a theory-informed, evidence-based program to improve twice daily toothbrushing and oral health-related quality of life that may reduce dental caries, dental treatment need, and costs. The design is a parallel-group, pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Families of Medicaid-insured children and adolescents within a large dental care organization in central Oregon will participate in the trial (n=21,743). Families will be assigned to one of three groups: a test intervention, an active control, or a passive control condition. The intervention aims to address barriers and support for twice-daily toothbrushing. Families in the test condition will receive toothpaste and toothbrushes by mail for all family members every three months. In addition, they will receive education and social support to encourage toothbrushing via postcards, recorded telephone messages, and an optional participant-initiated telephone helpline. Families in the active control condition will receive the kit of supplies by mail, but no additional instructional information or telephone support. Families assigned to the passive control will be on a waiting list. The primary outcomes are restorative dental care received and, only for children younger than 36 months old at baseline, the frequency of twice-daily toothbrushing. Data will be collected through dental claims records and, for children younger than 36 months old at baseline, parent interviews and clinical exams. Enrollment of participants and baseline interviews have been completed. Final results are expected in early summer, 2017. If proven effective, this simple intervention can be sustained by the dental care organization and replicated by other organizations and government. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02327507; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02327507 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6YCIxJSor).

Targeting Behavioral Symptoms and Functional Decline in Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Gitlin, Laura N; Arthur, Paul; Piersol, Catherine; Hessels, Virginia; Wu, Samuel S; Dai, Yunfeng; Mann, William C

2018-02-01

Dementia-related behavioral symptoms and functional dependence result in poor quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers. The goal was to determine whether a home-based activity program (Tailored Activity Program; TAP-VA) would reduce behavioral symptoms and functional dependence of veterans with dementia and caregiver burden. Single-blind (interviewer), parallel, randomized, controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01357564). Veteran's homes. Veterans with dementia and their family caregivers (N = 160 dyads). Dyads in TAP-VA underwent 8 sessions with occupational therapists to customize activities to the interests and abilities of the veterans and educate their caregivers about dementia and use of customized activity. Caregivers assigned to attention control received up to 8 telephone-based dementia education sessions with a research team member. Primary outcomes included number of behaviors and frequency of their occurrence multiplied by severity of occurrence; secondary outcomes were functional dependence, pain, emotional well-being, caregiver burden (time spent caregiving, upset with behaviors) and affect at 4 (primary endpoint) and 8 months. Of 160 dyads (n = 76 TAP-VA; n = 84 control), 111 completed 4-month interviews (n = 51 TAP-VA; n = 60 control), and 103 completed 8-month interviews (n = 50 TAP-VA; n = 53 control). At 4 months, compared to controls, the TAP-VA group showed reductions in number (difference in mean change from baseline = -0.68, 95% CI = -1.23 to -0.13) and frequency by severity (-24.3, 95% CI = -45.6 to -3.1) of behavioral symptoms, number of activities needing assistance with (-0.80, 95% CI = -1.41 to -0.20), functional dependence level (4.09, 95% CI = 1.06, 7.13), and pain (-1.18, 95% CI = -2.10 to -0.26). Caregivers of veterans in TAP-VA reported less behavior-related distress. Benefits did not extend to 8 months. TAP-VA had positive immediate effects and no adverse events. Because TAP-VA reduces behavioral symptoms, slows functional dependence, and alleviates pain and caregiver distress, it is a viable treatment option for families. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

Frequency spectrum might act as communication code between retina and visual cortex I

PubMed Central

Yang, Xu; Gong, Bo; Lu, Jian-Wei

2015-01-01

AIM To explore changes and possible communication relationship of local potential signals recorded simultaneously from retina and visual cortex I (V1). METHODS Fourteen C57BL/6J mice were measured with pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and pattern visually evoked potential (PVEP) and fast Fourier transform has been used to analyze the frequency components of those signals. RESULTS The amplitude of PERG and PVEP was measured at about 36.7 µV and 112.5 µV respectively and the dominant frequency of PERG and PVEP, however, stay unchanged and both signals do not have second, or otherwise, harmonic generation. CONCLUSION The results suggested that retina encodes visual information in the way of frequency spectrum and then transfers it to primary visual cortex. The primary visual cortex accepts and deciphers the input visual information coded from retina. Frequency spectrum may act as communication code between retina and V1. PMID:26682156

Frequency preference and attention effects across cortical depths in the human primary auditory cortex.

PubMed

De Martino, Federico; Moerel, Michelle; Ugurbil, Kamil; Goebel, Rainer; Yacoub, Essa; Formisano, Elia

2015-12-29

Columnar arrangements of neurons with similar preference have been suggested as the fundamental processing units of the cerebral cortex. Within these columnar arrangements, feed-forward information enters at middle cortical layers whereas feedback information arrives at superficial and deep layers. This interplay of feed-forward and feedback processing is at the core of perception and behavior. Here we provide in vivo evidence consistent with a columnar organization of the processing of sound frequency in the human auditory cortex. We measure submillimeter functional responses to sound frequency sweeps at high magnetic fields (7 tesla) and show that frequency preference is stable through cortical depth in primary auditory cortex. Furthermore, we demonstrate that-in this highly columnar cortex-task demands sharpen the frequency tuning in superficial cortical layers more than in middle or deep layers. These findings are pivotal to understanding mechanisms of neural information processing and flow during the active perception of sounds.

Frequency spectrum might act as communication code between retina and visual cortex I.

PubMed

Yang, Xu; Gong, Bo; Lu, Jian-Wei

2015-01-01

To explore changes and possible communication relationship of local potential signals recorded simultaneously from retina and visual cortex I (V1). Fourteen C57BL/6J mice were measured with pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and pattern visually evoked potential (PVEP) and fast Fourier transform has been used to analyze the frequency components of those signals. The amplitude of PERG and PVEP was measured at about 36.7 µV and 112.5 µV respectively and the dominant frequency of PERG and PVEP, however, stay unchanged and both signals do not have second, or otherwise, harmonic generation. The results suggested that retina encodes visual information in the way of frequency spectrum and then transfers it to primary visual cortex. The primary visual cortex accepts and deciphers the input visual information coded from retina. Frequency spectrum may act as communication code between retina and V1.

Frequency Arrangement For 700 MHz Band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancans, G.; Bobrovs, V.; Ivanovs, G.

2015-02-01

The 694-790 MHz (700 MHz) band was allocated by the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) in ITU Region 1 (Europe included), to the mobile service on a co-primary basis with other services to which this band was allocated on the primary basis and identified for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). At the same time, the countries of Region 1 will be able also to continue using these frequencies for their broadcasting services if necessary. This allocation will be effective immediately after 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15). In order to make the best possible use of this frequency band for mobile service, a worldwide harmonized frequency arrangement is to be prepared to allow for large economies of scale and international roaming as well as utilizing the available spectrum in the best possible way, minimizing possible interference between services, facilitating deployment and cross-border coordination. The authors analyze different possible frequency arrangements and conclude on the frequency arrangement most suitable for Europe.

Psychophysical correspondence between vibrotactile intensity and intracortical microstimulation for tactile neuroprostheses in rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devecioğlu, İsmail; Güçlü, Burak

2017-02-01

Objective. Recent studies showed that intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) generates artificial sensations which can be utilized as somatosensory feedback in cortical neuroprostheses. To mimic the natural psychophysical response, ICMS parameters are modulated according to psychometric equivalence functions (PEFs). PEFs match the intensity levels of ICMS and mechanical stimuli, which elicit equal detection probabilities, but they typically do not include the frequency as a control variable. We aimed to establish frequency-dependent PEFs for vibrotactile stimulation of the glabrous skin and ICMS in the primary somatosensory cortex of awake freely behaving rats. Approach. We collected psychometric data for vibrotactile and ICMS detection at three stimulation frequencies (40, 60 and 80 Hz). The psychometric data were fitted with a model equation of two independent variables (stimulus intensity and frequency) and four subject-dependent parameters. For each rat, we constructed a separate PEF which was used to estimate the ICMS current amplitude for a given displacement amplitude and frequency. The ICMS frequency was set equal to the vibrotactile frequency. We validated the PEFs in a modified task which included randomly selected probe trials presented either with a vibrotactile or an ICMS stimulus, and also at frequencies and intensity levels not tested before. Main results. The PEFs were generally successful in estimating the ICMS current intensities (no significant differences between vibrotactile and ICMS trials in Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests). Specifically, hit rates from both trial conditions were significantly correlated in 86% of the cases, and 52% of all data had perfect match in linear regression. Significance. The psychometric correspondence model presented in this study was constructed based on surface functions which define psychophysical detection probability as a function of stimulus intensity and frequency. Therefore, it may be used for the real-time modulation of the frequency and intensity of ICMS pulses in somatosensory neuroprostheses.

Psychophysical correspondence between vibrotactile intensity and intracortical microstimulation for tactile neuroprostheses in rats.

PubMed

Devecioğlu, İsmail; Güçlü, Burak

2017-02-01

Recent studies showed that intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) generates artificial sensations which can be utilized as somatosensory feedback in cortical neuroprostheses. To mimic the natural psychophysical response, ICMS parameters are modulated according to psychometric equivalence functions (PEFs). PEFs match the intensity levels of ICMS and mechanical stimuli, which elicit equal detection probabilities, but they typically do not include the frequency as a control variable. We aimed to establish frequency-dependent PEFs for vibrotactile stimulation of the glabrous skin and ICMS in the primary somatosensory cortex of awake freely behaving rats. We collected psychometric data for vibrotactile and ICMS detection at three stimulation frequencies (40, 60 and 80 Hz). The psychometric data were fitted with a model equation of two independent variables (stimulus intensity and frequency) and four subject-dependent parameters. For each rat, we constructed a separate PEF which was used to estimate the ICMS current amplitude for a given displacement amplitude and frequency. The ICMS frequency was set equal to the vibrotactile frequency. We validated the PEFs in a modified task which included randomly selected probe trials presented either with a vibrotactile or an ICMS stimulus, and also at frequencies and intensity levels not tested before. The PEFs were generally successful in estimating the ICMS current intensities (no significant differences between vibrotactile and ICMS trials in Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests). Specifically, hit rates from both trial conditions were significantly correlated in 86% of the cases, and 52% of all data had perfect match in linear regression. The psychometric correspondence model presented in this study was constructed based on surface functions which define psychophysical detection probability as a function of stimulus intensity and frequency. Therefore, it may be used for the real-time modulation of the frequency and intensity of ICMS pulses in somatosensory neuroprostheses.

Programmable wireless light-emitting diode stimulator for chronic stimulation of optogenetic molecules in freely moving mice

PubMed Central

Hashimoto, Mitsuhiro; Hata, Akihiro; Miyata, Takaki; Hirase, Hajime

2014-01-01

Abstract. We produced a miniaturized, multicode, multiband, and programmable light-emitting diode (LED) stimulator for wireless control of optogenetic experiments. The LED stimulator is capable of driving three independent LEDs upon reception of an infrared (IR) signal generated by a custom-made IR transmitter. Individual LED photopulse patterns are assigned to different codes of the IR signals (up to 256 codes). The photopulse patterns can be programmed in the on-board microcontroller by specifying the parameters of duration (>1  ms), frequency (<500  Hz), and pulse width (>1  ms). The IR signals were modulated at multiple carrier frequencies to establish multiband IR transmission. Using these devices, we could remotely control the moving direction of a Thy1-ChR2-YFP transgenic mouse by transcranially illuminating the corresponding hemisphere of the primary motor cortex. IR transmitter and LED stimulator will be particularly useful in experiments where free movement or patterned concurrent stimulation is desired, such as testing social communication of rodents. PMID:26157963

Generalized Autobalanced Ramsey Spectroscopy of Clock Transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudin, V. I.; Taichenachev, A. V.; Basalaev, M. Yu.; Zanon-Willette, T.; Pollock, J. W.; Shuker, M.; Donley, E. A.; Kitching, J.

2018-05-01

When performing precision measurements, the quantity being measured is often perturbed by the measurement process itself. Such measurements include precision frequency measurements for atomic clock applications carried out with Ramsey spectroscopy. With the aim of eliminating probe-induced perturbations, a method of generalized autobalanced Ramsey spectroscopy (GABRS) is presented and rigorously substantiated. The usual local-oscillator frequency control loop is augmented with a second control loop derived from secondary Ramsey sequences interspersed with the primary sequences and with a different Ramsey period. This second loop feeds back to a secondary clock variable and ultimately compensates for the perturbation of the clock frequency caused by the measurements in the first loop. We show that such a two-loop scheme can lead to perfect compensation for measurement-induced light shifts and does not suffer from the effects of relaxation, time-dependent pulse fluctuations and phase-jump modulation errors that are typical of other hyper-Ramsey schemes. Several variants of GABRS are explored based on different secondary variables including added relative phase shifts between Ramsey pulses, external frequency-step compensation, and variable second-pulse duration. We demonstrate that a universal antisymmetric error signal, and hence perfect compensation at a finite modulation amplitude, is generated only if an additional frequency step applied during both Ramsey pulses is used as the concomitant variable parameter. This universal technique can be applied to the fields of atomic clocks, high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, magnetically induced and two-photon probing schemes, Ramsey-type mass spectrometry, and the field of precision measurements. Some variants of GABRS can also be applied for rf atomic clocks using coherent-population-trapping-based Ramsey spectroscopy of the two-photon dark resonance.

In-flight investigation of the effects of pilot location and control system design on airplane flying qualities for approach and landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weingarten, N. C.; Chalk, C. R.

1982-01-01

The handling qualities of large airplanes in the approach and landing flight phase were studied. The primary variables were relative pilot position with respect to center of rotation, command path time delays and phase shifts, augmentation schemes and levels of augmentation. It is indicated that the approach and landing task with large airplanes is a low bandwidth task. Low equivalent short period frequencies and relatively long time delays are tolerated only when the pilot is located at considerable distance forward of the center of rotation. The control problem experienced by the pilots, when seated behind the center of rotation, tended to occur at low altitude when they were using visual cues of rate of sink and altitude. A direct lift controller improved final flight path control of the shuttle like configurations.

Evaluation of computerized decision support for oral anticoagulation management based in primary care.

PubMed

Fitzmaurice, D A; Hobbs, F D; Murray, E T; Bradley, C P; Holder, R

1996-09-01

Increasing indications for oral anticoagulation has led to pressure on general practices to undertake therapeutic monitoring. Computerized decision support (DSS) has been shown to be effective in hospitals for improving clinical management. Its usefulness in primary care has previously not been investigated. To test the effectiveness of using DSS for oral anticoagulation monitoring in primary care by measuring the proportions of patients adequately controlled, defined as within the appropriate therapeutic range of International Normalised Ratio (INR). All patients receiving warfarin from two Birmingham inner city general practices were invited to attend a practice-based anticoagulation clinic. In practice A all patients were managed using DSS. In practice B patients were randomized to receive dosing advice either through DSS or through the local hospital laboratory. Clinical outcomes, adverse events and patient acceptability were recorded. Forty-nine patients were seen in total. There were significant improvements in INR control from 23% to 86% (P > 0.001) in the practice where all patients received dosing through DSS. In the practice where patients were randomized to either DSS or hospital dosing, logistic regression showed a significant trend for improvement in intervention patients which was not apparent in the hospital-dosed patients (P < 0.001). Mean recall times were significantly extended in patients who were dosed by the practice DSS through the full 12 months (24 days to 36 days) (P = 0.033). Adverse events were comparable between hospital and practice-dosed patients, although a number of esoteric events occurred. Patient satisfaction with the practice clinics was high. Computerized DSS enables the safe and effective transfer of anticoagulation management from hospital to primary care and may result in improved patient outcome in terms of the level of control, frequency of review and general acceptability.

Cardiovascular risk factor assessment after pre-eclampsia in primary care

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of development of cardiovascular disease later in life. It is not known how general practitioners in the Netherlands care for these women after delivery with respect to cardiovascular risk factor management. Methods Review of medical records of 1196 women in four primary health care centres, who were registered from January 2000 until July 2007 with an International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) code indicating pregnancy. Records were searched for indicators of pre-eclampsia. Of those who experienced pre-eclampsia and of a random sample of 150 women who did not, the following information on cardiovascular risk factor management after pregnancy was extracted from the records: frequency and timing of blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose measurements - and vascular diagnoses. Additionally the sensitivity and specificity of ICPC coding for pre-eclampsia were determined. Results 35 women experienced pre-eclampsia. Blood pressure was more often checked after pregnancy in these women than in controls (57.1% vs. 12.0%, p < 0.001). In 50% of the cases blood pressure was measured within 3 months after delivery with no further follow-up visit. A check for glucose and cholesterol levels was rare, and equally frequent in PE and control women. 20% of the previously normotensive women in the PE group had hypertension at one or more occasions after three months post partum versus none in the control group. The ICPC coding for pre-eclampsia showed a sensitivity of 51.4% and a specificity of 100.0%. Conclusion Despite the evidence of increased risk of future cardiovascular disease in women with a history of pre-eclampsia, follow-up of these women is insufficient and undeveloped in primary care in the Netherlands. PMID:19995418

Modelling vibrational coherence in the primary rhodopsin photoproduct.

PubMed

Weingart, O; Garavelli, M

2012-12-14

Molecular dynamics simulations of the rhodopsin photoreaction reveal coherent low frequency oscillations in the primary photoproduct (photorhodopsin), with frequencies slightly higher than observed in the experiment. The coherent molecular motions in the batho-precursor can be attributed to the activation of ground state vibrational modes in the hot photo-product, involving out-of-plane deformations of the carbon skeleton. Results are discussed and compared with respect to spectroscopic data and suggested reaction mechanisms.

Chirping and Sudden Excitation of Energetic-Particle-Driven Geodesic Acoustic Modes in a Large Helical Device Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hao; Todo, Yasushi; Ido, Takeshi; Suzuki, Yasuhiro

2018-04-01

Energetic-particle-driven geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs) observed in a Large Helical Device experiment are investigated using a hybrid simulation code for energetic particles interacting with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid. The frequency chirping of the primary mode and the sudden excitation of the half-frequency secondary mode are reproduced for the first time with the hybrid simulation using the realistic physical condition and the three-dimensional equilibrium. Both EGAMs have global spatial profiles which are consistent with the experimental measurements. For the secondary mode, the bulk pressure perturbation and the energetic particle pressure perturbation cancel each other out, and thus the frequency is lower than the primary mode. It is found that the excitation of the secondary mode does not depend on the nonlinear MHD coupling. The secondary mode is excited by energetic particles that satisfy the linear and nonlinear resonance conditions, respectively, for the primary and secondary modes.

Chirping and Sudden Excitation of Energetic-Particle-Driven Geodesic Acoustic Modes in a Large Helical Device Experiment.

PubMed

Wang, Hao; Todo, Yasushi; Ido, Takeshi; Suzuki, Yasuhiro

2018-04-27

Energetic-particle-driven geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs) observed in a Large Helical Device experiment are investigated using a hybrid simulation code for energetic particles interacting with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid. The frequency chirping of the primary mode and the sudden excitation of the half-frequency secondary mode are reproduced for the first time with the hybrid simulation using the realistic physical condition and the three-dimensional equilibrium. Both EGAMs have global spatial profiles which are consistent with the experimental measurements. For the secondary mode, the bulk pressure perturbation and the energetic particle pressure perturbation cancel each other out, and thus the frequency is lower than the primary mode. It is found that the excitation of the secondary mode does not depend on the nonlinear MHD coupling. The secondary mode is excited by energetic particles that satisfy the linear and nonlinear resonance conditions, respectively, for the primary and secondary modes.

The Dynamics of Controlled Flow Separation within a Diverter Duct Diffuser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, C. J.; Vukasinovic, B.; Glezer, A.

2016-11-01

The evolution and receptivity to fluidic actuation of the flow separation within a rectangular, constant-width, diffuser that is branched off of a primary channel is investigated experimentally at speeds up to M = 0.4. The coupling between the diffuser's adverse pressure gradient and the internal separation that constricts nearly half of the flow passage through the duct is controlled using a spanwise array of fluidic actuators on the surface upstream of the diffuser's inlet plane. The dynamics of the separating surface vorticity layer in the absence and presence of actuation are investigated using high-speed particle image velocimetry combined with surface pressure measurements and total pressure distributions at the primary channel's exit plane. It is shown that the actuation significantly alters the incipient dynamics of the separating vorticity layer as the characteristic cross stream scales of the boundary layer upstream of separation and of the ensuing vorticity concentrations within the separated flow increase progressively with actuation level. It is argued that the dissipative (high frequency) actuation alters the balance between large- and small-scale motions near separation by intensifying the large-scale motions and limiting the small-scale dynamics. Controlling separation within the diffuser duct also has a profound effect on the global flow. In the presence of actuation, the mass flow rate in the primary duct increases 10% while the fraction of the diverted mass flow rate in the diffuser increases by more than 45% at 0.7% actuation mass fraction. Supported by the Boeing Company.

Adaptive jammer nulling in EHF communications satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhagwan, Jai; Kavanagh, Stephen; Yen, J. L.

A preliminary investigation is reviewed concerning adaptive null steering multibeam uplink receiving system concepts for future extremely high frequency communications satellites. Primary alternatives in the design of the uplink antenna, the multibeam adaptive nulling receiver, and the processing algorithm and optimization criterion are discussed. The alternatives are phased array, lens or reflector antennas, nulling at radio frequency or an intermediate frequency, wideband versus narrowband nulling, and various adaptive nulling algorithms. A primary determinant of the hardware complexity is the receiving system architecture, which is described for the alternative antenna and nulling concepts. The final concept chosen will be influenced by the nulling performance requirements, cost, and technological readiness.

High-frequency vibration energy harvesting from impulsive excitation utilizing intentional dynamic instability caused by strong nonlinearity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remick, Kevin; Dane Quinn, D.; Michael McFarland, D.; Bergman, Lawrence; Vakakis, Alexander

2016-05-01

The authors investigate a vibration-based energy harvesting system utilizing essential (nonlinearizable) nonlinearities and electromagnetic coupling elements. The system consists of a grounded, weakly damped linear oscillator (primary system) subjected to a single impulsive load. This primary system is coupled to a lightweight, damped oscillating attachment (denoted as nonlinear energy sink, NES) via a neodymium magnet and an inductance coil, and a piano wire, which generates an essential geometric cubic stiffness nonlinearity. Under impulsive input, the transient damped dynamics of this system exhibit transient resonance captures (TRCs) causing intentional large-amplitude and high-frequency instabilities in the response of the NES. These TRCs result in strong energy transfer from the directly excited primary system to the light-weight attachment. The energy is harvested by the electromagnetic elements in the coupling and, in the present case, dissipated in a resistive element in the electrical circuit. The primary goal of this work is to numerically, analytically, and experimentally demonstrate the efficacy of employing this type of intentional high-frequency dynamic instability to achieve enhanced vibration energy harvesting under impulsive excitation.

Sleep disorders and the prevalence of asymptomatic nocturnal acid and non-acid reflux.

PubMed

Herdman, Christine; Marzio, Dina Halegoua-De; Shah, Paurush; Denuna-Rivera, Susie; Doghramji, Karl; Cohen, Sidney; Dimarino, Anthony J

2013-01-01

Nocturnal acid reflux is associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic sleep arousals, leading to fragmented sleep. The frequency and influence of acid reflux in patients with various forms of insomnia has not been reported. The aim of this study was to quantify nocturnal acid and nonacid reflux in patients with primary sleep disorders as previously diagnosed by polysomnography. THIRTY ONE SUBJECTS WERE STUDIED: (A) 9 subjects with a polysomnographically diagnosed sleep disorder (1 with restless legs syndrome, 4 with narcolepsy, 4 with periodic limb movement disorder); (B) 12 subjects with primary insomnia (PI) and unrevealing polysomnography; and (C) 10 controls without disturbed sleep. All subjects underwent a physical examination and 24 h transnasal pH and impedance monitoring to detect acid and non-acid reflux. The 21 subjects with fragmented sleep due to a primary sleep disorder had significantly more recumbent acid exposure (>1.2% of time) as compared with control subjects (33% versus 0%). When fragmented sleep subjects were divided into two groups, 17% of PI subjects and 55% of subjects with a diagnosed sleep disorder had significant recumbent acid exposure (P=0.009). Likewise, the median recumbent nonacid events were increased in the sleep disordered group (P=0.011). This study indicates that patients with primary sleep disorders have prominent nocturnal acid reflux without symptoms of daytime acid reflux. Acid reflux is most prominent in patients with polysomnographic findings of disturbed sleep as compared to patients with PI; while non acid reflux is increased minimally in these patients.

Widespread cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in primary amyloidosis: does spontaneous hyperventilation have a compensatory role against postural hypotension?

PubMed Central

Bernardi, L; Passino, C; Porta, C; Anesi, E; Palladini, G; Merlini, G

2002-01-01

Objective: To investigate the possible causes of abnormal blood pressure control in light chain related (primary, AL) amyloidosis. Design: Cardiovascular, autonomic, and respiratory response to passive tilting were investigated in 51 patients with primary amyloidosis (mean (SEM) age 56 (2) years) and in 20 age matched controls. Spontaneous fluctuations in RR interval, respiration, end tidal carbon dioxide, blood pressure, and skin microcirculation were recorded during supine rest and with tilting. The values were subjected to spectral analysis to assess baroreflex sensitivity and the autonomic modulation of cardiac and vascular responses. Setting: Tertiary referral centre. Results: Autonomic modulation of the heart and blood pressure was nearly absent in the patients with amyloidosis: thus baroreflex sensitivity and the low frequency (0.1 Hz) fluctuations in all cardiovascular signals were severely reduced (p < 0.01 or more), as were respiratory fluctuations in the RR interval, and no change was observed upon tilting. Despite reduced autonomic modulation, blood pressure remained relatively stable in the amyloid group from supine to tilting. End tidal carbon dioxide was reduced in the amyloid patients (p < 0.001) indicating persistent hyperventilation; the breathing rate correlated inversely with the fall in blood pressure on tilting (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In primary amyloidosis, pronounced abnormalities in arterial baroreflexes and cardiovascular autonomic modulation to the heart and the vessels may be partly compensated for by hyperventilation at a slow breathing rate. PMID:12433892

A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease: One-year follow-up.

PubMed

Anvari, Mehran; Allen, Christopher; Marshall, John; Armstrong, David; Goeree, Ron; Ungar, Wendy; Goldsmith, Charles

2006-12-01

A randomized controlled trial conducted in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease compared optimized medical therapy using proton pump inhibitor (n = 52) with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (n = 52). Patients were monitored for 1 year. The primary end point was frequency of gastroesophageal reflux dis-ease symptoms. Surgical patients had improved symptoms, pH control, and overall quality of life health index after surgery at 1 year compared with the medical group. The overall gastroesophageal reflux disease symptom score at 1 year was unchanged in the medical patients, but improved in the surgical patients. Fourteen patients in the medical arm experienced symptom relapse requiring titration of the proton pump inhibitor dose, but 6 had satisfactory symptom remission. No surgical patients required additional treatment for symptom control. Patients controlled on long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease are excellent surgical candidates and should experience improved symptom control after surgery at 1 year.

Levels of steering control: Reproduction of steering-wheel movements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godthelp, H.

1982-01-01

A schematic description of the steering control process is presented. It is shown that this process can be described in terms of levels of control. Level of control will depend on driver's skill in making use of 'clever' strategies which may be related to knowledge about the path to follow (input) and/or the vehicle under control. This knowledge may be referred to as an internal model of a particular task element. Internal information, as derived from these internal models will probably be used together with proprioceptive feedback. It is hypothesized that the efficiency of the higher levels of control will be dependent on the accuracy of both the internal and proprioceptive information. Based on this research philosophy a series of experiments is carried out. Two primary experiments were done in order to analyse subjects' ability to reproduce steering-wheel positions and movements without visual feedback. Steering-wheel angle amplitude, steering force and movement frequency were involved as independent variables.

Research on frequency control strategy of interconnected region based on fuzzy PID

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yan; Li, Chunlan

2018-05-01

In order to improve the frequency control performance of the interconnected power grid, overcome the problems of poor robustness and slow adjustment of traditional regulation, the paper puts forward a frequency control method based on fuzzy PID. The method takes the frequency deviation and tie-line deviation of each area as the control objective, takes the regional frequency deviation and its deviation as input, and uses fuzzy mathematics theory, adjusts PID control parameters online. By establishing the regional frequency control model of water-fire complementary power generation in MATLAB, the regional frequency control strategy is given, and three control modes (TBC-FTC, FTC-FTC, FFC-FTC) are simulated and analyzed. The simulation and experimental results show that, this method has better control performance compared with the traditional regional frequency regulation.

Recording the Response of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid Fall by Dual-Frequency and Single-Frequency GPS Equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kholmogorov, A. A.; Ivanov, V. B.; Gorbachev, O. A.

2018-03-01

The Chelyabinsk meteoroid fall has been used to show that an appropriate ionospheric response can be recorded from signals of satellite radar systems. This can be done using dual-frequency or single-frequency equipment. The recording time of the response commencement has been used to estimate the propagation rate of primary disturbance in the atmosphere.

Robust and novel two degree of freedom fractional controller based on two-loop topology for inverted pendulum.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Prakash; Pandey, Sandeep; Junghare, A S

2018-04-01

A rotary single inverted pendulum (RSIP) typically represents a space booster rocket, Segway and similar systems with unstable equilibrium. This paper proposes a novel two degree of freedom (2-DOF) fractional control strategy based on 2-loop topology for RSIP system which can be extended to control the systems with unstable equilibrium. It comprises feedback and feed-forward paths. Primary controller relates the perturbation attenuation while the secondary controller is accountable for set point tracking. To tune the parameters of proposed fractional controller a simple graphical tuning method based on frequency response is used. The study will serve the outstanding experimental results for both, stabilization and trajectory tracking tasks. The study will also serve to present a comparison of the performance of the proposed controller with the 1-DOF FOPID controller and sliding mode controller (SMC) for the RSIP system. Further to confirm the usability of the proposed controller and to avoid the random perturbations sensitivity, robustness, and stability analysis through fractional root-locus and Bode-plot is investigated. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maintaining Stability During a Conducted-Ripple EMC Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vorperian, Vatche

2007-01-01

An improved technique, and electronic circuitry to implement the technique, have been developed for a military-standard electromagnetic-compatibility (EMC) test in which one analyzes susceptibility to low-frequency ripple conducted into the equipment under test via a DC power line. In the traditional technique for performing the particular test, the ripple is coupled onto the DC power line via a transformer. Depending upon some design details of the equipment under test, the inductance of the transformer can contribute a degree of instability that results in an oscillation of amplitude large enough to destroy the equipment. It is usually possible to suppress the oscillation by connecting a damping resistor to the primary terminals of the ripple-injection transformer. However, it is important to emphasize the usually in the preceding sentence: sometimes, the resistive damping becomes insufficient to suppress destructive oscillation. In addition, undesirably, the resistor contributes to power dissipation and power demand, and thereby also necessitates the use of a larger ripple voltage amplifier. Yet another disadvantage of the transformer-coupling technique is that the transformer introduces low-frequency distortion of the injected ripple voltage. The improved technique makes it possible to inject ripple with very low distortion at low frequency, without inducing oscillation. In this technique, a transformer is not used: Instead, power is fed to the equipment under test via series power field-effect transistors (FETs) controlled by a summing operational amplifier. One of the inputs to the amplifier controls the DC component of the power-line voltage; the other input, generated by an external oscillator, controls the ripple component. The circuitry for implementing this technique includes panel displays, an internal power supply for the operational amplifier and panel displays, and amplitude controls for the DC and ripple powerline voltage components.

Increased cancer risk of heterozygotes with NBS1 germline mutations in Poland.

PubMed

Steffen, Jan; Varon, Raymonda; Mosor, Maria; Maneva, Galina; Maurer, Martin; Stumm, Markus; Nowakowska, Dorota; Rubach, Maryna; Kosakowska, Ewa; Ruka, Włodzimierz; Nowecki, Zbigniew; Rutkowski, Piotr; Demkow, Tomasz; Sadowska, Małgorzata; Bidziński, Mariusz; Gawrychowski, Krzysztof; Sperling, Karl

2004-08-10

It has been suggested based on familial data that Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) heterozygotes have an increased risk of malignant tumors. We found 15 carriers of the 657del5 mutation and 8 carriers of the R215W molecular variant of the NBS1 gene among 1,289 consecutive patients from Central Poland with various cancers and only 10 and 4 such carriers, respectively, in 1,620 controls from this region. Most of the 657del5 mutation carriers were found among patients with melanoma (4/105), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2/42) and breast cancer (4/224) and of the 234 patients with colorectal carcinoma 3 carried the 657del5 mutation and 3 others the R215W molecular variant. The frequencies of 657del5 mutation carriers among patients with melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and of R215W carriers in patients with colorectal cancer were significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.01, < 0.05 and < 0.05 respectively). The pooled frequencies of 657del5 and R215W mutations in all cancer patients were also significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.05). Two carriers of the 657del5 mutation had second primary tumors. Malignant tumors among parents and siblings of 657del5 mutation carriers (14/77) were twice more frequent than in population controls. Three carriers of this mutation (2 probands with melanoma) reported melanoma in relatives. These results suggest strongly that NBS1 heterozygosity may be associated with elevated risk of some cancers. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the high frequency of germline NBS1 mutations on the cancer burden in the Slav populations. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Gene copy number, mRNA transcription and protein expression of PD-1 gene in primary hepatocarcinoma patients].

PubMed

Fan, Hui-Min; Wu, Ling-Jie; Hu, Feng-Yu; Yang, Zhan

2012-08-01

To study the gene copy number, mRNA transcription and protien expression of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) gene in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) patients and normal control individuals (NC) who are anti-HBs positive, and to investigate the variations in PD-1 gene copy numbers and its relationship with PHC. Real-time PCR was adopted to detect the PD-1 gene copy numbers and their mRNA expressions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 24 samples of PHC patients and 26 of NC. Protein expression level of PD-1 on CD8+ T was analyzed by flow cytometry. In terms of number of PD-1 gene copy numbers, the percentage of cases of haploid (single) was 34.62% and 4.17% in PHC group and control group respectively while the percentage of cases of diploid (double) was 61.54% and 95.83% respectively. The difference between the two was statistically significant (chi2 = 7.639, P = 0.006). The rate of cases with double PD-1 gene copy numbers was found to be higher in patients with PHC than in control group. It was also found that the average expression of PD-1 mRNA was 2.35E-03 in control group and 1.23E-03 in PHC group. The expression level was significant lower in PHC group than that in control group when compared by using Mann-whitey technic (U = 153, P = 0.009). Furthermore, the frequency of PD-1 protein expression on CD8+ T cells was 3.72 +/- 0.32 in control group and 16.13 +/- 1.68 in PHC group. The level of PD-1 mRNA expression was higher in PHC and significant differences was shown between two groups (t = -7.073, P = 0.000). Our study suggests that the variation in PD-1 gene copy number may trigger primary hepatocellular carcinoma to HBV carriers. The relationship between the variation of PD-1 gene copy numbers and its association with primary hepatocellular carcinoma is worth further focus.

Pulse-train Stimulation of Primary Somatosensory Cortex Blocks Pain Perception in Tail Clip Test

PubMed Central

Lee, Soohyun; Hwang, Eunjin; Lee, Dongmyeong

2017-01-01

Human studies of brain stimulation have demonstrated modulatory effects on the perception of pain. However, whether the primary somatosensory cortical activity is associated with antinociceptive responses remains unknown. Therefore, we examined the antinociceptive effects of neuronal activity evoked by optogenetic stimulation of primary somatosensory cortex. Optogenetic transgenic mice were subjected to continuous or pulse-train optogenetic stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex at frequencies of 15, 30, and 40 Hz, during a tail clip test. Reaction time was measured using a digital high-speed video camera. Pulse-train optogenetic stimulation of primary somatosensory cortex showed a delayed pain response with respect to a tail clip, whereas no significant change in reaction time was observed with continuous stimulation. In response to the pulse-train stimulation, video monitoring and local field potential recording revealed associated paw movement and sensorimotor rhythms, respectively. Our results show that optogenetic stimulation of primary somatosensory cortex at beta and gamma frequencies blocks transmission of pain signals in tail clip test. PMID:28442945

Is Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Sufficient for Routine Dental Treatment in 4- to 6-year-old Children?

PubMed Central

Erfanparast, Leila; Sheykhgermchi, Sanaz; Ghanizadeh, Milad

2017-01-01

Introduction Pain control is one of the most important aspects of behavior management in children. The most common way to achieve pain control is by using local anesthetics (LA). Many studies describe that the buccal nerve innervates the buccal gingiva and mucosa of the mandible for a variable extent from the vicinity of the lower third molar to the lower canine. Regarding the importance of appropriate and complete LA in child-behavior control, in this study, we examined the frequency of buccal gingiva anesthesia of primary mandibular molars and canine after inferior alveolar nerve block injection in 4- to 6-year-old children. Study design In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 220 4- to 6-year-old children were randomly selected and entered into the study. Inferior alveolar nerve block was injected with the same method and standards for all children, and after ensuring the success of block injection, anesthesia of buccal mucosa of primary molars and canine was examined by stick test and reaction of child using sound, eye, motor (SEM) scale. The data from the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results The area that was the highest nonanesthetized was recorded as in the distobuccal of the second primary molars. The area of the lowest nonanesthesia was also reported in the gingiva of primary canine tooth. Conclusion According to this study, in 15 to 30% of cases, after inferior alveolar nerve block injection, the primary mandibular molars’ buccal mucosa is not anesthetized. How to cite this article: Pourkazemi M, Erfanparast L, Sheykhgermchi S, Ghanizadeh M. Is Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Sufficient for Routine Dental Treatment in 4- to 6-year-old Children? Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(4):369-372. PMID:29403231

Financial team incentives improved recording of diagnoses in primary care: a quasi-experimental longitudinal follow-up study with controls.

PubMed

Lehtovuori, Tuomo; Kauppila, Timo; Kallio, Jouko; Raina, Marko; Suominen, Lasse; Heikkinen, Anna Maria

2015-11-11

In primary care, financial incentives have usually been directed to physicians because they are thought to make the key decisions in order to change the functions of a medical organization. There are no studies regarding the impact that directing these incentives to all disciplines of the care team (e.g. group bonuses for both nurses and doctors) may have, despite the low frequency with which diagnoses were being recorded for primary care visits to doctors. This study tested the effect of offering group bonuses to the care teams. This was a retrospective quasi-experimental study with before-and-after settings and two control groups. In the intervention group, the mean percentage of visits to a doctor for which a diagnosis was recorded by each individual care team (mean team-based percentage of monthly visits to a doctor with recorded diagnoses) and simultaneously the same data was gathered from two different primary care settings where no team bonuses were applied. To study the sustainability of changes obtained with the group bonuses the respective data were derived from the electronic health record system for 2 years after the cessation of the intervention. The differences in the rate of marking diagnoses was analyzed with ANOVA and RM-ANOVA with appropriate post hoc tests, and the differences in the rate of change in marking diagnoses was analyzed with linear regression followed by t-test. The proportion of doctor visits having recorded diagnoses in the teams was about 55 % before starting to use group bonuses and 90 % after this intervention. There was no such increase in control units. The effect of the intervention weakened slightly after cessation of the group bonuses. Group bonuses may provide a method to alter clinical practices in primary care. However, sustainability of these interventions may diminish after ceasing this type of financial incentive.

Frequency, Contingency and Online Processing of Multiword Sequences: An Eye-Tracking Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yi, Wei; Lu, Shiyi; Ma, Guojie

2017-01-01

Frequency and contingency are two primary statistical factors that drive the acquisition and processing of language. This study explores the role of phrasal frequency and contingency (the co-occurrence probability/statistical association of the constituent words in multiword sequences) during online processing of multiword sequences. Meanwhile, it…

The effect of sampling rate and anti-aliasing filters on high-frequency response spectra

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boore, David M.; Goulet, Christine

2013-01-01

The most commonly used intensity measure in ground-motion prediction equations is the pseudo-absolute response spectral acceleration (PSA), for response periods from 0.01 to 10 s (or frequencies from 0.1 to 100 Hz). PSAs are often derived from recorded ground motions, and these motions are usually filtered to remove high and low frequencies before the PSAs are computed. In this article we are only concerned with the removal of high frequencies. In modern digital recordings, this filtering corresponds at least to an anti-aliasing filter applied before conversion to digital values. Additional high-cut filtering is sometimes applied both to digital and to analog records to reduce high-frequency noise. Potential errors on the short-period (high-frequency) response spectral values are expected if the true ground motion has significant energy at frequencies above that of the anti-aliasing filter. This is especially important for areas where the instrumental sample rate and the associated anti-aliasing filter corner frequency (above which significant energy in the time series is removed) are low relative to the frequencies contained in the true ground motions. A ground-motion simulation study was conducted to investigate these effects and to develop guidance for defining the usable bandwidth for high-frequency PSA. The primary conclusion is that if the ratio of the maximum Fourier acceleration spectrum (FAS) to the FAS at a frequency fsaa corresponding to the start of the anti-aliasing filter is more than about 10, then PSA for frequencies above fsaa should be little affected by the recording process, because the ground-motion frequencies that control the response spectra will be less than fsaa . A second topic of this article concerns the resampling of the digital acceleration time series to a higher sample rate often used in the computation of short-period PSA. We confirm previous findings that sinc-function interpolation is preferred to the standard practice of using linear time interpolation for the resamplin

Risk factors for retrovirus and hepatitis virus infections in accepted blood donors.

PubMed

Custer, Brian; Kessler, Debra; Vahidnia, Farnaz; Leparc, German; Krysztof, David E; Shaz, Beth; Kamel, Hany; Glynn, Simone; Dodd, Roger Y; Stramer, Susan L

2015-05-01

Risk factor surveillance among infected blood donors provides information on the effectiveness of eligibility assessment and is critical for reducing risk of transfusion-transmitted infection. American Red Cross, Blood Systems, Inc., New York Blood Center, and OneBlood participated in a case-control study from 2010 to 2013. Donors with serologic and nucleic acid testing (NAT) or NAT-only confirmed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), or serology-confirmed human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infections (cases) and donors with false-positive results (controls) were interviewed for putative behavioral and demographic risks. Frequencies and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) from multivariable logistic regression analyses for each exposure in cases compared to controls are reported. In the study, 196 HIV, 292 HBV, 316 HCV, and 198 HTLV cases, and 1587 controls were interviewed. For HIV, sex with an HIV+ person (AOR, 132; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27-650) and male-male sex (AOR, 62; 95% CI, 27-140) were primary risk factors. For HBV, first-time donor status (AOR, 16; 95% CI, 10-27), sex with an injection drug user (IDU; AOR, 11; 95% CI, 5-28), and black race (AOR, 11; 95% CI, 6-19) were primary. For HCV, IDU (AOR, 42; 95% CI, 13-136), first time (AOR, 18; 95% CI, 10-30), and a family member with hepatitis (AOR, 15; 95% CI, 6-40) were primary. For HTLV, sex with an IDU (AOR, 22; 95% CI, 10-48), 55 years old or more (AOR, 21; 95% CI, 8-52], and first time (AOR, 15; 95% CI, 9-24) were primary. Despite education efforts and risk screening, individuals with deferrable risks still donate; they may fail to understand or ignore or do not believe they have risk. Recipients have potential transfusion-transmitted infection risk because of nondisclosure by donors. © 2014 AABB.

Medication adherence among hypertensive patients of primary health clinics in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Ramli, Azuana; Ahmad, Nur Sufiza; Paraidathathu, Thomas

2012-01-01

Purpose Poor adherence to prescribed medications is a major cause for treatment failure, particularly in chronic diseases such as hypertension. This study was conducted to assess adherence to medications in patients undergoing hypertensive treatment in the Primary Health Clinics of the Ministry of Health in Malaysia. Factors affecting adherence to medications were studied, and the effect of nonadherence to blood pressure control was assessed. Patients and methods This was a cross-sectional study to assess adherence to medications by adult patients undergoing hypertensive treatment in primary care. Adherence was measured using a validated survey form for medication adherence consisting of seven questions. A retrospective medication record review was conducted to collect and confirm data on patients’ demographics, diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes. Results Good adherence was observed in 53.4% of the 653 patients sampled. Female patients were found to be more likely to adhere to their medication regime, compared to their male counterparts (odds ratio 1.46 [95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.05–2.04; P < 0.05]). Patients in the ethnic Chinese were twice as likely (95% CI: 1.14–3.6; P < 0.05) to adhere, compared to those in the Indian ethnic group. An increase in the score for medicine knowledge was also found to increase the odds of adherence. On the other hand, increasing the number of drugs the patient was taking and the daily dose frequencies of the medications prescribed were found to negatively affect adherence. Blood pressure control was also found to be worse in noncompliers. Conclusion The medication adherence rate was found to be low among primary care hypertensive patients. A poor adherence rate was found to negatively affect blood pressure control. Developing multidisciplinary intervention programs to address the factors identified is necessary to improve adherence and, in turn, to improve blood pressure control. PMID:22969292

Genotoxic and clastogenic effects of monohaloacetic acid drinking water disinfection by-products in primary human lymphocytes.

PubMed

Escobar-Hoyos, Luisa F; Hoyos-Giraldo, Luz Stella; Londoño-Velasco, Elizabeth; Reyes-Carvajal, Ingrid; Saavedra-Trujillo, Diana; Carvajal-Varona, Silvio; Sánchez-Gómez, Adalberto; Wagner, Elizabeth D; Plewa, Michael J

2013-06-15

The haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the second-most prevalent class of drinking water disinfection by-products formed by chemical disinfectants. Previous studies have determined DNA damage and repair of HAA-induced lesions in mammalian and human cell lines; however, little is known of the genomic DNA and chromosome damage induced by these compounds in primary human cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic and clastogenic effects of the monoHAA disinfection by-products in primary human lymphocytes. All monoHAAs were genotoxic in primary human lymphocytes, the rank order of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity was IAA > BAA > CAA. After 6 h of repair time, only 50% of the DNA damage (maximum decrease in DNA damage) was repaired compared to the control. This demonstrates that primary human lymphocytes are less efficient in repairing the induced damage by monoHAAs than previous studies with mammalian cell lines. In addition, the monoHAAs induced an increase in the chromosome aberration frequency as a measurement of the clastogenic effect of these compounds. These results coupled with genomic technologies in primary human cells and other mammalian non-cancerous cell lines may lead to the identification of biomarkers that may be employed in feedback loops to aid water chemists and engineers in the overall goal of producing safer drinking water. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of a cognitive and behavioural psychotherapy applied by primary care psychologists in patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder: a research protocol.

PubMed

Jauregui, Amale; Ponte, Joaquín; Salgueiro, Monika; Unanue, Saloa; Donaire, Carmen; Gómez, Maria Cruz; Burgos-Alonso, Natalia; Grandes, Gonzalo

2015-03-20

In contrast with the recommendations of clinical practice guidelines, the most common treatment for anxiety and depressive disorders in primary care is pharmacological. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioural psychological intervention, delivered by primary care psychologists in patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder compared to usual care. This is an open-label, multicentre, randomized, and controlled study with two parallel groups. A random sample of 246 patients will be recruited with mild-to-moderate mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, from the target population on the lists of 41 primary care doctors. Patients will be randomly assigned to the intervention group, who will receive standardised cognitive-behavioural therapy delivered by psychologists together with usual care, or to a control group, who will receive usual care alone. The cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention is composed of eight individual 60-minute face-to face sessions conducted in eight consecutive weeks. A follow-up session will be conducted over the telephone, for reinforcement or referral as appropriate, 6 months after the intervention, as required. The primary outcome variable will be the change in scores on the Short Form-36 General Health Survey. We will also measure the change in the frequency and intensity of anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory) at baseline, and 3, 6 and 12 months later. Additionally, we will collect information on the use of drugs and health care services. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of a primary care-based cognitive-behavioural psychological intervention in patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. The international scientific evidence has demonstrated the need for psychologists in primary care. However, given the differences between health policies and health services, it is important to test the effect of these psychological interventions in our geographical setting. NCT01907035 (July 22, 2013).

Impact of disease-management programs on metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Lin, Kun; Yang, Xiaoping; Wu, Yixi; Chen, Shuru; Yin, Guoshu; Zhan, Jianjun; Lin, Chujia; Xu, Wencan; Chen, Yongsong; Lin, Dan; Xie, Peiwen; Fang, Yishan; Lin, Qiuqiang; Lin, Shaoda

2016-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of diabetes disease management program (DMP) on glycemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients in Shantou China. A sample of 240 participants recruited from 3C study Shantou subgroup was followed up in DMP for 3 years. The DMP provided self-management education, individualized therapy plan, diabetes complications screening, and laboratory examination periodical according to clinical practice guidelines. Primary outcomes were changes in hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c). Two hundred one of the participants completed the follow-up. There was a significant decrease in the HbA1c levels after DMP implemented. The mean (± SD) pre- and post-intervention HbA1c levels were 10.26% ± 3.30% and 8.57% ± 1.57% respectively with a P value <0.001. General linear mixed model analyse demonstrated that changes in glycemic control were associated with insulin treatment regimen, frequency of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG), diabetes diet adherence, physical activity, and duration of diabetes. DMP helped to improve glycemic control and should be general implemented in China's T1DM. Individuals with basal-bolus regimen (multiple daily injections or pump therapy), more frequency of SMBG, following a diabetes diet, more physical activity, shorter diabetes duration may derive greater benefits from DMP. PMID:28033258

Effect of electroacupuncture versus pelvic floor muscle training plus solifenacin for moderate and severe mixed urinary incontinence in women: a study protocol.

PubMed

Liu, Baoyan; Wang, Yang; Xu, Huanfang; Chen, Yuelai; Wu, Jiani; Mo, Qian; Liu, Zhishun

2014-08-15

In women with mixed urinary incontinence, pelvic floor muscle training and solifenacin is the recommended conservative treatment, while electroacupuncture is a safe, economical and effective option. In this prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled trial, five hundred women with mixed urinary incontinence, from 10 centers will be randomized to receive either electroacupuncture or pelvic floor muscle training plus solifenacin. Women in the acupuncture group will receive electroacupuncture for 3 sessions per week, over 12 weeks, while women in the control group will receive pelvic floor muscle training plus solifenacin (5 mg once daily) for 36 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of change in 72-hour incontinence episode frequency from baseline to week 12. The secondary outcome measures include eleven items, including proportion of participants with ≥50% decrease in average 72-h incontinence episode frequency, change from baseline in the amount of urine leakage and proportion of change from baseline in 72-h incontinence episode frequency in week 25-36, and so forth. Statistical analysis will include covariance analysis, nonparametric tests and t tests. The objective of this trial is to compare the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture versus pelvic floor muscle training plus solifenacin in women with moderate and severe mixed urinary incontinence. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02047032.

Influence of disturbance on temperate forest productivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, Emily B.; Wythers, Kirk R.; Bradford, John B.; Reich, Peter B.

2013-01-01

Climate, tree species traits, and soil fertility are key controls on forest productivity. However, in most forest ecosystems, natural and human disturbances, such as wind throw, fire, and harvest, can also exert important and lasting direct and indirect influence over productivity. We used an ecosystem model, PnET-CN, to examine how disturbance type, intensity, and frequency influence net primary production (NPP) across a range of forest types from Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA. We assessed the importance of past disturbances on NPP, net N mineralization, foliar N, and leaf area index at 107 forest stands of differing types (aspen, jack pine, northern hardwood, black spruce) and disturbance history (fire, harvest) by comparing model simulations with observations. The model reasonably predicted differences among forest types in productivity, foliar N, leaf area index, and net N mineralization. Model simulations that included past disturbances minimally improved predictions compared to simulations without disturbance, suggesting the legacy of past disturbances played a minor role in influencing current forest productivity rates. Modeled NPP was more sensitive to the intensity of soil removal during a disturbance than the fraction of stand mortality or wood removal. Increasing crown fire frequency resulted in lower NPP, particularly for conifer forest types with longer leaf life spans and longer recovery times. These findings suggest that, over long time periods, moderate frequency disturbances are a relatively less important control on productivity than climate, soil, and species traits.

Behavioral interventions as a treatment for epilepsy: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Haut, Sheryl R; Lipton, Richard B; Cornes, Susannah; Dwivedi, Alok K; Wasson, Rachel; Cotton, Sian; Strawn, Jeffrey R; Privitera, Michael

2018-03-13

To evaluate the effect of a stress-reduction intervention in participants with medication-resistant epilepsy. Adults with medication-resistant focal epilepsy (n = 66) were recruited from 3 centers and randomized to 1 of 2 interventions: (1) progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) with diaphragmatic breathing, or (2) control focused-attention activity with extremity movements. Following an 8-week baseline period, participants began 12 weeks of double-blind treatment. Daily self-reported mood and stress ratings plus seizure counts were completed by participants using an electronic diary, and no medication adjustments were permitted. The primary outcome was percent reduction in seizure frequency per 28 days comparing baseline and treatment; secondary outcomes included stress reduction and stress-seizure interaction. In the 66 participants in the intention-to-treat analysis, seizure frequency was reduced from baseline in both treatment groups (PMR: 29%, p < 0.05; focused attention: 25%, p < 0.05). PMR and focused attention did not differ in seizure reduction ( p = 0.38), although PMR was associated with stress reduction relative to focused attention ( p < 0.05). Daily stress was not a predictor of seizures. Both PMR and the focused-attention groups showed reduced seizure frequency compared to baseline in participants with medication-resistant focal seizures, although the 2 treatments did not differ. PMR was more effective than focused attention in reducing self-reported stress. NCT01444183. © 2018 American Academy of Neurology.

Neural mechanisms of mismatch negativity dysfunction in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Lee, M; Sehatpour, P; Hoptman, M J; Lakatos, P; Dias, E C; Kantrowitz, J T; Martinez, A M; Javitt, D C

2017-11-01

Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits that reflect impaired cortical information processing. Mismatch negativity (MMN) indexes pre-attentive information processing dysfunction at the level of primary auditory cortex. This study investigates mechanisms underlying MMN impairments in schizophrenia using event-related potential, event-related spectral decomposition (ERSP) and resting state functional connectivity (rsfcMRI) approaches. For this study, MMN data to frequency, intensity and duration-deviants were analyzed from 69 schizophrenia patients and 38 healthy controls. rsfcMRI was obtained from a subsample of 38 patients and 23 controls. As expected, schizophrenia patients showed highly significant, large effect size (P=0.0004, d=1.0) deficits in MMN generation across deviant types. In ERSP analyses, responses to deviants occurred primarily the theta (4-7 Hz) frequency range consistent with distributed corticocortical processing, whereas responses to standards occurred primarily in alpha (8-12 Hz) range consistent with known frequencies of thalamocortical activation. Independent deficits in schizophrenia were observed in both the theta response to deviants (P=0.021) and the alpha-response to standards (P=0.003). At the single-trial level, differential patterns of response were observed for frequency vs duration/intensity deviants, along with At the network level, MMN deficits engaged canonical somatomotor, ventral attention and default networks, with a differential pattern of engagement across deviant types (P<0.0001). Findings indicate that deficits in thalamocortical, as well as corticocortical, connectivity contribute to auditory dysfunction in schizophrenia. In addition, differences in ERSP and rsfcMRI profiles across deviant types suggest potential differential engagement of underlying generator mechanisms.

Synchronized delta oscillations correlate with the resting-state functional MRI signal

PubMed Central

Lu, Hanbing; Zuo, Yantao; Gu, Hong; Waltz, James A.; Zhan, Wang; Scholl, Clara A.; Rea, William; Yang, Yihong; Stein, Elliot A.

2007-01-01

Synchronized low-frequency spontaneous fluctuations of the functional MRI (fMRI) signal have recently been applied to investigate large-scale neuronal networks of the brain in the absence of specific task instructions. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of these fluctuations remain largely unknown. To this end, electrophysiological recordings and resting-state fMRI measurements were conducted in α-chloralose-anesthetized rats. Using a seed-voxel analysis strategy, region-specific, anesthetic dose-dependent fMRI resting-state functional connectivity was detected in bilateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1FL) of the resting brain. Cortical electroencephalographic signals were also recorded from bilateral S1FL; a visual cortex locus served as a control site. Results demonstrate that, unlike the evoked fMRI response that correlates with power changes in the γ bands, the resting-state fMRI signal correlates with the power coherence in low-frequency bands, particularly the δ band. These data indicate that hemodynamic fMRI signal differentially registers specific electrical oscillatory frequency band activity, suggesting that fMRI may be able to distinguish the ongoing from the evoked activity of the brain. PMID:17991778

Three-dimensional laser velocimeter simultaneity detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, James L. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A three-dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter has laser optics for a first channel positioned to create a probe volume in space, and laser optics and for second and third channels, respectively, positioned to create entirely overlapping probe volumes in space. The probe volumes and overlap partially in space. The photodetector is positioned to receive light scattered by a particle present in the probe volume, while photodetectors and are positioned to receive light scattered by a particle present in the probe volume. The photodetector for the first channel is directly connected to provide a first channel analog signal to frequency measuring circuits. The first channel is therefore a primary channel for the system. Photodetectors and are respectively connected through a second channel analog signal attenuator to frequency measuring circuits and through a third channel analog signal attenuator to frequency measuring circuits. The second and third channels are secondary channels, with the second and third channels analog signal attenuators and controlled by the first channel measurement burst signal on line. The second and third channels analog signal attenuators and attenuate the second and third channels analog signals only when the measurement burst signal is false.

What Are the Primary Limitations in B-Cell Affinity Maturation, and How Much Affinity Maturation Can We Drive with Vaccination? Breaking through Immunity's Glass Ceiling.

PubMed

Kelsoe, Garnett; Haynes, Barton F

2018-05-01

A key goal of HIV-1 vaccine development is the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeted to the vulnerable regions of the HIV envelope. BnAbs develop over time in ∼50% of HIV-1-infected individuals. However, to date, no vaccines have induced bnAbs and few or none of these vaccine-elicited HIV-1 antibodies carry the high frequencies of V(D)J mutations characteristic of bnAbs. Do the high frequencies of mutations characteristic of naturally induced bnAbs represent a fundamental barrier to the induction of bnAbs by vaccines? Recent studies suggest that high frequencies of V(D)J mutations can be achieved by serial vaccination strategies. Rather, it appears that, in the absence of HIV-1 infection, physiologic immune tolerance controls, including a germinal center process termed affinity reversion, may limit vaccine-driven bnAb development by clonal elimination or selecting for mutations incompatible with bnAb activity. Copyright © 2018 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

The relationship between frequency of family dinner and adolescent problem behaviors after adjusting for other family characteristics.

PubMed

Sen, Bisakha

2010-02-01

To examine the association between frequency of family dinners (FFD) and selected problem behaviors for adolescents after adjusting for family connectedness, parental awareness, other family activities, and other potentially confounding factors. Data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. The primary variable of interest is self-reported FFD in a typical week. Problem behaviors studied are substance-use, physical violence, property-destruction, stealing, running away from home, andgang membership. Multivariate logistic models are estimated for each behaviors. Linear regression models are estimated for behavior-frequency for the sub-samples engaging in them. Analysis is done separately by gender. FFD is negatively associated with substance-use and running away for females; drinking, physical violence, property-destruction, stealing and running away for males. Family meals are negatively associated to certain problem behaviors for adolescents even after controlling rigorously for potentially confounding factors. Thus, programs that promote family meals are beneficial. Copyright (c) 2009 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital frequency control of satellite frequency standards. [Defense Navigation Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, S. A.

1973-01-01

In the Frequency and Time Standard Development Program of the TIMATION System, a new miniaturized rubidium vapor frequency standard has been tested and analyzed for possible use on the TIMATION 3A launch, as part of the Defense Navigation Satellite Development Program. The design and construction of a digital frequency control was required to remotely control this rubidium vapor frequency standard as well as the quartz oscillator in current use. This control must be capable of accepting commands from a satellite telemetry system, verify that the correct commands have been sent and control the frequency to the requirements of the system. Several modifications must be performed to the rubidium vapor frequency standard to allow it to be compatible with the digital frequency control. These include the addition of a varactor to voltage tune the coarse range of the flywheel oscillator, and a modification to supply the C field current externally. The digital frequency control for the rubidium vapor frequency standard has been successfully tested in prototype form.

Telotristat Ethyl, a Tryptophan Hydroxylase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Carcinoid Syndrome.

PubMed

Kulke, Matthew H; Hörsch, Dieter; Caplin, Martyn E; Anthony, Lowell B; Bergsland, Emily; Öberg, Kjell; Welin, Staffan; Warner, Richard R P; Lombard-Bohas, Catherine; Kunz, Pamela L; Grande, Enrique; Valle, Juan W; Fleming, Douglas; Lapuerta, Pablo; Banks, Phillip; Jackson, Shanna; Zambrowicz, Brian; Sands, Arthur T; Pavel, Marianne

2017-01-01

Purpose Preliminary studies suggested that telotristat ethyl, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, reduces bowel movement (BM) frequency in patients with carcinoid syndrome. This placebo-controlled phase III study evaluated telotristat ethyl in this setting. Patients and Methods Patients (N = 135) experiencing four or more BMs per day despite stable-dose somatostatin analog therapy received (1:1:1) placebo, telotristat ethyl 250 mg, or telotristat ethyl 500 mg three times per day orally during a 12-week double-blind treatment period. The primary end point was change from baseline in BM frequency. In an open-label extension, 115 patients subsequently received telotristat ethyl 500 mg. Results Estimated differences in BM frequency per day versus placebo averaged over 12 weeks were -0.81 for telotristat ethyl 250 mg ( P < .001) and ‒0.69 for telotristat ethyl 500 mg ( P < .001). At week 12, mean BM frequency reductions per day for placebo, telotristat ethyl 250 mg, and telotristat ethyl 500 mg were -0.9, -1.7, and -2.1, respectively. Responses, predefined as a BM frequency reduction ≥ 30% from baseline for ≥ 50% of the double-blind treatment period, were observed in 20%, 44%, and 42% of patients given placebo, telotristat ethyl 250 mg, and telotristat ethyl 500 mg, respectively. Both telotristat ethyl dosages significantly reduced mean urinary 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid versus placebo at week 12 ( P < .001). Mild nausea and asymptomatic increases in gamma-glutamyl transferase were observed in some patients receiving telotristat ethyl. Follow-up of patients during the open-label extension revealed no new safety signals and suggested sustained BM responses to treatment. Conclusion Among patients with carcinoid syndrome not adequately controlled by somatostatin analogs, treatment with telotristat ethyl was generally safe and well tolerated and resulted in significant reductions in BM frequency and urinary 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid.

47 CFR 74.1202 - Frequency assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... FM Broadcast Booster Stations § 74.1202 Frequency assignment. (a) An applicant for a new FM broadcast... broadcast booster station will be assigned the channel assigned to its primary station. [35 FR 15388, Oct. 2...

47 CFR 74.1202 - Frequency assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... FM Broadcast Booster Stations § 74.1202 Frequency assignment. (a) An applicant for a new FM broadcast... broadcast booster station will be assigned the channel assigned to its primary station. [35 FR 15388, Oct. 2...

47 CFR 74.1202 - Frequency assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... FM Broadcast Booster Stations § 74.1202 Frequency assignment. (a) An applicant for a new FM broadcast... broadcast booster station will be assigned the channel assigned to its primary station. [35 FR 15388, Oct. 2...

47 CFR 74.1202 - Frequency assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... FM Broadcast Booster Stations § 74.1202 Frequency assignment. (a) An applicant for a new FM broadcast... broadcast booster station will be assigned the channel assigned to its primary station. [35 FR 15388, Oct. 2...

Evidence for basal distortion-product otoacoustic emission components.

PubMed

Martin, Glen K; Stagner, Barden B; Lonsbury-Martin, Brenda L

2010-05-01

Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured with traditional DP-grams and level/phase (L/P) maps in rabbits with either normal cochlear function or unique sound-induced cochlear losses that were characterized as either low-frequency or notched configurations. To demonstrate that emission generators distributed basal to the f(2) primary-tone contribute, in general, to DPOAE levels and phases, a high-frequency interference tone (IT) was presented at 1/3 of an octave (oct) above the f(2) primary-tone, and DPOAEs were re-measured as "augmented" DP-grams (ADP-grams) and L/P maps. The vector difference between the control and augmented functions was then computed to derive residual DP-grams (RDP-grams) and L/P maps. The resulting RDP-grams and L/P maps, which described the DPOAEs removed by the IT, supported the notion that basal DPOAE components routinely contribute to the generation of standard measures of DPOAEs. Separate experiments demonstrated that these components could not be attributed to the effects of the 1/3-oct IT on f(2), or DPOAEs generated by the addition of a third interfering tone. These basal components can "fill in" the lesion estimated by the commonly employed DP-gram. Thus, ADP-grams more accurately reveal the pattern of cochlear damage and may eventually lead to an improved DP-gram procedure.

A search for the primary abnormality in adult-onset type II citrullinemia

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

Kobayashi, Keiko; Shaheen, Nazma; Saheki, Takeyori

1993-11-01

Deficiency of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) causes citrullinemia in human beings. Type II citrullinemia is found in most patients with adult-onset citrullinemia in Japan, and ASS deficiency is found specifically in the liver. Previous studies have shown that the decrease of hepatic ASS activity is caused by a decrease in enzyme protein with normal kinetic properties and that there were no apparent abnormalities in the amount, translational activity, and gross structure of hepatic ASS mRNA. In the present work, the authors show by sequencing analysis that there was no mutation in the ASS mRNA from two patients with type II citrullinemia.more » The authors also report RFLP analysis of a consanguineous family with type II citrullinemia, by using three DNA polymorphisms located within the ASS gene locus. In spite of having consanguineous parents, the patient was not a homozygous haplotype for the ASS gene. The RFLP analysis of 16 affected patients from consanguineous parents showed that 5 of 16 patients had the heterozygous pattern for one of the three DNA probes and that the frequency of the heterozygous haplotype was not different from the control frequency. These results suggest that the primary defect of type II citrullinemia is not within the ASS gene locus. 29 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.« less

AUDITORY ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY AND REPRESENTATIONAL PLASTICITY IN THE PRIMARY AUDITORY CORTEX

PubMed Central

Weinberger, Norman M.

2009-01-01

Historically, the primary auditory cortex has been largely ignored as a substrate of auditory memory, perhaps because studies of associative learning could not reveal the plasticity of receptive fields (RFs). The use of a unified experimental design, in which RFs are obtained before and after standard training (e.g., classical and instrumental conditioning) revealed associative representational plasticity, characterized by facilitation of responses to tonal conditioned stimuli (CSs) at the expense of other frequencies, producing CS-specific tuning shifts. Associative representational plasticity (ARP) possesses the major attributes of associative memory: it is highly specific, discriminative, rapidly acquired, consolidates over hours and days and can be retained indefinitely. The nucleus basalis cholinergic system is sufficient both for the induction of ARP and for the induction of specific auditory memory, including control of the amount of remembered acoustic details. Extant controversies regarding the form, function and neural substrates of ARP appear largely to reflect different assumptions, which are explicitly discussed. The view that the forms of plasticity are task-dependent is supported by ongoing studies in which auditory learning involves CS-specific decreases in threshold or bandwidth without affecting frequency tuning. Future research needs to focus on the factors that determine ARP and their functions in hearing and in auditory memory. PMID:17344002

EEG power during waking and NREM sleep in primary insomnia.

PubMed

Wu, You Meme; Pietrone, Regina; Cashmere, J David; Begley, Amy; Miewald, Jean M; Germain, Anne; Buysse, Daniel J

2013-10-15

Pathophysiological models of insomnia invoke the concept of 24-hour hyperarousal, which could lead to symptoms and physiological findings during waking and sleep. We hypothesized that this arousal could be seen in the waking electroencephalogram (EEG) of individuals with primary insomnia (PI), and that waking EEG power would correlate with non-REM (NREM) EEG. Subjects included 50 PI and 32 good sleeper controls (GSC). Five minutes of eyes closed waking EEG were collected at subjects' usual bedtimes, followed by polysomnography (PSG) at habitual sleep times. An automated algorithm and visual editing were used to remove artifacts from waking and sleep EEGs, followed by power spectral analysis to estimate power from 0.5-32 Hz. We did not find significant differences in waking or NREM EEG spectral power of PI and GSC. Significant correlations between waking and NREM sleep power were observed across all frequency bands in the PI group and in most frequency bands in the GSC group. The absence of significant differences between groups in waking or NREM EEG power suggests that our sample was not characterized by a high degree of cortical arousal. The consistent correlations between waking and NREM EEG power suggest that, in samples with elevated NREM EEG beta activity, waking EEG power may show a similar pattern.

Mutation frequency in 15 common cancer genes in high-risk head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

McBride, Sean M; Rothenberg, S Michael; Faquin, William C; Chan, Annie W; Clark, John R; Ellisen, Leif W; Wirth, Lori J

2014-08-01

With prior studies having looked at unselected cohorts, we sought to explore the mutational landscape in a high-risk group of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors. A multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay evaluating 68 loci in 15 genes was performed on 64 patients with high-risk HNSCC. Because of the frequent PIK3CA and AKT1 mutations in patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma, we evaluated the relationship between mutation status and both clinical/pathologic variables and tumor control in this subgroup. Seventeen of 64 patients harbored mutations in the assayed loci: 16% in PIK3CA, 9% in TP53, 2% in AKT1, and 2% in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The frequency of PIK3CA/AKT1 mutations in oropharyngeal and sinonasal primaries was increased compared to other primary sites (35% vs 6%; p = .005). There was no relationship between mutation status and overall survival (OS), disease-specific death, or progression in the oropharyngeal cohort. We identified frequent PIK3CA mutations in patients with high-risk HNSCC confined predominantly to the oropharyngeal and sinonasal subsites; for the first time, mutation in AKT1 has been identified in HNSCC. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recent progress of the research work on frequency and time at the NIM. [China

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bingying, H.

1979-01-01

Chinese activities reported include (1) research and development on the primary cesium beam standard and the high precision crystal oscillator; (2) keeping the atomic time and calibrating frequency standards; (3) determining methods for transferring the standard frequency at the highest precision. The primary beam installation gives an accuracy of 1.2 x 10 to the minus 12 power (1 sigma). Improvements are being made to attain an uncertainity goal of the order of 10 to the minus 13 power. Two experiments conducted are described. One involved standard frequency transfer via TV color subcarrier; the other involved time synchronization via Symphonie satellite. The best results are the random fluctuation of direct measurement data is 1 sigma sub r (RMS) 10 ns, and the absolute error of clock synchronization is 1 sigma sub A (RMS) 30 ns.

[Study on the relationship of MTHFR polymorphisms with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion].

PubMed

Li, Xiao-mei; Zhang, You-zhong; Xu, Yan-xue; Jiang, Sen

2004-02-01

To assess the relationship of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotypes to unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). This study included two groups:57 currently non-pregnant women with a history of URSA (URSA group), and 50 currently non-pregnant women with a history of having given birth to at least one live baby and without any history of spontaneous abortion, still-born fetus, placental thrombosis and intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR)(control group). The fasting serum-Hcy was measured with high pressure liquid chromatography. Folic acid and vitamin B(12) were detected by radioimmune assay; antiphospholipid antibody (ACA) was detected by ELISA. MTHFR C677T gene polymorphisms were detected by the technique of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). C/C genotype in URSA group was significantly lower than that in control group, the total mutant T allele frequency was significantly higher than that in control group. There was no significant difference in respect of "age, rural area/city, period, primary/secondary abortion" between the genotype distributions of MTHFR C677T. The T/T genotype and C/T+T/T genotypes frequencies for "abortion times>or=3" were higher than those for "abortion time <3". MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for URSA.

Exploring the Clinical Utility of Relative Fundamental Frequency as an Objective Measure of Vocal Hyperfunction.

PubMed

Roy, Nelson; Fetrow, Rebecca A; Merrill, Ray M; Dromey, Christopher

2016-10-01

Vocal hyperfunction, related to abnormal laryngeal muscle activity, is considered the proximal cause of primary muscle tension dysphonia (pMTD). Relative fundamental frequency (RFF) has been proposed as an objective acoustic marker of vocal hyperfunction. This study examined (a) the ability of RFF to track changes in vocal hyperfunction after treatment for pMTD and (b) the influence of dysphonia severity, among other factors, on the feasibility of RFF computation. RFF calculations and dysphonia severity ratings were derived from pre- and posttreatment recordings from 111 women with pMTD and 20 healthy controls. Three vowel-voiceless consonant-vowel stimuli were analyzed. RFF onset slope consistently varied as a function of group (pMTD vs. controls) and time (pretherapy vs. posttherapy). Significant correlations between RFF onset cycle 1 and dysphonia severity were observed. However, in many samples, RFF could not be computed, and adjusted odds ratios revealed that these unanalyzable data were linked to dysphonia severity, phonetic (vowel-voiceless consonant-vowel) context, and group (pMTD vs. control). RFF onset appears to be sensitive to the presence and degree of suspected vocal hyperfunction before and after therapy. The large number of unanalyzable samples (related especially to dysphonia severity in the pMTD group) represents an important limitation.

Daily corticosteroids reduce infection-associated relapses in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Gulati, Ashima; Sinha, Aditi; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Math, Aparna; Hari, Pankaj; Bagga, Arvind

2011-01-01

Relapses of nephrotic syndrome often follow minor infections, commonly of the upper respiratory tract. Daily administration of maintenance prednisolone during intercurrent infections was examined to determine whether the treatment reduces relapse rates in children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome. In a randomized controlled trial (nonblind, parallel group, tertiary-care hospital), 100 patients with idiopathic, frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome eligible for therapy with prolonged low-dose, alternate-day prednisolone with or without levamisole were randomized to either receive their usual dose of alternate-day prednisolone daily for 7 days during intercurrent infections (intervention group) or continue alternate-day prednisolone (controls). Primary outcome was assessed by comparing the rates of infection-associated relapses at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were the frequency of infections and the cumulative amount of prednisolone received in both groups. Patients in the intervention group showed significantly lower infection-associated (rate difference, 0.7 episodes/patient per year; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.3, 1.1) and lower total relapse rates (0.9 episodes/patient per year, 95% CI 0.4, 1.4) without increase in steroid toxicity. Poisson regression, adjusted for occurrence of infections, showed that daily administration of prednisolone during infections independently resulted in 59% reduction in frequency of relapses (rate ratio, 0.41; 95% CI 0.3, 0.6). For every six patients receiving this intervention, one showed a reduction of relapse frequency to less than three per year. Daily administration of maintenance doses of prednisolone, during intercurrent infections, significantly reduces relapse rates and the proportion of children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome.

Three-way ROC validation of rs-fMRI visual information propagation transfer functions used to differentiate between RRMS and CIS optic neuritis patients.

PubMed

Farahani, Ehsan Shahrabi; Choudhury, Samiul H; Cortese, Filomeno; Costello, Fiona; Goodyear, Bradley; Smith, Michael R

2017-07-01

Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) measures the temporal synchrony between different brain regions while the subject is at rest. We present an investigation using visual information propagation transfer functions as potential optic neuritis (ON) markers for the pathways between the lateral geniculate nuclei, the primary visual cortex, the lateral occipital cortex and the superior parietal cortex. We investigate marker reliability in differentiating between healthy controls and ON patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) using a three-way receiver operating characteristics analysis. We identify useful and reliable three-way ON related metrics in the rs-fMRI low-frequency band 0.0 Hz to 0.1 Hz, with potential markers associated with the higher frequency harmonics of these signals in the 0.1 Hz to 0.2 Hz and 0.2 Hz to 0.3 Hz bands.

Association of polymorphisms in microRNA machinery genes (DROSHA, DICER1, RAN, and XPO5) with risk of idiopathic primary ovarian insufficiency in Korean women.

PubMed

Rah, HyungChul; Jeon, Young Joo; Lee, Bo Eun; Kim, Jung O; Shim, Sung Han; Lee, Woo Sik; Choi, Dong Hee; Kim, Ji Hyang; Kim, Nam Keun

2013-10-01

The aim of our study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in microRNA machinery genes are associated with the risk of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). We genotyped 136 POI patients and 236 controls among Korean women for nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; DROSHA rs6877842 and rs10719; DICER1 rs13078 and rs3742330; RAN rs14035; and XPO5 rs34324334, rs2257082, rs11544382, and rs11077) by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Differences in genotype frequencies between patients and controls were compared, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were determined as measures of the strength of the association between genotype and POI. Of the nine SNPs, XPO5 rs34324334 and rs11544382 were monomorphic and were not analyzed further. The XPO5 rs2257082 CT and CT + TT variant genotypes were more frequent in patients (OR, 2.097; 95% CI, 1.207-3.645) than in controls (OR, 2.030; 95% CI, 1.196-3.445). The combined frequencies of XPO5 rs2257082 CT + TT and rs11077 AC + CC genotypes were higher in patients than in controls (OR, 2.526; 95% CI, 1.088-5.865). An association of POI risk with other polymorphisms was not found. A haplotype-based analysis of seven polymorphisms of the microRNA machinery genes for gene-gene interactions suggests that ***ACTA, ***GCCA, ***G*C*, *T*ATTA, and ***ACT* haplotypes (asterisk indicates SNP locus not included; DROSHA rs6877842 and rs10719, DICER1 rs13078 and rs3742330, RAN rs14035, and XPO5 rs2257082 and rs11077 polymorphisms) are associated with higher POI prevalence, and that ***GCTA, ***ACCA, *C*ATTA, and *C*ATT* haplotypes are associated with lower POI prevalence. Our data demonstrate that the XPO5 rs2257082 T variant allele occurs more frequently in POI patients than in controls, suggesting that this allele may be associated with increased POI risk.

Quantification of mid and late evoked sinks in laminar current source density profiles of columns in the primary auditory cortex

PubMed Central

Schaefer, Markus K.; Hechavarría, Julio C.; Kössl, Manfred

2015-01-01

Current source density (CSD) analysis assesses spatiotemporal synaptic activations at somatic and/or dendritic levels in the form of depolarizing current sinks. Whereas many studies have focused on the short (<50 ms) latency sinks, associated with thalamocortical projections, sinks with longer latencies have received less attention. Here, we analyzed laminar CSD patterns for the first 600 ms after stimulus onset in the primary auditory cortex of Mongolian gerbils. By applying an algorithm for contour calculation, three distinct mid and four late evoked sinks were identified in layers I, III, Va, VIa, and VIb. Our results further showed that the patterns of intracortical information-flow remained qualitatively similar for low and for high sound pressure level stimuli at the characteristic frequency (CF) as well as for stimuli ± 1 octave from CF. There were, however, differences associated with the strength, vertical extent, onset latency, and duration of the sinks for the four stimulation paradigms used. Stimuli one octave above the most sensitive frequency evoked a new, and quite reliable, sink in layer Va whereas low level stimulation led to the disappearance of the layer VIb sink. These data indicate the presence of input sources specifically activated in response to level and/or frequency parameters. Furthermore, spectral integration above vs. below the CF of neurons is asymmetric as illustrated by CSD profiles. These results are important because synaptic feedback associated with mid and late sinks—beginning at 50 ms post stimulus latency—is likely crucial for response modulation resulting from higher order processes like memory, learning or cognitive control. PMID:26557058

Effect of l-DOPA on local field potential relationship between the pedunculopontine nucleus and primary motor cortex in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Geng, Xiwen; Wang, Xuenan; Xie, Jinlu; Zhang, Xiao; Wang, Xiusong; Hou, Yabing; Lei, Chengdong; Li, Min; Han, Hongyu; Yao, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Qun; Wang, Min

2016-12-15

Levodopa (l-DOPA) has been proved to reverse the pathologic neuron activities in many brain regions related to Parkinson's disease (PD). But little is known about the effect of l-DOPA on the altered electrophysiological coherent activities between pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and motor cortex. To investigate this, local field potentials (LFPs) of PPN and primary motor cortex (M1) were recorded simultaneously in control, 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned and lesioned rats with l-DOPA chronic treatment. The results revealed that in resting state, chronic l-DOPA treatment could correct the suppressed power of LFPs in PPN and M1 in low-frequency band (1-7Hz) and the enhanced power in high-frequency band (7-70Hz in PPN and 12-70Hz in M1) of lesioned rats. In locomotor state, l-DOPA treatment could correct the alterations in most of frequency bands except the δ band in PPN and α band in M1. Moreover, l-DOPA could also reverse the altered coherent relationships caused by dopamine depletion in resting state between PPN and M1 in β band. And in locomotor state, l-DOPA had therapeutic effect on the alterations in δ and β bands but not in the α band. These findings provide evidence that l-DOPA can reverse the altered LFP activities in PPN and M1 and their relationships in a rat model of PD, which contributes to better understanding the electrophysiological mechanisms of the pathophysiology and therapy of PD. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

40 CFR 60.113a - Testing and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... every five years thereafter. All primary seal inspections or gap measurements which require the removal... the gap areas and maximum gap widths between the primary seal and the tank wall and between the secondary seal and the tank wall according to the following frequency: (A) For primary seals, gap...

40 CFR 60.113a - Testing and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... every five years thereafter. All primary seal inspections or gap measurements which require the removal... the gap areas and maximum gap widths between the primary seal and the tank wall and between the secondary seal and the tank wall according to the following frequency: (A) For primary seals, gap...

Peripheral CD24hi CD27+ CD19+ B cells subset as a potential biomarker in naïve systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Jin, Lin; Weiqian, Chen; Lihuan, Yue

2013-12-01

B cells are likely to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to investigate the role of peripheral CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells in Chinese patients with new-onset SLE. Peripheral CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells were analyzed in 55 new-onset lupus and 36 healthy controls by flow cytometry. All SLE cases were treated with prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine during a 1-year follow-up. Thirteen cases were added with cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil. The CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells were analyzed at days 0, 7, 14 and months 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing B cell was detected in eight naïve lupus and 10 healthy controls. Compared to healthy controls, the frequency and number of primary circulating CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells was significantly reduced in SLE cases (8.22 ± 3.48% vs. 31.67 ± 5.53%, P < 0.0001; 4.04 ± 2.85 vs. 38.66 ± 10.22 10(3) cells/mL, P = 0.0001) before treatment; IL-10(+) CD19(+) B cells and IL-10(+) CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells also decreased in SLE. Interestingly, primary CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells inversely correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score. Patients with arthritis and hematologic disorders had a lower primary CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells. In 48 SLE cases who finished the 1-year follow-up, the frequency and number of CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells increased from 8.26 ± 3.61% to 25.51 ± 4.56%; 3.99 ± 2.86 to 28.64 ± 11.81 10(3) cells/mm(3) (P < 0.0001), accompanied by a significantly decreased SLEDAI score. Of note, CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells decreased in some flare cases with an elevated SLEDAI score. These results demonstrate that a lower primary CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells may be an immunologic aspect of new-onset SLE. CD24(hi) CD27(+) CD19(+) B cells may be a useful tool to evaluate lupus activity and monitor the response to therapy. © 2013 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Modeling and semi-active fuzzy control of magnetorheological elastomer-based isolator for seismic response reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Xuan Bao; Komatsuzaki, Toshihiko; Iwata, Yoshio; Asanuma, Haruhiko

2018-02-01

In this paper, a magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) based isolator was investigated to mitigate excessive vibrations in structures during seismic events. The primary objectives of this research are to propose a numerical model that expresses viscoelastic behaviors of the MRE and predict operation process of the MRE-based isolator for future design of isolator systems for various technical applications. Despite the simplicity in parameter definition in comparison to the conventional models, the proposed model works efficiently in a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. The model consists of the following components: viscoelasticity of host MRE, magnetic field-induced property, nominal viscosity as well as high stiffness in low excitation frequency that are modeled in analogy with a standard linear solid model (Zener model), a stiffness variable spring, and a smooth Coulomb friction, respectively. Furthermore, a semi-active fuzzy controller was designed to enhance the performance of the isolator in suppressing structural vibrations. The control strategy was built to determine the command applied current. The controller is completely adequate for handling the nonlinearity of the isolator and works independently with the building structure. The efficiency of the MRE-based isolator was evaluated by the responses of the scaled building under seismic excitation. Numerical and experimental results show that the isolator accompanied with a fuzzy controller remarkably reduces the relative displacement and absolute acceleration of the scaled building compared to passive-off and passive-on cases.

Disease Control Among Patients With Diabetes and Severe Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Werremeyer, Amy; Maack, Brody; Strand, Mark A; Barnacle, Mykell; Petry, Natasha

2016-04-01

Major depressive disorder and type 2 diabetes commonly co-occur and disease control tends to be poorer when both conditions are present. However, little research has examined the disease characteristics of patients with diabetes and more severe depressive symptoms. We report a retrospective observational study of 517 patients with diabetes from 2 primary care centers. Patients with diabetes and moderately-severe/severe depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] score >15) were compared with patients with diabetes without moderate or severe depression symptoms (PHQ-9 score <15; the comparison group) with regard to control of diabetes, blood pressure, and lipid parameters. Frequency of HbA1c and PHQ-9 testing were also examined. Patients with diabetes and moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms had higher HbA1c (7.56% vs. 7.09%), diastolic blood pressure (78.43 vs. 75.67 mm Hg), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (109.12 vs. 94.22 mg/dL) versus the comparison group. Patients with diabetes and moderately-severe/severe depression underwent HbA1c and PHQ-9 testing with similar frequency to the comparison group. The presence of moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms was associated with poorer glucose, lipid, and blood pressure control among patients with diabetes. Further research should prospectively examine whether a targeted depression treatment goal (PHQ-9 score <15) in patients with diabetes results in improved control of these important disease parameters. © The Author(s) 2016.

Power-Quality Improvement in PFC Bridgeless SEPIC-Fed BLDC Motor Drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Bhim; Bist, Vashist

2013-06-01

This article presents a design of a power factor correction (PFC)-based brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive. The speed control of BLDC motor is achieved by controlling the DC link voltage of the voltage source inverter (VSI) feeding BLDC motor using a single voltage sensor. A front-end bridgeless single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) is used for DC link voltage control and PFC operation. A bridgeless SEPIC is designed to operate in discontinuous inductor current mode (DICM) thus utilizing a simple control scheme of voltage follower. An electronic commutation of BLDC motor is used for VSI to operate in a low-frequency operation for reduced switching losses in the VSI. Moreover, a bridgeless topology offers less conduction losses due to absence of diode bridge rectifier for further increasing the efficiency. The proposed BLDC motor drive is designed to operate over a wide range of speed control with an improved power-quality at the AC mains under the recommended international power-quality standards such as IEC 61000-3-2.

Wind turbine power tracking using an improved multimodel quadratic approach.

PubMed

Khezami, Nadhira; Benhadj Braiek, Naceur; Guillaud, Xavier

2010-07-01

In this paper, an improved multimodel optimal quadratic control structure for variable speed, pitch regulated wind turbines (operating at high wind speeds) is proposed in order to integrate high levels of wind power to actively provide a primary reserve for frequency control. On the basis of the nonlinear model of the studied plant, and taking into account the wind speed fluctuations, and the electrical power variation, a multimodel linear description is derived for the wind turbine, and is used for the synthesis of an optimal control law involving a state feedback, an integral action and an output reference model. This new control structure allows a rapid transition of the wind turbine generated power between different desired set values. This electrical power tracking is ensured with a high-performance behavior for all other state variables: turbine and generator rotational speeds and mechanical shaft torque; and smooth and adequate evolution of the control variables. 2010 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control Augmented Structural Synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lust, Robert V.; Schmit, Lucien A.

1988-01-01

A methodology for control augmented structural synthesis is proposed for a class of structures which can be modeled as an assemblage of frame and/or truss elements. It is assumed that both the plant (structure) and the active control system dynamics can be adequately represented with a linear model. The structural sizing variables, active control system feedback gains and nonstructural lumped masses are treated simultaneously as independent design variables. Design constraints are imposed on static and dynamic displacements, static stresses, actuator forces and natural frequencies to ensure acceptable system behavior. Multiple static and dynamic loading conditions are considered. Side constraints imposed on the design variables protect against the generation of unrealizable designs. While the proposed approach is fundamentally more general, here the methodology is developed and demonstrated for the case where: (1) the dynamic loading is harmonic and thus the steady state response is of primary interest; (2) direct output feedback is used for the control system model; and (3) the actuators and sensors are collocated.

Signal Frequency Spectra with Audacity®

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gailey, Alycia

2015-01-01

The primary objective of the activity presented here is to allow students to explore the frequency components of various simple signals, with the ultimate goal of teaching them how to remove unwanted noise from a voice signal. Analysis of the frequency components of a signal allows students to design filters that remove unwanted components of a…

Controller for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply, and a method thereof

DOEpatents

Cantin, Luc; Deschenes, Mario; D'Amours, Mario

1995-08-15

A controller is provided for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply having a typical frequency, the AC supply being provided via power transformers by an electrical power distribution grid. The controller is associated with the load and comprises an input interface for coupling the controller to the grid, a frequency detector for detecting the frequency of the AC supply and producing a signal indicative of the frequency, memory modules for storing preprogrammed commands, a frequency monitor for reading the signal indicative of the frequency and producing frequency data derived thereof, a selector for selecting at least one of the preprogrammed commands with respect to the frequency data, a control unit for producing at least one command signal representative of the selected preprogrammed commands, and an output interface including a device responsive to the command signal for controlling the load. Therefore, the load can be controlled by means of the controller depending on the frequency of the AC supply.

Analysis of the influence of the T393C polymorphism of the GNAS gene on the clinical expression of primary hyperparathyroidism.

PubMed

Piedra, María; Berja, Ana; Ramos, Laura; García-Unzueta, María Teresa; Morán, Jesús Manuel; Ruiz, David; Amado, José Antonio

2017-12-01

The receptor of parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related-protein (PTH/PTHrp) is located in the cell membrane of target tissues - kidney and osteoblasts. It is a G protein-coupled-receptor whose G s α subunit is encoded by the GNAS gene. Our aim was to study whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) T393C of the GNAS gene is associated with renal stones, bone mineral density (BMD), or bone remodelling markers in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). An analysis was made of clinical and biochemical parameters and densitometric values in three areas and their relationship with the T393C SNP of the GNAS gene in 261 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and in 328 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the Custom Taqman ® SNP Genotyping assay. The genotype frequencies of GNAS T/C 393 were similar in the control and PHPT groups. No association was found between genotypes and clinical expression of PHPT (renal stones and bone fractures). A nonstatistically significant trend was seen to lower BMD in the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip in both PHPT and control C homozygote subjects. Genetic susceptibility to PHPT related to the GNAS T393C polymorphism or a major influence in its development and clinical expression were found. A C allele-related susceptibility to lower BMD in trabecular bone in both PHPT and control subjects is not sufficient to suggest a more severe clinical expression of PHPT. This trend may be considered as a basis for further studies with larger sample sizes and complementary functional evaluation. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of exercise intervention and health promotion on cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged men: a protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

From, Svetlana; Liira, Helena; Leppävuori, Jenni; Remes-Lyly, Taina; Tikkanen, Heikki; Pitkälä, Kaisu

2013-02-11

Although cardiovascular disease has decreased, there is still potential for prevention as obesity and diabetes increase. Exercise has a positive effect on many cardiovascular risk factors, and it can significantly reduce the components of metabolic syndrome. The main challenge with exercise in primary care is how to succeed in motivating the patients at risk to change and increase their exercise habits. The objective of this study is to modify the cardiovascular risk in middle-aged men, either through a health promotion intervention alone or combined with an exercise intervention. During a two-year period we recruit 300 men aged from 35 to 45 years with elevated cardiovascular risk (> two traditional risk factors). The men are randomized into three arms: 1) a health promotion intervention alone, 2) both health promotion and exercise intervention, or 3) control with usual community care and delayed health promotion (these men receive the intervention after one year). The main outcome measures will be the existence of metabolic syndrome and physical activity frequency (times per week). The participants are assessed at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 12 months. The follow-up of the study will last 12 months. This pragmatic trial in primary health care aimed to assess the effect of a health promotion programme with or without exercise intervention on cardiovascular risk and physical activity in middle-aged men. The results of this study may help to plan the primary care interventions to further reduce cardiovascular mortality.The study was registered at the Controlled Trials ( http://www.controlled-trials.com). ISRCTN80672011. The study received ethics approval from the Coordinating Ethics Committee at Helsinki University Hospital on 8 June 2009 (ref: 4/13/03/00/09).

Optical wet steam monitor

DOEpatents

Maxey, L.C.; Simpson, M.L.

1995-01-17

A wet steam monitor determines steam particle size by using laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) device to produce backscatter light. The backscatter light signal is processed with a spectrum analyzer to produce a visibility waveform in the frequency domain. The visibility waveform includes a primary peak and a plurality of sidebands. The bandwidth of at least the primary frequency peak is correlated to particle size by either visually comparing the bandwidth to those of known particle sizes, or by digitizing the waveform and comparing the waveforms electronically. 4 figures.

Measuring workload for tuberculosis service provision at primary care level: a methodology

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

We developed and piloted a methodology to establish TB related work load at primary care level for clinical and laboratory staff. Workload is influenced by activities to be implemented, time to perform them, their frequency and patient load. Of particular importance is the patient pathway for diagnosis and treatment and the frequency of clinic visits. Using observation with checklists, clocking, interviews and review of registers, allows assessing the contribution of different factors on the workload. PMID:22640406

Optical wet steam monitor

DOEpatents

Maxey, Lonnie C.; Simpson, Marc L.

1995-01-01

A wet steam monitor determines steam particle size by using laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) device to produce backscatter light. The backscatter light signal is processed with a spectrum analyzer to produce a visibility waveform in the frequency domain. The visibility waveform includes a primary peak and a plurality of sidebands. The bandwidth of at least the primary frequency peak is correlated to particle size by either visually comparing the bandwidth to those of known particle sizes, or by digitizing the waveform and comparing the waveforms electronically.

Oral and dental health status in patients with primary antibody deficiencies.

PubMed

Meighani, Ghasem; Aghamohammadi, Asghar; Javanbakht, Honarmand; Abolhassani, Hassan; Nikayin, Sina; Jafari, Seyed Mehryar; Ghandehari Motlagh, Mehdi; Shamshiri, Ahmad Reza; Rezaei, Nima

2011-12-01

Primary antibody deficiencies (PAD) are a group of immune system disorders, associated with decreased levels of secretory and protective immunoglobulins. Because of the important role of immunoglobulins in the protection of oral cavity, patients with PADs are more susceptible to dental caries or oral manifestations. This study was performed to investigate the oral and dental manifestations of PADs patients. In this study, 33 patients with PADs (21 common variable immunodeficiency, 8 X-linked agammaglobulinemia and 4 hyper IgM syndrome) and 66 controls were examined; the number of decayed, missed and filled teeth (DMFT) were investigated. Aphthous was the most frequent manifestation in PADs patients (38.7%), which was significantly 16.7% higher than the controls (p=0.03). The patients with PADs showed significantly higher presentation of other oral and dental manifestations, including herpes sores, candidiasis tonsillitis, gingivitis, calculus, enamel hypoplasia and other ulcerations. The mean DMFT scores were 6.15±3.6 and 1.93±0.4 in PADs patients and controls, respectively (p<0.001). Although the patients with common variable immunodeficiency had higher means of DMFT in comparison with other groups of PADs, this difference was not statistically significant. This study showed significantly higher frequency of oral and dental manifestations in the patients with PADs compared to controls. Therefore, regular examination of oral cavity could be suggested in this group of immunodeficient patients.

Comorbidity profile and healthcare utilization in elderly patients with serious mental illnesses.

PubMed

Hendrie, Hugh C; Lindgren, Donald; Hay, Donald P; Lane, Kathleen A; Gao, Sujuan; Purnell, Christianna; Munger, Stephanie; Smith, Faye; Dickens, Jeanne; Boustani, Malaz A; Callahan, Christopher M

2013-12-01

Patients with serious mental illness are living longer. Yet, there remain few studies that focus on healthcare utilization and its relationship with comorbidities in these elderly mentally ill patients. Comparative study. Information on demographics, comorbidities, and healthcare utilization was taken from an electronic medical record system. Wishard Health Services senior care and community mental health clinics. Patients age 65 years and older-255 patients with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, major recurrent depression, and bipolar illness) attending a mental health clinic and a representative sample of 533 nondemented patients without serious mental illness attending primary care clinics. Patients having serious mental illness had significantly higher rates of medical emergency department visits (p = 0.0027) and significantly longer lengths of medical hospitalizations (p <0.0001) than did the primary care control group. The frequency of medical comorbidities such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disease, and cancer was not significantly different between the groups. Hypertension was lower in the mentally ill group (p <0.0001). Reported falls (p <0.0001), diagnoses of substance abuse (p = 0.02), and alcoholism (p = 0.0016) were higher in the seriously mentally ill. The differences in healthcare utilization between the groups remained significant after adjusting for comorbidity levels, lifestyle factors, and attending primary care. Our findings of higher rates of emergency care, longer hospitalizations, and increased frequency of falls, substance abuse, and alcoholism suggest that seriously mentally ill older adults remain a vulnerable population requiring an integrated model of healthcare. Copyright © 2013 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in implant stability using different site preparation techniques: twist drills versus piezosurgery. A single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Stacchi, Claudio; Vercellotti, Tomaso; Torelli, Lucio; Furlan, Fabio; Di Lenarda, Roberto

2013-04-01

The objective of the present investigation was to longitudinally monitor stability changes of implants inserted using traditional rotary instruments or piezoelectric inserts, and to follow their variations during the first 90 days of healing. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 20 patients. Each patient received two identical, adjacent implants in the upper premolar area: the test site was prepared with piezosurgery, and the control site was prepared using twist drills. Resonance frequency analysis measurements were taken by a blinded operator on the day of surgery and after 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, and 90 days. At 90 days, 39 out of 40 implants were osseointegrated (one failure in the control group). Both groups showed an initial decrease in mean implant stability quotient (ISQ) values: a shift in implant stability to increasing ISQ values occurred after 14 days in the test group and after 21 days in the control group. The lowest mean ISQ value was recorded at 14 days for test implants (97.3% of the primary stability) and at 21 days for the control implants (90.8% of the primary stability). ISQ variations with respect to primary stability differed significantly between the two groups during the entire period of observation: from day 14 to day 42, in particular, the differences were extremely significant (p < .0001). All 39 implants were in function successfully at the visit scheduled 1 year after insertion. The findings from this study suggest that ultrasonic implant site preparation results in a limited decrease of ISQ values and in an earlier shifting from a decreasing to an increasing stability pattern, when compared with the traditional drilling technique. From a clinical point of view, implants inserted with the piezoelectric technique demonstrated a short-term clinical success similar to those inserted using twist drills. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects on work ability, job strain and quality of life of monitoring depression using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent general practitioner consultations: A randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Petersson, E-L; Wikberg, C; Westman, J; Ariai, N; Nejati, S; Björkelund, C

2018-05-01

Depression reduces individuals' function and work ability and is associated with both frequent and long-term sickness absence. Investigate if monitoring of depression course using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent general practitioner (GP) consultations leads to improved work ability, decreased job strain, and quality of life among primary care patients. Primary care patients n = 183, who worked. In addition to regular treatment (control group), intervention patients received evaluation and monitoring and used the MADRS-S depression scale during GP visit at baseline and at visits 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Work ability, quality of life and job strain were outcome measures. Depression symptoms decreased in all patients. Significantly steeper increase of WAI at 3 months in the intervention group. Social support was perceived high in a significantly higher frequency in intervention group compared to control group. Monitoring of depression course using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent GP consultations seems to lead to improved self-assessed work ability and increased high social support, but not to reduced job strain or increased quality of life compared to TAU. Future studies concerning rehabilitative efforts that seek to influence work ability probably also should include more active interventions at the workplace.

μ Eridani from MOST and from the ground: an orbit, the SPB component's fundamental parameters and the SPB frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerzykiewicz, M.; Lehmann, H.; Niemczura, E.; Molenda-Żakowicz, J.; Dymitrov, W.; Fagas, M.; Guenther, D. B.; Hartmann, M.; Hrudková, M.; Kamiński, K.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Kuschnig, R.; Leto, G.; Matthews, J. M.; Rowe, J. F.; Ruciński, S. M.; Sasselov, D.; Weiss, W. W.

2013-06-01

MOST time series photometry of μ Eri, an SB1 eclipsing binary with a rapidly rotating SPB primary, is reported and analysed. The analysis yields a number of sinusoidal terms, mainly due to the intrinsic variation of the primary, and the eclipse light curve. New radial-velocity observations are presented and used to compute parameters of a spectroscopic orbit. Frequency analysis of the radial-velocity residuals from the spectroscopic orbital solution fails to uncover periodic variations with amplitudes greater than 2 km s-1. A Rossiter-McLaughlin anomaly is detected from observations covering ingress. From archival photometric indices and the revised Hipparcos parallax, we derive the primary's effective temperature, surface gravity, bolometric correction and the luminosity. An analysis of a high signal-to-noise spectrogram yields the effective temperature and surface gravity in good agreement with the photometric values. From the same spectrogram, we determine the abundance of He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl and Fe. The eclipse light curve is solved by means of EBOP. For a range of mass of the primary, a value of mean density, very nearly independent of assumed mass, is computed from the parameters of the system. Contrary to a recent report, this value is approximately equal to the mean density obtained from the star's effective temperature and luminosity. Despite limited frequency resolution of the MOST data, we were able to recover the closely spaced SPB frequency quadruplet discovered from the ground in 2002-2004. The other two SPB terms seen from the ground were also recovered. Moreover, our analysis of the MOST data adds 15 low-amplitude SPB terms with frequencies ranging from 0.109 to 2.786 d-1.

Barriers to Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing of HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men Engaged in HIV Primary Care.

PubMed

Barbee, Lindley A; Dhanireddy, Shireesha; Tat, Susana A; Marrazzo, Jeanne M

2015-10-01

Approximately 15% of HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) engaged in HIV primary care have been diagnosed as having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past year, yet STI testing frequency remains low. We sought to quantify STI testing frequencies at a large, urban HIV care clinic, and to identify patient- and provider-related barriers to increased STI testing. We extracted laboratory data in aggregate from the electronic medical record to calculate STI testing frequencies (defined as the number of HIV-infected MSM engaged in care who were tested at least once over an 18-month period divided by the number of MSM engaged in care). We created anonymous surveys of patients and providers to elicit barriers. Extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia testing was low (29%-32%), but the frequency of syphilis testing was higher (72%). Patients frequently reported high-risk behaviors, including drug use (16.4%) and recent bacterial STI (25.5%), as well as substantial rates of recent testing (>60% in prior 6 months). Most (72%) reported testing for STI in HIV primary care, but one-third went elsewhere for "easier" (42%), anonymous (21%), or more frequent (16%) testing. HIV primary care providers lacked testing and treatment knowledge (25%-32%) and cited lack of time (68%), discomfort with sexual history taking and genital examination (21%), and patient reluctance (39%) as barriers to increased STI testing. Sexually transmitted infection testing in HIV care remains unacceptably low. Enhanced education of providers, along with strategies to decrease provider time and increase patient ease and frequency of STI testing, is needed.

Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations replacing speech in primary progressive aphasia

PubMed Central

Rohrer, Jonathan D.; Warren, Jason D.; Rossor, Martin N.

2009-01-01

We describe ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) (pathologically confirmed in three cases) who developed abnormal laughter-like vocalisations in the context of progressive speech output impairment leading to mutism. Failure of speech output was accompanied by increasing frequency of the abnormal vocalisations until ultimately they constituted the patient's only extended utterance. The laughter-like vocalisations did not show contextual sensitivity but occurred as an automatic vocal output that replaced speech. Acoustic analysis of the vocalisations in two patients revealed abnormal motor features including variable note duration and inter-note interval, loss of temporal symmetry of laugh notes and loss of the normal decrescendo. Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations may be a hallmark of a subgroup in the PPA spectrum with impaired control and production of nonverbal vocal behaviour due to disruption of fronto-temporal networks mediating vocalisation. PMID:19435636

A Comparative Study of Power Supply Architectures In Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteban, Bryan

Wireless inductive power transfer is a transformational and disruptive technology that enables the reliable and efficient transfer of electrical power over large air gaps for a host of unique applications. One such application that is now gaining much momentum worldwide is the wireless charging of electric vehicles (EVs). This thesis examines two of the primary power supply topologies being predominantly used for EV charging, namely the SLC and the LCL resonant full bridge inverter topologies. The study of both of these topologies is presented in the context of designing a 3 kW, primary side controlled, wireless EV charger with nominal operating parameters of 30 kHz centre frequency and range of coupling in the neighborhood of .18-.26. A comparison of both topologies is made in terms of their complexity, cost, efficiency, and power quality. The aim of the study is to determine which topology is better for wireless EV charging.

The Impact of an Eight-Day Intensive Treatment for Adolescent Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia on Comorbid Diagnoses

PubMed Central

Gallo, Kaitlin P.; Chan, Priscilla T.; Buzzella, Brian A.; Whitton, Sarah W.; Pincus, Donna B.

2012-01-01

Previous research findings have shown positive effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy for primary anxiety disorders as well as for non-primary, co-occurring anxiety disorders. In this study, we analyzed data from an existing randomized controlled trial of intensive treatment for Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia (PDA) to examine the effects of the treatment on comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. The overall frequency and severity of aggregated comorbid diagnoses decreased in a group of adolescents who received an 8-day treatment for PDA. Results suggest that an 8-day treatment for PDA can alleviate the symptoms of some specific comorbid clinical diagnoses; specifically Specific Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Social Phobia. These findings suggest that an intensive treatment for PDA is associated with reductions in comorbid symptoms even though disorders other than PDA are not specific treatment targets. PMID:22304887

Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations replacing speech in primary progressive aphasia.

PubMed

Rohrer, Jonathan D; Warren, Jason D; Rossor, Martin N

2009-09-15

We describe ten patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) (pathologically confirmed in three cases) who developed abnormal laughter-like vocalisations in the context of progressive speech output impairment leading to mutism. Failure of speech output was accompanied by increasing frequency of the abnormal vocalisations until ultimately they constituted the patient's only extended utterance. The laughter-like vocalisations did not show contextual sensitivity but occurred as an automatic vocal output that replaced speech. Acoustic analysis of the vocalisations in two patients revealed abnormal motor features including variable note duration and inter-note interval, loss of temporal symmetry of laugh notes and loss of the normal decrescendo. Abnormal laughter-like vocalisations may be a hallmark of a subgroup in the PPA spectrum with impaired control and production of nonverbal vocal behaviour due to disruption of fronto-temporal networks mediating vocalisation.

Influence of repetition frequency on streamer-to-spark breakdown mechanism in transient spark discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janda, M.; Martišovitš, V.; Buček, A.; Hensel, K.; Molnár, M.; Machala, Z.

2017-10-01

Streamer-to-spark transition in a self-pulsing positive transient spark (TS) discharge was investigated at different repetition frequencies. The temporal evolution of the TS was recorded, showing the primary streamer and the secondary streamer phases. A streak camera-like images were obtained using spatio-temporal reconstruction of the discharge emission detected by a photomultiplier tube with light collection system placed on a micrometric translation stage. With increasing TS repetition frequency f (from ~1 to 6 kHz), the increase of the propagation velocity of both the primary and the secondary streamer was observed. Acceleration of the primary and secondary streamers, and shortening of streamer-to-spark transition time τ with increasing f was attributed to the memory effect composed of pre-heating and gas composition changes induced by the previous TS pulses. Fast propagation of the secondary streamer through the entire gap and fast gas heating could explain the short τ (~100 ns) at f above ~3 kHz.

5-Azacytidine Can Induce Lethal Mutagenesis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1▿ †

PubMed Central

Dapp, Michael J.; Clouser, Christine L.; Patterson, Steven; Mansky, Louis M.

2009-01-01

Ribonucleosides inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by mechanisms that have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report the antiviral mechanism for the ribonucleoside analog 5-azacytidine (5-AZC). We hypothesized that the anti-HIV-1 activity of 5-AZC was due to an increase in the HIV-1 mutation rate following its incorporation into viral RNA during transcription. However, we demonstrate that 5-AZC's primary antiviral activity can be attributed to its effect on the early phase of HIV-1 replication. Furthermore, the antiviral activity was associated with an increase in the frequency of viral mutants, suggesting that 5-AZC's primary target is reverse transcription. Sequencing analysis showed an enrichment in G-to-C transversion mutations and further supports the idea that reverse transcription is an antiviral target of 5-AZC. These results indicate that 5-AZC is incorporated into viral DNA following reduction to 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. Incorporation into the viral DNA leads to an increase in mutant frequency that is consistent with lethal mutagenesis during reverse transcription as the primary antiviral mechanism of 5-AZC. Antiviral activity and increased mutation frequency were also associated with the late phase of HIV-1 replication; however, 5-AZC's effect on the late phase was less robust. These results reveal that the primary antiviral mechanism of 5-AZC can be attributed to its ability to increase the HIV-1 mutation frequency through viral-DNA incorporation during reverse transcription. Our observations indicate that 5-AZC can affect two steps in HIV-1 replication (i.e., transcription and reverse transcription) but that its primary antiviral activity is due to incorporation during reverse transcription. PMID:19726509

Relationship between Primary and Secondary Dental Care in Public Health Services in Brazil.

PubMed

Martins, Renata Castro; Reis, Clarice Magalhães Rodrigues Dos; Matta Machado, Antonio Thomaz Gonzaga da; Amaral, João Henrique Lara do; Werneck, Marcos Azeredo Furquim; Abreu, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between primary and secondary oral health care in Brazil. For this purpose, data from the National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care were used. Dentists from 12,403 oral health teams (OHTs) answered a structured questionnaire in 2012. The data were analyzed descriptively and by cluster analysis. Of the 12,387 (99.9%) OHTs that answered all the questions, 62.2% reported the existence of Dental Specialties Centers (DSCs) to which they could refer patients. The specialties with the highest frequencies were endodontics (68.4%), minor oral surgery (65.8%), periodontics (63.0%), radiology (46.8%), oral medicine (40.2%), orthodontics (20.5%) and implantology (6.2%). In all percentiles, the shortest wait time for secondary care was for radiology, followed by oral medicine and the other specialties. In the 50th percentile, the wait for endodontics, periodontics, minor oral surgery and orthodontics was 30 days, while for implantology, the wait was 60 days. Finally, in the 75th percentile, the wait for endodontics, orthodontics and implantology was 90 days or more. Two clusters, with different frequencies of OHT access to specialties, were identified. Cluster 1 (n = 7,913) included the OHTs with lower frequencies in all specialties except orthodontics and implantology compared with Cluster 2 (n = 4,474). Of the Brazilian regions, the South and Southeast regions had the highest frequencies for Cluster 2, with better rates for the relationship between primary and secondary care. This study suggests certain difficulties in the relationship between primary and secondary care in specific specialties in oral health, with a great number of OHTs with limited access to DSCs, in addition to different performance in terms of OHT access to DSCs across Brazilian regions.

Transferrin saturation phenotype and HFE genotype screening for hemochromatosis and primary iron overload: predictions from a model based on national, racial, and ethnic group composition in central Alabama.

PubMed

Barton, J C; Acton, R T

2000-01-01

There is interest in general population screening for hemochromatosis and other primary iron overload disorders, although not all persons are at equal risk. We developed a model to estimate the numbers of persons in national, racial, or ethnic population subgroups in Jefferson County, Alabama, who would be detected using transferrin saturation (phenotype) or HFE mutation analysis (genotype) screening. Approximately 62% are Caucasians, 37% are African Americans, and the remainder are Hispanics, Asians, or Native Americans. The predicted phenotype frequencies are greatest in a Caucasian subgroup, ethnicity unspecified, which consists predominantly of persons of Scotch and Irish descent (0.0065 men, 0.0046 women), and in African Americans (0.0089 men, 0.0085 women). Frequencies of the HFE genotype C282Y/C282Y > or = 0.0001 are predicted to occur only among Caucasians; the greatest frequency (0.0080) was predicted to occur in the ethnicity-unspecified Caucasian population. C282Y/C282Y frequency estimates were lower in Italian, Greek, and Jewish subgroups. There is excellent agreement in the numbers of the ethnicity-unspecified Caucasians who would be detected using phenotype and genotype criteria. Our model also indicates that phenotyping would identify more persons with primary iron overload than would genotyping in our Italian Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American subgroups. This is consistent with previous observations that indicate that primary iron overload disorders in persons of southern Italian descent and African Americans are largely attributable to non-HFE alleles. Because the proportions of population subgroups and their genetic constitution may differ significantly in other geographic regions, we suggest that models similar to the present one be constructed to predict optimal screening strategies for primary iron overload disorders.

Primary Atomic Frequency Standards at NIST

PubMed Central

Sullivan, D. B.; Bergquist, J. C.; Bollinger, J. J.; Drullinger, R. E.; Itano, W. M.; Jefferts, S. R.; Lee, W. D.; Meekhof, D.; Parker, T. E.; Walls, F. L.; Wineland, D. J.

2001-01-01

The development of atomic frequency standards at NIST is discussed and three of the key frequency-standard technologies of the current era are described. For each of these technologies, the most recent NIST implementation of the particular type of standard is described in greater detail. The best relative standard uncertainty achieved to date for a NIST frequency standard is 1.5×10−15. The uncertainties of the most recent NIST standards are displayed relative to the uncertainties of atomic frequency standards of several other countries. PMID:27500017

Manipulation of Microbubble Clusters Using Focused Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuzaki, Hironobu; Osaki, Taichi; Kawaguchi, Kei; Unga, Johan; Ichiyanagi, Mitsuhisa; Azuma, Takashi; Suzuki, Ryo; Maruyama, Kazuo; Takagi, Shu

2017-11-01

In recent years, microbubbles (MBs) are expected to be utilized for the ultrasound drug delivery system (DDS). For the MB-DDS, it is important to establish a method of controlling bubbles and bubble clusters using ultrasound field. The objective of this study is to clarify behaviors of bubble clusters with various physical conditions. MBs in the ultrasound field are subjected to the primary Bjerknes force. The force traps MBs at the focal region of the focused ultrasound field. The trapped MBs form a bubble cluster at the region. A bubble cluster continues growing with absorbing surrounding bubbles until it reaches a maximum size beyond which it disappears from the focal region. In the present study, two kinds of MBs are used for the experiment. One is Sonazoid with average diameter of 2.6 um and resonant frequency of 5 MHz. The other is developed by Teikyo Univ., with average diameter of 1.5 um and presumed resonant frequency of 4 MHz. The bubble cluster's behaviors are analyzed using the high-speed camera. Sonazoid clusters have larger critical size than the other in every frequency, and its cluster size is inversely proportional to the ultrasound frequency, while Teikyo-bubble clusters have different tendency. These results are discussed in the presentation.

An analysis of fracture trace patterns in areas of flat-lying sedimentary rocks for the detection of buried geologic structure. [Kansas and Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podwysocki, M. H.

1974-01-01

Two study areas in a cratonic platform underlain by flat-lying sedimentary rocks were analyzed to determine if a quantitative relationship exists between fracture trace patterns and their frequency distributions and subsurface structural closures which might contain petroleum. Fracture trace lengths and frequency (number of fracture traces per unit area) were analyzed by trend surface analysis and length frequency distributions also were compared to a standard Gaussian distribution. Composite rose diagrams of fracture traces were analyzed using a multivariate analysis method which grouped or clustered the rose diagrams and their respective areas on the basis of the behavior of the rays of the rose diagram. Analysis indicates that the lengths of fracture traces are log-normally distributed according to the mapping technique used. Fracture trace frequency appeared higher on the flanks of active structures and lower around passive reef structures. Fracture trace log-mean lengths were shorter over several types of structures, perhaps due to increased fracturing and subsequent erosion. Analysis of rose diagrams using a multivariate technique indicated lithology as the primary control for the lower grouping levels. Groupings at higher levels indicated that areas overlying active structures may be isolated from their neighbors by this technique while passive structures showed no differences which could be isolated.

The Impact of Thai Family Matters on Parent/Adolescent Sexual Risk Communication Attitudes and Behaviors

PubMed Central

CUPP, PAMELA K.; ATWOOD, KATHARINE A.; BYRNES, HILARY F.; MILLER, BRENDA A.; FONGKAEW, WARUNEE; CHAMRATRITHIRONG, APHICHAT; RHUCHAROENPORNPANICH, ORRATAI; ROSATI, MICHAEL J.; CHOOKHARE, WARUNEE

2014-01-01

This article reports on a combined family-based substance abuse and HIV prevention intervention targeting families with children ages 13-14 in Bangkok, Thailand. Families (n=340) were randomly and proportionally selected from seven districts in Bangkok with half randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition. Families in the intervention condition were exposed to five interactive booklets about adolescent substance use and risky sexual behavior. Trained health educators followed up by phone to encourage completion of each booklet. Primary outcomes reported in this paper include whether the intervention increased the frequency of parent/child communication in general or about sexual risk taking in particular as well as whether the intervention reduced discomfort discussing sexual issues. We also tested to see if booklet completion was associated with communication outcomes at the 6-month follow-up. Multivariate findings indicate that the intervention significantly affected the frequency of general parent/child communication based on child reports. The intervention marginally affected frequency of parent/child communication about sexual issues based on parent reports. Booklet completion was associated with reduced discomfort discussing sex and was marginally associated with frequency of parent/child discussion of sex based on parent reports only. These findings indicate that a family-based program can have an impact on communication patterns. PMID:24094085

Experimental validation of tonal noise control from subsonic axial fans using flow control obstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gérard, Anthony; Berry, Alain; Masson, Patrice; Gervais, Yves

2009-03-01

This paper presents the acoustic performance of a novel approach for the passive adaptive control of tonal noise radiated from subsonic fans. Tonal noise originates from non-uniform flow that causes circumferentially varying blade forces and gives rise to a considerably larger radiated dipolar sound at the blade passage frequency (BPF) and its harmonics compared to the tonal noise generated by a uniform flow. The approach presented in this paper uses obstructions in the flow to destructively interfere with the primary tonal noise arising from various flow conditions. The acoustic radiation of the obstructions is first demonstrated experimentally. Indirect on-axis acoustic measurements are used to validate the analytical prediction of the circumferential spectrum of the blade unsteady lift and related indicators generated by the trapezoidal and sinusoidal obstructions presented in Ref. [A. Gérard, A. Berry, P. Masson, Y. Gervais, Modelling of tonal noise control from subsonic axial fans using flow control obstructions, Journal of Sound and Vibration (2008), this issue, doi: 10.1016/j.jsv.2008.09.027.] and also by cylindrical obstructions used in the literature. The directivity and sound power attenuation are then given in free field for the control of the BPF tone generated by rotor/outlet guide vane (OGV) interaction and the control of an amplified BPF tone generated by the rotor/OGV interaction with an added triangular obstruction between two outlet guide vanes to enhance the primary non-uniform flow. Global control was demonstrated in free field, attenuation up to 8.4 dB of the acoustic power at BPF has been measured. Finally, the aerodynamic performances of the automotive fan used in this study are almost not affected by the presence of the control obstruction.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for treating chronic headache: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Anheyer, Dennis; Leach, Matthew J; Klose, Petra; Dobos, Gustav; Cramer, Holger

2018-01-01

Background Mindfulness-based stress reduction/cognitive therapy are frequently used for pain-related conditions, but their effects on headache remain uncertain. This review aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of mindfulness-based stress reduction/cognitive therapy in reducing the symptoms of chronic headache. Data sources and study selection MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, and PsychINFO were searched to 16 June 2017. Randomized controlled trials comparing mindfulness-based stress reduction/cognitive therapy with usual care or active comparators for migraine and/or tension-type headache, which assessed headache frequency, duration or intensity as a primary outcome, were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Tool. Results Five randomized controlled trials (two on tension-type headache; one on migraine; two with mixed samples) with a total of 185 participants were included. Compared to usual care, mindfulness-based stress reduction/cognitive therapy did not improve headache frequency (three randomized controlled trials; standardized mean difference = 0.00; 95% confidence interval = -0.33,0.32) or headache duration (three randomized controlled trials; standardized mean difference = -0.08; 95% confidence interval = -1.03,0.87). Similarly, no significant difference between groups was found for pain intensity (five randomized controlled trials; standardized mean difference = -0.78; 95% confidence interval = -1.72,0.16). Conclusions Due to the low number, small scale and often high or unclear risk of bias of included randomized controlled trials, the results are imprecise; this may be consistent with either an important or negligible effect. Therefore, more rigorous trials with larger sample sizes are needed.

Using a heterodyne vibrometer in combination with pulse excitation for primary calibration of ultrasonic hydrophones in amplitude and phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Martin; Wilkens, Volker

2017-08-01

A high-frequency vibrometer was used with ultrasonic pulse excitation in order to perform a primary hydrophone calibration. This approach enables the simultaneous characterization of the amplitude and phase transfer characteristic of ultrasonic hydrophones. The method allows a high frequency resolution in a considerably short time for the measurement. Furthermore, the uncertainty contributions of this approach were investigated and quantified. A membrane hydrophone was calibrated and the uncertainty budget for this measurement was determined. The calibration results are presented up to 70~\\text{MHz} . The measurement results show good agreement with the results obtained by sinusoidal burst excitation through the use of the vibrometer and by a homodyne laser interferometer, with RMS deviation of approximately 3% -4% in the frequency range from 1 to 60~\\text{MHz} . Further hydrophones were characterized up to 100~\\text{MHz} with this procedure to demonstrate the suitability for very high frequency calibration.

Flow cytometry analysis of T-cell subsets in cerebrospinal fluid of narcolepsy type 1 patients with long-lasting disease.

PubMed

Moresco, Monica; Lecciso, Mariangela; Ocadlikova, Darina; Filardi, Marco; Melzi, Silvia; Kornum, Birgitte Rahbek; Antelmi, Elena; Pizza, Fabio; Mignot, Emmanuel; Curti, Antonio; Plazzi, Giuseppe

2018-04-01

Type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) is a central hypersomnia linked to the destruction of hypocretin-producing neurons. A great body of genetic and epidemiological data points to likely autoimmune disease aetiology. Recent reports have characterized peripheral blood T-cell subsets in NT1, whereas data regarding the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immune cell composition are lacking. The current study aimed to characterize the T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell subsets in NT1 patients with long disease course. Immune cell subsets from CSF and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were analysed by flow cytometry in two age-balanced and sex-balanced groups of 14 NT1 patients versus 14 healthy controls. The frequency of CSF cell groups was compared with PBMCs. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analyses. The NT1 patients did not show significant differences of CSF immune cell subsets compared to controls, despite a trend towards higher CD4 + terminally differentiated effector memory T cells. T cells preferentially displayed a memory phenotype in the CSF compared to PBMCs. Furthermore, a reduced frequency of CD4 + terminally differentiated effector memory T cells and an increased frequency of NK CD56 bright cells was observed in PBMCs from patients compared to controls. Finally, the ratio between CSF and peripheral CD4 + terminally differentiated effector memory T cells was two-fold increased in NT1 patients versus controls. Significant differences in PBMCs and in CSF/PBMC ratios of immune cell profile were found in NT1 patients compared to healthy controls. These differences might have arisen from the different HLA status, or be primary or secondary to hypocretin deficiency. Further functional studies in patients close to disease onset are required to understand NT1 pathophysiology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Power system characteristics for more electric aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Irving G.

1993-01-01

It should not be suprising that more electric aircraft must meet significantly more difficult electrical power system requirements than were considereed when today's power distribution systems were being developed. Electric power, no longer a secondary system, will become a critical element of the primary control system. Functional reliability requiirements will be extremely stringent and can only be met by controlling element redundancy within a distributed power system. Existing electrical systems were not developed to have both the power system and the control/sensing elements distributed and yet meet the requirements of lighting tolerance and high intensity radio frequency (HIRF). In addition, the operation of electric actuators involves high transient loading and reverse energy flows. Such phenomena were also not anticipated when power quality was specified for either 270 vdc or 400 Hertz ac power systems. This paper will expand upon the issues and discuss some of the technologies involved in their resolution.

Behavioural intervention to increase physical activity in adults with coronary heart disease in Jordan.

PubMed

Alsaleh, Eman; Windle, Richard; Blake, Holly

2016-07-26

Patients with coronary heart disease often do not follow prescribed physical activity recommendations. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a behavioural intervention to increase physical activity in patients with coronary heart disease not attending structured cardiac rehabilitation programmes. Parallel randomised controlled trial comparing 6-month multi-component behavioural change intervention (n = 71) with usual care (n = 85) was conducted in two hospitals in Jordan, Middle East. Intervention included one face-to-face individualised consultation, 6 telephone support calls (for goal-setting, feedback and self-monitoring) and 18 reminder text messages. Patients were randomly allocated to the two groups by opening opaque sealed sequence envelopes. The patients and the researcher who provided the intervention and assessed the outcomes were not blinded. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Primary outcome was physical activity level, secondary outcomes were blood pressure, body mass index, exercise self-efficacy for exercise and health-related quality of life. Intervention and control groups were comparable at baseline. Moderate physical activity significantly increased in the intervention group compared with control group (mean change (SD) of frequency: 0.23 (0.87) days/week versus -.06 (0.40); duration: 15.53 (90.15) minutes/week versus -3.67 (22.60) minutes/week; intensity: 31.05 (105.98) Metabolic equivalents (METs) versus 14.68 (90.40) METs). Effect size was 0.03 for moderate PA frequency, 0.02 for moderate PA duration and 0.01 for moderate PA intensity. Walking significantly increased in the intervention group compared with control group (mean change (SD) of frequency: 3.15 (2.75) days/week versus 0.37 (1.83) days/week; duration: 150.90 (124.47) minutes/week versus 24.05 (195.93) minutes/week; intensity: 495.12 (413.74) METs versus14.62 (265.06) METs). Effect size was 0.36 for walking frequency, 0.05 for walking duration, 0.32 for walking intensity and 0.29 for total PA intensity. Intervention participants had significantly lower blood pressure, lower body mass index, greater exercise self-efficacy and better health-related quality of life at 6 months compared with controls. Multi-component behavioural intervention increases physical activity, and improves body composition, physiological and psychological outcomes in CHD patients not attending structured rehabilitation programmes. Current Controlled Trials retrospectively registered in 21-03-2012. ISRCTN48570595 .

Provider-Related Linkages Between Primary Care Clinics and Community-Based Senior Centers Associated With Diabetes-Related Outcomes.

PubMed

Noël, Polly Hitchcock; Wang, Chen-Pin; Finley, Erin P; Espinoza, Sara E; Parchman, Michael L; Bollinger, Mary J; Hazuda, Helen P

2018-06-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that linkages between primary care practices and community-based resources can improve health in lower income and minority patients, but examples of these are rare. We conducted a prospective, mixed-methods observational study to identify indicators of primary care-community linkage associated with the frequency of visits to community-based senior centers and improvements in diabetes-related outcomes among 149 new senior center members (72% Hispanic). We used semistructured interviews at baseline and 9-month follow-up, obtaining visit frequency from member software and clinical assessments including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) from colocated primary care clinics. Members' discussion of their activities with their primary care providers (PCPs) was associated with increased visits to the senior centers, as well as diabetes-related improvements. Direct feedback from the senior centers to their PCPs was desired by the majority of members and may help to reinforce use of community resources for self-management support.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Facts 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

efforts span all network layers (from physical to application), with primary focuses on radio - frequency (RF) military satellite communications (MILSATCOM...upgrade, Kwajalein Atoll ■■ Extremely high- frequency submarine communications demonstrated ■■ Lincoln Experimental Satellites 8 and 9 Overview 5...Immersive Surveillance ■■ Lincoln Adaptable Real-time Information Assurance Testbed ■■ Graph detection algorithms ■■ Miniaturized radio - frequency

Biomechanical evaluation of oversized drilling technique on primary implant stability measured by insertion torque and resonance frequency analysis

PubMed Central

Santamaría-Arrieta, Gorka; Brizuela-Velasco, Aritza; Fernández-González, Felipe J.; Chávarri-Prado, David; Chento-Valiente, Yelko; Solaberrieta, Eneko; Diéguez-Pereira, Markel; Yurrebaso-Asúa, Jaime

2016-01-01

Background This study evaluated the influence of implant site preparation depth on primary stability measured by insertion torque and resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Material and Methods Thirty-two implant sites were prepared in eight veal rib blocks. Sixteen sites were prepared using the conventional drilling sequence recommended by the manufacturer to a working depth of 10mm. The remaining 16 sites were prepared using an oversize drilling technique (overpreparation) to a working depth of 12mm. Bone density was determined using cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT). The implants were placed and primary stability was measured by two methods: insertion torque (Ncm), and RFA (implant stability quotient [ISQ]). Results The highest torque values were achieved by the conventional drilling technique (10mm). The ANOVA test confirmed that there was a significant correlation between torque and drilling depth (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were obtained between ISQ values at 10 or 12 mm drilling depths (p>0.05) at either measurement direction (cortical and medullar). No statistical relation between torque and ISQ values was identified, or between bone density and primary stability (p >0.05). Conclusions Vertical overpreparation of the implant bed will obtain lower insertion torque values, but does not produce statistically significant differences in ISQ values. Key words:Implant stability quotient, overdrilling, primary stability, resonance frequency analysis, torque. PMID:27398182

Aggression and violence against primary care physicians—a nationwide questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Vorderwülbecke, Florian; Feistle, Maximilian; Mehring, Michael; Schneider, Antonius; Linde, Klaus

2015-03-06

International studies show that aggressive behavior against primary care physicians is not an uncommon occurrence. There has been no systematic study to date of the nature and frequency of such occurrences in Germany. A four-page questionnaire was sent to a nationwide random sample of 1500 primary care physicians. It contained questions about the type, frequency, severity, and site of aggressive behavior against the physician. 831 (59%) of 1408 correctly delivered questionnaires could be included in the analysis. 91% of the respondents (95% confidence interval [CI], 89%-93%) said they had been the object of aggressive behavior at some time in their career as a primary care physician, 73% (95% CI, 70%-76%) in the previous 12 months. Severe aggression or violence had been experienced by 23% (95% CI, 20%-25%) in their entire career and 11% (95% CI, 8%-13%) in the previous year. The vast majority of respondents said they felt safe in their offices. 66% of female and 34% of male respondents said they did not feel safe making house visits while on on-call duty. The frequency and extent of aggression and violence against primary care physicians in Germany is comparable to those reported by international studies. Strategies for dealing with this problem should be developed. In particular, the issue of safety on emergency call needs to be addressed.

Steering optical comb frequencies by rotating the polarization state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanyan; Zhang, Xiaofei; Yan, Lulu; Zhang, Pan; Rao, Bingjie; Han, Wei; Guo, Wenge; Zhang, Shougang; Jiang, Haifeng

2017-12-01

Optical frequency combs, with precise control of repetition rate and carrier-envelope-offset frequency, have revolutionized many fields, such as fine optical spectroscopy, optical frequency standards, ultra-fast science research, ultra-stable microwave generation and precise ranging measurement. However, existing high bandwidth frequency control methods have small dynamic range, requiring complex hybrid control techniques. To overcome this limitation, we develop a new approach, where a home-made intra-cavity electro-optic modulator tunes polarization state of laser signal rather than only optical length of the cavity, to steer frequencies of a nonlinear-polarization-rotation mode-locked laser. By taking advantage of birefringence of the whole cavity, this approach results in not only broadband but also relative large-dynamic frequency control. Experimental results show that frequency control dynamic range increase at least one order in comparison with the traditional intra-cavity electro-optic modulator technique. In additional, this technique exhibits less side-effect than traditional frequency control methods.

Collagen-induced arthritis in Dark Agouti rats as a model for study of immunological sexual dimorphisms in the human disease.

PubMed

Dimitrijević, Mirjana; Arsenović-Ranin, Nevena; Bufan, Biljana; Nacka-Aleksić, Mirjana; Macanović, Mirjana Lazarević; Milovanović, Petar; Đurić, Marija; Sopta, Jelena; Leposavić, Gordana

2018-05-21

Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a frequently used animal model of rheumatoid arthritis, human autoimmune disease that exhibits clear sex bias in incidence and clinical course. Female Dark Agouti rats immunized for CIA showed also greater incidence and higher arthritic score than their male counterparts. The study investigated sex differences in mechanisms controlling the primary immune responses in draining lymph nodes (dLNs), as a factor contributing to this dimorphism. The higher frequencies of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3- cells, presumably activated effector T (Teff) cells, and IL-17+, IFN-γ + and IL-17 + IFN-γ + T cells were found in female compared with male rat dLNs. However, the frequency of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Treg) did not differ between sexes. Thus, CD4+ Teff cells/Treg ratio, and IL-17+ T cells/Treg and IFN-γ + T cells/Treg ratios were higher in female than in male rats, and among them was found lower frequency of PD-1+ cells. This suggested less efficient control of (auto)immune Th1/Th17 cell responses in female rat dLNs. On the contrary, the frequency of IL-4+ T cells was lower in female than in male rat dLNs. Consistently, the ratio of serum levels of collagen-specific IgG2a (IFN-γ-dependent, with an important pathogenic role in CIA) and IgG1 (IL-4-dependent) was shifted towards IgG2a in female compared with male rats. As a whole, the study suggests that sexual dimorphism in the control of T cell activation/polarization could contribute to sex bias in the susceptibility to CIA. Moreover, the study advises the use of animals of both sexes in the preclinical testing of new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PEG 3350 (Transipeg) versus lactulose in the treatment of childhood functional constipation: a double blind, randomised, controlled, multicentre trial

PubMed Central

Voskuijl, W; de Lorijn, F; Verwijs, W; Hogeman, P; Heijmans, J; Mäkel, W; Taminiau, J; Benninga, M

2004-01-01

Background: Recently, polyethylene glycol (PEG 3350) has been suggested as a good alternative laxative to lactulose as a treatment option in paediatric constipation. However, no large randomised controlled trials exist evaluating the efficacy of either laxative. Aims: To compare PEG 3350 (Transipeg: polyethylene glycol with electrolytes) with lactulose in paediatric constipation and evaluate clinical efficacy/side effects. Patients: One hundred patients (aged 6 months–15 years) with paediatric constipation were included in an eight week double blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Methods: After faecal disimpaction, patients <6 years of age received PEG 3350 (2.95 g/sachet) or lactulose (6 g/sachet) while children ⩾6 years started with 2 sachets/day. Primary outcome measures were: defecation and encopresis frequency/week and successful treatment after eight weeks. Success was defined as a defecation frequency ⩾3/week and encopresis ⩽1 every two weeks. Secondary outcome measures were side effects after eight weeks of treatment. Results: A total of 91 patients (49 male) completed the study. A significant increase in defecation frequency (PEG 3350: 3 pre v 7 post treatment/week; lactulose: 3 pre v 6 post/week) and a significant decrease in encopresis frequency (PEG 3350: 10 pre v 3 post/week; lactulose: 8 pre v 3 post/week) was found in both groups (NS). However, success was significantly higher in the PEG group (56%) compared with the lactulose group (29%). PEG 3350 patients reported less abdominal pain, straining, and pain at defecation than children using lactulose. However, bad taste was reported significantly more often in the PEG group. Conclusions: PEG 3350 (0.26 (0.11) g/kg), compared with lactulose (0.66 (0.32) g/kg), provided a higher success rate with fewer side effects. PEG 3350 should be the laxative of first choice in childhood constipation. PMID:15479678

Cortical thickness as a contributor to abnormal oscillations in schizophrenia?☆

PubMed Central

Edgar, J. Christopher; Chen, Yu-Han; Lanza, Matthew; Howell, Breannan; Chow, Vivian Y.; Heiken, Kory; Liu, Song; Wootton, Cassandra; Hunter, Michael A.; Huang, Mingxiong; Miller, Gregory A.; Cañive, José M.

2013-01-01

Introduction Although brain rhythms depend on brain structure (e.g., gray and white matter), to our knowledge associations between brain oscillations and structure have not been investigated in healthy controls (HC) or in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ). Observing function–structure relationships, for example establishing an association between brain oscillations (defined in terms of amplitude or phase) and cortical gray matter, might inform models on the origins of psychosis. Given evidence of functional and structural abnormalities in primary/secondary auditory regions in SZ, the present study examined how superior temporal gyrus (STG) structure relates to auditory STG low-frequency and 40 Hz steady-state activity. Given changes in brain activity as a function of age, age-related associations in STG oscillatory activity were also examined. Methods Thirty-nine individuals with SZ and 29 HC were recruited. 40 Hz amplitude-modulated tones of 1 s duration were presented. MEG and T1-weighted sMRI data were obtained. Using the sources localizing 40 Hz evoked steady-state activity (300 to 950 ms), left and right STG total power and inter-trial coherence were computed. Time–frequency group differences and associations with STG structure and age were also examined. Results Decreased total power and inter-trial coherence in SZ were observed in the left STG for initial post-stimulus low-frequency activity (~ 50 to 200 ms, ~ 4 to 16 Hz) as well as 40 Hz steady-state activity (~ 400 to 1000 ms). Left STG 40 Hz total power and inter-trial coherence were positively associated with left STG cortical thickness in HC, not in SZ. Left STG post-stimulus low-frequency and 40 Hz total power were positively associated with age, again only in controls. Discussion Left STG low-frequency and steady-state gamma abnormalities distinguish SZ and HC. Disease-associated damage to STG gray matter in schizophrenia may disrupt the age-related left STG gamma-band function–structure relationships observed in controls. PMID:24371794

Pulse width modulated push-pull driven parallel resonant converter with active free-wheel

DOEpatents

Reass, William A.; Schrank, Louis

2004-06-22

An apparatus and method for high frequency alternating power generation to control kilowatts of supplied power in microseconds. The present invention includes a means for energy storage, push-pull switching means, control electronics, transformer means, resonant circuitry and means for excess energy recovery, all in electrical communication. A push-pull circuit works synchronously with a force commutated free-wheel transistor to provide current pulses to a transformer. A change in the conduction angle of the push-pull circuit changes the amount of energy coupled into the transformer's secondary oscillating circuit, thereby altering the induced secondary resonating voltage. At the end of each pulse, the force commutated free-wheel transistor causes residual excess energy in the primary circuit to be transmitted back to the storage capacitor for later use.