The advisability of high-rise construction in the city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergievskaya, Natalia; Pokrovskaya, Tatyana; Vorontsova, Natalya

2018-03-01

In this article there discusses the question of advisability high-rise construction, the reasons for its use, both positive and negative sides of it. On the one hand, a number of authors believe that it is difficult to avoid high-rise construction due to the limited areas in very large cities. On the other hand, a number of other authors draw attention to the problems associated with high-rise construction. The author of the article analyses examples of high-rise construction in several countries (UAE, Dubai "Burj Khalifa"; Japan "Tokyo Sky Tree"; United States of America, "Willis Tower"; Russia "Federation Tower") and proves the advisability of high-rise construction in the city.

Discrimination of Closely-Spaced Geosynchronous Satellites - Phase Curve Analysis & New Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levan, P.

2010-09-01

Geosynchronous objects appear as unresolved blurs even when observed with the largest ground-based telescopes. Due to the lack of any spatial detail, two or more objects appearing at similar brightness levels within the spectral bandpass they are observed are difficult to distinguish. Observing a changing pattern of such objects from one time epoch to another showcases the deficiencies in associating individual objects before and after the configuration change. This paper explores solutions to this deficiency in the form of spectral (under small business innovative research) and phase curve analyses. The extension of the technique to phase curves proves to be a powerful new capability.

Multi-organ dysfunction in bodybuilding possibly caused by prolonged hypercalcemia due to multi-substance abuse: case report and review of literature.

PubMed

Schäfer, C N; Guldager, H; Jørgensen, H L

2011-01-01

A 26-year-old male bodybuilder was admitted to the surgical department of a Danish community hospital for hematemesis. During the clinical interview, he revealed that he had recently finished a course of anabolic steroids and erythropoietin. The patient also had a previous history of infections and chronic ulcers due to paraffin-oil injections in both upper arms one year before. Over the course of the next few hours, the patient developed signs of multi-organ dysfunction, including pancreatitis, hemorrhagic gastritis, nephropathy with temporary anuria, and respiratory insufficiency, and was transferred to the ICU. After manometric monitoring on the patient's upper arms proved difficult, invasive blood pressure monitoring was used and revealed that the patient was in a state of hypertensive crisis. This case of multi-organ dysfunction was possibly caused by multi-substance-induced hypercalcemia. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Numerical study on flow over stepped spillway using Lagrangian method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junmin; Fu, Lei; Xu, Haibo; Jin, Yeechung

2018-02-01

Flow over stepped spillway has been studied for centuries, due to its unstable and the characteristics of cavity, the simulation of this type of spillway flow is always difficult. Most of the early studies of flow over stepped spillway are based on experiment, while in the recent decades, numerical studies of flow over stepped spillway draw most of the researchers’ attentions due to its simplicity and efficiency. In this study, a new Lagrangian based particle method is introduced to reproduce the phenomenon of flow over stepped spillway, the inherent advantages of this particle based method provide a convincing free surface and velocity profiles compared with previous experimental data. The capacity of this new method is proved and it is anticipated to be an alternative tool of traditional mesh based method in environmental engineering field such as the simulation of flow over stepped spillway.

Chaos, Fractals, and the Pedagogical Challenge of Jackson Pollock's "All-Over" Paintings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halsall, Francis

2008-01-01

The "all-over" abstract canvases that Jackson Pollock produced between 1943 and 1951 present a pedagogical challenge in how to account for their apparently chaotic structure. One reason that they are difficult to teach about is that they have proved notoriously difficult for art historians to come to terms with. This is undoubtedly a consequence…

The impact of Pulpwood Rail Freight Costs on the Minnesota-Wisconsin Pulpwood Market

Treesearch

David C. Lothner

1976-01-01

Transportation costs affect the marketing and utilization of pulpwood. Their impact on the procurement and utilization of pulpwood often prove difficult to measure because deriving an average annual measure of the transportation cost is difficult. This note, by means of a simple index method for measuring regional interstate pulpwood rail freight costs, illustrates...

The Measurement of Creativity: From Definitional Consensus to the Introduction of a New Heuristic Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batey, Mark

2012-01-01

The scientific study of creativity has proven a difficult undertaking. Researchers have employed a diversity of definitions and measurement methods. As a result, creativity research is underrepresented in the literature and the findings of different studies often prove difficult to draw into a coherent body of understanding. A heuristic framework…

Strategic Appraisal 1996.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

irrevocable steps toward war. This balancing act proved impossible to perform even for the culturally similar and aristocratically governed states...of 19th- century Europe. It is likely to prove infinitely more difficult when the system is global; the participants differ culturally ; and the...symmetries among the challenges along Eu- rope’s eastern and southern arcs are obvious. History, geography, and culture make enormous differences. While the

[Drugs and occupational accident].

PubMed

Bratzke, H; Albers, C

1996-02-01

In a case of a fatal occupational accident (construction worker, fall from roof, urine test positive for cocaine and THC, e.g. cannabis) the question arised to what extent those drug-related occupational accidents occur. In the literature only few cases, mainly dealing with cannabis influence, have been reported, however, a higher number is suspected. Cocaine and other stimulating drugs (amphetamine) are more often used to increase physical fitness. By direct or indirect interference with vigilance these compounds may provoke accidents. Due to the lack of a legal basis proving of the influence of drugs at the working place is still very limited, although highly sensitive chemical-toxicological assay procedures are available to detect even the chronic abuse (in hair). In the general conditions of accident insurances a compensation is excluded when alcohol is involved, but drugs are not mentioned. It is indeed difficult to establish a concentration limit for drugs like that existing for alcohol (1.1%). In each case the assay of the drug involved and exact knowledge of its specific effects is in an essential prerequisite to prove the causal relationship.

A Case Report of NK-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disease With a Wide Involvement of Digestive Tract Develop Into Epstein-Barr Virus Associated NK/T Cell Lymphoma in an Immunocompetent Patient.

PubMed

Chen, Haotian; Zhang, Yu; Jiang, Zhinong; Zhou, Wei; Cao, Qian

2016-03-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays an important role in various diseases. EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) is a rare disease with a canceration tendency. It is difficult to differentiate LPD with involvement of digestive tract from Crohn disease due to similar clinical and endoscopic manifestations. We present a case report of multiple ulcers with esophagus, small bowel and the entire colon involved, proved to be NK-Cell LPD, developed into EBV-associated NK/T Cell lymphoma, in an immunocompetent man who was initially misdiagnosed as Crohn disease.This report underscores that intestinal ulcers should be cautiously diagnosed, for it sometimes could be a precancerous lesion.

HSPF Modeling for Compliance and Enforcement: An Urban Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshalonis, D.

2017-12-01

Stormwater runoff is one of the most significant challenges to water quality facing surface waters globally. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates stormwater flows through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program permits. When egregious violations occur, EPA may develop its case and prove those violations through the legal dispute process. However, evidence in stormwater-related cases is ephemeral, difficult to collect due to unpredictable weather dynamics, and there are usually no witnesses. The work presented here illustrates an approach EPA takes for certain wet weather cases: introduce results from hydrologic and hydraulic models as evidence to meet legal burden of proof standards. The challenges and opportunities of using models in stormwater discharge modeling are highlighted.

Inertial upper stage - Upgrading a stopgap proves difficult

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geddes, J. P.

The technological and project management difficulties associated with the Inertial Upper Stage's (IUS) development and performance to date are assessed, with a view to future prospects for this system. The IUS was designed for use both on the interim Titan 34D booster and the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The IUS malfunctions and cost overruns reported are substantially due to the system's reliance on novel propulsion and avionics technology. Its two solid rocket motors, which were selected on the basis of their inherent safety for use on the Space Shuttle, have the longest burn time extant. A three-dimensional carbon/carbon nozzle throat had to be developed to sustain this long burn, as were lightweight composite wound cases and shirts, insulation, igniters, and electromechanical thrust vector control.

[Pharmacotherapy of obesity].

PubMed

Rotthoff, Thomas; Scherbaum, Werner A

2006-12-01

Long-term success in obesity therapy is difficult to obtain, therefore drug therapy appears to be helpful. Until today, end-point studies for obesity drugs beyond the improvement of individual surrogate parameters are still missing. For all available drugs, medical treatment can be recommended only for a limited period of time due to the data of the studies and under consideration of side effects. Although a weight reduction leads to an improvement of cardiovascular risk factors and hence a reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality should be expected, no study could prove it so far. Despite the positive influence on individual surrogate parameters, the use of the present available therapies appears underwhelming. In this overview the approved substances and perspectives of new therapeutic concepts are represented.

Detection of honeycomb cell walls from measurement data based on Harris corner detection algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Yan; Dong, Zhigang; Kang, Renke; Yang, Jie; Ayinde, Babajide O.

2018-06-01

A honeycomb core is a discontinuous material with a thin-wall structure—a characteristic that makes accurate surface measurement difficult. This paper presents a cell wall detection method based on the Harris corner detection algorithm using laser measurement data. The vertexes of honeycomb cores are recognized with two different methods: one method is the reduction of data density, and the other is the optimization of the threshold of the Harris corner detection algorithm. Each cell wall is then identified in accordance with the neighboring relationships of its vertexes. Experiments were carried out for different types and surface shapes of honeycomb cores, where the proposed method was proved effective in dealing with noise due to burrs and/or deformation of cell walls.

Recent Advances in Chiral Nematic Structure and Iridescent Color of Cellulose Nanocrystal Films

PubMed Central

Gray, Derek G.

2016-01-01

One unique property of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) is their property of forming suspensions with chiral nematic order. This order can be preserved in films cast from the suspensions, raising the possibility of applications as photonic materials and templates. However, it has proved difficult to generate uniform, well-ordered chiral nematic materials from CNC. Recently, the importance of kinetic arrest due to gel formation in the later stages of evaporation has been recognized as a key step in film formation. In this brief review, recent developments regarding the structure of chiral nematic suspensions and films as monitored by polarized light microscopy are outlined, and attention is drawn to the importance of shear forces on the self-organization process. PMID:28335340

Development and Validation of a Principal Implementation Practices Measure: The Principal Implementation Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Nettles, Stephen M.; Petscher, Yaacov

2015-01-01

Measurement of principal implementation behaviors has proved difficult to researchers in educational leadership due to a lack of consensus on the operational definitions of leadership constructs. The Principal Implementation Questionnaire (PIQ) was developed and validated with the intention of providing clarity in the assessment of principal leadership behaviors in the implementation of effective reading programs. Constructs were operationally defined within the context of the population of interest, with subsequent item writing centered around the constructs. A resulting calibration sample of principals from Florida Reading First schools was used to test the hypothesized measurement model to determine how well the items were described by the proposed factors. Results from LISREL analyses revealed a well-fitted model, based on numerous fit indices. PMID:26366043

[Illegal professional conflict of interest from the viewpoint of the attorney].

PubMed

Broglie, M G

1998-10-01

Since the so called "heart-valve scandal" occurred in Germany, the practice of financially or otherwise supported hospitals and practicing doctors has to be critically re-examined and may be changed. The practice and acceptance of support is common in many areas of our daily life, however, due to governmental social laws regulating the flow of money and due to the various financial forms of support for the health care system, criminal violations and sanctions may arise. Aside from the existing standard criminal violations, a new law, as of has been enacted August 13, 1997-this law specifically deals with bribery and the acceptance of such illegal payments. Proving that such a criminal violation was committed by a physician can be very difficult for the prosecutor. The mass of procedural laws--aside from the substantive law requirements--cause problems for the state. It is also very difficult to determine the exact amount of damages or that a physician has gained an illegal advantage. In these specific and other general cases, a professional defense by a competent attorney is absolutely essential to prevent an unpleasant suit or to resolve charges outside of court. In some cases, it may even be possible to persuade the prosecutor to only levy a fine, if it is not possible to persuade him to drop the charges all together--for lack of good evidence.

SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY: TaN wet etch for application in dual-metal-gate integration technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yongliang, Li; Qiuxia, Xu

2009-12-01

Wet-etch etchants and the TaN film method for dual-metal-gate integration are investigated. Both HF/HN O3/H2O and NH4OH/H2O2 solutions can etch TaN effectively, but poor selectivity to the gate dielectric for the HF/HNO3/H2O solution due to HF being included in HF/HNO3/H2O, and the fact that TaN is difficult to etch in the NH4OH/H2O2 solution at the first stage due to the thin TaOxNy layer on the TaN surface, mean that they are difficult to individually apply to dual-metal-gate integration. A two-step wet etching strategy using the HF/HNO3/H2O solution first and the NH4OH/H2O2 solution later can fully remove thin TaN film with a photo-resist mask and has high selectivity to the HfSiON dielectric film underneath. High-k dielectric film surfaces are smooth after wet etching of the TaN metal gate and MOSCAPs show well-behaved C-V and Jg-Vg characteristics, which all prove that the wet etching of TaN has little impact on electrical performance and can be applied to dual-metal-gate integration technology for removing the first TaN metal gate in the PMOS region.

Nickel-hydrogen battery state of charge during low rate trickle charging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lurie, C.; Foroozan, S.; Brewer, J.; Jackson, L.

1996-01-01

The NASA AXAF-I program requires high battery state of charge at launch. Traditional approaches to providing high state of charge, during prelaunch operations, require significant battery cooling. The use of active cooling, in the AXAF-I prelaunch environment, was considered and proved to be difficult to implement and very expensive. Accordingly alternate approaches were considered. An approach utilizing adiabatic charging and low rate trickle charge, was investigated and proved successful.

Synthetic Reference Materials Based on Polymer Films for the Control of Welding Fumes Composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsova, O. V.; Kuznetsova, A. N.; Begunova, L. A.

2017-04-01

Analysis of the current hygienic situation in the welding production showed that the intensification of welding processes involves the deterioration of air quality, which negatively affects the welders health. Welders are exposed to a variety of metal fumes, including manganese that may elevate the risk for neurological diseases. The control of metals concentration in the air of the working area is difficult due to the lack of reference materials. The creation of reference materials of welding fumes composition is a challenge due to chemical characteristics of their physical properties. Synthetic samples in a form of the polymer film containing powder particles of welding fumes were create. Studies on the selection of the polymer were done. Experiments proved that the qualitative materials of synthetic welding fumes are obtained by using polyvinyl alcohol. The metals concentration in the samples was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The obtained data demonstrates indirectly the uniform distribution of welding fumes powder particles on the polymer film.

7 CFR 1434.15 - Personal liability..

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) The producer and CCC agree that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to prove the amount of... removed by CCC, containing mercurial compounds or other substances poisonous to humans, animals, or food...

7 CFR 1434.15 - Personal liability..

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) The producer and CCC agree that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to prove the amount of... removed by CCC, containing mercurial compounds or other substances poisonous to humans, animals, or food...

7 CFR 1434.15 - Personal liability..

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) The producer and CCC agree that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to prove the amount of... removed by CCC, containing mercurial compounds or other substances poisonous to humans, animals, or food...

Hazards of ultra-marathon running in the Scottish Highlands: exercise-associated hyponatraemia.

PubMed

Cuthill, J A; Ellis, C; Inglis, A

2009-12-01

The case histories are presented of four athletes taking part in a 95-mile ultra-endurance foot race in Scotland who were hospitalised after developing exercise-associated hyponatraemia and rhabdomyolysis. Exercise-associated hyponatraemia is relatively uncommon in temperate climates. Risk factors disposing to this disorder are discussed. Exercise-associated hyponatraemia is thought to be due to overconsumption of hypotonic fluid with other associated pathophysiology including an inability to suppress fully antidiuretic hormone during exercise or to mobilise adequate sodium from osmotically inactive internal stores. Non-specific symptoms make this disorder difficult to diagnose on site without the assistance of serum sodium measurement, but any delay in treatment of patients with encephalopathy can prove fatal. Mainstays of treatment include fluid restriction, hypertonic saline, loop diuretics and mannitol.

Occupational infections.

PubMed

Lim, V K E

2009-06-01

Many infections are associated with occupations. Involvement in a particular occupation may place the person at higher direct risk of contracting certain infections. In some instances the life-style associated with the occupation results in a higher risk of exposure to the infection. The link between the infection and the workplace is often missed by the attending physician. This may be due to a lack of awareness on the part of the physician. Sometimes a direct link can be difficult to prove without the use of sophisticated molecular epidemiological tests. This has led to gross under-diagnosis and under-reporting of such cases. It is however important that occupational infections be diagnosed as adequate preventive measures need to be implemented. Furthermore the patient may be eligible for monetary compensation under the relevant occupational safety laws of the country.

Sequence comparison alignment-free approach based on suffix tree and L-words frequency.

PubMed

Soares, Inês; Goios, Ana; Amorim, António

2012-01-01

The vast majority of methods available for sequence comparison rely on a first sequence alignment step, which requires a number of assumptions on evolutionary history and is sometimes very difficult or impossible to perform due to the abundance of gaps (insertions/deletions). In such cases, an alternative alignment-free method would prove valuable. Our method starts by a computation of a generalized suffix tree of all sequences, which is completed in linear time. Using this tree, the frequency of all possible words with a preset length L-L-words--in each sequence is rapidly calculated. Based on the L-words frequency profile of each sequence, a pairwise standard Euclidean distance is then computed producing a symmetric genetic distance matrix, which can be used to generate a neighbor joining dendrogram or a multidimensional scaling graph. We present an improvement to word counting alignment-free approaches for sequence comparison, by determining a single optimal word length and combining suffix tree structures to the word counting tasks. Our approach is, thus, a fast and simple application that proved to be efficient and powerful when applied to mitochondrial genomes. The algorithm was implemented in Python language and is freely available on the web.

Psychology: Climate change hits home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Elke U.

2011-04-01

Engaging the public with climate change has proved difficult, in part because they see the problem as remote. New evidence suggests that direct experience of one anticipated impact -- flooding -- increases people's concern and willingness to save energy.

Delineation of voided and hydrocarbon contaminated regions with REDEM and STI

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

Whiteley, B.

1997-10-01

Undetected voids and cavernous regions at shallow depth are a significant geotechnical and environmental hazard if they are filled or act as conduits for pollutants, particularly for LNAPL and DNAPL contaminants. Such features are often difficult to locate with drilling and conventional geophysical methods including resistivity, electromagnetics, microgravity, seismic and ground penetrating radar when they occur in industrial or urban areas where electrical and vibrational interference can combine with subsurface complexity due to human action to severely degrade geophysical data quality. A new geophysical method called Radiowave Diffraction Electromagnetics (RDEM) has proved successful for rapid screening of difficult sites andmore » for the delineation of buried sinkholes, cavities and hydrocarbon plumes. RDEM operates with a null coupled coil configuration at about 1.6 MHZ and is relatively insensitive to electrical interference and surrounding metal objects. It responds to subsurface variations in both conductivity and dielectric constant. Voided and contaminated regions can be more fully detailed when RDEM is combined with Seismic Tomographic Imaging (STI) from follow-up boreholes. Case studies from sites in Australia and South East Asia demonstrate the application of RDEM and STI and the value in combining both methods.« less

A Wavelet Analysis Approach for Categorizing Air Traffic Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drew, Michael; Sheth, Kapil

2015-01-01

In this paper two frequency domain techniques are applied to air traffic analysis. The Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT), like the Fourier Transform, is shown to identify changes in historical traffic patterns caused by Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) and weather with the added benefit of detecting when in time those changes take place. Next, with the expectation that it could detect anomalies in the network and indicate the extent to which they affect traffic flows, the Spectral Graph Wavelet Transform (SGWT) is applied to a center based graph model of air traffic. When applied to simulations based on historical flight plans, it identified the traffic flows between centers that have the greatest impact on either neighboring flows, or flows between centers many centers away. Like the CWT, however, it can be difficult to interpret SGWT results and relate them to simulations where major TMIs are implemented, and more research may be warranted in this area. These frequency analysis techniques can detect off-nominal air traffic behavior, but due to the nature of air traffic time series data, so far they prove difficult to apply in a way that provides significant insight or specific identification of traffic patterns.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection and pneumothorax

PubMed Central

Terzi, Eirini; Zarogoulidis, Konstantinos; Kougioumtzi, Ioanna; Dryllis, Georgios; Kioumis, Ioannis; Pitsiou, Georgia; Machairiotis, Nikolaos; Katsikogiannis, Nikolaos; Tsiouda, Theodora; Madesis, Athanasios; Karaiskos, Theodoros

2014-01-01

Pneumothorax is a serious and relatively frequent complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that may associate with increased morbidity and mortality and may prove difficult to manage, especially in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). PMID:25337392

Estimating cull in northern hardwoods

Treesearch

W.M. Zillgitt; S.R. Gevorkiantz

1946-01-01

Cull in northern hardwood stands is often very heavy and is difficult to estimate. To help clarify this situation and aid the average cruiser to become more accurate in his estimates, the study reported here should prove very helpful.

A Localized Ensemble Kalman Smoother

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butala, Mark D.

2012-01-01

Numerous geophysical inverse problems prove difficult because the available measurements are indirectly related to the underlying unknown dynamic state and the physics governing the system may involve imperfect models or unobserved parameters. Data assimilation addresses these difficulties by combining the measurements and physical knowledge. The main challenge in such problems usually involves their high dimensionality and the standard statistical methods prove computationally intractable. This paper develops and addresses the theoretical convergence of a new high-dimensional Monte-Carlo approach called the localized ensemble Kalman smoother.

Case study of a floor-cleaning robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, Allan C.

1998-01-01

Developing the technologies suitable of ra high level robotic application such as cleaning a floor has proved extremely difficult. Developing the robot mobility technology has been a stumbling block and developing and integrating the applications technology to the machine and the mobility technology has also been a difficult stage in this quest, but doing so in a cost effective and realistic manner suitable for the market place and to compete with humans and manually operated machines has been the most difficult of all. This paper describes one of these quests spanning a 14 year period and resulting in what is hoped will be the world's first commercially manufactured household robot vacuum cleaner.

Multiple-Sensor Discrimination of Closely-Spaced Objects on a Ballistic Trajectory

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-18

Nominal System Architecture ..................................................................................... 8 2 Simulation Environment... architecture ........................................................................................... 8 Figure 2. Simulation environment developed...uncertainty band for one or multiple sensors within the observation architecture . Resolving targets from one sensor image to another can prove difficult

Challenges for molecular and serological ZIKV infection confirmation.

PubMed

de Vasconcelos, Zilton Farias Meira; Azevedo, Renata Campos; Thompson, Nathália; Gomes, Leonardo; Guida, Letícia; Moreira, Maria Elisabeth Lopes

2018-01-01

Zika Virus (ZIKV), member of Flaviviridae family and Flavivirus genus, has recently emerged as international public health emergency after its association with neonatal microcephaly cases. Clinical diagnosis hindrance involves symptom similarities produced by other arbovirus infections, therefore laboratory confirmation is of paramount importance. The most reliable test available is based on ZIKV RNA detection from body fluid samples. However, short viremia window periods and asymptomatic infections diminish the success rate for RT-PCR positivity. Beyond molecular detection, all serology tests in areas where other Flavivirus circulates proved to be a difficult task due to the broad range of cross-reactivity, especially with dengue pre-exposed individuals. Altogether, lack of serological diagnostic tools brings limitations to any retrospective evaluation. Those studies are central in the context of congenital infection that could occur asymptomatically and mask prevalence and risk rates.

Metal-Organic Framework Modified Glass Substrate for Analysis of Highly Volatile Chemical Warfare Agents by Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Dhummakupt, Elizabeth S; Carmany, Daniel O; Mach, Phillip M; Tovar, Trenton M; Ploskonka, Ann M; Demond, Paul S; DeCoste, Jared B; Glaros, Trevor

2018-03-07

Paper spray mass spectrometry has been shown to successfully analyze chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants. However, due to the volatility differences between the simulants and real G-series (i.e., sarin, soman) CWAs, analysis from an untreated paper substrate proved difficult. To extend the analytical lifetime of these G-agents, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were successfully integrated onto the paper spray substrates to increase adsorption and desorption. In this study, several MOFs and nanoparticles were tested to extend the analytical lifetimes of sarin, soman, and cyclosarin on paper spray substrates. It was found that the addition of either UiO-66 or HKUST-1 to the paper substrate increased the analytical lifetime of the G-agents from less than 5 min detectability to at least 50 min.

[Management of malnourished children. Cases from the Protestant Hospital of Dabou].

PubMed

Mutombo, T

1992-01-01

Malnutrition due to lack of nutritional resources unfortunately remains an endemic which ravages Third World countries. Not only is malnutrition a result of continuous droughts and wars, but it is a reflection of the difficult economic circumstances which persist in these countries. Malnutrition should be specifically treated in each region with the least costly locally available means. The experience of the Protestant Hospital of Dabou proves that this manner of care is possible in the midst of a rural area with very limited resources. Hospital surveillance, nutritional education and a stay in the nutritional rehabilitation center offers these malnourished children a new chance to begin in life again. Unfortunately for some, the acquired benefits disappear once they have left the establishment and the child returns to the same least favorable socio-economic environment for his development.

High-frequency monopole sound source for anechoic chamber qualification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saussus, Patrick; Cunefare, Kenneth A.

2003-04-01

Anechoic chamber qualification procedures require the use of an omnidirectional monopole sound source. Required characteristics for these monopole sources are explicitly listed in ISO 3745. Building a high-frequency monopole source that meets these characteristics has proved difficult due to the size limitations imposed by small wavelengths at high frequency. A prototype design developed for use in hemianechoic chambers employs telescoping tubes, which act as an inverse horn. This same design can be used in anechoic chambers, with minor adaptations. A series of gradually decreasing brass telescoping tubes is attached to the throat of a well-insulated high-frequency compression driver. Therefore, all of the sound emitted from the driver travels through the horn and exits through an opening of approximately 2.5 mm. Directivity test data show that this design meets all of the requirements set forth by ISO 3745.

DU Processing Efficiency and Reclamation: Plasma Arc Melting

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

Imhoff, Seth D.; Aikin, Jr., Robert M.; Swenson, Hunter

The work described here corresponds to one piece of a larger effort to increase material usage efficiency during DU processing operations. In order to achieve this goal, multiple technologies and approaches are being tested. These technologies occupy a spectrum of technology readiness levels (TRLs). Plasma arc melting (PAM) is one of the technologies being investigated. PAM utilizes a high temperature plasma to melt materials. Depending on process conditions, there are potential opportunities for recycling and material reclamation. When last routinely operational, the LANL research PAM showed extremely promising results for recycling and reclamation of DU and DU alloys. The currentmore » TRL is lower due to machine idleness for nearly two decades, which has proved difficult to restart. This report describes the existing results, promising techniques, and the process of bringing this technology back to readiness at LANL.« less

Landing A Man Downtown

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, W. G., II

1973-01-01

Analyzes the urban transport problems in comparison with those involved in a journey to the Moon. Indicates that the problem of enabling man to travel through the inner space of conurbations may prove to be more difficult than the transport problem of space travel. (CC)

Content-Aware DataGuide with Incremental Index Update using Frequently Used Paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, A. K.; Duhan, Neelam; Khattar, Priyanka

2010-11-01

Size of the WWW is increasing day by day. Due to the absence of structured data on the Web, it becomes very difficult for information retrieval tools to fully utilize the Web information. As a solution to this problem, XML pages come into play, which provide structural information to the users to some extent. Without efficient indexes, query processing can be quite inefficient due to an exhaustive traversal on XML data. In this paper an improved content-centric approach of Content-Aware DataGuide, which is an indexing technique for XML databases, is being proposed that uses frequently used paths from historical query logs to improve query performance. The index can be updated incrementally according to the changes in query workload and thus, the overhead of reconstruction can be minimized. Frequently used paths are extracted using any Sequential Pattern mining algorithm on subsequent queries in the query workload. After this, the data structures are incrementally updated. This indexing technique proves to be efficient as partial matching queries can be executed efficiently and users can now get the more relevant documents in results.

A closed-chamber method to measure greenhouse gas fluxes from dry aquatic sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesmeister, Lukas; Koschorreck, Matthias

2017-06-01

Recent research indicates that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dry aquatic sediments are a relevant process in the freshwater carbon cycle. However, fluxes are difficult to measure because of the often rocky substrate and the dynamic nature of the habitat. Here we tested the performance of different materials to seal a closed chamber to stony ground both in laboratory and field experiments. Using on-site material consistently resulted in elevated fluxes. The artefact was caused both by outgassing of the material and production of gas. The magnitude of the artefact was site dependent - the measured CO2 flux increased between 10 and 208 %. Errors due to incomplete sealing proved to be more severe than errors due to non-inert sealing material.Pottery clay as sealing material provided a tight seal between the chamber and the ground and no production of gases was detected. With this approach it is possible to get reliable gas fluxes from hard-substrate sites without using a permanent collar. Our test experiments confirmed that CO2 fluxes from dry aquatic sediments are similar to CO2 fluxes from terrestrial soils.

Taking NIRS to the field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Forage nutritive value (i.e., forage quality) impacts livestock health and performance, but determining the quality of forages for grazing animals is difficult. In the 1970s, development and application of bench-top near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques to assess forage quality proved to be ...

Development of DNA Microarrays for Metabolic Pathway and Bioprocess Monitoring

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

Gregory Stephanopoulos

Transcriptional profiling experiments utilizing DNA microarrays to study the intracellular accumulation of PHB in Synechocystis has proved difficult in large part because strains that show significant differences in PHB which would justify global analysis of gene expression have not been isolated.

Predictive Model of Systemic Toxicity (SOT)

EPA Science Inventory

In an effort to ensure chemical safety in light of regulatory advances away from reliance on animal testing, USEPA and L’Oréal have collaborated to develop a quantitative systemic toxicity prediction model. Prediction of human systemic toxicity has proved difficult and remains a ...

Setting Environmental Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishbein, Gershon

1975-01-01

Recent court decisions have pointed out the complexities involved in setting environmental standards. Environmental health is composed of multiple causative agents, most of which work over long periods of time. This makes the cause-and-effect relationship between health statistics and environmental contaminant exposures difficult to prove in…

Methods to Prove 20+ Year Life of CPV Products (in less than 20 Years)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, John; Spencer, Mark

2011-12-01

Due to the long term life expectations of photovoltaic products and the short duration of most introduced CPV technologies, it is critical for CPV companies to carefully construct field trials to prove product life. Because of the complicated geometric, thermal, and spectral characteristics of CPV systems, conducting very precise power output measurements reproducibly over many months is very difficult. Robust normalization methods specific to the exact optical system and PV cell type must be developed. Once the performance over a specific duration, e.g. one year, is established, then some justification is required to extrapolate to future performance. Comparisons to accelerated test results provide this justification. SolFocus has been conducting field trials of the SF-1100S CPV system for over two years. These field trials consist of controlled populations of SF-1100P modules, operating in grid-tied systems, which have been repeatedly measured at the individual module level over the duration of the trials. In this paper, field data will be presented along with normalization methodology and statistical methods for determining power degradation slope distributions for populations of individual modules. These results will be correlated with accelerated field tests which have been ongoing for 1.5 years and are estimated to be equivalent to 10 to 15 years of non-accelerated operation.

Impact of reduced scale free network on wireless sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshri, Neha; Gupta, Anurag; Mishra, Bimal Kumar

2016-12-01

In heterogeneous wireless sensor network (WSN) each data-packet traverses through multiple hops over restricted communication range before it reaches the sink. The amount of energy required to transmit a data-packet is directly proportional to the number of hops. To balance the energy costs across the entire network and to enhance the robustness in order to improve the lifetime of WSN becomes a key issue of researchers. Due to high dimensionality of an epidemic model of WSN over a general scale free network, it is quite difficult to have close study of network dynamics. To overcome this complexity, we simplify a general scale free network by partitioning all of its motes into two classes: higher-degree motes and lower-degree motes, and equating the degrees of all higher-degree motes with lower-degree motes, yielding a reduced scale free network. We develop an epidemic model of WSN based on reduced scale free network. The existence of unique positive equilibrium is determined with some restrictions. Stability of the system is proved. Furthermore, simulation results show improvements made in this paper have made the entire network have a better robustness to the network failure and the balanced energy costs. This reduced model based on scale free network theory proves more applicable to the research of WSN.

C-17 Issues and Concerns

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

features such as electronic flight controls, blown flaps, winglets , and head-up displays proved more difficult than the contractor had estimated.’ To...air’ifter designed to provide the full range of strategic and tactical airlift capability. This blend of capabilities will enable it to carry outsize

Distorted Immunodominance by Linker Sequences or other Epitopes from a Second Protein Antigen During Antigen-Processing

PubMed Central

Kim, AeRyon; Boronina, Tatiana N.; Cole, Robert N.; Darrah, Erika; Sadegh-Nasseri, Scheherazade

2017-01-01

The immune system focuses on and responds to very few representative immunodominant epitopes from pathogenic insults. However, due to the complexity of the antigen processing, understanding the parameters that lead to immunodominance has proved difficult. In an attempt to uncover the determinants of immunodominance among several dominant epitopes, we utilized a cell free antigen processing system and allowed the system to identify the hierarchies among potential determinants. We then tested the results in vivo; in mice and in human. We report here, that immunodominance of known sequences in a given protein can change if two or more proteins are being processed and presented simultaneously. Surprisingly, we find that new spacer/tag sequences commonly added to proteins for purification purposes can distort the capture of the physiological immunodominant epitopes. We warn against adding tags and spacers to candidate vaccines, or recommend cleaving it off before using for vaccination. PMID:28422163

Computer support for physiological cell modelling using an ontology on cell physiology.

PubMed

Takao, Shimayoshi; Kazuhiro, Komurasaki; Akira, Amano; Takeshi, Iwashita; Masanori, Kanazawa; Tetsuya, Matsuda

2006-01-01

The development of electrophysiological whole cell models to support the understanding of biological mechanisms is increasing rapidly. Due to the complexity of biological systems, comprehensive cell models, which are composed of many imported sub-models of functional elements, can get quite complicated as well, making computer modification difficult. Here, we propose a computer support to enhance structural changes of cell models, employing the markup languages CellML and our original PMSML (physiological model structure markup language), in addition to a new ontology for cell physiological modelling. In particular, a method to make references from CellML files to the ontology and a method to assist manipulation of model structures using markup languages together with the ontology are reported. Using these methods three software utilities, including a graphical model editor, are implemented. Experimental results proved that these methods are effective for the modification of electrophysiological models.

Measurement method for roll angular displacement with a high resolution by using diffraction gratings and a heterodyne interferometer

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

Tang, Shanzhi, E-mail: shanzhit@gmail.com; School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049; Wang, Zhao

The roll angle measurement is difficult to be achieved directly using a typical commercial interferometer due to its low sensitivity in axial direction, where the axial direction is orthogonal to the plane of the roll angular displacement. A roll angle measurement method combined diffraction gratings with a laser heterodyne interferometer is discussed in this paper. The diffraction grating placed in the plane of a roll angular displacement and the interferometer arranged in the plane's orthogonal direction, constitute the measurement pattern for the roll angle with high resolution. The roll angular displacement, considered as the linear, can be tested precisely whenmore » the corresponding angle is very small. Using the proposed method, the angle roll measurement obtains the high resolution of 0.002{sup ″}. Experiment has proved its feasibility and practicability.« less

Laboratory diagnosis of invasive candidiasis.

PubMed Central

Jones, J M

1990-01-01

Severe infections due to Candida species have become more frequent during the past two decades because of the increasing numbers of immunosuppressed patients being treated in our hospitals. Distinguishing colonization from invasive disease requires knowledge of the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to invasion. To assist the clinician in therapeutic decisions, clinical microbiologists should identify to species Candida organisms isolated from immunosuppressed patients. Quantitative or semiquantitative cultures of urine, burn tissues, intravascular catheter tips, and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens may provide useful information. Immunofluorescent staining of certain specimens can enhance diagnostic yield. The lysis-centrifugation blood culture technique offers some advantages over traditional broth techniques in detecting Candida fungemia. Antibody testing is of limited diagnostic value in highly immunosuppressed patients. Developing simple and reliable tests for detecting antigens or metabolites of Candida spp. in the sera of infected patients has proven difficult. Methods for typing Candida albicans are evolving. Typing should prove useful for studying the epidemiology of candidiasis in hospitalized patients. Images PMID:2404567

Airport and superficial femoral artery obstruction due to a wandering coronary stent: the possibility of airport detection of modern implant metals.

PubMed

Teijink, J A W; van Herwaarden, J A; van den Berg, J C; Overtoom, T C; Moll, F L

2004-06-01

In the treatment of coronary artery disease, peripheral loss of a coronary stent is an unusual complication. We present the case of a patient who suggested that his right leg claudication was caused by a slipped coronary stent 2 years previously. The patient was convinced about this unusual finding based on an airport security check. Examination proved him to be right. However, the ability to detect an object using eddy currents is dependent on the object's permeability and its conductivity. Ferrous (iron) content is not the critical factor. Modern implant materials and processing techniques result in implants that are difficult to magnetize i.e. their permeability is very low. In addition their conductivity is very low. This enables modern implants to escape detection at airports. For this reason the event at the airport, as described by our patient, is considered coincidental.

Simplified hydraulic model of French vertical-flow constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Arias, Luis; Bertrand-Krajewski, Jean-Luc; Molle, Pascal

2014-01-01

Designing vertical-flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) to treat both rain events and dry weather flow is a complex task due to the stochastic nature of rain events. Dynamic models can help to improve design, but they usually prove difficult to handle for designers. This study focuses on the development of a simplified hydraulic model of French VFCWs using an empirical infiltration coefficient--infiltration capacity parameter (ICP). The model was fitted using 60-second-step data collected on two experimental French VFCW systems and compared with Hydrus 1D software. The model revealed a season-by-season evolution of the ICP that could be explained by the mechanical role of reeds. This simplified model makes it possible to define time-course shifts in ponding time and outlet flows. As ponding time hinders oxygen renewal, thus impacting nitrification and organic matter degradation, ponding time limits can be used to fix a reliable design when treating both dry and rain events.

76 FR 55779 - Labor Day, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... Proclamation Every day, hard-working men and women across America prove that, even in difficult times, our... we commit to supporting their efforts in moving our economy forward. The right to organize and... Americans today are given opportunities because their parents and grandparents fought for these basic rights...

Getting More out of Team Projects: Incentivizing Leadership to Enhance Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrante, Claudia J.; Green, Steve G.; Forster, William R.

2006-01-01

This study addresses changes in student perceptions when team leaders are incentivized. Although the benefits of groupwork have been thoroughly studied and documented, minimizing dysfunctional teamwork may prove difficult because of leadership incentives, social loafing, and organizational justice implications. Using an innovative pedagogical…

The Episodic Nature of Episodic-Like Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easton, Alexander; Webster, Lisa A. D.; Eacott, Madeline J.

2012-01-01

Studying episodic memory in nonhuman animals has proved difficult because definitions in humans require conscious recollection. Here, we assessed humans' experience of episodic-like recognition memory tasks that have been used with animals. It was found that tasks using contextual information to discriminate events could only be accurately…

Therapeutic Process and Outcome: The Interplay of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbel, Holly

2008-01-01

From Freud through to modern times researchers have aimed to develop a clearer understanding of therapeutic processes and outcomes. Despite this continued interest in the field, the representation of psychotherapy processes and the applicability of research findings and recommendations to the therapeutic field continue to prove difficult.…

[Rituals of birth in Senegal].

PubMed

Ba, Idrissa; Diodo Ly, Oumou; Rizzi, Alice Titia; Sandri, Rosella; Thiam, Mamadou Habib

In a Senegalese society undergoing profound change, holding on to certain beliefs and social and cultural practices can sometimes prove difficult. Prevention and care systems must take into account social and cultural representations in order to support these families as best as possible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

On the Reform of Russian Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mironov, V. V.

2013-01-01

The "modernization" of Russian education is linked to the functioning of the entire social system of Russia, and reforms are proving difficult and contradictory. The use of the Unified State Examination in Russia, plus participation in the Bologna process, is causing concern about the ability of education to meet the needs of the…

EVALUATION OF EXTRACTION AND SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS FOR PB SPECIATION IN AN AMENDED SOIL

EPA Science Inventory

Immobilization of pyromorphite (Pbs(PO4hCI) via P amendments to Pb contaminated soils is proving to be a viable method of remediation. However, the issue of ascertaining the amount of soil Pb converted to pyromorphite is difficult in heterogeneous soil systems. Previous attempts ...

Transient Structured Distance as a Maneuver in Marital Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Bernard L.; And Others

1973-01-01

Experience with 73 cases has shown the value of Transient Structured Distance as a maneuver in marriage therapy. While the TSD is a radical form of intervention with risks of anxiety reactions, homosexual panic, or divorce, it has proved effective with difficult forms of acute or chronic marital disharmony. (Author)

The Small College Enrollment Officer: Relationship Marketing at Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vander Schee, Brian A.

2010-01-01

Prospective college students regularly read in promotional literature that the college experience is personal and unique to each individual. However, if their experience in the recruitment process proves otherwise it is difficult to convince students that they can each have a personal relationship with the institution. Small colleges can overcome…

Using Computer-Assisted Multiple Representations in Learning Geometry Proofs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wing-Kwong; Yin, Sheng-Kai; Yang, Hsi-Hsun; Cheng, Ying-Hao

2011-01-01

Geometry theorem proving involves skills that are difficult to learn. Instead of working with abstract and complicated representations, students might start with concrete, graphical representations. A proof tree is a graphical representation of a formal proof, with each node representing a proposition or given conditions. A computer-assisted…

Teaching Linear Algebra: Must the Fog Always Roll In?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, David

1993-01-01

Proposes methods to teach the more difficult concepts of linear algebra. Examines features of the Linear Algebra Curriculum Study Group Core Syllabus, and presents problems from the core syllabus that utilize the mathematical process skills of making conjectures, proving the results, and communicating the results to colleagues. Presents five…

Laboratory Experiments for Undergraduate Instruction in Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Donald A.

1991-01-01

Describes the generation and use of experimental data in teaching economics. Includes a double oral auction experiment and a monopoly pricing experiment. Concludes that such experiments allow the instructor to see what the students have learned, how they reason, and what parts of the material have proved difficult. (DK)

Utilization of Additive Manufacturing in Evaluating the Performance of Internally Defected Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mourad, A.-H. I.; Ghazal, A. M.; Syam, M. M.; Qadi, O. D. Al; Jassmi, H. Al

2018-05-01

The elimination of internal defects in a material present in the raw material or generated during the manufacturing or service is difficult. The inclusions of the defects have an adverse effect on the load bearing capacity. The presence of the cracks subjected to a specific orientation in materials or machinery can cause devastating unexpected failure during operation. Analysis of the failure in the components with cracks is more confined to analytical and numerical evaluation. The experimental evaluation has been tedious due to the complexity of replicating the actual defected component. The potential of additive manufacturing in developing user-defined components with cracks for the experimental evaluation is explored in this research. The present research investigated the effect of the internal elliptical cracks aligned at different orientations on the mechanical performance of polylactic acid (Green filament). The Fusion Deposition Method was utilized for the development of the standard tensile specimens with internal elliptical crack oriented at 0°, 45° and 90° using UltiMaker 2. The results proved that there is a considerable reduction in the load bearing capacity due to the presence of the cracks. The maximum load bearing capacity decreased by 15.01% for the specimen with crack inclined at 0° to the lateral axis compared to crack- free specimen. The nature of the fracture and the stress-strain graph evidently showcase the brittle nature of the material. The SEM image of the fractured region proved the phenomenal characteristics such as strong adhesion between the layers and the proper material flow. In the light of the results of this work, it can be concluded that the 3-D printing methodology is effective for evaluating the mechanical performance of the internally defected material.

Case Study of the Minimum Provable Risk Considering the Variation in Background Risk: Effect of Residual Risk on Epidemiological Studies and a Comparative Assessment of Fatal Disease Risk Due to Radiation Exposure.

PubMed

Sasaki, Michiya; Ogino, Haruyuki; Hattori, Takatoshi

2018-06-08

In order to prove a small increment in a risk of concern in an epidemiological study, a large sample of a population is generally required. Since the background risk of an end point of interest, such as cancer mortality, is affected by various factors, such as lifestyle (diet, smoking, etc.), adjustment for such factors is necessary. However, it is impossible to inclusively and completely adjust for such factors; therefore, uncertainty in the background risk remains for control and exposed populations, indicating that there is a minimum limit to the lower bound for the provable risk regardless of the sample size. In this case study, we developed and discussed the minimum provable risk considering the uncertainty in background risk for hypothetical populations by referring to recent Japanese statistical information to grasp the extent of the minimum provable risk. Risk of fatal diseases due to radiation exposure, which has recently been the focus of radiological protection, was also examined by comparative assessment of the minimum provable risk for cancer and circulatory diseases. It was estimated that the minimum provable risk for circulatory disease mortality was much greater than that for cancer mortality, approximately five to seven times larger; circulatory disease mortality is more difficult to prove as a radiation risk than cancer mortality under the conditions used in this case study.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

Consistent interactive segmentation of pulmonary ground glass nodules identified in CT studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Fang, Ming; Naidich, David P.; Novak, Carol L.

2004-05-01

Ground glass nodules (GGNs) have proved especially problematic in lung cancer diagnosis, as despite frequently being malignant they characteristically have extremely slow rates of growth. This problem is further magnified by the small size of many of these lesions now being routinely detected following the introduction of multislice CT scanners capable of acquiring contiguous high resolution 1 to 1.25 mm sections throughout the thorax in a single breathhold period. Although segmentation of solid nodules can be used clinically to determine volume doubling times quantitatively, reliable methods for segmentation of pure ground glass nodules have yet to be introduced. Our purpose is to evaluate a newly developed computer-based segmentation method for rapid and reproducible measurements of pure ground glass nodules. 23 pure or mixed ground glass nodules were identified in a total of 8 patients by a radiologist and subsequently segmented by our computer-based method using Markov random field and shape analysis. The computer-based segmentation was initialized by a click point. Methodological consistency was assessed using the overlap ratio between 3 segmentations initialized by 3 different click points for each nodule. The 95% confidence interval on the mean of the overlap ratios proved to be [0.984, 0.998]. The computer-based method failed on two nodules that were difficult to segment even manually either due to especially low contrast or markedly irregular margins. While achieving consistent manual segmentation of ground glass nodules has proven problematic most often due to indistinct boundaries and interobserver variability, our proposed method introduces a powerful new tool for obtaining reproducible quantitative measurements of these lesions. It is our intention to further document the value of this approach with a still larger set of ground glass nodules.

Singular perturbation solutions of steady-state Poisson-Nernst-Planck systems.

PubMed

Wang, Xiang-Sheng; He, Dongdong; Wylie, Jonathan J; Huang, Huaxiong

2014-02-01

We study the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) system with an arbitrary number of ion species with arbitrary valences in the absence of fixed charges. Assuming point charges and that the Debye length is small relative to the domain size, we derive an asymptotic formula for the steady-state solution by matching outer and boundary layer solutions. The case of two ionic species has been extensively studied, the uniqueness of the solution has been proved, and an explicit expression for the solution has been obtained. However, the case of three or more ions has received significantly less attention. Previous work has indicated that the solution may be nonunique and that even obtaining numerical solutions is a difficult task since one must solve complicated systems of nonlinear equations. By adopting a methodology that preserves the symmetries of the PNP system, we show that determining the outer solution effectively reduces to solving a single scalar transcendental equation. Due to the simple form of the transcendental equation, it can be solved numerically in a straightforward manner. Our methodology thus provides a standard procedure for solving the PNP system and we illustrate this by solving some practical examples. Despite the fact that for three ions, previous studies have indicated that multiple solutions may exist, we show that all except for one of these solutions are unphysical and thereby prove the existence and uniqueness for the three-ion case.

[History of "special therapeutic directions": the example of homeopathy].

PubMed

Hopff, W H

1996-04-01

As for generally accepted therapeutic methods, the "special methods" may appear to be effective due to spontaneous recovery provided by nature. A great number of sceptical physicians are aware of this fact. The pharmacologist works continuously to differentiate effects directly caused by medical treatments - mainly drugs - from effects resulting from spontaneous recovery. This is one of the most difficult problems in medical treatment. As a representative example of all "special methods", we concentrate here on the history of homeopathy. As is generally known, there is no conformity in homeopathy, for example monotherapy versus therapy with complex homeopathic products; refusing the simile-rule; treatment with high potencies versus treatment with low potencies; classic versus scholastic homeopathy. The number of homeopathies really equals the number of homeopathic physicians. For this reason, instruction in homeopathy on the academic level is impossible. In addition, we have to forget all natural laws only to prove that "potentiation" may be true. Therapeutic success due purely to chance may be explained rationally and is occasionally seen in all other "special methods". The theories of homeopaths for the action with homeopathic products are neither in accordance with our natural laws nor comply with a rational philosophy.

Utility and limitations of a peptide reactivity assay to predict fragrance allergens in vitro.

PubMed

Natsch, A; Gfeller, H; Rothaupt, M; Ellis, G

2007-10-01

A key step in the skin sensitization process is the formation of a covalent adduct between the skin sensitizer and endogenous proteins and/or peptides in the skin. A published peptide depletion assay was used to relate the in vitro reactivity of fragrance molecules to LLNA data. Using the classical assay, 22 of 28 tested moderate to strong sensitizers were positive. The prediction of weak sensitizers proved to be more difficult with only 50% of weak sensitizers giving a positive response, but for some compounds this could also be due to false-positive results from the LLNA. LC-MS analysis yielded the expected mass of the peptide adducts in several cases, whereas in other cases putative oxidation reactions led to adducts of unexpected molecular weight. Several moderately sensitizing aldehydes were correctly predicted by the depletion assay, but no adducts were found and the depletion appears to be due to an oxidation of the parent peptide catalyzed by the test compound. Finally, alternative test peptides derived from a physiological reactive protein with enhanced sensitivity for weak Michael acceptors were found, further increasing the sensitivity of the assay.

Time on Your Hands: Modeling Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finson, Kevin; Beaver, John

2007-01-01

Building physical models relative to a concept can be an important activity to help students develop and manipulate abstract ideas and mental models that often prove difficult to grasp. One such concept is "time". A method for helping students understand the cyclical nature of time involves the construction of a Time Zone Calculator through a…

Primary laws and fine levels are associated with increases in seat belt use, 1997–2008 : traffic tech.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-01

Increasing seat belt usage in the United States has proved to be a : slow and difficult task. It has taken about 30 years since NHTSA : conducted the first seat belt and child restraint workshops in : 1978 to reach 84% usage in 2009. In general, seat...

Free Speech, Quality Control, and Flame Wars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leary, Patrick; Labanowski, Jan K.; Korenman, Joan

2007-01-01

The authors who happened to be moderators of academic online discussions bring tales from the trenches. Whether it's computational chemistry, the history of the book, or women's studies, the technology and the users can both prove difficult. The first author talks about two scholarly discussion lists. SHARP-L, whose name comes from the Society for…

Operationalizing Place: Discovering, Reasoning about, and Exploring Place Knowledge from Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Benjamin Thomas

2012-01-01

Places and place types, such as "small town", play a fundamental role in how people organize knowledge about the world. Although places are commonly referenced in human communication, often they are not canonically defined and many of the properties people associate with them have proved difficult to operationalize. In information…

Gaining Ground in Understanding the Play-Literacy Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roskos, Kathleen A.; Christie, James F.

2013-01-01

Many in the field of early literacy development and learning believe strongly that play and literacy share common ground, but they have found the idea difficult to prove. While some primary research indicates a positive relationship, the impact of play seems to occur at different levels of development, which complicates how researchers view its…

Using Group Work to Develop Intercultural Skills in the Accounting Curriculum in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Anne; Hoy, Simon; Hughes, Mark; Islam, Jesmin; Mak, Anita S.

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the processes and outcomes of an experiential learning intervention designed to improve intercultural skills in accounting students by building cross-cultural alliances in culturally mixed groups. The cultural backgrounds of students in accounting units are diverse, and it has proved difficult to break down barriers to…

Genotyping-by-sequencing of a bi-parental mapping population segregating for downy mildew resistance in hop (Humulus lupulus L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Breeding for resistance to downy mildew in hop has proved difficult presumably because of the highly quantitative nature of genetic control over expression with environment playing a large role in determining phenotype. We hypothesize that eliminating environmental influences over the expression of...

Direct-seedling pines in the south

Treesearch

Harold J. Derr; William F. Mann

1971-01-01

Direct seeding of the southern pines is a versatile reforestation technique that is being widely accepted by land managers. On many sites it is more economical than planting nursery-grown seedlings or waiting for natural reproduction. It is applicable on some sites where access, terrain, or drainage conditions make planting difficult. Commercial trials have proved it...

3 CFR 8707 - Proclamation 8707 of September 2, 2011. Labor Day, 2011

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., hard-working men and women across America prove that, even in difficult times, our country is still... supporting their efforts in moving our economy forward. The right to organize and collectively bargain is a... given opportunities because their parents and grandparents fought for these basic rights and values. The...

Rhipicephalus microplus strain Deutsch, 10 BAC clone sequences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, has a genome over 2.4 times the size of the human genome, and with over 70% of repetitive DNA, this genome would prove very costly to sequence at today's prices and difficult to assemble and analyze. We used labeled DNA probes from the coding reg...

Rhipicephalus microplus strain Deutsch, whole genome shotgun sequencing project Version 2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, has a genome over 2.4 times the size of the human genome, and with over 70% of repetitive DNA, this genome would prove very costly to sequence at today's prices and difficult to assemble and analyze. Cot filtration/selection techniques were used ...

Perirenal lipoma versus renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Mydlo, J H; Shore, N; Reuter, V; Herr, H W

1991-07-01

Pure renal and perirenal lipomas are rare. They arise from renal cortex, capsule, or perirenal tissue, and may be difficult to distinguish from renal adenocarcinomas. We report on a patient who presented with a renal mass that had the radiologic findings suggestive of a renal cell carcinoma, but proved to be a simple lipoma.

Cognitive Approach to Assessing Pragmatic Language Comprehension in Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryder, Nuala; Leinonen, Eeva; Schulz, Joerg

2008-01-01

Background: Pragmatic language impairment in children with specific language impairment has proved difficult to assess, and the nature of their abilities to comprehend pragmatic meaning has not been fully investigated. Aims: To develop both a cognitive approach to pragmatic language assessment based on Relevance Theory and an assessment tool for…

Power to the Students!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schachter, Ron

2010-01-01

When Adam Fletcher was hired as the student engagement specialist for Washington state's education department 10 years ago, it didn't take him long to realize how difficult his newly created job would prove. Fletcher said no one was talking about the roles of students other than as learners, and they laughed out loud at the proposal of students…

Workers with Disabilities and the Challenges of Emotional Labour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilton, Robert D.

2008-01-01

This paper explores the implications of emotional labour for workers with disabilities, drawing on qualitative data from interviews with 59 respondents who had disabilities and who worked in service sector occupations. The analysis illustrates that employer demands for emotional labour may prove difficult for workers with a range of disabilities,…

The Discussion Section as Argument: The Language Used to Prove Knowledge Claims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkinson, Jean

2011-01-01

Writing the Discussion section of a laboratory report or dissertation is difficult for students to master. It involves complex causal, conditional and purposive argument; this argument guides the reader from acceptance of the relatively uncontroversial data to acceptance of the writer's knowledge claim. Students benefit therefore if they are…

Learning about Seasons: A Guide for Teachers and Curriculum Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary; Bar, Varda; Kavanagh, Claudine

2011-01-01

The video "A Private Universe" evokes surprise and dismay among educators and scientists by demonstrating that even the brightest students fail to grasp a seemingly simple and fundamental concept--the reason for seasons. This literature review describes the findings of 41 studies that collectively illustrate why the concept proves difficult to…

Quantifying climate change impacts emphasises the importance of managing regional threats in the endangered Yellow-eyed penguin.

PubMed

Mattern, Thomas; Meyer, Stefan; Ellenberg, Ursula; Houston, David M; Darby, John T; Young, Melanie; van Heezik, Yolanda; Seddon, Philip J

2017-01-01

Climate change is a global issue with effects that are difficult to manage at a regional scale. Yet more often than not climate factors are just some of multiple stressors affecting species on a population level. Non-climatic factors-especially those of anthropogenic origins-may play equally important roles with regard to impacts on species and are often more feasible to address. Here we assess the influence of climate change on population trends of the endangered Yellow-eyed penguin ( Megadyptes antipodes ) over the last 30 years, using a Bayesian model. Sea surface temperature (SST) proved to be the dominating factor influencing survival of both adult birds and fledglings. Increasing SST since the mid-1990s was accompanied by a reduction in survival rates and population decline. The population model showed that 33% of the variation in population numbers could be explained by SST alone, significantly increasing pressure on the penguin population. Consequently, the population becomes less resilient to non-climate related impacts, such as fisheries interactions, habitat degradation and human disturbance. However, the extent of the contribution of these factors to declining population trends is extremely difficult to assess principally due to the absence of quantifiable data, creating a discussion bias towards climate variables, and effectively distracting from non-climate factors that can be managed on a regional scale to ensure the viability of the population.

Hardness of model dental composites - the effect of filler volume fraction and silanation.

PubMed

McCabe, J F; Wassell, R W

1999-05-01

The relationship between structure and mechanical properties for dental composites has often proved difficult to determine due to the use of commercially available materials having a number of differences in composition i.e. different type of resin, different type of filler, etc. This makes a scientific study of any one variable such as filler content difficult if not impossible. In the current study it was the aim to test the hypothesis that hardness measurements of dental composites could be used to monitor the status of the resin-filler interface and to determine the efficacy of any particle silanation process. Ten model composites formulated from a single batch of resin and containing a common type of glass filler were formulated to contain varying amounts of filler. Some materials contained silanated filler, others contained unsilanated filler. Specimens were prepared and stored in water and hardness (Vickers') was determined at 24 h using loads of 50, 100, 200 and 300 g. Composites containing silanated fillers were significantly harder than materials containing unsilanated fillers. For unsilanated products hardness was independent of applied load and in this respect they behaved like homogeneous materials. For composites containing silanated fillers there was a marked increase in measured hardness as applied load was increased. This suggests that the hardness-load profile could be used to monitor the status of the resin-filler interface. Copyright 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers

Obscuration Due to Dust of a Laser Beam in a Gun Firing Environment - Preliminary Survey

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-10-01

34 APG- MT-4371, Nov 1973, Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD (AD Number: 915796L). 13. Engineering Design Handbook, Ballistic Series, "Interior Ballistics of...Technical Library Watervliet, NY 12189 Director Ballistic Research Laboratories Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD 21005 Commander US Army Electronics...RHFL Warren, MI 48090 Commander Aberdeen Proving Ground ATTN: Tech Lib., Bldg 313 Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD 22005 Chief of Naval Research

Anthropogenic impact in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea): Observations and conservation straits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Onghia, G.; Calculli, C.; Capezzuto, F.; Carlucci, R.; Carluccio, A.; Grehan, A.; Indennidate, A.; Maiorano, P.; Mastrototaro, F.; Pollice, A.; Russo, T.; Savini, A.; Sion, L.; Tursi, A.

2017-11-01

The Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) cold-water coral (CWC) province is a proposed priority conservation area according to several conservation initiatives in the Mediterranean Sea. Part of it is a Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA). Anthropogenic impacts due to fishing on this FRA were investigated using a towed camera system during 2005. The geographic distribution of fishing effort in the SML CWC province was examined through an observers' program of longline and trawl fishing activities during 2009 and 2010 and Vessel Monitoring by satellite System (VMS) data from 2008 to 2013. Using the video system, it was possible to observe evidence of impacts in the FRA due to longlines, proved by remains of lines on the bottoms and/or entangled in corals, and those due to trawl nets, proved by trawl door scars on the bottom. The application of Generalized Liner Models indicates that the impacts due to longline were significantly related to a geographic site characterized by carbonate mounds while those from trawl net were significantly related to the soft bottoms, consisting of bioturbated fine-grained sediments. The presence of waste of various types was also observed in the FRA; plastic was the most widespread waste and was significantly related to a macrohabitat characterized by the presence of corals. The geographic distribution of fishing effort for each type of fishing were rather superimposed in the two years of the observers' program and six years of VMS data with a significantly greater fishing effort outside the FRA than inside this area. The trawlers generally fished on the muddy bottoms of the upper and middle slope within the SML CWC province and near and inside the northward limit of the FRA. The longliners fished mainly on the shelf in north and off the FRA. The coral by-catch was only recorded during 2009 in 26% of the trawl hauls. No coral by-catch was recorded from longlining in either year. The catches from longlining mainly consisted of Chelidonichthys lucerna, Merluccius merluccius and Conger conger while those from trawling mostly consisted of Aristeus antennatus, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and M. merluccius. The information collected during the observers' program and VMS data indicated greater impact due to trawling than longlining. The conservation and effective management of this vulnerable marine ecosystem remain difficult.

Low Bandwidth Robust Controllers for Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biezad, Daniel J.; Chou, Hwei-Lan

1993-01-01

Through throttle manipulations, engine thrust can be used for emergency flight control for multi-engine aircraft. Previous study by NASA Dryden has shown the use of throttles for emergency flight control to be very difficult. In general, manual fly-by-throttle is extremely difficult - with landing almost impossible, but control augmentation makes runway landings feasible. Flight path control using throttles-only to achieve safe emergency landing for a large jet transport airplane, Boeing 720, was investigated using Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT). Results were compared to an augmented control developed in a previous simulation study. The control augmentation corrected the unsatisfactory open-loop characteristics by increasing system bandwidth and damping, but increasing the control bandwidth substantially proved very difficult. The augmented pitch control is robust under no or moderate turbulence. The augmented roll control is sensitive to configuration changes.

Low bandwidth robust controllers for flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biezad, Daniel J.; Chou, Hwei-Lan

1993-01-01

Through throttle manipulations, engine thrust can be used for emergency flight control for multi-engine aircraft. Previous study by NASA Dryden has shown the use of throttles for emergency flight control to be very difficult. In general, manual fly-by-throttle is extremely difficult - with landing almost impossible, but control augmentation makes runway landings feasible. Flight path control using throttles-only to achieve safe emergency landing for a large jet transport airplane, Boeing 720, was investigated using Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT). Results were compared to an augmented control developed in a previous simulation study. The control augmentation corrected the unsatisfactory open-loop characteristics by increasing system bandwidth and damping, but increasing the control bandwidth substantially proved very difficult. The augmented pitch control is robust under no or moderate turbulence. The augmented roll control is sensitive to configuration changes.

Complexities and Perplexities: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence for Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection-Related Morbidity

PubMed Central

Nery, Susana V.; Doi, Suhail A.; Gray, Darren J.; Soares Magalhães, Ricardo J.; McCarthy, James S.; Traub, Rebecca J.; Andrews, Ross M.; Clements, Archie C. A.

2016-01-01

Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) have acute and chronic manifestations, and can result in lifetime morbidity. Disease burden is difficult to quantify, yet quantitative evidence is required to justify large-scale deworming programmes. A recent Cochrane systematic review, which influences Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates for STH, has again called into question the evidence for deworming benefit on morbidity due to STH. In this narrative review, we investigate in detail what the shortfalls in evidence are. Methodology/Principal Findings: We systematically reviewed recent literature that used direct measures to investigate morbidity from STH and we critically appraised systematic reviews, particularly the most recent Cochrane systematic review investigating deworming impact on morbidity. We included six systematic reviews and meta-analyses, 36 literature reviews, 44 experimental or observational studies, and five case series. We highlight where evidence is insufficient and where research needs to be directed to strengthen morbidity evidence, ideally to prove benefits of deworming. Conclusions/Significance: Overall, the Cochrane systematic review and recent studies indicate major shortfalls in evidence for direct morbidity. However, it is questionable whether the systematic review methodology should be applied to STH due to heterogeneity of the prevalence of different species in each setting. Urgent investment in studies powered to detect direct morbidity effects due to STH is required. PMID:27196100

7 CFR 989.159 - Regulation of the handling of raisins subsequent to their acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Foods).” If shipment involves exportation to a foreign country, the handler shall surrender to the... failure to comply with all applicable food and sanitary rules and regulations of city, county, state... difficult, if not impossible, to prove the extent of such damage. Therefore, the handler shall pay to the...

7 CFR 989.159 - Regulation of the handling of raisins subsequent to their acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Foods).” If shipment involves exportation to a foreign country, the handler shall surrender to the... failure to comply with all applicable food and sanitary rules and regulations of city, county, state... difficult, if not impossible, to prove the extent of such damage. Therefore, the handler shall pay to the...

7 CFR 989.159 - Regulation of the handling of raisins subsequent to their acquisition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Foods).” If shipment involves exportation to a foreign country, the handler shall surrender to the... failure to comply with all applicable food and sanitary rules and regulations of city, county, state... difficult, if not impossible, to prove the extent of such damage. Therefore, the handler shall pay to the...

Chromosomal Anomalies in Individuals with Autism: A Strategy Towards the Identification of Genes Involved in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castermans, Dries; Wilquet, Valerie; Steyaert, Jean; van de Ven, Wim; Fryns, Jean-Pierre; Devriendt, Koen

2004-01-01

We review the different strategies currently used to try to identify susceptibility genes for idiopathic autism. Although identification of genes is usually straightforward in Mendelian disorders, it has proved to be much more difficult to establish in polygenic disorders like autism. Neither genome screens of affected siblings nor the large…

Assisted Workouts: Starting My Own Workout Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cousminer, Douglas

2003-01-01

As an undergraduate student with cerebral palsy, I found it difficult to achieve my goal of starting a regular exercise program at my school, the University of Central Florida. However, when I started a program called Assisted Workouts in spring 2003. the struggle proved to be well worth it. The program is not only beneficial to me, but it has…

Kinase-Mediated Regulation of 40S Ribosome Assembly in Human Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

Major Task 2 and Major Task 3 (i) CRISPR /cas9-deleted Ltv1-null TNBC clones that have been purified by Dr. Karbstein by growth in the presence of...cells using CRISPR /Cas9 technology proved difficult, as our hypothesis was correct, where Ltv1 is essential for proper growth of TNBC. In particular

Learning How to Construct Models of Dynamic Systems: An Initial Evaluation of the Dragoon Intelligent Tutoring System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanLehn, Kurt; Wetzel, Jon; Grover, Sachin; van de Sande, Brett

2017-01-01

Constructing models of dynamic systems is an important skill in both mathematics and science instruction. However, it has proved difficult to teach. Dragoon is an intelligent tutoring system intended to quickly and effectively teach this important skill. This paper describes Dragoon and an evaluation of it. The evaluation randomly assigned…

An Uncommon Approach to a Common Algebraic Error

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Paul S.

2008-01-01

The basic rules of elementary algebra can often appear beyond the grasp of many students. Even though most subjects, including calculus, prove to be more difficult, it is the simple rules of algebra that continue to be the "thorn in the side" of many mathematics students. In this paper we present a result intended to help students achieve a…

Investigating the Extraordinary X-Ray Variability of the Infrared Quasar IRAS 13349+2439

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leighly, Karen M.

1999-01-01

We observed the luminous quasar IRAS 13349+2439 using RXTE (X Ray Timing Explorer) in order to search for rapid variability. Unfortunately, the source was in a low state during the observation (PCA count rate approximately 1 - 2 counts/s). It was therefore somewhat weak for RXTE and detailed analysis proved to be difficult.

Balancing Difference and the Common Good: Lessons from a Post-Conflict Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Tony

2005-01-01

Northern Ireland endured a quarter century of political violence from 1969 until the declaration of ceasefires in 1994. Although a political settlement was signed in 1998, the actual implementation of agreed institutions has proved to be very difficult and the actual institutions have been fragile (and are currently under suspension). The purpose…

The Quality and Results of Vocational Education by Correctional Institutions. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinowitz, William; And Others

This study was undertaken to determine if variations in the quality of vocational education offered in prisons, and the skill level developed by participants in these programs, are related to the inmates' post-release adjustment. It proved difficult to execute the study as designed, and the collected data were neither as numerous nor as complete…

Gender Issues in Action Research: Implications for Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heiskanen, Tuula

2006-01-01

Gender equality is a widely recognized value. Still, on the practical level, it is not easy to achieve true gender equality. Gender has proved to be a complicated issue both for research and practice. Gender change projects trying to make changes in detected disadvantages have repeatedly run into a problem: it is difficult to put gender issues on…

Summer Fallowing Helps Establish Cottonwood on Old Fields

Treesearch

James B. Baker; B. G. Blackmon

1973-01-01

Cottonwood is an ideal crop for many old fields in the Mississippi Delta, but getting the trees established on these sites has proved difficult. Surface soils are often compacted and depleted of nutrients, and grasses and other herbaceous vegetation compete strongly with the young trees for moisture and nutrients. Fallowing in the summer before cottonwood cuttings are...

Reluctant Learners? Muslim Youth Confront the Holocaust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

There is good reason to believe that anti-Semitism is rife in Muslim communities across the world. Consequently, one might expect that teaching the Holocaust in schools with a substantial Muslim presence would prove a difficult and stressful experience. In this article, I draw on a diverse body of literature to argue for a more nuanced approach to…

An Augustinian Culture of Learning for Interdisciplinary Honors Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ste. Antoine, Tom

2010-01-01

Any attempt to discern the purpose of honors education and to integrate it with the unique ethos of a Christian institution can prove to be difficult. Yet, describing and articulating a sense of purpose is essential for an honors program to justify itself. This essay contends that a philosophy of education based on Augustine's…

Understanding "Human" Waves: Exploiting the Physics in a Viral Video

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrer-Roca, Chantal

2018-01-01

Waves are a relevant part of physics that students find difficult to grasp, even in those cases in which wave propagation kinematics can be visualized. This may hinder a proper understanding of sound, light or quantum physics phenomena that are explained using a wave model. So-called "human" waves, choreographed by people, have proved to…

Analysis of the results of replacement of large bone defects in the patients who underwent segmental bone resection for tumor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasieva, E. A.; Voropaeva, A. A.; Sadovoy, M. A.; Kirilova, I. A.

2017-09-01

The problem of large bone defects replacement, formed after segmental bone resections, remains an actual issue of modern orthopedics. It is known that the autograft is the most acceptable material for the replacement of bone tissue; however, due to its small volume and physical properties, it has limited usage. Our goal is to analyze the results of the experiments and studies on replacement of large bone defects after resection of the bone tumor. The problem is justified by the complicated osteoconduction and osteointegration; because it is proved that the reconstruction of the microcirculatory bloodstream is difficult in the presence of damage more than 4 cm2. It was revealed that using of allograft in combination with additional components is comparable in effectiveness, including long-term period, with autograft usage. It is promising to combine plastic allogenous material, capable of reconstructing defects of various configuration intraoperatively, with the necessary chemotherapy with controlled desorption to maintain effective concentration of drug.

Microenergetic Shock Initiation Studies on Deposited Films of PETN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tappan, Alexander S.; Wixom, Ryan R.; Trott, Wayne M.; Long, Gregory T.; Knepper, Robert; Brundage, Aaron L.; Jones, David A.

2009-06-01

Films of the high explosive PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) up to 500-μm thick have been deposited through physical vapor deposition, with the intent of creating well-defined samples for shock-initiation studies. PETN films were characterized with surface profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and focused ion beam nanotomography. These high-density films were subjected to strong shocks in both the in-plane and out-of-plane orientations. Initiation behavior was monitored with high-speed framing and streak camera photography. Direct initiation with a donor explosive (either RDX with binder, or CL-20 with binder) was possible in both orientations, but with the addition of a thin aluminum buffer plate (in-plane configuration only), initiation proved to be difficult due to the attenuated shock and the high density of the PETN films. Mesoscale models of microenergetic samples were created using the shock physics code CTH and compared with experimental results. The results of these experiments will be discussed in the context of small sample geometry, deposited film morphology, and density.

ScaffoldScaffolder: solving contig orientation via bidirected to directed graph reduction.

PubMed

Bodily, Paul M; Fujimoto, M Stanley; Snell, Quinn; Ventura, Dan; Clement, Mark J

2016-01-01

The contig orientation problem, which we formally define as the MAX-DIR problem, has at times been addressed cursorily and at times using various heuristics. In setting forth a linear-time reduction from the MAX-CUT problem to the MAX-DIR problem, we prove the latter is NP-complete. We compare the relative performance of a novel greedy approach with several other heuristic solutions. Our results suggest that our greedy heuristic algorithm not only works well but also outperforms the other algorithms due to the nature of scaffold graphs. Our results also demonstrate a novel method for identifying inverted repeats and inversion variants, both of which contradict the basic single-orientation assumption. Such inversions have previously been noted as being difficult to detect and are directly involved in the genetic mechanisms of several diseases. http://bioresearch.byu.edu/scaffoldscaffolder. paulmbodily@gmail.com Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Software phantom with realistic speckle modeling for validation of image analysis methods in echocardiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, Yuen C.; Tenbrinck, Daniel; Jiang, Xiaoyi; Kuhlen, Torsten

2014-03-01

Computer-assisted processing and interpretation of medical ultrasound images is one of the most challenging tasks within image analysis. Physical phenomena in ultrasonographic images, e.g., the characteristic speckle noise and shadowing effects, make the majority of standard methods from image analysis non optimal. Furthermore, validation of adapted computer vision methods proves to be difficult due to missing ground truth information. There is no widely accepted software phantom in the community and existing software phantoms are not exible enough to support the use of specific speckle models for different tissue types, e.g., muscle and fat tissue. In this work we propose an anatomical software phantom with a realistic speckle pattern simulation to _ll this gap and provide a exible tool for validation purposes in medical ultrasound image analysis. We discuss the generation of speckle patterns and perform statistical analysis of the simulated textures to obtain quantitative measures of the realism and accuracy regarding the resulting textures.

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

Suárez, D. Orozco; Ramos, A. Asensio; Bueno, J. Trujillo, E-mail: dorozco@iac.es

Proving the magnetic configuration of solar spicules has hitherto been difficult due to the lack of spatial resolution and image stability during off-limb ground-based observations. We report spectropolarimetric observations of spicules taken in the He i 1083 nm spectral region with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter II at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope of the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain). The data provide the variation with geometrical height of the Stokes I, Q, U, and V profiles, whose encoded information allows the determination of the magnetic field vector by means of the HAZEL inversion code. The inferred results showmore » that the average magnetic field strength at the base of solar spicules is about 80 gauss, and then it decreases rapidly with height to about 30 gauss at a height of 3000 km above the visible solar surface. Moreover, the magnetic field vector is close to vertical at the base of the chromosphere and has mid-inclinations (about 50°) above 2 Mm height.« less

Application of X-ray computed microtomography to soil craters formed by raindrop splash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beczek, Michał; Ryżak, Magdalena; Lamorski, Krzysztof; Sochan, Agata; Mazur, Rafał; Bieganowski, Andrzej

2018-02-01

The creation of craters on the soil surface is part of splash erosion. Due to the small size of these craters, they are difficult to study. The main aim of this paper was to test X-ray computed microtomography to investigate craters formed by raindrop impacts. Measurements were made on soil samples moistened to three different levels corresponding with soil water potentials of 0.1, 3.16 and 16 kPa. Using images obtained by X-ray microtomography, geometric parameters of the craters were recorded and analysed. X-ray computed microtomography proved to be a useful and efficient tool for the investigation of craters formed on the soil surface after the impact of water drops. The parameters of the craters changed with the energy of the water drops and were dependent on the initial moisture content of the soil. Crater depth is more dependent on the increased energy of the water drop than crater diameter.

The antibiotic pipeline for multi-drug resistant gram negative bacteria: what can we expect?

PubMed

Falagas, Matthew E; Mavroudis, Andreas D; Vardakas, Konstantinos Z

2016-08-01

A real concern in the medical community is the increasing resistance of bacteria, especially that of Gram-negative types. New antibiotics are currently under clinical development, promising to tackle severe infections caused, especially, by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and broaden the armamentarium of clinicians. We searched PUBMED and GOOGLE databases. Combinations of already approved β-lactams or monobactams with new β-lactamase inhibitors [imipenem-cilastatin/MK-7655 (relebactam), meropenem/RPX7009 (vaborbactam), ceftaroline/avibactam, aztreonam/avibactam], new β-lactams (S-649266, BAL30072), aminoglycosides (plazomicin), quinolones (finafloxacin) and tetracyclines (eravacycline) were included in the review. Expert commentary: For the majority of the upcoming antibiotics the currently available data is limited to their microbiology and pharmacokinetics. Their effectiveness and safety against infections due to MDR bacteria remain to be proved. Significant issues are also the impact of these antibiotics on the human intestinal microbiota and their possible co-administration with already-known antimicrobial agents in difficult-to-treat-infections; further studies should be conducted for these objectives.

THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ORAL ANAPLASTIC SARCOMA IN A PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS (CHOEROPSIS LIBERIENSIS) USING INTRALESIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY.

PubMed

Franklinos, Lydia H V; Masters, Nicholas; Feltrer, Yedra; Pocknell, Ann; Bolt, David M; Dakin, Stephanie; Berry, Karla; Molenaar, Fieke M

2017-03-01

An adult female captive pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) was diagnosed with an oral anaplastic sarcoma. The tumor was surgically debulked and intralesional chemotherapy with mitomycin C (0.4 mg/cm 3 of tumor) and cisplatin (1 mg/cm 3 of tumor) was administered. Chemotherapeutic treatment proved difficult due to the risks of repeated anesthetics and unknown drug efficacies. Marked proliferation of the mass was observed during estrus, and chemotherapy was repeated as an experimental treatment to slow tumor progression in order for the animal to remain in the species breeding program. Tumor proliferation was detected during the first trimester of pregnancy; however, in the lactation period, the mass became quiescent. No adverse reactions to chemotherapeutic drugs were observed and the animal continues to be monitored for tumor progression. This is the first report of an anaplastic sarcoma and of chemotherapy use in a pygmy hippopotamus and it highlights logistical considerations for treating neoplasia in this species.

Pattern Recognition Application of Support Vector Machine for Fault Classification of Thyristor Controlled Series Compensated Transmission Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yashvantrai Vyas, Bhargav; Maheshwari, Rudra Prakash; Das, Biswarup

2016-06-01

Application of series compensation in extra high voltage (EHV) transmission line makes the protection job difficult for engineers, due to alteration in system parameters and measurements. The problem amplifies with inclusion of electronically controlled compensation like thyristor controlled series compensation (TCSC) as it produce harmonics and rapid change in system parameters during fault associated with TCSC control. This paper presents a pattern recognition based fault type identification approach with support vector machine. The scheme uses only half cycle post fault data of three phase currents to accomplish the task. The change in current signal features during fault has been considered as discriminatory measure. The developed scheme in this paper is tested over a large set of fault data with variation in system and fault parameters. These fault cases have been generated with PSCAD/EMTDC on a 400 kV, 300 km transmission line model. The developed algorithm has proved better for implementation on TCSC compensated line with its improved accuracy and speed.

Gender classification in low-resolution surveillance video: in-depth comparison of random forests and SVMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geelen, Christopher D.; Wijnhoven, Rob G. J.; Dubbelman, Gijs; de With, Peter H. N.

2015-03-01

This research considers gender classification in surveillance environments, typically involving low-resolution images and a large amount of viewpoint variations and occlusions. Gender classification is inherently difficult due to the large intra-class variation and interclass correlation. We have developed a gender classification system, which is successfully evaluated on two novel datasets, which realistically consider the above conditions, typical for surveillance. The system reaches a mean accuracy of up to 90% and approaches our human baseline of 92.6%, proving a high-quality gender classification system. We also present an in-depth discussion of the fundamental differences between SVM and RF classifiers. We conclude that balancing the degree of randomization in any classifier is required for the highest classification accuracy. For our problem, an RF-SVM hybrid classifier exploiting the combination of HSV and LBP features results in the highest classification accuracy of 89.9 0.2%, while classification computation time is negligible compared to the detection time of pedestrians.

Various background pattern-effect on saccadic suppression.

PubMed

Mitrani, L; Radil-Weiss, T; Yakimoff, N; Mateeff, S; Bozkov, V

1975-09-01

It has been proved that the saccadic suppression is a phenomenon closely related to the presence of contours and structures in the visual field. Experiments were performed to clarify whether the structured background influences the pattern of attention distribution (making the stimulus detection more difficult) or whether the elevation of visual threshold is due to the "masking' effect of the moving background image over the retina. Two types of backgrounds were used therefore: those with symbolic meaning in the processing of which "psychological' mechanisms are presumably involved like picture reproductions of famous painters and photographs of nudes, and those lacking semantic significance like computer figures composed of randomly distributed black and white squares with different grain expressed as the entropy of the pattern. The results show that saccadic suppression is primarily a consequence of peripheral mechanisms, probably of lateral inhibition in the visual field occurring in the presence of moving edges over the retina. Psychological factors have to be excluded as being fundamental for saccadic suppression.

Lignin recovery and it effects quality of anaerobic treated palm oil mill effluent (AT-POME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haqi Ibrahim, Abdul; Fahmi Ridwan, Muhammad; Zulzikrami Azner Abidin, Che; Ong, Soon Ann; Shian Wong, Yee; Wazira Azhari, Ayu; Norruhaidawati Ozir, Siti

2018-03-01

Lignin is one of the main structural polymers present in plant tissue. It can also be found as an isolated product of the pulp and paper industry. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) has been known as high strength industrial wastewater that is difficult to treat due to its large variety of inorganic and organic contents. The main purpose of this study is to recover soluble lignin from anaerobically treated palm oil mill effluent (AT-POME) and indirectly improves the quality of AT-POME. AT-POME was adjusted to different pH using different type of acids. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to obtain the optimum operating parameters as well as to analyse the interaction between them. Model shows that 74.67 % of lignin can be recovered from AT-POME after 5 minutes reaction time using sulfuric acid (H2S04) at pH 5. Hence from the experiment, it was proved that simple pH adjustment could precipitate the soluble lignin from AT-POME.

Severe Pain Due to Paraspinal Abscess Formation in Two Patients with Squamous-Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck after Multimodal Treatment Including Cetuximab.

PubMed

Gerlach, Christina; Pretzell, Ina; Lieberknecht, Elisabeth; Mattyasovszky, Stefan; Weber, Martin

2018-01-01

Patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) on palliative therapy usually have a bad prognosis and suffer from various symptoms. With increasing use of targeted agents in cancer patients at the end of life, the correct assignment of therapy-related symptoms becomes increasingly difficult as cancer-related symptoms usually increase as well. We report on 2 cases of patients with SCCHN who received multimodal treatment including palliative therapy with cetuximab. Both patients developed severe thoracic and cervicothoracic pain following treatment. In both cases, extensive paraspinal abscess formation proved to be the underlying cause. One patient was treated conservatively; the other one had to undergo surgical intervention. Awareness of multifaceted therapy-related complications is mandatory when patients receive multimodal treatment including targeted therapies. Unexplained pain syndromes in this context should raise suspicions concerning possible infectious complications and should lead to early use of magnetic resonance imaging. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Mode conversion at density irregularities in the LAPD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kersten, Kristopher; Cattell, Cynthia; van Compernolle, Bart; Gekelman, Walter; Pribyl, Pat; Vincena, Steve

2010-11-01

Mode conversion of electrostatic plasma oscillations to electromagnetic radiation is commonly observed in space plasmas as Type II and III radio bursts. Much theoretical work has addressed the phenomenon, but due to the transient nature and generation location of the bursts, experimental verification via in situ observation has proved difficult. The Large Plasma Device (LAPD) provides a reproducible plasma environment that can be tailored for the study of space plasma phenomena. A highly configurable axial magnetic field and flexible diagnostics make the device well suited for the study of plasma instabilities at density gradients. We present preliminary results of mode conversion studies performed at the LAPD. The studies employed an electron beam source configured to drive Langmuir waves towards high density plasma near the cathode discharge. Internal floating potential probes show the expected plasma oscillations ahead of the beam cathode, and external microwave antenna signals reveal a strong band of radiation near the plasma frequency that persists into the low density plasma afterglow.

Treatment of variable and intermittently flowing wastewaters.

PubMed

Kocasoy, Günay

1993-11-01

The biological treatment of wastewaters originating from hotels and residential areas of seasonal use, flowing intermittently, is difficult due to the fact that bacteria cannot survive during periods of no-flow. An investigation has been conducted in order to develop a system which will be able to overcome the difficulties encountered. After a long investigation the following system has given satisfactory results. The wastewater was taken initially into an aeration tank operating as a sequential batch reactor. Waste was taken after the sedimentation phase of the reactor into a coagulation-flocculation tank where it was treated by chemical means, and then settled in order to separate the floes. When the population of bacteria in the aeration tank reached the required level, the physico-chemical treatment was terminated and the tank used for chemical treatment has been started to be used as an equalization tank while the aeration and sedimentation tanks have been used as an activated sludge unit. This system has been proved to be a satisfactory method for the above mentioned wastes.

Degradation of radiator performance on Mars due to dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Perez-Davis, Marla E.; Rutledge, Sharon K.; Forkapa, Mark

1992-01-01

An artificial mineral of the approximate elemental composition of Martian soil was manufactured, crushed, and sorted into four different size ranges. Dust particles from three of these size ranges were applied to arc-textured Nb-1 percent Zr and Cu radiator surfaces to assess their effect on radiator performance. Particles larger than 75 microns did not have sufficient adhesive forces to adhere to the samples at angles greater than about 27 deg. Pre-deposited dust layers were largely removed by clear wind velocities greater than 40 m/s, or by dust-laden wind velocities as low as 25 m/s. Smaller dust grains were more difficult to remove. Abrasion was found to be significant only in high velocity winds (89 m/s or greater). Dust-laden winds were found to be more abrasive than clear wind. Initially dusted samples abraded less than initially clear samples in dust laden wind. Smaller dust particles of the simulant proved to be more abrasive than large. This probably indicates that the larger particles were in fact agglomerates.

Software design and implementation of ship heave motion monitoring system based on MBD method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yan; Li, Yuhan; Zhang, Chunwei; Kang, Won-Hee; Ou, Jinping

2015-03-01

Marine transportation plays a significant role in the modern transport sector due to its advantage of low cost, large capacity. It is being attached enormous importance to all over the world. Nowadays the related areas of product development have become an existing hot spot. DSP signal processors feature micro volume, low cost, high precision, fast processing speed, which has been widely used in all kinds of monitoring systems. But traditional DSP code development process is time-consuming, inefficiency, costly and difficult. MathWorks company proposed Model-based Design (MBD) to overcome these defects. By calling the target board modules in simulink library to compile and generate the corresponding code for the target processor. And then automatically call DSP integrated development environment CCS for algorithm validation on the target processor. This paper uses the MDB to design the algorithm for the ship heave motion monitoring system. It proves the effectiveness of the MBD run successfully on the processor.

(GTG)5 microsatellite regions in citrinin-producing Penicillium.

PubMed

Di Conza, José Alejandro; Nepote, Andrea Fabiana; González, Ana María; Lurá, María Cristina

2007-03-01

Morphological and cultural characteristics, as well as biochemical properties, are the main criteria used in fungal taxonomy and in the standard description of fungi species. Sometimes, however, this criterion is difficult to apply due to fungal phenotypic variations. This is particularly true in the genus Penicillium. The aims of this work were to determine (GTG)5 microsatellite sequence in potentially citrinin-producing Penicillium strains and to investigate if this sequence could be useful to characterize such fungi. Penicillium citrinum Thom and Penicillium chrysogenum Thom were isolated from different foods. The identification of the isolates at species level was carried out according to classical taxonomy. The production of citrinin was determined by thin layer chromatography. This study proved that microsatellite regions exist as short repeated sequences in all tested strains. The patterns were very similar for all P. citrinum isolates and it was possible to group them in function of the quantity of citrinin produced. Yet, not similar clusters were obtained when P. chrysogenum isolates were analyzed.

Continuous treatment of non-sterile hospital wastewater by Trametes versicolor: How to increase fungal viability by means of operational strategies and pretreatments.

PubMed

Mir-Tutusaus, J A; Sarrà, M; Caminal, G

2016-11-15

Hospital wastewaters have a high load of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs). Fungal treatments could be appropriate for source treatment of such effluents but the transition to non-sterile conditions proved to be difficult due to competition with indigenous microorganisms, resulting in very short-duration operations. In this article, coagulation-flocculation and UV-radiation processes were studied as pretreatments to a fungal reactor treating non-sterile hospital wastewater in sequential batch operation and continuous operation modes. The influent was spiked with ibuprofen and ketoprofen, and both compounds were successfully degraded by over 80%. UV pretreatment did not extent the fungal activity after coagulation-flocculation measured as laccase production and pellet integrity. Sequential batch operation did not reduce bacteria competition during fungal treatment. The best strategy was the addition of a coagulation-flocculation pretreatment to a continuous reactor, which led to an operation of 28days without biomass renovation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimizing a realistic large-scale frequency assignment problem using a new parallel evolutionary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaves-González, José M.; Vega-Rodríguez, Miguel A.; Gómez-Pulido, Juan A.; Sánchez-Pérez, Juan M.

2011-08-01

This article analyses the use of a novel parallel evolutionary strategy to solve complex optimization problems. The work developed here has been focused on a relevant real-world problem from the telecommunication domain to verify the effectiveness of the approach. The problem, known as frequency assignment problem (FAP), basically consists of assigning a very small number of frequencies to a very large set of transceivers used in a cellular phone network. Real data FAP instances are very difficult to solve due to the NP-hard nature of the problem, therefore using an efficient parallel approach which makes the most of different evolutionary strategies can be considered as a good way to obtain high-quality solutions in short periods of time. Specifically, a parallel hyper-heuristic based on several meta-heuristics has been developed. After a complete experimental evaluation, results prove that the proposed approach obtains very high-quality solutions for the FAP and beats any other result published.

The posterior auricular muscle: a useful anatomical landmark for otoplasty.

PubMed

Stephen, C; Lowrie, A G

2017-05-01

The correct anatomical placement of conchomastoid sutures during suture otoplasty can sometimes prove challenging. If the suture vector is inaccurate, reduction can be difficult and this may lead to malrotation of the pinna. This paper describes the adoption of the auricularis posterior muscle, which runs from the mastoid to the concha and whose function is to adduct the pinna, as a marker for conchomastoid suture placement. The muscle is easily identified and dissected, providing a landmark for the placement of sutures onto the adjacent concha and mastoid fascia. This allows for an anatomical reduction of the pinna. It is believed that this approach will prove useful to the otoplasty surgeon.

Pharmacotherapeutic approaches for treating psoriasis in difficult-to-treat areas.

PubMed

Kivelevitch, Dario; Frieder, Jillian; Watson, Ian; Paek, So Yeon; Menter, M Alan

2018-04-01

Despite great therapeutic advancements in psoriasis, four notable difficult-to-treat areas including the scalp, nails, intertriginous (including genitals), and palmoplantar regions, pose a challenge to both physicians and patients. Localized disease of these specific body regions inflicts a significant burden on patients' quality of life and requires an adequate selection of treatments. Areas covered: This manuscript discusses appropriate therapies and important treatment considerations for these difficult-to-treat areas based on the available clinical data from the literature. Expert opinion: Clinical trials assessing therapies for the difficult-to-treat areas have been inadequate. With the first biological clinical trial for genital psoriasis pending publication, it is with hope that other biological agents will be evaluated for region-specific psoriasis. A greater understanding of the genetic and immunologic aspects of regional psoriasis, as well as identification of unique biomarkers, will further guide management decisions. For example, the recent discovery of the IL-36 receptor gene for generalized pustular psoriasis may prove valuable for other forms of psoriasis. Ultimately, identification of the most beneficial treatments for each psoriasis subtype and difficult-to-treat area will provide patients with maximal quality of life.

The Social Essentials of Learning: An Experimental Investigation of Collaborative Problem Solving and Knowledge Construction in Mathematics Classrooms in Australia and China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Man Ching Esther; Clarke, David; Cao, Yiming

2018-01-01

Interactive problem solving and learning are priorities in contemporary education, but these complex processes have proved difficult to research. This project addresses the question "How do we optimise social interaction for the promotion of learning in a mathematics classroom?" Employing the logic of multi-theoretic research design,…

Glucose sensor excludes hypoglycaemia as cause of death.

PubMed

Schmidt, Signe; Nørgaard, Kirsten

2012-05-01

The cause of death can be difficult to verify post-mortem in unexpected deaths in patients with Type 1 diabetes. This report describes an unexpected death in a 44-year-old man with Type 1 diabetes treated with sensor-augmented pump therapy. Continuous glucose monitoring data proved useful in determining the cause of death. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The AMPS

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-01

4 The CAMPS Architecture 16 4.1 Introduction ........................................... 16 4.1.1 Using CAMPS as a Planning Tool...his interest and support during the course of this project. As we begin the development of yet another system based on the CAMPS architecture , we must...difficult planning and scheduling problems found in the real world. We hope that the CAMPS architecture will prove useful to othW.r scientists and

Competition between biological control fungi and fungal symbionts of ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus crassiusculus and X. germanus (Coleoptera:Cuculionidae): mycelial interactions and impact on beetle brood production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus crassiusculus and X. germanus are among the most important exotic pests of orchards and nurseries in the US and are difficult to control using conventional insecticides because of their cryptic habits. The use of biological control agents may prove effective by targetin...

Finger jointing green southern yellow pine with a soy-based adhesive

Treesearch

Philip H. Steele; Roland E. Kreibicha; Petrus J. Steynberg; Richard W. Hemingway

1998-01-01

The authors present results of laboratory tests for a soy-based adhesive to bond southern yellow pine using the finger-jointing method. There was some reason to suspect that finger jointing of southern yellow pine (SYP) with the honeymoon system using soy-based adhesive might prove more difficult than for western species. The Wood Handbook classes western species in...

Supports of and Barriers to Pursuing a Natural Resource Degree and Career: Perspectives of Culturally Diverse Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balcarczyk, Kelly

2014-01-01

Federal natural resource agencies are facing a human resource crisis. Many natural resource professionals are reaching retirement and attracting young adults to fill vacancies may prove difficult. Although currently on the rise from a recent fall, enrollment in natural resource degree programs has not increased overall in the past three decades,…

Recent acceleration of biomass burning and carbon losses in Alaskan forests and peatlands

Treesearch

Merritt R. Turetsky; Evan S. Kane; Jennifer W. Harden; Roger D. Ottmar; Kristen L. Maines; Elizabeth Hoy; Eric S. Kasischke

2010-01-01

Climate change has increased the area affected by forest fires each year in boreal North America. Increases in burned area and fire frequency are expected to stimulate boreal carbon losses. However, the impact of wildfires on carbon emissions is also affected by the severity of burning. How climate change influences the severity of biomass burning has proved difficult...

Four Studies on Aspects of Assessing Computational Performance. Technical Report No. 297.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romberg, Thomas A., Ed.

The four studies reported in this document deal with aspects of assessing students' performance on computational skills. The first study grew out of a need for an instrument to measure students' speed at recalling addition facts. This had seemed to be a very easy task, but it proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. The second study grew…

College Students' Attitudes & Responses toward the Current Economy and Its Implications for Marketing Managers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Lauren; Lamanette, Michelle; Silva, Alberto; Budden, Michael C.

2009-01-01

Since the early months of 2009, the undeniable woes of the economy are being felt by many. With a record number of corporate closings, rising unemployment and the crises in the financial markets, this may prove to be a difficult year for many. This paper uses empirical evidence collected from Southeastern Louisiana University students to learn how…

The Complexity of Human Rights in Global Times: The Case of the Right to Education in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Pam

2010-01-01

The right to education has an established legacy in international agreements and debates, but has nonetheless proved difficult to achieve across the countries of the world. This paper explores why this might be so. It begins by locating the current architecture of rights in Enlightenment philosophy and the political and legal formations of…

The Ability of Grade 5 Students To Use Radarsat Satellite Images.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirman, Joseph M.; Busby, Stephanie

2000-01-01

A study examined the ability of 32 grade-5 students in Alberta (Canada) to interpret Radarsat satellite radar images. The students were able to interpret most elements of the images, but working directly with the CD-ROM proved too difficult for them. The Radarsat images have limited value as a geographic resource at the grade-5 level. (TD)

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

U.S. oil and natural gas proved reserves declined in 2015 due to lower prices. U.S. crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves declined 4.7 billion barrels (11.8%) from their year-end 2014 level to 35.2 billion barrels at year-end 2015, according to U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2015, released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S natural gas proved reserves decreased 64.5 trillion cubic feet, a 16.6% decline, reducing the U.S. total to 324.3 Tcf at year-end 2015.

Subject order-independent group ICA (SOI-GICA) for functional MRI data analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Han; Zuo, Xi-Nian; Ma, Shuang-Ye; Zang, Yu-Feng; Milham, Michael P; Zhu, Chao-Zhe

2010-07-15

Independent component analysis (ICA) is a data-driven approach to study functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Particularly, for group analysis on multiple subjects, temporally concatenation group ICA (TC-GICA) is intensively used. However, due to the usually limited computational capability, data reduction with principal component analysis (PCA: a standard preprocessing step of ICA decomposition) is difficult to achieve for a large dataset. To overcome this, TC-GICA employs multiple-stage PCA data reduction. Such multiple-stage PCA data reduction, however, leads to variable outputs due to different subject concatenation orders. Consequently, the ICA algorithm uses the variable multiple-stage PCA outputs and generates variable decompositions. In this study, a rigorous theoretical analysis was conducted to prove the existence of such variability. Simulated and real fMRI experiments were used to demonstrate the subject-order-induced variability of TC-GICA results using multiple PCA data reductions. To solve this problem, we propose a new subject order-independent group ICA (SOI-GICA). Both simulated and real fMRI data experiments demonstrated the high robustness and accuracy of the SOI-GICA results compared to those of traditional TC-GICA. Accordingly, we recommend SOI-GICA for group ICA-based fMRI studies, especially those with large data sets. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research on multi-parameter monitoring of steel frame shaking-table test using smartphone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Ruicong; Loh, Kenneth J.; Zhao, Xuefeng; Yu, Yan

2017-04-01

The numerical simulation promises an effective method to assess seismic damage of high-rise structure. But it's difficult to determine the input parameters and the simulation results are not completely consistent with the real condition. A more direct approach to evaluate the seismic damage is the structural health monitoring (SHM), which is one complex set of various kinds of sensors, devices and software, and always needs professionals. SHM system has achieved great development over recent years, especially on bridge structures. However it's not so popular on high-rise building due to its difficult implementation. Developing a low-cost and convenient monitoring technique will be helpful for the safety maintenance of high-rise building. Smartphones, which embedded with sensors, network transmission, data storage and processing system, are evolving towards crowdsourcing. The popularity of smartphones presents opportunities for implementation of portable SHM system on buildings. In this paper, multi-parameter monitoring of a three-story steel frame on shaking table under earthquake excitations was conducted with smartphone, and the comparison between smartphone and traditional sensors was provided. First, the monitoring applications on iOS platform, Orion-CC and D-viewer, were introduced. Then the experimental details were presented, including three-story frame model, sensors placement, viscous dampers and so on. Last, the acceleration and displacement time-history curves of smartphone and traditional sensors are provided and compared to prove the feasibility of the monitoring on frame under earthquake excitations by smartphone.

Deformations of the gyroid and Lidinoid minimal surfaces using flat structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyhaupt, Adam

2015-03-01

Mathematically, the challenge in proving the existence of a purported triply periodic minimal surface is in computing parameter values that depend on a system of equations defined by elliptic integrals. This is generally very difficult. In the presence of some symmetry, however, a technique developed by Weber and Wolf can reduce these elliptic integrals to basic algebra and geometry of polygons. These techniques can easily prove the existence of some surfaces and the presence of a family of solutions. Families of surfaces are important mathematically, but recent work by Seddon, et. al., experimentally confirms that these families of surfaces can occur physically as well. In this talk, we give a brief overview of the technique and show how it can be applied to prove the existence of several families of surfaces, including lower symmetry variants of the gyroid and Lidinoid such as the rG, rPD, tG, and rL. We also conjecture a map of the moduli space of triply periodic minimal surfaces of genus 3.

Incorporating resource protection constraints in an analysis of landscape fuel-treatment effectiveness in the northern Sierra Nevada, CA, USA

Treesearch

Christopher B. Dow; Brandon M. Collins; Scott L. Stephens

2016-01-01

Finding novel ways to plan and implement landscape-level forest treatments that protect sensitive wildlife and other key ecosystem components, while also reducing the risk of large-scale, high-severity fires, can prove to be difficult. We examined alternative approaches to landscape-scale fuel-treatment design for the same landscape. These approaches included two...

Enhancing institutions and research through human diversity: reflections on diversity, inclusion, and the future of plant and natural resource sciences

Treesearch

Michael J. Dockry

2015-01-01

Many research institutions and professional societies are looking to enhance the diversity of their members, employees, and scientists. To do this, their efforts often focus on recruitment and retention of minority employees and employees from protected classes (e.g., race, religion, sex, age); however, recruitment and retention efforts can prove difficult and do not...

Monitoring in landfills

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

Nuckols, T.E.

Environmental monitoring is a very important activity performed on landfills. The data obtained is vital to ensuring that the landfill is in compliance with the regulatory standards. More importantly monitoring data can be used as historical documentation should enforcement or legal action be taken against the landfill. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to defend against alleged mismanagement or misconduct when there is no record to prove otherwise.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus strain Deutsch, 5 BAC clone sequencing, including two encoding Cytochrome P450s and one encoding CzEst9 carboxylesterase

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, has a genome over 2.4 times the size of the human genome, and with over 70% of repetitive DNA, this genome would prove very costly to sequence at today's prices and difficult to assemble and analyze. BAC clones give insight into the genome struct...

Stepping into Other People's Shoes Proves to Be a Difficult Task for High School Students: Assessing Historical Empathy through Simulation Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rantala, Jukka; Manninen, Marika; van den Berg, Marko

2016-01-01

In 2011, the Finnish National Board of Education assessed the learning outcomes of history with a study whose results raised doubts about the fulfilment of the goals of history education. This article seeks to expand awareness about Finnish adolescents' understanding of historical empathy. The study assessed twenty-two 16-17-year-old high school…

Accounting for Discrepancies in Teachers' Attitudes towards Evidence Use and Actual Instances of Evidence Use in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Chris; Zhang, Dell

2017-01-01

While beneficial, the consistent and regular use of evidence to improve teaching and learning is proving difficult to achieve in practice. This paper attempts to shed new light on this issue by examining the question: "If using evidence to inform teaching practice is rational behaviour, why aren't all teachers engaged in it?" It first…

"Teaching Physics as One of the Humanities": The History of (Harvard) Project Physics, 1961-1970

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meshoulam, David

2014-01-01

In the United States after World War II, science had come to occupy a central place in the minds of policy makers, scientists, and the public. Negotiating different views between these groups proved a difficult task and spilled into debates over the role and scope of science education. To examine this process, this dissertation traces the history…

Russia’s Approach to Cyber Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

mobilized. However, the crowd-sourced approach that has typified how the Kremlin has utilized hackers and criminal networks in the past is likely to be...specially trained and equipped troops. According to one source, these troops would include hackers , journalists, specialists in strategic...direct links to the Russian government are difficult to prove conclusively (and the Russian government denies that it sponsors any hacker groups

[Metastasis revealing malignant peritoneum mesothelioma: About the difficulty to identify the primary tumors].

PubMed

Bretagne, Charles-Henri; Petitjean, Alain; Felix, Sophie; Bedgedjian, Isabelle; Algros, Marie-Paule; Delabrousse, Eric; Valmary-Degano, Séverine

2016-04-01

Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma is a rare and extremely aggressive tumor that is sometimes difficult to diagnose. We report two cases of metastatic malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. In one case, malignant metastatic cells were identified in cervical lymph nodes while in the other case, the cells were found in the liver. In both cases, metastases were identified before discovering the primary tumor. This led to the misdiagnosis of carcinoma of unknown origin. Nevertheless, the histological and immuno-histochemical patterns were typical of malignant mesothelioma. Regarding metastasis of unknown origin, a differentiation of epithelioid peritoneal malignant mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma proved to be difficult. Therefore, we discuss the diagnostic usefulness of immuno-histochemical mesothelioma markers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A statistical mechanics approach to computing rare transitions in multi-stable turbulent geophysical flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurie, J.; Bouchet, F.

2012-04-01

Many turbulent flows undergo sporadic random transitions, after long periods of apparent statistical stationarity. For instance, paths of the Kuroshio [1], the Earth's magnetic field reversal, atmospheric flows [2], MHD experiments [3], 2D turbulence experiments [4,5], 3D flows [6] show this kind of behavior. The understanding of this phenomena is extremely difficult due to the complexity, the large number of degrees of freedom, and the non-equilibrium nature of these turbulent flows. It is however a key issue for many geophysical problems. A straightforward study of these transitions, through a direct numerical simulation of the governing equations, is nearly always impracticable. This is mainly a complexity problem, due to the large number of degrees of freedom involved for genuine turbulent flows, and the extremely long time between two transitions. In this talk, we consider two-dimensional and geostrophic turbulent models, with stochastic forces. We consider regimes where two or more attractors coexist. As an alternative to direct numerical simulation, we propose a non-equilibrium statistical mechanics approach to the computation of this phenomenon. Our strategy is based on large deviation theory [7], derived from a path integral representation of the stochastic process. Among the trajectories connecting two non-equilibrium attractors, we determine the most probable one. Moreover, we also determine the transition rates, and in which cases this most probable trajectory is a typical one. Interestingly, we prove that in the class of models we consider, a mechanism exists for diffusion over sets of connected attractors. For the type of stochastic forces that allows this diffusion, the transition between attractors is not a rare event. It is then very difficult to characterize the flow as bistable. However for another class of stochastic forces, this diffusion mechanism is prevented, and genuine bistability or multi-stability is observed. We discuss how these results are probably connected to the long debated existence of multi-stability in the atmosphere and oceans.

Synthesis of SYEP Plasticizer

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-10-01

Decomposition of fluorodinitroethanol 15 — i<’*<<>mmtmmmmmmt^mm aoceie^s wW ** ^.^ -cUo. t^«t»-, « U.t a „«til reaction temperature U the...by formaldehyde make difficult to study this reaction quantitatively. Eplchlorohydrin homologues containing better leaving groups than chlorine ...dealt with study of reaction variables with emphasis of Im- proving the yield of l,3-blB(fluorodinltroethoxy)isopropanol, the key-inter- mediate, from

Civil Support Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

word of mouth . CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP A-5. Local civil authorities normally can be found at these locations:  Local town hall (local government...Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate at (913) 684-4884; or by e-mail to: leav-cadd-web- cadd@conus.army.mil; or submit an electronic DA Form 2028. 20...Pandemic influenza, for example refers to an influenza virus that infects humans across a large area and proves very difficult to contain. The word

The Strategic Utility of U.S. Navy SEALs

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

USA Swimming, rugby organizations and wrestling organizations. In addition, while the demographics do not fully support it, the Navy and NSW put a...guerrilla 66 forces mainly against the Soviet Union (Waller, 1994). Recognizing the successes of the OSS and its ability to effectively work with...operations. This improved both forces capabilities and proved a very useful union . 78 SEALs are capable of this SFA mission, but it is a difficult

Random-Effects Meta-Analysis of Time-to-Event Data Using the Expectation-Maximisation Algorithm and Shrinkage Estimators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmonds, Mark C.; Higgins, Julian P. T.; Stewart, Lesley A.

2013-01-01

Meta-analysis of time-to-event data has proved difficult in the past because consistent summary statistics often cannot be extracted from published results. The use of individual patient data allows for the re-analysis of each study in a consistent fashion and thus makes meta-analysis of time-to-event data feasible. Time-to-event data can be…

Un-Rational Behaviour? What Causes Discrepancies between Teachers' Attitudes towards Evidence Use and Actual Instances of Evidence Use in Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Chris; Zhang, Dell

2016-01-01

Purpose: Whilst beneficial, the use of evidence to improve teaching and learning in schools is proving difficult to achieve in practice. The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on this issue by examining the applicability of a model of rational behaviour as relates to the notion of evidence-informed practice (EIP). Specifically, exploring…

Agent Orange

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-24

TYPE 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e...and X-Ray devices to detect radioactivity . All these systems would provide much needed air support and detection systems that would previously be...dangerous for manned aircraft to provide or would prove too difficult for ground vehicles to get to. These sampling techniques could also be used for

Panasonic Small Cell Testing for AHPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, C.; Blackmore, P.; Lain, M.; Walpole, A.; Darcy, Eric

2006-01-01

AEA selection and successful Interim Design Review for AHPS proves maturity of small cell approach for very large batteries. Cells show excellent opportunity for battery mass reduction for AHPS and other low cycle applications. Lack of cycle and extended calendar life make EOL battery performance difficult (AHPS 8 year mission). Preliminary design, AEA retained SONY 18650HC cell as baseline: a) Well characterized performance; b) Wealth of safety test data.

Feasibility of a school reintegration programme for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

PubMed

Annett, R D; Erickson, S J

2009-07-01

Despite children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia missing a significant amount of school, little empirical literature guides the optimal content, setting and timing of a school reintegration programme. We examined the feasibility of a 4-month school reintegration intervention by: (1) developing collaboration with a community-based advocacy organisation; (2) developing intervention modules and observable end points; and (3) determining how the study achieved recruitment expectations. Eight families with children aged 6-12 years diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and parents were enrolled in the study. An experienced advocate implemented a series of eight modules over a 4-month period (twice per month) with the families. Participants completed pre-post measures. Successful collaboration with the advocacy organisation and the development of an intervention module series were achieved. Recruitment aims proved more difficult: enrolment was extended when recruitment for the original 1- to 6-month post-diagnosis window proved difficult. The advocate was able to complete between three and seven of the modules (mean = 5.2, standard deviation = 1.5). Families preferred clinic-based intervention. Challenges faced and lessons learned include: (1) advocacy organisations may be useful resources for school reintegration interventions; (2) school reintegration interventions must be flexibly applied; and (3) measurement end points constructed to gauge programme effectiveness.

Bioremediation of high molecular weight polyaromatic hydrocarbons co-contaminated with metals in liquid and soil slurries by metal tolerant PAHs degrading bacterial consortium.

PubMed

Thavamani, Palanisami; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2012-11-01

Bioremediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contaminated soils in the presence of heavy metals have proved to be difficult and often challenging due to the ability of toxic metals to inhibit PAH degradation by bacteria. In this study, a mixed bacterial culture designated as consortium-5 was isolated from a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) site. The ability of this consortium to utilise HMW PAHs such as pyrene and BaP as a sole carbon source in the presence of toxic metal Cd was demonstrated. Furthermore, this consortium has proven to be effective in degradation of HMW PAHs even from the real long term contaminated MGP soil. Thus, the results of this study demonstrate the great potential of this consortium for field scale bioremediation of PAHs in long term mix contaminated soils such as MGP sites. To our knowledge this is the first study to isolate and characterize metal tolerant HMW PAH degrading bacterial consortium which shows great potential in bioremediation of mixed contaminated soils such as MGP.

Can stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating provide a forensic solution for curbing illegal harvesting of threatened cycads?

PubMed

Retief, Kirsten; West, Adam G; Pfab, Michèle F

2014-11-01

Cycads in South Africa are facing an extinction crisis due to the illegal extraction of plants from the wild. Proving wild origin of suspect ex situ cycads to the satisfaction of a court of law is difficult, limiting law enforcement efforts. We investigated the feasibility of using multiple stable isotopes to identify specimens removed from the wild. Relocated and wild specimens from two species in the African genus Encephalartos (E. lebomboensis and E. arenarius) were sampled. (14) C analysis indicated that a ± 30-year chronology could be reliably obtained from the cycads. For E. arenarius, pre-relocation tissue was consistent with a wild origin, whereas tissue grown post-relocation was isotopically distinct from the wild for (87) Sr/(86) Sr and δ(15) N. For E. lebomboensis, δ(34) S, δ(18) O, and (87) Sr/(86) Sr were different between relocated and control plants, consistent with the >30 years since relocation. Our findings demonstrate the potential for a forensic isotope approach to identify illegal ex situ cycads. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Classification without labels: learning from mixed samples in high energy physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metodiev, Eric M.; Nachman, Benjamin; Thaler, Jesse

2017-10-01

Modern machine learning techniques can be used to construct powerful models for difficult collider physics problems. In many applications, however, these models are trained on imperfect simulations due to a lack of truth-level information in the data, which risks the model learning artifacts of the simulation. In this paper, we introduce the paradigm of classification without labels (CWoLa) in which a classifier is trained to distinguish statistical mixtures of classes, which are common in collider physics. Crucially, neither individual labels nor class proportions are required, yet we prove that the optimal classifier in the CWoLa paradigm is also the optimal classifier in the traditional fully-supervised case where all label information is available. After demonstrating the power of this method in an analytical toy example, we consider a realistic benchmark for collider physics: distinguishing quark- versus gluon-initiated jets using mixed quark/gluon training samples. More generally, CWoLa can be applied to any classification problem where labels or class proportions are unknown or simulations are unreliable, but statistical mixtures of the classes are available.

Graphic correlation across a facies change marking the location of a middle to late Cenomanian ocean front

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

Fisher, C.G.

1993-03-01

An abrupt lithofacies change between calcareous shale and non-calcareous shale occurs in strata deposited in the mid-Cretaceous Greenhorn Seaway in the extreme southeastern corner of Montana, U.S.A. This strata, north of the Black Hills has previously been miss-correlated due to the extreme difficulty in locating unique continuous marker beds. Supplemental Graphic Correlation techniques of Lucy Edwards, which expand on those of Shaw, were employed in the difficult task of correlating across the Little Missouri River Valley. Precise correlation was necessary in order to interpret the cause of the lithofacies change. Edwards's use of non-unique event marker beds and the side-by-sidemore » graph method proved to be invaluable tools. Precise correlation across the facies change was accomplished using a combination of bentonite beds, calcarenite beds, ammonite species, foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil assemblages. Supplemental Graphic Correlation techniques allowed the definition of twenty-five time slices and permitted the identification of an ocean front during each of these time slices.« less

[Validity of the suicidality assessment instrument PRISM-S (Pictoral Representation of Illness Self Measure - Suicidality)].

PubMed

Ring, Mariann; Harbauer, Gregor; Haas, Sebastian; Schuetz, Christopher; Andreae, Andreas; Maercker, Andreas; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta

2014-01-01

In routine clinical practice the assessment of suicidality proves to be difficult and complex. The aim of the present study was to examine if PRISM can be used to measure validly the person's subjectively perceived suicidality. The nonverbal visualization technique PRISM (Pictoral Representation of Illness and Self Measure) has been developed by Büchi et al. (2002) to evaluate the perceived burden of suffering due to physical illness. The adapted version of PRISM used in our study is called PRISM-S (Pictoral Representation of Illness and Self Measure - Suicidality). 156 eligible inpatients, admitted voluntarily to the crisis intervention centre Winterthur, participated in the study. We used as gold standards the well established assessment tools the Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation (BSS) and the Depressive Symptome Inventory - Subscale (DSI-SS). The results showed high correlations between PRISM-S and the BSS (r = - 0,73) and the DSI-SS scores (r = - 0,76). Clinicians, general practitioners, psychiatrists and psychologists receive with PRISM-S a valid suicidality assessment tool that is very brief and easy to administer in clinical settings.

Fuzzy Logic Controller Stability Analysis Using a Satisfiability Modulo Theories Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnett, Timothy; Cook, Brandon; Clark, Matthew A.; Rattan, Kuldip

2017-01-01

While many widely accepted methods and techniques exist for validation and verification of traditional controllers, at this time no solutions have been accepted for Fuzzy Logic Controllers (FLCs). Due to the highly nonlinear nature of such systems, and the fact that developing a valid FLC does not require a mathematical model of the system, it is quite difficult to use conventional techniques to prove controller stability. Since safety-critical systems must be tested and verified to work as expected for all possible circumstances, the fact that FLC controllers cannot be tested to achieve such requirements poses limitations on the applications for such technology. Therefore, alternative methods for verification and validation of FLCs needs to be explored. In this study, a novel approach using formal verification methods to ensure the stability of a FLC is proposed. Main research challenges include specification of requirements for a complex system, conversion of a traditional FLC to a piecewise polynomial representation, and using a formal verification tool in a nonlinear solution space. Using the proposed architecture, the Fuzzy Logic Controller was found to always generate negative feedback, but inconclusive for Lyapunov stability.

Classification without labels: learning from mixed samples in high energy physics

DOE PAGES

Metodiev, Eric M.; Nachman, Benjamin; Thaler, Jesse

2017-10-25

Modern machine learning techniques can be used to construct powerful models for difficult collider physics problems. In many applications, however, these models are trained on imperfect simulations due to a lack of truth-level information in the data, which risks the model learning artifacts of the simulation. In this paper, we introduce the paradigm of classification without labels (CWoLa) in which a classifier is trained to distinguish statistical mixtures of classes, which are common in collider physics. Crucially, neither individual labels nor class proportions are required, yet we prove that the optimal classifier in the CWoLa paradigm is also the optimalmore » classifier in the traditional fully-supervised case where all label information is available. After demonstrating the power of this method in an analytical toy example, we consider a realistic benchmark for collider physics: distinguishing quark- versus gluon-initiated jets using mixed quark/gluon training samples. More generally, CWoLa can be applied to any classification problem where labels or class proportions are unknown or simulations are unreliable, but statistical mixtures of the classes are available.« less

Combinatorial Discovery of Defined Substrates That Promote a Stem Cell State in Malignant Melanoma

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The tumor microenvironment is implicated in orchestrating cancer cell transformation and metastasis. However, specific cell–ligand interactions between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix are difficult to decipher due to a dynamic and multivariate presentation of many signaling molecules. Here we report a versatile peptide microarray platform that is capable of screening for cancer cell phenotypic changes in response to ligand–receptor interactions. Using a screen of 78 peptide combinations derived from proteins present in the melanoma microenvironment, we identify a proteoglycan binding and bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) derived sequence that selectively promotes the expression of several putative melanoma initiating cell markers. We characterize signaling associated with each of these peptides in the activation of melanoma pro-tumorigenic signaling and reveal a role for proteoglycan mediated adhesion and signaling through Smad 2/3. A defined substratum that controls the state of malignant melanoma may prove useful in spatially normalizing a heterogeneous population of tumor cells for discovery of therapeutics that target a specific state and for identifying new drug targets and reagents for intervention. PMID:28573199

Modeling and analysis of the chip formation and transient cutting force during elliptical vibration cutting process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jieqiong; Guan, Liang; Lu, Mingming; Han, Jinguo; Kan, Yudi

2017-12-01

In traditional diamond cutting, the cutting force is usually large and it will affect tool life and machining quality. Elliptical vibration cutting (EVC) as one of the ultra-precision machining technologies has a lot of advantages, such as reduces cutting force, extend tool life and so on. It's difficult to predict the transient cutting force of EVC due to its unique elliptical motion trajectory. Study on chip formation will helpfully to predict cutting force. The geometric feature of chip has important effects on cutting force, however, few scholars have studied the chip formation. In order to investigate the time-varying cutting force of EVC, the geometric feature model of chip is established based on analysis of chip formation, and the effects of cutting parameters on the geometric feature of chip are analyzed. To predict transient force quickly and effectively, the geometric feature of chip is introduced into the cutting force model. The calculated results show that the error between the predicted cutting force in this paper and that in the literature is less than 2%, which proves its feasibility.

Applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in the aluminum electrolysis industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Lanxiang; Yu, Haibin; Cong, Zhibo; Lu, Hui; Cao, Bin; Zeng, Peng; Dong, Wei; Li, Yang

2018-04-01

The industrial aluminum reduction cell is an electrochemistry reactor that operates under high temperatures and corrosive conditions. Monitoring the molten aluminum and electrolyte components is very important for controlling the chemical reaction process. Due to the lack of fast methods to monitor the components, controlling aluminum reduction cells is difficult. In this work, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to aluminum electrolysis. A new method for calculating the molecular ratio, which is an important control parameter that represents the acidity of the electrolyte, was proposed. Experiments were first performed on solid electrolyte samples to test the performance of the proposed method. Using this method, the average relative standard deviation (RSD) of the molecular ratio measurement was 0.39%, and the average root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.0236. These results prove that LIBS can accurately measure the molecular ratio. Then, in situ measurements of the molten aluminum and electrolyte were performed in industrial aluminum induction cells using the developed LIBS equipment. The spectra of the molten electrolyte were successfully obtained and were consistent with the spectra of the solid electrolyte.

Is it about the self or the significance? An fMRI study of self-name recognition.

PubMed

Tacikowski, P; Brechmann, A; Marchewka, A; Jednoróg, K; Dobrowolny, M; Nowicka, A

2011-01-01

Our own name, due to its high social relevance, is supposed to have a unique status in our information processing. However, demonstrating this phenomenon empirically proves difficult as famous and unknown names, to which self-name is often compared in the studies, may differ from self-name not only in terms of the 'me vs. not-me' distinction, but also as regards their emotional content and frequency of occurrence in everyday life. In this fMRI study, apart from famous and unknown names we used the names of the most important persons in our subjects' lives. When compared to famous or unknown names recognition, self-name recognition was associated with robust activations in widely distributed bilateral network including fronto-temporal, limbic and subcortical structures, however, when compared to significant other's name, the activations were present specifically in the right inferior frontal gyrus. In addition, the significant other's name produced a similar pattern of activations to the one activated by self-name. These results suggest that the differences between own and other's name processing may rather be quantitative than qualitative in nature.

Differential diagnosis of a probable case of non-adult thalassaemia from 4th century AD Romano-British Colchester, UK.

PubMed

Rohnbogner, Anna

2016-12-01

Our current understanding of immigration and diasporic disease in Roman Britain has been greatly enhanced by the recent identification of thalassaemia in the non-adult skeletal record. The wide phenotypic variation in the clinical expression of β-thalassaemia, however, means that additional cases may go unrecognised. A probable diagnosis for β-thalassaemia intermedia or a mild form of major in a 1.0-1.5year old skeleton from Butt Road, Colchester, dating to the 4th century AD is discussed here. The assessment was undertaken using macroscopic and radiographic analysis. Several conditions were apparent, including trauma and probable β-thalassaemia and active vitamin D deficiency. Diagnosis proved difficult due to the challenges that non-adult thalassaemia poses for identification in the skeletal record, as in the absence of the cranium only 'rib-within-a-rib' is currently considered as pathognomonic of the condition. This case demonstrates the variations in expression of this type of genetic anaemia and adds emphasis to a more widespread presence of this important condition in Roman Britain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gravitational-wave localization alone can probe origin of stellar-mass black hole mergers.

PubMed

Bartos, I; Haiman, Z; Marka, Z; Metzger, B D; Stone, N C; Marka, S

2017-10-10

The recent discovery of gravitational waves from stellar-mass binary black hole mergers by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory opened the door to alternative probes of stellar and galactic evolution, cosmology and fundamental physics. Probing the origin of binary black hole mergers will be difficult due to the expected lack of electromagnetic emission and limited localization accuracy. Associations with rare host galaxy types-such as active galactic nuclei-can nevertheless be identified statistically through spatial correlation. Here we establish the feasibility of statistically proving the connection between binary black hole mergers and active galactic nuclei as hosts, even if only a sub-population of mergers originate from active galactic nuclei. Our results are the demonstration that the limited localization of gravitational waves, previously written off as not useful to distinguish progenitor channels, can in fact contribute key information, broadening the range of astrophysical questions probed by binary black hole observations.Binary black hole mergers have recently been observed through the detection of gravitational wave signatures. The authors demonstrate that their association with active galactic nuclei can be made through a statistical spatial correlation.

Classification without labels: learning from mixed samples in high energy physics

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

Metodiev, Eric M.; Nachman, Benjamin; Thaler, Jesse

Modern machine learning techniques can be used to construct powerful models for difficult collider physics problems. In many applications, however, these models are trained on imperfect simulations due to a lack of truth-level information in the data, which risks the model learning artifacts of the simulation. In this paper, we introduce the paradigm of classification without labels (CWoLa) in which a classifier is trained to distinguish statistical mixtures of classes, which are common in collider physics. Crucially, neither individual labels nor class proportions are required, yet we prove that the optimal classifier in the CWoLa paradigm is also the optimalmore » classifier in the traditional fully-supervised case where all label information is available. After demonstrating the power of this method in an analytical toy example, we consider a realistic benchmark for collider physics: distinguishing quark- versus gluon-initiated jets using mixed quark/gluon training samples. More generally, CWoLa can be applied to any classification problem where labels or class proportions are unknown or simulations are unreliable, but statistical mixtures of the classes are available.« less

Neural Approximation-Based Adaptive Control for a Class of Nonlinear Nonstrict Feedback Discrete-Time Systems.

PubMed

Yan-Jun Liu; Shu Li; Shaocheng Tong; Chen, C L Philip

2017-07-01

In this paper, an adaptive control approach-based neural approximation is developed for a class of uncertain nonlinear discrete-time (DT) systems. The main characteristic of the considered systems is that they can be viewed as a class of multi-input multioutput systems in the nonstrict feedback structure. The similar control problem of this class of systems has been addressed in the past, but it focused on the continuous-time systems. Due to the complicacies of the system structure, it will become more difficult for the controller design and the stability analysis. To stabilize this class of systems, a new recursive procedure is developed, and the effect caused by the noncausal problem in the nonstrict feedback DT structure can be solved using a semirecurrent neural approximation. Based on the Lyapunov difference approach, it is proved that all the signals of the closed-loop system are semiglobal, ultimately uniformly bounded, and a good tracking performance can be guaranteed. The feasibility of the proposed controllers can be validated by setting a simulation example.

Ratio of He{sup 2+}/He{sup +} from 80 to 800 eV

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

Samson, J.A.R.; Stolte, W.C.; He, Z.X.

1997-04-01

The importance of studying the double ionization of He by single photons lies in the fact that He presents the simplest structure for the study of electron correlation processes. Even so it has proved a challenging problem to understand and describe theoretically. Surprisingly, it has also proved difficult to agree experimentally on the absolute values of the He{sup 2+}/He{sup +} ratios. The availability of new synchrotron facilities with high intensity light outputs have increased the experimental activity in this area. However, by the very nature of those continuum sources systematic errors occur due to the presence of higher order spectramore » and great care must be exercised. The authors have measured the He{sup 2+}/He{sup +} ratios over a period of 5 years, the last three at the ALS utilizing beamlines 9.0.1 and 6.3.2. The sources of systematic errors that they have considered include: scattered light, higher order spectra, detector sensitivity to differently charged ions, discriminator levels in the counting equipment, gas purity, and stray electrons from filters and metal supports. The measurements have been made at three different synchrotron facilities with different types of monochromators and their potential for different sources of systematic errors. However, the authors data from all these different measurements agree within a few percent of each other. From the above results and their precision total photoionization cross sections for He, the authors can obtain the absolute photoionization cross section for He{sup 2+}. They find similar near perfect agreement with several of the latest calculations.« less

n→π* Non-Covalent Interaction is Weak but Strong in Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Santosh Kumar; Das, Aloke

2017-06-01

n→π* interaction is a newly discovered non-covalent interaction which involves delocalization of lone pair (n) electrons of an electronegative atom into π* orbital of a carbonyl group or an aromatic ring. It is widely observed in materials, biomolecules (protein, DNA, RNA), amino acids, neurotransmitter and drugs. However, due to its weak strength and counterintuitive nature its existence is debatable. Such weak interactions are often masked by solvent effects in condense phase or physiological conditions thereby, making it difficult to prove the presence of such weak interactions. Therefore, we have used isolated gas phase spectroscopy in combination with quantum chemical calculations to study n→π* interaction in several molecules where, our molecular systems are free from solvent effects or any external forces. Herein I will be discussing two of the molecular systems (phenyl formate and salicin) where, we have observed the significance of n→π* interaction in determining the conformational specificity of the molecules. We have proved the existence of n→π* interaction for the first time through IR spectroscopy by probing the carbonyl stretching frequency of phenyl formate. Our study is further pursued on a drug named salicin where, we have observed that its conformational preferences is ruled by n→π* interaction even though a strong hydrogen bonding interaction is present in the molecule. Our results show that n→π* interaction, in spite of its weak strength, should not be overlooked as it existence can play an important role in governing the structures of molecules like other strong non-covalent interactions do.

Thermal management of VECSELs by front surface direct liquid cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyth, Conor J. C.; Mirkhanov, Shamil; Quarterman, Adrian H.; Wilcox, Keith G.

2016-03-01

Efficient thermal management is vital for VECSELs, affecting the output power and several aspects of performance of the device. Presently there exist two distinct methods of effective thermal management which both possess their merits and disadvantages. Substrate removal of the VECSEL gain chip has proved a successful method in devices emitting at a wavelength near 1μm. However for other wavelengths the substrate removal technique has proved less effective primarily due to the thermal impedance of the distributed Bragg reflectors. The second method of thermal management involves the use of crystalline heat spreaders bonded to the gain chip surface. Although this is an effective thermal management scheme, the disadvantages are additional loss and the etalon effect that filters the gain spectrum, making mode locking more difficult and normally resulting in multiple peaks in the spectrum. There are considerable disadvantages associated with both methods attributed to heatspreader cost and sample processing. It is for these reasons that a proposed alternative, front surface liquid cooling, has been investigated in this project. Direct liquid cooling involves flowing a temperature-controlled liquid over the sample's surface. In this project COMSOL was used to model surface liquid cooling of a VECSEL sample in order to investigate and compare its potential thermal management with current standard thermal management techniques. Based on modelling, experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the technique. While modelling suggests that this is potentially a mid-performance low cost alternative to existing techniques, experimental measurements to date do not reflect the performance predicted from modelling.

An optimised protocol for isolation of RNA from small sections of laser-capture microdissected FFPE tissue amenable for next-generation sequencing.

PubMed

Amini, Parisa; Ettlin, Julia; Opitz, Lennart; Clementi, Elena; Malbon, Alexandra; Markkanen, Enni

2017-08-23

Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue constitutes a vast treasury of samples for biomedical research. Thus far however, extraction of RNA from FFPE tissue has proved challenging due to chemical RNA-protein crosslinking and RNA fragmentation, both of which heavily impact on RNA quantity and quality for downstream analysis. With very small sample sizes, e.g. when performing Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate specific subpopulations of cells, recovery of sufficient RNA for analysis with reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) becomes very cumbersome and difficult. We excised matched cancer-associated stroma (CAS) and normal stroma from clinical specimen of FFPE canine mammary tumours using LCM, and compared the commonly used protease-based RNA isolation procedure with an adapted novel technique that additionally incorporates a focused ultrasonication step. We successfully adapted a protocol that uses focused ultrasonication to isolate RNA from small amounts of deparaffinised, stained, clinical LCM samples. Using this approach, we found that total RNA yields could be increased by 8- to 12-fold compared to a commonly used protease-based extraction technique. Surprisingly, RNA extracted using this new approach was qualitatively at least equal if not superior compared to the old approach, as Cq values in RT-qPCR were on average 2.3-fold lower using the new method. Finally, we demonstrate that RNA extracted using the new method performs comparably in NGS as well. We present a successful isolation protocol for extraction of RNA from difficult and limiting FFPE tissue samples that enables successful analysis of small sections of clinically relevant specimen. The possibility to study gene expression signatures in specific small sections of archival FFPE tissue, which often entail large amounts of highly relevant clinical follow-up data, unlocks a new dimension of hitherto difficult-to-analyse samples which now become amenable for investigation.

Use of a Flexible Intubating Scope in Combination with a Channeled Video Laryngoscope for Managing a Difficult Airway in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Sowers, Nicholas; Kovacs, George

2016-02-01

Difficulty with intubation is not uncommon in the emergency setting. Video laryngoscopes (VLs) are commonly used to manage the difficult airway in the emergency department (ED). Intubation using a flexible bronchoscope, while considered the gold standard for managing the anticipated difficult airway in the operating room, is not commonly used in the ED. We present a case describing VL-assisted flexible scope intubation performed in the ED as a novel feasible approach to managing the difficult airway. A 65-year-old male, post cardiac arrest, with multiple unsuccessful attempts at prehospital intubation had rapid sequence intubation (RSI) performed and, despite obtaining a view with a King Vision™ VL, the skilled operator was unable to advance the endotracheal tube (ETT). An Ambu™ aScope3 flexible intubating scope (FIS) was placed through the ETT loaded in the channel of the King Vision and advanced through the cords to a position proximal to the carina. The ETT was then advanced easily over the FIS and down the trachea. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although video laryngoscopy is commonly used in the ED, intubation can prove difficult, despite having an adequate view of the glottis. Use of an FIS, however, through a channeled VL makes navigation of the ETT easier and facilitates tube advancement, which can be difficult with VL. Channeled VL-assisted use of an FIS is a viable option for managing the difficult airway. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Noninvasive monitoring of lactate dynamics in human forearm muscle after exhaustive exercise by (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 tesla.

PubMed

Ren, Jimin; Dean Sherry, A; Malloy, Craig R

2013-09-01

Despite its importance in energy metabolism, lactate in human skeletal muscle has been difficult to detect by noninvasive (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy mainly due to interference from large water and lipid signals. Long echo-time acquisitions at 7 T effectively attenuates the water and lipid signals in forearm muscle allowing direct observation of both lactate resonances, the methine at 4.09 ppm and the methyl at 1.31 ppm. Using this approach, we were able to monitor lactate dynamics at a temporal resolution of 32 s. While lactate was not detectable at rest, immediately after an acute period of exercise to fatigue the forearm muscle, lactate rose to a level comparable to that of creatine (∼30 mmol/kg wet weight). In a typical (1)H-magnetic resonance spectrum collected using a echo-time of 140 ms, the lactate methine and methyl resonances both appear as doublets with an unusually large splitting of ∼20 Hz due to residual dipolar coupling. During muscle recovery following exercise, the lactate signals decay rapidly with a time constant of t½ = 2.0 ± 0.6 min (n = 12 subjects). This fast and simple lactate detection method may prove valuable for monitoring lactate metabolism in cancer and in sports medicine applications. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Constructing a database that can input record of use and product-specific information].

PubMed

Kawai, Satoru; Satoh, Kenichi; Yamamoto, Hideo

2012-01-01

In Japan, patients were infected by viral hepatitis C generally by administering a specific fibrinogen injection. However, it has been difficult to identify patients who were infected as result of the injections due to the lack of medical records. It is still not a common practice by a number of medical facilities to maintain detailed information because manual record keeping is extremely time consuming and subject to human error. Due to these reasons, the regulator required Medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies to attach a bar code called "GS1-128" effective March 28, 2008. Based on this new process, we have come up with the idea of constructing a new database whose records can be entered by bar code scanning to ensure data integrity. Upon examining the efficacy of this new data collection process from the perspective of time efficiency and of course data accuracy, "GS1-128" proved that it significantly reduces time and record keeping mistakes. Patients not only became easily identifiable by a lot number and a serial number when immediate care was required, but "GS1-128" enhanced the ability to pinpoint manufacturing errors in the event any trouble or side effects are reported. This data can be shared with and utilized by the entire medical industry and will help perfect the products and enhance record keeping. I believe this new process is extremely important.

AFM-based tribological study of nanopatterned surfaces: the influence of contact area instabilities.

PubMed

Rota, A; Serpini, E; Gazzadi, G C; Valeri, S

2016-04-06

Although the importance of morphology on the tribological properties of surfaces has long been proved, an exhaustive understanding of nanopatterning effects is still lacking due to the difficulty in both fabricating 'really nano-' structures and detecting their tribological properties. In the present work we show how the probe-surface contact area can be a critical parameter due to its remarkable local variability, making a correct interpretation of the data very difficult in the case of extremely small nanofeatures. Regular arrays of parallel 1D straight nanoprotrusions were fabricated by means of a low-dose focused ion beam, taking advantage of the amorphization-related swelling effect. The tribological properties of the patterns were detected in the presence of air and in vacuum (dry ambient) by atomic force microscopy. We have introduced a novel procedure and data analysis to reduce the uncertainties related to contact instabilities. The real time estimation of the radius of curvature of the contacting asperity enables us to study the dependence of the tribological properties of the patterns from their geometrical characteristics. The effect of the patterns on both adhesion and the coefficient of friction strongly depends on the contact area, which is linked to the local radius of curvature of the probe. However, a detectable hydrophobic character induced on the hydrophilic native SiO2 has been observed as well. The results suggest a scenario for capillary formation on the patterns.

Prospects for in vivo blood velocimetry using acoustic resolution photoacoustic Doppler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunker, J.; Beard, P.

2016-03-01

Acoustic resolution photoacoustic Doppler flowmetry (AR-PAF) is a technique that has the potential to overcome the spatial resolution and depth penetration limitations of current blood flow measuring methods. Previous work has shown the potential of the technique using blood-mimicking phantoms, but it has proved difficult to make accurate measurements in blood, and thus in vivo application has not yet been possible. One explanation for this difficulty is that whole blood is insufficiently heterogeneous. Through experimental measurements in red blood cell suspensions of different concentrations, as well as in whole blood, we provide new insight and evidence that refutes this assertion. We show that the velocity measurement accuracy is influenced by bandlimiting not only due to the detector frequency response, but also due to spatial averaging of absorbers within the detector field-of-view. In addition, there is a detrimental effect of limited light penetration, but this can be mitigated by selecting less attenuated wavelengths of light, and also by employing range-gating signal processing. By careful choice of these parameters as well as the detector centre frequency, bandwidth and field-of-view, it is possible to make AR-PAF measurements in whole blood using transducers with bandwidths in the tens of MHz range. These findings have profound implications for the prospects of making deep tissue measurements of blood flow relevant to the study of microcirculatory abnormalities associated with cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis and other conditions.

One Brief, Shining Moment? The Impact of Neo-Liberalism on Science Curriculum in the Compulsory Years of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dorothy Veronica

2011-01-01

The past 20 years or so have seen ongoing concern for the nature of science education in the Anglophone developed world. A particular focus of this concern has been the need to find new ways to frame science curricula that will engage students, yet it is proving difficult to achieve this goal. In this article I argue that the impact on science…

Is Engaging in Evidence-Informed Practice in Education Rational? What Accounts for Discrepancies in Teachers' Attitudes towards Evidence Use and Actual Instances of Evidence Use in Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Chris; Zhang, Dell

2016-01-01

Whilst beneficial, the consistent and regular use of evidence to improve teaching and learning in schools is proving difficult to achieve in practice. This paper attempts to shed new light on this issue by examining the applicability of a model of rational behaviour as it relates to the notion of evidence-informed practice (EIP). Specifically,…

High Energy Density Polymer Film Capacitors

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

abandoned when, under vacuum, a noticeable output frequency drift was observed, even when the tube ripple frequency was rejected by integrating over one...only minor circuitry and software changes. The selection of the light source proved more difficult. An earlier attempt to use a florescent tube was...bulb, which of course, led to a frequency drift interpretation by the sensor array (see graph 2). Even if the "self sputtering" behavior had not 14 been

Postoperative osteomyelitis following implant arthroplasty of the foot: diagnosis with indium-111 white blood cell scintigraphy

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

Bakst, R.H.; Kanat, I.O.

1987-11-01

Many complications can occur following insertion of silicone elastomer implants into the foot. Postoperative infection may be difficult to distinguish from other conditions such as dislodgment, fracture, ectopic and heterotopic new bone formation, synovitis, and bursitis. White blood cell scintigraphy, in conjunction with the clinical scenario, may prove to be an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of postoperative osteomyelitis, subsequent to implant arthroplasties. 32 references.

Airpower In The Information Age: Embracing TCP/IP Within Airborne Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

proved successful at seamlessly connecting large numbers of users to a vast array of applications. Airborne TCP/IP communication systems within DoD are...behind the development of next generation weapons systems. Admiral Fitzgerald recommends that the network architecture be developed and the...environment makes traditional ISR much more difficult and the military will need to rely on fifth- generation platforms like the F-35 that are able to

Atoms in molecules, an axiomatic approach. I. Maximum transferability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayers, Paul W.

2000-12-01

Central to chemistry is the concept of transferability: the idea that atoms and functional groups retain certain characteristic properties in a wide variety of environments. Providing a completely satisfactory mathematical basis for the concept of atoms in molecules, however, has proved difficult. The present article pursues an axiomatic basis for the concept of an atom within a molecule, with particular emphasis devoted to the definition of transferability and the atomic description of Hirshfeld.

[Caregivers of people with neurodegenerative diseases: from help to delegation].

PubMed

Delzescaux, Sabine; Blondel, Frédéric

2015-01-01

Being a caregiver is difficult, even more so when it comes to helping people with a neurodegenerative disease. These caregivers, either family members or close friends, are confronted with an unexpected delegation which can prove to be highly complex as the pitfalls can indeed be significant. Moreover, the support the caregivers can provide depends on the support they can get for themselves. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Three Dimensional Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-12-01

unfortunately produces a blurred image. To correct this problem, a deblurring filter must be applied to the data. It is preferred in some applications to...when the pulse is an impulse in time. So in order to get a high degree of downrange resolution directly it would be necessary to transmit the entire...bandwidth of frequencies simultaneously such as in an Impulse Radar. This would prove to be extremely difficult if not impossible. Luckily, the same

The South Korean Model of Political and Economic Development: Economic Aspects.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

controls, future wage negotiations are likely to prove difficult as workers push to make up for earlier losses. Negotiations may even by destabilizing if 6... workers and reports of labor shortage during seasons of veak farm activity. Traditional labor abundance has evidently given way to shortage, and to...new entrants and more fully employ established workers . The dramatic reversal in output growth of 1979-80, sub- sequent industrial stagnation, and a

Parameter estimation in astronomy through application of the likelihood ratio. [satellite data analysis techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cash, W.

1979-01-01

Many problems in the experimental estimation of parameters for models can be solved through use of the likelihood ratio test. Applications of the likelihood ratio, with particular attention to photon counting experiments, are discussed. The procedures presented solve a greater range of problems than those currently in use, yet are no more difficult to apply. The procedures are proved analytically, and examples from current problems in astronomy are discussed.

The real-world safety potential of connected vehicle technology.

PubMed

Doecke, Sam; Grant, Alex; Anderson, Robert W G

2015-01-01

This article estimates the safety potential of a current commercially available connected vehicle technology in real-world crashes. Data from the Centre for Automotive Safety Research's at-scene in-depth crash investigations in South Australia were used to simulate the circumstances of real-world crashes. A total of 89 crashes were selected for inclusion in the study. The crashes were selected as representative of the most prevalent crash types for injury or fatal crashes and had potential to be mitigated by connected vehicle technology. The trajectory, speeds, braking, and impact configuration of the selected in-depth cases were replicated in a software package and converted to a file format allowing "replay" of the scenario in real time as input to 2 Cohda Wireless MK2 onboard units. The Cohda Wireless onboard units are a mature connected vehicle technology that has been used in both the German simTD field trial and the U.S. Department of Transport's Safety Pilot project and have been tuned for low false alarm rates when used in the real world. The crash replay was achieved by replacing each of the onboard unit Global Positioning System (GPS) inputs with the simulated data of each of the involved vehicles. The time at which the Cohda Wireless threat detection software issued an elevated warning was used to calculate a new impact speed using 3 different reaction scenarios and 2 levels of braking. It was found that between 37 and 86% of the simulated crashes could be avoided, with highest percentage due a fully autonomous system braking at 0.7 g. The same system also reduced the impact speed relative to the actual crash in all cases. Even when a human reaction time of 1.2 s and moderate braking of 0.4 g was assumed, the impact speed was reduced in 78% of the crashes. Crash types that proved difficult for the threat detection engine were head-on crashes where the approach angle was low and right turn-opposite crashes. These results indicate that connected vehicle technology can be greatly beneficial in real-world crash scenarios and that this benefit would be maximized by having the vehicle intervene autonomously with heavy braking. The crash types that proved difficult for the connected vehicle technology could be better addressed if controller area network (CAN) information is available, such as steering wheel angle, so that driver intent can be inferred sooner. More accurate positioning in the real world (e.g., combining satellite positioning and accelerometer data) would allow the technology to be more effective for near-collinear head-on and rear-end crashes, because the low approach angles that are common in such crashes are currently ignored in order to minimize false alarms due to positioning uncertainty.

Emerging communications technologies for outer-planet exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stelzried, C.; Lesh, J.

2001-01-01

Communication over long free space distances is extremely difficult due to the inverse squared propagation losses associated with link distance. That makes communications particularly difficult from outer planet destinations.

Marketing of irradiated commodities in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du Plessis, TA; Stevens, RCB

Although the industrial exploitation of radiation processing in the medical and allied fields has been successfully marketed and applied for the past two decades in South Africa, the introduction of food radurisation on an industrial level adds a completely new dimension to the marketing of this processing technique. Extensive research into the use of radiation for the treatment of various foodstuffs has been carried out by the Nuclear Development Corporation of South Africa for more than a decade, resulting in South Africa being one of the first countries where a commercial irradiator dedicated to this branch of radiation processing, was established. The marketing of this process is especially difficult due to the emotive aspects associated with radiation and man's sensitive reaction to anything pertaining to his food. This situation was made even more difficult by the general public's apprehension towards nuclear activities throughout the world. In an attempt to transform the unfavourable public image associated with this process, an important first step was to form a National Steering Committee for the Marketing of Radurised Food, the members of which were drawn from various agricultural controlling bodies, the Department of Health, and other controlling bodies held in high esteem by the public, such as the Consumer Council and representatives from commerce and industry. This approach proved to be very successful and greatly assisted in creating a climate whereby the public in South Africa today generally has a favourable attitude towards the radurisation of foodstuffs. The development of this marketing strategy for food radurisation in South Africa is discussed in detail.

n-alkane profiles of engine lubricating oil and particulate matter by molecular sieve extraction.

PubMed

Caravaggio, Gianni A; Charland, Jean-Pierre; Macdonald, Penny; Graham, Lisa

2007-05-15

As part of the Canadian Atmospheric Fine Particle Research Program to obtain reliable primary source emission profiles, a molecular sieve method was developed to reliably determine n-alkanes in lubricating oils, vehicle emissions, and mobile source dominated ambient particulate matter (PM). This work was also initiated to better calculate carbon preference index values (CPI: the ratio of the sums of odd over even n-alkanes), a parameter for estimating anthropogenic versus biogenic contributions in PM. n-Alkanes in lubricating oil and mobile source dominated PM are difficult to identify and quantify by gas chromatography due to the presence of similar components that cannot be fully resolved. This results in a hump, the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) that leads to incorrect n-alkane concentrations and CPI values. The sieve method yielded better chromatography, unambiguous identification of n-alkanes and allowed examination of differences between n-alkane profiles in light (LDV) and heavy duty vehicle (HDV) lubricating oils that would have been otherwise difficult. These profile differences made it possible to relate the LDV profile to that of the PM samples collected during a tunnel study in August 2001 near Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada). The n-alkane PM data revealed that longer sampling times result in a negative artifact, i.e., the desorption of the more volatile n-alkanes from the filters. Furthermore, the sieve procedure yielded n-alkane data that allowed calculation of accurate CPI values for lubricating oils and PM samples. Finally, this method may prove helpful in estimating the respective diesel and gasoline contributions to ambient PM.

Interrupting wild poliovirus transmission using oral poliovirus vaccine: environmental surveillance in high-risks area of India.

PubMed

Chowdhary, Rashmi; Dhole, T N

2008-08-01

Global eradication of poliomyelitis has reached critical stage. Sabin Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) has been successful in three major regions of the world. In India eradication of poliomyelitis from states of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar has been difficult due to high population and low-socioeconomic standards of living. Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance and intensive OPV rounds continues with the World Health Organization (WHO) operational strategies. Yet apparent lack of progress in reducing the number of wild cases has resulted in occasional impatience and frustration, even leading to questions about ultimate feasibility of global eradication using OPV. Lucknow in UP is in geographical area endemic for poliomyelitis and is surrounded by high-risk areas yet maintains a polio-free status since 2002. Environmental surveillance study was conducted (2004-2006) to authenticate the decline in the wild poliovirus (PV) cases in Lucknow. Sewage sample analyses were compared with stools of AFP patients and healthy children from same geographical area. Study reveals useful information on OPV circulation and proves important epidemiological tool to trust WHO's OPV immunization program. Genetic sequencing had detected silent wild PV-1 circulation of RCP1PGI (EU049849), RCP2PGI (EU049850), RCP3PGI (EU049851), and RCP4PGI (EU049852) in sewage waters. Properties of isolates from sewage reflected those of viruses excreted from human. This study provides valuable information and encouragement to AFP surveillance to maintain high levels of OPV immunization campaigns in the most difficult endemic region of India to interrupt the wild PV transmission.

Non-Clinical Interventions for Families with Temperamentally Difficult Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mettetal, Gwendolyn

This study sought to determine if general parent education, in the form of books and workshops, was an effective intervention in cases of moderate parental distress due to difficult child temperament. The parents of six "difficult" children answered questionnaires and were interviewed over several years concerning their child's temperament and its…

The use of FDEM in hydrogeophysics: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boaga, Jacopo

2017-04-01

Hydrogeophysics is a rapidly evolving discipline emerging from geophysical methods. Geophysical methods are nowadays able to illustrate not only the fabric and the structure of the underground, but also the subsurface processes that occur within it, as fluids dynamic and biogeochemical reactions. This is a growing wide inter-disciplinary field, specifically dedicated to revealing soil properties and monitoring processes of change due to soil/bio/atmosphere interactions. The discipline involves environmental, hydrological, agricultural research and counts application for several engineering purposes. The most frequently used techniques in the hydrogeophysical framework are the electric and electromagnetic methods because they are highly sensitive to soil physical properties such as texture, salinity, mineralogy, porosity and water content. Non-invasive techniques are applied in a number of problems related to characterization of subsurface hydrology and groundwater dynamic processes. Ground based methods, as electrical tomography, proved to obtain considerable resolution but they are difficult to extend to wider exploration purposes due to their logistical limitation. Methods that don't need electrical contact with soil can be, on the contrary, easily applied to broad areas. Among these methods, a rapidly growing role is played by frequency domain electro-magnetic (FDEM) survey. This is due thanks to the improvement of multi-frequency and multi-coils instrumentation, simple time-lapse repeatability, cheap and accurate topographical referencing, and the emerging development of inversion codes. From raw terrain apparent conductivity meter, FDEM survey is becoming a key tool for 3D soil characterization and dynamics observation in near surface hydrological studies. Dozens of papers are here summarized and presented, in order to describe the promising potential of the technique.

Moving beyond disrespect and abuse: addressing the structural dimensions of obstetric violence.

PubMed

Sadler, Michelle; Santos, Mário Jds; Ruiz-Berdún, Dolores; Rojas, Gonzalo Leiva; Skoko, Elena; Gillen, Patricia; Clausen, Jette A

2016-05-01

During recent decades, a growing and preoccupying excess of medical interventions during childbirth, even in physiological and uncomplicated births, together with a concerning spread of abusive and disrespectful practices towards women during childbirth across the world, have been reported. Despite research and policy-making to address these problems, changing childbirth practices has proved to be difficult. We argue that the excessive rates of medical interventions and disrespect towards women during childbirth should be analysed as a consequence of structural violence, and that the concept of obstetric violence, as it is being used in Latin American childbirth activism and legal documents, might prove to be a useful tool for addressing structural violence in maternity care such as high intervention rates, non-consented care, disrespect and other abusive practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of an Airway Exchange Catheter-Assisted Extubation With Continuous End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Monitoring in a Pediatric Patient With a Known Difficult Airway: A Case Report.

PubMed

Yegian, Courtney C; Volz, Lana M; Galgon, Richard E

2018-05-11

Tracheal extubation in children with known difficult airways is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Currently, there is no reliable measure to predict the need for emergent reintubation due to airway inadequacy. Airway exchange catheter-assisted extubation has been shown to be a useful adjunct in decreasing the risk of adverse events due to failed extubation. We report a case of using an airway exchange catheter-assisted extubation with continuous end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring for a pediatric patient with a known difficult airway.

Bread-making as a source of vaginal infection with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Report of a case in a woman and apparent transmission to her partner.

PubMed

Wilson, J D; Jones, B M; Kinghorn, G R

1988-01-01

We report the case of a woman, who baked her own bread, acquiring a vulvovaginal infection caused by saccharomyces cerevisiae, a yeast used extensively in the baking and brewing industries. Her partner was also infected, and the infections proved difficult to eradicate. Oral and topical treatment with nystatin along with disinfection of both patients' underwear produced clinical and microbiologic cure.

Unique issues raised by drug benefit design.

PubMed

Berndt, Ernst R

2004-01-01

In this Perspective on the preceding paper by Joseph Newhouse, I point out a number of features of the pharmaceutical industry that differentiate it from other health care sectors. These differences help explain why it has proved to be so very difficult to construct policies that simultaneously contain health care costs, provide patients with high-quality care, and generate continued incentives for innovation. I then summarize Newhouse's preferred Medicare prescription drug benefit program and the issues it raises.

A project in two parts: Developing fire histories for the eastern U.S. and creating a climate-based continental fire frequency model to fill data gaps

Treesearch

Richard Guyette; Michael Stambaugh; Daniel Dey

2011-01-01

Tree-ring dated fire scars provide long-term records of fire frequency, giving land managers valuable baseline information about the fire regimes that existed prior to Euro-American settlement. However, for the East, fire history data prove difficult to acquire because the generally moister climate of the region causes rapid decay of wood. In an endeavor to fill data...

The use of tannins in the local treatment of burn wounds - a pilot study.

PubMed

Chokotho, L; van Hasselt, E

2005-06-01

Twenty patients aged 3 years and above with fresh partial thickness burns of less than 20% total body surface area were randomly assigned to local treatment of the burn wound either with a solution containing tannins (tannin group), or one of the other commonly used topical agents, such as honey and ghee, silver sulfadiazine, etc (the other group). The effects on serum transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, the incidence and type of wound infection, the quality of the eschar, the formation of scar tissue, adverse effects, the alleviation of pain and possible adverse reactions were studied in both treatment groups. Surprisingly initial assessment of the burn wound depth proved more difficult than anticipated even in the hands of the more experienced health worker. Liver function tests were elevated in both the tannin (6 patients) and the other group (7 patients). Bacterial colonization of the wounds was equally distributed in both groups, although Staphylococcus aureus was found more often in the other group (9 versus 1). The quality of the eschar was better in the tannin group (6 patients had a supple eschar versus 3 in the other group). The most important observations were that no adverse reactions were encountered and that in the tannin group only one patient developed a hypertrophic scar compared to 5 patients in the other group. It proved difficult to quantify alleviation of pain especially in the children.

The rationale of combination antifungal therapy in severely immunocompromised patients: empiricism versus evidence-based medicine.

PubMed

Chamilos, Georgios; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P

2006-08-01

Despite expansion of the antifungal armamentarium over the past decade, the mortality rate for invasive fungal infections remains high in severely immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, in recent years, difficult-to-treat invasive infections caused by rare molds and yeasts have emerged in high-risk patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis or empirical treatment. Antifungal combinations are increasingly used in clinical practice to improve outcomes for refractory mycoses because of the suboptimal efficacy of current antifungal agents. Herein we review recent advances in the area of antifungal combinations in high-risk patients to separate empiricism from evidence-based medicine. Thus far, the benefits of combination antifungal therapy have been difficult to prove for invasive fungal infections other than cryptococcal meningitis. The recent introduction of a new class of antifungal agents (the echinocandins) and extended-spectrum triazoles has rejuvenated interest in studying those combinations for difficult-to-treat aspergillosis, as recent observational studies show promise. In view of the evolving epidemiology of invasive fungal infections, combination antifungal therapy could be most valuable in preemptive management of carefully selected high-risk patients; however, this should be studied in appropriate trials.

Clinicians' recognition and management of emotions during difficult healthcare conversations.

PubMed

Martin, Elliott B; Mazzola, Natalia M; Brandano, Jessica; Luff, Donna; Zurakowski, David; Meyer, Elaine C

2015-10-01

To examine the most commonly reported emotions encountered among healthcare practitioners when holding difficult conversations, including frequency and impact on care delivery. Interprofessional learners from a range of experience levels and specialties completed self-report questionnaires prior to simulation-based communication workshops. Clinicians were asked to describe up to three emotions they experienced when having difficult healthcare conversations; subsequent questions used Likert-scales to measure frequency of each emotion, and whether care was affected. 152 participants completed questionnaires, including physicians, nurses, and psychosocial professionals. Most commonly reported emotions were anxiety, sadness, empathy, frustration, and insecurity. There were significant differences in how clinicians perceived these different emotions affecting care. Empathy and anxiety were emotions perceived to influence care more than sadness, frustration, and insecurity. Most clinicians, regardless of clinical experience and discipline, find their emotional state influences the quality of their care delivery. Most clinicians rate themselves as somewhat to quite capable of recognizing and managing their emotions, acknowledging significant room to grow. Further education designed to increase clinicians' recognition of, reflection on, and management of emotion would likely prove helpful in improving their ability to navigate difficult healthcare conversations. Interventions aimed at anxiety management are particularly needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Orphan therapies: making best use of postmarket data.

PubMed

Maro, Judith C; Brown, Jeffrey S; Dal Pan, Gerald J; Li, Lingling

2014-08-01

Postmarket surveillance of the comparative safety and efficacy of orphan therapeutics is challenging, particularly when multiple therapeutics are licensed for the same orphan indication. To make best use of product-specific registry data collected to fulfill regulatory requirements, we propose the creation of a distributed electronic health data network among registries. Such a network could support sequential statistical analyses designed to detect early warnings of excess risks. We use a simulated example to explore the circumstances under which a distributed network may prove advantageous. We perform sample size calculations for sequential and non-sequential statistical studies aimed at comparing the incidence of hepatotoxicity following initiation of two newly licensed therapies for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. We calculate the sample size savings ratio, or the proportion of sample size saved if one conducted a sequential study as compared to a non-sequential study. Then, using models to describe the adoption and utilization of these therapies, we simulate when these sample sizes are attainable in calendar years. We then calculate the analytic calendar time savings ratio, analogous to the sample size savings ratio. We repeat these analyses for numerous scenarios. Sequential analyses detect effect sizes earlier or at the same time as non-sequential analyses. The most substantial potential savings occur when the market share is more imbalanced (i.e., 90% for therapy A) and the effect size is closest to the null hypothesis. However, due to low exposure prevalence, these savings are difficult to realize within the 30-year time frame of this simulation for scenarios in which the outcome of interest occurs at or more frequently than one event/100 person-years. We illustrate a process to assess whether sequential statistical analyses of registry data performed via distributed networks may prove a worthwhile infrastructure investment for pharmacovigilance.

Skin lesions and inoculation eschars at the tick bite site in spotted fever group rickettsioses: experience from a patient series in eastern crete, Greece.

PubMed

Germanakis, Antonis; Chochlakis, Dimosthenis; Angelakis, Emmanouil; Tselentis, Yannis; Psaroulaki, Anna

2014-01-01

The main clinical signs and symptoms caused by a rickettsial infection typically begin 6-10 days after the bite and are accompanied by nonspecific findings such as fever, headache and muscle pain. The diagnosis is mainly based on serological tests, however antibody presentation may be delayed, at least at the early stages of the disease, while seroconversion is usually detected 10-15 days after disease onset. Culture is difficult, requires optimized facilities and often proves negative. Under this scope, the presence of a characteristic inoculation eschar at the bite site may prove a useful clinical tool towards the early suspicion and diagnosis/differential diagnosis of tick-borne rickettsioses, even before the onset of rash and fever or serological confirmation. We describe herein the presence of skin lesions and/or an inoculation eschar at the tick bite site in 17 patients diagnosed, by molecular means, as suffering from spotted fever group rickettsioses. The detection of the pathogen's DNA in biopsy samples proved to be a useful means for early rickettsiae detection and identification. Moreover, the presence of an infiltrated erythema always seemed to precede the appearance of an eschar by 2-5 days and the initiation of fever by 1-10 days; these two signs might also prove useful in the context of the final diagnosis. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Surface Analysis Evaluation of Handwipe Cleaning for the Space Shuttle RSRM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesley, Michael W.; Anderson, Erin L.; McCool, Alex (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

In this paper we discuss the role of surface-sensitive spectroscopy (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, or ESCA) in the selection of solvents to replace 1,1,1-trichloroethane in handwipe cleaning of bonding surfaces on NASA's Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM). Removal of common process soils from a wide variety of metallic and polymeric substrates was characterized. The cleaning efficiency was usually more dependent on the type of substrate being cleaned and the specific process soil than on the solvent used. A few substrates that are microscopically rough or porous proved to be difficult to clean with any cleaner, and some soils were very tenacious and difficult to remove from any substrate below detection limits. Overall, the work showed that a wide variety of solvents will perform at least as well as 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

Electric Fields and Enzyme Catalysis

PubMed Central

Fried, Stephen D.; Boxer, Steven G.

2017-01-01

What happens inside an enzyme’s active site to allow slow and difficult chemical reactions to occur so rapidly? This question has occupied biochemists’ attention for a long time. Computer models of increasing sophistication have predicted an important role for electrostatic interactions in enzymatic reactions, yet this hypothesis has proved vexingly difficult to test experimentally. Recent experiments utilizing the vibrational Stark effect make it possible to measure the electric field a substrate molecule experiences when bound inside its enzyme’s active site. These experiments have provided compelling evidence supporting a major electrostatic contribution to enzymatic catalysis. Here, we review these results and develop a simple model for electrostatic catalysis that enables us to incorporate disparate concepts introduced by many investigators to describe how enzymes work into a more unified framework stressing the importance of electric fields at the active site. PMID:28375745

Asymptomatic carriage of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase by patients in a neurological early rehabilitation unit: management of an outbreak.

PubMed

Holländer, R; Ebke, M; Barck, H; von Pritzbuer, E

2001-07-01

During 11 months 58 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kp) isolates were grown from 10 patients on a neurological early rehabilitation unit. The patients had no signs of infection but were colonized in the nose and trachea, and unusually only one had colonization in the gut. A single clone of ESBL-Kp was identified by pulse field gel electrophoresis. Strong hygienic precautions similar to those for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus patients prevented spread of the bacteria to other wards. However, rehabilitation for patients with severe neurological failures made it very difficult to follow hygienic requirements. Disinfection of mucous membranes was difficult. Eventually the application of a nasal spray containing povidone-iodine proved to be successful. Copyright 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.

Data extraction from electronic health records (EHRs) for quality measurement of the physical therapy process: comparison between EHR data and survey data.

PubMed

Scholte, Marijn; van Dulmen, Simone A; Neeleman-Van der Steen, Catherina W M; van der Wees, Philip J; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G; Braspenning, Jozé

2016-11-08

With the emergence of the electronic health records (EHRs) as a pervasive healthcare information technology, new opportunities and challenges for use of clinical data for quality measurements arise with respect to data quality, data availability and comparability. The objective of this study is to test whether data extracted from electronic health records (EHRs) was of comparable quality as survey data for the calculation of quality indicators. Data from surveys describing patient cases and filled out by physiotherapists in 2009-2010 were used to calculate scores on eight quality indicators (QIs) to measure the quality of physiotherapy care. In 2011, data was extracted directly from EHRs. The data collection methods were evaluated for comparability. EHR data was compared to survey data on completeness and correctness. Five of the eight QIs could be extracted from the EHRs. Three were omitted from the indicator set, as they proved too difficult to be extracted from the EHRs. Another QI proved incomparable due to errors in the extraction software of some of the EHRs. Three out of four comparable QIs performed better (p < 0.001) in EHR data on completeness. EHR data also proved to be correct; the relative change in indicator scores between EHR and survey data were small (<5 %) in three out of four QIs. Data quality of EHRs was sufficient to be used for the calculation of QIs, although comparability to survey data was problematic. Standardization is needed, not only to be able to compare different data collection methods properly, but also to compare between practices with different EHRs. EHRs have the option to administrate narrative data, but natural language processing tools are needed to quantify these text boxes. Such development, can narrow the comparability gap between scoring QIs based on EHR data and based on survey data. EHRs have the potential to provide real time feedback to professionals and quality measurements for research, but more effort is needed to create unambiguous and uniform information and to unlock written text in a standardized manner.

Single Machine Scheduling and Due Date Assignment with Past-Sequence-Dependent Setup Time and Position-Dependent Processing Time

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chuan-Li; Hsu, Hua-Feng

2014-01-01

This paper considers single machine scheduling and due date assignment with setup time. The setup time is proportional to the length of the already processed jobs; that is, the setup time is past-sequence-dependent (p-s-d). It is assumed that a job's processing time depends on its position in a sequence. The objective functions include total earliness, the weighted number of tardy jobs, and the cost of due date assignment. We analyze these problems with two different due date assignment methods. We first consider the model with job-dependent position effects. For each case, by converting the problem to a series of assignment problems, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n 4) time. For the model with job-independent position effects, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n 3) time by providing a dynamic programming algorithm. PMID:25258727

Single machine scheduling and due date assignment with past-sequence-dependent setup time and position-dependent processing time.

PubMed

Zhao, Chuan-Li; Hsu, Chou-Jung; Hsu, Hua-Feng

2014-01-01

This paper considers single machine scheduling and due date assignment with setup time. The setup time is proportional to the length of the already processed jobs; that is, the setup time is past-sequence-dependent (p-s-d). It is assumed that a job's processing time depends on its position in a sequence. The objective functions include total earliness, the weighted number of tardy jobs, and the cost of due date assignment. We analyze these problems with two different due date assignment methods. We first consider the model with job-dependent position effects. For each case, by converting the problem to a series of assignment problems, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n(4)) time. For the model with job-independent position effects, we proved that the problems can be solved in O(n(3)) time by providing a dynamic programming algorithm.

Cytocompatible and water stable ultrafine protein fibers for tissue engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Qiuran

This dissertation proposal focuses on the development of cytocompatible and water stable protein ultrafine fibers for tissue engineering. The protein-based ultrafine fibers have the potential to be used for biomedicine, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, similarity to natural extracellular matrix (ECM) in physical structure and chemical composition, and superior adsorption properties due to their high surface to volume ratio. However, the current technologies to produce the protein-based ultrafine fibers for biomedical applications still have several problems. For instance, the current electrospinning and phase separation technologies generate scaffolds composed of densely compacted ultrafine fibers, and cells can spread just on the surface of the fiber bulk, and hardly penetrate into the inner sections of scaffolds. Thus, these scaffolds can merely emulate the ECM as a two dimensional basement membrane, but are difficult to mimic the three dimensional ECM stroma. Moreover, the protein-based ultrafine fibers do not possess sufficient water stability and strength for biomedical applications, and need modifications such as crosslinking. However, current crosslinking methods are either high in toxicity or low in crosslinking efficiency. To solve the problems mentioned above, zein, collagen, and gelatin were selected as the raw materials to represent plant proteins, animal proteins, and denatured proteins in this dissertation. A benign solvent system was developed specifically for the fabrication of collagen ultrafine fibers. In addition, the gelatin scaffolds with a loose fibrous structure, high cell-accessibility and cell viability were produced by a novel ultralow concentration phase separation method aiming to simulate the structure of three dimensional (3D) ECM stroma. Non-toxic crosslinking methods using citric acid as the crosslinker were also developed for electrospun or phase separated scaffolds from these three proteins, and proved to be efficient to enhance the strength and water stability of scaffolds. The crosslinked protein scaffolds showed higher cytocompatibility than the polylactic acid scaffolds and the fibers crosslinked by glutaraldehyde. The potential of using these protein-based ultrafine fibers crosslinked by citric acid for tissue engineering has been proved in this dissertation.

The Army of Zimbabwe: A Role Model for Namibia

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-02

centuries. A limited sense of nationhood started to exist. Further south on the African continent Zulu dissidents broke from the main empire and in...important role. 13 One of the manifestations of this unity would emerge in the creation of the new Zimbabwe Defense Forces. 6 ENDNOTES 1. DA PAM 550-171...prove to be very helpful in the months to come, 25 as BMATT arrived, set up, came on line and started its difficult mission. The creation of the first

Basal cell carcinomas in elderly patients treated by cryotherapy

PubMed Central

Chiriac, Anca; Mihaila, Doina; Foia, Liliana; Solovan, Caius

2013-01-01

Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant skin tumor with high incidence in our country, especially in rural areas, on sun-exposed skin (particularly on the face) in elderly patients. We present three cases of basal cell carcinoma with good results with cryotherapy. This report aims to outline and to prove that in some difficult situations, a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-perform procedure with no contraindications and with minimal side effects (erythema, mild pain) can be applied and resolve such cases. PMID:23569366

[Lead poisoning: towards a paleo-epidemiologic re-interpretation?].

PubMed

Bourdieu, Anne

2014-01-01

Lead is a major public health issue. Its use has been increasing since Neolithic times, climaxing in the Ancient Rome and the nineteenth century. Defining the frequency of plumbism before modern times proves to be a difficult matter because of its various and delayed symptoms, and of diagenetic processes affecting bones. After reviewing various methods of lead measurement in bone and tooth, we will expose ways to ascertain lead measurement interpretation in order to estimate the epidemiology of plumbism in ancient times.

A New Tool for Effective and Efficient Project Management

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

Willett, Jesse A

2011-12-01

Organizations routinely handle thousands of projects per year, and it is difficult to manage all these projects concurrently. Too often, projects do not get the attention they need when they need it. Management inattention can lead to late projects or projects with less than desirable content and/or deliverables. This paper discusses the application of Visual Project Management (VPM) as a method to track and manage projects. The VPM approach proved to be a powerful management tool without the overhead and restrictions of traditional management methods.

A digital memories based user authentication scheme with privacy preservation.

PubMed

Liu, JunLiang; Lyu, Qiuyun; Wang, Qiuhua; Yu, Xiangxiang

2017-01-01

The traditional username/password or PIN based authentication scheme, which still remains the most popular form of authentication, has been proved insecure, unmemorable and vulnerable to guessing, dictionary attack, key-logger, shoulder-surfing and social engineering. Based on this, a large number of new alternative methods have recently been proposed. However, most of them rely on users being able to accurately recall complex and unmemorable information or using extra hardware (such as a USB Key), which makes authentication more difficult and confusing. In this paper, we propose a Digital Memories based user authentication scheme adopting homomorphic encryption and a public key encryption design which can protect users' privacy effectively, prevent tracking and provide multi-level security in an Internet & IoT environment. Also, we prove the superior reliability and security of our scheme compared to other schemes and present a performance analysis and promising evaluation results.

Satellite techniques yield insight into devastating rainfall from Hurricane Mitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraro, R.; Vicente, G.; Ba, M.; Gruber, A.; Scofield, R.; Li, Q.; Weldon, R.

Hurricane Mitch may prove to be one of the most devastating tropical cyclones to affect the western hemisphere. Heavy rains over Central America from October 28, 1998, to November 1, 1998, caused widespread flooding and mud slides in Nicaragua and Honduras resulting in thousands of deaths and missing persons. News reports indicated entire towns being swept away, destruction of national economies and infrastructure, and widespread disease in the aftermath of the storm, which some estimates suggested dropped as much as 1300 mm of rain.However, in view of the widespread damage it is difficult to determine the actual amounts and distribution of rainfall. More accurate means of determining the rainfall associated with Mitch are vital for diagnosing and understanding the evolution of this disaster and for developing new mitigation strategies for future tropical cyclones. Satellite data may prove to be a reliable resource for accurate rainfall analysis and have yielded apparently reliable figures for Hurricane Mitch.

A digital memories based user authentication scheme with privacy preservation

PubMed Central

Liu, JunLiang; Lyu, Qiuyun; Wang, Qiuhua; Yu, Xiangxiang

2017-01-01

The traditional username/password or PIN based authentication scheme, which still remains the most popular form of authentication, has been proved insecure, unmemorable and vulnerable to guessing, dictionary attack, key-logger, shoulder-surfing and social engineering. Based on this, a large number of new alternative methods have recently been proposed. However, most of them rely on users being able to accurately recall complex and unmemorable information or using extra hardware (such as a USB Key), which makes authentication more difficult and confusing. In this paper, we propose a Digital Memories based user authentication scheme adopting homomorphic encryption and a public key encryption design which can protect users’ privacy effectively, prevent tracking and provide multi-level security in an Internet & IoT environment. Also, we prove the superior reliability and security of our scheme compared to other schemes and present a performance analysis and promising evaluation results. PMID:29190659

Esophageal perforation due to blunt chest trauma: Difficult diagnosis because of coexisting severe disturbance of consciousness.

PubMed

Mezuki, Satomi; Shono, Yuji; Akahoshi, Tomohiko; Hisanaga, Kana; Saeki, Hiroshi; Nakashima, Yuichiro; Momii, Kenta; Maki, Jun; Tokuda, Kentaro; Maehara, Yoshihiko

2017-11-01

Esophageal perforation due to blunt trauma is a rare clinical condition, and the diagnosis is often difficult because patients have few specific symptoms. Delayed diagnosis may result in a fatal clinical course due to mediastinitis and subsequent sepsis. In this article, we describe a 26-year-old man with esophageal perforation due to blunt chest trauma resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Because a severe disturbance of consciousness masked the patient's trauma-induced thoracic symptoms, we required 11h to diagnose the esophageal perforation. Therefore, the patient developed septic shock due to mediastinitis. However, his subsequent clinical course was good because of prompt combined therapy involving surgical repair and medical treatment after the diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methods for Decontamination of a Bipropellant Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClure, Mark B.; Greene, Benjamin

2012-01-01

Most propulsion systems are designed to be filled and flown, draining can be done but decontamination may be difficult. Transport of these systems may be difficult as well because flight weight vessels are not designed around DOT or UN shipping requirements. Repairs, failure analysis work or post firing inspections may be difficult or impossible to perform due to the hazards of residual propellants being present.

Moral harassment of public schools teachers.

PubMed

Campos, Izabel Carolina Martins; Serafim, Alessandra da Cruz; Custódio, Kamilla Valler; da Silva, Lizandra; Cruz, Roberto Moraes

2012-01-01

Programs geared towards the occupational health of public workers, that include the prevention of moral harassment, have been created in Santa Catarina. Any institution identified for its poor records in regards to moral harassment will end up having its image tainted before society at large. This is due to its use of arbitrary and embarrassing means for accomplishing everyday tasks. This article aims to consider Workplace Psychological Harassment (WPH), its risks and implications for the health of public workers. The methodology chosen was a teacher's case study, which consisted of document research, interviews, anamnesis and observation, all in order to relate both theory and practice. The results indicate that WPH is a complex phenomenon, which can be studied in a variety of ways. WPH risks the biopsychosocial health of the worker, causing the deterioration in social-professional relations, illness, and incapacity, as well as higher costs and certain degradation in production. It is difficult to prove incidents and their impact. Nevertheless, this research concluded that WPH has harmful consequences for the physical and mental health of workers, and is in the ergonomic field, since part of this profession's role is to seek understanding of work in order to reorganize it.

Soil Water Availability Modulation Over Estimated Relative Yield Losses in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Due to Ozone Exposure

PubMed Central

De la Torre, Daniel; Sierra, Maria Jose

2007-01-01

The approach developed by Fuhrer in 1995 to estimate wheat yield losses induced by ozone and modulated by the soil water content (SWC) was applied to the data on Catalonian wheat yields. The aim of our work was to apply this approach and adjust it to Mediterranean environmental conditions by means of the necessary corrections. The main objective pursued was to prove the importance of soil water availability in the estimation of relative wheat yield losses as a factor that modifies the effects of tropospheric ozone on wheat, and to develop the algorithms required for the estimation of relative yield losses, adapted to the Mediterranean environmental conditions. The results show that this is an easy way to estimate relative yield losses just using meteorological data, without using ozone fluxes, which are much more difficult to calculate. Soil water availability is very important as a modulating factor of the effects of ozone on wheat; when soil water availability decreases, almost twice the amount of accumulated exposure to ozone is required to induce the same percentage of yield loss as in years when soil water availability is high. PMID:17619747

Closed-loop and robust control of quantum systems.

PubMed

Chen, Chunlin; Wang, Lin-Cheng; Wang, Yuanlong

2013-01-01

For most practical quantum control systems, it is important and difficult to attain robustness and reliability due to unavoidable uncertainties in the system dynamics or models. Three kinds of typical approaches (e.g., closed-loop learning control, feedback control, and robust control) have been proved to be effective to solve these problems. This work presents a self-contained survey on the closed-loop and robust control of quantum systems, as well as a brief introduction to a selection of basic theories and methods in this research area, to provide interested readers with a general idea for further studies. In the area of closed-loop learning control of quantum systems, we survey and introduce such learning control methods as gradient-based methods, genetic algorithms (GA), and reinforcement learning (RL) methods from a unified point of view of exploring the quantum control landscapes. For the feedback control approach, the paper surveys three control strategies including Lyapunov control, measurement-based control, and coherent-feedback control. Then such topics in the field of quantum robust control as H(∞) control, sliding mode control, quantum risk-sensitive control, and quantum ensemble control are reviewed. The paper concludes with a perspective of future research directions that are likely to attract more attention.

Multimodal label-free ex vivo imaging using a dual-wavelength microscope with axial chromatic aberration compensation.

PubMed

Filippi, Andrea; Dal Sasso, Eleonora; Iop, Laura; Armani, Andrea; Gintoli, Michele; Sandri, Marco; Gerosa, Gino; Romanato, Filippo; Borile, Giulia

2018-03-01

Label-free microscopy is a very powerful technique that can be applied to study samples with no need for exogenous fluorescent probes, keeping the main benefits of multiphoton microscopy, such as longer penetration depths and intrinsic optical sectioning while enabling serial multitechniques examinations on the same specimen. Among the many label-free microscopy methods, harmonic generation (HG) is one of the most intriguing methods due to its generally low photo-toxicity and relative ease of implementation. Today, HG and common two-photon microscopy (TPM) are well-established techniques, and are routinely used in several research fields. However, they require a significant amount of fine-tuning to be fully exploited, making them quite difficult to perform in parallel. Here, we present our designed multimodal microscope, capable of performing simultaneously TPM and HG without any kind of compromise thanks to two, separate, individually optimized laser sources with axial chromatic aberration compensation. We also apply our setup to the examination of a plethora of ex vivo samples to prove its capabilities and the significant advantages of a multimodal approach. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Removal of millimeter-scale rolled edges using bevel-cut-like tool influence function in magnetorheological jet polishing.

PubMed

Yang, Hao; Cheng, Haobo; Feng, Yunpeng; Jing, Xiaoli

2018-05-01

Subaperture polishing techniques usually produce rolled edges due to edge effect. The rolled edges, especially those in millimeter scale on small components, are difficult to eliminate using conventional polishing methods. Magnetorheological jet polishing (MJP) offers the possibility of the removal of these structures, owing to its small tool influence function (TIF) size. Hence, we investigate the removal characters of inclined MJP jetting models by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and polishing experiments. A discrete phase model (DPM) is introduced in the simulation to get the influence of abrasive particle concentration on the removal mechanism. Therefore, a more accurate model for MJP removal mechanisms is built. With several critical problems solved, a small bevel-cut-like TIF (B-TIF), which has fine acentric and unimodal characteristics, is obtained through inclined jetting. The B-TIF proves to have little edge effect and is applied in surface polishing of thin rolled edges. Finally, the RMS of the experimental section profile converges from 10.5 nm to 1.4 nm, and the rolled edges are successfully suppressed. Consequently, it is validated that the B-TIF has remarkable ability in the removal of millimeter-scale rolled edges.

Grouting applications in civil engineering. Volume I and II. [800 references

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

Einstein, H.H.; Barvenik, M.J.

1975-01-01

A comprehensive description of grouting applications in civil engineering is presented that can serve as a basis for the selection of grouting methods in the borehole sealing problem. The breadth and depth of the study was assured by conducting the main part of the review, the collection and evaluation of information, without specifically considering the borehole sealing problem (but naturally incorporating any aspect of civil engineering applications that could be of potential use). Grouting is very much an art and not a science. In most cases, it is a trial and error procedure where an inexpensive method is initially triedmore » and then a more expensive one is used until the desired results are obtained. Once a desired effect is obtained, it is difficult to credit any one procedure with the success because the results are due to the summation of all the methods used. In many cases, the method that proves successful reflects a small abnormality in the ground or structure rather than its overall characteristics. Hence, successful grouting relies heavily on good engineering judgement and experience, and not on a basic set of standard correlations or equations. 800 references. (JRD)« less

A case of reactive arthritis due to Clostridium difficile colitis

PubMed Central

Essenmacher, Alex C.; Khurram, Nazish; Bismack, Gregory T.

2016-01-01

Reactive arthritis is an acute, aseptic, inflammatory arthropathy following an infectious process but removed from the site of primary infection. It is often attributed to genitourinary and enteric pathogens, such as Chlamydia, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia, in susceptible individuals. An uncommon and less recognized cause of this disease is preceding colonic infection with Clostridium difficile, an organism associated with pseudomembranous colitis and diarrhea in hospitalized patients and those recently exposed to antibiotics. Recognition of this association may be complicated by non-specific presentation of diarrhea, the interval between gastrointestinal and arthritic symptoms, and the wide differential in mono- and oligoarthritis. We present the case of a 61-year-old, hospitalized patient recently treated for C. difficile colitis who developed sudden, non-traumatic, right knee pain and swelling. Physical examination and radiographs disclosed joint effusion, and sterile aspiration produced cloudy fluid with predominant neutrophils and no growth on cultures. Diagnostic accuracy is enhanced by contemporaneous laboratory investigations excluding other entities such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis and other infections that typically precede reactive arthritis. Contribution of Clostridium infection to reactive arthritis is an obscure association frequently difficult to prove, but this organism is warranted inclusion in the differential of reactive arthritis. PMID:26908381

Chaperoning G Protein-Coupled Receptors: From Cell Biology to Therapeutics

PubMed Central

Conn, P. Michael

2014-01-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane proteins that traverse the plasma membrane seven times (hence, are also called 7TM receptors). The polytopic structure of GPCRs makes the folding of GPCRs difficult and complex. Indeed, many wild-type GPCRs are not folded optimally, and defects in folding are the most common cause of genetic diseases due to GPCR mutations. Both general and receptor-specific molecular chaperones aid the folding of GPCRs. Chemical chaperones have been shown to be able to correct the misfolding in mutant GPCRs, proving to be important tools for studying the structure-function relationship of GPCRs. However, their potential therapeutic value is very limited. Pharmacological chaperones (pharmacoperones) are potentially important novel therapeutics for treating genetic diseases caused by mutations in GPCR genes that resulted in misfolded mutant proteins. Pharmacoperones also increase cell surface expression of wild-type GPCRs; therefore, they could be used to treat diseases that do not harbor mutations in GPCRs. Recent studies have shown that indeed pharmacoperones work in both experimental animals and patients. High-throughput assays have been developed to identify new pharmacoperones that could be used as therapeutics for a number of endocrine and other genetic diseases. PMID:24661201

Impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on onset and development of female reproductive disorders and hormone-related cancer.

PubMed

Scsukova, Sona; Rollerova, Eva; Bujnakova Mlynarcikova, Alzbeta

2016-12-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to chemical substances designated as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) due to their ability to disturb endocrine (hormonal) activity in humans and animals, may contribute to problems with fertility, pregnancy, and other aspects of reproduction. The presence of EDCs has already been associated with reproductive malfunction in wildlife species, but it remains difficult to prove causal relationships between the presence of EDCs and specific reproductive problems in vivo, especially in females. On the other hand, the increasing number of experiments with laboratory animals and in vitro research indicate the ability of different EDCs to influence the normal function of female reproductive system, and even their association with cancer development or progression. Research shows that EDCs may pose the greatest risk during prenatal and early postnatal development when organ and neural systems are forming. In this review article, we aim to point out a possible contribution of EDCs to the onset and development of female reproductive disorders and endocrine-related cancers with regard to the period of exposure to EDCs and affected endpoints (organs or processes). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o.

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Lupus Vulgaris Caused by Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Kumaran, Muthu S.; Narang, Tarun; Jitendriya, Madhukara; Tirumale, Rajalakshmi; Manjunath, Suraj; Savio, Jayanthi

2017-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health problem in the world, with many factors contributing to this burden, including poor living conditions, overcrowding, poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, and rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Cutaneous tuberculosis is a less common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and in this paucibacillary form the diagnosis depends on histopathology, tuberculin positivity, and response to treatment. The diagnosis is even more difficult in cases with drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis due to lack of awareness and lack of facilities to diagnose drug resistant tuberculosis. In this article, we describe an unusual case of multidrug resistant lupus vulgaris (LV), in a 34-year-old male who responded to anti-tubercular treatment (ATT) initially, but developed recurrent disease which failed to respond to standard four-drug ATT; subsequently, tissue culture showed growth of multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis. Subsequently, he also developed cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This article aims to exemplify a grave complication that can occur in long-standing case of LV, the limitations faced by clinicians in developing countries where tuberculosis is endemic, and classical methods of proving drug resistance are generally unavailable or fail. PMID:28761842

[Glossodynia or burning mouth syndrome: equivalence or difference].

PubMed

Redinova, T L; Redinov, I S; Val'kov, V A; Zlobina, O A; Kozhevnikov, S V

2014-01-01

The term "Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS)" is being used much more often than "Glossodynia", complicating diagnostic and treatment tactic choice. The aim of the study was to determine the difference between "Glossodynia" and "BMS" considering absence or presence of intraoral metal prosthetic devices and burning sensation in the mouth. To establish the frequency of glossodynia and BMS 2355 patient records were analyzed admitting consultation for oral diseases for the last 10 years. Clinically we examined 408 patients aged 40 to 70. The research results showed that 17% of patients complained of "burning mouth": 10.2% of them had these symptoms due to oral mucosa diseases; 58.0% had glossodynia, 27.4% had discomfort because of intolerance to metal prosthodontic materials and 4.4% had combined pathology. Glossodynia and intolerance to metal prosthodontic materials had much in common in terms of clinical features, but the last one may be specified by changes in saliva composition. BMS thus proved to be the common definition corresponding to various diseases of oral mucosa and intolerance to intraoral metal appliances, while glossoldynia is a distinct neurogenic disease which is difficult to treat and requires comprehensive approach involving neurologist and physician.

Detection, Location and Grasping Objects Using a Stereo Sensor on UAV in Outdoor Environments.

PubMed

Ramon Soria, Pablo; Arrue, Begoña C; Ollero, Anibal

2017-01-07

The article presents a vision system for the autonomous grasping of objects with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in real time. Giving UAVs the capability to manipulate objects vastly extends their applications, as they are capable of accessing places that are difficult to reach or even unreachable for human beings. This work is focused on the grasping of known objects based on feature models. The system runs in an on-board computer on a UAV equipped with a stereo camera and a robotic arm. The algorithm learns a feature-based model in an offline stage, then it is used online for detection of the targeted object and estimation of its position. This feature-based model was proved to be robust to both occlusions and the presence of outliers. The use of stereo cameras improves the learning stage, providing 3D information and helping to filter features in the online stage. An experimental system was derived using a rotary-wing UAV and a small manipulator for final proof of concept. The robotic arm is designed with three degrees of freedom and is lightweight due to payload limitations of the UAV. The system has been validated with different objects, both indoors and outdoors.

Quasiparticle interference of surface states in the type-II Weyl semimetal WTe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenhan; Wu, Quansheng; Zhang, Lunyong; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Soluyanov, Alexey A.; Wu, Weida

2017-10-01

A topological Weyl semimetal (TWS) is a metal where low-energy excitations behave like Weyl fermions of high-energy physics. Recently, it was shown that, due to the lower symmetry of condensed-matter systems, they can realize two distinct types of Weyl fermions. The type-I Weyl fermion in a metal is formed by a linear crossing of two bands at a point in the crystalline momentum space—Brillouin zone. The second type of TWSs host type-II Weyl points appearing at the touching points of electron and hole pockets, which is a result of tilted linear dispersion. The type-II TWS was predicted to exist in several compounds, including WTe2. Several angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies of WTe2 were reported so far, having contradictory conclusions on the topological nature of observed Fermi arcs. In this paper, we report the results of spectroscopic imaging with a scanning tunneling microscope and first-principles calculations, establishing clear quasiparticle interference features of the surface states of WTe2. Our paper provides strong evidence for surface-state scattering. Although the surface Fermi arcs clearly are observed, it is still difficult to prove the existence of predicted type-II Weyl points in the bulk.

The Role of Beta-Blocker in Heart Failure in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Norozi, Kambiz

2014-01-01

Thanks to the enormous progress in the field of cardiac surgery and paediatric cardiology since the mid of 20th century, more and more children with congenital heart defects reach the adulthood. This on the other hand encounter physician and patients various problems due to late complications after the heart surgery like congestive heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden death. One of the challenging area is the medical management of heart failure in these patients with complex anatomy and hemodynamics. The lack of evidence of the effectiveness of the anti congestive medications in this population in from of large randomized controlled trials, makes it difficult to establish universally accepted therapy guidelines. In this article we will review the evidence of the beta-blockers in heart failure in patients with congenital heart disease. Also we will discuss the mechanisms of heart failure in this patient's cohort and will review the literature with respect to the use of neurohormonal antagonists in congenital heart disease. There is an urgent need to initiate well-designed clinical trials to prove if the positive results of neurohormonal blockade in acquired heart failure in adults can be translated in patients with congenital heart disease.

Measuring Energy Scaling of Laser Driven Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jackson; Goyon, Clement; Mariscal, Derek; Pollock, Brad; Patankar, Siddharth; Moody, John

2016-10-01

Laser-driven magnetic fields are of interest in particle confinement, fast ignition, and ICF platforms as an alternative to pulsed power systems to achieve many times higher fields. A comprehensive model describing the mechanism responsible for creating and maintaining magnetic fields from laser-driven coils has not yet been established. Understanding the scaling of key experimental parameters such as spatial and temporal uniformity and duration are necessary to implement coil targets in practical applications yet these measurements prove difficult due to the highly transient nature of the fields. We report on direct voltage measurements of laser-driven coil targets in which the laser energy spans more than four orders of magnitude. Results suggest that at low energies, laser-driven coils can be modeled as an electric circuit; however, at higher energies plasma effects dominate and a simple circuit treatment is insufficient to describe all observed phenomenon. The favorable scaling with laser power and pulse duration, observed in the present study and others at kilojoule energies, has positive implications for sustained, large magnetic fields for applications on the NIF. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Microencapsulation of Garcinia fruit extract by spray drying and its effect on bread quality.

PubMed

Ezhilarasi, Perumal Natarajan; Indrani, Dasappa; Jena, Bhabani Sankar; Anandharamakrishnan, Chinnaswamy

2014-04-01

(-)-Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is the major acid present in the fruit rinds of certain species of Garcinia. HCA has been reported to have several health benefits. As HCA is highly hygroscopic in nature and thermally sensitive, it is difficult to incorporate in foodstuffs. Hence, Garcinia cowa fruit extract was microencapsulated using three different wall materials such as whey protein isolate (WPI), maltodextrin (MD) and a combination of whey protein isolate and maltodextrin (WPI + MD) by spray drying. Further, these microencapsulated powders were evaluated for their impact on bread quality and HCA retention. Maltodextrin (MD) encapsulates had higher free (86%) and net HCA (90%) recovery. Microencapsulates incorporated breads had enhanced qualitative characteristics and higher HCA content than water extract incorporated bread due to efficient encapsulation during bread baking. Comparatively, bread with MD encapsulates showed softer crumb texture, desirable sensory attributes with considerable volume and higher HCA content. The higher HCA contents of encapsulate incorporated breads were sufficient to claim for functionality of HCA in bread. Comparatively, MD had efficiently encapsulated Garcinia fruit extract during spray drying and bread baking. Spray drying proved to be an excellent encapsulation technique for incorporation into the food system. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Drug screening of cancer cell lines and human primary tumors using droplet microfluidics.

PubMed

Wong, Ada Hang-Heng; Li, Haoran; Jia, Yanwei; Mak, Pui-In; Martins, Rui Paulo da Silva; Liu, Yan; Vong, Chi Man; Wong, Hang Cheong; Wong, Pak Kin; Wang, Haitao; Sun, Heng; Deng, Chu-Xia

2017-08-22

Precision Medicine in Oncology requires tailoring of therapeutic strategies to individual cancer patients. Due to the limited quantity of tumor samples, this proves to be difficult, especially for early stage cancer patients whose tumors are small. In this study, we exploited a 2.4 × 2.4 centimeters polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic chip which employed droplet microfluidics to conduct drug screens against suspended and adherent cancer cell lines, as well as cells dissociated from primary tumor of human patients. Single cells were dispersed in aqueous droplets and imaged within 24 hours of drug treatment to assess cell viability by ethidium homodimer 1 staining. Our results showed that 5 conditions could be screened for every 80,000 cells in one channel on our chip under current circumstances. Additionally, screening conditions have been adapted to both suspended and adherent cancer cells, giving versatility to potentially all types of cancers. Hence, this study provides a powerful tool for rapid, low-input drug screening of primary cancers within 24 hours after tumor resection from cancer patients. This paves the way for further technological advancement to cutting down sample size and increasing drug screening throughput in advent to personalized cancer therapy.

Impact of reduced dose limits on NRC licensed activities. Major issues in the implementation of ICRP/NCRP dose limit recommendations: Final report

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

Meinhold, C.B.

This report summarizes information required to estimate, at least qualitatively, the potential impacts of reducing occupational dose limits below those given in 10 CFR 20 (Revised). For this study, a questionnaire was developed and widely distributed to the radiation protection community. The resulting data together with data from existing surveys and sources were used to estimate the impact of three dose-limit options; 10 mSv yr{sup {minus}1} (1 rem yr{sup {minus}1}), 20 mSv yr{sup {minus}1} (2 rem yr{sup {minus}1}), and a combination of an annual limit of 50 mSv yr{sup {minus}1} (5 rem yr{sup {minus}1}) coupled with a cumulative limit, inmore » rem, equal to age in years. Due to the somewhat small number of responses and the lack of data in some specific areas, a working committee of radiation protection experts from a variety of licensees was employed to ensure the exposure data were representative. The following overall conclusions were reached: (1) although 10 mSv yr{sup {minus}1} is a reasonable limit for many licensees, such a limit could be extraordinarily difficult to achieve and potentially destructive to the continued operation of some licensees, such as nuclear power, fuel fabrication, and medicine; (2) twenty mSv yr{sup {minus}1} as a limit is possible for some of these groups, but for others it would prove difficult. (3) fifty mSv yr{sup {minus}1} and age in 10s of mSv appear reasonable for all licensees, both in terms of the lifetime risk of cancer and severe genetic effects to the most highly exposed workers, and the practicality of operation.« less

Mechanical Stimulation Protocols of Human Derived Cells in Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering - A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Khozoee, Baktash; Mafi, Pouya; Mafi, Reza; Khan, Wasim S

2017-01-01

Mechanical stimulation is a key factor in articular cartilage generation and maintenance. Bioreactor systems have been designed and built in order to deliver specific types of mechanical stimulation. The focus has been twofold, applying a type of preconditioning in order to stimulate cell differentiation, and to simulate in vivo conditions in order to gain further insight into how cells respond to different stimulatory patterns. Due to the complex forces at work within joints, it is difficult to simulate mechanical conditions using a bioreactor. The aim of this review is to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of mechanical stimulation protocols by comparing those employed in bioreactors in the context of tissue engineering for articular cartilage, and to consider their effects on cultured cells. Allied and Complementary Medicine 1985 to 2016, Ovid MEDLINE[R] 1946 to 2016, and Embase 1974 to 2016 were searched using key terms. Results were subject to inclusion and exclusion criteria, key findings summarised into a table and subsequently discussed. Based on this review it is overwhelmingly clear that mechanical stimulation leads to increased chondrogenic properties in the context of bioreactor articular cartilage tissue engineering using human cells. However, given the variability and lack of controlled factors between research articles, results are difficult to compare, and a standardised method of evaluating stimulation protocols proved challenging. With improved standardisation in mechanical stimulation protocol reporting, bioreactor design and building processes, along with a better understanding of joint behaviours, we hope to perform a meta-analysis on stimulation protocols and methods. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Bacterial diversity in Buruli ulcer skin lesions: Challenges in the clinical microbiome analysis of a skin disease.

PubMed

Van Leuvenhaege, Chloé; Vandelannoote, Koen; Affolabi, Dissou; Portaels, Françoise; Sopoh, Ghislain; de Jong, Bouke C; Eddyani, Miriam; Meehan, Conor J

2017-01-01

Buruli ulcer (BU) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans and considered the third most prevalent mycobacterial disease in humans. Secondary bacterial infections in open BU lesions are the main cause of pain, delayed healing and systemic illness, resulting in prolonged hospital stay. Thus, understanding the diversity of bacteria, termed the microbiome, in these open lesions is important for proper treatment. However, adequately studying the human microbiome in a clinical setting can prove difficult when investigating a neglected tropical skin disease due to its rarity and the setting. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we determined the microbial composition of 5 BU lesions, 3 non-BU lesions and 3 healthy skin samples. Although no significant differences in diversity were found between BU and non-BU lesions, the former were characterized by an increase of Bacteroidetes compared to the non-BU wounds and the BU lesions also contained significantly more obligate anaerobes. With this molecular-based study, we were also able to detect bacteria that were missed by culture-based methods in previous BU studies. Our study suggests that BU may lead to changes in the skin bacterial community within the lesions. However, in order to determine if such changes hold true across all BU cases and are either a cause or consequence of a specific wound environment, further microbiome studies are necessary. Such skin microbiome analysis requires large sample sizes and lesions from the same body site in many patients, both of which can be difficult for a rare disease. Our study proposes a pipeline for such studies and highlights several drawbacks that must be considered if microbiome analysis is to be utilized for neglected tropical diseases.

Comparison of viable plate count, turbidity measurement and real-time PCR for quantification of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

PubMed

Clais, S; Boulet, G; Van Kerckhoven, M; Lanckacker, E; Delputte, P; Maes, L; Cos, P

2015-01-01

The viable plate count (VPC) is considered as the reference method for bacterial enumeration in periodontal microbiology but shows some important limitations for anaerobic bacteria. As anaerobes such as Porphyromonas gingivalis are difficult to culture, VPC becomes time-consuming and less sensitive. Hence, efficient normalization of experimental data to bacterial cell count requires alternative rapid and reliable quantification methods. This study compared the performance of VPC with that of turbidity measurement and real-time PCR (qPCR) in an experimental context using highly concentrated bacterial suspensions. Our TaqMan-based qPCR assay for P. gingivalis 16S rRNA proved to be sensitive and specific. Turbidity measurements offer a fast method to assess P. gingivalis growth, but suffer from high variability and a limited dynamic range. VPC was very time-consuming and less repeatable than qPCR. Our study concludes that qPCR provides the most rapid and precise approach for P. gingivalis quantification. Although our data were gathered in a specific research context, we believe that our conclusions on the inferior performance of VPC and turbidity measurements in comparison to qPCR can be extended to other research and clinical settings and even to other difficult-to-culture micro-organisms. Various clinical and research settings require fast and reliable quantification of bacterial suspensions. The viable plate count method (VPC) is generally seen as 'the gold standard' for bacterial enumeration. However, VPC-based quantification of anaerobes such as Porphyromonas gingivalis is time-consuming due to their stringent growth requirements and shows poor repeatability. Comparison of VPC, turbidity measurement and TaqMan-based qPCR demonstrated that qPCR possesses important advantages regarding speed, accuracy and repeatability. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Homoplastic microinversions and the avian tree of life

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Microinversions are cytologically undetectable inversions of DNA sequences that accumulate slowly in genomes. Like many other rare genomic changes (RGCs), microinversions are thought to be virtually homoplasy-free evolutionary characters, suggesting that they may be very useful for difficult phylogenetic problems such as the avian tree of life. However, few detailed surveys of these genomic rearrangements have been conducted, making it difficult to assess this hypothesis or understand the impact of microinversions upon genome evolution. Results We surveyed non-coding sequence data from a recent avian phylogenetic study and found substantially more microinversions than expected based upon prior information about vertebrate inversion rates, although this is likely due to underestimation of these rates in previous studies. Most microinversions were lineage-specific or united well-accepted groups. However, some homoplastic microinversions were evident among the informative characters. Hemiplasy, which reflects differences between gene trees and the species tree, did not explain the observed homoplasy. Two specific loci were microinversion hotspots, with high numbers of inversions that included both the homoplastic as well as some overlapping microinversions. Neither stem-loop structures nor detectable sequence motifs were associated with microinversions in the hotspots. Conclusions Microinversions can provide valuable phylogenetic information, although power analysis indicates that large amounts of sequence data will be necessary to identify enough inversions (and similar RGCs) to resolve short branches in the tree of life. Moreover, microinversions are not perfect characters and should be interpreted with caution, just as with any other character type. Independent of their use for phylogenetic analyses, microinversions are important because they have the potential to complicate alignment of non-coding sequences. Despite their low rate of accumulation, they have clearly contributed to genome evolution, suggesting that active identification of microinversions will prove useful in future phylogenomic studies. PMID:21612607

Managing acute coronary syndrome during medical air evacuation from a remote location at sea.

PubMed

Westmoreland, Andrew H

2014-01-01

Coronary emergencies at sea requiring air evacuation are not uncommon. On board a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier while in a remote location, an active duty sailor suffered a myocardial infarction. A medical evacuation by helicopter was necessary. Transfer proved difficult due to the ship's location, poor flying conditions, and the patient's deteriorating condition. This case stresses the importance of expeditious diagnosis, treatment, and air transfer to shore-based facilities capable of providing definitive coronary care. A 33-yr-old man recently started on trazodone due to depression complained of chest pain. The patient was hemodynamically unstable and electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation and Q waves in the anterior, inferior, and lateral leads. He was air-lifted to the nearest accepting facility with cardiac catheterization capabilities, which was over 300 miles away. Poor weather conditions hindered the pilot's ability to fly the original course. The patient remained critical and medication choices were limited. Even with all of these obstacles, everyone involved performed his or her duties admirably. The patient's condition improved by the time the helicopter landed. He was then rushed by ambulance to the hospital's coronary care unit, where he was successfully treated. This case highlights the need to keep a high index of suspicion when patients complain of chest pain, regardless of age. It is of the utmost importance that individuals capable of thinking and acting quickly are assigned to medical evacuation teams, and that they continue to train regularly, as coronary events at sea are not uncommon.

Effective Strategies for Diagnosis of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) due to Bacterial Infection in Surgical Patients.

PubMed

Stubljar, David; Skvarc, Miha

2015-01-01

Surgery associated with trauma and soft tissue injuries after surgery significantly activates the systemic immune response. If an infection after surgery occurs, the response is even stronger. Due to spontaneous activation of immune response and elevated biomarkers for sepsis and cytokines, posttraumatic complications such as new-coming postoperative infections are difficult to diagnose. Sepsis as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) rapidly progresses through severe sepsis to septic shock and organ failure, and with no applied antibiotic treatment, the disease often ends at death of the patients. In the treatment of non-surgery patients, the biomarkers like white cell blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP) or procalcitonin (PCT) proved to be useful in sepsis recognition. However, diagnostics after surgeries are more complicated and these biomarkers are not ideal. The solution is a sepsis biomarker, which would have high sensitivity and specificity, that can improve diagnostic accuracy of sepsis, should also be measured easily by the patients, and should not be too expensive. We think more sensitive and specific biomarkers such as presepsin (sCD14-ST) or CD64 index on neutrophils could be useful. A diagnosis of sepsis should be based on clinical signs, and clinicians should use biomarker that is not only most sensitive and specific but also is cost effective. Furthermore, confirmation of the bacterial or fungal infection with blood cultures or with the use of broad range polymerase chain reaction (PCR), when culturing is impossible, should be performed.

Searching for Strange Quark Matter Objects in Exoplanets

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

Huang, Y. F.; Yu, Y. B., E-mail: hyf@nju.edu.cn

2017-10-20

The true ground state of hadronic matter may be strange quark matter (SQM). Consequently, observed pulsars may actually be strange quark stars, but not neutron stars. However, proving or disproving the SQM hypothesis still remains a difficult problem to solve due to the similarity between the macroscopical characteristics of strange quark stars and neutron stars. Here, we propose a hopeful method to probe the existence of SQM. In the framework of the SQM hypothesis, strange quark dwarfs and even strange quark planets can also stably exist. Noting that SQM planets will not be tidally disrupted even when they get verymore » close to their host stars due to their extreme compactness, we argue that we could identify SQM planets by searching for very close-in planets among extrasolar planetary systems. Especially, we should keep our eyes on possible pulsar planets with orbital radius less than ∼5.6 × 10{sup 10} cm and period less than ∼6100 s. A thorough search in the currently detected ∼2950 exoplanets around normal main-sequence stars has failed to identify any stable close-in objects that meet the SQM criteria, i.e., lying in the tidal disruption region for normal matter planets. However, the pulsar planet PSR J1719-1438B, with an orbital radius of ∼6 × 10{sup 10} cm and orbital period of 7837 s, is, encouragingly, found to be a good candidate.« less

Laser assisted machining: a state of art review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punugupati, Gurabvaiah; Kandi, Kishore Kumar; Bose, P. S. C.; Rao, C. S. P.

2016-09-01

Difficult-to-cut materials have increasing demand in aerospace and automobile industries due to their high yield stress, high strength to weight ratio, high toughness, high wear resistance, high creep, high corrosion resistivity, ability to retain high strength at high temperature, etc. The machinability of these advanced materials, using conventional methods of machining is typical due to the high temperature and pressure at the cutting zone and tool and properties such as low thermal conductivity, high cutting forces and cutting temperatures makes the materials difficult to machine. Laser assisted machining (LAM) is a new and innovative technique for machining the difficult-to-cut materials. This paper deals with a review on the advances in lasers, tools and the mechanism of machining using LAM and their effects.

Development of a Through Tubing (Microhole) Artificial Lift System

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

Steve Bodden

2006-09-30

The goal of this project was to develop a small diameter pump system capable of being deployed through existing production tubing strings in oil/gas wells. The pump system would then pump water up an inner tubing string (likely coil tubing) and allow gas to flow in the annulus between the coil tubing and production tubing. Accomplishing this would allow wells that are currently loaded up (unable to flow at high enough rates to lift the fluid out of the wellbore) to continue to produce additional gas/oil reserves. The project was unable to complete a working test system due to unforeseen complexities in coupling the system components together in part due to the small diameter. Although several of the individual components were sourced and secured, coupling them together and getting electricity to the motor proved technically more difficult than expected. Thus, the project is no longer active due primarily to the complications realized in coupling the components and the difficulties in getting electricity to the submersible motor in a slimhole system. The other problem in finishing this project was the lack of financial resources. When the grant was first applied for it was expected that it would be awarded in early 2004. Since the grant was not actually awarded until the end of August 2004, GPS had basically run out ofmore » $$ and the principle developer (Steve Bodden) had to find a full time job which began in late July 2004. When the grant was finally awarded in late August, it was still hoped that the project could proceed as a part time development but with less financial exposure to the partners in GPS. This became very problematic as it still had many technical obstacles to overcome to get it to the stage of prototype testing.« less

Assisting Australian indigenous resource management and sustainable utilization of species through the use of GIS and environmental modeling techniques.

PubMed

Gorman, Julian; Pearson, Diane; Whitehead, Peter

2008-01-01

Information on distribution and relative abundance of species is integral to sustainable management, especially if they are to be harvested for subsistence or commerce. In northern Australia, natural landscapes are vast, centers of population few, access is difficult, and Aboriginal resource centers and communities have limited funds and infrastructure. Consequently defining distribution and relative abundance by comprehensive ground survey is difficult and expensive. This highlights the need for simple, cheap, automated methodologies to predict the distribution of species in use, or having potential for use, in commercial enterprise. The technique applied here uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) to make predictions of probability of occurrence using an inductive modeling technique based on Bayes' theorem. The study area is in the Maningrida region, central Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, Australia. The species examined, Cycas arnhemica and Brachychiton diversifolius, are currently being 'wild harvested' in commercial trials, involving sale of decorative plants and use as carving wood, respectively. This study involved limited and relatively simple ground surveys requiring approximately 7 days of effort for each species. The overall model performance was evaluated using Cohen's kappa statistics. The predictive ability of the model for C. arnhemica was classified as moderate and for B. diversifolius as fair. The difference in model performance can be attributed to the pattern of distribution of these species. C. arnhemica tends to occur in a clumped distribution due to relatively short distance dispersal of its large seeds and vegetative growth from long-lived rhizomes, while B. diversifolius seeds are smaller and more widely dispersed across the landscape. The output from analysis predicts trends in species distribution that are consistent with independent on-site sampling for each species and therefore should prove useful in gauging the extent of resource availability. However, some caution needs to be applied as the models tend to over predict presence which is a function of distribution patterns and of other variables operating in the landscape such as fire histories which were not included in the model due to limited availability of data.

Research and Infrastructure Development Center for Nanomaterials Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

scale, this technique may prove highly valuable for optimizing the distance dependent energy transfer effects for maximum sensitivity to target...this technique may prove highly valuable for optimizing the distance dependent energy transfer effects for maximum sensitivity 0 20000 40000 60000... Pulsed laser deposition of carbon films on quartz and silicon simply did not work due to their poor conductivity. We found that pyrolized photoresist

LGBT Students in Community College: Characteristics, Challenges, and Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivory, Brian T.

2005-01-01

Due to the transitory nature of students at community colleges, it is often difficult for student affairs professionals to connect with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and even more difficult for them to provide services for this invisible population.

Climate and reproduction of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Picton, Harold D.

1978-01-01

Controversy surrounds the conflicts between the requirements of human safety and the preservation of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in western North America. It has been difficult to separate the effect of factors such as the closure of garbage dumps from that of the climate. It has also proved difficult to relate climatic data to changes in the populations of large mammals. I report here a correlation of climatic change with fluctuations in the sizes of litters of grizzly bears born in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, during 1958–1976. The decrease in litter sizes observed since the closure of garbage dumps seems to be largely a consequence of unfavourable weather during the periods of the final fattening of the mother, winter sleep, birth, lactation and early spring foraging. This study represents one of the few times that the effects of climate have been demonstrated for large omnivorous or carnivorous mammals.

Harmonic Training and the Formation of Pitch Representation in a Neural Network Model of the Auditory Brain

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Nasir; Higgins, Irina; Walker, Kerry M. M.; Stringer, Simon M.

2016-01-01

Attempting to explain the perceptual qualities of pitch has proven to be, and remains, a difficult problem. The wide range of sounds which elicit pitch and a lack of agreement across neurophysiological studies on how pitch is encoded by the brain have made this attempt more difficult. In describing the potential neural mechanisms by which pitch may be processed, a number of neural networks have been proposed and implemented. However, no unsupervised neural networks with biologically accurate cochlear inputs have yet been demonstrated. This paper proposes a simple system in which pitch representing neurons are produced in a biologically plausible setting. Purely unsupervised regimes of neural network learning are implemented and these prove to be sufficient in identifying the pitch of sounds with a variety of spectral profiles, including sounds with missing fundamental frequencies and iterated rippled noises. PMID:27047368

Images of war: using satellite images for human rights monitoring in Turkish Kurdistan.

PubMed

de Vos, Hugo; Jongerden, Joost; van Etten, Jacob

2008-09-01

In areas of war and armed conflict it is difficult to get trustworthy and coherent information. Civil society and human rights groups often face problems of dealing with fragmented witness reports, disinformation of war propaganda, and difficult direct access to these areas. Turkish Kurdistan was used as a case study of armed conflict to evaluate the potential use of satellite images for verification of witness reports collected by human rights groups. The Turkish army was reported to be burning forests, fields and villages as a strategy in the conflict against guerrilla uprising. This paper concludes that satellite images are useful to validate witness reports of forest fires. Even though the use of this technology for human rights groups will depend on some feasibility factors such as prices, access and expertise, the images proved to be key for analysis of spatial aspects of conflict and valuable for reconstructing a more trustworthy picture.

Low thermal diffusivity measurements of thin films using mirage technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, P. K.; Fung, P. C. W.; Tam, H. L.

1998-12-01

Mirage technique is proved to be powerful in measurements of thermal diffusivity. Its contactless nature makes it suitable for delicate samples such as thin films and single crystals. However, as the damping of the thermal wave profile increases progressively upon the decrease in thermal diffusivity of the medium, mirage technique becomes more difficult to be applied to low thermal diffusivity measurements. Moreover influences from substrate signals make analysis difficult when the samples are thermally thin. Recently a thermal-wave-coupling method for mirage signal analysis [P. K. Wong, P. C. W. Fung, H. L. Tam, and J. Gao, Phys. Rev. B 51, 523 (1995)] was reported for thermal diffusivity measurements of thin film down to 60 nm thick. In this article we apply the thermal-wave-coupling method to thin films of low thermal diffusivity, especially polymer films. A new lower limit of thermal diffusivity measurable by mirage technique has been reached.

Could mycobacterial Hsp70-containing fusion protein lead the way to an affordable therapeutic cancer vaccine?

PubMed

Brauns, Timothy; Leblanc, Pierre; Gelfand, Jeffrey A; Poznanski, Mark

2015-03-01

Cancer vaccine development efforts have recently gained momentum, but most vaccines showing clinical impact in human trials tend to be based on technology approaches that are very costly and difficult to produce at scale. With the projected doubling of the incidence of cancer and its related cost of care in the U.S. over the next two decades, the widespread clinical use of such vaccines will prove difficult to justify. Heat shock protein-based vaccines have shown the potential to elicit clinically meaningful immunologic responses in cancer, but the predominant development approach - heat shock protein-peptide complexes derived from a patient's own tumor - face similar challenges of cost and scalability. New innovative modalities for deploying heat shock proteins in cancer vaccines may open the door to vaccines that can generate potent cytotoxic responses against multiple tumor targets and can be made in a cost-effective and scalable manner.

Farm accidents and injuries among farm families and workers. A pilot study.

PubMed

Cummings, P H

1991-09-01

Farm accident facts traditionally have been difficult to collect because of the wide array of farm family and non-family involvement in farming practices. Areas commonly involved in farm related accidents include farm machinery, tractor overturns, farm animals, farm trucks, hand and power tools, household items, chemicals, and garden equipment. Two purposes of this descriptive study were to examine, over a 1 year period, the demographic features and types, severity, and mechanisms of injury among farm families and their workers in a representative county in South Carolina, and to develop a two part mail-out questionnaire for data collection relative to farm work related accidents. The researcher concluded that farm accidents are sparsely researched; that traditional data collection methods are difficult, expensive, and time consuming; and that mail-out questionnaires are not a very effective method of collecting data relative to farm accidents, since farmers proved very reluctant to report accidents.

[Hypertensive crisis and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES)].

PubMed

Eberhardt, Olaf

2018-05-01

The urgency and intensity of therapeutic response to a hypertensive crisis are governed by the presence or absence of acute end-organ damage, which define hypertensive emergency and hypertensive urgency, respectively. In case of hypertensive urgency a slow and moderate lowering of blood pressure by oral antihypertensive agents seems adequate, while the approach to hypertensive emergency has to be tailored to the specific type of organ failure. Optimal blood pressure management in the context of neurovascular emergencies is made difficult by contradictory data from observational and interventional studies. It might prove advantageous to individualize treatment according to characteristics such as the location of persistent vessel occlusion or the presence of collaterals. Reversible posterior encephalopathy may present with atypical features that might make diagnosis difficult. Clevidipine might be a welcome supplement to current intravenous antihypertensive agents in neurological disease. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A monitoring of environmental effects from household greywater reuse for garden irrigation.

PubMed

Mohamed, Radin Maya Saphira Radin; Kassim, Amir Hashim Mohd; Anda, Martin; Dallas, Stewart

2013-10-01

The option of reusing greywater is proving to be increasingly attractive to address the water shortage issue in many arid and semiarid countries. Greywater represents a constant resource, since an approximately constant amount of greywater is generated from kitchen, laundries, bathroom in every household daily, independent of the weather. However, the use of greywater for irrigation in particular for household gardening may pose major hazards that have not been studied thoroughly. In this study, a 1-year monitoring was conducted in four selected households in Perth, Western Australia. The aim of the monitoring works is to investigate the variability in the greywater flow and quality, and to understand its impact in the surrounding environments. Case studies were selected based on different family structure including number, ages of the occupants, and greywater system they used. Samples of greywater effluent (showers, laundries, bathtub, and sinks), leachate, soil, and plants at each case study were collected between October 2008 and December 2009 which covered the high (spring/summer) and low (autumn/winter) production of greywater. Physical and chemical tests were based on the literature and expected components of laundry and bathroom greywater particularly on greywater components likely to have detrimental impacts on soils, plants, and other water bodies. Monitoring results showed the greywater quality values for BOD, TSS, and pH which sometimes fell outside the range as stipulated in the guidelines. The soil analyses results showed that salinity, SAR, and the organic content of the soil increased as a function of time and affected the plant growth. Nutrient leaching or losses from soil irrigated with greywater shows the movement of nutrients and the sole impact from greywater in uncontrolled plots in case studies is difficult to predicted due to the influence of land dynamics and activities. Investigative and research monitoring was used to understand greywater irrigation in households. Greywater quality is very site specific and difficult to predetermine or control except for the use of some recommended household products when using greywater. Investigative and research monitoring was indicated that greywater quality is very site specific and difficult to predetermine or control except for the use of some recommended household products when using greywater.

Small high-definition video cameras as a tool to resight uniquely marked Interior Least Terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Toy, Dustin L.; Roche, Erin; Dovichin, Colin M.

2017-01-01

Many bird species of conservation concern have behavioral or morphological traits that make it difficult for researchers to determine if the birds have been uniquely marked. Those traits can also increase the difficulty for researchers to decipher those markers. As a result, it is a priority for field biologists to develop time- and cost-efficient methods to resight uniquely marked individuals, especially when efforts are spread across multiple States and study areas. The Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos) is one such difficult-to-resight species; its tendency to mob perceived threats, such as observing researchers, makes resighting marked individuals difficult without physical recapture. During 2015, uniquely marked adult Interior Least Terns were resighted and identified by small, inexpensive, high-definition portable video cameras deployed for 29-min periods adjacent to nests. Interior Least Tern individuals were uniquely identified 84% (n = 277) of the time. This method also provided the ability to link individually marked adults to a specific nest, which can aid in generational studies and understanding heritability for difficult-to-resight species. Mark-recapture studies on such species may be prone to sparse encounter data that can result in imprecise or biased demographic estimates and ultimately flawed inferences. High-definition video cameras may prove to be a robust method for generating reliable demographic estimates.

Node position influences viability and contamination in hazelnut shoot

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Initiation of shoot cultures is difficult in many woody plants due to internal microbial contaminants and general lack of juvenility in material from the source plants. Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) are generally difficult to initiate into culture for these same reasons. This study was designed to...

Aerostat-Lofted Instrument Platform and Sampling Method for Determination of Emissions from Open Area Sources

EPA Science Inventory

Sampling emissions from open area sources, particularly sources of open burning, is difficult due to fast dilution of emissions and safety concerns for personnel. Representative emission samples can be difficult to obtain with flaming and explosive sources since personnel safety ...

Interocular suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuna, Ana Rita; Almeida Neves Carrega, Filipa; Nunes, Amélia Fernandes

2017-08-01

The objective of this work is to quantify the suppressive imbalance, based on the manipulation of ocular luminance, between a group of subjects with normal binocular vision and a group of subjects with amblyopia. The result reveals that there are statistically significant differences in interocular dominance between two groups, evidencing a greater suppressive imbalance in amblyopic subjects. The technique used, proved to be a simple, easy to apply and economic method, for quantified ocular dominance. It is presented as a technique with the potential to accompany subjects with a marked dominance in one of the eyes that makes fusion difficult.

Energy and technology lessons since Rio

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

Edmonds, James A.; Calvin, Katherine V.; Clarke, Leon E.

2012-11-01

The 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change created the basic international architecture for addressing climate change. That treaty was negotiated at a time when the research literature examining emissions mitigation and the role of energy technology was relatively limited. In the two subsequent decades a great deal has been learned. The problem of stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has proved far more difficult than envisioned in 1992 and the role of technology appears even more important when emissions mitigation strategies are co-developed in the context of multiple competing ends.

The management of sialolithiasis in 2 children through use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

PubMed

Escudier, M P; Drage, N A

1999-07-01

The management of salivary calculi in children may prove difficult for a number of reasons. Traditional investigations require ionizing radiation and in cases of sialography may be poorly tolerated. Similarly, any surgical treatment is likely to require general anesthesia and, in a number of cases, removal of the affected gland, which is associated with attendant risks. As an alternative, ultrasound and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy therapy offers low morbidity and outpatient procedures that are well tolerated, as illustrated by these 2 cases.

The Cellular Basis of a Corollary Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulet, James F. A.; Hedwig, Berthold

2006-01-01

How do animals discriminate self-generated from external stimuli during behavior and prevent desensitization of their sensory pathways? A fundamental concept in neuroscience states that neural signals, termed corollary discharges or efference copies, are forwarded from motor to sensory areas. Neurons mediating these signals have proved difficult to identify. We show that a single, multisegmental interneuron is responsible for the pre- and postsynaptic inhibition of auditory neurons in singing crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus). Therefore, this neuron represents a corollary discharge interneuron that provides a neuronal basis for the central control of sensory responses.

Neutron beam irradiation study of workload dependence of SER in a microprocessor

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

Michalak, Sarah E; Graves, Todd L; Hong, Ted

It is known that workloads are an important factor in soft error rates (SER), but it is proving difficult to find differentiating workloads for microprocessors. We have performed neutron beam irradiation studies of a commercial microprocessor under a wide variety of workload conditions from idle, performing no operations, to very busy workloads resembling real HPC, graphics, and business applications. There is evidence that the mean times to first indication of failure, MTFIF defined in Section II, may be different for some of the applications.

An extraction algorithm of pulmonary fissures from multislice CT image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tachibana, Hiroyuki; Saita, Shinsuke; Yasutomo, Motokatsu; Kubo, Mitsuru; Kawata, Yoshiki; Niki, Noboru; Nakano, Yasutaka; Sasagawa, Michizo; Eguchi, Kenji; Moriyama, Noriyuki

2005-04-01

Aging and smoking history increases number of pulmonary emphysema. Alveoli restoration destroyed by pulmonary emphysema is difficult and early direction is important. Multi-slice CT technology has been improving 3-D image analysis with higher body axis resolution and shorter scan time. And low-dose high accuracy scanning becomes available. Multi-slice CT image helps physicians with accurate measuring but huge volume of the image data takes time and cost. This paper is intended for computer added emphysema region analysis and proves effectiveness of proposed algorithm.

Small Ships Revival: From Cold War Anti-Invasion and Guerrilla Warfare Tactics to Highly Capable Force Multiplier in Littoral and Expeditionary Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-03

this gap might be filled. It will focus on the surface warfare aspect of sea control, though it touches on antiair warfare, mine warfare and...Sea As the flotilla acquired battle power […] the vital, most difficult, and most absorbing problem has become not how to increase the power of a...proving that their performance is absolutely necessary to these operations. Com Fr Amphib TG of the NATO Reaction Force-8 after Exercise Brilliant Midas

The future of laboratory medicine - a 2014 perspective.

PubMed

Kricka, Larry J; Polsky, Tracey G; Park, Jason Y; Fortina, Paolo

2015-01-01

Predicting the future is a difficult task. Not surprisingly, there are many examples and assumptions that have proved to be wrong. This review surveys the many predictions, beginning in 1887, about the future of laboratory medicine and its sub-specialties such as clinical chemistry and molecular pathology. It provides a commentary on the accuracy of the predictions and offers opinions on emerging technologies, economic factors and social developments that may play a role in shaping the future of laboratory medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A PCR assay for gender assignment in dugong (Dugong dugon) and West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).

PubMed

McHale, M; Broderick, D; Ovenden, J R; Lanyon, J M

2008-05-01

Gender assignment for some aquatic mammals in the field is difficult. Molecular sexing from tissue biopsies is possible as males are heterogametic. Here we describe a multiplex PCR assay that amplifies the male specific SRY gene and differentiates ZFX and ZFY gametologues in two sirenian species, dugong (Dugong dugon) and West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). The assay was validated with animals of known gender and proved accurate and robust to experimental failure. © 2007 The State of Queensland Through its Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

I Would Simply Say, Keep Going

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaBoskey, Vicki Kubler

2015-01-01

This article describes the author's experience as President of the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE) from 2004-2006, which began under difficult conditions due to her daughter's terminal illness. The author shares her story of how the organization supported her during this difficult time, which she feels is representative of the…

Alternative Approaches to IEP Conflict: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinkonis, Laura

2017-01-01

The originators of special education law anticipated disputes and provided due process hearings as a means to settle the disputes. However, due process proved to be unfair, costly (financially and emotionally), and destructive to school-family relationships. Years later, lawmakers offered mandated mediation along with resolution meetings in…

Two new Lophoturus species (Diplopoda, Polyxenida, Lophoproctidae) from Queensland, Australia

PubMed Central

Huynh, Cuong; Veenstra, Anneke A.

2018-01-01

Abstract Lophoturus queenslandicus Verhoeff, 1924 was the first penicillate millipede in the family Lophoproctidae collected from Cairns, a tropical region in Queensland, Australia, to be formally described. Specimens collected from this region in a recent study had the morphological characters known to define this genus. However, their body form and length, as well as dorsal colouration proved to be different, suggesting the possibility of more than one Lophoturus species. This assertion was supported by the results of a phylogenetic analysis of DNA extracted and sequenced using 18S and COI regions from L. queenslandicus and two undescribed species from this genus. Specimens preserved in ethanol can prove difficult to confidently identify to species level because their colour gradually fades. Examination of live specimens with their body colour visible, together with morphological characters and DNA analysis is the most reliable way of correctly distinguishing between these three species. Two new species, L. boondallus sp. n. and L. molloyensis sp. n. collected in Queensland, Australia are described. PMID:29706774

From helical supramolecular arrays to gel-forming networks: lattice restructuring and aggregation control in peptide-based sulfamides to integrate new functional attributes.

PubMed

Raghava, Saripalli V; Srivastava, Bhartendu K; Ramshad, Kalluruttimmal; Antharjanam, Sudhadevi; Varghese, Babu; Muraleedharan, Kannoth M

2018-03-28

While supramolecular organisation is central to both crystallization and gelation, the latter is more complex considering its dynamic nature and multifactorial dependence. This makes the rational design of gelators an extremely difficult task. In this report, the assembly preference of a group of peptide-based sulfamides was modulated by making them part of an acid-amine two-component system to drive the tendency from crystallization to gelation. Here, the peptide core directed the assembly while the long-chain amines, introduced through salt-bridges, promoted layering and anisotropic development of primary aggregates. This proved to be very successful, leading to gelation of a number of solvents. Apart from this, it was possible to fine-tune their aggregation using an amphiphilic polymer like F-127 as an additive to get honey-comb-like 3D molecular architectures. These gels also proved to be excellent matrices for entrapping silver nanoparticles with superior emissive properties.

"Accordion" deformity of a tortuous external iliac artery after stent-graft placement.

PubMed

Quinn, S F; Kim, J; Sheley, R C; Frankhouse, J H

2001-02-01

To identify a complication of endograft deployment in aneurysmal iliac arteries. A 71-year-old man was referred for endovascular treatment of a 60-mm-diameter right common iliac artery aneurysm; however, deployment of a homemade covered stent (Palmaz-Schatz and polytetrafluoroethylene) induced shortening of the tortuous external iliac artery, causing an "accordion" deformity. The anomaly proved difficult to treat with serial Wallstent deployment, because the convolution tightened and migrated caudally with each stent deployed, threatening outflow. Finally, after 3 Wallstents were implanted, the contour of the external iliac artery was straight, and flow was unimpeded. However, 3 weeks later, the external iliac artery had recoiled to its original redundant appearance, but flow remained satisfactory. The aneurysm remains excluded, with satisfactory distal flow after 24 months. Implanting endografts in redundant, tortuous arterial segments may prove problematic, since induced straightening by the device precipitates kinking in the redundant system. Although treatment may be required in some situations, the vessels may return to a noncompressed state by removing the delivery system and guidewire.

Transmembrane helices containing a charged arginine are thermodynamically stable.

PubMed

Ulmschneider, Martin B; Ulmschneider, Jakob P; Freites, J Alfredo; von Heijne, Gunnar; Tobias, Douglas J; White, Stephen H

2017-10-01

Hydrophobic amino acids are abundant in transmembrane (TM) helices of membrane proteins. Charged residues are sparse, apparently due to the unfavorable energetic cost of partitioning charges into nonpolar phases. Nevertheless, conserved arginine residues within TM helices regulate vital functions, such as ion channel voltage gating and integrin receptor inactivation. The energetic cost of arginine in various positions along hydrophobic helices has been controversial. Potential of mean force (PMF) calculations from atomistic molecular dynamics simulations predict very large energetic penalties, while in vitro experiments with Sec61 translocons indicate much smaller penalties, even for arginine in the center of hydrophobic TM helices. Resolution of this conflict has proved difficult, because the in vitro assay utilizes the complex Sec61 translocon, while the PMF calculations rely on the choice of simulation system and reaction coordinate. Here we present the results of computational and experimental studies that permit direct comparison with the Sec61 translocon results. We find that the Sec61 translocon mediates less efficient membrane insertion of Arg-containing TM helices compared with our computational and experimental bilayer-insertion results. In the simulations, a combination of arginine snorkeling, bilayer deformation, and peptide tilting is sufficient to lower the penalty of Arg insertion to an extent such that a hydrophobic TM helix with a central Arg residue readily inserts into a model membrane. Less favorable insertion by the translocon may be due to the decreased fluidity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane compared with pure palmitoyloleoyl-phosphocholine (POPC). Nevertheless, our results provide an explanation for the differences between PMF- and experiment-based penalties for Arg burial.

Application of in-situ hybridization for the detection and identification of avian malaria parasites in paraffin wax-embedded tissues from captive penguins

PubMed Central

Dinhopl, Nora; Mostegl, Meike M.; Richter, Barbara; Nedorost, Nora; Maderner, Anton; Fragner, Karin; Weissenböck, Herbert

2011-01-01

In captive penguins, avian malaria due to Plasmodium parasites is a well-recognized disease problem as these protozoa may cause severe losses among valuable collections of zoo birds. In blood films from naturally infected birds, identification and differentiation of malaria parasites based on morphological criteria are difficult because parasitaemia is frequently light and blood stages, which are necessary for identification of parasites, are often absent. Post-mortem diagnosis by histological examination of tissue samples is sometimes inconclusive due to the difficulties in differentiating protozoal tissue stages from fragmented nuclei in necrotic tissue. The diagnosis of avian malaria would be facilitated by a technique with the ability to specifically identify developmental stages of Plasmodium in tissue samples. Thus, a chromogenic in-situ hybridization (ISH) procedure with a digoxigenin-labelled probe, targeting a fragment of the 18S rRNA, was developed for the detection of Plasmodium parasites in paraffin wax-embedded tissues. This method was validated in comparison with traditional techniques (histology, polymerase chain reaction), on various tissues from 48 captive penguins that died at the zoological garden Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria. Meronts of Plasmodium gave clear signals and were easily identified using ISH. Potential cross-reactivity of the probe was ruled out by the negative outcome of the ISH against a number of protozoa and fungi. Thus, ISH proved to be a powerful, specific and sensitive tool for unambiguous detection of Plasmodium parasites in paraffin wax-embedded tissue samples. PMID:21711191

Focused-ion-beam-inflicted surface amorphization and gallium implantation--new insights and removal by focused-electron-beam-induced etching.

PubMed

Roediger, P; Wanzenboeck, H D; Waid, S; Hochleitner, G; Bertagnolli, E

2011-06-10

Recently focused-electron-beam-induced etching of silicon using molecular chlorine (Cl(2)-FEBIE) has been developed as a reliable and reproducible process capable of damage-free, maskless and resistless removal of silicon. As any electron-beam-induced processing is considered non-destructive and implantation-free due to the absence of ion bombardment this approach is also a potential method for removing focused-ion-beam (FIB)-inflicted crystal damage and ion implantation. We show that Cl(2)-FEBIE is capable of removing FIB-induced amorphization and gallium ion implantation after processing of surfaces with a focused ion beam. TEM analysis proves that the method Cl(2)-FEBIE is non-destructive and therefore retains crystallinity. It is shown that Cl(2)-FEBIE of amorphous silicon when compared to crystalline silicon can be up to 25 times faster, depending on the degree of amorphization. Also, using this method it has become possible for the first time to directly investigate damage caused by FIB exposure in a top-down view utilizing a localized chemical reaction, i.e. without the need for TEM sample preparation. We show that gallium fluences above 4 × 10(15) cm(-2) result in altered material resulting from FIB-induced processes down to a depth of ∼ 250 nm. With increasing gallium fluences, due to a significant gallium concentration close beneath the surface, removal of the topmost layer by Cl(2)-FEBIE becomes difficult, indicating that gallium serves as an etch stop for Cl(2)-FEBIE.

Diisocyanate mediated polyether modified gelatin drug carrier for controlled release

PubMed Central

Vijayakumar, Vediappan; Subramanian, Kaliappagounder

2013-01-01

Gelatin is an extensively studied biopolymer hydrogel drug carrier due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity of its biodegraded products formed in vivo. But with the pristine gelatin it is difficult to achieve a controlled and desirable drug release characteristics due to its structural and thermal lability and high solubility in aqueous biofluids. Hence it is necessary to modify its solubility and structural stability in biofluids to achieve controlled release features with improved drug efficacy and broader carrier applications. In the present explorations an effort is made in this direction by cross linking gelatin to different extents using hitherto not studied isocyanate terminated poly(ether) as a macrocrosslinker prepared from poly(ethylene glycol) and isophorone diisocyanate in dimethyl sulfoxide. The crosslinked samples were analyzed for structure by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, thermal behavior through thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The cross linked gelatins were biodegradable, insoluble and swellable in biofluids. They were evaluated as a carrier for in vitro drug delivery taking theophylline as a model drug used in asthma therapy. The crosslinking of gelatin decreased the drug release rate by 10–20% depending upon the extent of crosslinking. The modeled drug release characteristics revealed an anomalous transport mechanism. The release rates for ampicillin sodium, 5-fluorouracil and theophylline drugs in a typical crosslinked gelatin carrier were found to depend on the solubility and hydrophobicity of the drugs, and the pH of the fluid. The observed results indicated that this material can prove its mettle as a viable carrier matrix in drug delivery applications. PMID:24493973

Analysis and visualization of intracardiac electrograms in diagnosis and research: Concept and application of KaPAVIE.

PubMed

Oesterlein, Tobias Georg; Schmid, Jochen; Bauer, Silvio; Jadidi, Amir; Schmitt, Claus; Dössel, Olaf; Luik, Armin

2016-04-01

Progress in biomedical engineering has improved the hardware available for diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. But although huge amounts of intracardiac electrograms (EGMs) can be acquired during electrophysiological examinations, there is still a lack of software aiding diagnosis. The development of novel algorithms for the automated analysis of EGMs has proven difficult, due to the highly interdisciplinary nature of this task and hampered data access in clinical systems. Thus we developed a software platform, which allows rapid implementation of new algorithms, verification of their functionality and suitable visualization for discussion in the clinical environment. A software for visualization was developed in Qt5 and C++ utilizing the class library of VTK. The algorithms for signal analysis were implemented in MATLAB. Clinical data for analysis was exported from electroanatomical mapping systems. The visualization software KaPAVIE (Karlsruhe Platform for Analysis and Visualization of Intracardiac Electrograms) was implemented and tested on several clinical datasets. Both common and novel algorithms were implemented which address important clinical questions in diagnosis of different arrhythmias. It proved useful in discussions with clinicians due to its interactive and user-friendly design. Time after export from the clinical mapping system to visualization is below 5min. KaPAVIE(2) is a powerful platform for the development of novel algorithms in the clinical environment. Simultaneous and interactive visualization of measured EGM data and the results of analysis will aid diagnosis and help understanding the underlying mechanisms of complex arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of a roughness-length representation to parameterize energy loss in 3-D numerical simulations of large rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandbach, S. D.; Lane, S. N.; Hardy, R. J.; Amsler, M. L.; Ashworth, P. J.; Best, J. L.; Nicholas, A. P.; Orfeo, O.; Parsons, D. R.; Reesink, A. J. H.; Szupiany, R. N.

2012-12-01

Recent technological advances in remote sensing have enabled investigation of the morphodynamics and hydrodynamics of large rivers. However, measuring topography and flow in these very large rivers is time consuming and thus often constrains the spatial resolution and reach-length scales that can be monitored. Similar constraints exist for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies of large rivers, requiring maximization of mesh- or grid-cell dimensions and implying a reduction in the representation of bedform-roughness elements that are of the order of a model grid cell or less, even if they are represented in available topographic data. These "subgrid" elements must be parameterized, and this paper applies and considers the impact of roughness-length treatments that include the effect of bed roughness due to "unmeasured" topography. CFD predictions were found to be sensitive to the roughness-length specification. Model optimization was based on acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements and estimates of the water surface slope for a variety of roughness lengths. This proved difficult as the metrics used to assess optimal model performance diverged due to the effects of large bedforms that are not well parameterized in roughness-length treatments. However, the general spatial flow patterns are effectively predicted by the model. Changes in roughness length were shown to have a major impact upon flow routing at the channel scale. The results also indicate an absence of secondary flow circulation cells in the reached studied, and suggest simpler two-dimensional models may have great utility in the investigation of flow within large rivers.

A novel route to recognizing quaternary ammonium cations using electrospray mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Shackman, Holly M; Ding, Wei; Bolgar, Mark S

2015-01-01

Characterizing and elucidating structures is a commonplace and necessary activity in the pharmaceutical industry with mass spectrometry and NMR being the primary tools for analysis. Although many functional groups are readily identifiable, quaternary ammonium cations have proven to be difficult to unequivocally identify using these techniques. Due to the lack of an N-H bond, quaternary ammonium groups can only be detected in the (1)H NMR spectra by weak signals generated from long-range (14)N-H coupling, which by themselves are inconclusive evidence of a quaternary ammonium functional group. Due to their low intensity, these signals are frequently not detected. Additionally, ions cannot be differentiated in a mass spectrum as an M(+) or [M + H](+) ion without prior knowledge of the compound's structure. In order to utilize mass spectrometry as a tool for determining this functionality, ion cluster formation of quaternary ammonium cations and non-quaternary amines was studied using electrospray ionization. Several mobile phase modifiers were compared; however, the addition of small amounts of trifluoroacetic acid proved superior in producing characteristic and intense [M +2TFA](-) clusters for compounds containing quaternary ammonium cations when using negative electrospray. By fragmenting this characteristic ion using CID, nearly all compounds studied could be unambiguously identified as containing a quaternary ammonium cation or a non-quaternary amine attributable to the presence (non-quaternary amine) or absence (quaternary ammonium cation) of the resulting [2TFA + H](-) ion in the product spectra. This method of analysis provides a rapid, novel, and reliable technique for indicating the presence of quaternary ammonium cations in order to aid in structural elucidation.

Learning Your Kids: An Action Research Approach to Home Visits and Teacher Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polson, Bilal

2013-01-01

Due to demographic shifts suburban schools are having difficulty meeting the needs of students of immigrant, poor and working class families. Schools are forced with the difficult task of closing learning gaps with students who may have difficult circumstances. Literature indicates fostering a healthy home/school connection by conducting…

Pigeons (Columba livia) as Trainable Observers of Pathology and Radiology Breast Cancer Images

PubMed Central

Levenson, Richard M.; Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Navarro, Victor M.; Wasserman, Edward A.

2015-01-01

Pathologists and radiologists spend years acquiring and refining their medically essential visual skills, so it is of considerable interest to understand how this process actually unfolds and what image features and properties are critical for accurate diagnostic performance. Key insights into human behavioral tasks can often be obtained by using appropriate animal models. We report here that pigeons (Columba livia)—which share many visual system properties with humans—can serve as promising surrogate observers of medical images, a capability not previously documented. The birds proved to have a remarkable ability to distinguish benign from malignant human breast histopathology after training with differential food reinforcement; even more importantly, the pigeons were able to generalize what they had learned when confronted with novel image sets. The birds’ histological accuracy, like that of humans, was modestly affected by the presence or absence of color as well as by degrees of image compression, but these impacts could be ameliorated with further training. Turning to radiology, the birds proved to be similarly capable of detecting cancer-relevant microcalcifications on mammogram images. However, when given a different (and for humans quite difficult) task—namely, classification of suspicious mammographic densities (masses)—the pigeons proved to be capable only of image memorization and were unable to successfully generalize when shown novel examples. The birds’ successes and difficulties suggest that pigeons are well-suited to help us better understand human medical image perception, and may also prove useful in performance assessment and development of medical imaging hardware, image processing, and image analysis tools. PMID:26581091

Pigeons (Columba livia) as Trainable Observers of Pathology and Radiology Breast Cancer Images.

PubMed

Levenson, Richard M; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Navarro, Victor M; Wasserman, Edward A

2015-01-01

Pathologists and radiologists spend years acquiring and refining their medically essential visual skills, so it is of considerable interest to understand how this process actually unfolds and what image features and properties are critical for accurate diagnostic performance. Key insights into human behavioral tasks can often be obtained by using appropriate animal models. We report here that pigeons (Columba livia)-which share many visual system properties with humans-can serve as promising surrogate observers of medical images, a capability not previously documented. The birds proved to have a remarkable ability to distinguish benign from malignant human breast histopathology after training with differential food reinforcement; even more importantly, the pigeons were able to generalize what they had learned when confronted with novel image sets. The birds' histological accuracy, like that of humans, was modestly affected by the presence or absence of color as well as by degrees of image compression, but these impacts could be ameliorated with further training. Turning to radiology, the birds proved to be similarly capable of detecting cancer-relevant microcalcifications on mammogram images. However, when given a different (and for humans quite difficult) task-namely, classification of suspicious mammographic densities (masses)-the pigeons proved to be capable only of image memorization and were unable to successfully generalize when shown novel examples. The birds' successes and difficulties suggest that pigeons are well-suited to help us better understand human medical image perception, and may also prove useful in performance assessment and development of medical imaging hardware, image processing, and image analysis tools.

Utility of dengue NS1 antigen rapid diagnostic test for use in difficult to reach areas and its comparison with dengue NS1 ELISA and qRT-PCR.

PubMed

Shukla, Mohan K; Singh, Neeru; Sharma, Ravendra K; Barde, Pradip V

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the utility of dengue virus (DENV) non structural protein 1 (NS1) based rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for use in tribal and difficult to reach areas for early dengue (DEN) diagnosis in acute phase patients and evaluate its sensitivity and specificity against DENV NS1 enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The DENV NS1 RDT was used for preliminary diagnosis during outbreaks in difficult to reach rural and tribal areas. The diagnosis was confirmed by DENV NS1 ELISA in the laboratory. The samples were also tested and serotyped by qRT-PCR. The results were evaluated using statistical tests. The DENV NS1 RDT showed 99.2% sensitivity and 96.0% specificity when analyzed using DENV NS1 ELISA as standard. The specificity and sensitivity of the RDT when compared with qRT-PCR was 93.6% and 91.1%, respectively. The serotype specific evaluation showed more than 90% sensitivity and specificity for DENV-1, 2, and 3. The RDT proved a good diagnostic tool in difficult to reach rural and tribal areas. Further evaluation studies with different commercially available RDTs in different field conditions are essential, that will help clinicians and patients for treatment and programme managers for timely intervention. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Eaves-dropping on plant volatiles by a specialist moth: significance of ratio and concentration

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Volatile signals mediate many multitrophic interactions, some due to coevolution and others due to eavesdropping, but the role of specific concentrations and ratios has been controversial and difficult to test due to methodological limitations. We investigated the role of ratio and concentration usi...

Renaissance of antibiotics against difficult infections: Focus on oritavancin and new ketolides and quinolones.

PubMed

Van Bambeke, Françoise

2014-11-01

Lipoglycopeptide, ketolide, and quinolone antibiotics are currently in clinical development, with specific advantages over available molecules within their respective classes. The lipoglycopeptide oritavancin is bactericidal against MRSA, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and multiresistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, and proved effective and safe for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI) upon administration of a single 1200 mg dose (two completed phase III trials). The ketolide solithromycin (two phase III studies recruiting for community-acquired pneumonia) shows a profile of activity similar to that of telithromycin, but in vitro data suggest a lower risk of hepatotoxicity, visual disturbance, and aggravation of myasthenia gravis due to reduced affinity for nicotinic receptors. Among quinolones, finafloxacin and delafloxacin share the unique property of an improved activity in acidic environments (found in many infection sites). Finafloxacin (phase II completed; activity profile similar to that of ciprofloxacin) is evaluated for complicated urinary tract and Helicobacter pylori infections. The other quinolones (directed towards Gram-positive pathogens) show improved activity on MRSA and multiresistant S. pneumoniae compared to current molecules. They are in clinical evaluation for ABSSSI (avarofloxacin (phase II completed), nemonoxacin and delafloxacin (ongoing phase III)), respiratory tract infections (zabofloxacin and nemonoxacin (ongoing phase III)), or gonorrhea (delafloxacin).

An optical flow-based method for velocity field of fluid flow estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Głomb, Grzegorz; Świrniak, Grzegorz; Mroczka, Janusz

2017-06-01

The aim of this paper is to present a method for estimating flow-velocity vector fields using the Lucas-Kanade algorithm. The optical flow measurements are based on the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique, which is commonly used in fluid mechanics laboratories in both research institutes and industry. Common approaches for an optical characterization of velocity fields base on computation of partial derivatives of the image intensity using finite differences. Nevertheless, the accuracy of velocity field computations is low due to the fact that an exact estimation of spatial derivatives is very difficult in presence of rapid intensity changes in the PIV images, caused by particles having small diameters. The method discussed in this paper solves this problem by interpolating the PIV images using Gaussian radial basis functions. This provides a significant improvement in the accuracy of the velocity estimation but, more importantly, allows for the evaluation of the derivatives in intermediate points between pixels. Numerical analysis proves that the method is able to estimate even a separate vector for each particle with a 5× 5 px2 window, whereas a classical correlation-based method needs at least 4 particle images. With the use of a specialized multi-step hybrid approach to data analysis the method improves the estimation of the particle displacement far above 1 px.

Validation of a new technique to detect Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in bovine feces.

PubMed

Inácio, Sandra Valéria; Gomes, Jancarlo Ferreira; Oliveira, Bruno César Miranda; Falcão, Alexandre Xavier; Suzuki, Celso Tetsuo Nagase; Dos Santos, Bianca Martins; de Aquino, Monally Conceição Costa; de Paula Ribeiro, Rafaela Silva; de Assunção, Danilla Mendes; Casemiro, Pamella Almeida Freire; Meireles, Marcelo Vasconcelos; Bresciani, Katia Denise Saraiva

2016-11-01

Due to its important zoonotic potential, cryptosporidiosis arouses strong interest in the scientific community, because, it was initially considered a rare and opportunistic disease. The parasitological diagnosis of the causative agent of this disease, the protozoan Cryptosporidium spp., requires the use of specific techniques of concentration and permanent staining, which are laborious and costly, and are difficult to use in routine laboratory tests. In view of the above, we conducted the feasibility, development, evaluation and intralaboratory validation of a new parasitological technique for analysis in optical microscopy of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts, called TF-Test Coccidia, using fecal samples from calves from the city of Araçatuba, São Paulo. To confirm the aforementioned parasite and prove the diagnostic efficiency of the new technique, we used two established methodologies in the scientific literature: parasite concentration by centrifugal sedimentation and negative staining with malachite green (CSN-Malachite) and Nested-PCR. We observed good effectiveness of the TF-Test Coccidia technique, being statistically equivalent to CSN-Malachite. Thus, we verified the effectiveness of the TF-Test Coccidia parasitological technique for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and observed good concentration and morphology of the parasite, with a low amount of debris in the fecal smear. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Closed-Loop and Robust Control of Quantum Systems

PubMed Central

Wang, Lin-Cheng

2013-01-01

For most practical quantum control systems, it is important and difficult to attain robustness and reliability due to unavoidable uncertainties in the system dynamics or models. Three kinds of typical approaches (e.g., closed-loop learning control, feedback control, and robust control) have been proved to be effective to solve these problems. This work presents a self-contained survey on the closed-loop and robust control of quantum systems, as well as a brief introduction to a selection of basic theories and methods in this research area, to provide interested readers with a general idea for further studies. In the area of closed-loop learning control of quantum systems, we survey and introduce such learning control methods as gradient-based methods, genetic algorithms (GA), and reinforcement learning (RL) methods from a unified point of view of exploring the quantum control landscapes. For the feedback control approach, the paper surveys three control strategies including Lyapunov control, measurement-based control, and coherent-feedback control. Then such topics in the field of quantum robust control as H ∞ control, sliding mode control, quantum risk-sensitive control, and quantum ensemble control are reviewed. The paper concludes with a perspective of future research directions that are likely to attract more attention. PMID:23997680

Syncope in the young athlete: Assessment of prognosis in subjects with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Magalhães-Ribeiro, Carlos; Freitas, João

2016-01-01

Syncope is a common but concerning event in young athletes. Although mostly due to benign reflex causes, syncope may be arrhythmic and precede sudden cardiac death. Efforts must therefore be made to distinguish post-exertional syncope from syncope during exercise, which can be an ominous sign of a possible underlying heart disease, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Prevention requires cooperation between physician and athlete, in order to identify individuals at risk and to protect them from sudden death. Solving this diagnostic dilemma may lead to recommendations for athletes to be cleared to play or disqualified from competitive sports, and presents challenging and controversial decisions to the health care provider that can prove difficult to implement. Although exercise contributes to physical and psychological well-being, there are insufficient data to indicate whether an athlete with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy diagnosed after a syncopal episode can safely resume competitive physical activity. The purpose of this study was to review the literature on syncope in young athletes and its relationship to individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in order to enable accurate assessment of prognosis and the possibility of resuming competitive sports. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Control of non-linear actuator of artificial muscles for the use in low-cost robotics prosthetics limbs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anis Atikah, Nurul; Yeng Weng, Leong; Anuar, Adzly; Chien Fat, Chau; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Zainal Abidin, Izham

2017-10-01

Currently, the methods of actuating robotic-based prosthetic limbs are moving away from bulky actuators to more fluid materials such as artificial muscles. The main disadvantages of these artificial muscles are their high cost of manufacturing, low-force generation, cumbersome and complex controls. A recent discovery into using super coiled polymer (SCP) proved to have low manufacturing costs, high force generation, compact and simple controls. Nevertheless, the non-linear controls still exists due to the nature of heat-based actuation, which is hysteresis. This makes position control difficult. Using electrically conductive devices allows for very quick heating, but not quick cooling. This research tries to solve the problem by using peltier devices, which can effectively heat and cool the SCP, hence giving way to a more precise control. The peltier device does not actively introduce more energy to a volume of space, which the coiled heating does; instead, it acts as a heat pump. Experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of using peltier as an actuating method on different diameters of nylon fishing strings. Based on these experiments, the performance characteristics of the strings were plotted, which could be used to control the actuation of the string efficiently in the future.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and metabolic stability of phenazine derivatives as antibacterial agents.

PubMed

Krishnaiah, Maddeboina; de Almeida, Nathalia Rodrigues; Udumula, Venkatareddy; Song, Zhongcheng; Chhonker, Yashpal Singh; Abdelmoaty, Mai M; do Nascimento, Valter Aragao; Murry, Daryl J; Conda-Sheridan, Martin

2018-01-01

Drug-resistant pathogens are a major cause of hospital- and community-associated bacterial infections in the United States and around the world. These infections are increasingly difficult to treat due to the development of antibiotic resistance and the formation of bacterial biofilms. In the paper, a series of phenazines were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against Gram positive (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, MRSA) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, E. coli) bacteria. The compound 6,9-dichloro-N-(methylsulfonyl)phenazine-1-carboxamide (18c) proved to be the most active molecule (MIC = 16 μg/mL) against MRSA whereas 9-methyl-N-(methylsulfonyl)phenazine-1-carboxamide (30e) showed good activity against both MRSA (MIC = 32 μg/mL) and E. coli (MIC = 32 μg/mL). Molecule 18c also demonstrated significant biofilm dispersion and inhibition against S. aureus. Preliminary studies indicate the molecules do not disturb bacterial membranes and there activity is not directly linked to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Compound 18c displayed minor toxicity against mammalian cells. Metabolic stability studies of the most promising compounds indicate stability towards phase I and phase II metabolizing enzymes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Ultra-precision turning of complex spiral optical delay line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaodong; Li, Po; Fang, Fengzhou; Wang, Qichang

2011-11-01

Optical delay line (ODL) implements the vertical or depth scanning of optical coherence tomography, which is the most important factor affecting the scanning resolution and speed. The spinning spiral mirror is found as an excellent optical delay device because of the high-speed and high-repetition-rate. However, it is one difficult task to machine the mirror due to the special shape and precision requirement. In this paper, the spiral mirror with titled parabolic generatrix is proposed, and the ultra-precision turning method is studied for its machining using the spiral mathematic model. Another type of ODL with the segmental shape is also introduced and machined to make rotation balance for the mass equalization when scanning. The efficiency improvement is considered in details, including the rough cutting with the 5- axis milling machine, the machining coordinates unification, and the selection of layer direction in turning. The onmachine measuring method based on stylus gauge is designed to analyze the shape deviation. The air bearing is used as the measuring staff and the laser interferometer sensor as the position sensor, whose repeatability accuracy is proved up to 10nm and the stable feature keeps well. With this method developed, the complex mirror with nanometric finish of 10.7nm in Ra and the form error within 1um are achieved.

Hierarchical models for estimating density from DNA mark-recapture studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, B.; Royle, J. Andrew; Wegan, M.T.

2009-01-01

Genetic sampling is increasingly used as a tool by wildlife biologists and managers to estimate abundance and density of species. Typically, DNA is used to identify individuals captured in an array of traps ( e. g., baited hair snares) from which individual encounter histories are derived. Standard methods for estimating the size of a closed population can be applied to such data. However, due to the movement of individuals on and off the trapping array during sampling, the area over which individuals are exposed to trapping is unknown, and so obtaining unbiased estimates of density has proved difficult. We propose a hierarchical spatial capture-recapture model which contains explicit models for the spatial point process governing the distribution of individuals and their exposure to (via movement) and detection by traps. Detection probability is modeled as a function of each individual's distance to the trap. We applied this model to a black bear (Ursus americanus) study conducted in 2006 using a hair-snare trap array in the Adirondack region of New York, USA. We estimated the density of bears to be 0.159 bears/km2, which is lower than the estimated density (0.410 bears/km2) based on standard closed population techniques. A Bayesian analysis of the model is fully implemented in the software program WinBUGS.

Improved LCI profile of LAB based on latest technology advances

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

Berna, J.L.; Renta, C.

1995-12-31

The first technology used to produce LAB was introduced in the early 60`s and since then a continuous optimization process has taken place on this highly competitive product on which additional cost effectiveness improvements became highly challenging. The latest technology introduced in the market (CEPSA {minus} UOP DETAL) based on a fixed bed alkylation process, has already been proved on a commercial scale. The simplicity of the new technology as compared to current ones, namely HF, has proven to be very effective in reducing substantially the impact due to several major components of the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) in particularmore » the emissions of the overall operation. Additional improvements in other aspects like energy consumption are extremely difficult to achieve today as this parameter has already been highly optimized during the last two decades making in fact LAB a highly effective chemical in terms of energy requirements as well as on raw material consumption. The results of the first LCI of the new LAB technology indicate a reduction of CO process emissions to nearly 1/2 as compared to standard HF process as well as reduction in solid waste to 1/3 of the corresponding HF process. Important reductions have also been noticed on NOx emissions with the new technology.« less

Earth-Facing Antenna Characterization in Complex Ground Plane/Multipath Rich Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welch, Bryan W.; Piasecki, Marie T.

2015-01-01

The Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed was a Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based payload launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in July of 2012. The purpose of the SCAN Testbed payload was to investigate the applicability of SDRs to NASA space missions in an operational environment, which means that a proper model for system performance in said operational space environment is a necessary condition. The SCAN Testbed has line-of-sight connections to various ground stations with its S-Band Earth-facing Near-Earth-Network Low Gain Antenna (NEN-LGA). Any previous efforts to characterize the NEN-LGA proved difficult, therefore, the NASA Glenn Research Center built its own S-Band ground station, which became operational in 2015, and has been used successfully to characterize the NEN-LGA's in-situ pattern measurements. This methodology allows for a more realistic characterization of the antenna performance, where the pattern oscillation induced by the complex ISS ground plane, as well as shadowing effects due to ISS structural blockage are included into the final performance model. This paper describes the challenges of characterizing an antenna pattern in this environment. It will also discuss the data processing, present the final antenna pattern measurements and derived model, as well as discuss various lessons learned

Earth-Facing Antenna Characterization in a Complex Ground Plane/Multipath Rich Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welch, Bryan W.; Piasecki, Marie T.

2015-01-01

The Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed was a Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based payload launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in July of 2012. The purpose of the SCAN Testbed payload was to investigate the applicability of SDRs to NASA space missions in an operational space environment, which means that a proper model for system performance in said operational space environment is a necessary condition. The SCAN Testbed has line-of-sight connections to various ground stations with its S-Band Earth-facing Near-Earth Network Low Gain Antenna (NEN-LGA). Any previous efforts to characterize the NEN-LGA proved difficult, therefore, the NASA Glenn Research Center built its own S-Band ground station, which became operational in 2015, and has been successfully used to characterize the NEN-LGAs in-situ pattern measurements. This methodology allows for a more realistic characterization of the antenna performance, where the pattern oscillation induced by the complex ISS ground plane, as well as shadowing effects due to ISS structural blockage are included into the final performance model. This paper describes the challenges of characterizing an antenna pattern in this environment. It will also discuss the data processing, present the final antenna pattern measurements and derived model, as well as discuss various lessons learned.

A landslide-quake detection algorithm with STA/LTA and diagnostic functions of moving average and scintillation index: A preliminary case study of the 2009 Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yu-Jie; Lin, Guan-Wei

2017-04-01

Since 1999, Taiwan has experienced a rapid rise in the number of landslides, and the number even reached a peak after the 2009 Typhoon Morakot. Although it is proved that the ground-motion signals induced by slope processes could be recorded by seismograph, it is difficult to be distinguished from continuous seismic records due to the lack of distinct P and S waves. In this study, we combine three common seismic detectors including the short-term average/long-term average (STA/LTA) approach, and two diagnostic functions of moving average and scintillation index. Based on these detectors, we have established an auto-detection algorithm of landslide-quakes and the detection thresholds are defined to distinguish landslide-quake from earthquakes and background noises. To further improve the proposed detection algorithm, we apply it to seismic archives recorded by Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology (BATS) during the 2009 Typhoon Morakots and consequently the discrete landslide-quakes detected by the automatic algorithm are located. The detection algorithm show that the landslide-detection results are consistent with that of visual inspection and hence can be used to automatically monitor landslide-quakes.

Detection, Location and Grasping Objects Using a Stereo Sensor on UAV in Outdoor Environments

PubMed Central

Ramon Soria, Pablo; Arrue, Begoña C.; Ollero, Anibal

2017-01-01

The article presents a vision system for the autonomous grasping of objects with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in real time. Giving UAVs the capability to manipulate objects vastly extends their applications, as they are capable of accessing places that are difficult to reach or even unreachable for human beings. This work is focused on the grasping of known objects based on feature models. The system runs in an on-board computer on a UAV equipped with a stereo camera and a robotic arm. The algorithm learns a feature-based model in an offline stage, then it is used online for detection of the targeted object and estimation of its position. This feature-based model was proved to be robust to both occlusions and the presence of outliers. The use of stereo cameras improves the learning stage, providing 3D information and helping to filter features in the online stage. An experimental system was derived using a rotary-wing UAV and a small manipulator for final proof of concept. The robotic arm is designed with three degrees of freedom and is lightweight due to payload limitations of the UAV. The system has been validated with different objects, both indoors and outdoors. PMID:28067851

Linking biogenic hydrocarbons to biogenic aerosol in the Borneo rainforest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, J. F.; Alfarra, M. R.; Robinson, N.; Ward, M. W.; Lewis, A. C.; McFiggans, G. B.; Coe, H.; Allan, J. D.

2013-11-01

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds are though to contribute significantly to secondary organic aerosol formation in the tropics, but understanding these transformation processes has proved difficult, due to the complexity of the chemistry involved and very low concentrations. Aerosols from above a Southeast Asian tropical rainforest in Borneo were characterised using liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry, high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) techniques. Oxygenated compounds were identified in ambient organic aerosol that could be directly traced back to isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpene emissions, by combining field data on chemical structures with mass spectral data generated from synthetically produced products created in a simulation chamber. Eighteen oxygenated species of biogenic origin were identified in the rainforest aerosol from the precursors isoprene, α-pinene, limonene, α-terpinene and β-caryophyllene. The observations provide the unambiguous field detection of monoterpene and sesquiterpene oxidation products in SOA above a pristine tropical rainforest. The presence of 2-methyl tetrol organosulfates and an associated sulfated dimer provides direct evidence that isoprene in the presence of sulfate aerosol can make a contribution to biogenic organic aerosol above tropical forests. High-resolution mass spectrometry indicates that sulfur can also be incorporated into oxidation products arising from monoterpene precursors in tropical aerosol.

Linking biogenic hydrocarbons to biogenic aerosol in the Borneo rainforest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, J. F.; Alfarra, M. R.; Robinson, N.; Ward, M. W.; Lewis, A. C.; McFiggans, G. B.; Coe, H.; Allan, J. D.

2013-07-01

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds are though to contribute significantly to secondary organic aerosol formation in the tropics, but understanding the process of these transformations has proved difficult, due to the complexity of the chemistry involved and very low concentrations. Aerosols from above a South East Asian tropical rainforest in Borneo were characterised using liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry, high resolution aerosol mass spectrometry and fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) techniques. Oxygenated compounds were identified in ambient organic aerosol that could be directly traced back to isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpene emissions, by combining field data on chemical structures with mass spectral data generated from synthetically produced products created in a simulation chamber. Eighteen oxygenated species of biogenic origin were identified in the rainforest aerosol from the precursors isoprene, α-pinene, limonene, α-terpinene and β-caryophyllene. The observations provide the unambiguous field detection of monoterpene and sesquiterpene oxidation products in SOA above a pristine tropical rainforest. The presence of 2-methyltetrol organosulfates and an associated sulfated dimer provides direct evidence that isoprene in the presence of sulfate aerosol can make a contribution to biogenic organic aerosol above tropical forests. High-resolution mass spectrometry indicates that sulfur can also be incorporated into oxidation products arising from monoterpene precursors in tropical aerosol.

Curcumin Loaded-PLGA Nanoparticles Conjugated with Tet-1 Peptide for Potential Use in Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Mathew, Anila; Fukuda, Takahiro; Nagaoka, Yutaka; Hasumura, Takashi; Morimoto, Hisao; Yoshida, Yasuhiko; Maekawa, Toru; Venugopal, Kizhikkilot; Kumar, D. Sakthi

2012-01-01

Alzheimer's disease is a growing concern in the modern world. As the currently available medications are not very promising, there is an increased need for the fabrication of newer drugs. Curcumin is a plant derived compound which has potential activities beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Anti-amyloid activity and anti-oxidant activity of curcumin is highly beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The insolubility of curcumin in water restricts its use to a great extend, which can be overcome by the synthesis of curcumin nanoparticles. In our work, we have successfully synthesized water-soluble PLGA coated- curcumin nanoparticles and characterized it using different techniques. As drug targeting to diseases of cerebral origin are difficult due to the stringency of blood-brain barrier, we have coupled the nanoparticle with Tet-1 peptide, which has the affinity to neurons and possess retrograde transportation properties. Our results suggest that curcumin encapsulated-PLGA nanoparticles are able to destroy amyloid aggregates, exhibit anti-oxidative property and are non-cytotoxic. The encapsulation of the curcumin in PLGA does not destroy its inherent properties and so, the PLGA-curcumin nanoparticles can be used as a drug with multiple functions in treating Alzheimer's disease proving it to be a potential therapeutic tool against this dreaded disease. PMID:22403681

Association between foot type and tibial stress injuries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Barnes, A; Wheat, J; Milner, C

2008-02-01

To systematically review published articles investigating the association between structural foot characteristics and tibial stress injuries, and to suggest possible future avenues of research in this area. Literature was identified, selected and appraised in accordance with the methods of a systematic review. Articles potentially relevant to the research question were identified by searching the following electronic databases: Amed, Cinahl, Index to UK theses, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, Sports discus and Web of science. Duplicates were removed and, based on the title and abstract, the full text of relevant studies were retrieved. Two reviewers independently assessed papers; this formed the basis for the inclusion of the most appropriate trials. From the 479 articles originally identified, nine were deemed appropriate for inclusion in the review. In general, specific data relating to this relationship was limited. Outcomes of the nine investigations were difficult to compare due to differing methods used across studies. Results have proved conflicting, with limited evidence found to implicate any specific foot type as a potential risk factor for tibial stress injuries. No definitive conclusions can be drawn relating foot structure or function to an increased risk of tibial stress injuries. Extremes of foot types are likely to pose an increased risk of tibial stress injuries compared to normal arched feet.

Franck-Condon fingerprinting of vibration-tunneling spectra.

PubMed

Berrios, Eduardo; Sundaradevan, Praveen; Gruebele, Martin

2013-08-15

We introduce Franck-Condon fingerprinting as a method for assigning complex vibration-tunneling spectra. The B̃ state of thiophosgene (SCCl2) serves as our prototype. Despite several attempts, assignment of its excitation spectrum has proved difficult because of near-degenerate vibrational frequencies, Fermi resonance between the C-Cl stretching mode and the Cl-C-Cl bending mode, and large tunneling splittings due to the out-of-plane umbrella mode. Hence, the spectrum has never been fitted to an effective Hamiltonian. Our assignment approach replaces precise frequency information with intensity information, eliminating the need for double resonance spectroscopy or combination differences, neither of which have yielded a full assignment thus far. The dispersed fluorescence spectrum of each unknown vibration-tunneling state images its character onto known vibrational progressions in the ground state. By using this Franck-Condon fingerprint, we were able to determine the predominant character of several vibration-tunneling states and assign them; in other cases, the fingerprinting revealed that the states are strongly mixed and cannot be characterized with a simple normal mode assignment. The assigned transitions from vibration-tunneling wave functions that were not too strongly mixed could be fitted within measurement uncertainty by an effective vibration-tunneling Hamiltonian. A fit of all observed vibration-tunneling states will require a full resonance-tunneling Hamiltonian.

Fatigue crack detection by nonlinear spectral correlation with a wideband input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Peipei; Sohn, Hoon

2017-04-01

Due to crack-induced nonlinearity, ultrasonic wave can distort, create accompanying harmonics, multiply waves of different frequencies, and, under resonance conditions, change resonance frequencies as a function of driving amplitude. All these nonlinear ultrasonic features have been widely studied and proved capable of detecting fatigue crack at its very early stage. However, in noisy environment, the nonlinear features might be drown in the noise, therefore it is difficult to extract those features using a conventional spectral density function. In this study, nonlinear spectral correlation is defined as a new nonlinear feature, which considers not only nonlinear modulations in ultrasonic waves but also spectral correlation between the nonlinear modulations. The proposed nonlinear feature is associated with the following two advantages: (1) stationary noise in the ultrasonic waves has little effect on nonlinear spectral correlation; and (2) the contrast of nonlinear spectral correlation between damage and intact conditions can be enhanced simply by using a wideband input. To validate the proposed nonlinear feature, micro fatigue cracks are introduced to aluminum plates by repeated tensile loading, and the experiment is conducted using surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers for ultrasonic wave generation and measurement. The experimental results confirm that the nonlinear spectral correlation can successfully detect fatigue crack with a higher sensitivity than the classical nonlinear coefficient.

Superconducting Bolometer Array Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, Dominic; Chervenak, Jay; Irwin, Kent; Moseley, S. Harvey; Shafer, Rick; Staguhn, Johannes; Wollack, Ed; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The next generation of far-infrared and submillimeter instruments require large arrays of detectors containing thousands of elements. These arrays will necessarily be multiplexed, and superconducting bolometer arrays are the most promising present prospect for these detectors. We discuss our current research into superconducting bolometer array technologies, which has recently resulted in the first multiplexed detections of submillimeter light and the first multiplexed astronomical observations. Prototype arrays containing 512 pixels are in production using the Pop-Up Detector (PUD) architecture, which can be extended easily to 1000 pixel arrays. Planar arrays of close-packed bolometers are being developed for the GBT (Green Bank Telescope) and for future space missions. For certain applications, such as a slewed far-infrared sky survey, feedhorncoupling of a large sparsely-filled array of bolometers is desirable, and is being developed using photolithographic feedhorn arrays. Individual detectors have achieved a Noise Equivalent Power (NEP) of -10(exp 17) W/square root of Hz at 300mK, but several orders of magnitude improvement are required and can be reached with existing technology. The testing of such ultralow-background detectors will prove difficult, as this requires optical loading of below IfW. Antenna-coupled bolometer designs have advantages for large format array designs at low powers due to their mode selectivity.

A new multiscale noise tuning stochastic resonance for enhanced fault diagnosis in wind turbine drivetrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bingbing; Li, Bing

2016-02-01

It is very difficult to detect weak fault signatures due to the large amount of noise in a wind turbine system. Multiscale noise tuning stochastic resonance (MSTSR) has proved to be an effective way to extract weak signals buried in strong noise. However, the MSTSR method originally based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has disadvantages such as shift variance and the aliasing effects in engineering application. In this paper, the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is introduced into the MSTSR method, which makes it possible to further improve the system output signal-to-noise ratio and the accuracy of fault diagnosis by the merits of DTCWT (nearly shift invariant and reduced aliasing effects). Moreover, this method utilizes the relationship between the two dual-tree wavelet basis functions, instead of matching the single wavelet basis function to the signal being analyzed, which may speed up the signal processing and be employed in on-line engineering monitoring. The proposed method is applied to the analysis of bearing outer ring and shaft coupling vibration signals carrying fault information. The results confirm that the method performs better in extracting the fault features than the original DWT-based MSTSR, the wavelet transform with post spectral analysis, and EMD-based spectral analysis methods.

The laminar organization of the motor cortex in monodactylous mammals: a comparative assessment based on horse, chimpanzee, and macaque.

PubMed

Cozzi, Bruno; De Giorgio, Andrea; Peruffo, A; Montelli, S; Panin, M; Bombardi, C; Grandis, A; Pirone, A; Zambenedetti, P; Corain, L; Granato, Alberto

2017-08-01

The architecture of the neocortex classically consists of six layers, based on cytological criteria and on the layout of intra/interlaminar connections. Yet, the comparison of cortical cytoarchitectonic features across different species proves overwhelmingly difficult, due to the lack of a reliable model to analyze the connection patterns of neuronal ensembles forming the different layers. We first defined a set of suitable morphometric cell features, obtained in digitized Nissl-stained sections of the motor cortex of the horse, chimpanzee, and crab-eating macaque. We then modeled them using a quite general non-parametric data representation model, showing that the assessment of neuronal cell complexity (i.e., how a given cell differs from its neighbors) can be performed using a suitable measure of statistical dispersion such as the mean absolute deviation-mean absolute deviation (MAD). Along with the non-parametric combination and permutation methodology, application of MAD allowed not only to estimate, but also to compare and rank the motor cortical complexity across different species. As to the instances presented in this paper, we show that the pyramidal layers of the motor cortex of the horse are far more irregular than those of primates. This feature could be related to the different organizations of the motor system in monodactylous mammals.

Pathway models could aid management of contaminants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luoma, S. N.

1995-01-01

Heavy metal and trace organic contaminants are often cited as factors that could affect the riclmess of the biological communi~ of San Francisco Bay as well as the health of resident organisms. Silver (Ag), selenium (Se), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) are among the trace elements of current regulatory interest. All these elements can be toxic to estuarine organisms in minute quantities. However, understanding their toxicity in nature has proven a difficult challenge. In general, it is difficult to prove how pollutants are affecting ecosystems. The undisturbed "baseline" condition in San Francisco Bay is not always well enough understood to identify whether certain processes are affected or unaffected by contamination. Sources of disturbance (flow diversions, drought, invasion of exotic species, etc.) occur in addition to chemical contamination. Responses to contamination in individual organisms, populations, and commumties are seldom pollutant-specific, and the complex responses to moderate levels of contamination are not well known.

Use Of Thermography In The Diagnostics Of Energy Use In Multifamily Dwellings.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadsby, Kenneth J.; Harrje, David T.

1984-03-01

Rising energy costs have placed a heavy burden on multifamily complex managers in recent years. To reduce energy expenditures these managers are then faced with making difficult decisions as to which building retrofits will prove to be most cost-effective. The Building Energy Research Group at Princeton University has embarked on the development of analysis procedures that will provide these managers with a prioritized list of energy conservation opportunities (ECOs). The case studies presented here illustrate the importance of thermography in this analysis procedure, its impact on the inspection time, and the value of the information gained. The infrared scan often eliminates large areas of the thermal envelope from further inspection and aids the analyst in locating energy losses through construction that would otherwise be difficult to find. Not only does thermography guide us in the choice of ECOs but it also provides us with information that should lead to the construction of better buildings in the future.

Prognostic value of the immunocytochemical detection of extramural venous invasion in Dukes' C colorectal adenocarcinomas. A preliminary study.

PubMed Central

Lapertosa, G.; Baracchini, P.; Fulcheri, E.; Tanzi, R.

1989-01-01

In postsurgical staging of colorectal adenocarcinomas, it is sometimes difficult to determine the range of possible venous spread. Distinguishing between the extramural veins (especially when the neoplastic embolus takes up the whole lumen and the endothelium cannot be identified) and the smallest extramural lymph nodes (when they are completely replaced by metastatic carcinoma, leaving the capsule alone) is also difficult. This work proposes a more precise definition of true venous invasion to improve histopathologic staging. Immunohistochemical techniques employing commercial antibodies against Factor VIII RAG, with and without enzymatic digestion, and UEA I lectin for residual endothelium detection, were applied, as well as antibodies against vimentin, desmin, and alpha sm-1 actin to detect wall components. The immunohistochemical evaluation of colorectal adenocarcinomas, in particular by anti-alpha sm-1 actin antibodies, permitted a reliable morphologic distinction of the true venous invasion. This factor proved to be relevant for survival rate prediction. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:2817085

Cognitive behaviour therapy territory model: effective disputing approach.

PubMed

Lam, D

1997-06-01

This paper proposes a disputing model (territory model) which is particularly useful and effective for disputing clients who persistently hold on to their dysfunctional thinking and/or core irrational beliefs. Their 'stubbornness' to change is compounded by unhealthy negative emotions during sessions. The intense emotion makes it difficult to access the belief system, and therefore any attempt to dispute it often proves futile. This model advocates the shift of disputing onto a different 'territory/ground' where the client can be facilitated to acquire higher, abstract and objective thinking, and at the same time his/her emotional level is susceptible to rational and logical arguments. The new thinking would act as a catalyst for the client to reflect on his/her dysfunctional thought/irrational beliefs. In this paper, the author uses a case example to illustrate and discuss the ineffectiveness of the 'traditional' way of disputing the dysfunctional thinking/core beliefs of a difficult and emotional client. This is contrasted with the 'territory' model.

Collegiate Connections: Music Education Budget Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaton, Emily Dawn

2012-01-01

Due to the current recession, the American economy within the last few years has taken a nosedive, making it difficult for national, state, and local governments to support all the programs they currently have in place. There are difficult choices that need to be made about where to make sacrifices in their budgets so things can still run…

Identification of a low copy number plasmid in Xylella fastidiosa Strain Stag’s Leap

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) causes Pierce’s Disease (PD) in grapevine. The Stag’s Leap strain is known for its high virulence level and is a model for PD research. Research on Xf has been difficult due to its nutritional fastidiousness. One difficult research issue is the low copy number plasmid. Plasmi...

Effective Inclusion Strategies for Professionals Working with Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Kathleen A.; Lohmann, Marla; Champion, Rose

2013-01-01

Inclusive classrooms are now the norm in many K-12 public schools across the United States. General education teachers have a difficult job making sure all their students are meeting state standards. With the addition of special education students in the classroom, their job becomes even more difficult due to meeting the needs of the general…

Assessing the acoustical climate of underground stations.

PubMed

Nowicka, Elzbieta

2007-01-01

Designing a proper acoustical environment--indispensable to speech recognition--in long enclosures is difficult. Although there is some literature on the acoustical conditions in underground stations, there is still little information about methods that make estimation of correct reverberation conditions possible. This paper discusses the assessment of the reverberation conditions of underground stations. A comparison of the measurements of reverberation time in Warsaw's underground stations with calculated data proves there are divergences between measured and calculated early decay time values, especially for long source-receiver distances. Rapid speech transmission index values for measured stations are also presented.

Acute lead poisoning in two users of illicit methamphetamine

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

Allcott, J.V. III; Barnhart, R.A.; Mooney, L.A.

1987-07-31

Acute lead poisoning can present a difficult diagnostic dilemma, with symptoms that mimic those of hepatitis, nephritis, and encephalopathy. The authors report two cases in intravenous methamphetamine users who presented with abnormal liver function values, low hematocrit values, basophilic stippling of red blood cells, and elevated blood lead levels. Both patients excreted large amounts of lead in their urine after treatment with edetic acid, followed by resolution of their symptoms. Lead contamination was proved in one drug sample. Basophilic stippling of the red blood cells was the one key laboratory result that led to the definitive diagnosis in both cases.

Revascularisation strategy for diabetic multivessel coronary arteriopathy.

PubMed

Raghuram, A R

2006-04-01

Multivessel diffuse coronary arteriopathy is the hallmark of chronic diabetic patients. The ideal method of revascularising this group of patients is controversial. This review examines the various modalities available in the revascularisation of coronary artery disease in diabetic patients. Various trials have been conducted to compare the effectiveness of surgical and percutaneous methods of revascularisation. Most of the important trials like BARI, CABRI, EMORY and Duke's database are critically analysed and a meaningful practical strategy to manage this difficult subgroup of patients is outlined. The recommendations may change after a few years if the new coated stents prove their worth.

Pressure sensor to determine spatial pressure distributions on boundary layer flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciammarella, Cesar A.; Piroozan, Parham; Corke, Thomas C.

1997-03-01

The determination of pressures along the surface of a wind tunnel proves difficult with methods that must introduce devices into the flow stream. This paper presents a sensor that is part of the wall. A special interferometric reflection moire technique is developed and used to produce signals that measures pressure both in static and dynamic settings. The sensor developed is an intelligent sensor that combines optics and electronics to analyze the pressure patterns. The sensor provides the input to a control system that is capable of modifying the shape of the wall and preserve the stability of the flow.

Nanostructured systems for enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altunina, L. K.; Kuvshinov, V. A.; Kuvshinov, I. V.

2015-10-01

The reservoir energy or that of the injected heat carrier was used to generate in situ intelligent chemical systems—nanostructured gels, sols and oil-displacing surfactants systems, preserving for a long time in the reservoir a complex of the properties being optimal for oil displacement. The results of field tests and commercial application of physicochemical technologies using nanostructured systems for enhanced oil recovery in oilfields with difficult-to-recover reserves, including deposits of high-viscosity oils, have been presented. Field tests of new "cold" technologies on the deposit of high-viscosity oil in Usinskoye oilfield proved their high efficiency.

Gravity inversion of a fault by Particle swarm optimization (PSO).

PubMed

Toushmalani, Reza

2013-01-01

Particle swarm optimization is a heuristic global optimization method and also an optimization algorithm, which is based on swarm intelligence. It comes from the research on the bird and fish flock movement behavior. In this paper we introduce and use this method in gravity inverse problem. We discuss the solution for the inverse problem of determining the shape of a fault whose gravity anomaly is known. Application of the proposed algorithm to this problem has proven its capability to deal with difficult optimization problems. The technique proved to work efficiently when tested to a number of models.

Insights into the concept of fish welfare.

PubMed

Volpato, Gilson Luiz; Gonçalves-de-Freitas, Eliane; Fernandes-de-Castilho, Marisa

2007-05-04

Fish welfare issues are predicated on understanding whether fish are sentient beings. Therefore, we analyzed the logic of the methodologies used for studying this attribute. We conclude that empirical science is unable to prove or to disprove that fish are sentient beings. Thus, we propose a combined ethical-scientific approach for considering fish as sentient beings. The most difficult ongoing question is to determine which conditions fish prefer. Approaches to assess fish preferences should be rigorously and cautiously employed. In light of these considerations, attempts to establish physiological standards for fish welfare are discouraged, and a preference-based definition of fish welfare is proposed.

Rate Regulation as a Policy Tool: Lessons From New York State

PubMed Central

Fraser, Irene

1995-01-01

For over a decade, New York State has used hospital rate regulation (the New York Prospective Hospital Reimbursement Methodology [NYPHRM]) as a policy tool to achieve three objectives: containing costs, supporting financially stressed hospitals, and financing access to care for the uninsured. This case study of NYPHRM suggests that the regulatory approach, if pursued with vigor, can achieve any one of these goals. On the other hand, the New York experience also shows that these are competing goals, and that achieving all of them over a period of time can prove to be difficult. PMID:10142575

Reshaping Human Antibodies: Grafting an Antilysozyme Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhoeyen, Martine; Milstein, Cesar; Winter, Greg

1988-03-01

The production of therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies by hybridoma technology has proved difficult, and this has prompted the ``humanizing'' of mouse monoclonal antibodies by recombinant DNA techniques. It was shown previously that the binding site for a small hapten could be grafted from the heavy-chain variable domain of a mouse antibody to that of a human myeloma protein by transplanting the hypervariable loops. It is now shown that a large binding site for a protein antigen (lysozyme) can also be transplanted from mouse to human heavy chain. The success of such constructions may be facilitated by an induced-fit mechanism.

Extracting joint weak values with local, single-particle measurements.

PubMed

Resch, K J; Steinberg, A M

2004-04-02

Weak measurement is a new technique which allows one to describe the evolution of postselected quantum systems. It appears to be useful for resolving a variety of thorny quantum paradoxes, particularly when used to study properties of pairs of particles. Unfortunately, such nonlocal or joint observables often prove difficult to measure directly in practice (for instance, in optics-a common testing ground for this technique-strong photon-photon interactions would be needed to implement an appropriate von Neumann interaction). Here we derive a general, experimentally feasible, method for extracting these joint weak values from correlations between single-particle observables.

A NOAA/SWPC Perspective on Space Weather Forecasts That Fail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biesecker, D. A.

2014-12-01

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) at NOAA is the Official US source for space weather watches, warning and alerts. These alerts are provided to a breadth of customers covering a range of industries, including electric utilities, airlines, emergency managers, and users of precision GPS to name a few. This talk will review the current tools used by SWPC to forecast geomagnetic storms, solar flares, and solar energetic particle events and present the SWPC performance in each of these areas. We will include a discussion of the current limitations and examples of events that proved difficult to forecast.

Use of bullying as a management tool in healthcare environments.

PubMed

Barber, Chris

Bullying is very much an aspect of contemporary society and perhaps it always has been. Many may have experienced it from early childhood while at school, either as victims or perpetrators. The healthcare industry is, sadly, not immune from this phenomenon. This short article seeks to answer the question: 'Is bullying deliberately used as a management tool within the healthcare industry?' Although bullies exist in many healthcare environments, and there may be a culture of bullying in some of these work places, the proposition that some people actually use bullying as a management tool is more difficult to prove.

Evidence reasoning method for constructing conditional probability tables in a Bayesian network of multimorbidity.

PubMed

Du, Yuanwei; Guo, Yubin

2015-01-01

The intrinsic mechanism of multimorbidity is difficult to recognize and prediction and diagnosis are difficult to carry out accordingly. Bayesian networks can help to diagnose multimorbidity in health care, but it is difficult to obtain the conditional probability table (CPT) because of the lack of clinically statistical data. Today, expert knowledge and experience are increasingly used in training Bayesian networks in order to help predict or diagnose diseases, but the CPT in Bayesian networks is usually irrational or ineffective for ignoring realistic constraints especially in multimorbidity. In order to solve these problems, an evidence reasoning (ER) approach is employed to extract and fuse inference data from experts using a belief distribution and recursive ER algorithm, based on which evidence reasoning method for constructing conditional probability tables in Bayesian network of multimorbidity is presented step by step. A multimorbidity numerical example is used to demonstrate the method and prove its feasibility and application. Bayesian network can be determined as long as the inference assessment is inferred by each expert according to his/her knowledge or experience. Our method is more effective than existing methods for extracting expert inference data accurately and is fused effectively for constructing CPTs in a Bayesian network of multimorbidity.

Kidney paired exchange and desensitization: Strategies to transplant the difficult to match kidney patients with living donors.

PubMed

Pham, Thomas A; Lee, Jacqueline I; Melcher, Marc L

2017-01-01

With organs in short supply, only a limited number of kidney transplants can be performed a year. Live donor donation accounts for 1/3rd of all kidney transplants performed in the United States. Unfortunately, not every donor recipient pair is feasible because of Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization and ABO incompatibility. To overcome these barriers to transplant, strategies such as kidney paired donation (KPD) and desensitization have been developed. KPD is the exchange of donors between at least two incompatible donor-recipient pairs such that they are now compatible. Desensitization is the removal of circulating donor specific antibodies to prevent graft rejection. Regardless of the treatment strategy, highly sensitized patients whose calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) is ≥95% remain difficult to transplant with match rates as low as 15% in KPD pools. Desensitization has proved to be difficult in those with high antibody titers. A novel approach is the combination of both KPD and desensitization to facilitate compatible and successful transplantation. A highly sensitized patient can be paired with a better immunological match in the KPD pool and subsequently desensitized to a lesser degree. This article reviews the current progress in KPD and desensitization and their use as a combined therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Teaching Physics for Conceptual Understanding Exemplified for Einstein's Special Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Undreiu, Lucian M.

2006-12-01

In most liberal arts colleges the prerequisites for College Physics, Introductory or Calculus based, are strictly related to Mathematics. As a state of fact, the majorities of the students perceive Physics as a conglomerate of mathematical equations, a collection of facts to be memorized and they regard Physics as one of the most difficult subjects. A change of this attitude towards Physics, and Science in general, is intrinsically connected with the promotion of conceptual understanding and stimulation of critical thinking. In such an environment, the educators are facilitators, rather than the source of knowledge. One good way of doing this is to challenge the students to think about what they see around them and to connect physics with the real world. Motivation occurs when students realize that what was learned is interesting and relevant. Visual teaching aids such as educational videos or computer simulations, as well as computer-assisted experiments, can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a science lecture or laboratory. Difficult topics can be discussed through animated analogies. Special Relativity is recognized as a challenging topic and is probably one of the most misunderstood theories of Physics. While understanding Special Relativity requires a detachment from ordinary perception and every day life notions, animated analogies can prove to be very successful in making difficult topics accessible.

Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE): Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) Capillary Fluid Dynamic Restriction Effects on Gas Chromatography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez, Marianne; Quinn, Jacqueline; Captain, Janine; Santiago-Bond, Josephine; Starr, Stanley

2015-01-01

The Resource Prospector (RP) mission with the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) payload aims to show the presence of water in lunar regolith, and establish a proving ground for NASAs mission to Mars. One of the analysis is performed by the Lunar Advanced Volatiles Analysis (LAVA) subsystem, which consists of a fluid network that facilitates the transport of volatile samples to a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (GC-MS) instrument. The understanding of fluid dynamics directed from the GC to the MS is important due to the influence of flow rates and pressures that affect the accuracy of and prevent the damage to the overall GC-MS instrument. The micro-scale capillary fluid network within the GC alone has various lengths and inner-diameters; therefore, determination of pressure differentials and flow rates are difficult to model computationally, with additional complexity from the vacuum conditions in space and lack of a lunar atmosphere. A series of tests were performed on an experimental set-up of the system where the inner diameters of the GC transfer line connecting to the MS were varied. The effect on chromatography readings were also studied by applying these lines onto a GC instrument. It was found that a smaller inner diameter transfer line resulted in a lower flow rate, as well as a lower pressure differential across the thermal conductivity detector (TCD) unit of the GC and a negligible pressure drop across the mock-up capillary column. The chromatography was affected with longer retention times and broader peak integrations. It was concluded that a 0.050 mm inner diameter line still proved most suitable for the systems flow rate preferences. In addition, it was evident that this small transfer line portrayed some expense to GC signal characteristics and the wait time for steady-state operation.

Fundamental study of microelectronic chip response under laser ultrasonic-interferometric inspection using C-scan method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lei; Gong, Jie; Ume, I. Charles

2014-02-01

In modern surface mount packaging technologies, such as flip chips, chip scale packages, and ball grid arrays(BGA), chips are attached to the substrates/printed wiring board (PWB) using solder bump interconnections. The quality of solder bumps between the chips and the substrate/board is difficult to inspect. Laser ultrasonic-interferometric technique was proved to be a promising approach for solder bump inspection because of its noncontact and nondestructive characteristics. Different indicators extracted from received signals have been used to predict the potential defects, such as correlation coefficient, error ratio, frequency shifting, etc. However, the fundamental understanding of the chip behavior under laser ultrasonic inspection is still missing. Specifically, it is not sure whether the laser interferometer detected out-of-plane displacements were due to wave propagation or structural vibration when the chip was excited by pulsed laser. Plus, it is found that the received signals are chip dependent. Both challenges impede the interpretation of acquired signals. In this paper, a C-scan method was proposed to study the underlying phenomenon during laser ultrasonic inspection. The full chip was inspected. The response of the chip under laser excitation was visualized in a movie resulted from acquired signals. Specifically, a BGA chip was investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. By characterizing signals using discrete wavelet transform(DWT), both ultrasonic wave propagation and vibration were observed. Separation of them was successfully achieved using ideal band-pass filter and visualized in resultant movies, too. The observed ultrasonic waves were characterized and their respective speeds were measured by applying 2-D FFT. The C-scan method, combined with different digital signal processing techniques, was proved to be an very effective methodology to learn the behavior of chips under laser excitation. This general procedure can be applied to any unknown chip before inspection. A wealth of information can be provided by this learning procedure, which greatly benefits the interpretation of inspection signals afterwards.

Adult Mouse Venous Hypertension Model: Common Carotid Artery to External Jugular Vein Anastomosis.

PubMed Central

Yang, Shun-Tai; Rodriguez-Hernandez, Ana; Walker, Espen J.; Young, William L.; Su, Hua; Lawton, Michael T.

2015-01-01

The understanding of the pathophysiology of brain arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas has improved thanks to animal models. A rat model creating an artificial fistula between the common carotid artery (CCA) and the external jugular vein (EJV) has been widely described and proved technically feasible. This construct provokes a consistent cerebral venous hypertension (CVH), and therefore has helped studying the contribution of venous hypertension to formation, clinical symptoms, and prognosis of brain AVMs and dural AVFs. Equivalent mice models have been only scarcely described and have shown trouble with stenosis of the fistula. An established murine model would allow the study of not only pathophysiology but also potential genetic therapies for these cerebrovascular diseases. We present a model of arteriovenous fistula that produces a durable intracranial venous hypertension in the mouse. Microsurgical anastomosis of the murine CCA and EJV can be difficult due to diminutive anatomy and frequently result in a non-patent fistula. In this step-by-step protocol we address all the important challenges encountered during this procedure. Avoiding excessive retraction of the vein during the exposure, using 11-0 sutures instead of 10-0, and making a carefully planned end-to-side anastomosis are some of the critical steps. Although this method requires advanced microsurgical skills and a longer learning curve that the equivalent in the rat, it can be consistently developed. This novel model has been designed to integrate transgenic mouse techniques with a previously well-established experimental system that has proved useful to study brain AVMs and dural AVFs. By opening the possibility of using transgenic mice, a broader spectrum of valid models can be achieved and genetic treatments can also be tested. The experimental construct could also be further adapted to the study of other cerebrovascular diseases related with venous hypertension such as migraine, transient global amnesia, transient monocular blindness, etc. PMID:25650793

A structural model of polyglutamine determined from a host-guest method combining experiments and landscape theory.

PubMed

Finke, John M; Cheung, Margaret S; Onuchic, José N

2004-09-01

Modeling the structure of natively disordered peptides has proved difficult due to the lack of structural information on these peptides. In this work, we use a novel application of the host-guest method, combining folding theory with experiments, to model the structure of natively disordered polyglutamine peptides. Initially, a minimalist molecular model (C(alpha)C(beta)) of CI2 is developed with a structurally based potential and captures many of the folding properties of CI2 determined from experiments. Next, polyglutamine "guest" inserts of increasing length are introduced into the CI2 "host" model and the polyglutamine is modeled to match the resultant change in CI2 thermodynamic stability between simulations and experiments. The polyglutamine model that best mimics the experimental changes in CI2 thermodynamic stability has 1), a beta-strand dihedral preference and 2), an attractive energy between polyglutamine atoms 0.75-times the attractive energy between the CI2 host Go-contacts. When free-energy differences in the CI2 host-guest system are correctly modeled at varying lengths of polyglutamine guest inserts, the kinetic folding rates and structural perturbation of these CI2 insert mutants are also correctly captured in simulations without any additional parameter adjustment. In agreement with experiments, the residues showing structural perturbation are located in the immediate vicinity of the loop insert. The simulated polyglutamine loop insert predominantly adopts extended random coil conformations, a structural model consistent with low resolution experimental methods. The agreement between simulation and experimental CI2 folding rates, CI2 structural perturbation, and polyglutamine insert structure show that this host-guest method can select a physically realistic model for inserted polyglutamine. If other amyloid peptides can be inserted into stable protein hosts and the stabilities of these host-guest mutants determined, this novel host-guest method may prove useful to determine structural preferences of these intractable but biologically relevant protein fragments.

[GERD: endoscopic antireflux therapies].

PubMed

Caca, K

2006-08-02

A couple of minimally-invasive, endoscopic antireflux procedures have been developed during the last years. Beside endoscopic suturing these included injection/implantation technique of biopolymers and application of radiofrequency. Radiofrequency (Stretta) has proved only a very modest effect, while implantation techniques have been abandoned due to lack of long-term efficacy (Gatekeeper) or serious side effects (Enteryx). While first generation endoluminal suturing techniques (EndoCinch, ESD) demonstrated a proof of principle their lack of durability, due to suture loss, led to the development of a potentially durable transmural plication technique (Plicator). In a prospective-randomized, sham-controlled trial the Plicator procedure proved superiority concerning reflux symptoms, medication use and esophageal acid exposure (24-h-pH-metry). While long-term data have to be awaited to draw final conclusions, technical improvements will drive innovation in this field.

Concept of Operations for a Prospective "Proving Ground" in the Lunar Vicinity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Love, Stanley G.; Hill, James J.

2016-01-01

NASA is studying a "Proving Ground" near the Moon to conduct human space exploration missions in preparation for future flights to Mars. This paper describes a concept of operations ("conops") for activities in the Proving Ground, focusing on the construction and use of a mobile Cislunar Transit Habitat capable of months-long excursions within and beyond the Earth-Moon system. Key elements in the conops include the Orion spacecraft (with mission kits for docking and other specialized operations) and the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. Potential additions include commercial launch vehicles and logistics carriers, solar electric propulsion stages to move elements between different orbits and eventually take them on excursions to deep space, a node module with multiple docking ports, habitation and life support blocks, and international robotic and piloted lunar landers. The landers might include reusable ascent modules which could remain docked to in-space elements between lunar sorties. The architecture will include infrastructure for launch preparation, communication, mission control, and range safety. The conops describes "case studies" of notional missions chosen to guide the design of the architecture and its elements. One such mission is the delivery of a 10-ton pressurized element, co-manifested with an Orion on a Block 1B Space Launch System rocket, to the Proving Ground. With a large solar electric propulsion stage, the architecture could enable a year-long mission to land humans on a near-Earth asteroid. In the last case, after returning to near-lunar space, two of the asteroid explorers could join two crewmembers freshly arrived from Earth for a Moon landing, helping to safely quantify the risk of landing deconditioned crews on Mars. The conops also discusses aborts and contingency operations. Early return to Earth may be difficult, especially during later Proving Ground missions. While adding risk, limited-abort conditions provide needed practice for Mars, from which early return is likely to be impossible.

[Anaesthetic management in a paediatric patient with a difficult airway due to epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica].

PubMed

Blázquez Gómez, E; Garcés Aletá, A; Monclus Diaz, E; Manen Berga, F; García-Aparicio, L; Ontanilla López, A

2015-05-01

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by blistering after minimal trauma. These blisters tend to form dystrophic scars, leading to limiting and life-threatening sequelae. The anaesthetic management of patients with DEB is a challenge, even for the most experienced anaesthesiologists, but basic principles can help us prepare the plan of care. The main goals are to prevent trauma/infection of skin/mucous, and to establish a secure airway without causing bullae. Patient positioning and the instruments used to monitor vital signs and administering anaesthetic agents can cause new lesions. It is advisable to lubricate the instruments and to avoid adhesive material and shearing forces on the skin. Besides the implications of the comorbidities, there is a potential difficult intubation and difficult vascular access. Acute airway obstruction can occur due to airway instrumentation. We report the case of a patient diagnosed with EBD difficult airway and undergoing correction of syndactylyl and dental extractions. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The Future of Atomic Energy

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Fermi, E.

1946-05-27

There is definitely a technical possibility that atomic power may gradually develop into one of the principal sources of useful power. If this expectation will prove correct, great advantages can be expected to come from the fact that the weight of the fuel is almost negligible. This feature may be particularly valuable for making power available to regions of difficult access and far from deposits of coal. It also may prove a great asset in mobile power units for example in a power plant for ship propulsion. On the negative side there are some technical limitations to be applicability of atomic power of which perhaps the most serious is the impossibility of constructing light power units; also there will be some peculiar difficulties in operating atomic plants, as for example the necessity of handling highly radioactive substances which will necessitate, at least for some considerable period, the use of specially skilled personnel for the operation. But the chief obstacle in the way of developing atomic power will be the difficulty of organizing a large scale industrial development in an internationally safe way. This presents actually problems much more difficult to solve than any of the technical developments that are necessary, It will require an unusual amount of statesmanship to balance properly the necessity of allaying the international suspicion that arises from withholding technical secrets against the obvious danger of dumping the details of the procedures for an extremely dangerous new method of warfare on a world that may not yet be prepared to renounce war. Furthermore, the proper balance should be found in the relatively short time that will elapse before the 'secrets' will naturally become open knowledge by rediscovery on part of the scientists and engineers of other countries.

A Surrogate Approach to Study the Evolution of Noncoding DNA Elements That Organize Eukaryotic Genomes

PubMed Central

Vermaak, Danielle; Bayes, Joshua J.

2009-01-01

Comparative genomics provides a facile way to address issues of evolutionary constraint acting on different elements of the genome. However, several important DNA elements have not reaped the benefits of this new approach. Some have proved intractable to current day sequencing technology. These include centromeric and heterochromatic DNA, which are essential for chromosome segregation as well as gene regulation, but the highly repetitive nature of the DNA sequences in these regions make them difficult to assemble into longer contigs. Other sequences, like dosage compensation X chromosomal sites, origins of DNA replication, or heterochromatic sequences that encode piwi-associated RNAs, have proved difficult to study because they do not have recognizable DNA features that allow them to be described functionally or computationally. We have employed an alternate approach to the direct study of these DNA elements. By using proteins that specifically bind these noncoding DNAs as surrogates, we can indirectly assay the evolutionary constraints acting on these important DNA elements. We review the impact that such “surrogate strategies” have had on our understanding of the evolutionary constraints shaping centromeres, origins of DNA replication, and dosage compensation X chromosomal sites. These have begun to reveal that in contrast to the view that such structural DNA elements are either highly constrained (under purifying selection) or free to drift (under neutral evolution), some of them may instead be shaped by adaptive evolution and genetic conflicts (these are not mutually exclusive). These insights also help to explain why the same elements (e.g., centromeres and replication origins), which are so complex in some eukaryotic genomes, can be simple and well defined in other where similar conflicts do not exist. PMID:19635763

Difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood: a genetically informed cross-lagged analysis

PubMed Central

Micalizzi, Lauren; Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J.

2015-01-01

A genetically informed longitudinal cross-lagged model was applied to twin data to explore etiological links between difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood. The sample comprised 313 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Difficult temperament and negative parenting were assessed at ages 2 and 3 using parent ratings. Both constructs were interrelated within and across age (rs .34–.47) and showed substantial stability (rs .65–.68). Difficult temperament and negative parenting were influenced by genetic and environmental factors at ages 2 and 3. The genetic and nonshared environmental correlations (rs .21–.76) at both ages suggest overlap at the level of etiology between the phenotypes. Significant bidirectional associations between difficult temperament and negative parenting were found. The cross-lagged association from difficult temperament at age 2 to negative parenting at age 3 and from negative parenting at age 2 and difficult temperament at age 3 were due to genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors. Substantial novel genetic and nonshared environmental influences emerged at age 3 and suggest change in the etiology of these constructs over time. PMID:26490166

Is Low-field NMR a Complementary Tool to GC-MS in Quality Control of Essential Oils? A Case Study: Patchouli Essential Oil.

PubMed

Krause, Andre; Wu, Yu; Tian, Runtao; van Beek, Teris A

2018-04-24

High-field NMR is an expensive and important quality control technique. In recent years, cheaper and simpler low-field NMR has become available as a new quality control technique. In this study, 60 MHz 1 H-NMR was compared with GC-MS and refractometry for the detection of adulteration of essential oils, taking patchouli essential oil as a test case. Patchouli essential oil is frequently adulterated, even today. In total, 75 genuine patchouli essential oils, 10 commercial patchouli essential oils, 10 other essential oils, 17 adulterants, and 1 patchouli essential oil, spiked at 20% with those adulterants, were measured. Visual inspection of the NMR spectra allowed for easy detection of 14 adulterants, while gurjun and copaiba balsams proved difficult and one adulterant could not be detected. NMR spectra of 10 random essential oils differed not only strongly from patchouli essential oil but also from one another, suggesting that fingerprinting by low-field NMR is not limited to patchouli essential oil. Automated chemometric evaluation of NMR spectra was possible by similarity analysis (Mahalanobis distance) based on the integration from 0.1 - 8.1 ppm in 0.01 ppm increments. Good quality patchouli essential oils were recognised as well as 15 of 17 deliberate adulterations. Visual qualitative inspection by GC-MS allowed for the detection of all volatile adulterants. Nonvolatile adulterants, and all but one volatile adulterant, could be detected by semiquantitation. Different chemometric approaches showed satisfactory results. Similarity analyses were difficult with nonvolatile adulterants. Refractive index measurements could detect only 8 of 17 adulterants. Due to advantages such as simplicity, rapidity, reproducibility, and ability to detect nonvolatile adulterants, 60 MHz 1 H-NMR is complimentary to GC-MS for quality control of essential oils. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Distinguishing papillary endothelial hyperplasia and angiosarcoma on core needle biopsy of the breast: The importance of clinical and radiologic correlation.

PubMed

Guilbert, Marie-Christine; Frost, Elisabeth P; Brock, Jane E; Lester, Susan C

2018-02-24

Papillary endothelial hyperplasia (PEH) is a rare non-neoplastic exuberant organizing hematoma that can closely mimic angiosarcoma due to a resemblance to malignant anastomosing blood vessels. It could be particularly difficult to distinguish PEH from angiosarcoma in breast core needle biopsies. We identified all cases of these lesions diagnosed on core needle biopsy in order to identify clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features that could prove helpful to arrive at the correct diagnosis. Four cases of PEH and 4 cases of angiosarcoma were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 62 for PEH and 33 for primary angiosarcoma. All cases of PEH formed small masses with circumscribed or lobulated margins by imaging (mean size 0.9 cm). In 3 cases, the masses were difficult or impossible to identify after the biopsy. Angiosarcomas presented as larger masses with ill-defined margins (mean size 2.8 cm) that were unchanged in size after biopsy. PEH was surrounded by adipose tissue, whereas angiosarcoma invaded into fibrous stroma and involved lobules. The pseudopapillary structures of PEH were composed mainly of collagen, and thus, additional histologic stains for fibrin were not helpful for diagnosis. The 4 patients with PEH received no further treatment and are alive and disease-free at 2-11 years of follow-up. In contrast, the patients with angiosarcoma underwent mastectomy and chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Two of the patients with angiosarcoma died 3 years after diagnosis and the other 2 patients are alive without disease at 5 and 6 years. Therefore, distinguishing PEH and angiosarcoma is essential for appropriate management. This is the first series to compare these lesions on core needle biopsy and the first to note important clinical, imaging, and histologic differences that aid in making a diagnosis of PEH with confidence on breast core needle biopsy. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Penetrating and blunt trauma to the neck: clinical presentation, assessment and emergency management.

PubMed

Perdonck, P; de Schoutheets, J C; Monsieurs, K G; Van Laer, C; Vander Poorten, V; Vanderveken, O

Penetrating and blunt trauma to the neck: clinical presentation, assessment ana emergency management. In Belgium, and even in Western Europe, penetrating and blunt injury to the neck is relatively uncommon in both the civilian and military populations. Pre-hospital and emergency assessment and management will therefore always prove challenging, as individual exposure to this specific type of injury remains low. Historically, the neck has been divided into three anatomical zones with specific landmarks to guide the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to penetrating neck injuries. Most penetrating injuries need to be explored surgically, although with the advent of multi-detector computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA), which yields high diagnostic sensitivity, this inflexible approach has recently changed to a more targeted management, based on clinical, radiographic and, if deemed necessary, endoscopic findings. However, some authors have addressed their concern about this novel, 'no-zone' approach, since the risk of missing less apparent aerodigestive tract injuries may increase. It is recommended, therefore, that all patients with penetrating neck injuries be closely observed, irrespective of the initial findings. The incidence of blunt neck injury is much lower, and this makes risk assessment and management even more difficult in comparison with penetrating injuries. Again, MDCTA is most often the first diagnostic tool if a blunt neck injury is suspected, due to its good sensitivity for blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) as well as for aerodigestive tract injuries. Specific patterns of injury and unexpected neurological and neuro-radiological findings in trauma patients should always warrant further investigation. Despite ongoing debate, systemic anticoagulation is recommended for most BCVI, sometimes combined with endovascular treatment. Aerodigestive tract injuries may present dramatically, but are often more subtle, making the diagnosis more difficult than other types of neck injuries. Treatment may be conservative if damage is minimal, but surgery is warranted in all other cases.

What works? Strategies to increase reproductive, maternal and child health in difficult to access mountainous locations: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Byrne, Abbey; Hodge, Andrew; Jimenez-Soto, Eliana; Morgan, Alison

2014-01-01

Geography poses serious challenges to delivery of health services and is a well documented marker of inequity. Maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) outcomes are poorer in mountainous regions of low and lower-middle income countries due to geographical inaccessibility combined with other barriers: poorer quality services, persistent cultural and traditional practices and lower socioeconomic and educational status. Reaching universal coverage goals will require attention for remote mountain settings. This study aims to identify strategies to address barriers to reproductive MNCH (RMNCH) service utilisation in difficult-to-reach mountainous regions in low and lower-middle income settings worldwide. A systematic literature review drawing from MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Eldis. Inclusion was based on; testing an intervention for utilisation of RMNCH services; remote mountain settings of low- and lower-middle income countries; selected study designs. Studies were assessed for quality and analysed to present a narrative review of the key themes. From 4,130 articles 34 studies were included, from Afghanistan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tajikistan. Strategies fall into four broad categories: improving service delivery through selected, trained and supported community health workers (CHWs) to act alongside formal health workers and the distribution of critical medicines to the home; improving the desirability of existing services by addressing the quality of care, innovative training and supervision of health workers; generating demand by engaging communities; and improving health knowledge for timely care-seeking. Task shifting, strengthened roles of CHWs and volunteers, mobile teams, and inclusive structured planning forums have proved effective. The review highlights where known evidence-based strategies have increased the utilisation of RMNCH services in low income mountainous areas. While these are known strategies in public health, in such disadvantaged settings additional supports are required to address both supply and demand barriers.

The Application of Skin Adhesive to Maintain Seal in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.

PubMed

Karadsheh, Murad J; Nelson, Josh; Wilcox, Richard

2015-09-01

Optimal wound healing in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) depends on a properly sealed vacuum system. Anatomically difficult wounds disrupt the adhesive dressing, resulting in air leaks that impair the integrity of this system. Several techniques have been used in previous reports to prevent air leaks, including the addition of skin adhesives (eg, Skin-Prep [Smith and Nephew, St. Petersburg, FL] or compound tincture of benzoin), hydrocolloid dressings, silicone, and stoma paste. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the effectiveness of using a cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive, dermaFLEX (FLEXCon, Spencer, MA), in maintaining an airtight, durable seal in NPWT. The authors present a patient with a difficult to manage anogenital wound where efforts to maintain an airtight seal in NPWT proved difficult. It was decided during the course of treatment to use the cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive to create an airtight, durable seal. The tissue adhesive was applied circumferentially to the skin surrounding the wound edge. After placement of vacuum-assisted closure foam over the wound, the adhesive dressing was applied with its edges overlapping the skin area where the tissue adhesive was applied. The size of the wound was visibly reduced at each dressing change. An airtight seal was consistently maintained for 3 days at a time, surviving the difficult environment of the wound and maximizing the life of each adhesive dressing. For wounds in anatomically challenging locations, the use of the tissue adhesive appears to be a safe and viable option in creating a durable seal in NPWT.

Effect of freezing temperature on the color of frozen salmon.

PubMed

Ottestad, Silje; Enersen, Grethe; Wold, Jens Petter

2011-09-01

New freezing methods developed with the purpose of improved product quality after thawing can sometimes be difficult to get accepted in the market. The reason for this is the formation of ice crystals that can give the product a temporary color loss and make it less appealing. We have here used microscopy to study ice crystal size as a function of freezing temperature by investigating the voids in the cell tissue left by the ice crystals. We have also investigated how freezing temperature affects the color and the visible absorption spectra of frozen salmon. Freezing temperatures previously determined to be the best for quality after thawing (-40 to -60 °C) were found to cause a substantial loss in perceived color intensity during frozen state. This illustrated the conflict between optimal freezing temperatures with respect to quality after thawing against visual appearance during frozen state. Low freezing temperatures gave many small ice crystals, increased light scattering and an increased absorption level for all wavelengths in the visible region. Increased astaxanthin concentration on the other hand would give higher absorption at 490 nm. The results showed a clear potential of using visible interactance spectroscopy to differentiate between poor product coloration due to lack of pigmentation and temporary color loss due to light scattering by ice crystal. This type of measurements could be a useful tool in the development of new freezing methods and to monitor ice crystal growth during frozen storage. It could also potentially be used by the industry to prove good product quality. In this article we have shown that freezing food products at intermediate to low temperatures (-40 to -80 °C) can result in paler color during frozen state, which could affect consumer acceptance. We have also presented a spectroscopic method that can separate between poor product color and temporary color loss due to freezing. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

The role of axis embedding on rigid rotor decomposition analysis of variational rovibrational wave functions.

PubMed

Szidarovszky, Tamás; Fábri, Csaba; Császár, Attila G

2012-05-07

Approximate rotational characterization of variational rovibrational wave functions via the rigid rotor decomposition (RRD) protocol is developed for Hamiltonians based on arbitrary sets of internal coordinates and axis embeddings. An efficient and general procedure is given that allows employing the Eckart embedding with arbitrary polyatomic Hamiltonians through a fully numerical approach. RRD tables formed by projecting rotational-vibrational wave functions into products of rigid-rotor basis functions and previously determined vibrational eigenstates yield rigid-rotor labels for rovibrational eigenstates by selecting the largest overlap. Embedding-dependent RRD analyses are performed, up to high energies and rotational excitations, for the H(2) (16)O isotopologue of the water molecule. Irrespective of the embedding chosen, the RRD procedure proves effective in providing unambiguous rotational assignments at low energies and J values. Rotational labeling of rovibrational states of H(2) (16)O proves to be increasingly difficult beyond about 10,000 cm(-1), close to the barrier to linearity of the water molecule. For medium energies and excitations the Eckart embedding yields the largest RRD coefficients, thus providing the largest number of unambiguous rotational labels.

Using optical flow for the detection of floating mines in IR image sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borghgraef, Alexander; Acheroy, Marc

2006-09-01

In the first Gulf War, unmoored floating mines proved to be a real hazard for shipping traffic. An automated system capable of detecting these and other free-floating small objects, using readily available sensors such as infra-red cameras, would prove to be a valuable mine-warfare asset, and could double as a collision avoidance mechanism, and a search-and-rescue aid. The noisy background provided by the sea surface, and occlusion by waves make it difficult to detect small floating objects using only algorithms based upon the intensity, size or shape of the target. This leads us to look at the sequence of images for temporal detection characteristics. The target's apparent motion is such a determinant, given the contrast between the bobbing motion of the floating object and the strong horizontal component present in the propagation of the wavefronts. We have applied the Proesmans optical flow algorithm to IR video footage of practice mines, in order to extract the motion characteristic and a threshold on the vertical motion characteristic is then imposed to detect the floating targets.

Enhanced Cleaning of Genesis Solar Wind Sample 61348 for Film Residue Removal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allums, K. K.; Gonzalez, C. P.; Kuhlman, K. R.; Allton, J. H.

2015-01-01

The Genesis mission returned to Earth on September 8, 2004, experiencing a nonnominal reentry. During the recovery of the collector materials from the capsule, many of the collector fragments were placed on the adhesive protion of post-it notes to prevent the fragments from moving during transport back to Johnson Space Center. This unknowingly provided an additional contaminate that would prove difficult to remove with the limited chemistries allowed in the Genesis Curation Laboratory. Generally when collector material samples are prepared for allocation to PIs, the samples are cleaned front side only with Ultra-Pure Water (UPW) via megasonic dispersion to the collector surface to remove crash debris and contamination. While this cleaning method works well on samples that were not placed on post-its during recovery, it has caused movement of the residue on the back of the sample to be deposited on the front in at least two examples. Therefore, samples placed on the adhesive portion on post-it note, require enhanced cleaning methods since post-it residue has proved resistant to UPW cleaning.

Optimization of lattice surgery is NP-hard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herr, Daniel; Nori, Franco; Devitt, Simon J.

2017-09-01

The traditional method for computation in either the surface code or in the Raussendorf model is the creation of holes or "defects" within the encoded lattice of qubits that are manipulated via topological braiding to enact logic gates. However, this is not the only way to achieve universal, fault-tolerant computation. In this work, we focus on the lattice surgery representation, which realizes transversal logic operations without destroying the intrinsic 2D nearest-neighbor properties of the braid-based surface code and achieves universality without defects and braid-based logic. For both techniques there are open questions regarding the compilation and resource optimization of quantum circuits. Optimization in braid-based logic is proving to be difficult and the classical complexity associated with this problem has yet to be determined. In the context of lattice-surgery-based logic, we can introduce an optimality condition, which corresponds to a circuit with the lowest resource requirements in terms of physical qubits and computational time, and prove that the complexity of optimizing a quantum circuit in the lattice surgery model is NP-hard.

Optimization of topological quantum algorithms using Lattice Surgery is hard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herr, Daniel; Nori, Franco; Devitt, Simon

The traditional method for computation in the surface code or the Raussendorf model is the creation of holes or ''defects'' within the encoded lattice of qubits which are manipulated via topological braiding to enact logic gates. However, this is not the only way to achieve universal, fault-tolerant computation. In this work we turn attention to the Lattice Surgery representation, which realizes encoded logic operations without destroying the intrinsic 2D nearest-neighbor interactions sufficient for braided based logic and achieves universality without using defects for encoding information. In both braided and lattice surgery logic there are open questions regarding the compilation and resource optimization of quantum circuits. Optimization in braid-based logic is proving to be difficult to define and the classical complexity associated with this problem has yet to be determined. In the context of lattice surgery based logic, we can introduce an optimality condition, which corresponds to a circuit with lowest amount of physical qubit requirements, and prove that the complexity of optimizing the geometric (lattice surgery) representation of a quantum circuit is NP-hard.

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment and diagnosis of asthma and allergic diseases.

PubMed

Passalacqua, G; Compalati, E; Schiappoli, M; Senna, G

2005-03-01

The use of Complementary/Alternative Medicines (CAM) is largely diffused and constantly increasing, especially in the field of allergic diseases and asthma. Homeopathy, acupuncture and phytotherapy are the most frequently utilised treatments, whereas complementary diagnostic techniques are mainly used in the field of food allergy-intolerance. Looking at the literature, the majority of clinical trials with CAMS are of low methodological quality, thus difficult to interpret. There are very few studies performed in a rigorously controlled fashion, and those studies provided inconclusive results. In asthma, none of the CAM have thus far been proved more effective than placebo or equally effective as standard treatments. Some herbal products, containing active principles, have displayed some clinical effect, but the herbal remedies are usually not standardised and not quantified, thus carry the risk of toxic effects or interactions. None of the alternative diagnostic techniques (electrodermal testing, kinesiology, leukocytotoxic test, iridology, hair analysis) have been proved able to distinguish between healthy and allergic subjects or to diagnose sensitizations. Therefore these tests must not be used, since they can lead to delayed or incorrect diagnosis and therapy.

Comparison of Available Technologies for Fire Spots Detection via Linear Heat Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miksa, František; Nemlaha, Eduard

2016-12-01

It is very demanding to detect fire spots under difficult conditions with high occurrence of interfering external factors such as large distances, airflow difficultly, high dustiness, high humidity, etc. Spot fire sensors do not meet the requirements due to the aforementioned conditions as well as large distances. Therefore, the detection of a fire spot via linear heat sensing cables is utilized.

Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge.

PubMed

Camacho, Salvador; Horstick, Olaf; Sax, Sylvia

2014-08-01

To describe how the Government of Mexico and other direct stakeholders perceive children orphaned by the drug war; to determine the current measures addressing this as a public health problem; and to compare these measures to international frameworks so that relevant recommendations can be identified. This was an exploratory, descriptive case study using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were performed with key informants at the federal, state, and municipal government levels in Mexico, as well as non-governmental organizations, and other institutes working with orphans. Participants were identified with a purposive snowball sample. No official definition of "orphan" was identified; nor was there a shared perception among the key informants of what constitutes being an orphan. An official, collective definition is important because it modifies the quantity of children categorized as such within the target population. Although most of the interviewees perceive that the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) has increased in the last 6 years, they acknowledged there is no reliable data to prove it. The increase, they believe, is due not to the drug war, but to a loss of family cohesion. Stakeholders recommend improving public policies, currently identified as the most difficult barrier to overcome due to a perceived inability to modify existing laws. However, the General Law for Victims was recently passed by the Government of Mexico and addresses many of the challenges identified. When compared to the international frameworks, there are three major issues in Mexico's current situation: coordination among and within stakeholders; emphasis on using community solutions; and putting in place preventive programs. For two of these problems, the General Law of Victims offers solutions.

Landscape-scale water balance monitoring with an iGrav superconducting gravimeter in a field enclosure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güntner, Andreas; Reich, Marvin; Mikolaj, Michal; Creutzfeldt, Benjamin; Schroeder, Stephan; Wziontek, Hartmut

2017-06-01

In spite of the fundamental role of the landscape water balance for the Earth's water and energy cycles, monitoring the water balance and its components beyond the point scale is notoriously difficult due to the multitude of flow and storage processes and their spatial heterogeneity. Here, we present the first field deployment of an iGrav superconducting gravimeter (SG) in a minimized enclosure for long-term integrative monitoring of water storage changes. Results of the field SG on a grassland site under wet-temperate climate conditions were compared to data provided by a nearby SG located in the controlled environment of an observatory building. The field system proves to provide gravity time series that are similarly precise as those of the observatory SG. At the same time, the field SG is more sensitive to hydrological variations than the observatory SG. We demonstrate that the gravity variations observed by the field setup are almost independent of the depth below the terrain surface where water storage changes occur (contrary to SGs in buildings), and thus the field SG system directly observes the total water storage change, i.e., the water balance, in its surroundings in an integrative way. We provide a framework to single out the water balance components actual evapotranspiration and lateral subsurface discharge from the gravity time series on annual to daily timescales. With about 99 and 85 % of the gravity signal due to local water storage changes originating within a radius of 4000 and 200 m around the instrument, respectively, this setup paves the road towards gravimetry as a continuous hydrological field-monitoring technique at the landscape scale.

Optofluidic bioimaging platform for quantitative phase imaging of lab on a chip devices using digital holographic microscopy.

PubMed

Pandiyan, Vimal Prabhu; John, Renu

2016-01-20

We propose a versatile 3D phase-imaging microscope platform for real-time imaging of optomicrofluidic devices based on the principle of digital holographic microscopy (DHM). Lab-on-chip microfluidic devices fabricated on transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and glass substrates have attained wide popularity in biological sensing applications. However, monitoring, visualization, and characterization of microfluidic devices, microfluidic flows, and the biochemical kinetics happening in these devices is difficult due to the lack of proper techniques for real-time imaging and analysis. The traditional bright-field microscopic techniques fail in imaging applications, as the microfluidic channels and the fluids carrying biological samples are transparent and not visible in bright light. Phase-based microscopy techniques that can image the phase of the microfluidic channel and changes in refractive indices due to the fluids and biological samples present in the channel are ideal for imaging the fluid flow dynamics in a microfluidic channel at high resolutions. This paper demonstrates three-dimensional imaging of a microfluidic device with nanometric depth precisions and high SNR. We demonstrate imaging of microelectrodes of nanometric thickness patterned on glass substrate and the microfluidic channel. Three-dimensional imaging of a transparent PDMS optomicrofluidic channel, fluid flow, and live yeast cell flow in this channel has been demonstrated using DHM. We also quantify the average velocity of fluid flow through the channel. In comparison to any conventional bright-field microscope, the 3D depth information in the images illustrated in this work carry much information about the biological system under observation. The results demonstrated in this paper prove the high potential of DHM in imaging optofluidic devices; detection of pathogens, cells, and bioanalytes on lab-on-chip devices; and in studying microfluidic dynamics in real time based on phase changes.

On RF heating of inhomogeneous collisional plasma under ion-cyclotron resonance conditions

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

Timofeev, A. V., E-mail: Timofeev-AV@nrcki.ru

2015-11-15

During ion-cyclotron resonance (ICR) heating of plasma by the magnetic beach method, as well as in some other versions of ICR heating, it is necessary to excite Alfvén oscillations. In this case, it is difficult to avoid the phenomenon of the Alfvén resonance, in which Alfvén oscillations transform into lower hybrid oscillations. The latter efficiently interact with electrons, due to which most of the deposited RF energy is spent on electron (rather than ion) heating. The Alfvén resonance takes place due to plasma inhomogeneity across the external magnetic field. Therefore, it could be expected that variations in the plasma densitymore » profile would substantially affect the efficiency of the interaction of RF fields with charged particles. However, the results obtained for different plasma density profiles proved to be nearly the same. In the present work, a plasma is considered the parameters of which correspond to those planned in future ICR plasma heating experiments on the PS-1 facility at the Kurchatov Institute. When analyzing the interaction of RF fields with charged particles, both the collisionless resonance interaction and the interaction caused by Coulomb collisions are taken into account, because, in those experiments, the Coulomb collision frequency will be comparable with the frequency of the heating field. Antennas used for ICR heating excite RF oscillations with a wide spectrum of wavenumbers along the magnetic field. After averaging over the spectrum, the absorbed RF energy calculated with allowance for collisions turns out to be close to that absorbed in collisionless plasma, the energy fraction absorbed by electrons being substantially larger than that absorbed by ions.« less

Genetic assessment of ornamental fish species from North East India.

PubMed

Dhar, Bishal; Ghosh, Sankar Kumar

2015-01-25

Ornamental fishes are traded with multiple names from various parts around the world, including North East India. Most are collected from the wild, due to lack of species-specific culture or breeding, and therefore, such unmanaged collection of the wild and endemic species could lead to severe threats to biodiversity. Despite many regulatory policies, trade of threatened species, including the IUCN listed species have been largely uncontrolled, due to species identification problems arising from the utilization of multiple trade names. So, the development of species-specific DNA marker is indispensable where DNA Barcoding is proved to be helpful in species identification. Here, we investigated, through DNA Barcoding and morphological assessment, the identification of 128 ornamental fish specimens exported from NE India from different exporters. The generated sequences were subjected to similarity match in BOLD-IDS as well as BLASTN, and analysed using MEGA5.2 for species identification through Neighbour-Joining (NJ) clustering, and K2P distance based approach. The analysis revealed straightforward identification of 84 specimens into 35 species, while 44 specimens were difficult to distinguish based on CO1 barcode alone. However, these cases were resolved through morphology, NJ and distanced based method and found to be belonging to 16 species. Among the 51 identified species, 14 species represented multiple trade names; 17 species belonged to threatened category. Species-level identification through DNA Barcoding along with traditional morphotaxonomy reflects its efficacy in regulating ornamental fish trade and therefore, appeals for their conservation in nature. The use of trade names rather than the zoological name created the passage for trafficking of the threatened species and demands immediate attention for sustaining wildlife conservation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Improved Ivermectin-activated Chloride Channel Receptor for Inhibiting Electrical Activity in Defined Neuronal Populations*

PubMed Central

Lynagh, Timothy; Lynch, Joseph W.

2010-01-01

The ability to silence the electrical activity of defined neuronal populations in vivo is dramatically advancing our understanding of brain function. This technology may eventually be useful clinically for treating a variety of neuropathological disorders caused by excessive neuronal activity. Several neuronal silencing methods have been developed, with the bacterial light-activated halorhodopsin and the invertebrate allatostatin-activated G protein-coupled receptor proving the most successful to date. However, both techniques may be difficult to implement clinically due to their requirement for surgically implanted stimulus delivery methods and their use of nonhuman receptors. A third silencing method, an invertebrate glutamate-gated chloride channel receptor (GluClR) activated by ivermectin, solves the stimulus delivery problem as ivermectin is a safe, well tolerated drug that reaches the brain following systemic administration. However, the limitations of this method include poor functional expression, possibly due to the requirement to coexpress two different subunits in individual neurons, and the nonhuman origin of GluClR. Here, we describe the development of a modified human α1 glycine receptor as an improved ivermectin-gated silencing receptor. The crucial development was the identification of a mutation, A288G, which increased ivermectin sensitivity almost 100-fold, rendering it similar to that of GluClR. Glycine sensitivity was eliminated via the F207A mutation. Its large unitary conductance, homomeric expression, and human origin may render the F207A/A288G α1 glycine receptor an improved silencing receptor for neuroscientific and clinical purposes. As all known highly ivermectin-sensitive GluClRs contain an endogenous glycine residue at the corresponding location, this residue appears essential for exquisite ivermectin sensitivity. PMID:20308070

A Multi-Robot Sense-Act Approach to Lead to a Proper Acting in Environmental Incidents

PubMed Central

Conesa-Muñoz, Jesús; Valente, João; del Cerro, Jaime; Barrientos, Antonio; Ribeiro, Angela

2016-01-01

Many environmental incidents affect large areas, often in rough terrain constrained by natural obstacles, which makes intervention difficult. New technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, may help address this issue due to their suitability to reach and easily cover large areas. Thus, unmanned aerial vehicles may be used to inspect the terrain and make a first assessment of the affected areas; however, nowadays they do not have the capability to act. On the other hand, ground vehicles rely on enough power to perform the intervention but exhibit more mobility constraints. This paper proposes a multi-robot sense-act system, composed of aerial and ground vehicles. This combination allows performing autonomous tasks in large outdoor areas by integrating both types of platforms in a fully automated manner. Aerial units are used to easily obtain relevant data from the environment and ground units use this information to carry out interventions more efficiently. This paper describes the platforms and sensors required by this multi-robot sense-act system as well as proposes a software system to automatically handle the workflow for any generic environmental task. The proposed system has proved to be suitable to reduce the amount of herbicide applied in agricultural treatments. Although herbicides are very polluting, they are massively deployed on complete agricultural fields to remove weeds. Nevertheless, the amount of herbicide required for treatment is radically reduced when it is accurately applied on patches by the proposed multi-robot system. Thus, the aerial units were employed to scout the crop and build an accurate weed distribution map which was subsequently used to plan the task of the ground units. The whole workflow was executed in a fully autonomous way, without human intervention except when required by Spanish law due to safety reasons. PMID:27517934

[Insulinoma of the pancreas: analysis of a clinical series of 30 cases].

PubMed

Andronesi, D; Andronesi, A; Tonea, A; Andrei, S; Herlea, V; Lupescu, I; Ionescu-Târgovişte, C; Coculescu, M; Fica, S; Ionescu, M; Gheorghe, C; Popescu, I

2009-01-01

Insulinoma is the most frequent neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor and is the main cause for hypoglicemia due to endogenous hyperinsulinism. We performed an analysis of a clinical series in order to study the clinical and biological spectrum of presentation, the preoperatory imagistic diagnosis and results of the surgical approach. Between 1986-2009, 30 patients with symptoms suggesting an insulinoma were hospitalized in our department. Preoperatory localization of insulinomas was possible in 16 patients. The most sensitive imagistic methods were ecoendoscopy and magnetic resonance. Intraoperatory ultrasound was performed in 16 patients and its sensitivity in detection of insulinomas was 93%; the combination between intraoperative ultrasound and manual exploration of pancreas by the surgeon reached a 100% sensitivity. Before the intraoperatory ultrasound was used the tumor excision was predominantly done by extensive pancreatic resection, while after this was available in our centre more conservative (enucleo-resection) procedures were chosen. In 1 patient the resection was done by laparoscopy, and in 1 patient by robotic surgery. The dimensions of the tumor were less than 2 cm in most of the patients; 2 had nesidioblastosis and 2 had multiple insulinomas; all 28 patients proved to have benign insulinomas at histological specimens. Following surgery, the symptoms disappear in all patients. The most common complication following extensive pancreatic resections was acute pancreatitis, while after enucleation pancreatic fistula occurred more frequently. Due to small dimensions, the preoperative diagnosis of insulinomas is usually difficult, ecoendoscopy being the most sensitive method. Intraoperative ultrasound is essential for insulinoma localization and for chosing the optimal type of excision. Enucleation is the resection method to be chosen whenever this it is technical possible. In benign insulinomas the prognosis is excellent, surgical resection being curative in all cases.

Spectrophotometric Analysis of Pigments: A Critical Assessment of a High-Throughput Method for Analysis of Algal Pigment Mixtures by Spectral Deconvolution

PubMed Central

Thrane, Jan-Erik; Kyle, Marcia; Striebel, Maren; Haande, Sigrid; Grung, Merete; Rohrlack, Thomas; Andersen, Tom

2015-01-01

The Gauss-peak spectra (GPS) method represents individual pigment spectra as weighted sums of Gaussian functions, and uses these to model absorbance spectra of phytoplankton pigment mixtures. We here present several improvements for this type of methodology, including adaptation to plate reader technology and efficient model fitting by open source software. We use a one-step modeling of both pigment absorption and background attenuation with non-negative least squares, following a one-time instrument-specific calibration. The fitted background is shown to be higher than a solvent blank, with features reflecting contributions from both scatter and non-pigment absorption. We assessed pigment aliasing due to absorption spectra similarity by Monte Carlo simulation, and used this information to select a robust set of identifiable pigments that are also expected to be common in natural samples. To test the method’s performance, we analyzed absorbance spectra of pigment extracts from sediment cores, 75 natural lake samples, and four phytoplankton cultures, and compared the estimated pigment concentrations with concentrations obtained using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The deviance between observed and fitted spectra was generally very low, indicating that measured spectra could successfully be reconstructed as weighted sums of pigment and background components. Concentrations of total chlorophylls and total carotenoids could accurately be estimated for both sediment and lake samples, but individual pigment concentrations (especially carotenoids) proved difficult to resolve due to similarity between their absorbance spectra. In general, our modified-GPS method provides an improvement of the GPS method that is a fast, inexpensive, and high-throughput alternative for screening of pigment composition in samples of phytoplankton material. PMID:26359659

Every timelike geodesic in Anti-de Sitter spacetime is a circle of the same radius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokołowski, Leszek M.; Golda, Zdzisław A.

2016-10-01

In this paper, we refine and analytically prove an old proposition due to Calabi and Markus on the shape of timelike geodesics of anti-de Sitter space in the ambient flat space. We prove that each timelike geodesic forms in the ambient space a circle of the radius determined by Λ, lying on a Euclidean two-plane. Then, we outline an alternative proof for AdS4. We also make a comment on the shape of timelike geodesics in de Sitter space.

Development of an automated pavement crack sealing system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-12-01

Pavement crack sealing operations remain predominantly manual due to the challenges associated with automation. The research : performed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation has proved in...

Fiber reinforcement of concrete structures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-01

Deterioration of concrete structures due to steel corrosion is a matter of considerable concern since the repairing of these structures proved to be a costly process. Repair and rehabilitation of the civil structures needs an enduring repair material...

Crohn's disease in adolescence: presentation and treatment.

PubMed

Cullen, Mick; Barnes, Claire

2015-05-13

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel condition that affects more than 115,000 people in the UK. This article focuses on Crohn's disease in adolescents. Management of the condition in this group should address adolescent-specific characteristics and treatment goals. Key elements include optimising growth, pubertal development and social functioning, including education. The condition can affect an individual's mental and emotional wellbeing significantly, as well as their physical health. As adolescence is a time of great change, the additional burden of a chronic illness can prove difficult to manage. The authors provide information on the presentation of Crohn's disease in adolescence and insights into the particular issues encountered by this group.

The System of Simulation and Multi-objective Optimization for the Roller Kiln

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, He; Chen, Xishen; Li, Wugang; Li, Zhuoqiu

It is somewhat a difficult researching problem, to get the building parameters of the ceramic roller kiln simulation model. A system integrated of evolutionary algorithms (PSO, DE and DEPSO) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), is proposed to solve the problem. And the temperature field uniformity and the environment disruption are studied in this paper. With the help of the efficient parallel calculation, the ceramic roller kiln temperature field uniformity and the NOx emissions field have been researched in the system at the same time. A multi-objective optimization example of the industrial roller kiln proves that the system is of excellent parameter exploration capability.

Republication of: A theorem on Petrov types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, J. N.; Sachs, R. K.

2009-02-01

This is a republication of the paper “A Theorem on Petrov Types” by Goldberg and Sachs, Acta Phys. Pol. 22 (supplement), 13 (1962), in which they proved the Goldberg-Sachs theorem. The article has been selected for publication in the Golden Oldies series of General Relativity and Gravitation. Typographical errors of the original publication were corrected by the editor. The paper is accompanied by a Golden Oldie Editorial containing an editorial note written by Andrzej Krasiński and Maciej Przanowski and Goldberg’s brief autobiography. The editorial note explains some difficult parts of the proof of the theorem and discusses the influence of results of the paper on later research.

The diagnosis of salmonella abortion in cattle with particular reference to Salmonella dublin. A review.

PubMed Central

Hinton, M.

1977-01-01

The diagnosis of abortion in cattle caused by Salmonella dublin depends upon the isolation of the organism from either the products of conception, uterine discharges, vaginal mucus or milk together with serological evidence of active infection. S. dublin may be isolated when an active or a latent carrier cow abourts but in these cases an active infection will not be demonstrable. The retrospective identification of a case of S. dublin abortion may prove difficult as excretion of the organism is usually transient and the serum agglutinating antibodies frequently fall to low titres soon after the abortion. PMID:328768

Carbohydrates as efficient catalysts for the hydration of α-amino nitriles.

PubMed

Chitale, Sampada; Derasp, Joshua S; Hussain, Bashir; Tanveer, Kashif; Beauchemin, André M

2016-11-01

Directed hydration of α-amino nitriles was achieved under mild conditions using simple carbohydrates as catalysts exploiting temporary intramolecularity. A broadly applicable procedure using both formaldehyde and NaOH as catalysts efficiently hydrated a variety of primary and secondary susbtrates, and allowed the hydration of enantiopure substrates to proceed without racemization. This work also provides a rare comparison of the catalytic activity of carbohydrates, and shows that the simple aldehydes at the basis of chemical evolution are efficient organocatalysts mimicking the function of hydratase enzymes. Optimal catalytic efficiency was observed with destabilized aldehydes, and with difficult substrates only simple carbohydrates such as formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde proved reliable.

Modern steels at atomic and nanometre scales

DOE PAGES

Caballero, F. G.; Garcia-Mateo, C.; Miller, M. K.

2014-10-10

Processing bulk nanocrystalline materials for structural applications still poses a difficult challenge, particularly in achieving an industrially viable process. Recent work in ferritic steels has proved that it is possible to move from ultrafine to nanoscale by exploiting the bainite reaction without the use of severe deformation, rapid heat treatment or mechanical processing. This new generation of steels has been designed in which transformation at low temperature leads to a nanoscale structure consisting of extremely fine, 20–40 nm thick plates of bainitic ferrite and films of retained austenite. Finally, a description of the characteristics and significance of this remarkable microstructuremore » is provided here.« less

The obesity epidemic: too much food for thought?

PubMed

Davey, R C

2004-06-01

Traditional treatment strategies and public health interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of obesity are proving inadequate at controlling the global epidemic of this condition. The main focus of any intervention should be on preventing small excesses of weight, which lead to large weight gain over time, as once a large amount of excess weight is gained, it is very difficult to lose. The only effective approach is for governments to implement radical policy change, to regulate food consumption and control the food industry in a similar way to that of the tobacco industry, by banning the advertising of selected produce, taxing certain foods, and rationing the purchase of others.

Possible environmental effects of increased coal use in California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carey, D. L.

1978-01-01

If coal is to be utilized in California it must be made compatible with the state's drive toward restoring environmental quality. The impacts resulting from coal's mining and transportation, or from water consumption, water quality degradation and electric transmission line routing can probably be adequately mitigated through strong and early planning efforts, the use of improved control and process technologies, and sincere utility commitment. The socioeconomic impacts may prove somewhat more difficult to satisfactorily mitigate. Of greatest concern is adequate control of generated air pollutants and disposal of solid and liquid wastes since acceptable technologies or handling techniques have yet to be conclusively demonstrated.

Applicability of ERTS for surveying Antarctic iceberg resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hult, J. L. (Principal Investigator); Ostrander, N. C.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Recognition and interpretation of icebergs proves to be easy when they are locked in sea or fast ice. They stand out in relief, particularly well in band 7. Recongition of isolated icebergs is much more difficult. Size, shape, interaction with sea ice, and change over time must then be used to help in positive identification. There seems to be much less current and relative motion between icebergs and sea in much of the test sector than had been believed from avialable exploration information. However, most of this type of assessment must await the accumulation and analysis of the full season data.

Numerical Control Device for Preparation Nano-Carbon Granule Coating Superhydrophobic Template and Its Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, G. R.; Li, Y.

2017-12-01

It is one of the ways for changing surface property by fabricating superhydrophibic coating with the help of template that is made of depositing nano-carbon particles of fuel flame on substrate such as pure copper or aluminium alloy. In the process of making template, it is difficult to keep the deposition layer uniformed. In this work, the problem was solved by manufacturing a set of numerical control equipment. It has been proved by application test that the deposition layer was uniformed by means of this facility. The contact angle is more than 150°. A new way has been developed for making superhydrohibic template.

A Research on Low Modulus Distributed Fiber Optical Sensor for Pavement Material Strain Monitoring

PubMed Central

Meng, Lingjian; Wang, Linbing; Hou, Yue; Yan, Guannan

2017-01-01

The accumulated irreversible deformation in pavement under repeated vehicle loadings will cause fatigue failure of asphalt concrete. It is necessary to monitor the mechanical response of pavement under load by using sensors. Previous studies have limitations in modulus accommodation between the sensor and asphalt pavement, and it is difficult to achieve the distributed monitoring goal. To solve these problems, a new type of low modulus distributed optical fiber sensor (DOFS) for asphalt pavement strain monitoring is fabricated. Laboratory experiments have proved the applicability and accuracy of the newly-designed sensor. This paper presents the results of the development. PMID:29048393

Constraint Programming to Solve Maximal Density Still Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Geoffrey; Petrie, Karen Elizabeth; Yorke-Smith, Neil

The Maximum Density Still Life problem fills a finite Game of Life board with a stable pattern of cells that has as many live cells as possible. Although simple to state, this problem is computationally challenging for any but the smallest sizes of board. Especially difficult is to prove that the maximum number of live cells has been found. Various approaches have been employed. The most successful are approaches based on Constraint Programming (CP). We describe the Maximum Density Still Life problem, introduce the concept of constraint programming, give an overview on how the problem can be modelled and solved with CP, and report on best-known results for the problem.

Lobomycosis: a therapeutic challenge*

PubMed Central

Araújo, Marcelo Grossi; Cirilo, Nathalie Silva; dos Santos, Soraya Neves Marques Barbosa; Aguilar, Claudemir Roberto; Guedes, Antonio Carlos Martins

2018-01-01

Lobomycosis or lacaziosis is a chronic granulomatous fungal infection caused by Lacazia loboi. Most cases are restricted to tropical regions. Transmission is believed to occur through traumatic inoculation in the skin, mainly in exposed areas. It is characterized by keloid-like nodules. There are only a few hundred cases reported. The differential diagnoses include many skin conditions, and treatment is difficult. The reported case, initially diagnosed as keloid, proved to be refractory to surgical treatment alone. It was subsequently approached with extensive surgery, cryotherapy every three months and a combination of itraconazole and clofazimine for two years. No signs of clinical and histopathological activity were detected during follow-up. PMID:29723380

A Research on Low Modulus Distributed Fiber Optical Sensor for Pavement Material Strain Monitoring.

PubMed

Meng, Lingjian; Wang, Linbing; Hou, Yue; Yan, Guannan

2017-10-19

The accumulated irreversible deformation in pavement under repeated vehicle loadings will cause fatigue failure of asphalt concrete. It is necessary to monitor the mechanical response of pavement under load by using sensors. Previous studies have limitations in modulus accommodation between the sensor and asphalt pavement, and it is difficult to achieve the distributed monitoring goal. To solve these problems, a new type of low modulus distributed optical fiber sensor (DOFS) for asphalt pavement strain monitoring is fabricated. Laboratory experiments have proved the applicability and accuracy of the newly-designed sensor. This paper presents the results of the development.

110 °C range athermalization of wavefront coding infrared imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Bin; Shi, Zelin; Chang, Zheng; Liu, Haizheng; Zhao, Yaohong

2017-09-01

110 °C range athermalization is significant but difficult for designing infrared imaging systems. Our wavefront coding athermalized infrared imaging system adopts an optical phase mask with less manufacturing errors and a decoding method based on shrinkage function. The qualitative experiments prove that our wavefront coding athermalized infrared imaging system has three prominent merits: (1) working well over a temperature range of 110 °C; (2) extending the focal depth up to 15.2 times; (3) achieving a decoded image being approximate to its corresponding in-focus infrared image, with a mean structural similarity index (MSSIM) value greater than 0.85.

General versus gender-specific attributes of the psychology major.

PubMed

McCray, Jason A; King, Alan R; Bailly, Matthew D

2005-04-01

In the present study, the authors extended the search for general and gender-specific factors associated with the selection of psychology as a college major by using the Family Environment Scale (FES; R. H. Moos & B. S. Moos, 1994) and Coolidge Axis II Inventory (CATI; F. L. Coolidge & M. M. Merwin, 1992). The findings were restricted to one general (Schizoid) and one gender-specific (Self-Defeating) set of personality traits that seemed to be associated with the selection of a college major. The intuitive role of many presumed gender-specific factors (e.g., women are more open to discussing personal problems with others) may prove difficult to establish empirically.

[Primary hyperaldosteronism: problems of diagnostic approaches].

PubMed

Widimský, Jiří

2015-05-01

Primary hyperaldosteronism (PH) is common cause of endocrine/secondary hypertension with autonomous aldosterone overproduction by adrenal cortex. PH is typically characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, high plasma aldosterone/renin ratio, high aldosterone, suppressed renin and nonsupressibilty of aldosterone during confirmatory tests. Diagnosis of PH can be difficult since hypokalemia is found only in 50 % of cases and measurement of the parameters of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system can be influenced by several factors. Morphological dia-gnosis requires in majority of cases adrenal venous sampling. Early diagnostic and therapeutic measures are very important due to high prevalence of PH and potential cure. Patients with suspicion to PH should be investigated in experienced hypertensive centers due to relatively difficult laboratory and morphological diagnostic approaches.

Selective dry etching of silicon containing anti-reflective coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridhar, Shyam; Nolan, Andrew; Wang, Li; Karakas, Erdinc; Voronin, Sergey; Biolsi, Peter; Ranjan, Alok

2018-03-01

Multi-layer patterning schemes involve the use of Silicon containing Anti-Reflective Coating (SiARC) films for their anti-reflective properties. Patterning transfer completion requires complete and selective removal of SiARC which is very difficult due to its high silicon content (>40%). Typically, SiARC removal is accomplished through a non-selective etch during the pattern transfer process using fluorine containing plasmas, or an ex-situ wet etch process using hydrofluoric acid is employed to remove the residual SiARC, post pattern transfer. Using a non-selective etch may result in profile distortion or wiggling, due to distortion of the underlying organic layer. The drawbacks of using wet etch process for SiARC removal are increased overall processing time and the need for additional equipment. Many applications may involve patterning of active structures in a poly-Si layer with an underlying oxide stopping layer. In such applications, SiARC removal selective to oxide using a wet process may prove futile. Removing SiARC selectively to SiO2 using a dry etch process is also challenging, due to similarity in the nature of chemical bonds (Si - O) in the two materials. In this work, we present highly selective etching of SiARC, in a plasma driven by a surface wave radial line slot antenna. The first step in the process involves an in-situ modification of the SiARC layer in O2 plasma followed by selective etching in a NF3/H2 plasma. Surface treatment in O2 plasma resulted in enhanced etching of the SiARC layer. For the right processing conditions, in-situ NF3/H2 dry etch process demonstrated selectivity values greater than 15:1 with respect to SiO2. The etching chemistry, however, was sensitive to NF3:H2 gas ratio. For dilute NF3 in H2, no SiARC etching was observed. Presumably, this is due to the deposition of ammonium fluorosilicate layer that occurs for dilute NF3/H2 plasmas. Additionally, challenges involved in selective SiARC removal (selective to SiO2, organic and Si layers) post pattern transfer, in a multi-layer structure will be discussed.

Temperament and parenting antecedents of individual differences in three-year-old boys' pride and shame reactions.

PubMed

Belsky, J; Domitrovich, C; Crnic, K

1997-06-01

To examine individual differences in pride and shame reactions of 3-year-olds and their temperamental and parenting antecedents, 110 boys were studied at ages 36 and 37 months in a "rigged" achievement situation. After being trained to complete explicitly stipulated "easy" and "difficult" tasks before a buzzer sounded, success and failure were manipulated by artificially "rigging" how much time the child had to work on these tasks. Children's facial, verbal, and postural reactions to success and failure were composited to create pride scores following success and shame scores following failure. As expected, pride reactions were greater following success on the difficult than on the easy task, and shame reactions were greater following failure on the easy than on the difficult task. Early temperament (at 12/13 months) proved unrelated to pride and shame. With respect to parenting, measurements composited across 15, 21, 27, and 33 months showed that mothers and fathers who were more positive in their parenting had children who displayed less pride, and that children whose parents (especially mothers) were more negative in their parenting evinced less shame. These counterintuitive findings are discussed in terms of differences between assessments of parenting obtained in this investigation of parenting antecedents and those obtained in other studies of parental responses in the achievement situation itself. Directions for future research are outlined.

The Challenge of Conditional Reimbursement: Stopping Reimbursement Can Be More Difficult Than Not Starting in the First Place!

PubMed

van de Wetering, E J; van Exel, Job; Brouwer, Werner B F

2017-01-01

Conditional reimbursement of new health technologies is increasingly considered as a useful policy instrument. It allows gathering more robust evidence regarding effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new technologies without delaying market access. Nevertheless, the literature suggests that ending reimbursement and provision of a technology when it proves not to be effective or cost-effective in practice may be difficult. To investigate how policymakers and the general public in the Netherlands value removing a previously reimbursed treatment from the basic benefits package relative to not including a new treatment. To investigate this issue, we used discrete-choice experiments. Mixed multinomial logit models were used to analyze the data. Compensating variation values and changes in probability of acceptance were calculated for withdrawal of reimbursement. The results show that, ceteris paribus, both the general public (n = 1169) and policymakers (n = 90) prefer a treatment that is presently reimbursed over one that is presently not yet reimbursed. Apparently, ending reimbursement is more difficult than not starting reimbursement in the first place, both for policymakers and for the public. Loss aversion is one of the possible explanations for this result. Policymakers in health care need to be aware of this effect before engaging in conditional reimbursement schemes. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Ogawa, Yukihisa, E-mail: yukky.oct.22@gmail.com; Hamaguchi, Shingo; Nishimaki, Hiroshi

BackgroundEndovascular aortic repair (EVAR) requires further intervention in 20-30 % of cases, often due to type II endoleak (T2EL). Management options for T2EL include transarterial embolization, direct puncture (DP), or transcaval embolization. We report the case of an 80-year-old man with T2EL who successfully underwent DP embolization.MethodsEmbolization by DP was performed with a transpedicular approach using an isocenter puncture (ISOP) method. An isocenter marker (ICM) was placed at a site corresponding to the aneurysm sac on fluoroscopy in two directions (frontal and lateral views). A vertebroplasty needle was inserted tangentially to the ICM under fluoroscopy and advanced to the anterior wallmore » of the vertebral body. A 20 cm-length, 20-G-PTCD needle was inserted through the outer needle of the 13-G needle and advanced to the ICM. Sac embolization using 25 % N-buty-2-cyanoacrylate diluted with Lipiodol was performed. After complete embolization, rotational DA confirmed good filling of the sac with Lipiodol. The outer cannula and 13-G needle were removed and the procedure was completed.ResultsThe patient was discharged the next day. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography 1 and 8 months later showed no Lipiodol washout in the aneurysm sac, no endoleak recurrence, and no expansion of the excluded aneurysm.ConclusionDP with a transpedicular approach using ISOP may be useful when translumbar and transabdominal approaches prove difficult.« less

Candidiasis drug discovery and development: new approaches targeting virulence for discovering and identifying new drugs

PubMed Central

Pierce, Christopher G.; Lopez-Ribot, Jose L.

2014-01-01

Introduction Targeting pathogenetic mechanisms rather than essential processes represents a very attractive alternative for the development of new antibiotics. This may be particularly important in the case of antimycotics, due to the urgent need for novel antifungal drugs and the paucity of selective fungal targets. The opportunistic pathogenic fungus Candida albicans is the main etiological agent of candidiasis, the most common human fungal infection. These infections carry unacceptably high mortality rates, a clear reflection of the many shortcomings of current antifungal therapy, including the limited armamentarium of antifungal agents, their toxicity, and the emergence of resistance. Moreover the antifungal pipeline is mostly dry. Areas covered This review covers some of the most recent progress towards understanding C. albicans pathogenetic processes and how to harness this information for the development of anti-virulence agents. The two principal areas covered are filamentation and biofilm formation, as C. albicans pathogenicity is intimately linked to its ability to undergo morphogenetic conversions between yeast and filamentous morphologies and to its ability to form biofilms. Expert opinion We argue that filamentation and biofilm formation represent high value targets, yet clinically unexploited, for the development of novel anti-virulence approaches against candidiasis. Although this has proved a difficult task despite increasing understanding at the molecular level of C. albicans virulence, we highlight new opportunities and prospects for antifungal drug development targeting these two important biological processes. PMID:23738751

Silymarin nanoparticle prevents paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity

PubMed Central

Das, Suvadra; Roy, Partha; Auddy, Runa Ghosh; Mukherjee, Arup

2011-01-01

Silymarin (Sm) is a polyphenolic component extracted from Silybum marianum. It is an antioxidant, traditionally used as an immunostimulant, hepatoprotectant, and dietary supplement. Relatively recently, Sm has proved to be a valuable chemopreventive and a useful antineoplastic agent. Medical success for Sm is, however, constrained by very low aqueous solubility and associated biopharmaceutical limitations. Sm flavonolignans are also susceptible to ion-catalyzed degradation in the gut. Proven antihepatotoxic activity of Sm cannot therefore be fully exploited in acute chemical poisoning conditions like that in paracetamol overdose. Moreover, a synchronous delivery that is required for hepatic regeneration is difficult to achieve by itself. This work is meant to circumvent the inherent limitations of Sm through the use of nanotechnology. Sm nanoparticles (Smnps) were prepared by nanoprecipitation in polyvinyl alcohol stabilized Eudragit RS100® polymer (Rohm Pharma GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany). Process parameter optimization provided 67.39% entrapment efficiency and a Gaussian particle distribution of average size 120.37 nm. Sm release from the nanoparticles was considerably sustained for all formulations. Smnps were strongly protective against hepatic damage when tested in a paracetamol overdose hepatotoxicity model. Nanoparticles recorded no animal death even when administered after an established paracetamol-induced hepatic necrosis. Preventing progress of paracetamol hepatic damage was traced for an efficient glutathione regeneration to a level of 11.3 μmol/g in hepatic tissue due to Smnps. PMID:21753880

Respiratory infections associated with anti-TNFα agents.

PubMed

Blanchard, E; Truchetet, M-E; Machelart, I; Séneschal, J; Raherison-Semjen, C

2017-10-01

Anti-TNFα agents have proved effective in the treatment of various inflammatory, rheumatologic, dermatologic, and gastrointestinal diseases. Severe respiratory tract infections of bacterial or fungal origin have emerged as important complications in patients receiving such treatments. The risk of infection due to anti-TNFα therapy is difficult to assess in these patients who are immunocompromised because of the underlying disease itself and of previous or concomitant immunosuppressive drugs. This excessive infection risk seems real, particularly in the first six months following treatment initiation, and higher for patients receiving anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies than for those receiving soluble TNFα receptor. The involved pathogens are pyogenic bacteria but also Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mostly by reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection, warranting a systematic preventive approach to screening and chemoprophylaxis before initiating the anti-TNFα therapy. In countries with low tuberculosis endemicity, an increased prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial infections has been reported. The incidence rate of legionellosis is high in this population. In case of pneumonia, empirical antibiotic therapy should cover Legionella pneumophila. Several cases of histoplasmosis have also been reported and this diagnosis should be suspected in patients who have traveled to endemic areas. Other opportunistic infections have been reported including Pneumocystis pneumonia, aspergillosis, and nocardiosis mostly in patients receiving other immunosuppressive treatments. The risk of infection should be evaluated as an individual risk depending on comorbidities and past or concomitant treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Astrometric satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindegren, Lennart

2012-01-01

The launch of the Hipparcos satellite in 1989 and the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 revolutionized astrometry. By no means does this imply that not much progress was made in the ground-based techniques used exclusively until then. On the contrary, the 1960s to 1980s saw an intense development of new or highly improved instruments, including photoelectric meridian circles, automated plate measuring machines, and the use of chargecoupled device (CCD) detectors for small-field differential astrometry (for a review of optical astrometry at the time, see Monet 1988). In the radio domain, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) astrometry already provided an extragalactic reference frame accurate to about 1 milliarcsecond (mas) (Ma et al. 1990). Spectacular improvements were made in terms of accuracy, the faintness of the observed objects, and their numbers. However, there was a widening gulf between small-angle astrometry, where differential techniques could overcome atmospheric effects down to below 1 mas, and large-angle astrometry, where conventional instruments such as meridian circles seemed to have hit a barrier in the underlying systematic errors at about 100 mas. Though very precise, the small-angle measurements were of limited use for the determination of positions and proper motions, due to the lack of suitable reference objects in the small fields, and even for parallaxes the necessary correction for the mean parallax of background stars was highly non-trivial. Linking the optical observations to the accurate VLBI frame also proved extremely difficult.

A probabilistic template of human mesopontine tegmental nuclei from in vivo 7T MRI.

PubMed

Bianciardi, Marta; Strong, Christian; Toschi, Nicola; Edlow, Brian L; Fischl, Bruce; Brown, Emery N; Rosen, Bruce R; Wald, Lawrence L

2018-04-15

Mesopontine tegmental nuclei such as the cuneiform, pedunculotegmental, oral pontine reticular, paramedian raphe and caudal linear raphe nuclei, are deep brain structures involved in arousal and motor function. Dysfunction of these nuclei is implicated in the pathogenesis of disorders of consciousness and sleep, as well as in neurodegenerative diseases. However, their localization in conventional neuroimages of living humans is difficult due to limited image sensitivity and contrast, and a stereotaxic probabilistic neuroimaging template of these nuclei in humans does not exist. We used semi-automatic segmentation of single-subject 1.1mm-isotropic 7T diffusion-fractional-anisotropy and T 2 -weighted images in healthy adults to generate an in vivo probabilistic neuroimaging structural template of these nuclei in standard stereotaxic (Montreal Neurological Institute, MNI) space. The template was validated through independent manual delineation, as well as leave-one-out validation and evaluation of nuclei volumes. This template can enable localization of five mesopontine tegmental nuclei in conventional images (e.g. 1.5T, 3T) in future studies of arousal and motor physiology (e.g. sleep, anesthesia, locomotion) and pathology (e.g. disorders of consciousness, sleep disorders, Parkinson's disease). The 7T magnetic resonance imaging procedure for single-subject delineation of these nuclei may also prove useful for future 7T studies of arousal and motor mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating and analyzing medical and environmental data using ETL and Business Intelligence tools.

PubMed

Villar, Alejandro; Zarrabeitia, María T; Fdez-Arroyabe, Pablo; Santurtún, Ana

2018-06-01

Processing data that originates from different sources (such as environmental and medical data) can prove to be a difficult task, due to the heterogeneity of variables, storage systems, and file formats that can be used. Moreover, once the amount of data reaches a certain threshold, conventional mining methods (based on spreadsheets or statistical software) become cumbersome or even impossible to apply. Data Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solutions provide a framework to normalize and integrate heterogeneous data into a local data store. Additionally, the application of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), a set of Business Intelligence (BI) methodologies and practices for multidimensional data analysis, can be an invaluable tool for its examination and mining. In this article, we describe a solution based on an ETL + OLAP tandem used for the on-the-fly analysis of tens of millions of individual medical, meteorological, and air quality observations from 16 provinces in Spain provided by 20 different national and regional entities in a diverse array for file types and formats, with the intention of evaluating the effect of several environmental variables on human health in future studies. Our work shows how a sizable amount of data, spread across a wide range of file formats and structures, and originating from a number of different sources belonging to various business domains, can be integrated in a single system that researchers can use for global data analysis and mining.

Integrating and analyzing medical and environmental data using ETL and Business Intelligence tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villar, Alejandro; Zarrabeitia, María T.; Fdez-Arroyabe, Pablo; Santurtún, Ana

2018-03-01

Processing data that originates from different sources (such as environmental and medical data) can prove to be a difficult task, due to the heterogeneity of variables, storage systems, and file formats that can be used. Moreover, once the amount of data reaches a certain threshold, conventional mining methods (based on spreadsheets or statistical software) become cumbersome or even impossible to apply. Data Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solutions provide a framework to normalize and integrate heterogeneous data into a local data store. Additionally, the application of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), a set of Business Intelligence (BI) methodologies and practices for multidimensional data analysis, can be an invaluable tool for its examination and mining. In this article, we describe a solution based on an ETL + OLAP tandem used for the on-the-fly analysis of tens of millions of individual medical, meteorological, and air quality observations from 16 provinces in Spain provided by 20 different national and regional entities in a diverse array for file types and formats, with the intention of evaluating the effect of several environmental variables on human health in future studies. Our work shows how a sizable amount of data, spread across a wide range of file formats and structures, and originating from a number of different sources belonging to various business domains, can be integrated in a single system that researchers can use for global data analysis and mining.

Integrating and analyzing medical and environmental data using ETL and Business Intelligence tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villar, Alejandro; Zarrabeitia, María T.; Fdez-Arroyabe, Pablo; Santurtún, Ana

2018-06-01

Processing data that originates from different sources (such as environmental and medical data) can prove to be a difficult task, due to the heterogeneity of variables, storage systems, and file formats that can be used. Moreover, once the amount of data reaches a certain threshold, conventional mining methods (based on spreadsheets or statistical software) become cumbersome or even impossible to apply. Data Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solutions provide a framework to normalize and integrate heterogeneous data into a local data store. Additionally, the application of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), a set of Business Intelligence (BI) methodologies and practices for multidimensional data analysis, can be an invaluable tool for its examination and mining. In this article, we describe a solution based on an ETL + OLAP tandem used for the on-the-fly analysis of tens of millions of individual medical, meteorological, and air quality observations from 16 provinces in Spain provided by 20 different national and regional entities in a diverse array for file types and formats, with the intention of evaluating the effect of several environmental variables on human health in future studies. Our work shows how a sizable amount of data, spread across a wide range of file formats and structures, and originating from a number of different sources belonging to various business domains, can be integrated in a single system that researchers can use for global data analysis and mining.

In vitro antidiabetic activity of various crude extracts of Boletus variipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muniandy, Sutha; Fazry, Shazrul; Daud, Fauzi; Senafi, Sahidan

2015-09-01

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease that progressively spread worldwide and difficult to treat due to various physical and metabolic complications. Current treatment using synthetic drugs has lead to various undesirable side effects. Here we determined the effect of Boletus variipes extracts on diabetes related enzymes. In this study, hot water, cold water and methanol extracts of B. variipes were utilized in order to assess their in vitro antidiabetic activity by measuring the effect on α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme. Hot water extract possessed the highest inhibition activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase in a concentration dependent manner with the IC50 value 87 mg/mL and 89 mg/mL respectively. The methanol extract also showed inhibition activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase but significantly lower than the hot water extract. Whereas cold water extract did not show any inhibition activity towards both the enzymes. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the hot water extract of Boletus variipes contains bioactive compound that can inhibit alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzyme activity. At the request of all authors of the paper an updated version was published on 11 May 2016. The original version identified the species of mushroom as Boletus variipes, but new findings have proved the species of mushroom to be Boletus qriseipurpureus. The species name has been updated throughout the revised version of this paper.

From fly ash waste slurry to functional adsorbent for valuable rare earth ion separation: An ingenious combination process involving modification, dewatering and grafting.

PubMed

Zhou, Qi; Luo, Tiantian; Yang, Heng; Liang, Cheng; Jing, Luru; Luo, Wenjun

2018-03-01

Acid extracting aluminum from fly ash would produce pestilent secondary fly ash slurry with strong acidity, high content of Cl - and residual Al 3+ that is difficult to be further used. In order to achieve the zero emission, a potential integrated treatment process for reutilization was proposed in this paper. By intelligent use of residual Al 3+ in sludge as catalyst, hydrophobic modification of solid particle was taken with fatty acid via a heterogeneous esterification at normal temperature. Due to the solvophobic force, moisture content of its filter cake was 36.46%, which reduced 11.14% compared with the unmodified one, hydrophobicity scale can achieve 100% with modifier accounting for only 0.8% of solid content and the Cl - concentrations decreased from 20 to 0.102 g/L in wash liquor, thus greatly saving water for washing and energy for drying. Subsequently, based on the appearance of hydrocarbon chains on particle surface, a high-efficiency ultraviolet-induced grafting polymerization was implemented to fabricate density polyacrylic acid decorated fly ash particles from the surface "CH" sites, the resultant composite was proved to efficiently separate valuable rare-earth Gd 3+ from wastewater with outstanding adsorption and regeneration performance, hence bringing high added-value utilization for these hazardous waste. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hawking's A Briefer History of Time's No-God-Universe disproven by primordial ^218Po halos embedded in granite rocks, which proves their rapid creation due to ^218Po's 3 min t1/2, something only the God of Genesis could have done

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentry, Robert

2011-04-01

Quotes from my Science (184, 62, 1974) report, Radiohalos in Radiochronological and Cosmological Perspective, show why primordial polonium halos earlier commanded attention for creation," It is also apparent that Po halos do pose contradictions to currently held views of Earth history" "For example, there is first the problem of how isotopic separation of several Po isotopes [or their β-decay precursors could have occurred naturally. Second, a straightforward explanation of ^218Po halos implies that the 1-μm radiocenters of very dark halos of this type initially contained as many as 5 x 10^9 atoms (a concentration of more than 50 percent) of the isotope ^218Po (half-life, 3 minutes), a problem that almost defies reason. A further necessary consequence, that such Po halos could have formed only if the host rocks underwent a rapid crystallization, renders exceedingly difficult, in my estimation, the prospect of explaining these halos by physical laws as presently understood." In 1977 E. P. Wigner, G. N. Flerov (Dubna), Ed Anders, E. Segre, F. Dyson, and John Wheeler all commented on these results (see alphacosmos.net). Also, ^14N detection in dwarf radiohalos may be of cosmological significance in implying a superheavy element origin from ^14C emission.

Extreme Warming Challenges Sentinel Status of Kelp Forests as Indicators of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, R. J.; Reed, D.; Washburn, L.; Rassweiler, A.; Bell, T. W.; Harrer, S.

2016-12-01

The ecological effects of global warming are expected to be large, but are proving difficult and costly to measure. This has led to a growing interest in using sentinel species as early warning indicators of impending climate change effects on entire ecosystems, raising awareness of the importance of verifying that such conservation shortcuts have sound biological foundations. A recent large-scale warming event in the North Pacific Ocean of unprecedented magnitude and duration allowed us to evaluate the sentinel status of giant kelp, a coastal foundation species that thrives in cold, nutrient-rich waters and considered sensitive to warming. Here we show that giant kelp did not presage ecosystem effects of extreme warming off southern California despite its expected vulnerability. Fluctuations in the biomass of giant kelp, understory algae, invertebrates and fish remained within historical ranges despite 34 months of above average temperatures and below average nutrients. Sea stars and sea urchins were exceptions, plummeting due to disease outbreaks linked to the warming. Our results challenge the IPCC predictions about the vulnerability of kelp-dominated systems to extreme warming events and question their use as early indicators of climate change. The resilience of giant kelp to unprecedented warming not only questions our understanding of kelp ecology, but exposes the risk of relying on supposed sentinel species that are assumed to be very sensitive to climate change.

New primer for specific amplification of the CAG repeat in Huntington disease alleles

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

Bond, C.E.; Hodes, M.E.

1994-09-01

Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat near the 5{prime} end of the gene for Huntington disease (IT15). The CAG repeat is flanked by a variable-length CCG repeat that is included in the amplification product obtained with most currently used primer sets and PCR protocols. Inclusion of this adjacent CCG repeat complicates the accurate assessment of CAG repeat length and interferes with the genotype determination of those individuals carrying alleles in the intermediate range between normal and expanded sized. Due to the GC-rich nature of this region, attempts at designingmore » a protocol for amplification of only the CAG repeat have proved unreliable and difficult to execute. We report here the development of a compatible primer set and PCR protocol that yields consistent amplification of the CAG-repeat region. PCR products can be visualized in ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels for rapid screening or in 6% polyacrylamide gels for determination of exact repeat length. This assay produces bands that can be sized accurately, while eliminating most nonspecific products. Fifty-five specimens examined showed consistency with another well-known method, but one that amplifies the CCG repeats as well. The results we obtained also matched the known carrier status of the donors.« less

Differing Perceptions Concerning Research Integrity Between Universities and Industry: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Godecharle, Simon; Nemery, Benoit; Dierickx, Kris

2017-09-14

Despite the ever increasing collaboration between industry and universities, the previous empirical studies on research integrity and misconduct excluded participants of biomedical industry. Hence, there is a lack of empirical data on how research managers and biomedical researchers active in industry perceive the issues of research integrity and misconduct, and whether or not their perspectives differ from those of researchers and research managers active in universities. If various standards concerning research integrity and misconduct are upheld between industry and universities, this might undermine research collaborations. Therefore we performed a qualitative study by conducting 22 semi-structured interviews in order to investigate and compare the perspectives and attitudes concerning the issues of research integrity and misconduct of research managers and biomedical researchers active in industry and universities. Our study showed clear discrepancies between both groups. Diverse strategies in order to manage research misconduct and to stimulate research integrity were observed. Different definitions of research misconduct were given, indicating that similar actions are judged heterogeneously. There were also differences at an individual level, whether the interviewees were active in industry or universities. Overall, the management of research integrity proves to be a difficult exercise, due to many diverse perspectives on several essential elements connected to research integrity and misconduct. A management policy that is not in line with the vision of the biomedical researchers and research managers is at risk of being inefficient.

Studies of LA-ICP-MS on quartz glasses at different wavelengths of a Nd:YAG laser.

PubMed

Becker, J S; Tenzler, D

2001-07-01

The capability of LA-ICP-MS for determination of trace impurities in transparent quartz glasses was investigated. Due to low or completely lacking absorption of laser radiation, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) proves difficult on transparent solids, and in particular the quantification of measurement results is problematic in these circumstances. Quartz glass reference materials of various compositions were studied by using a Nd:YAG laser system with focused laser radiation of wavelengths of 1064 nm, 532 nm and 266 nm, and an ICP-QMS (Elan 6000, Perkin Elmer). The influence of ICP and laser ablation conditions in the analysis of quartz glasses of different compositions was investigated, with the laser power density in the region of interaction between laser radiation and solid surface determining the ablation process. The trace element concentration was determined via calibration curves recorded with the aid of quartz glass reference materials. Under optimized measuring conditions the correlation coefficients of the calibration curves are in the range of 0.9-1. The relative sensitivity factors of the trace elements determined in the quartz glass matrix are 0.1-10 for most of the trace elements studied by LA-ICP-MS. The detection limits of the trace elements in quartz glass are in the low ng/g to pg/g range.

Laser Scanning System for Pressure and Temperature Paints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, John

1997-01-01

Acquiring pressure maps of aerodynamic surfaces is very important for improving and validating the performance of aerospace vehicles. Traditional pressure measurements are taken with pressure taps embedded in the model surface that are connected to transducers. While pressure taps allow highly accurate measurements to be acquired, they do have several drawbacks. Pressure taps do not give good spatial resolution due to the need for individual pressure tubes, compounded by limited space available inside models. Also, building a model proves very costly if taps are needed because of the large amount of labor necessary to drill, connect and test each one. The typical cost to install one tap is about $200. Recently, a new method for measuring pressure on aerodynamic surfaces has been developed utilizing a technology known as pressure sensitive paints (PSP). Using PSP, pressure distributions can be acquired optically with high spatial resolution and simple model preparation. Flow structures can be easily visualized using PSP, but are missed using low spatial resolution arrays of pressure taps. PSP even allows pressure distributions to be found on rotating machinery where previously this has been extremely difficult or even impossible. The goal of this research is to develop a laser scanning system for use with pressure sensitive paints that allows accurate pressure measurements to be obtained on various aerodynamic surfaces ranging from wind tunnel models to high speed jet engine compressor blades.

[Retrospective study of the implementation of the qualitative PCR technique in biological samples for monitoring toxoplasmosis in pediatric patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

PubMed

Nigro, Mónica G; Figueroa, Carlos; Ledesma, Bibiana A

2014-01-01

Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The infection is severe and difficult to diagnose in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Twelve patients receiving HSCT were monitored post-transplant, by qualitative PCR at the Children's Hospital S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan". The monitoring of these patients was defined by a history of positive serology for toxoplasmosis in the donor or recipient and because their hematologic condition did not allow the use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for prophylaxis. During the patients' monitoring, two of them with positive PCR results showed signs of illness by T. gondii and were treated with pyrimethamine-clindamycin. In two other patients, toxoplasmosis was the cause of death and an autopsy finding, showing negative PCR results. Four patients without clinical manifestations received treatment for toxoplasmosis because of positive PCR detection. In four patients there were no signs of toxoplasmosis disease and negative PCR results during follow-up. The qualitative PCR technique proved useful for the detection of toxoplasmosis reactivation in HSCT recipients, but has limitations in monitoring and making clinical decisions due to the persistence of positive PCR over time and manifestations of toxicity caused by the treatment. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

IL-6 blockade in the management of non-infectious uveitis.

PubMed

Lopalco, Giuseppe; Fabiani, Claudia; Sota, Jurgen; Lucherini, Orso Maria; Tosi, Gian Marco; Frediani, Bruno; Iannone, Florenzo; Galeazzi, Mauro; Franceschini, Rossella; Rigante, Donato; Cantarini, Luca

2017-07-01

Several pathogenetic studies have paved the way for a newer more rational therapeutic approach to non-infectious uveitis, and treatment of different forms of immune-driven uveitis has drastically evolved in recent years after the advent of biotechnological drugs. Tumor necrosis factor-α targeted therapies, the first-line recommended biologics in uveitis, have certainly led to remarkable results in patients with non-infectious uveitis. Nevertheless, the decision-making process turns out to be extremely difficult in anti-tumor necrosis factor or multidrug-resistant cases. Interleukin (IL)-6 holds a critical role in the pathogenic pathways of uveitis, due to its extended and protean range of effects. On this background, manipulation of IL-6 inflammatory cascade has unraveled encouraging outcomes. For instance, rising evidence has been achieved regarding the successful use of tocilizumab, the humanized monoclonal antibody targeted against the IL-6 receptor, in treating uveitis related to juvenile idiopathic arthritis or Behçet's disease. Similar findings have also been reported for uveitis associated with systemic disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or multicentric Castleman disease, but also for idiopathic uveitis, the rare birdshot chorioretinopathy, and even in cases complicated by macular edema. This work provides a digest of all current experiences and evidences concerning IL-6 blockade, as suggested by the medical literature, proving its potential role in the management of non-infectious uveitis.

Computational modeling and statistical analyses on individual contact rate and exposure to disease in complex and confined transportation hubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. L.; Tsui, K. L.; Lo, S. M.; Liu, S. B.

2018-01-01

Crowded transportation hubs such as metro stations are thought as ideal places for the development and spread of epidemics. However, for the special features of complex spatial layout, confined environment with a large number of highly mobile individuals, it is difficult to quantify human contacts in such environments, wherein disease spreading dynamics were less explored in the previous studies. Due to the heterogeneity and dynamic nature of human interactions, increasing studies proved the importance of contact distance and length of contact in transmission probabilities. In this study, we show how detailed information on contact and exposure patterns can be obtained by statistical analyses on microscopic crowd simulation data. To be specific, a pedestrian simulation model-CityFlow was employed to reproduce individuals' movements in a metro station based on site survey data, values and distributions of individual contact rate and exposure in different simulation cases were obtained and analyzed. It is interesting that Weibull distribution fitted the histogram values of individual-based exposure in each case very well. Moreover, we found both individual contact rate and exposure had linear relationship with the average crowd densities of the environments. The results obtained in this paper can provide reference to epidemic study in complex and confined transportation hubs and refine the existing disease spreading models.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil and the gum of Pistacia lentiscus Var. chia.

PubMed

Koutsoudaki, Christina; Krsek, Martin; Rodger, Alison

2005-10-05

The essential oil and gum of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia, commonly known as the mastic tree, are natural antimicrobial agents that have found extensive uses in medicine in recent years. In this work, the chemical composition of mastic oil and gum was studied by GC-MS, and the majority of their components was identified. alpha-Pinene, beta-myrcene, beta-pinene, limonene, and beta-caryophyllene were found to be the major components. The antibacterial activity of 12 components of mastic oil and the oil itself was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. Furthermore, attempts were made to separate the essential oil into different fractions in order to have a better picture of the components responsible for its antibacterial activity. Several trace components that appear to contribute significantly to the antibacterial activity of mastic oil have been identified: verbenone, alpha-terpineol, and linalool. The sensitivity to these compounds was different for different bacteria tested (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis), which suggests that the antibacterial efficacy of mastic oil is due to a number of its components working synergistically. The establishment of a correlation between the antibacterial activity of mastic oil and its components was the main purpose of this research. Mastic gum was also examined, but it proved to be more difficult to handle compared to the essential oil.

Lattice-Boltzmann simulations of microswimmer-tracer interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Graaf, Joost; Stenhammar, Joakim

2017-02-01

Hydrodynamic interactions in systems composed of self-propelled particles, such as swimming microorganisms and passive tracers, have a significant impact on the tracer dynamics compared to the equivalent "dry" sample. However, such interactions are often difficult to take into account in simulations due to their computational cost. Here, we perform a systematic investigation of swimmer-tracer interaction using an efficient force-counterforce-based lattice-Boltzmann (LB) algorithm [De Graaf et al., J. Chem. Phys. 144, 134106 (2016), 10.1063/1.4944962] in order to validate its ability to capture the relevant low-Reynolds-number physics. We show that the LB algorithm reproduces far-field theoretical results well, both in a system with periodic boundary conditions and in a spherical cavity with no-slip walls, for which we derive expressions here. The force-lattice coupling of the LB algorithm leads to a "smearing out" of the flow field, which strongly perturbs the tracer trajectories at close swimmer-tracer separations, and we analyze how this effect can be accurately captured using a simple renormalized hydrodynamic theory. Finally, we show that care must be taken when using LB algorithms to simulate systems of self-propelled particles, since its finite momentum transport time can lead to significant deviations from theoretical predictions based on Stokes flow. These insights should prove relevant to the future study of large-scale microswimmer suspensions using these methods.

[Development of an attitude-measurement questionnaire using the semantic differential technique: defining the attitudes of radiological technology students toward X-ray examination].

PubMed

Tamura, Naomi; Terashita, Takayoshi; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko

2014-03-01

In general, it is difficult to objectively evaluate the results of an educational program. The semantic differential (SeD) technique, a methodology used to measure the connotative meaning of objects, words, and concepts, can, however, be applied to the evaluation of students' attitudes. In this study, we aimed to achieve an objective evaluation of the effects of radiological technology education. We therefore investigated the attitude of radiological students using the SeD technique. We focused on X-ray examinations in the field of radiological technology science. Bipolar adjective scales were used for the SeD questionnaire. To create the questionnaire, appropriate adjectives were selected from past reports of X-ray examination practice. The participants were 32 senior students at Hokkaido University at the Division of Radiological Technology at the School of Medicine's Department of Health Sciences. All the participants completed the questionnaire. The study was conducted in early June 2012. Attitudes toward X-ray examination were identified using a factor analysis of 11 adjectives. The factor analysis revealed the following three attitudes: feelings of expectation, responsibility, and resistance. Knowledge regarding the attitudes that students have toward X-ray examination will prove useful for evaluating the effects of educational intervention. In this study, a sampling bias may have occurred due to the small sample size; however, no other biases were observed.

Simultaneous separation and purification of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and caffeine from tea extract by size exclusion effect on modified porous adsorption material.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaofeng; Xu, Yi; Zhang, Qing; Cao, Kun; Mu, Xiuni

2016-09-15

A dual-task method for the simultaneous separation and purification of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine (CAF) from crude extract of green tea was established by size exclusion effect onto hydroquinone modified porous adsorbents. The results showed that hydroquinone modified porous adsorbents P4 provided the best separation power due to it has more porous structure and phenolic hydroxyl group. The adsorption-desorption behaviors of EGCG and CAF onto P4 adsorbents were investigated. Adsorption kinetics of EGCG and CAF results showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results also indicated that the equilibrium adsorption data best fit the Langmuir model. Meanwhile, EGCG and CAF were separated successfully onto P4 adsorbents packed columns in a gradient eluent process, and P4 adsorbents exhibited the size exclusion effect for small molecules CAF. Based on the phenolic hydroxyl group and size exclusion effect of P4 adsorbents, the high purity EGCG and CAF were obtained with 40% (v/v) ethanol eluent successively. The process fulfilled the task of simultaneous separation and purification of EGCG and CAF, and proved to be a promising basis for preparations of difficult to obtain active components that have similar polarity and different sizes of molecules and derived from the same natural products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood: a genetically informed cross-lagged analysis.

PubMed

Micalizzi, Lauren; Wang, Manjie; Saudino, Kimberly J

2017-03-01

A genetically informed longitudinal cross-lagged model was applied to twin data to explore etiological links between difficult temperament and negative parenting in early childhood. The sample comprised 313 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Difficult temperament and negative parenting were assessed at ages 2 and 3 using parent ratings. Both constructs were interrelated within and across age (rs .34-.47) and showed substantial stability (rs .65-.68). Difficult temperament and negative parenting were influenced by genetic and environmental factors at ages 2 and 3. The genetic and nonshared environmental correlations (rs .21-.76) at both ages suggest overlap at the level of etiology between the phenotypes. Significant bidirectional associations between difficult temperament and negative parenting were found. The cross-lagged association from difficult temperament at age 2 to negative parenting at age 3 and from negative parenting at age 2 and difficult temperament at age 3 were due to genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors. Substantial novel genetic and nonshared environmental influences emerged at age 3 and suggest change in the etiology of these constructs over time. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Inductive reasoning and intelligence test performance--analysis of the manner of the effect of 2 thought training methods for children].

PubMed

Hager, W; Hasselhorn, M; Hübner, S

1995-10-01

For his training programs of inductive reasoning Klauer postulates a transfer effect to inductive thinking as well as to (performance in tests of) intelligence. As evidence for these claims, however, he uses the same data. That means the same tests are used to prove enhancement of inductive thinking and to prove transfer to performance in tests of intelligence. Moreover, Klauer's claim to train inductive thinking is criticized since better performances in at least some of the tests he administers can result due to enhancements in the area of visual perception. Finally, we ask what kind of effects the programs result in: Are they mere coaching effects or do the programs result in better performance due to enhanced competencies? The empirical evidence suggest that positive effects on inductive thinking do not last as long as perceptual competencies that are necessarily fostered when visual material is presented to children.

Comparison of Field Measurements to Methane Emissions Models at a New Landfill

EPA Science Inventory

Due to both technical and economic limitations, estimates of methane emissions from landfills rely primarily on models. While models are easy to implement, there is uncertainty due to the use of parameters that are difficult to validate. The objective of this research was to comp...

Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software Boot Robustness Testing Project Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Brian

2011-01-01

On the surface of Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory will boot up its flight computers every morning, having charged the batteries through the night. This boot process is complicated, critical, and affected by numerous hardware states that can be difficult to test. The hardware test beds do not facilitate testing a long duration of back-to-back unmanned automated tests, and although the software simulation has provided the necessary functionality and fidelity for this boot testing, there has not been support for the full flexibility necessary for this task. Therefore to perform this testing a framework has been build around the software simulation that supports running automated tests loading a variety of starting configurations for software and hardware states. This implementation has been tested against the nominal cases to validate the methodology, and support for configuring off-nominal cases is ongoing. The implication of this testing is that the introduction of input configurations that have yet proved difficult to test may reveal boot scenarios worth higher fidelity investigation, and in other cases increase confidence in the robustness of the flight software boot process.

[Chemicals toxic to the olfactory system. Analysis and description].

PubMed

Norès, J M; Biacabe, B; Bonfils, P

2000-10-28

AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM: Occupational exposure to chemical products can have toxic effects on the olfactory system. An important number of patients have experienced olfactory disorders subsequent to the development of the chemical industry and atmospheric pollution. EPIDEMIOLOGY DATA: Straightforward data are difficult to collect because several cofactors other than the toxic product are involved. Two lists of toxic products can be made. The first list includes products for which scientific data is available and the second products for which data is lacking. Olfactory tests also differ between authors and countries. TWO TYPES OF TOXICITY: Acute, accidental toxicity is evidenced by the lesions caused by inhalation of high-doses of strongly toxic agents. Chronic intoxication caused by lower concentrations of these inhaled agents does not produce a trigeminal reflex leading to a modified respiratory rate reducing the airborne aggression. APPROXIMATIONS: Clinical data describing the olfactory toxicity of certain industrial and chemical compounds are very significant but often cannot prove a cause and effect relationship. Data obtained with experimental models in rodents are difficult to extrapolate to humans.

Can hospital relocations and closures be stopped through the legal system?

PubMed Central

Rose, M G

1983-01-01

The recent history of litigation to stop hospital closings in or relocations from minority communities is reviewed. Legal arguments and facts raised by plaintiffs and defendants in seven cases are summarized in the context of civil rights and health planning legislation. The results of the litigation are mixed. One hospital was denied permission to close, but this was decided principally on procedural grounds. A planning agency's recommendation against closing another hospital may prove difficult to implement for financial reasons. Several cases have resulted in modifications of relocation plans and have established guarantees of certain rights to plaintiffs. These, however, may be difficult to enforce if hospitals lack the desire or resources to sustain needed levels of service. Generally, the courts have been reluctant to undertake socioeconomic decision making. They have tended to excuse relocations with racially discriminatory impacts when it has been argued that the relocations were necessary for hospital financial survival, and they have been unwilling to test the credibility of those arguments. Legal avenues to contesting with success the closing of most hospitals also appear to be blocked by similar untested contentions. PMID:6199325

Methoxyflurane analgesia for burns dressings

PubMed Central

Packer, Kathleen J.

1972-01-01

The requirements for analgesia for burns dressings are discussed. Methoxyflurane has proved satisfactory in a clinical trial, and can be administered by one of two types of vaporizer. The possibility of nephrotoxicity due to methoxyflurane has not been eliminated. PMID:5024149

Existence of Torsional Solitons in a Beam Model of Suspension Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benci, Vieri; Fortunato, Donato; Gazzola, Filippo

2017-11-01

This paper studies the existence of solitons, namely stable solitary waves, in an idealized suspension bridge. The bridge is modeled as an unbounded degenerate plate, that is, a central beam with cross sections, and displays two degrees of freedom: the vertical displacement of the beam and the torsional angles of the cross sections. Under fairly general assumptions, we prove the existence of solitons. Under the additional assumption of large tension in the sustaining cables, we prove that these solitons have a nontrivial torsional component. This appears relevant for security since several suspension bridges collapsed due to torsional oscillations.

Comment on "Similarity between quantum mechanics and thermodynamics: Entropy, temperature, and Carnot cycle".

PubMed

González-Díaz, L A; Díaz-Solórzano, S

2015-05-01

In the paper by Abe and Okuyama [Phys. Rev. E 83, 021121 (2011)], the quantum Carnot cycle of a simple two-state model of a particle confined in a one-dimensional infinite potential well is discussed. It is claimed that the state at the beginning of the quantum Carnot cycle is pure. After that, it is apparently transmuted to a mixed state if Clausius equality is imposed. We prove that this statement is incorrect. In particular, we prove that the state at the beginning of the cycle is mixed due to the process of measuring energy.

Determination of properties of PVE lubricants with HFC refrigerants[PolyVinylEther

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

Kaneko, Masato; Sakanoue, Shuichi; Tazaki, Toshihiro

1999-07-01

Polyalkyleneglycol (PAG) and polyol ester (POE) have been developed as refrigeration lubricants, used with HFC134a. PAG is used for automotive air conditioning systems and POE is used for domestic reciprocating refrigerators and for A/C systems. Although PAG exhibits good lubricity performance, it is difficult to use for domestic reciprocating refrigerators due to its low dielectric property. POE is difficult to use for automotive A/C systems, due to hydrolysis and poor lubricity performance. Polyvinylether (PVE) can be used in place of PAG and POE with HFC refrigerants. PVE is used for A/C systems as well as refrigerator and freezer applications. PVEmore » is an ideal lubricant for use with HFCs.« less

JPRS Report. Science & Technology: Japan

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-16

methane. So, it has been proved that seawater containing methane and sulfur, which oozed out at this point from underground, grew bacteria, a food ...activity was measured by dispersing glass powder at the seabed and the speed of extinction due to food poisoning was also measured by leaving dead...solar light is very small due to the scarcity of food . However, a special ecosystem nourished with bacteria, which eat methane and inorganic compounds

Cross-reacting carbohydrate determinants and hymenoptera venom allergy.

PubMed

Brehler, Randolf; Grundmann, Sonja; Stöcker, Benedikt

2013-08-01

Insect venom allergy is an important cause of anaphylaxis. Venom immunotherapy assume the clear identification of the culprit insect, but this is impeded by Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to cross reactive carbohydrate determinant (CCD) epitopes of common glycoproteins. Here we give an overview about inducers, importance, and relevance of anti-N-Glycan CCD IgE antibodies. Pollen exposure and insect stings induce anti-CCD IgE antibodies interfering with in-vitro tests for allergy diagnosis due to extensive IgE cross-reactivity. Instead of being biologically active these antibodies are irrelevant for allergic reactions due to hymenoptera stings. The general response of the immune system to the ubiquitous exposure to N-glycan containing glycoproteins is still a matter of debate. CCD specific IgG antibodies in sera of bee keepers suggest tolerance induction due to high-dose exposure. Tolerance induction by pollen and food glycoproteins has not been proved. Hymenoptera stings and pollen exposure induce anti-CCD IgE. In regard to anaphylaxis due to Hymenoptera stings these antibodies are not clinically relevant, but they are important for the specificity of in-vitro tests proving insect venom allergy. The introduction of component based diagnostic IgE testing improves the specificity of in-vitro tests if proteins devoid of CCD epitopes are used.

The analysis method of the DRAM cell pattern hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyusun; Lee, Kweonjae; Chang, Jinman; Kim, Taeheon; Han, Daehan; Hong, Aeran; Kim, Yonghyeon; Kang, Jinyoung; Choi, Bumjin; Lee, Joosung; Lee, Jooyoung; Hong, Hyeongsun; Lee, Kyupil; Jin, Gyoyoung

2015-03-01

It is increasingly difficult to determine degree of completion of the patterning and the distribution at the DRAM Cell Patterns. When we research DRAM Device Cell Pattern, there are three big problems currently, it is as follows. First, due to etch loading, it is difficult to predict the potential defect. Second, due to under layer topology, it is impossible to demonstrate the influence of the hotspot. Finally, it is extremely difficult to predict final ACI pattern by the photo simulation, because current patterning process is double patterning technology which means photo pattern is completely different from final etch pattern. Therefore, if the hotspot occurs in wafer, it is very difficult to find it. CD-SEM is the most common pattern measurement tool in semiconductor fabrication site. CD-SEM is used to accurately measure small region of wafer pattern primarily. Therefore, there is no possibility of finding places where unpredictable defect occurs. Even though, "Current Defect detector" can measure a wide area, every chip has same pattern issue, the detector cannot detect critical hotspots. Because defect detecting algorithm of bright field machine is based on image processing, if same problems occur on compared and comparing chip, the machine cannot identify it. Moreover this instrument is not distinguished the difference of distribution about 1nm~3nm. So, "Defect detector" is difficult to handle the data for potential weak point far lower than target CD. In order to solve those problems, another method is needed. In this paper, we introduce the analysis method of the DRAM Cell Pattern Hotspot.

Spinal osteomyelitis due to Aspergillus flavus in a child: a rare complication after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Beluffi, Giampiero; Bernardo, Maria Ester; Meloni, Giulia; Spinazzola, Angelo; Locatelli, Franco

2008-06-01

We report the case of a child affected by acute myeloid leukaemia who was treated with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and developed cervicothoracic spinal osteomyelitis due to Aspergillus flavus. The diagnosis was difficult on a clinical basis, but made possible by conventional radiography and MRI.

Special Education Financing and ADHD Medications: A Bitter Pill to Swallow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrill, Melinda Sandler

2018-01-01

Accurate diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children is difficult because the major symptoms, inattentiveness and hyperactivity, can be exhibited by any child. This study finds evidence of systematic differences in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD due to third party financial incentives. In some states, due to the…

Giant spigelian hernia due to abdominal wall injury: a case report.

PubMed

Topal, Ersun; Kaya, Ekrem; Topal, Naile Bolca; Sahin, Ilker

2007-02-01

Spigelian hernia is a rare clinical entity. It is difficult to diagnose due to its location. In this article we report the case of a giant spigelian hernia consequent to abdominal wall injury. The neck of the hernia was 10 cm in diameter. We repaired this hernia with a polypropylene mesh.

Transfer of Algebraic and Graphical Thinking between Mathematics and Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potgieter, Marietjie; Harding, Ansie; Engelbrecht, Johann

2008-01-01

Students in undergraduate chemistry courses find, as a rule, topics with a strong mathematical basis difficult to master. In this study we investigate whether such mathematically related problems are due to deficiencies in their mathematics foundation or due to the complexity introduced by transfer of mathematics to a new scientific domain. In the…

Due-Window Assignment Scheduling with Variable Job Processing Times

PubMed Central

Wu, Yu-Bin

2015-01-01

We consider a common due-window assignment scheduling problem jobs with variable job processing times on a single machine, where the processing time of a job is a function of its position in a sequence (i.e., learning effect) or its starting time (i.e., deteriorating effect). The problem is to determine the optimal due-windows, and the processing sequence simultaneously to minimize a cost function includes earliness, tardiness, the window location, window size, and weighted number of tardy jobs. We prove that the problem can be solved in polynomial time. PMID:25918745

Chemistry, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities of volatile oils and their components.

PubMed

De Martino, Laura; De Feo, Vincenzo; Fratianni, Florinda; Nazzaro, Filomena

2009-12-01

The present paper reports the chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of several essential oils and their components. Analysis showed that three oils (Carum carvi L., Verbena officinalis L. and Majorana hortensis L.) contained predominantly oxygenated monoterpenes, while others studied (Pimpinella anisum L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) mainly contained anethole. C. carvi, V. officinalis and M. hortensis oils exhibited the most potent antioxidant activity, due their contents of carvacrol, anethole and estragol. Antibacterial action was assessed against a range of pathogenic and useful bacteria and fungi of agro-food interest. V. officinalis and C. carvi oils proved the most effective, in particular against Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Carvacrol proved most active against Escherichia coli, and completely inhibited the growth of Penicillium citrinum. The oils proved inactive towards some Lactobacilli strains, whereas single components showed an appreciable activity. These results may be important for use of the essential oils as natural preservatives for food products.

Impact of cooking, proving, and baking on the (poly)phenol content of wild blueberry.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana; Cifuentes-Gomez, Tania; George, Trevor W; Spencer, Jeremy P E

2014-05-07

Accumulating evidence suggests that diets rich in (poly)phenols may have positive effects on human health. Currently there is limited information regarding the effects of processing on the (poly)phenolic content of berries, in particular in processes related to the baking industry. This study investigated the impact of cooking, proving, and baking on the anthocyanin, procyanidin, flavonol, and phenolic acid contents of wild blueberry using HPLC with UV and fluorescence detection. Anthocyanin levels decreased during cooking, proving, and baking, whereas no significant changes were observed for total procyanidins. However, lower molecular weight procyanidins increased and high molecular weight oligomers decreased during the process. Quercetin and ferulic and caffeic acid levels remained constant, whereas increases were found for chlorogenic acid. Due to their possible health benefits, a better understanding of the impact of processing is important to maximize the retention of these phytochemicals in berry-containing products.

Condom makers jockey for position in barrier warfare.

PubMed

1995-01-01

U.S. condom manufacturers are receiving competition from high quality Japanese products. However, the sale of a plastic polyurethane condom by U.S. manufacturer, London International, could potentially outsell Japanese ultra-thin condoms. The polyurethane products can be made at a uniform thinness, resulting in a more sensitive condom. Industry analysts are not sure about the impact of a plastic condom. Some feel that even if they prove to be safer than latex condoms, polyurethane condoms will have a difficult time competing against established brands. Others feel that if consumer response is positive, the potential profits provide a strong incentive for companies to invest in the efficacy studies and marketing of a polyurethane product.

Accelerating Innovation in the Creation of Biovalue: The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.

PubMed

Gardner, John; Webster, Andrew

2017-09-01

The field of regenerative medicine (RM) has considerable therapeutic promise that is proving difficult to realize. As a result, governments have supported the establishment of intermediary agencies to "accelerate" innovation. This article examines in detail one such agency, the United Kingdom's Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC). We describe CGTC's role as an accelerator agency and its value narrative, which combines both "health and wealth." Drawing on the notion of sociotechnical imaginaries, we unpack the tensions within this narrative and its instantiation as the CGTC cell therapy infrastructure is built and engages with other agencies, some of which have different priorities and roles to play within the RM field.

Yet another proof of Hawking and Ellis's Lemma 8.5.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnikov, S.

2014-11-01

The fact that the null generators of a future Cauchy horizon are past-complete was first proved by Hawking and Ellis (1973 The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)). Then, Budzyński, Kondracki and Królak outlined a proof free from the error found in the original one (2000 New properties of Cauchy and event horizons arXiv:gr-qc/0011033). Now, Minguzzi has published his version of the proof (2014 J. Math. Phys. 55 082503), patching a previously unnoticed hole in the preceding two. I am not aware of any flaws in that last proof, but it is quite difficult. In this note, I present a simpler one.

The radioimmunoassay and physiology of somatostatin in the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

PubMed

McIntosh, C; Arnold, R

1978-05-01

Radioimmunoassays for somatostain have demonstrated that high concentrations of the polypeptide are present in the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract of a number of species. Although measurement in tissue extracts is relatively unproblematic, detection and characterization of somatostatin-like material in plasma has proved technically difficult. Studies of pancreatic somatostatin release in vitro suggest a possible function in the regulation of islet hormone secretion, but the mode of action remains to be elucidated. Although, at present, no clinical relevance can be attributed to the somatostain radioimmunoassay reports of somatostatin secreting tumors and changes in stomach tissue content in patients with ulcer disease indicate a contributory role in the pathophysiology of certain disease states.

Council tax valuation bands and contacts with a GP out-of-hours service.

PubMed

Beale, Norman; Taylor, Gordon; Gwynne, Mark; Peart, Carole

2006-04-01

UK GPs are no longer responsible for the organisation of out-of-hours care for their patients, but resources remains capitation-based. This cross-sectional study tests whether council tax valuation bands can predict the demand for such services. All out-of-hours contacts made by patients in North Wiltshire over 4 months were classified by council tax band; frequencies compared with official population statistics. Council tax band predicts out-of-hours GP workload irrespective of age and sex: the more modest the home, the higher the GP contact rate. It may prove more difficult to sustain out-of-hours services in deprived parts of the UK.

Accelerating Innovation in the Creation of Biovalue

PubMed Central

Webster, Andrew

2017-01-01

The field of regenerative medicine (RM) has considerable therapeutic promise that is proving difficult to realize. As a result, governments have supported the establishment of intermediary agencies to “accelerate” innovation. This article examines in detail one such agency, the United Kingdom’s Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC). We describe CGTC’s role as an accelerator agency and its value narrative, which combines both “health and wealth.” Drawing on the notion of sociotechnical imaginaries, we unpack the tensions within this narrative and its instantiation as the CGTC cell therapy infrastructure is built and engages with other agencies, some of which have different priorities and roles to play within the RM field. PMID:28845068

Convex Optimization over Classes of Multiparticle Entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Jiangwei; Gühne, Otfried

2018-02-01

A well-known strategy to characterize multiparticle entanglement utilizes the notion of stochastic local operations and classical communication (SLOCC), but characterizing the resulting entanglement classes is difficult. Given a multiparticle quantum state, we first show that Gilbert's algorithm can be adapted to prove separability or membership in a certain entanglement class. We then present two algorithms for convex optimization over SLOCC classes. The first algorithm uses a simple gradient approach, while the other one employs the accelerated projected-gradient method. For demonstration, the algorithms are applied to the likelihood-ratio test using experimental data on bound entanglement of a noisy four-photon Smolin state [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 130501 (2010), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.130501].

Development of the Macro Command Editing Executive System for Factory Workers-Oriented Programless Visual Inspection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anezaki, Takashi; Wakitani, Kouichi; Nakamura, Masatoshi; Kubo, Hiroyasu

Because visual inspection systems are difficult to tune, they create many problems for the kaizen process. This results in increased development costs and time to assure that the inspection systems function properly. In order to improve inspection system development, we designed an easy-tuning system called a “Program-less” visual inspection system. The ROI macro command which consisted of eight kinds of shape recognition macro commands and decision, operation, control commands was built. Furthermore, the macro command editing executive system was developed by the operation of only the GUI without editing source program. The validity of the ROI macro command was proved by the application of 488 places.

Selective catalytic reduction manages ships' emissions

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

McMahon, K.R.

1994-10-01

Ships employed by USS-Posco Industries are the first seagoing vessels that use selective catalytic reduction in marine diesel engine design, resulting in a 90 percent reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions. The vessels, which deliver semifinished steel coils, or hot bands'', to the company's terminal in the San Francisco Bay area, were commissioned for $120 million by Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., one of UPI's parent companies. Installing the catalytic reduction equipment cost $12 million. As anticipated, NOx concentrations were reduced between 90 percent and 95 percent. However, achieving high mass NOx reduction proved more difficult, because exhaust gas hadmore » to be maintained within the desired temperature range.« less

Crystal-field-driven redox reactions: How common minerals split H2O and CO2 into reduced H2 and C plus oxygen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freund, F.; Batllo, F.; Leroy, R. C.; Lersky, S.; Masuda, M. M.; Chang, S.

1991-01-01

It is difficult to prove the presence of molecular H2 and reduced C in minerals containing dissolved H2 and CO2. A technique was developed which unambiguously shows that minerals grown in viciously reducing environments contain peroxy in their crystal structures. The peroxy represent interstitial oxygen atoms left behind when the solute H2O and/or CO2 split off H2 and C as a result of internal redox reactions, driven by the crystal field. The observation of peroxy affirms the presence of H2 and reduced C. It shows that the solid state is indeed an unusual reaction medium.

ICE telemetry performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layland, J. W.

1986-01-01

Acquiring telemetry data from the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) at its encounter with the comet Giacobini-Zinner on September 11, 1985 proved to be among the more difficult challenges the DSN has met in recent years. The ICE spacecraft began its life as an Earth orbiting monitor of the Solar Wind. At the comet, ICE was nearly 50 times as distant as in its initial role, with its signal strength diminished nearly 2500 times. Collecting enough of that weak signal to provide meaningful scientific data about the comet required unique new telemetry capabilities and special handling by the DSN. This article describes the development and validation of the DSN telemetry capability for ICE from its early planning stages through the successful comet encounter.

CLIPS application user interface for the PC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Jim; Holbrook, Rebecca; Shewhart, Mark; Crouse, Joey; Yarost, Stuart

1991-01-01

The majority of applications that utilize expert system development programs for their knowledge representation and inferencing capability require some form of interface with the end user. This interface is more than likely an interaction through the computer screen. When building an application the user interface can prove to be the most difficult and time consuming aspect to program. Commercial products currently exist which address this issue. To keep pace C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) will need to find a solution for their lack of an easy to use Application User Interface (AUI). This paper represents a survey of the DoD CLIPS' user community and provides the backbone of a possible solution.

Dynamic Control of Plans with Temporal Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Paul; Muscettola, Nicola; Vidal, Thierry

2001-01-01

Certain planning systems that deal with quantitative time constraints have used an underlying Simple Temporal Problem solver to ensure temporal consistency of plans. However, many applications involve processes of uncertain duration whose timing cannot be controlled by the execution agent. These cases require more complex notions of temporal feasibility. In previous work, various "controllability" properties such as Weak, Strong, and Dynamic Controllability have been defined. The most interesting and useful Controllability property, the Dynamic one, has ironically proved to be the most difficult to analyze. In this paper, we resolve the complexity issue for Dynamic Controllability. Unexpectedly, the problem turns out to be tractable. We also show how to efficiently execute networks whose status has been verified.

Managing Medicaid managed care: are states becoming prudent purchasers?

PubMed

Fossett, J W; Goggin, M; Hall, J S; Johnston, J; Plein, L C; Roper, R; Weissert, C

2000-01-01

This paper examines the extent to which five states are becoming "prudent purchasers" in their oversight of Medicaid managed care. Our conclusions are mixed. These states are making more sustained efforts along these lines than most private purchasers are and have improved the amount and quality of the data they collect on the experiences of Medicaid clients when compared with the traditional fee-for-service program. They have been less successful in ensuring data quality that is adequate to support contracting decisions and in developing the analytical or political capacity to use data to "manage" the managed care system. Becoming a prudent purchaser appears to be a complex task for states that may prove difficult to achieve.

Game theory-based visual tracking approach focusing on color and texture features.

PubMed

Jin, Zefenfen; Hou, Zhiqiang; Yu, Wangsheng; Chen, Chuanhua; Wang, Xin

2017-07-20

It is difficult for a single-feature tracking algorithm to achieve strong robustness under a complex environment. To solve this problem, we proposed a multifeature fusion tracking algorithm that is based on game theory. By focusing on color and texture features as two gamers, this algorithm accomplishes tracking by using a mean shift iterative formula to search for the Nash equilibrium of the game. The contribution of different features is always keeping the state of optical balance, so that the algorithm can fully take advantage of feature fusion. According to the experiment results, this algorithm proves to possess good performance, especially under the condition of scene variation, target occlusion, and similar interference.

From discovery to licensure, the Adjuvant System story.

PubMed

Garçon, Nathalie; Di Pasquale, Alberta

2017-01-02

Adjuvants are substances added to vaccines to improve their immunogenicity. Used for more than 80 years, aluminum, the first adjuvant in human vaccines, proved insufficient to develop vaccines that could protect against new challenging pathogens such as HIV and malaria. New adjuvants and new combinations of adjuvants (Adjuvant Systems) have opened the door to the delivery of improved and new vaccines against re-emerging and difficult pathogens. Adjuvant Systems concept started through serendipity. The access to new developments in technology, microbiology and immunology have been instrumental for the dicephering of what they do and how they do it. This knowledge opens the door to more rational vaccine design with implications for developing new and better vaccines.

Difficulties in establishing routine amniocentesis for preterm labor evaluation.

PubMed

McIntosh, Jennifer J; McHugh, Katherine; Haas, David M

2012-03-01

After a recent practice change implementing amniocentesis into the evaluation of preterm labor (PTL) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), actual performance of the procedure was tracked. Fifty-nine patients were admitted with these diagnoses. Twenty-three patients (39%) were offered amniocentesis and 36 patients (61%) were not offered amniocentesis as part of the clinical protocol. Seven (30%) patients of those offered an amniocentesis underwent the procedure. The predominant reasons for not performing an amniocentesis were patient refusal and provider discomfort. In conclusion, implementation of amniocentesis to evaluate for subclinical infection/inflammation in the setting of PTL or PPROM proved difficult, as only 7 of 59 (11.9%) patients admitted with these diagnoses actually received an amniocentesis.

Sarcoidosis of the cauda equina mimicking Guillain-Barré syndrome.

PubMed

Shah, Jagdish R; Lewis, Richard A

2003-04-15

Neurosarcoidosis is a great mimicker. It is often difficult to diagnose particularly when there is no prior history of systemic sarcoidosis. Although certain sites of the neuraxis are more commonly involved than others, any site of the central or peripheral nervous system can be affected. We report a case of sarcoidosis involving the cauda equina in a 38-year-old African American male without prior history of systemic disease. Initial clinical presentation was suggestive of Guillian-Barré syndrome, but the evaluation proved this case to be neurosarcoidosis involving the cauda equina. We have followed this patient for 8 years, and he remains clinically stable on prednisone 5 mg/day.

A child with a difficult airway: what do I do next?

PubMed

Engelhardt, Thomas; Weiss, Markus

2012-06-01

Difficulties in pediatric airway management are common and continue to result in significant morbidity and mortality. This review reports on current concepts in approaching a child with a difficult airway. Routine airway management in healthy children with normal airways is simple in experienced hands. Mask ventilation (oxygenation) is always possible and tracheal intubation normally simple. However, transient hypoxia is common in these children usually due to unexpected anatomical and functional airway problems or failure to ventilate during rapid sequence induction. Anatomical airway problems (upper airway collapse and adenoid hypertrophy) and functional airway problems (laryngospasm, bronchospasm, insufficient depth of anesthesia and muscle rigidity, gastric hyperinflation, and alveolar collapse) require urgent recognition and treatment algorithms due to insufficient oxygen reserves. Early muscle paralysis and epinephrine administration aids resolution of these functional airway obstructions. Children with an 'impaired' normal (foreign body, allergy, and inflammation) or an expected difficult (scars, tumors, and congenital) airway require careful planning and expertise. Training in the recognition and management of these different situations as well as a suitably equipped anesthesia workstation and trained personnel are essential. The healthy child with an unexpected airway problem requires clear strategies. The 'impaired' normal pediatric airway may be handled by anesthetists experienced with children, whereas the expected difficult pediatric airway requires dedicated pediatric anesthesia specialist care and should only be managed in specialized centers.

Teaching with Internet Telescopes: Some Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stencel, Robert

Observational astronomy is often difficult for pre-college students and teachers because: (1) school occurs in daytime and visual observing at night; (2) light pollution hides the stars from students living in cities; (3) few schools have teachers trained to use and maintain astronomy equipment; (4) there is lack of access to expertise when needed; (5) physically disabled students cannot easily access a telescope eypiece. Internet access to computer controlled telescopes with digital cameras can solve many of these difficulties. The Web enables students and teachers to access well-maintained internet-controllable telescopes at dark-site locations and to consult more readily with experts. This paper reports on a three-month pilot project exploring this situation conducted Feb-May 2002 which allowed high school students to access a CCD-equipped accurately-pointing and tracking telescope located in New Mexico controllable over the Web with a user-friendly skymap browser tool. User interest proved phenomenal and user statistics proved diverse. There were distinct lessons learned about how to enhance student participation in the research process. Details available at website www.du.edu/~rstencel/stn.htm. We thank the ICSRC for a grant to Denver University and acknowledge in-kind support from the estate of William Herschel Womble.

An update on the clinical use of drug-coated balloons in percutaneous coronary interventions.

PubMed

Cheng, Yanping; Leon, Martin B; Granada, Juan F

2016-06-01

Drug-coated balloons (DCB) promise to deliver anti-proliferative drugs and prevent restenosis leaving nothing behind. Although, randomized clinical trials have demonstrated their efficacy for the treatment of in-stent restenosis, clinical evidence supporting their use in other coronary applications is still lacking. This review summarizes the development status of clinically available DCB technologies and provides an update on the current data for their coronary use. Current generation DCB prevent restenosis by delivering paclitaxel particles on the surface of the vessel wall. Although clinically available technologies share a common mechanism of action, important differences in pharmacokinetic behavior and safety profiles do exist. Future technological improvements include the development of coatings displaying: high transfer efficiency; low particle embolization potential; and alternative drug formulations. Optimized balloon-based delivery systems and drug encapsulation technologies also promise to improve the technical limitations of current generation DCB. Although proving clinical superiority against DES may prove to be difficult in mainstream applications (i.e., de novo), new generation DCB technologies have the potential to achieve a strong position in the interventional field in clinical settings in which the efficacy of DES use is not proven or justified (i.e., bifurcations).

Improving Biometric-Based Authentication Schemes with Smart Card Revocation/Reissue for Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Moon, Jongho; Lee, Donghoon; Lee, Youngsook; Won, Dongho

2017-04-25

User authentication in wireless sensor networks is more difficult than in traditional networks owing to sensor network characteristics such as unreliable communication, limited resources, and unattended operation. For these reasons, various authentication schemes have been proposed to provide secure and efficient communication. In 2016, Park et al. proposed a secure biometric-based authentication scheme with smart card revocation/reissue for wireless sensor networks. However, we found that their scheme was still insecure against impersonation attack, and had a problem in the smart card revocation/reissue phase. In this paper, we show how an adversary can impersonate a legitimate user or sensor node, illegal smart card revocation/reissue and prove that Park et al.'s scheme fails to provide revocation/reissue. In addition, we propose an enhanced scheme that provides efficiency, as well as anonymity and security. Finally, we provide security and performance analysis between previous schemes and the proposed scheme, and provide formal analysis based on the random oracle model. The results prove that the proposed scheme can solve the weaknesses of impersonation attack and other security flaws in the security analysis section. Furthermore, performance analysis shows that the computational cost is lower than the previous scheme.

Evaluating Florida's Medicaid Provider Services Network Demonstration

PubMed Central

Paul Duncan, R; Lemak, Christy H; Bruce Vogel, W; Johnson, Christopher E; Hall, Allyson G; Porter, Colleen K

2008-01-01

Research Objective To evaluate the design, development, and implementation of Florida's Medicaid provider service network (PSN) demonstration, and the implications of that demonstration for subsequent Medicaid Reform in Florida. Data Sources, Data Collection Organizational analyses were based on archival and enrollment data obtained from Florida's Medicaid program and the South Florida Community Care Network, as well as key informant interviews. Closely related fiscal analyses utilized Medicaid claims data from March 1999 through October 2001 extracted from the Florida Medicaid Management Information System. Study Design The organizational analyses reported here were based on a structured case study research design. Principal Findings Almost every aspect of the development of the new organizational form (PSN) took longer and was more difficult than anticipated. Prior organizational experience with insurance functions proved to be an asset. While fiscal analyses indicated that the program saved the state of Florida a significant amount of money, tracking the precise origin of the savings proved to be challenging. Conclusions By most standards, the PSN program was observed to meet its stated objectives. Based in part on this conclusion, the state chose to extend the use of PSNs within its 2006 Medicaid Reform initiative. PMID:18199192

Improving Biometric-Based Authentication Schemes with Smart Card Revocation/Reissue for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Moon, Jongho; Lee, Donghoon; Lee, Youngsook; Won, Dongho

2017-01-01

User authentication in wireless sensor networks is more difficult than in traditional networks owing to sensor network characteristics such as unreliable communication, limited resources, and unattended operation. For these reasons, various authentication schemes have been proposed to provide secure and efficient communication. In 2016, Park et al. proposed a secure biometric-based authentication scheme with smart card revocation/reissue for wireless sensor networks. However, we found that their scheme was still insecure against impersonation attack, and had a problem in the smart card revocation/reissue phase. In this paper, we show how an adversary can impersonate a legitimate user or sensor node, illegal smart card revocation/reissue and prove that Park et al.’s scheme fails to provide revocation/reissue. In addition, we propose an enhanced scheme that provides efficiency, as well as anonymity and security. Finally, we provide security and performance analysis between previous schemes and the proposed scheme, and provide formal analysis based on the random oracle model. The results prove that the proposed scheme can solve the weaknesses of impersonation attack and other security flaws in the security analysis section. Furthermore, performance analysis shows that the computational cost is lower than the previous scheme. PMID:28441331

Group X

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

Fields, Susannah

2007-08-16

This project is currently under contract for research through the Department of Homeland Security until 2011. The group I was responsible for studying has to remain confidential so as not to affect the current project. All dates, reference links and authors, and other distinguishing characteristics of the original group have been removed from this report. All references to the name of this group or the individual splinter groups has been changed to 'Group X'. I have been collecting texts from a variety of sources intended for the use of recruiting and radicalizing members for Group X splinter groups for themore » purpose of researching the motivation and intent of leaders of those groups and their influence over the likelihood of group radicalization. This work included visiting many Group X websites to find information on splinter group leaders and finding their statements to new and old members. This proved difficult because the splinter groups of Group X are united in beliefs, but differ in public opinion. They are eager to tear each other down, prove their superiority, and yet remain anonymous. After a few weeks of intense searching, a list of eight recruiting texts and eight radicalizing texts from a variety of Group X leaders were compiled.« less

Achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia. Comments on frequency, mutation rate, and radiological features in skull and spine.

PubMed

Oberklaid, F; Danks, D M; Jensen, F; Stace, L; Rosshandler, S

1979-04-01

An attempt was made to ascertain all the dwarfs in the State of Victoria. The incidence of achondroplasia proved to be approximately 1 in 26,000 live births in the period 1969 to 1975 when ascertainment was nearly complete. This indicates a mutation rate of 1.93 X 10(-5) per generation in this locus. Paternal age was shown to influence mutation. Ascertainment in earlier years of the study was low despite the very great effort made to find all cases. Patients with hypochondroplasia were particularly difficult to find. However, 25 cases were found for study. Overlap between hypochondroplasia and achondroplasia was found in all features except the facial appearance (which was the basis of definition). Achondroplasia was more severe in all regards, but some individuals with hypochondroplasia were very short and some had extreme degrees of spinal canal stenosis. The classical measurements used to describe the skull changes in acondroplasia failed to distinguish this condition from hypochondroplasia. More efficient indices were devised, but visual assessment of the size of the facial region compared to that of the cranial valult proved more reliable than any index. The clinical distinction based upon facial appearance remains the arbitrary basis of definition.

Electrochemical Performance of LixMn2-yFeyO4-zClz Synthesized Through In-Situ Glycine Nitrate Combustion

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-13

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA, 21005 Abstract: Lithium manganese oxide spinel is an attractive material for lithium - ion battery cathodes due to...performance allows for access to energy at extended cycling and across potential regimes. Keywords: Li- ion battery ; Lithium manganese oxide spinel...materials for lithium - ion batteries due to their affordability and low toxicity while maintaining reasonable capacity [1-3]. However, this spinel

Urethral cavernous hemangioma in a female patient: a rare entity

PubMed Central

Bolat, Mustafa Suat; Yüzüncü, Kubilay; Akdeniz, Ekrem; Demirdoven, Ayse Nurten

2015-01-01

Genitourinary hemangiomas are rare entities of the urinary system. We reported a female patient who suffered dyspareunia and intermitant hematuria that was proved as urethral cavernous hemangioma. Despite its benign nature, hemangiomas may recur due to incomplet excision. PMID:26985270

Repeated retrieval practice and item difficulty: does criterion learning eliminate item difficulty effects?

PubMed

Vaughn, Kalif E; Rawson, Katherine A; Pyc, Mary A

2013-12-01

A wealth of previous research has established that retrieval practice promotes memory, particularly when retrieval is successful. Although successful retrieval promotes memory, it remains unclear whether successful retrieval promotes memory equally well for items of varying difficulty. Will easy items still outperform difficult items on a final test if all items have been correctly recalled equal numbers of times during practice? In two experiments, normatively difficult and easy Lithuanian-English word pairs were learned via test-restudy practice until each item had been correctly recalled a preassigned number of times (from 1 to 11 correct recalls). Despite equating the numbers of successful recalls during practice, performance on a delayed final cued-recall test was lower for difficult than for easy items. Experiment 2 was designed to diagnose whether the disadvantage for difficult items was due to deficits in cue memory, target memory, and/or associative memory. The results revealed a disadvantage for the difficult versus the easy items only on the associative recognition test, with no differences on cue recognition, and even an advantage on target recognition. Although successful retrieval enhanced memory for both difficult and easy items, equating retrieval success during practice did not eliminate normative item difficulty differences.

[Metastatic tumors in the ovary, difficulties of histologic diagnosis].

PubMed

Tamás, Judit; Vereczkey, Ildikó; Tóth, Erika

2015-09-01

The ovary is a common site of metastases. Secondary tumors account for 3-40% of all ovarian malignancies. Most ovarian metastases arise from the colon, although tumors of the breast, stomach and endometrium are also common places of origin. Clinical and histological features of metastatic tumors frequently mimic primary ovarian malignancies, causing serious diagnostic problems for the surgical pathologist. However, differentiation between primary ovarian cancer and ovarian metastasis is important in order to prevent inappropriate management and suboptimal treatment. The distinction between primary and secondary ovarian malignancies is especially difficult in cases when the metastasis is diagnosed before the primary tumor. Frozen section is widely used in the intra-operative assessment of patients with ovarian tumors but it can be very difficult to distinguish certain types of primary ovarian tumors and metastases from other sites. We examined 152 cases of secondary ovarian neoplasm diagnosed at the National Institute of Oncology, Hungary from 2000 to 2014. Colorectal cancer was the most common primary tumor (58 cases), followed by breast (33 cases), endometrium (30 cases) and stomach cancer (13 cases). The differential diagnosis proved the most difficult in cases when endometrioid and mucinous tumors were present in the ovaries. Metastases of colorectal and gastric adenocarcinomas may simulate benign or borderline cystadenomas too. In these cases the knowledge of the patient's history and immunohistochemical stains were helpful. In our study we discuss the diagnostic challenge of distinguishing these secondary ovarian tumors from primary ovarian neoplasms and the limits of the intraoperative frozen sections.

A study of time management: the correlation between video game usage and academic performance markers.

PubMed

Anand, Vivek

2007-08-01

This study analyzes the correlation between video game usage and academic performance. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and grade-point average (GPA) scores were used to gauge academic performance. The amount of time a student spends playing video games has a negative correlation with students' GPA and SAT scores. As video game usage increases, GPA and SAT scores decrease. A chi-squared analysis found a p value for video game usage and GPA was greater than a 95% confidence level (0.005 < p < 0.01). This finding suggests that dependence exists. SAT score and video game usage also returned a p value that was significant (0.01 < p < 0.05). Chi-squared results were not significant when comparing time spent studying and an individual's SAT score. This research suggests that video games may have a detrimental effect on an individual's GPA and possibly on SAT scores. Although these results show statistical dependence, proving cause and effect remains difficult, since SAT scores represent a single test on a given day. The effects of video games maybe be cumulative; however, drawing a conclusion is difficult because SAT scores represent a measure of general knowledge. GPA versus video games is more reliable because both involve a continuous measurement of engaged activity and performance. The connection remains difficult because of the complex nature of student life and academic performance. Also, video game usage may simply be a function of specific personality types and characteristics.

Processing of Onion-like Carbon for Electrochemical Capacitors

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

Van Aken, Katherine L.; Maleski, Kathleen; Mathis, Tyler S.

Multi-shell fullerenes known as onion-like carbon (OLC) are especially attractive in applications relative to energy storage, such as electrochemical capacitors, due to a near-spherical shape of particles, their nanoscale diameters and high conductivity leading to fast rate performance. Because of this, onion-like carbon can be fabricated into electrodes, used as a conductive additive, and may have potential in composites and additive manufacturing. However due to agglomeration of OLC particles, creating a stable, aqueous dispersion for ink production or formulating composites proves challenging. Also, we explore how attrition milling, acid treatment, and probe sonication can be employed to decrease agglomeration andmore » provide colloidal stability in aqueous media. We also investigate how the electrochemical performance changes with each processing step as well as the treatments in succession. When tested in electrochemical capacitors, the processing increases the capacitance by a factor of three, due to an added pseudocapacitive contribution which is not present in untreated OLC. As a result, the processing of OLC proves to be advantageous for the production of stable, aqueous solutions, which also exhibit improved electrochemical properties suitable for functional inks, conductive additives, and fabrication of composite electrodes.« less

Processing of Onion-like Carbon for Electrochemical Capacitors

DOE PAGES

Van Aken, Katherine L.; Maleski, Kathleen; Mathis, Tyler S.; ...

2017-02-04

Multi-shell fullerenes known as onion-like carbon (OLC) are especially attractive in applications relative to energy storage, such as electrochemical capacitors, due to a near-spherical shape of particles, their nanoscale diameters and high conductivity leading to fast rate performance. Because of this, onion-like carbon can be fabricated into electrodes, used as a conductive additive, and may have potential in composites and additive manufacturing. However due to agglomeration of OLC particles, creating a stable, aqueous dispersion for ink production or formulating composites proves challenging. Also, we explore how attrition milling, acid treatment, and probe sonication can be employed to decrease agglomeration andmore » provide colloidal stability in aqueous media. We also investigate how the electrochemical performance changes with each processing step as well as the treatments in succession. When tested in electrochemical capacitors, the processing increases the capacitance by a factor of three, due to an added pseudocapacitive contribution which is not present in untreated OLC. As a result, the processing of OLC proves to be advantageous for the production of stable, aqueous solutions, which also exhibit improved electrochemical properties suitable for functional inks, conductive additives, and fabrication of composite electrodes.« less

Sequential algorithm analysis to facilitate selective biliary access for difficult biliary cannulation in ERCP: a prospective clinical study.

PubMed

Lee, Tae Hoon; Hwang, Soon Oh; Choi, Hyun Jong; Jung, Yunho; Cha, Sang Woo; Chung, Il-Kwun; Moon, Jong Ho; Cho, Young Deok; Park, Sang-Heum; Kim, Sun-Joo

2014-02-17

Numerous clinical trials to improve the success rate of biliary access in difficult biliary cannulation (DBC) during ERCP have been reported. However, standard guidelines or sequential protocol analysis according to different methods are limited in place. We planned to investigate a sequential protocol to facilitate selective biliary access for DBC during ERCP. This prospective clinical study enrolled 711 patients with naïve papillae at a tertiary referral center. If wire-guided cannulation was deemed to have failed due to the DBC criteria, then according to the cannulation algorithm early precut fistulotomy (EPF; cannulation time > 5 min, papillary contacts > 5 times, or hook-nose-shaped papilla), double-guidewire cannulation (DGC; unintentional pancreatic duct cannulation ≥ 3 times), and precut after placement of a pancreatic stent (PPS; if DGC was difficult or failed) were performed sequentially. The main outcome measurements were the technical success, procedure outcomes, and complications. Initially, a total of 140 (19.7%) patients with DBC underwent EPF (n = 71) and DGC (n = 69). Then, in DGC group 36 patients switched to PPS due to difficulty criteria. The successful biliary cannulation rate was 97.1% (136/140; 94.4% [67/71] with EPF, 47.8% [33/69] with DGC, and 100% [36/36] with PPS; P < 0.001). The mean successful cannulation time (standard deviation) was 559.4 (412.8) seconds in EPF, 314.8 (65.2) seconds in DGC, and 706.0 (469.4) seconds in PPS (P < 0.05). The DGC group had a relatively low successful cannulation rate (47.8%) but had a shorter cannulation time compared to the other groups due to early switching to the PPS method in difficult or failed DGC. Post-ERCP pancreatitis developed in 14 (10%) patients (9 mild, 1 moderate), which did not differ significantly among the groups (P = 0.870) or compared with the conventional group (P = 0.125). Based on the sequential protocol analysis, EPF, DGC, and PPS may be safe and feasible for DBC. The use of EPF in selected DBC criteria, DGC in unintentional pancreatic duct cannulations, and PPS in failed or difficult DGC may facilitate successful biliary cannulation.