Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant EXperiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX-10. Dr. Anna Lisa Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

METRO-APEX Volume 21.1: Pressure Groups' Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Pressure Groups' Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

METRO-APEX Volume 20.1: News Media Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The News Media Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution Exercise…

METRO-APEX Volume 18.1: Legal Reference Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Legal Reference Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

METRO-APEX Volume 4.1: County Politician's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The County Politician's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

METRO-APEX Volume 3.1: City Politician's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The City Politician's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

METRO-APEX Volume 2.1: Computer Operator's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Computer Operator's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant EXperiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX-10. The three science kits are weighed prior to flight. Dr. Anna Lisa Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

An in-house manual for building APEX projects using ArcAPEX

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) provides the foundation for water quality and natural resource analysis across a wide array of USDA initiatives, projects and programs. The model has been utilized in both the national Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) analysis and ...

Employing Simulation to Evaluate Designs: The APEX Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freed, Michael A.; Shafto, Michael G.; Remington, Roger W.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The key innovations of APEX are its integrated approaches to task analysis, procedure definition, and intelligent, resource-constrained multi-tasking. This paper presents a step-by-step description of how APEX is used, from scenario development through trace analysis.

METRO-APEX Volume 8.1: Water Quality Manager's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The water Quality Manager's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air…

METRO-APEX Volume 9.1: Solid Waste Manager's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Solid Waste Manager's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air Pollution…

METRO-APEX Volume 6.1: Environmental Quality Agency's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Environmental Quality Agency's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air…

METRO-APEX Volume 1.1: Game Overall Director's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Game Overall Director's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air…

Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant EXperiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX-10. Shawn Stephens, Engineering Services Contract, and Dr. Anna Lisa Paul confirm proper orientation of the plates for launch prior to turnover to cold stowage. Dr. Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant EXperiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX-10. The petri plates are wrapped in black cloth and kept cold (+4 degrees Celsius) to prevent them from germinating prior to the experiment start on station. Dr. Anna Lisa Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

Compositional Analysis of Martian Soil: Synergism of APEX and MECA Experiments on MPS 2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R.; Marshall, J.

1999-01-01

The APEX (ATHENA Precursor Experiment) payload for the Mars 2001 mission will analyze soil and dust with a multispectral panoramic imager and an emission spectrometer on a mast on the lander, a Moessbauer spectrometer on the lander robotic arm (RA), and APXS measurements on the Marie Curie rover. These analytical methods will provide data on elemental abundances and mineralogy. The MECA payload on the lander will apply microscopy, AFM, wet chemistry, adhesive substrates, and electrometry to determine the shape and size of particles in the soil and dust, the presence of toxic substances, and electrostatic, magnetic, and hardness qualities of particles. The two experiments will complement one another through several interactions: (1) The panoramic imager provides the geological setting in which both APEX and MECA samples are acquired, (2) The RA provides samples to MECA from the surface and subsurface and will permit APEX analytical tools access to materials below the immediate surface, (3) Comparisons can be made between elemental analyses of the Moessbauer, IR, APXS on APEX and the wet chemistry of MECA which will define trace elements (ionic species in solution) and soil redox potential and conductivity. (4) APEX bulk compositional measurements will place MECA trace measurements in context, and similarly, MECA microscopy will provide particle size data that may correlate with compositional differences determined by the APEX instruments. Additionally, lithic fragments viewed by the MECA microscope station should correlate with mineral/rock species inferred by APEX data, (5) If APEX instruments detect quartz for example, the scratch plates of the MECA microscope stage will define if a mineral of this hardness is registered during abrasion tests. This is by no means an exhaustive list of potential interactions, but it is clear that both the sheer number of analytical techniques and their complementarity should provide an analytically powerful capability for both

Compositional Analysis of Martian Soil: Synergism of APEX and MECA Experiments on MPS 2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R.; Marshall, J.

1999-01-01

The APEX (ATHENA Precursor Experiment) payload for the Mars 2001 mission will analyze soil and dust with a multispectral panoramic imager and an emission spectrometer on a mast on the lander, a Moessbauer spectrometer on the lander robotic arm (RA), and APXS measurements on the Marie Curie rover. These analytical methods will provide data on elemental abundances and mineralogy. The MECA payload on the lander will apply microscopy, AFM, wet chemistry, adhesive substrates, and electrometry to determine the shape and size of particles in the soil and dust, the presence of toxic substances, and electrostatic, magnetic, and hardness qualities of particles. The two experiments will complement one another through several interactions: (1) The panoramic imager provides the geological setting in which both APEX and MECA samples are acquired, (2) The RA provides samples to MECA from the surface and subsurface and will permit APEX analytical tools access to materials below the inunediate surface, (3) Comparisons can be made between elemental analyses of the Moessbauer, IR, APXS on APEX and the wet chemistry of MECA which will define trace elements (ionic species in solution) and soil redox potential and conductivity. (4) APEX bulk compositional measurements will place MECA trace measurements in context, and similarly, MECA microscopy will provide particle size data that may correlate with compositional differences determined by the APEX instruments. Additionally, lithic fragments viewed by the NMCA microscope station should correlate with mineral/rock species inferred by APEX data, (5) If APEX instruments detect quartz for example, the scratch plates of the N4ECA microscope stage will define if a mineral of this hardness is registered during abrasion tests. This is by no means an exhaustive list of potential interactions, but it is clear that both the sheer number of analytical techniques and their complementarity should provide an analytically powerful capability for both

Information on the Advanced Plant Experiment (APEX) Test Facility

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

Smith, Curtis Lee

The purpose of this report provides information related to the design of the Oregon State University Advanced Plant Experiment (APEX) test facility. Information provided in this report have been pulled from the following information sources: Reference 1: R. Nourgaliev and et.al, "Summary Report on NGSAC (Next-Generation Safety Analysis Code) Development and Testing," Idaho National Laboratory, 2011. Note that this is report has not been released as an external report. Reference 2: O. Stevens, Characterization of the Advanced Plant Experiment (APEX) Passive Residual Heat Removal System Heat Exchanger, Master Thesis, June 1996. Reference 3: J. Reyes, Jr., Q. Wu, and J.more » King, Jr., Scaling Assessment for the Design of the OSU APEX-1000 Test Facility, OSU-APEX-03001 (Rev. 0), May 2003. Reference 4: J. Reyes et al, Final Report of the NRC AP600 Research Conducted at Oregon State University, NUREG/CR-6641, July 1999. Reference 5: K. Welter et al, APEX-1000 Confirmatory Testing to Support AP1000 Design Certification (non-proprietary), NUREG-1826, August 2005.« less

Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant EXperiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX-10. The 30 petri plates are bundled into groups of 10 and placed into one of three science kits. The science kits allow easy handling when the crew removes the plates from cold stowage on station. Dr. Anna Lisa Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

Apex Exponents for Polymer-Probe Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandi, Roya; Slutsky, Michael; Kantor, Yacov

2005-03-01

We consider self-avoiding polymers attached to the tip of an impenetrable probe. The scaling exponents γ1 and γ2, characterizing the number of configurations for the attachment of the polymer by one end, or at its midpoint, vary continuously with the tip's angle. These apex exponents are calculated analytically by ɛ-expansion, and numerically by simulations in three dimensions. We find that when the polymer can move through the attachment point, it typically slides to one end; the apex exponents quantify the entropic barrier to threading the eye of the probe.

Apex Exponents for Polymer-Probe Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slutsky, Michael; Zandi, Roya; Kantor, Yacov; Kardar, Mehran

2005-05-01

We consider self-avoiding polymers attached to the tip of an impenetrable probe. The scaling exponents γ1 and γ2, characterizing the number of configurations for the attachment of the polymer by one end, or at its midpoint, vary continuously with the tip’s angle. These apex exponents are calculated analytically by ɛ expansion, and numerically by simulations in three dimensions. We find that when the polymer can move through the attachment point, it typically slides to one end; the apex exponents quantify the entropic barrier to threading the eye of the probe.

Contralateral transmaxillary corridor: an augmented endoscopic approach to the petrous apex.

PubMed

Patel, Chirag R; Wang, Eric W; Fernandez-Miranda, Juan C; Gardner, Paul A; Snyderman, Carl H

2017-10-20

OBJECTIVE The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has been shown to be an effective means of accessing lesions of the petrous apex. Lesions that are lateral to the paraclival segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) require lateralization of the paraclival segment of the ICA or a transpterygoid infrapetrous approach. In this study the authors studied the feasibility of adding a contralateral transmaxillary (CTM) corridor to provide greater access to the petrous apex with decreased need for manipulation of the ICA. METHODS Using image guidance, EEA and CTM extension were performed bilaterally on 5 cadavers. The anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus and rostrum were removed. The angle of the surgical approach from the axis of the petrous segment of the ICA was measured. Five illustrative clinical cases are presented. RESULTS The CTM corridor required a partial medial maxillectomy. When measured from the axis of the petrous ICA, the CTM corridor decreased the angle from 44.8° ± 2.78° to 20.1° ± 4.31°, a decrease of 24.7° ± 2.58°. Drilling through the CTM corridor allowed the drill to reach lateral aspects of the petrous apex that would have required lateralization of the ICA or would not have been accessible via EEA. The CTM corridor allowed us to achieve gross-total resection of the petrous apex region in 5 clinical cases with significant paraclival extension. CONCLUSIONS The CTM corridor is a feasible extension to the standard EEA to the petrous apex that offers a more lateral trajectory with improved access. This approach may reduce the risk and morbidity associated with manipulation of the paraclival ICA.

Demonstration of a longitudinal concentration gradient along scala tympani by sequential sampling of perilymph from the cochlear apex.

PubMed

Mynatt, Robert; Hale, Shane A; Gill, Ruth M; Plontke, Stefan K; Salt, Alec N

2006-06-01

Local applications of drugs to the inner ear are increasingly being used to treat patients' inner ear disorders. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the inner ear fluids is essential for a scientific basis for such treatments. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug's kinetics in scala tympani (ST) must be established. Measurement of drug levels in ST is technically difficult because of the known contamination of perilymph samples taken from the basal cochlear turn with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recently, we reported a technique in which perilymph was sampled from the cochlear apex to minimize the influence of CSF contamination (J. Neurosci. Methods, doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2005.10.008 ). This technique has now been extended by taking smaller fluid samples sequentially from the cochlear apex, which can be used to quantify drug gradients along ST. The sampling and analysis methods were evaluated using an ionic marker, trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA), that was applied to the round window membrane. After loading perilymph with TMPA, 10 1-muL samples were taken from the cochlear apex. The TMPA content of the samples was consistent with the first sample containing perilymph from apical regions and the fourth or fifth sample containing perilymph from the basal turn. TMPA concentration decreased in subsequent samples, as they increasingly contained CSF that had passed through ST. Sample concentration curves were interpreted quantitatively by simulation of the experiment with a finite element model and by an automated curve-fitting method by which the apical-basal gradient was estimated. The study demonstrates that sequential apical sampling provides drug gradient data for ST perilymph while avoiding the major distortions of sample composition associated with basal turn sampling. The method can be used for any substance for which a sensitive assay is available and is therefore of high relevance for the development of preclinical and clinical

Demonstration of a Longitudinal Concentration Gradient Along Scala Tympani by Sequential Sampling of Perilymph from the Cochlear Apex

PubMed Central

Mynatt, Robert; Hale, Shane A.; Gill, Ruth M.; Plontke, Stefan K.

2006-01-01

ABSTRACT Local applications of drugs to the inner ear are increasingly being used to treat patients' inner ear disorders. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the inner ear fluids is essential for a scientific basis for such treatments. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug's kinetics in scala tympani (ST) must be established. Measurement of drug levels in ST is technically difficult because of the known contamination of perilymph samples taken from the basal cochlear turn with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recently, we reported a technique in which perilymph was sampled from the cochlear apex to minimize the influence of CSF contamination (J. Neurosci. Methods, doi: http://10.1016/j.jneumeth.2005.10.008). This technique has now been extended by taking smaller fluid samples sequentially from the cochlear apex, which can be used to quantify drug gradients along ST. The sampling and analysis methods were evaluated using an ionic marker, trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA), that was applied to the round window membrane. After loading perilymph with TMPA, 10 1-μL samples were taken from the cochlear apex. The TMPA content of the samples was consistent with the first sample containing perilymph from apical regions and the fourth or fifth sample containing perilymph from the basal turn. TMPA concentration decreased in subsequent samples, as they increasingly contained CSF that had passed through ST. Sample concentration curves were interpreted quantitatively by simulation of the experiment with a finite element model and by an automated curve-fitting method by which the apical–basal gradient was estimated. The study demonstrates that sequential apical sampling provides drug gradient data for ST perilymph while avoiding the major distortions of sample composition associated with basal turn sampling. The method can be used for any substance for which a sensitive assay is available and is therefore of high relevance for the development of preclinical

Spatial and directional variation of growth rates in Arabidopsis root apex: a modelling study.

PubMed

Nakielski, Jerzy; Lipowczan, Marcin

2013-01-01

Growth and cellular organization of the Arabidopsis root apex are investigated in various aspects, but still little is known about spatial and directional variation of growth rates in very apical part of the apex, especially in 3D. The present paper aims to fill this gap with the aid of a computer modelling based on the growth tensor method. The root apex with a typical shape and cellular pattern is considered. Previously, on the basis of two types of empirical data: the published velocity profile along the root axis and dimensions of cell packets formed in the lateral part of the root cap, the displacement velocity field for the root apex was determined. Here this field is adopted to calculate the linear growth rate in different points and directions. The results are interpreted taking principal growth directions into account. The root apex manifests a significant anisotropy of the linear growth rate. The directional preferences depend on a position within the root apex. In the root proper the rate in the periclinal direction predominates everywhere, while in the root cap the predominating direction varies with distance from the quiescent centre. The rhizodermis is distinguished from the neighbouring tissues (cortex, root cap) by relatively high contribution of the growth rate in the anticlinal direction. The degree of growth anisotropy calculated for planes defined by principal growth directions and exemplary cell walls may be as high as 25. The changes in the growth rate variation are modelled.

Morphogenesis at the inflorescence shoot apex of Anagallis arvensis: surface geometry and growth in comparison with the vegetative shoot.

PubMed

Kwiatkowska, Dorota; Routier-Kierzkowska, Anne-Lise

2009-01-01

Quantitative analysis of geometry and surface growth based on the sequential replica method is used to compare morphogenesis at the shoot apex of Anagallis arvensis in the reproductive and vegetative phases of development. Formation of three types of lateral organs takes place at the Anagallis shoot apical meristem (SAM): vegetative leaf primordia are formed during the vegetative phase and leaf-like bracts and flower primordia during the reproductive phase. Although the shapes of all the three types of primordia are very similar during their early developmental stages, areal growth rates and anisotropy of apex surface growth accompanying formation of leaf or bract primordia are profoundly different from those during formation of flower primordia. This provides an example of different modes of de novo formation of a given shape. Moreover, growth accompanying the formation of the boundary between the SAM and flower primordium is entirely different from growth at the adaxial leaf or bract primordium boundary. In the latter, areal growth rates at the future boundary are the lowest of all the apex surface, while in the former they are relatively very high. The direction of maximal growth rate is latitudinal (along the future boundary) in the case of leaf or bract primordium but meridional (across the boundary) in the case of flower. The replica method does not enable direct analysis of growth in the direction perpendicular to the apex surface (anticlinal direction). Nevertheless, the reconstructed surfaces of consecutive replicas taken from an individual apex allow general directions of SAM surface bulging accompanying primordium formation to be recognized. Precise alignment of consecutive reconstructions shows that the direction of initial bulging during the leaf or bract formation is nearly parallel to the shoot axis (upward bulging), while in the case of flower it is perpendicular to the axis (lateral bulging). In future, such 3D reconstructions can be used to assess

METRO-APEX Volume 7.1: Air Pollution Control Officer's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Air Pollution Control Officer's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air…

The Pleiades apex and its kinematical structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsanhoury, W. H.; Postnikova, E. S.; Chupina, N. V.; Vereshchagin, S. V.; Sariya, Devesh P.; Yadav, R. K. S.; Jiang, Ing-Guey

2018-03-01

A study of cluster characteristics and internal kinematical structure of the middle-aged Pleiades open star cluster is presented. The individual star apexes and various cluster kinematical parameters including the velocity ellipsoid parameters are determined using both Hipparcos and Gaia data. Modern astrometric parameters were taken from the Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) in combination with the Radial Velocity Experiment Fifth Data Release (DR5). The necessary set of parameters including parallaxes, proper motions and radial velocities are used for n=17 stars from Gaia DR1+RAVE DR5 and for n=19 stars from the Hipparcos catalog using SIMBAD data base. Single stars are used to improve accuracy by eliminating orbital movements. RAVE DR5 measurements were taken only for the stars with the radial velocity errors not exceeding 2 km/s. For the Pleiades stars taken from Gaia, we found mean heliocentric distance as 136.8 ± 6.4 pc, and the apex position is calculated as: A_{CP}=92°.52± 1°.72, D_{CP}=-42°.28± 2°.56 by the convergent point method and A0=95°.59± 2°.30 and D0=-50°.90± 2°.04 using AD-diagram method (n=17 in both cases). The results are compared with those obtained historically before the Gaia mission era.

APEX/SPIN: a free test platform to measure speech intelligibility.

PubMed

Francart, Tom; Hofmann, Michael; Vanthornhout, Jonas; Van Deun, Lieselot; van Wieringen, Astrid; Wouters, Jan

2017-02-01

Measuring speech intelligibility in quiet and noise is important in clinical practice and research. An easy-to-use free software platform for conducting speech tests is presented, called APEX/SPIN. The APEX/SPIN platform allows the use of any speech material in combination with any noise. A graphical user interface provides control over a large range of parameters, such as number of loudspeakers, signal-to-noise ratio and parameters of the procedure. An easy-to-use graphical interface is provided for calibration and storage of calibration values. To validate the platform, perception of words in quiet and sentences in noise were measured both with APEX/SPIN and with an audiometer and CD player, which is a conventional setup in current clinical practice. Five normal-hearing listeners participated in the experimental evaluation. Speech perception results were similar for the APEX/SPIN platform and conventional procedures. APEX/SPIN is a freely available and open source platform that allows the administration of all kinds of custom speech perception tests and procedures.

The Role of APEX as a Pathfinder for AtLAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyrowski, Friedrich

2018-01-01

Now more than 12 years in operation, the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m submillimeter telescope has significantly contributed to a wide variety of submillimeter astronomy science areas, ranging from the discoveries of new molecules to large and deep imaging of the submillimeter sky. While ALMA operation is in full swing, APEX is strengthening its role not only as pathfinder for studying large source samples and spatial scales to prepare detailed high angular resolution ALMA follow ups, but also as fast response instruments to complement new results from ALMA. Furthermore, APEX ensures southern hemisphere access for submillimeter projects complementing archival Herschel research as well as new SOFIA science. With new broadband and multipixel receivers as well as large cameras for wide-field continuum imaging, APEX will pave the way towards the science envisioned with ATLAST. In this contribution, the current status and ongoing upgrades of APEX will be discussed, with an emphasis on the importance of continuous cutting edge science and state-of-the-art instrumentation that will bridge the gap towards ATLAST.

Success and challenges met during the calibration of APEX on large plots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As the APEX model is increasingly considered for the evaluation of agricultural systems, satisfactory performance of APEX on fields is critical. APEX was applied to 16 replicated large plots established in 1991 in Northeast Missouri. Until 2009, each phase of each rotation was represented every year...

SEPIA - a new single pixel receiver at the APEX telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belitsky, V.; Lapkin, I.; Fredrixon, M.; Meledin, D.; Sundin, E.; Billade, B.; Ferm, S.-E.; Pavolotsky, A.; Rashid, H.; Strandberg, M.; Desmaris, V.; Ermakov, A.; Krause, S.; Olberg, M.; Aghdam, P.; Shafiee, S.; Bergman, P.; Beck, E. De; Olofsson, H.; Conway, J.; Breuck, C. De; Immer, K.; Yagoubov, P.; Montenegro-Montes, F. M.; Torstensson, K.; Pérez-Beaupuits, J.-P.; Klein, T.; Boland, W.; Baryshev, A. M.; Hesper, R.; Barkhof, J.; Adema, J.; Bekema, M. E.; Koops, A.

2018-04-01

Context. We describe the new Swedish-ESO PI Instrument for APEX (SEPIA) receiver, which was designed and built by the Group for Advanced Receiver Development (GARD), at Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) in collaboration with ESO. It was installed and commissioned at the APEX telescope during 2015 with an ALMA Band 5 receiver channel and updated with a new frequency channel (ALMA Band 9) in February 2016. Aim. This manuscript aims to provide, for observers who use the SEPIA receiver, a reference in terms of the hardware description, optics and performance as well as the commissioning results. Methods: Out of three available receiver cartridge positions in SEPIA, the two current frequency channels, corresponding to ALMA Band 5, the RF band 158-211 GHz, and Band 9, the RF band 600-722 GHz, provide state-of-the-art dual polarization receivers. The Band 5 frequency channel uses 2SB SIS mixers with an average SSB noise temperature around 45 K with IF (intermediate frequency) band 4-8 GHz for each sideband providing total 4 × 4 GHz IF band. The Band 9 frequency channel uses DSB SIS mixers with a noise temperature of 75-125 K with IF band 4-12 GHz for each polarization. Results: Both current SEPIA receiver channels are available to all APEX observers.

Overview of APEX Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Breuck, Carlos

2018-03-01

The APEX telescope has a range instruments that are highly complementary to ALMA. The single pixel heterodyne receivers cover virtually all atmospheric windows from 157 GHz to above 1 THz, augmented by 7-pixel heterodyne arrays covering 280 to 950 GHz, while the bolometer arrays cover the 870, 450 and 350µm bands.

A preliminary study for determination of three-dimensional root apex position of the maxillary teeth using camera calibration technology

PubMed Central

Oh, Hyun Jun; Yang, Il-Hyung

2016-01-01

Objectives: To propose a novel method for determining the three-dimensional (3D) root apex position of maxillary teeth using a two-dimensional (2D) panoramic radiograph image and a 3D virtual maxillary cast model. Methods: The subjects were 10 adult orthodontic patients treated with non-extraction. The multiple camera matrices were used to define transformative relationships between tooth images of the 2D panoramic radiographs and the 3D virtual maxillary cast models. After construction of the root apex-specific projective (RASP) models, overdetermined equations were used to calculate the 3D root apex position with a direct linear transformation algorithm and the known 2D co-ordinates of the root apex in the panoramic radiograph. For verification of the estimated 3D root apex position, the RASP and 3D-CT models were superimposed using a best-fit method. Then, the values of estimation error (EE; mean, standard deviation, minimum error and maximum error) between the two models were calculated. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient values exhibited good reliability for the landmark identification. The mean EE of all root apices of maxillary teeth was 1.88 mm. The EE values, in descending order, were as follows: canine, 2.30 mm; first premolar, 1.93 mm; second premolar, 1.91 mm; first molar, 1.83 mm; second molar, 1.82 mm; lateral incisor, 1.80 mm; and central incisor, 1.53 mm. Conclusions: Camera calibration technology allows reliable determination of the 3D root apex position of maxillary teeth without the need for 3D-CT scan or tooth templates. PMID:26317151

Evolution mediates the effects of apex predation on aquatic food webs

PubMed Central

Urban, Mark C.

2013-01-01

Ecological and evolutionary mechanisms are increasingly thought to shape local community dynamics. Here, I evaluate if the local adaptation of a meso-predator to an apex predator alters local food webs. The marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum) is an apex predator that consumes both the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and shared zooplankton prey. Common garden experiments reveal that spotted salamander populations which co-occur with marbled salamanders forage more intensely than those that face other predator species. These foraging differences, in turn, alter the diversity, abundance and composition of zooplankton communities in common garden experiments and natural ponds. Locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines associated with apex predation, but dampen the top-down effects of apex predation on prey diversity. Countergradient selection on foraging explains why locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines. The two salamander species prefer different prey species, which explains why adapted spotted salamanders buffer changes in prey composition owing to apex predation. Results suggest that local adaptation can strongly mediate effects from apex predation on local food webs. Community ecologists might often need to consider the evolutionary history of populations to understand local diversity patterns, food web dynamics, resource gradients and their responses to disturbance. PMID:23720548

Evolution mediates the effects of apex predation on aquatic food webs.

PubMed

Urban, Mark C

2013-07-22

Ecological and evolutionary mechanisms are increasingly thought to shape local community dynamics. Here, I evaluate if the local adaptation of a meso-predator to an apex predator alters local food webs. The marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum) is an apex predator that consumes both the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and shared zooplankton prey. Common garden experiments reveal that spotted salamander populations which co-occur with marbled salamanders forage more intensely than those that face other predator species. These foraging differences, in turn, alter the diversity, abundance and composition of zooplankton communities in common garden experiments and natural ponds. Locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines associated with apex predation, but dampen the top-down effects of apex predation on prey diversity. Countergradient selection on foraging explains why locally adapted spotted salamanders exacerbate prey biomass declines. The two salamander species prefer different prey species, which explains why adapted spotted salamanders buffer changes in prey composition owing to apex predation. Results suggest that local adaptation can strongly mediate effects from apex predation on local food webs. Community ecologists might often need to consider the evolutionary history of populations to understand local diversity patterns, food web dynamics, resource gradients and their responses to disturbance.

Apex-4 for SpaceX CRS-10

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

Drs. Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility with the petri plates they prepped at the University of Florida for APEX-04. Paul is the principal investigator (PI) and Ferl is co-PI. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

Perilymph sampling from the cochlear apex: a reliable method to obtain higher purity perilymph samples from scala tympani.

PubMed

Salt, Alec N; Hale, Shane A; Plonkte, Stefan K R

2006-05-15

Measurements of drug levels in the fluids of the inner ear are required to establish kinetic parameters and to determine the influence of specific local delivery protocols. For most substances, this requires cochlear fluids samples to be obtained for analysis. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug level in the perilymph of scala tympani (ST) is most relevant, since drug in this scala has ready access to the auditory sensory cells. In many prior studies, ST perilymph samples have been obtained from the basal turn, either by aspiration through the round window membrane (RWM) or through an opening in the bony wall. A number of studies have demonstrated that such samples are likely to be contaminated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF enters the basal turn of ST through the cochlear aqueduct when the bony capsule is perforated or when fluid is aspirated. The degree of sample contamination has, however, not been widely appreciated. Recent studies have shown that perilymph samples taken through the round window membrane are highly contaminated with CSF, with samples greater than 2microL in volume containing more CSF than perilymph. In spite of this knowledge, many groups continue to sample from the base of the cochlea, as it is a well-established method. We have developed an alternative, technically simple method to increase the proportion of ST perilymph in a fluid sample. The sample is taken from the apex of the cochlea, a site that is distant from the cochlear aqueduct. A previous problem with sampling through a perforation in the bone was that the native perilymph rapidly leaked out driven by CSF pressure and was lost to the middle ear space. We therefore developed a procedure to collect all the fluid that emerged from the perforated apex after perforation. We evaluated the method using a marker ion trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA). TMPA was applied to the perilymph of guinea pigs either by RW irrigation or by microinjection into the apical turn. The

Perilymph Sampling from the Cochlear Apex: A Reliable Method to Obtain Higher Purity Perilymph Samples from Scala Tympani

PubMed Central

Salt, Alec N.; Hale, Shane A.; Plontke, Stefan K. R.

2006-01-01

Measurements of drug levels in the fluids of the inner ear are required to establish kinetic parameters and to determine the influence of specific local delivery protocols. For most substances, this requires cochlear fluids samples to be obtained for analysis. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug level in the perilymph of scala tympani (ST) is most relevant, since drug in this scala has ready access to the auditory sensory cells. In many prior studies, ST perilymph samples have been obtained from the basal turn, either by aspiration through the round window membrane (RWM) or through an opening in the bony wall. A number of studies have demonstrated that such samples are likely to be contaminated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF enters the basal turn of ST through the cochlear aqueduct when the bony capsule is perforated or when fluid is aspirated. The degree of sample contamination has, however, not been widely appreciated. Recent studies have shown that perilymph samples taken through the round window membrane are highly contaminated with CSF, with samples greater than 2 μL in volume containing more CSF than perilymph. In spite of this knowledge, many groups continue to sample from the base of the cochlea, as it is a well-established method. We have developed an alternative, technically simple method to increase the proportion of ST perilymph in a fluid sample. The sample is taken from the apex of the cochlea, a site that is distant from the cochlear aqueduct. A previous problem with sampling through a perforation in the bone was that the native perilymph rapidly leaked out driven by CSF pressure and was lost to the middle ear space. We therefore developed a procedure to collect all the fluid that emerged from the perforated apex after perforation. We evaluated the method using a marker ion trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA). TMPA was applied to the perilymph of guinea pigs either by RW irrigation or by microinjection into the apical turn. The

Wear simulation of apex seal in rotary engine under mixed lubrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hanying; Zuo, Zhengxing; Liu, Jinxiang

2018-05-01

In this work, the wear of apex seal's running face under mixed lubrication is studied. Numerical simulation is carried out by employing the couple model of Reynolds equation, Greenwood and Tripp model and Archard's wear law. The simulation is performed both for one circle and multi circle. In the multi circle simulation, the change of contact position due to wear is considered. A method that is able to find the new contact position based on the updated apex seal's contour profile is proposed, validated and used. The result of multi circle simulation indicates that contact position changes obviously around the maximum swing angles both on leading and trailing sides with the increase number of circles. The wear depth distribution becomes more uniform with the increase of operation circle number.

Reproductive responses of an apex predator to changing climatic conditions

Treesearch

Susan Rebecca Salafsky

2015-01-01

Apex predators are ideal subjects for evaluating the effects of changing climatic conditions on the productivity of forested landscapes, because the quality of their breeding habitat depends primarily on the availability of resources at lower trophic levels. Identifying the environmental factors that influence the reproductive output of apex predators can, therefore,...

Analysis of AtGUS1 and AtGUS2 in Arabidopsis root apex by a highly sensitive TSA-MISH method.

PubMed

Bruno, Leonardo; Ronchini, Matteo; Gagliardi, Olimpia; Corinti, Tamara; Chiappetta, Adriana; Gerola, Paolo; Bitonti, Maria B

2015-01-01

A new highly sensitive whole-mount in situ hybridization method, based on tyramide signal amplification (TSA-MISH) was developed and a combined GFP detection and TSA-MISH procedure was applied for the first time in plants, to precisely define the spatial pattern of AtGUS1 and AtGUS2 expression in the root apex. β-glucuronidases (GUSs) belonging to the glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) 79 family, are widely distributed in plants, but their functional role has not yet been fully investigated. In the model system Arabidopsis Thaliana, three different AtGUS genes have been identified which encode proteins with putative different fates. Endogenous GUS expression has been detected in different organs and tissues, but the cyto-histological domains of gene expression remain unclear. The results here reported show co-expression of AtGUS1 and AtGUS2 in different functional zones of the root apex (the cap central zone, the root cap meristem, the staminal cell niche and the cortical cell layers of the proximal meristem), while AtGUS2 is exclusively expressed in the cap peripheral layer and in the epidermis in the elongation zone. Interestingly, both genes are not expressed in the stelar portion of the proximal meristem. A spatial (cortex vs. stele) and temporal (proximal meristem vs. transition zone) regulation of AtGUS1 and AtGUS2 expression is therefore active in the root apex. This expression pattern, although globally consistent with the involvement of GUS activity in both cell proliferation and elongation, clearly indicates that AtGUS1 and AtGUS2 could control distinct downstream process depending on the developmental context and the interaction with other players of root growth control. In the future, the newly developed approaches may well be very useful to dissect such interactions.

[Methods of quantitative proteomics].

PubMed

Kopylov, A T; Zgoda, V G

2007-01-01

In modern science proteomic analysis is inseparable from other fields of systemic biology. Possessing huge resources quantitative proteomics operates colossal information on molecular mechanisms of life. Advances in proteomics help researchers to solve complex problems of cell signaling, posttranslational modification, structure and functional homology of proteins, molecular diagnostics etc. More than 40 various methods have been developed in proteomics for quantitative analysis of proteins. Although each method is unique and has certain advantages and disadvantages all these use various isotope labels (tags). In this review we will consider the most popular and effective methods employing both chemical modifications of proteins and also metabolic and enzymatic methods of isotope labeling.

APEX reveals glowing stellar nurseries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-11-01

Illustrating the power of submillimetre-wavelength astronomy, an APEX image reveals how an expanding bubble of ionised gas about ten light-years across is causing the surrounding material to collapse into dense clumps that are the birthplaces of new stars. Submillimetre light is the key to revealing some of the coldest material in the Universe, such as these cold, dense clouds. Glowing Stellar Nurseries ESO PR Photo 40/08 Glowing Stellar Nurseries The region, called RCW120, is about 4200 light years from Earth, towards the constellation of Scorpius. A hot, massive star in its centre is emitting huge amounts of ultraviolet radiation, which ionises the surrounding gas, stripping the electrons from hydrogen atoms and producing the characteristic red glow of so-called H-alpha emission. As this ionised region expands into space, the associated shock wave sweeps up a layer of the surrounding cold interstellar gas and cosmic dust. This layer becomes unstable and collapses under its own gravity into dense clumps, forming cold, dense clouds of hydrogen where new stars are born. However, as the clouds are still very cold, with temperatures of around -250˚ Celsius, their faint heat glow can only be seen at submillimetre wavelengths. Submillimetre light is therefore vital in studying the earliest stages of the birth and life of stars. The submillimetre-wavelength data were taken with the LABOCA camera on the 12-m Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope, located on the 5000 m high plateau of Chajnantor in the Chilean Atacama desert. Thanks to LABOCA's high sensitivity, astronomers were able to detect clumps of cold gas four times fainter than previously possible. Since the brightness of the clumps is a measure of their mass, this also means that astronomers can now study the formation of less massive stars than they could before. The plateau of Chajnantor is also where ESO, together with international partners, is building a next generation submillimetre telescope, ALMA

SU-F-P-61: Does It Matter Not to Use Optimization Points at the Apex for Vaginal Cylinder HDR Brachytherapy Planning?

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

Kim, Y

2016-06-15

Purpose: To test the impact of the use of apex optimization points for new vaginal cylinder (VC) applicators. Methods: New “ClickFit” single channel VC applicators (Varian) that have a different top thicknesses but the same diameters as the old VC applicators (2.3 cm diameter, 2.6 cm, 3.0 cm, and 3.5 cm) were compared using phantom studies. Old VC applicator plans without apex optimization points were also compared to the plans with the optimization points. The apex doses were monitored at 5 mm depth doses (8 points) where a prescription dose (Rx) of 6Gy was prescribed. VC surface doses (8 points)more » were also analyzed. Results: The new VC applicator plans without apex optimization points presented significantly lower 5mm depth doses than Rx (on average −31 ± 7%, p <0.00001) due to their thicker VC tops (3.4 ± 1.1 mm thicker with the range of 1.2 to 4.4 mm) than the old VC applicators. Old VC applicator plans also showed a statistically significant reduction (p <0.00001) due to Ir-192 source anisotropic effect at the apex region but the % reduction over Rx was only −7 ± 9%. However, by adding apex optimization points to the new VC applicator plans, the plans improved 5 mm depth doses (−7 ± 9% over Rx) that were not statistically different from old VC plans (p = 0.923), along with apex VC surface doses (−22 ± 10% over old VC versus −46 ± 7% without using apex optimization points). Conclusion: The use of apex optimization points are important in order to avoid significant additional cold doses (−24 ± 2%) at the prescription depth (5 mm) of apex, especially for the new VC applicators that have thicker tops.« less

ALLSMOG, the APEX Low-redshift Legacy Survey for MOlecular Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bothwell, M.; Cicone, C.; Wagg, J.; De Breuck, C..

2017-09-01

We report the completion of the APEX Low-redshift Legacy Survey for MOlecular Gas (ALLSMOG), an ESO Large Programme, carried out with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) between 2013 and 2016. With a total of 327 hours of APEX observing time, we observed the 12CO(2-1) line in 88 nearby low-mass star-forming galaxies. We briefly outline the ALLSMOG goals and design, and describe a few science highlights that have emerged from the survey so far. We outline future work that will ensure that the ALLSMOG dataset continues to provide scientific value in the coming years. ALLSMOG was designed to be a reference legacy survey and as such all reduced data products are publicly available through the ESO Science Archive Phase 3 interface.

Force and moment measurements on a 74 deg delta wing with an apex flap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buter, T. A.; Rao, D. M.

1984-01-01

Results are presented of a subsonic experimental investigation of an apex flap concept on a 74 deg swept delta wing with trailing-edge flaps. The apex flap comprised approximately 6 percent of the wing area forward of a transverse hinge, allowing for upward and downward deflection angles from +40 deg to -20 deg. Upward deflection forces leading-edge vortex formation on the apex flap, resulting in an increased lift component on the apex area. The associated nose-up moment balances the nose-down moment due to trailing-edge flaps, resulting in sizeable increase in the trimmed lift coefficient particularly at low angles of attack. Nose-down apex deflection may be used to augment the pitch control for rapid recovery from high-alpha maneuvers. This report presents the balance data without analysis.

Paraganglioma presenting as cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex.

PubMed

Heman-Ackah, Selena E; Huang, Tina C

2013-09-01

We report the unique finding of a petrous apex cholesterol granuloma associated with a paraganglioma, also known as a glomus jugulare tumor, in a 52-year-old woman who presented to our department with pulsatile tinnitus, hearing loss, aural fullness, and disequilibrium. She had been treated for a petrous apex cholesterol granuloma 20 years earlier, at which time she had undergone drainage of the granuloma via subtotal petrous apicectomy. When she came to our facility approximately 20 years later, she had signs and symptoms consistent with a jugular paraganglioma, which was likely to have been present at the time of her initial presentation for the cholesterol granuloma. In fact, microscopic bleeding from the paraganglioma might have led to the formation of the cholesterol granuloma. The metachronous presentation of these two entities, which to our knowledge has not been reported previously in the literature, indicates the potential association of paragangliomas with the formation of cholesterol granulomas of the petrous apex.

First test results of the airborne dispersive pushbroom imaging spectrometer APEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meuleman, K.; Itten, K.; Schaepman, M.

2009-04-01

APEX, ESA-Prodex "Airborne Prism Experiment" comprises the development of an airborne dispersive pushbroom imaging spectrometer and has originally been designed as flexible hyperspectral mission simulator and calibrator for existing and upcoming or planned future space missions. The APEX project is co-funded by Switzerland and Belgium and built by a Belgian-Swiss industrial team under the prime RUAG Aerospace (CH), responsible for the total system and the mechanical components, OIP (Oudenaarde, BE) contributing the spectrometer, and Netcetera (Zurich, CH) being responsible for the electronics. RSL (University of Zurich, CH) acts as scientific PI together with the Co-PI VITO (Mol, BE). The APEX sensor is operating between 380 nm and 2500 nm in more than 300 freely configurable bands (up to 512 bands in full spectral mode), by means of two dispersive spectrometer channels. 1000 pixels across track and a total field of view of 28° define the ground pixel size (e.g. 2,5 m from 5000 m AGL). A stabilized platform (Leica PAV-30) reduces major geometric distortions due to aircraft instabilities while a GPS/IMU system (Applanix PosAV 410) measures continuously the sensors' position and orientation allowing direct georeferencing of the acquired data . The system is currently is phase D, the calibration and test phase, and first testflights have been performed on a Do-228 in cooperation of DLR while the acquired data is currently under evaluation. Discussions are ongoing to fly APEX on the new DLR High Altitude Research Aircraft (HALO) as well. The system is currently in phase D, the calibration and test phase, and will deliver first scientific data to users by mid 2009. The APEX processing and archiving facility (PAF) is hosted by VITO in the APEX Operations Center (AOC) at Mol, Belgium . A specific level 0-1 processing software module producing uniform, radiometrically calibrated data has been developed by RSL and is integrated into the PAF by VITO. An APEX Calibration

Bacteria transport simulation using apex model in the toenepi watershed, New Zealand

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is a distributed, continuous, daily-timestep small watershed-scale hydrologic and water quality model. In this study, the newly developed fecal-derived bacteria fate and transport subroutine was applied and validated using APEX model. The ...

Mapping of the Tropospheric NO2 Spatial Distribution at City-scale Based on Airborne APEX Hyperspectral Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tack, F. M.; Merlaud, A.; Danckaert, T.; Yu, H.; Fayt, C.; Iordache, D.; Meuleman, K.; Fierens, F.; Deutsch, F.; Van Roozendael, M.

2016-12-01

NO2 is a key pollutant with highly variable concentrations in space and time. Quantitative information about its spatial variability at high resolution is currently scarce, but very valuable for (air quality) studies at the urban scale. APEX is a pushbroom hyperspectral imager with high spatial (60 by 80 m2) and spectral (2.8-3.3 nm) resolution. APEX flights were conducted over (1) the city and port of Antwerp, Belgium on April 14, 2015 and July 19, 2016, (2) Brussels, Belgium on June 30, 2015 (BUMBA project), and (3) Berlin, Germany on April 21, 2016 (AROMAT and AROMAPEX projects). APEX was operated from a DLR DO-228 plane at 6.1 km altitude. Over Berlin, two additional imagers, AirMAP (IUP Bremen) and SWING (BIRA-IASB), were simultaneously operated from a FUB Cessna at 3 km for intercomparison purposes. NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs) are retrieved based on (1) the DOAS analysis of the observed spectra in the visible region (470 nm - 510 nm), and (2) air mass factor calculations with the RTM VLIDORT 2.6. Results show that APEX is suitable (1) to detect the fast varying spectral signatures of a trace gas like NO2 and (2) to identify small scale gradients in the NO2 field and to resolve individual emission sources. Main NOx sources in the Antwerp area are related to (petro)chemical industry, while traffic emissions are dominant in Brussels. Over Berlin, 2 large industrial NO2 plumes are detected by all three imaging systems, crossing the city from west to east. The NO2 VCD levels range between 0.2 and 3.5 x 1016 molec cm-2. The typical detection limit for the APEX instrument is around 1.7 to 2.2 x 1015 molec cm-2. Correlation coefficients of 0.85 and slopes close to unity are obtained when compared to coincident car mobile-DOAS measurements. The NO2 retrieval algorithm, campaign results, and ongoing research concerning the comparison of the VCDs with in-situ surface concentrations and a high resolution (25 m) air quality model, i.e. RIO-IFDM, will be discussed.

[Progress in stable isotope labeled quantitative proteomics methods].

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Shan, Yichu; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2013-06-01

Quantitative proteomics is an important research field in post-genomics era. There are two strategies for proteome quantification: label-free methods and stable isotope labeling methods which have become the most important strategy for quantitative proteomics at present. In the past few years, a number of quantitative methods have been developed, which support the fast development in biology research. In this work, we discuss the progress in the stable isotope labeling methods for quantitative proteomics including relative and absolute quantitative proteomics, and then give our opinions on the outlook of proteome quantification methods.

Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries.

PubMed

Stier, Adrian C; Samhouri, Jameal F; Novak, Mark; Marshall, Kristin N; Ward, Eric J; Holt, Robert D; Levin, Phillip S

2016-05-01

Habitat loss, overexploitation, and numerous other stressors have caused global declines in apex predators. This "trophic downgrading" has generated widespread concern because of the fundamental role that apex predators can play in ecosystem functioning, disease regulation, and biodiversity maintenance. In attempts to combat declines, managers have conducted reintroductions, imposed stricter harvest regulations, and implemented protected areas. We suggest that full recovery of viable apex predator populations is currently the exception rather than the rule. We argue that, in addition to well-known considerations, such as continued exploitation and slow life histories, there are several underappreciated factors that complicate predator recoveries. These factors include three challenges. First, a priori identification of the suite of trophic interactions, such as resource limitation and competition that will influence recovery can be difficult. Second, defining and accomplishing predator recovery in the context of a dynamic ecosystem requires an appreciation of the timing of recovery, which can determine the relative density of apex predators and other predators and therefore affect competitive outcomes. Third, successful recovery programs require designing adaptive sequences of management strategies that embrace key environmental and species interactions as they emerge. Consideration of recent research on food web modules, alternative stable states, and community assembly offer important insights for predator recovery efforts and restoration ecology more generally. Foremost among these is the importance of a social-ecological perspective in facilitating a long-lasting predator restoration while avoiding unintended consequences.

Ecosystem context and historical contingency in apex predator recoveries

PubMed Central

Stier, Adrian C.; Samhouri, Jameal F.; Novak, Mark; Marshall, Kristin N.; Ward, Eric J.; Holt, Robert D.; Levin, Phillip S.

2016-01-01

Habitat loss, overexploitation, and numerous other stressors have caused global declines in apex predators. This “trophic downgrading” has generated widespread concern because of the fundamental role that apex predators can play in ecosystem functioning, disease regulation, and biodiversity maintenance. In attempts to combat declines, managers have conducted reintroductions, imposed stricter harvest regulations, and implemented protected areas. We suggest that full recovery of viable apex predator populations is currently the exception rather than the rule. We argue that, in addition to well-known considerations, such as continued exploitation and slow life histories, there are several underappreciated factors that complicate predator recoveries. These factors include three challenges. First, a priori identification of the suite of trophic interactions, such as resource limitation and competition that will influence recovery can be difficult. Second, defining and accomplishing predator recovery in the context of a dynamic ecosystem requires an appreciation of the timing of recovery, which can determine the relative density of apex predators and other predators and therefore affect competitive outcomes. Third, successful recovery programs require designing adaptive sequences of management strategies that embrace key environmental and species interactions as they emerge. Consideration of recent research on food web modules, alternative stable states, and community assembly offer important insights for predator recovery efforts and restoration ecology more generally. Foremost among these is the importance of a social-ecological perspective in facilitating a long-lasting predator restoration while avoiding unintended consequences. PMID:27386535

Bacteria transport simulation using APEX model in the Toenepi watershed, New Zealand

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is a distributed, continuous, daily-time step small watershed-scale hydrologic and water quality model. In this study, the newly developed fecal-derived bacteria fate and transport subroutine was applied and evalated using APEX model. The e...

Qualitative versus quantitative methods in psychiatric research.

PubMed

Razafsha, Mahdi; Behforuzi, Hura; Azari, Hassan; Zhang, Zhiqun; Wang, Kevin K; Kobeissy, Firas H; Gold, Mark S

2012-01-01

Qualitative studies are gaining their credibility after a period of being misinterpreted as "not being quantitative." Qualitative method is a broad umbrella term for research methodologies that describe and explain individuals' experiences, behaviors, interactions, and social contexts. In-depth interview, focus groups, and participant observation are among the qualitative methods of inquiry commonly used in psychiatry. Researchers measure the frequency of occurring events using quantitative methods; however, qualitative methods provide a broader understanding and a more thorough reasoning behind the event. Hence, it is considered to be of special importance in psychiatry. Besides hypothesis generation in earlier phases of the research, qualitative methods can be employed in questionnaire design, diagnostic criteria establishment, feasibility studies, as well as studies of attitude and beliefs. Animal models are another area that qualitative methods can be employed, especially when naturalistic observation of animal behavior is important. However, since qualitative results can be researcher's own view, they need to be statistically confirmed, quantitative methods. The tendency to combine both qualitative and quantitative methods as complementary methods has emerged over recent years. By applying both methods of research, scientists can take advantage of interpretative characteristics of qualitative methods as well as experimental dimensions of quantitative methods.

The mass distribution of clumps within infrared dark clouds. A Large APEX Bolometer Camera study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, L.; Wyrowski, F.; Schuller, F.; Menten, K. M.; Ballesteros-Paredes, J.

2014-01-01

Aims: We present an analysis of the dust continuum emission at 870 μm in order to investigate the mass distribution of clumps within infrared dark clouds (IRDCs). Methods: We map six IRDCs with the Large APEX BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) at APEX, reaching an rms noise level of σrms = 28-44 mJy beam-1. The dust continuum emission coming from these IRDCs was decomposed by using two automated algorithms, Gaussclumps and Clumpfind. Moreover, we carried out single-pointing observations of the N2H+ (3-2) line toward selected positions to obtain kinematic information. Results: The mapped IRDCs are located in the range of kinematic distances of 2.7-3.2 kpc. We identify 510 and 352 sources with Gaussclumps and Clumpfind, respectively, and estimate masses and other physical properties assuming a uniform dust temperature. The mass ranges are 6-2692 M⊙ (Gaussclumps) and 7-4254 M⊙ (Clumpfind), and the ranges in effective radius are ~0.10-0.74 pc (Gaussclumps) and 0.16-0.99 pc (Clumpfind). The mass distribution, independent of the decomposition method used, is fitted by a power law, dN/dM ∝ Mα, with an index (α) of -1.60 ± 0.06, consistent with the CO mass distribution and other high-mass star-forming regions. Based on data acquired with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX). APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory, and the Onsala Space Observatory.Full Tables 3 and 4 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/561/A148

Benign orbital apex tumors treated with multisession gamma knife radiosurgery.

PubMed

Goh, Alice Siew Ching; Kim, Yoon-Duck; Woo, Kyung In; Lee, Jung-Il

2013-03-01

The orbital apex is an important anatomic landmark that hosts numerous critical neurovascular structures. Tumor resection performed at this complex region poses a therapeutic challenge to orbital surgeons and often is associated with significant visual morbidity. This article reports the efficacy and safety of multisession gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in benign, well-circumscribed tumors located at the orbital apex. Retrospective interventional case series. Five patients with visual disturbances resulting from a benign, well-circumscribed orbital apex tumor (3 cases of cavernous hemangioma and 2 cases of schwannoma). Each patient treated with GKRS with a total radiation dose of 20 Gy in 4 sessions (5 Gy in each session with an isodose line of 50%) delivered to the tumor margin. Best-corrected visual acuity, visual field changes, orbital imaging, tumor growth control, and side effects of radiation. All patients demonstrated improvement in visual acuity, pupillary responses, color vision, and visual field. Tumor shrinkage was observed in all patients and remained stable until the last follow-up. No adverse events were noted during or after the radiosurgery. None of the patients experienced any radiation-related ocular morbidity. From this experience, multisession GKRS seems to be an effective management strategy to treat solitary, benign, well-circumscribed orbital apex tumors. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

METRO-APEX Volume 17.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 7, Shick Cannery. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 7 (Shick Cannery) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of…

Lack of association between the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Coppedè, Fabio; Lo Gerfo, Annalisa; Carlesi, Cecilia; Piazza, Selina; Mancuso, Michelangelo; Pasquali, Livia; Murri, Luigi; Migliore, Lucia; Siciliano, Gabriele

2010-02-01

Impairments in DNA repair enzymes have been observed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) tissues, particularly in the activity of the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APEX1). Moreover, it was suggested that the common APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism might be associated with ALS risk. To further address this question we performed the present study aimed at evaluating the contribution of the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism in sporadic ALS (sALS) risk and clinical presentation, including age and site of onset and disease progression. We screened 134 sALS Italian patients and 129 matched controls for the presence of the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism. No difference in APEX1 Asp148Glu allele and genotype frequencies was found between the groups, nor was the polymorphism associated with age and site of onset or disease progression. Present results do not support a role for the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism in sALS pathogenesis in the Italian population.

ALMA, APEX and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwaan, M.; Testi, L.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is currently being constructed at the 5000m Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes. ALMA has been designed and is being built to deliver transformational science in the millimeter and submillimeter regime for many years to come. We briefly describe the project status and timeline. The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), built at the same site, is already operational and proves to be an effective survey instrument. We discuss which niches in millimeter/submillimeter astronomy will remain open for a possible facility in Antarctica.

Remote sensing and spectral analysis of plumes from ocean dumping in the New York Bight Apex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.

1980-01-01

The application of the remote sensing techniques of aerial photography and multispectral scanning in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of plumes from ocean dumping of waste materials is investigated in the New York Bight Apex. Plumes resulting from the dumping of acid waste and sewage sludge were observed by Ocean Color Scanner at an altitude of 19.7 km and by Modular Multispectral Scanner and mapping camera at an altitude of 3.0 km. Results of the qualitative analysis of multispectral and photographic data for the mapping, location, and identification of pollution features without concurrent sea truth measurements are presented which demonstrate the usefulness of in-scene calibration. Quantitative distributions of the suspended solids in sewage sludge released in spot and line dumps are also determined by a multiple regression analysis of multispectral and sea truth data.

APEX simulation: environmental benefits of agroforestry and grass buffers on corn-soybean watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model has the ability to simulate the effects of vegetative filter strips on runoff and pollutant loadings from agricultural watersheds. The objectives of this study were to calibrate and validate the APEX model for three adjacent watersheds and...

Ex vivo accuracy of an apex locator using digital signal processing in primary teeth.

PubMed

Leonardo, Mário Roberto; da Silva, Lea Assed Bezerra; Nelson-Filho, Paulo; da Silva, Raquel Assed Bezerra; Lucisano, Marília Pacífico

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate ex vivo the accuracy an electronic apex locator during root canal length determination in primary molars. One calibrated examiner determined the root canal length in 15 primary molars (total=34 root canals) with different stages of root resorption. Root canal length was measured both visually with the placement of a K-file 1 mm short of the apical foramen or the apical resorption bevel, and electronically using an electronic apex locator (Digital Signal Processing). Data were analyzed statistically using the intraclass correlation (ICC) test. Comparing the actual and electronic root canal length measurements in the primary teeth showed a high correlation (ICC=0.95). The Digital Signal Processing apex locator is useful and accurate for apex foramen location during root canal length measurement in primary molars.

Black hole outflows from Centaurus A detected with APEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-01-01

Astronomers have a new insight into the active galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128), as the jets and lobes emanating from the central black hole have been imaged at submillimetre wavelengths for the first time. The new data, from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope in Chile, which is operated by ESO, have been combined with visible and X-ray wavelengths to produce this striking new image. ESO PR Photo 03a/09 Centaurus A Centaurus A is our nearest giant galaxy, at a distance of about 13 million light-years in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It is an elliptical galaxy, currently merging with a companion spiral galaxy, resulting in areas of intense star formation and making it one of the most spectacular objects in the sky. Centaurus A hosts a very active and highly luminous central region, caused by the presence of a supermassive black hole (see ESO 04/01), and is the source of strong radio and X-ray emission. In the image, we see the dust ring encircling the giant galaxy, and the fast-moving radio jets ejected from the galaxy centre, signatures of the supermassive black hole at the heart of Centaurus A. In submillimetre light, we see not only the heat glow from the central dust disc, but also the emission from the central radio source and - for the first time in the submillimetre - the inner radio lobes north and south of the disc. Measurements of this emission, which occurs when fast-moving electrons spiral around the lines of a magnetic field, reveal that the material in the jet is travelling at approximately half the speed of light. In the X-ray emission, we see the jets emerging from the centre of Centaurus A and, to the lower right of the galaxy, the glow where the expanding lobe collides with the surrounding gas, creating a shockwave. The Large APEX Bolometer Camera (LABOCA), built by the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR), is mounted on APEX, a 12-metre diameter submillimetre-wavelength telescope located on the 5000 m high

APEX - the Hyperspectral ESA Airborne Prism Experiment

PubMed Central

Itten, Klaus I.; Dell'Endice, Francesco; Hueni, Andreas; Kneubühler, Mathias; Schläpfer, Daniel; Odermatt, Daniel; Seidel, Felix; Huber, Silvia; Schopfer, Jürg; Kellenberger, Tobias; Bühler, Yves; D'Odorico, Petra; Nieke, Jens; Alberti, Edoardo; Meuleman, Koen

2008-01-01

The airborne ESA-APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment) hyperspectral mission simulator is described with its distinct specifications to provide high quality remote sensing data. The concept of an automatic calibration, performed in the Calibration Home Base (CHB) by using the Control Test Master (CTM), the In-Flight Calibration facility (IFC), quality flagging (QF) and specific processing in a dedicated Processing and Archiving Facility (PAF), and vicarious calibration experiments are presented. A preview on major applications and the corresponding development efforts to provide scientific data products up to level 2/3 to the user is presented for limnology, vegetation, aerosols, general classification routines and rapid mapping tasks. BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) issues are discussed and the spectral database SPECCHIO (Spectral Input/Output) introduced. The optical performance as well as the dedicated software utilities make APEX a state-of-the-art hyperspectral sensor, capable of (a) satisfying the needs of several research communities and (b) helping the understanding of the Earth's complex mechanisms. PMID:27873868

Measuring Turbulence Mixing in Indonesian Seas Using Microstructure EM-APEX Floats

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-18

14 . ABSTRACT With the help of my graduate student at Columbia Univers ity (Asmi Napitu who is from Indonesia ) I have arranged a plan for the...and Fisheries of Republic of Indonesia (KKP), Bali BPPL lab on their Baruna Jaya 8 cruise in August 2016. Arrangement to sh ip the EM APEX float to... Indonesia in the spring 2016 are being arranged. 15. SUBJECT TERMS mixing within the Banda; EM APEX fl oats; upper ocean processes; mixed layer

APEX 3: a multi-purpose test platform for auditory psychophysical experiments.

PubMed

Francart, Tom; van Wieringen, Astrid; Wouters, Jan

2008-07-30

APEX 3 is a software test platform for auditory behavioral experiments. It provides a generic means of setting up experiments without any programming. The supported output devices include sound cards and cochlear implants from Cochlear Corporation and Advanced Bionics Corporation. Many psychophysical procedures are provided and there is an interface to add custom procedures. Plug-in interfaces are provided for data filters and external controllers. APEX 3 is supported under Linux and Windows and is available free of charge.

METRO-APEX Volume 19.1: City Manager and County Administrative Officer's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The City Manager and County Administrative Officer's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an…

METRO-APEX Volume 15.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 5, Caesar's Rendering Plant. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 5 (Caesar's Rendering Plant) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an…

"Ring pledget": a new concept for secure apex closure during transapical aortic valve implantation.

PubMed

Astarci, Parla; Glineur, David; Kefer, Joelle; Renkin, Jean; Vanoverschelde, Jean-Louis; El Khoury, Gebrine

2010-03-01

Transapical aortic valve implantation requires puncture of the left ventricle apex and insertion of a 32-French delivery sheath. A critical step in the procedure consists of secure closure of the ventricular apex. We describe 2 cases of apical rupture of 42 transapical aortic valve implantations. Furthermore, we describe the use of a newly designed single circular Teflon pledget that can help to avoid this complication. This pledget provides a more secure and uniform shrinkage of the entire apex to close the defect left by the delivery sheath.

METRO-APEX Volume 13.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 3, Rusty's Iron Foundry. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 3 (Rusty's Iron Foundry) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion…

METRO-APEX Volume 11.1: Industrialists' Manual No. 1, Shear Power Company. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 1 (Shear Power Company) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion…

METRO-APEX Volume 12.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 2, People's Pulp Plant. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 2 (People's Pulp Plant) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion…

METRO-APEX Volume 14.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 4, Gestalt Malt Brewery. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 4 (Gestalt Malt Brewery) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion…

Modeling the fate and transport of bacteria in agricultural and pasture lands using APEX

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is a whole farm to small watershed scale continuous simulation model developed for evaluating various land management strategies. The current version, APEX0806, does not have the modeling capacity for fecal indicator bacteria fate and trans...

Lethal control of an apex predator has unintended cascading effects on forest mammal assemblages.

PubMed

Colman, N J; Gordon, C E; Crowther, M S; Letnic, M

2014-05-07

Disruption to species-interaction networks caused by irruptions of herbivores and mesopredators following extirpation of apex predators is a global driver of ecosystem reorganization and biodiversity loss. Most studies of apex predators' ecological roles focus on effects arising from their interactions with herbivores or mesopredators in isolation, but rarely consider how the effects of herbivores and mesopredators interact. Here, we provide evidence that multiple cascade pathways induced by lethal control of an apex predator, the dingo, drive unintended shifts in forest ecosystem structure. We compared mammal assemblages and understorey structure at seven sites in southern Australia. Each site comprised an area where dingoes were poisoned and an area without control. The effects of dingo control on mammals scaled with body size. Activity of herbivorous macropods, arboreal mammals and a mesopredator, the red fox, were greater, but understorey vegetation sparser and abundances of small mammals lower, where dingoes were controlled. Structural equation modelling suggested that both predation by foxes and depletion of understorey vegetation by macropods were related to small mammal decline at poisoned sites. Our study suggests that apex predators' suppressive effects on herbivores and mesopredators occur simultaneously and should be considered in tandem in order to appreciate the extent of apex predators' indirect effects.

Lethal control of an apex predator has unintended cascading effects on forest mammal assemblages

PubMed Central

Colman, N. J.; Gordon, C. E.; Crowther, M. S.; Letnic, M.

2014-01-01

Disruption to species-interaction networks caused by irruptions of herbivores and mesopredators following extirpation of apex predators is a global driver of ecosystem reorganization and biodiversity loss. Most studies of apex predators' ecological roles focus on effects arising from their interactions with herbivores or mesopredators in isolation, but rarely consider how the effects of herbivores and mesopredators interact. Here, we provide evidence that multiple cascade pathways induced by lethal control of an apex predator, the dingo, drive unintended shifts in forest ecosystem structure. We compared mammal assemblages and understorey structure at seven sites in southern Australia. Each site comprised an area where dingoes were poisoned and an area without control. The effects of dingo control on mammals scaled with body size. Activity of herbivorous macropods, arboreal mammals and a mesopredator, the red fox, were greater, but understorey vegetation sparser and abundances of small mammals lower, where dingoes were controlled. Structural equation modelling suggested that both predation by foxes and depletion of understorey vegetation by macropods were related to small mammal decline at poisoned sites. Our study suggests that apex predators’ suppressive effects on herbivores and mesopredators occur simultaneously and should be considered in tandem in order to appreciate the extent of apex predators’ indirect effects. PMID:24619441

M.E.T.R.O.-Apex Gaming Simulation, Volume 28 (OS/360 Version).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor. Environmental Simulation Lab.

Operator's instructions and technical support materials needed for processing the M.E.T.R.O.-APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) game decisions on an IBM 360 computer are compiled in this volume. M.E.T.R.O.-APEX is a computerized college and professional level "real world" simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities,…

Apex predator and the cyclic competition in a rock-paper-scissors game of three species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souza-Filho, C. A.; Bazeia, D.; Ramos, J. G. G. S.

2017-06-01

This work deals with the effects of an apex predator on the cyclic competition among three distinct species that follow the rules of the rock-paper-scissors game. The investigation develops standard stochastic simulations but is motivated by a procedure which is explained in the work. We add the apex predator as the fourth species in a system that contains three species that evolve following the standard rules of migration, reproduction, and predation, and study how the system evolves in this new environment, in comparison with the case in the absence of the apex predator. The results show that the apex predator engenders the tendency to spread uniformly in the lattice, contributing to destroy the spiral patterns, keeping biodiversity but diminishing the average size of the clusters of the species that compete cyclically.

Methods for Quantitative Creatinine Determination.

PubMed

Moore, John F; Sharer, J Daniel

2017-04-06

Reliable measurement of creatinine is necessary to assess kidney function, and also to quantitate drug levels and diagnostic compounds in urine samples. The most commonly used methods are based on the Jaffe principal of alkaline creatinine-picric acid complex color formation. However, other compounds commonly found in serum and urine may interfere with Jaffe creatinine measurements. Therefore, many laboratories have made modifications to the basic method to remove or account for these interfering substances. This appendix will summarize the basic Jaffe method, as well as a modified, automated version. Also described is a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that separates creatinine from contaminants prior to direct quantification by UV absorption. Lastly, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method is described that uses stable isotope dilution to reliably quantify creatinine in any sample. This last approach has been recommended by experts in the field as a means to standardize all quantitative creatinine methods against an accepted reference. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In-Flight Spectral Calibration of the APEX Imaging Spectrometer Using Fraunhofer Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhlmann, Gerrit; Hueni, Andreas; Damm, Aalexander; Brunner, Dominik

2015-11-01

The Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) is an imaging spectrometer which allows to observe atmospheric trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Using a high resolution spectrum of solar Fraunhofer lines, APEX measurements collected during flight have been spectrally calibrated for centre wavelength positions (CW) and instrument slit function (ISF) and compared to the laboratory calibration. We find that CWs depend strongly on both across- and along-track position due to spectral smile and CWs dependency on ambient pressure. The width of the ISF is larger than estimated from the laboratory calibration but can be described by a linear scaling of the laboratory values. The ISF width depends on across- but not on along-track direction. The results demonstrate the importance of characterizing and monitoring the instrument performance during flight and will be used to improve the Empa APEX NO2 retrieval algorithm.

Quantitative Methods in Psychology: Inevitable and Useless

PubMed Central

Toomela, Aaro

2010-01-01

Science begins with the question, what do I want to know? Science becomes science, however, only when this question is justified and the appropriate methodology is chosen for answering the research question. Research question should precede the other questions; methods should be chosen according to the research question and not vice versa. Modern quantitative psychology has accepted method as primary; research questions are adjusted to the methods. For understanding thinking in modern quantitative psychology, two epistemologies should be distinguished: structural-systemic that is based on Aristotelian thinking, and associative-quantitative that is based on Cartesian–Humean thinking. The first aims at understanding the structure that underlies the studied processes; the second looks for identification of cause–effect relationships between the events with no possible access to the understanding of the structures that underlie the processes. Quantitative methodology in particular as well as mathematical psychology in general, is useless for answering questions about structures and processes that underlie observed behaviors. Nevertheless, quantitative science is almost inevitable in a situation where the systemic-structural basis of behavior is not well understood; all sorts of applied decisions can be made on the basis of quantitative studies. In order to proceed, psychology should study structures; methodologically, constructive experiments should be added to observations and analytic experiments. PMID:21833199

Quantitative methods in psychology: inevitable and useless.

PubMed

Toomela, Aaro

2010-01-01

Science begins with the question, what do I want to know? Science becomes science, however, only when this question is justified and the appropriate methodology is chosen for answering the research question. Research question should precede the other questions; methods should be chosen according to the research question and not vice versa. Modern quantitative psychology has accepted method as primary; research questions are adjusted to the methods. For understanding thinking in modern quantitative psychology, two epistemologies should be distinguished: structural-systemic that is based on Aristotelian thinking, and associative-quantitative that is based on Cartesian-Humean thinking. The first aims at understanding the structure that underlies the studied processes; the second looks for identification of cause-effect relationships between the events with no possible access to the understanding of the structures that underlie the processes. Quantitative methodology in particular as well as mathematical psychology in general, is useless for answering questions about structures and processes that underlie observed behaviors. Nevertheless, quantitative science is almost inevitable in a situation where the systemic-structural basis of behavior is not well understood; all sorts of applied decisions can be made on the basis of quantitative studies. In order to proceed, psychology should study structures; methodologically, constructive experiments should be added to observations and analytic experiments.

Hunger makes apex predators do risky things.

PubMed

Boutin, Stan

2018-05-01

In Focus: Blecha, K. A., Boone, R. B., & Alldredge, M. W. (2018). Hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87, 609-622. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12801 Puma (Puma concolor), an apex predator, can live at the edge of cities where pockets of low-density human dwellings form residential patches in the wildland-urban interface. Blecha, Boone, and Alldredge () tracked puma via global positioning system (GPS) telemetry collars to determine when and where they hunted and made kills. Well-fed puma (1-2 days between kills) strongly avoided residential patches despite these areas having higher mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) densities and higher kill success for puma. However, the strong avoidance of residential patches completely disappeared as puma became hungrier (4-10 days since last kill) making it more likely that hungry individuals hunted in residential areas and ultimately increasing the likelihood of puma-human conflict. © 2018 The Author. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society.

Williams works on the payload APEX TAGES in the JPM during Expedition 22

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-12-15

ISS022-E-011304 (15 Dec. 2009) --- NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams, Expedition 22 commander, conducts a daily status check of the Advanced Plant Experiments on Orbit (APEX) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. During each check, Williams looks for health and color of the plants, since the Cambium plants are removed from the Advanced Biological Research System (ABRS). When completed, the APEX-Cambium payload in conjunction with the NASA-sponsored Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System (TAGES) will determine the role of gravity in Cambium wood cell development and demonstrate non-destructive reporter gene technology and investigate spaceflight plant stress. APEX-Cambium provides NASA and the ISS community a permanent controlled environment capability to support growth of various organisms (i.e. whole plants).

Dynamic variable selection in SNP genotype autocalling from APEX microarray data.

PubMed

Podder, Mohua; Welch, William J; Zamar, Ruben H; Tebbutt, Scott J

2006-11-30

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are DNA sequence variations, occurring when a single nucleotide--adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) or guanine (G)--is altered. Arguably, SNPs account for more than 90% of human genetic variation. Our laboratory has developed a highly redundant SNP genotyping assay consisting of multiple probes with signals from multiple channels for a single SNP, based on arrayed primer extension (APEX). This mini-sequencing method is a powerful combination of a highly parallel microarray with distinctive Sanger-based dideoxy terminator sequencing chemistry. Using this microarray platform, our current genotype calling system (known as SNP Chart) is capable of calling single SNP genotypes by manual inspection of the APEX data, which is time-consuming and exposed to user subjectivity bias. Using a set of 32 Coriell DNA samples plus three negative PCR controls as a training data set, we have developed a fully-automated genotyping algorithm based on simple linear discriminant analysis (LDA) using dynamic variable selection. The algorithm combines separate analyses based on the multiple probe sets to give a final posterior probability for each candidate genotype. We have tested our algorithm on a completely independent data set of 270 DNA samples, with validated genotypes, from patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of St. Paul's Hospital (plus one negative PCR control sample). Our method achieves a concordance rate of 98.9% with a 99.6% call rate for a set of 96 SNPs. By adjusting the threshold value for the final posterior probability of the called genotype, the call rate reduces to 94.9% with a higher concordance rate of 99.6%. We also reversed the two independent data sets in their training and testing roles, achieving a concordance rate up to 99.8%. The strength of this APEX chemistry-based platform is its unique redundancy having multiple probes for a single SNP. Our model-based genotype calling algorithm captures the

METRO-APEX Volume 16.1: Industrialist's Manual No. 6, Dusty Rhodes Cement Company. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 6 (Dusty Rhodes Cement Company) is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an…

From themes to hypotheses: following up with quantitative methods.

PubMed

Morgan, David L

2015-06-01

One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field. © The Author(s) 2015.

High-resolution mapping of the NO2 spatial distribution over Belgian urban areas based on airborne APEX remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tack, Frederik; Merlaud, Alexis; Iordache, Marian-Daniel; Danckaert, Thomas; Yu, Huan; Fayt, Caroline; Meuleman, Koen; Deutsch, Felix; Fierens, Frans; Van Roozendael, Michel

2017-05-01

We present retrieval results of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) vertical column densities (VCDs), mapped at high spatial resolution over three Belgian cities, based on the DOAS analysis of Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) observations. APEX, developed by a Swiss-Belgian consortium on behalf of ESA (European Space Agency), is a pushbroom hyperspectral imager characterised by a high spatial resolution and high spectral performance. APEX data have been acquired under clear-sky conditions over the two largest and most heavily polluted Belgian cities, i.e. Antwerp and Brussels on 15 April and 30 June 2015. Additionally, a number of background sites have been covered for the reference spectra. The APEX instrument was mounted in a Dornier DO-228 aeroplane, operated by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). NO2 VCDs were retrieved from spatially aggregated radiance spectra allowing urban plumes to be resolved at the resolution of 60 × 80 m2. The main sources in the Antwerp area appear to be related to the (petro)chemical industry while traffic-related emissions dominate in Brussels. The NO2 levels observed in Antwerp range between 3 and 35 × 1015 molec cm-2, with a mean VCD of 17.4 ± 3.7 × 1015 molec cm-2. In the Brussels area, smaller levels are found, ranging between 1 and 20 × 1015 molec cm-2 and a mean VCD of 7.7 ± 2.1 × 1015 molec cm-2. The overall errors on the retrieved NO2 VCDs are on average 21 and 28 % for the Antwerp and Brussels data sets. Low VCD retrievals are mainly limited by noise (1σ slant error), while high retrievals are mainly limited by systematic errors. Compared to coincident car mobile-DOAS measurements taken in Antwerp and Brussels, both data sets are in good agreement with correlation coefficients around 0.85 and slopes close to unity. APEX retrievals tend to be, on average, 12 and 6 % higher for Antwerp and Brussels, respectively. Results demonstrate that the NO2 distribution in an urban environment, and its fine

Functional characterization of Arabidopsis phototropin 1 in the hypocotyl apex.

PubMed

Sullivan, Stuart; Takemiya, Atsushi; Kharshiing, Eros; Cloix, Catherine; Shimazaki, Ken-Ichiro; Christie, John M

2016-12-01

Phototropin (phot1) is a blue light-activated plasma membrane-associated kinase that acts as the principal photoreceptor for shoot phototropism in Arabidopsis in conjunction with the signalling component Non-Phototropic Hypocotyl 3 (NPH3). PHOT1 is uniformly expressed throughout the Arabidopsis hypocotyl, yet decapitation experiments have localized the site of light perception to the upper hypocotyl. This prompted us to investigate in more detail the functional role of the hypocotyl apex, and the regions surrounding it, in establishing phototropism. We used a non-invasive approach where PHOT1-GFP (P1-GFP) expression was targeted to the hypocotyl apex of the phot-deficient mutant using the promoters of CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 3 (CUC3) and AINTEGUMENTA (ANT). Expression of CUC3::P1-GFP was clearly visible at the hypocotyl apex, with weaker expression in the cotyledons, whereas ANT::P1-GFP was specifically targeted to the developing leaves. Both lines showed impaired curvature to 0.005 μmol m -2  sec -1 unilateral blue light, indicating that regions below the apical meristem are necessary for phototropism. Curvature was however apparent at higher fluence rates. Moreover, CUC3::P1-GFP partially or fully complemented petiole positioning, leaf flattening and chloroplast accumulation, but not stomatal opening. Yet, tissue analysis of NPH3 de-phosphorylation showed that CUC3::P1-GFP and ANT::P1-GFP mis-express very low levels of phot1 that likely account for this responsiveness. Our spatial targeting approach therefore excludes the hypocotyl apex as the site for light perception for phototropism and shows that phot1-mediated NPH3 de-phosphorylation is tissue autonomous and occurs more prominently in the basal hypocotyl. © 2016 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Petrous apex cholesterol granuloma aeration: does it matter?

PubMed

Castillo, Michael P; Samy, Ravi N; Isaacson, Brandon; Roland, Peter S

2008-04-01

To determine whether aeration of surgically treated petrous apex cholesterol granulomas (PA CG) has any correlation with resolution of symptoms. Retrospective chart review. Twenty-six patients with a petrous apex cholesterol granuloma during a 16-year period were reviewed. Seventeen of 26 (65%) patients underwent surgical intervention. Preoperative symptoms included headache, facial weakness/twitching or numbness, vertigo, hearing loss, vision changes, and tinnitus. Postoperative symptoms resolved in 9 of the 16 patients (56%). Three patients had a postoperative headache. Facial nerve dysfunction persisted or recurred in four patients. One patient was lost to follow-up. Thirteen patients had postoperative imaging. All 13 (100%) patients demonstrated stable or increased size of PA CG with no evidence of aeration. Revision surgery was performed in four patients (25%) for facial nerve symptoms or persistent headaches. The extent of PA CG aeration on postoperative imaging had no correlation to symptom resolution or cyst enlargement. Revision surgery should not depend on imaging alone but primarily on patient symptoms and physical exam.

Quantitative imaging methods in osteoporosis.

PubMed

Oei, Ling; Koromani, Fjorda; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Zillikens, M Carola; Oei, Edwin H G

2016-12-01

Osteoporosis is characterized by a decreased bone mass and quality resulting in an increased fracture risk. Quantitative imaging methods are critical in the diagnosis and follow-up of treatment effects in osteoporosis. Prior radiographic vertebral fractures and bone mineral density (BMD) as a quantitative parameter derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are among the strongest known predictors of future osteoporotic fractures. Therefore, current clinical decision making relies heavily on accurate assessment of these imaging features. Further, novel quantitative techniques are being developed to appraise additional characteristics of osteoporosis including three-dimensional bone architecture with quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Dedicated high-resolution (HR) CT equipment is available to enhance image quality. At the other end of the spectrum, by utilizing post-processing techniques such as the trabecular bone score (TBS) information on three-dimensional architecture can be derived from DXA images. Further developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) seem promising to not only capture bone micro-architecture but also characterize processes at the molecular level. This review provides an overview of various quantitative imaging techniques based on different radiological modalities utilized in clinical osteoporosis care and research.

Endoscopic trans-sphenoidal removal of cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex: case report and literature review.

PubMed

Dhanasekar, G; Jones, N S

2011-02-01

We report a case of cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex which was surgically treated via an endoscopic trans-sphenoidal approach. Case report and review of the literature concerning cholesterol granulomas of the petrous apex and their management. The lesion was approached endoscopically via a bilateral sphenoidotomy with removal of the vomer. A large cholesterol granuloma was evacuated and marsupialised. The patient made an uneventful recovery. Trans-sphenoidal access to the petrous apex represents an alternative route for the drainage and ventilation of cholesterol granulomas. This approach is the technique of choice when the cholesterol granuloma abuts the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus. The trans-sphenoid approach, unlike other lateral approaches to the petrous apex, spares cochlear and vestibular function and allows post-operative endoscopic follow up.

Coding Instructions, Worksheets, and Keypunch Sheets for M.E.T.R.O.-APEX Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor. Environmental Simulation Lab.

Compiled in this resource are coding instructions, worksheets, and keypunch sheets for use in the M.E.T.R.O.-APEX simulation, described in detail in documents ED 064 530 through ED 064 550. Air Pollution Exercise (APEX) is a computerized college and professional level "real world" simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial…

Electron microscopy using the genetically encoded APEX2 tag in cultured mammalian cells

PubMed Central

Martell, Jeffrey D; Deerinck, Thomas J; Lam, Stephanie S; Ellisman, Mark H; Ting, Alice Y

2018-01-01

Electron microscopy (EM) is the premiere technique for high-resolution imaging of cellular ultrastructure. Unambiguous identification of specific proteins or cellular compartments in electron micrographs, however, remains challenging because of difficulties in delivering electron-dense contrast agents to specific subcellular targets within intact cells. We recently reported enhanced ascorbate peroxidase 2 (APEX2) as a broadly applicable genetic tag that generates EM contrast on a specific protein or subcellular compartment of interest. This protocol provides guidelines for designing and validating APEX2 fusion constructs, along with detailed instructions for cell culture, transfection, fixation, heavy-metal staining, embedding in resin, and EM imaging. Although this protocol focuses on EM in cultured mammalian cells, APEX2 is applicable to many cell types and contexts, including intact tissues and organisms, and is useful for numerous applications beyond EM, including live-cell proteomic mapping. This protocol, which describes procedures for sample preparation from cell monolayers and cell pellets, can be completed in 10 d, including time for APEX2 fusion construct validation, cell growth, and solidification of embedding resins. Notably, the only additional steps required relative to a standard EM sample preparation are cell transfection and a 2- to 45-min staining period with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). PMID:28796234

Quantitative method of medication system interface evaluation.

PubMed

Pingenot, Alleene Anne; Shanteau, James; Pingenot, James D F

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative method of evaluating the user interface for medication system software. A detailed task analysis provided a description of user goals and essential activity. A structural fault analysis was used to develop a detailed description of the system interface. Nurses experienced with use of the system under evaluation provided estimates of failure rates for each point in this simplified fault tree. Means of estimated failure rates provided quantitative data for fault analysis. Authors note that, although failures of steps in the program were frequent, participants reported numerous methods of working around these failures so that overall system failure was rare. However, frequent process failure can affect the time required for processing medications, making a system inefficient. This method of interface analysis, called Software Efficiency Evaluation and Fault Identification Method, provides quantitative information with which prototypes can be compared and problems within an interface identified.

Chemoenzymatic method for glycomics: isolation, identification, and quantitation

PubMed Central

Yang, Shuang; Rubin, Abigail; Eshghi, Shadi Toghi; Zhang, Hui

2015-01-01

Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made with respect to the analytical methods for analysis of glycans from biological sources. Regardless of the specific methods that are used, glycan analysis includes isolation, identification, and quantitation. Derivatization is indispensable to increase their identification. Derivatization of glycans can be performed by permethylation or carbodiimide coupling / esterification. By introducing a fluorophore or chromophore at their reducing end, glycans can be separated by electrophoresis or chromatography. The fluorogenically labeled glycans can be quantitated using fluorescent detection. The recently developed approaches using solid-phase such as glycoprotein immobilization for glycan extraction and on-tissue glycan mass spectrometry imaging demonstrate advantages over methods performed in solution. Derivatization of sialic acids is favorably implemented on the solid support using carbodiimide coupling, and the released glycans can be further modified at the reducing end or permethylated for quantitative analysis. In this review, methods for glycan isolation, identification, and quantitation are discussed. PMID:26390280

SpaceX-3 KSC Payloads: Biotube, Bric, Apex2-2

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, equipment supporting the Advanced Plant Experiment, or APEX, experiment is being prepared for launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The APEX investigation examines white spruce, picea glauca, to understand the influence of gravity on plant physiology, growth, and on the genetics of wood formation. Scheduled for launch on March 16 atop a Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon will be marking its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission is the third of 12 flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Molecular Cloning and 3D Structure Modeling of APEX1, DNA Base Excision Repair Enzyme from the Camel, Camelus dromedarius

PubMed Central

Ataya, Farid Shokry; Fouad, Dalia; Malik, Ajamaluddin; Saeed, Hesham Mahmoud

2012-01-01

The domesticated one-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius, is one of the most important animals in the Arabian Desert. It is exposed most of its life to both intrinsic and extrinsic genotoxic factors that are known to cause gross DNA alterations in many organisms. Ionic radiation and sunlight are known producers of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), one of the causes for DNA lesions. The damaged DNA is repaired by many enzymes, among of them Base Excision Repair enzymes, producing the highly mutagenic apurinic/apyrimidinicsites (AP sites). Therefore, recognition of AP sites is fundamental to cell/organism survival. In the present work, the full coding sequence of a putative cAPEX1 gene was amplified for the first time from C. dromedarius by RT-PCR and cloned (NCBI accession number are HM209828 and ADJ96599 for nucleotides and amino acids, respectively). cDNA sequencing was deduced to be 1041 nucleotides, of which 954 nucleotides encode a protein of 318 amino acids, similar to the coding region of the APEX1 gene and the protein from many other species. The calculated molecular weight and isoelectric point of cAPEX1 using Bioinformatics tools was 35.5 kDa and 8.11, respectively. The relative expressions of cAPEX1 in camel kidney, spleen, lung and testis were examined using qPCR and compared with that of the liver using a 18S ribosomal subunit as endogenous control. The highest level of cAPEX1 transcript was found in the testis; 325% higher than the liver, followed by spleen (87%), kidney (20%) and lung (5%), respectively. The cAPEX1 is 94%–97% similar to their mammalian counterparts. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that cAPEX1 is grouped together with that of S. scrofa. The predicted 3D structure of cAPEX1 has similar folds and topology with the human (hAPEX1). The root-mean-square deviation (rmsd) between cAPEX1 and hAPEX1 was 0.582 and the Q-score was 0.939. PMID:22942721

An exploratory study of apex fence flaps on a 74 deg delta wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahls, R. A.; Vess, R. J.

1985-01-01

An exploratory wind tunnel investigation was performed to observe the flow field effects produced by vertically deployed apex fences on a planar 74 degree delta wing. The delta shaped fences, each comprising approximately 3.375 percent of the wing area, were affixed along the first 25 percent of the wing leading edge in symmetric as well as asymmetric (i.e., fence on one side only) arrangements. The vortex flow field was visualized at angles of attack from 0 to 20 degrees using helium bubble and oil flow techniques; upper surface pressures were also measured along spanwise rows. The results were used to construct a preliminary description of the vortex patterns and induced pressures associated with vertical apex fence deployment. The objective was to obtain an initial evaluation of the potential of apex fences as vortex devices for subsonic lift modulation as well as lateral directional control of delta wing aircraft.

The use of Metro-Apex in health administration and planning education and training.

PubMed

Washburn, A W; McGinty, R T

1977-01-01

Metro-Apex is a computerized gaming-simulation designed to give practitioners and students an understanding of the environment of health care delivery systems. The exercise allows participants to explore the interaction of health roles and the health system's interaction with the larger community system. Originally developed as an air pollution control exercise, it has evolved to be a game about communities and how they operate. In 1972, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare funded the Center for Multidisciplinary Educational Exercises (COMEX), of the University of Southern California to modify Metro-Apex for use with health service planners, health care administrators, and students in programs leading to these positions. The game runs in several rounds of from three to eight hours for groups of from 40 to 120 persons. Used in both educational and training settings, Metro-Apex is found to be a flexible addition to the health educator's tools.

Framework for parameterizing and validating APEX to support NTT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) is the process model underlying the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT). The NTT provides users, primarily farmers and crop consultants, with the opportunity to compare the effects of two scenarios, practice combinations, or other alternative conditions...

Geometric analysis of Arabidopsis root apex reveals a new aspect of the ethylene signal transduction pathway in development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cervantes, Emilio; Tocino, Angel

2005-01-01

Structurally, ethylene is the simplest phytohormone and regulates multiple aspects of plant growth and development. Its effects are mediated by a signal transduction cascade involving receptors, MAP kinases and transcription factors. Many morphological effects of ethylene in plant development, including root size, have been previously described. In this article a combined geometric and algebraic approach has been used to analyse the shape and the curvature in the root apex of Arabidopsis seedlings. The process requires the fitting of Bezier curves that reproduce the root apex shape, and the calculation of the corresponding curvatures. The application of the method has allowed us to identify significant differences in the root curvatures of ethylene insensitive mutants (ein2-1 and etr1-1) with respect to the wild-type Columbia.

Apex Dips of Experimental Flux Ropes: Helix or Cusp?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wongwaitayakornkul, Pakorn; Haw, Magnus A.; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai; Bellan, Paul M.

2017-10-01

We present a new theory for the presence of apex dips in certain experimental flux ropes. Previously such dips were thought to be projections of a helical loop axis generated by the kink instability. However, new evidence from experiments and simulations suggest that the feature is a 2D cusp rather than a 3D helix. The proposed mechanism for cusp formation is a density pileup region generated by nonlinear interaction of neutral gas cones emitted from fast-gas nozzles. The results indicate that density perturbations can result in large distortions of an erupting flux rope, even in the absence of significant pressure or gravitational forces. The density pileup at the apex also suppresses the m = 1 kink mode by acting as a stationary node. Consequently, more accurate density profiles should be considered when attempting to model the stability and shape of solar and astrophysical flux ropes.

APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) Volume 20: Reference Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Manpower Development.

The Reference Materials Manual is part of a set of 21 manuals (AA 001 009-001 029) used in APEX (Air Pollution Exercise), a computerized college and professional level "real world" game simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities, and air pollution difficulties. For the purposes of the gaming exercise, APEX…

Mesopredator suppression by an apex predator alleviates the risk of predation perceived by small prey

PubMed Central

Gordon, Christopher E.; Feit, Anna; Grüber, Jennifer; Letnic, Mike

2015-01-01

Predators can impact their prey via consumptive effects that occur through direct killing, and via non-consumptive effects that arise when the behaviour and phenotypes of prey shift in response to the risk of predation. Although predators' consumptive effects can have cascading population-level effects on species at lower trophic levels there is less evidence that predators' non-consumptive effects propagate through ecosystems. Here we provide evidence that suppression of abundance and activity of a mesopredator (the feral cat) by an apex predator (the dingo) has positive effects on both abundance and foraging efficiency of a desert rodent. Then by manipulating predators' access to food patches we further the idea that apex predators provide small prey with refuge from predation by showing that rodents increased their habitat breadth and use of ‘risky′ food patches where an apex predator was common but mesopredators rare. Our study suggests that apex predators' suppressive effects on mesopredators extend to alleviate both mesopredators' consumptive and non-consumptive effects on prey. PMID:25652837

Phosphorus modeling in tile drained agricultural systems using APEX

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phosphorus losses through tile drained systems in agricultural landscapes may be causing the persistent eutrophication problems observed in surface water. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the state of the science in the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model related to surf...

Microsurgical management of basilar artery apex aneurysms: a single surgeon's experience from Louisiana State University, Shreveport.

PubMed

Nanda, Anil; Sonig, Ashish; Banerjee, Anirban Deep; Javalkar, Vijay Kumar

2014-01-01

Basilar artery apex aneurysms continue to generate technical challenges and management controversy. Endovascular intervention is becoming the mainstay in the management of these formidable aneurysms, but it has limitations, especially with large/giant or wide neck basilar apex aneurysms. There is paucity of data in the available literature pertaining to the successful management of large/giant, wide neck, and calcified/thrombosed basilar apex aneurysms. We present our experience with consecutively operated complex basilar apex aneurysms so as to present the role of microneurosurgery as a viable management option for these aneurysms. Ours is a retrospective analysis of case-records for operated cases of basilar artery aneurysms spanning 18 years. Basilar apex aneurysms >10 cm, calcified or thrombosed, neck ≥4 mm posterior direction, and retro/subsellar were considered as complex anatomy aneurysms. Basilar apex aneurysms with favorable anatomy were included in the study as a reference group for statistical analysis. Patient demographics, complex features of aneurysms, clinical grade, and outcomes were analyzed. A total of 33 (53.2%) patients had complex anatomy: large (>10 mm) in eight (24.2%); giant aneurysms (>25 mm) in seven (21.2%); wide-neck in 22 (66.7%); and calcified/thrombosed morphology in five (15.1%). The mean age was 48.5 years, and 22 (66.67%) were women. All aneurysms were clipped by the use of various skull base approaches. A total of 71.9% of patients harboring complex aneurysm had good outcomes. If only unruptured and good grade complex aneurysms also are considered, then 86.9% (n = 20) patients had good outcomes. Statistically there was no significant difference in the outcomes of complex and noncomplex aneurysm. Although concerning, the management of large/giant, wide neck, and calcified/thrombosed aneurysms with microneurosurgery is still a competitive alternative to endovascular therapy. After careful selection of appropriate skull base

Comparative Analysis of Calcium Silicate-based Root Filling Materials Using an Open Apex Model.

PubMed

Tran, Dennis; He, Jianing; Glickman, Gerald N; Woodmansey, Karl F

2016-04-01

Many new calcium silicate-based root filling materials have emerged in the market; however, their performance in the orthograde obturation of an open apex has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to compare the marginal adaptation of ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK), NeoMTA Plus (Avalon Biomed Inc, Bradenton, FL), and Endosequence BC RRM-Fast Set Putty (BC RRM-FS; Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA) after orthograde placement in roots with open apices. Palatal roots of maxillary molars were instrumented to create divergent open apices and divided into 4 groups for orthograde obturation: ProRoot MTA, NeoMTA Plus, BC RRM-FS, and BC RRM-FS + BC Sealer. Using a scanning electron microscope, the quality of material adaptation at the anatomic apex was evaluated by 5 blinded examiners; 3 mm of the root end was sectioned, and gap distance was measured at the material-dentin interface. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. There were no significant differences in marginal adaptation among the 4 groups at the level of the anatomic apex (P = .175). BC RRM-FS + BC Sealer had a significantly smaller gap size after 3-mm root end resection compared with the other 3 groups (P < .01). No differences were observed among the other 3 materials. All materials showed comparable marginal adaptation at the anatomic apex when used for orthograde obturation of open apices. Application of BC Sealer before the delivery of BC RRM-FS Putty enhanced the quality of adaptation coronal to the apex. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapcurves: a quantitative method for comparing categorical maps.

Treesearch

William W. Hargrove; M. Hoffman Forrest; Paul F. Hessburg

2006-01-01

We present Mapcurves, a quantitative goodness-of-fit (GOF) method that unambiguously shows the degree of spatial concordance between two or more categorical maps. Mapcurves graphically and quantitatively evaluate the degree of fit among any number of maps and quantify a GOF for each polygon, as well as the entire map. The Mapcurve method indicates a perfect fit even if...

Apex Dips of Experimental Flux Ropes: Helix or Cusp?

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

Wongwaitayakornkul, Pakorn; Haw, Magnus A.; Bellan, Paul M.

We present a new theory for the presence of apex dips in certain experimental flux ropes. Previously such dips were thought to be projections of a helical loop axis generated by the kink instability. However, new evidence from experiments and simulations suggest that the feature is a 2D cusp rather than a 3D helix. The proposed mechanism for cusp formation is a density pileup region generated by nonlinear interaction of neutral gas cones emitted from fast-gas nozzles. The results indicate that density perturbations can result in large distortions of an erupting flux rope, even in the absence of significant pressuremore » or gravitational forces. The density pileup at the apex also suppresses the m = 1 kink mode by acting as a stationary node. Consequently, more accurate density profiles should be considered when attempting to model the stability and shape of solar and astrophysical flux ropes.« less

Preliminary report on the Apex and Paymaster mines, Washington County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinkel, Arthur R.

1951-01-01

The Apex and Paymaster mines in the Tutsagubet mining district, 25 miles southwest of St. George, Utah, are at an elevation of about 5,000 feet in the Beaver Dam Mountains. The ore was deposited in a steeply dipping fault zone which cuts a thick series of gently dipping limestones of Pennsylvanian age with minor interbedded shales and sandstones. The ore now consists primarily of copper oxides, but is reported to contain small quantities of lead and sine oxides. Complete oxidation extends to the 1,400 level of the Apex mine, the deepest level in this mine. Lead oxides are reported to have been more plentiful in the workings near surface, but the stoped area is now caved to the 1,330 level. The ore bodies probably formed largely as a filling in the fault fissure, and in crushed zones along the fault, with only minor replacement extending for short distances along the bedding. The sulfides oxidized essentially in place and migration of the oxidized copper ores is believed to be limited to a few feet. Additional exploration below the known ore shoots in the Apex and Paymaster mines and along the fissure between the two mines may disclose new ore bodies.

Uncertainty of quantitative microbiological methods of pharmaceutical analysis.

PubMed

Gunar, O V; Sakhno, N G

2015-12-30

The total uncertainty of quantitative microbiological methods, used in pharmaceutical analysis, consists of several components. The analysis of the most important sources of the quantitative microbiological methods variability demonstrated no effect of culture media and plate-count techniques in the estimation of microbial count while the highly significant effect of other factors (type of microorganism, pharmaceutical product and individual reading and interpreting errors) was established. The most appropriate method of statistical analysis of such data was ANOVA which enabled not only the effect of individual factors to be estimated but also their interactions. Considering all the elements of uncertainty and combining them mathematically the combined relative uncertainty of the test results was estimated both for method of quantitative examination of non-sterile pharmaceuticals and microbial count technique without any product. These data did not exceed 35%, appropriated for a traditional plate count methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endoscopic Infracochlear Approach for Drainage of Petrous Apex Cholesterol Granulomas: A Case Series.

PubMed

Wick, Cameron C; Hansen, Alexander R; Kutz, Joe Walter; Isaacson, Brandon

2017-07-01

To describe the feasibility and technical nuances of a transcanal endoscopic infracochlear approach for drainage of petrous apex cholesterol granulomas. Retrospective case review. Tertiary care university hospital. A 32-year-old man with bilateral petrous apex cholesterol granulomas and a 54-year-old man with a left-sided petrous apex granuloma each with symptoms necessitating surgical intervention. Transcanal endoscopic infracochlear approach for drainage of the cholesterol granulomas. Operation efficacy, corridor size, and perioperative morbidity. All three cholesterol granulomas were successful drained without violating the cochlea, jugular bulb, or carotid artery. The dimensions of the infracochlear surgical corridor measured 5 mm × 6 mm, 3.5 mm × 3.5 mm, and 6 mm × 4 mm, respectively. All corridors facilitated visualization within the cyst and allowed lyses of adhesions for additional cyst content eradication. All patients had resolution of their acute symptoms. Two of the three subjects had serviceable hearing before and after their procedures. One patient required revision surgery 2-months after their initial procedure secondary to recurrent symptoms from acute hemorrhage within the cyst cavity. The infracochlear tract in this patient was noted to be patent. A transcanal endoscopic infracochlear approach is feasible for the management of cholesterol granuloma. The surgical access was wide enough to introduce the endoscope into the petrous apex cavity in each case. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy and perioperative morbidity versus the traditional postauricular transtemporal approaches.

[Orbital apex syndrome of the aspergillus etiology--a case report].

PubMed

Fric, E; Rehák, M; Vlcková, I; Burval, S; Chrapek, O; Rehák, J

2007-04-01

The authors present a case report of a patient, in whom after a head injury the monolateral blindness occurred. Because of autoimmune thrombocytopeny the patient was treated with long-term corticosteroids. The clinical findings corresponded with the orbital apex syndrome. According to the results of the CT and MRI examinations, the sphenoidotomy was indicated, and the histological findings verified fragments of paranasal sinuses' aspergiloma. During the next course of the disease, despite antimycotic therapy, the progression of the aspergiloma in to the anterior cranial fossa occurred. Invasive sino-orbital aspergilosis, after the penetration of the infectious agent across the wall of the sinus, may cause the orbital apex syndrome with paralysis of all three cranial nerves innervating the extraocular muscles, sensoric defect in the area of the ophthalmic nerve and the involvement of the optic nerve.

Applying Quantitative Genetic Methods to Primate Social Behavior

PubMed Central

Brent, Lauren J. N.

2013-01-01

Increasingly, behavioral ecologists have applied quantitative genetic methods to investigate the evolution of behaviors in wild animal populations. The promise of quantitative genetics in unmanaged populations opens the door for simultaneous analysis of inheritance, phenotypic plasticity, and patterns of selection on behavioral phenotypes all within the same study. In this article, we describe how quantitative genetic techniques provide studies of the evolution of behavior with information that is unique and valuable. We outline technical obstacles for applying quantitative genetic techniques that are of particular relevance to studies of behavior in primates, especially those living in noncaptive populations, e.g., the need for pedigree information, non-Gaussian phenotypes, and demonstrate how many of these barriers are now surmountable. We illustrate this by applying recent quantitative genetic methods to spatial proximity data, a simple and widely collected primate social behavior, from adult rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago. Our analysis shows that proximity measures are consistent across repeated measurements on individuals (repeatable) and that kin have similar mean measurements (heritable). Quantitative genetics may hold lessons of considerable importance for studies of primate behavior, even those without a specific genetic focus. PMID:24659839

Combined PEST and Trial-Error approach to improve APEX calibration

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX), a physically-based hydrologic model that simulates management impacts on the environment for small watersheds, requires improved understanding of the input parameters for improved simulations. However, most previously published studies used the ...

A case of orbital apex syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

PubMed Central

Kusunoki, Takeshi; Kase, Kaori; Ikeda, Katsuhisa

2011-01-01

Orbital apex syndrome is commonly been thought to have a poor prognosis. Many cases of this syndrome have been reported to be caused by paranasal sinus mycosis. We encountered a very rare case (60-year-old woman) of sinusitis with orbital apex syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. She had received insulin and dialysis for diabtes and diabetic nephropathy, moreover anticoagulants after heart by-pass surgery. She underwent endoscopic sinus operation and was treated with antibiotics, but her loss of left vision did not improve. Recently, sinusitis cases due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were reported to be a increasing. Therefore, we should consider the possibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as mycosis as infections of the sinus, especially inpatients who are immunocompromised body. PMID:24765368

A case of orbital apex syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

PubMed

Kusunoki, Takeshi; Kase, Kaori; Ikeda, Katsuhisa

2011-09-28

Orbital apex syndrome is commonly been thought to have a poor prognosis. Many cases of this syndrome have been reported to be caused by paranasal sinus mycosis. We encountered a very rare case (60-year-old woman) of sinusitis with orbital apex syndrome due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. She had received insulin and dialysis for diabtes and diabetic nephropathy, moreover anticoagulants after heart by-pass surgery. She underwent endoscopic sinus operation and was treated with antibiotics, but her loss of left vision did not improve. Recently, sinusitis cases due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were reported to be a increasing. Therefore, we should consider the possibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as mycosis as infections of the sinus, especially inpatients who are immunocompromised body.

Three-dimensional quadratic modeling and quantitative evaluation of the diaphragm on a volumetric CT scan in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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

Chang, Yongjun

Purpose: In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diaphragm function may deteriorate due to reduced muscle fiber length. Quantitative analysis of the morphology of the diaphragm is therefore important. In the authors current study, they propose a diaphragm segmentation method for COPD patients that uses volumetric chest computed tomography (CT) data, and they provide a quantitative analysis of the diaphragmatic dimensions. Methods: Volumetric CT data were obtained from 30 COPD patients and 10 normal control patients using a 16-row multidetector CT scanner (Siemens Sensation 16) with 0.75-mm collimation. Diaphragm segmentation using 3D ray projections on the lower surface ofmore » the lungs was performed to identify the draft diaphragmatic lung surface, which was modeled using quadratic 3D surface fitting and robust regression in order to minimize the effects of segmentation error and parameterize diaphragm morphology. This result was visually evaluated by an expert thoracic radiologist. To take into consideration the shape features of the diaphragm, several quantification parameters—including the shape index on the apex (SIA) (which was computed using gradient set to 0), principal curvatures on the apex on the fitted diaphragm surface (CA), the height between the apex and the base plane (H), the diaphragm lengths along the x-, y-, and z-axes (XL, YL, ZL), quadratic-fitted diaphragm lengths on the z-axis (FZL), average curvature (C), and surface area (SA)—were measured using in-house software and compared with the pulmonary function test (PFT) results. Results: The overall accuracy of the combined segmentation method was 97.22% ± 4.44% while the visual accuracy of the models for the segmented diaphragms was 95.28% ± 2.52% (mean ± SD). The quantitative parameters, including SIA, CA, H, XL, YL, ZL, FZL, C, and SA were 0.85 ± 0.05 (mm{sup −1}), 0.01 ± 0.00 (mm{sup −1}), 17.93 ± 10.78 (mm), 129.80 ± 11.66 (mm), 163.19 ± 13.45 (mm

Topographic relationship between root apex of mesially and horizontally impacted mandibular third molar and lingual plate: cross-sectional analysis using CBCT

PubMed Central

Wang, Dongmiao; He, Xiaotong; Wang, Yanling; Zhou, Guangchao; Sun, Chao; Yang, Lianfeng; Bai, Jianling; Gao, Jun; Wu, Yunong; Cheng, Jie

2016-01-01

The present study was aimed to determine the topographic relationship between root apex of the mesially and horizontally impacted mandibular third molar and lingual plate of mandible. The original cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data of 364 teeth from 223 patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The topographic relationship between root apex and lingual plate on cross-sectional CBCT images was classified as non-contact (99), contact (145) and perforation (120). The cross-sectional morphology of lingual plate at the level of root apex was defined as parallel (28), undercut (38), slanted (29) and round (4). The distribution of topographic relationship between root apex and lingual plate significantly associated with gender, impaction depth, root number and lingual plate morphology. Moreover, the average bone thickness of lingual cortex and distance between root apex and the outer surface of lingual plate were 1.02 and 1.39 mm, respectively. Furthermore, multivariate regression analyses identified impaction depth and lingual plate morphology as the risk factors for the contact and perforation subtypes between root apex and lingual plate. Collectively, our findings reveal the topographic proximity of root apex of impacted mandibular third molar to the lingual plate, which might be associated with intraoperative and postoperative complications during tooth extraction. PMID:27991572

Targeted methods for quantitative analysis of protein glycosylation

PubMed Central

Goldman, Radoslav; Sanda, Miloslav

2018-01-01

Quantification of proteins by LC-MS/MS-MRM has become a standard method with broad projected clinical applicability. MRM quantification of protein modifications is, however, far less utilized, especially in the case of glycoproteins. This review summarizes current methods for quantitative analysis of protein glycosylation with a focus on MRM methods. We describe advantages of this quantitative approach, analytical parameters that need to be optimized to achieve reliable measurements, and point out the limitations. Differences between major classes of N- and O-glycopeptides are described and class-specific glycopeptide assays are demonstrated. PMID:25522218

Partial growth plate closure: apex view on bone scan

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

Howman-Giles, R.; Trochei, M.; Yeates, K.

1985-01-01

A new technique of using /sup 99m/Tc bone scan to assess partial closure of the growth plate is described. The site and degree of osseous fusion can be obtained by using the apex view. The technique has the potential of assessing serially the growth of a plate before and after surgery.

KSC-20170216-MH-LCH01-0001-CRS_10_APH_Apex_4_and_Veggie_processing-3145683(H.265)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-16

APEX-04, or Advanced Plant Experiments-04, is being prepared in a cold room in the Kennedy Space Center Processing Facility for SpaceX CRS-10. The three science kits are weighed prior to flight. Dr. Anna Lisa Paul of the University of Florida is the principal investigator for APEX-04. Apex-04 is an experiment involving Arabidopsis in petri plates inside the Veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Since Arabidopsis is the genetic model of the plant world, it is a perfect sample organism for performing genetic studies in spaceflight. The experiment is the result of a grant from NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences division.

Apex Dips of Experimental Flux Ropes: Helix or Cusp?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haw, Magnus; Wongwaitayakornkul, Pakorn; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai; Bellan, Paul M.

2017-10-01

We present a new theory for the presence of apex dips in certain experimental flux ropes. Previously such dips were thought to be projections of a helical loop axis generated by the kink instability. However, new evidence from experiments and simulations suggest that the feature is a 2D cusp rather than a 3D helix. The proposed mechanism for cusp formation is a density pileup region generated by nonlinear interaction of neutral gas cones emitted from fast-gas nozzles. The results indicate that small density perturbations can result in large distortions of an erupting flux rope, even in the absence of significant pressure or gravity forces. The density pileup at the apex also suppresses the m=1 kink mode by acting as a stationary node. Consequently, more accurate density profiles should be considered when attempting to precisely model the stability and eruption of solar flux ropes such as CME's. This work was supported by NSF under award 1348393, AFOSR under award FA9550-11-1-0184, and DOE under awards DE-FG02-04ER54755 and DE-SC0010471.

Revisiting the Quantitative-Qualitative Debate: Implications for Mixed-Methods Research

PubMed Central

SALE, JOANNA E. M.; LOHFELD, LYNNE H.; BRAZIL, KEVIN

2015-01-01

Health care research includes many studies that combine quantitative and qualitative methods. In this paper, we revisit the quantitative-qualitative debate and review the arguments for and against using mixed-methods. In addition, we discuss the implications stemming from our view, that the paradigms upon which the methods are based have a different view of reality and therefore a different view of the phenomenon under study. Because the two paradigms do not study the same phenomena, quantitative and qualitative methods cannot be combined for cross-validation or triangulation purposes. However, they can be combined for complementary purposes. Future standards for mixed-methods research should clearly reflect this recommendation. PMID:26523073

Determining the apical terminus of root-end resected teeth using three modern apex locators: a comparative ex vivo study.

PubMed

ElAyouti, A; Kimionis, I; Chu, A-L; Löst, C

2005-11-01

To assess ex vivo the accuracy of various electronic apex locators in locating the apical terminus of root-end resected teeth. Ninety extracted human posterior teeth (182 root canals) were prepared to a minimum size of 40 and filled with gutta-percha and sealer. After resection of the apical 3 mm of the root, the root canal filling was removed using HERO rotary instruments. The size of the root canal at the apical terminus after removal of the filling ranged from size 50 to 90. The root canal length to the apical terminus was determined using 3 apex locators (Root ZX, Raypex4 and Apex Pointer). A new mounting model that utilized a micrometer was used to perform the measurements and to visually determine the actual position of the apical terminus. The frequency of locating the apical terminus and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Additionally, the coefficient of repeatability of each apex locator and the limits of inter-operator agreement were determined. All apex locators showed an acceptable repeatability (0.02-0.03 mm coefficient of repeatability) and narrow limits of inter-operator agreement (+0.07 and -0.07 mm). The accuracy of determining the apical terminus within 1 mm in the root canal was as follows: Root ZX 90% (164/182 root-canals) [95%CI: 86-94%], Raypex4 74% (135/182 root-canals) [95%CI: 68-80%], and Apex Pointer 71% (129/182 root canals) [95%CI: 65-77%]. No over-instrumentation resulted when the Root ZX device was used. In contrast, using the Raypex4 or the Apex Pointer device resulted in over-instrumentation in 8 of 182 root canals (4%). Under the conditions of this study all three apex locators were able to detect the apical terminus of root-end resected teeth with an acceptable range. The Root ZX device was the most accurate without over-instrumentation of the root canals.

Development and application of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, E.; Park, Y.; Muirhead, R.; Jeong, J.; Pachepsky, Y. A.

2017-12-01

Pathogenic microorganisms in recreational and irrigation waters remain the subject of concern. Water quality models are used to estimate microbial quality of water sources, to evaluate microbial contamination-related risks, to guide the microbial water quality monitoring, and to evaluate the effect of agricultural management on the microbial water quality. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is the watershed-scale water quality model that includes highly detailed representation of agricultural management. The APEX currently does not have microbial fate and transport simulation capabilities. The objective of this work was to develop the first APEX microbial fate and transport module that could use the APEX conceptual model of manure removal together with recently introduced conceptualizations of the in-stream microbial fate and transport. The module utilizes manure erosion rates found in the APEX. Bacteria survival in soil-manure mixing layer was simulated with the two-stage survival model. Individual survival patterns were simulated for each manure application date. Simulated in-stream microbial fate and transport processes included the reach-scale passive release of bacteria with resuspended bottom sediment during high flow events, the transport of bacteria from bottom sediment due to the hyporheic exchange during low flow periods, the deposition with settling sediment, and the two-stage survival. Default parameter values were available from recently published databases. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate seven years of monitoring data for the Toenepi watershed in New Zealand. Based on calibration and testing results, the APEX with the microbe module reproduced well the monitored pattern of E. coli concentrations at the watershed outlet. The APEX with the microbial fate and transport module will be utilized for predicting microbial quality of water under various agricultural

Mathematical modelling and quantitative methods.

PubMed

Edler, L; Poirier, K; Dourson, M; Kleiner, J; Mileson, B; Nordmann, H; Renwick, A; Slob, W; Walton, K; Würtzen, G

2002-01-01

The present review reports on the mathematical methods and statistical techniques presently available for hazard characterisation. The state of the art of mathematical modelling and quantitative methods used currently for regulatory decision-making in Europe and additional potential methods for risk assessment of chemicals in food and diet are described. Existing practices of JECFA, FDA, EPA, etc., are examined for their similarities and differences. A framework is established for the development of new and improved quantitative methodologies. Areas for refinement, improvement and increase of efficiency of each method are identified in a gap analysis. Based on this critical evaluation, needs for future research are defined. It is concluded from our work that mathematical modelling of the dose-response relationship would improve the risk assessment process. An adequate characterisation of the dose-response relationship by mathematical modelling clearly requires the use of a sufficient number of dose groups to achieve a range of different response levels. This need not necessarily lead to an increase in the total number of animals in the study if an appropriate design is used. Chemical-specific data relating to the mode or mechanism of action and/or the toxicokinetics of the chemical should be used for dose-response characterisation whenever possible. It is concluded that a single method of hazard characterisation would not be suitable for all kinds of risk assessments, and that a range of different approaches is necessary so that the method used is the most appropriate for the data available and for the risk characterisation issue. Future refinements to dose-response characterisation should incorporate more clearly the extent of uncertainty and variability in the resulting output.

Drug delivery into the cochlear apex: Improved control to sequentially affect finely spaced regions along the entire length of the cochlear spiral

PubMed Central

Lichtenhan, JT; Hartsock, J; Dornhoffer, JR; Donovan, KM; Salt, AN

2016-01-01

Background Administering pharmaceuticals to the scala tympani of the inner ear is a common approach to study cochlear physiology and mechanics. We present here a novel method for in vivo drug delivery in a controlled manner to sealed ears. New method Injections of ototoxic solutions were applied from a pipette sealed into a fenestra in the cochlear apex, progressively driving solutions along the length of scala tympani toward the cochlear aqueduct at the base. Drugs can be delivered rapidly or slowly. In this report we focus on slow delivery in which the injection rate is automatically adjusted to account for varying cross sectional area of the scala tympani, therefore driving a solution front at uniform rate. Results Objective measurements originating from finely spaced, low- to high-characteristic cochlear frequency places were sequentially affected. Comparison with existing methods(s): Controlled administration of pharmaceuticals into the cochlear apex overcomes a number of serious limitations of previously established methods such as cochlear perfusions with an injection pipette in the cochlear base: The drug concentration achieved is more precisely controlled, drug concentrations remain in scala tympani and are not rapidly washed out by cerebrospinal fluid flow, and the entire length of the cochlear spiral can be treated quickly or slowly with time. Conclusions Controlled administration of solutions into the cochlear apex can be a powerful approach to sequentially effect objective measurements originating from finely spaced cochlear regions and allows, for the first time, the spatial origin of CAPs to be objectively defined. PMID:27506463

Lysimetric evaluation of the APEX Model to simulate daily ET for irrigated crops in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The NTT (Nutrient Tracking Tool) was designed to provide an opportunity for all users, including producers, to simulate the complex models, such as APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender) and associated required databases. The APEX model currently nested within NTT provides estimates of th...

Transsphenoidal and infralabyrinthine approach of the petrous apex cholesterol granuloma.

PubMed

Bruchhage, Karl-Ludwig; Wollenberg, Barbara; Leichtle, Anke

2017-07-01

Space-demanding or destructive changes in the petrous bone are often challenging differential diagnosis. Cholesterol granulomas of the petrous apex can clinically present in a combination of hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, chronic cephalgia, impairment of facial nerve function, neuralgic pain of the nervus trigeminus, or manifest diplopia by the nerve palsy of the nervus abducens. CT-morphologically cholesterol granulomas appear as soft-tissue density masses, which may display a discrete rim after intravenous administration of a contrast agent. The MRI, T1 as well as T2-weighted images show a strong signal in the area of the lesion. Depending on the individual anatomical conditions, the surgical access must be carefully chosen between transsphenoidal, transtemporal, infracochlear/-labyrinthine, or translabyrinthine. Here, we present the transsphenoidal and translabyrinthine access for the excision of cholesterol granulomas of the petrous apex. The different accesses are compared using a neuro-navigation-supported surgical technique with respect to its complications, drainage possibilities, outcomes, and recurrence of symptoms.

An Quantitative Analysis Method Of Trabecular Pattern In A Bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idesawa, Masanor; Yatagai, Toyohiko

1982-11-01

Orientation and density of trabecular pattern observed in a bone is closely related to its mechanical properties and deseases of a bone are appeared as changes of orientation and/or density distrbution of its trabecular patterns. They have been treated from a qualitative point of view so far because quantitative analysis method has not be established. In this paper, the authors proposed and investigated some quantitative analysis methods of density and orientation of trabecular patterns observed in a bone. These methods can give an index for evaluating orientation of trabecular pattern quantitatively and have been applied to analyze trabecular pattern observed in a head of femur and their availabilities are confirmed. Key Words: Index of pattern orientation, Trabecular pattern, Pattern density, Quantitative analysis

FURTHER REFINEMENTS AND TESTING OF APEX3.0: EPA'S POPULATION EXPOSURE MODEL FOR CRITERIA AND AIR TOXIC INHALATION

EPA Science Inventory

The Air Pollutants Exposure Model (APEX(3.0)) is a PC-based model that was derived from the probabilistic NAAQS Exposure Model for carbon monoxide (pNEM/CO). APEX will be one of the tools used to estimate human population exposure for criteria and air toxic pollutants as part ...

[Reconstituting evaluation methods based on both qualitative and quantitative paradigms].

PubMed

Miyata, Hiroaki; Okubo, Suguru; Yoshie, Satoru; Kai, Ichiro

2011-01-01

Debate about the relationship between quantitative and qualitative paradigms is often muddled and confusing and the clutter of terms and arguments has resulted in the concepts becoming obscure and unrecognizable. In this study we conducted content analysis regarding evaluation methods of qualitative healthcare research. We extracted descriptions on four types of evaluation paradigm (validity/credibility, reliability/credibility, objectivity/confirmability, and generalizability/transferability), and classified them into subcategories. In quantitative research, there has been many evaluation methods based on qualitative paradigms, and vice versa. Thus, it might not be useful to consider evaluation methods of qualitative paradigm are isolated from those of quantitative methods. Choosing practical evaluation methods based on the situation and prior conditions of each study is an important approach for researchers.

Quantitative mass spectrometry methods for pharmaceutical analysis

PubMed Central

Loos, Glenn; Van Schepdael, Ann

2016-01-01

Quantitative pharmaceutical analysis is nowadays frequently executed using mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization coupled to a (hybrid) triple quadrupole mass spectrometer is generally used in combination with solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography. Furthermore, isotopically labelled standards are often used to correct for ion suppression. The challenges in producing sensitive but reliable quantitative data depend on the instrumentation, sample preparation and hyphenated techniques. In this contribution, different approaches to enhance the ionization efficiencies using modified source geometries and improved ion guidance are provided. Furthermore, possibilities to minimize, assess and correct for matrix interferences caused by co-eluting substances are described. With the focus on pharmaceuticals in the environment and bioanalysis, different separation techniques, trends in liquid chromatography and sample preparation methods to minimize matrix effects and increase sensitivity are discussed. Although highly sensitive methods are generally aimed for to provide automated multi-residue analysis, (less sensitive) miniaturized set-ups have a great potential due to their ability for in-field usage. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Quantitative mass spectrometry’. PMID:27644982

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Chavez, Juan D; Eng, Jimmy K; Schweppe, Devin K; Cilia, Michelle; Rivera, Keith; Zhong, Xuefei; Wu, Xia; Allen, Terrence; Khurgel, Moshe; Kumar, Akhilesh; Lampropoulos, Athanasios; Larsson, Mårten; Maity, Shuvadeep; Morozov, Yaroslav; Pathmasiri, Wimal; Perez-Neut, Mathew; Pineyro-Ruiz, Coriness; Polina, Elizabeth; Post, Stephanie; Rider, Mark; Tokmina-Roszyk, Dorota; Tyson, Katherine; Vieira Parrine Sant'Ana, Debora; Bruce, James E

2016-01-01

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Development and evaluation of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Eun-Mi; Park, Yongeun; Muirhead, Richard; Pachepsky, Yakov

2017-04-01

Pathogenic microorganisms in recreational and irrigation waters remain the subject of concern. Water quality models are used to estimate microbial quality of water sources, to evaluate microbial contamination-related risks, to guide the microbial water quality monitoring, and to evaluate the effect of agricultural management on the microbial water quality. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is the watershed-scale water quality model that includes highly detailed representation of agricultural management. The APEX currently does not have microbial fate and transport simulation capabilities. The objective of this work was to develop the first APEX microbial fate and transport module that could use the APEX conceptual model of manure removal together with recently introduced conceptualizations of the in-stream microbial fate and transport. The module utilizes manure erosion rates found in the APEX. The total number of removed bacteria was set to the concentrations of bacteria in soil-manure mixing layer and eroded manure amount. Bacteria survival in soil-manure mixing layer was simulated with the two-stage survival model. Individual survival patterns were simulated for each manure application date. Simulated in-stream microbial fate and transport processes included the reach-scale passive release of bacteria with resuspended bottom sediment during high flow events, the transport of bacteria from bottom sediment due to the hyporheic exchange during low flow periods, the deposition with settling sediment, and the two-stage survival. Default parameter values were available from recently published databases. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate seven years of monitoring data for the Toenepi watershed in New Zealand. The stream network of the watershed ran through grazing lands with the daily bovine waste deposition. Based on calibration and testing results, the APEX with the microbe module

Highly Reproducible Label Free Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of RNA Polymerase Complexes*

PubMed Central

Mosley, Amber L.; Sardiu, Mihaela E.; Pattenden, Samantha G.; Workman, Jerry L.; Florens, Laurence; Washburn, Michael P.

2011-01-01

The use of quantitative proteomics methods to study protein complexes has the potential to provide in-depth information on the abundance of different protein components as well as their modification state in various cellular conditions. To interrogate protein complex quantitation using shotgun proteomic methods, we have focused on the analysis of protein complexes using label-free multidimensional protein identification technology and studied the reproducibility of biological replicates. For these studies, we focused on three highly related and essential multi-protein enzymes, RNA polymerase I, II, and III from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that label-free quantitation using spectral counting is highly reproducible at the protein and peptide level when analyzing RNA polymerase I, II, and III. In addition, we show that peptide sampling does not follow a random sampling model, and we show the need for advanced computational models to predict peptide detection probabilities. In order to address these issues, we used the APEX protocol to model the expected peptide detectability based on whole cell lysate acquired using the same multidimensional protein identification technology analysis used for the protein complexes. Neither method was able to predict the peptide sampling levels that we observed using replicate multidimensional protein identification technology analyses. In addition to the analysis of the RNA polymerase complexes, our analysis provides quantitative information about several RNAP associated proteins including the RNAPII elongation factor complexes DSIF and TFIIF. Our data shows that DSIF and TFIIF are the most highly enriched RNAP accessory factors in Rpb3-TAP purifications and demonstrate our ability to measure low level associated protein abundance across biological replicates. In addition, our quantitative data supports a model in which DSIF and TFIIF interact with RNAPII in a dynamic fashion in agreement with previously published reports. PMID

A Spectral Method for Color Quantitation of a Protein Drug Solution.

PubMed

Swartz, Trevor E; Yin, Jian; Patapoff, Thomas W; Horst, Travis; Skieresz, Susan M; Leggett, Gordon; Morgan, Charles J; Rahimi, Kimia; Marhoul, Joseph; Kabakoff, Bruce

2016-01-01

Color is an important quality attribute for biotherapeutics. In the biotechnology industry, a visual method is most commonly utilized for color characterization of liquid drug protein solutions. The color testing method is used for both batch release and on stability testing for quality control. Using that method, an analyst visually determines the color of the sample by choosing the closest matching European Pharmacopeia reference color solution. The requirement to judge the best match makes it a subjective method. Furthermore, the visual method does not capture data on hue or chroma that would allow for improved product characterization and the ability to detect subtle differences between samples. To overcome these challenges, we describe a quantitative method for color determination that greatly reduces the variability in measuring color and allows for a more precise understanding of color differences. Following color industry standards established by International Commission on Illumination, this method converts a protein solution's visible absorption spectra to L*a*b* color space. Color matching is achieved within the L*a*b* color space, a practice that is already widely used in other industries. The work performed here is to facilitate the adoption and transition for the traditional visual assessment method to a quantitative spectral method. We describe here the algorithm used such that the quantitative spectral method correlates with the currently used visual method. In addition, we provide the L*a*b* values for the European Pharmacopeia reference color solutions required for the quantitative method. We have determined these L*a*b* values by gravimetrically preparing and measuring multiple lots of the reference color solutions. We demonstrate that the visual assessment and the quantitative spectral method are comparable using both low- and high-concentration antibody solutions and solutions with varying turbidity. In the biotechnology industry, a visual

Dexamethasone levels and base to apex concentration gradients in scala tympani perilymph following intracochlear delivery in the guinea pig

PubMed Central

Hahn, Hartmut; Salt, Alec N.; Biegner, Thorsten; Kammerer, Bernd; Delabar, Ursular; Hartsock, Jared; Plontke, Stefan K.

2012-01-01

Hypothesis To determine whether intracochlearly applied dexamethasone will lead to better control of drug levels, higher peak concentrations and lower base-to apex concentration gradients in scala tympani (ST) of the guinea pig than after intratympanic (round window, RW) application. Background Local application of drugs to the RW results in substantial variation of intracochlear drug levels and significant base-to apex concentration gradients in ST. Methods Two μL of dexamethasone-phosphate (10 mg/mL) were injected into ST either through the RW membrane which was covered with 1% sodium hyaluronate gel or through a cochleostomy with a fluid tight seal of the micropipette. Perilymph was sequentially sampled from the apex at a single time point for each animal, at 20, 80, or 200 min after the injection ended. Results were mathematically interpreted by the means of an established computer model and compared with prior experiments performed by our group with the same experimental techniques but using intratympanic applications. Results Single intracochlear injections over 20 min resulted in approximately ten times higher peak concentrations (on average) than 2-3 hours of intratympanic application to the round window niche. Intracochlear drug levels were less variable and could be measured for at least up to 220 min. Concentration gradients along scala tympani were less pronounced. The remaining variability in intracochlear drug levels was attributable to perilymph and drug leak from the injection site. Conclusion With significantly higher, less variable drug levels and smaller base-to apex concentration gradients, intracochlear applications have advantages to intratympanic injections. For further development of this technique, it is of importance to control leaks of perilymph and drug from the injection site and to evaluate its clinical feasibility and associated risks. PMID:22588238

Code modernization and modularization of APEX and SWAT watershed simulation models

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and APEX (Agricultural Policy / Environmental eXtender) are respectively large and small watershed simulation models derived from EPIC Environmental Policy Integrated Climate), a field-scale agroecology simulation model. All three models are coded in FORTRAN an...

Analysis of Surgical Freedom Variation Across the Basilar Artery Bifurcation: Towards a Deeper Insight Into Approach Selection for Basilar Apex Aneurysms.

PubMed

Tayebi Meybodi, Ali; Benet, Arnau; Rodriguez Rubio, Roberto; Yousef, Sonia; Lawton, Michael T

2018-03-03

The orbitozygomatic approach is generally advocated over the pterional approach for basilar apex aneurysms. However, the impact of the extensions of the pterional approach on the obtained maneuverability over multiple vascular targets (relevant to basilar apex surgery) has not been studied before. To analyze the patterns of surgical freedom change across the basilar bifurcation between the pterional, orbitopterional, and orbitozygomatic approaches. Surgical freedom was assessed for 3 vascular targets important in basilar apex aneurysm surgery (ipsilateral and contralateral P1-P2 junctions, and basilar apex), and compared between the pterional, orbitopterional, and orbitozygomatic approaches in 10 cadaveric specimens. Transitioning from the pterional to orbitopterional approach, the surgical freedom increased significantly at all 3 targets (P < .05). However, the gain in surgical freedom declined progressively from the most superficial target (60% for ipsilateral P1-P2 junction) to the deepest target (35% for contralateral P1-P2 junction). Conversely, transitioning from the orbitopterional to the orbitozygomatic approach, the gain in surgical freedom was minimal for the ipsilateral P1-P2 and basilar apex (<4%), but increased dramatically to 19% at the contralateral P1-P2 junction. The orbitopterional approach provides a remarkable increase in surgical maneuverability compared to the pterional approach for the basilar apex target and the relevant adjacent arterial targets. However, compared to the orbitopterional, the orbitozygomatic approach adds little maneuverability except for the deepest target (ie, contralateral P1-P2 junction). Therefore, the orbitozygomatic approach may be most efficacious with larger basilar apex aneurysms limiting the control over of the contralateral P1 PCA.

Quantitative analysis of fracture surface by roughness and fractal method

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

Li, X.W.; Tian, J.F.; Kang, Y.

1995-09-01

In recent years there has been extensive research and great development in Quantitative Fractography, which acts as an integral part of fractographic analysis. A prominent technique for studying the fracture surface is based on fracture profile generation and the major means for characterizing the profile quantitatively are roughness and fractal methods. By this way, some quantitative indexes such as the roughness parameters R{sub L} for profile and R{sub S} for surface, fractal dimensions D{sub L} for profile and D{sub S} for surface can be measured. Given the relationships between the indexes and the mechanical properties of materials, it is possiblemore » to achieve the goal of protecting materials from fracture. But, as the case stands, the theory and experimental technology of quantitative fractography are still imperfect and remain to be studied further. Recently, Gokhale and Underwood et al have proposed an assumption-free method for estimating the surface roughness by vertically sectioning the fracture surface with sections at an angle of 120 deg with each other, which could be expressed as follows: R{sub S} = {ovr R{sub L}{center_dot}{Psi}} where {Psi} is the profile structure factor. This method is based on the classical sterological principles and verified with the aid of computer simulations for some ruled surfaces. The results are considered to be applicable to fracture surfaces with any arbitrary complexity and anisotropy. In order to extend the detail applications to this method in quantitative fractography, the authors made a study on roughness and fractal methods dependent on this method by performing quantitative measurements on some typical low-temperature impact fractures.« less

Drug delivery into the cochlear apex: Improved control to sequentially affect finely spaced regions along the entire length of the cochlear spiral.

PubMed

Lichtenhan, J T; Hartsock, J; Dornhoffer, J R; Donovan, K M; Salt, A N

2016-11-01

Administering pharmaceuticals to the scala tympani of the inner ear is a common approach to study cochlear physiology and mechanics. We present here a novel method for in vivo drug delivery in a controlled manner to sealed ears. Injections of ototoxic solutions were applied from a pipette sealed into a fenestra in the cochlear apex, progressively driving solutions along the length of scala tympani toward the cochlear aqueduct at the base. Drugs can be delivered rapidly or slowly. In this report we focus on slow delivery in which the injection rate is automatically adjusted to account for varying cross sectional area of the scala tympani, therefore driving a solution front at uniform rate. Objective measurements originating from finely spaced, low- to high-characteristic cochlear frequency places were sequentially affected. Comparison with existing methods(s): Controlled administration of pharmaceuticals into the cochlear apex overcomes a number of serious limitations of previously established methods such as cochlear perfusions with an injection pipette in the cochlear base: The drug concentration achieved is more precisely controlled, drug concentrations remain in scala tympani and are not rapidly washed out by cerebrospinal fluid flow, and the entire length of the cochlear spiral can be treated quickly or slowly with time. Controlled administration of solutions into the cochlear apex can be a powerful approach to sequentially effect objective measurements originating from finely spaced cochlear regions and allows, for the first time, the spatial origin of CAPs to be objectively defined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the relation between CT technical parameters and accuracy of quantification of lung attenuation on quantitative chest CT.

PubMed

Trotta, Brian M; Stolin, Alexander V; Williams, Mark B; Gay, Spencer B; Brody, Alan S; Altes, Talissa A

2007-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the compromise between CT technical parameters and the accuracy of CT quantification of lung attenuation. Materials that simulate water (0 H), healthy lung (-650 H), borderline emphysematous lung (-820 H), and severely emphysematous lung (-1,000 H) were placed at both the base and the apex of the lung of an anthropomorphic phantom and outside the phantom. Transaxial CT images through the samples were obtained while the effective tube current was varied from 440 to 10 mAs, kilovoltage from 140 to 80 kVp, and slice thickness from 0.625 to 10 mm. Mean +/- SD attenuation within the samples and the standard quantitative chest CT measurements, the percentage of pixels with attenuation less than -910 H and 15th percentile of attenuation, were computed. Outside the phantom, variations in CT parameters produced less than 2.0% error in all measurements. Within the anthropomorphic phantom at 30 mAs, error in measurements was much larger, ranging from zero to 200%. Below approximately 80 mAs, mean attenuation became increasingly biased. The effects were most pronounced at the apex of the lungs. Mean attenuation of the borderline emphysematous sample of apex decreased 55 H as the tube current was decreased from 300 to 30 mAs. Both the 15th percentile of attenuation and percentage of pixels with less than -910 H attenuation were more sensitive to variations in effective tube current than was mean attenuation. For example, the -820 H sample should have 0% of pixels less than -910 H, which was true at 400 mA. At 30 mA in the lung apex, however, the measurement was highly inaccurate, 51% of pixels being below this value. Decreased kilovoltage and slice thickness had analogous, but lesser, effects. The accuracy of quantitative chest CT is determined by the CT acquisition parameters. There can be significant decreases in accuracy at less than 80 mAs for thin slices in an anthropomorphic phantom, the most pronounced effects occurring in the lung

Synoptic thermal and oceanographic parameter distributions in the New York Bight Apex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. W.; Bahn, G. S.; Thomas, J. P.

1981-01-01

Concurrent surface water measurements made from a moving oceanographic research vessel were used to calibrate and interpret remotely sensed data collected over a plume in the New York Bight Apex on 23 June 1977. Multiple regression techniques were used to develop equations to map synoptic distributions of chlorophyll a and total suspended matter in the remotely sensed scene. Thermal (which did not have surface calibration values) and water quality parameter distributions indicated a cold mass of water in the Bight Apex with an overflowing nutrient-rich warm water plume that originated in the Sandy Hook Bay and flowed south near the New Jersey shoreline. Data analysis indicates that remotely sensed data may be particularly useful for studying physical and biological processes in the top several metres of surface water at plume boundaries.

Studying learning in the healthcare setting: the potential of quantitative diary methods.

PubMed

Ciere, Yvette; Jaarsma, Debbie; Visser, Annemieke; Sanderman, Robbert; Snippe, Evelien; Fleer, Joke

2015-08-01

Quantitative diary methods are longitudinal approaches that involve the repeated measurement of aspects of peoples' experience of daily life. In this article, we outline the main characteristics and applications of quantitative diary methods and discuss how their use may further research in the field of medical education. Quantitative diary methods offer several methodological advantages, such as measuring aspects of learning with great detail, accuracy and authenticity. Moreover, they enable researchers to study how and under which conditions learning in the health care setting occurs and in which way learning can be promoted. Hence, quantitative diary methods may contribute to theory development and the optimization of teaching methods in medical education.

Towards Accurate Application Characterization for Exascale (APEX)

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

Hammond, Simon David

Sandia National Laboratories has been engaged in hardware and software codesign activities for a number of years, indeed, it might be argued that prototyping of clusters as far back as the CPLANT machines and many large capability resources including ASCI Red and RedStorm were examples of codesigned solutions. As the research supporting our codesign activities has moved closer to investigating on-node runtime behavior a nature hunger has grown for detailed analysis of both hardware and algorithm performance from the perspective of low-level operations. The Application Characterization for Exascale (APEX) LDRD was a project concieved of addressing some of these concerns.more » Primarily the research was to intended to focus on generating accurate and reproducible low-level performance metrics using tools that could scale to production-class code bases. Along side this research was an advocacy and analysis role associated with evaluating tools for production use, working with leading industry vendors to develop and refine solutions required by our code teams and to directly engage with production code developers to form a context for the application analysis and a bridge to the research community within Sandia. On each of these accounts significant progress has been made, particularly, as this report will cover, in the low-level analysis of operations for important classes of algorithms. This report summarizes the development of a collection of tools under the APEX research program and leaves to other SAND and L2 milestone reports the description of codesign progress with Sandia’s production users/developers.« less

Clinical efficacy of electronic apex locators: systematic review.

PubMed

Martins, Jorge N R; Marques, Duarte; Mata, António; Caramês, João

2014-06-01

Apical constriction has been proposed as the most appropriate apical limit for the endodontic working length. Despite being the most used, some limitations are attributed to the radiographic method of working length determination. It lacks precision because it is based on the average position of the apical constriction. The electronic apex locators have been presented as an alternative to the odontometry performed by radiography. These devices detect the transition of the pulp to the periodontal tissue, which is anatomically very close to the apical constriction and may perform with improved accuracy. A systematic review was performed to compare the radiographic and electronic methods. Clinical studies that compared both methods were searched for on 7 electronic databases, a manual search was performed on the bibliography of articles collected on the electronic databases, and the authors were contacted to ask for references of more research not detected on the electronic and manual search. Twenty-one articles were selected. The majority were comparative or evaluation studies, and very few clinical studies comparing both methods are available. Several methodological limitations are present on the collected articles and debated in this review. Although the available scientific evidence base is short and at considerable risk of bias, it is still possible to conclude that the apical locator reduces the patient radiation exposure and also that the electronic method may perform better on the working length determination. At least one radiographic control should be performed to detect possible errors of the electronic devices. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isolated, broad-based apical diverticulum: cardiac magnetic resonance is a "terminator" of cardiac imaging modality for the evaluation of cardiac apex.

PubMed

Ahn, Hyo-Suk; Kim, Hyung-Kwan; Park, Eun-Ah; Lee, Whal; Park, Jae-Hyung; Sohn, Dae-Won

2013-10-01

In spite of the frequent involvement of many cardiac diseases, it is difficult to evaluate the left ventricular apex in detail with transthoracic echocardiography, a first-line imaging modality in cardiovascular diseases, because the apex is very closely located at the echocardiographic probe. Cardiac magnetic resonance enables us to evaluate the cardiac apex without any limitation to the image acquisition. We here present a case regarding a broad-based apical diverticulum, which was initially confused with apical aneurysm.

Modeling conservation practices in APEX: From the field to the watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The evaluation of USDA conservation programs is required as part of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model was applied to the St. Joseph River Watershed, one of CEAP’s benchmark watersheds. Using a previously calibrated and val...

Comparative Evaluation of Quantitative Test Methods for Gases on a Hard Surface

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF QUANTITATIVE TEST METHODS FOR GASES ON A HARD SURFACE ECBC-TR-1426 Vipin Rastogi...1 COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF QUANTITATIVE TEST METHODS FOR GASES ON A HARD SURFACE 1. INTRODUCTION Members of the U.S. Environmental...Generator 4 2.4 Experimental Design Each quantitative method was performed three times on three consecutive days. For the CD runs, three

Differences between genders in colorectal morphology on CT colonography using a quantitative approach: a pilot study.

PubMed

Weber, Charles N; Poff, Jason A; Lev-Toaff, Anna S; Levine, Marc S; Zafar, Hanna M

To explore quantitative differences between genders in morphologic colonic metrics and determine metric reproducibility. Quantitative colonic metrics from 20 male and 20 female CTC datasets were evaluated twice by two readers; all exams were performed after incomplete optical colonoscopy. Intra-/inter-reader reliability was measured with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Women had overall decreased colonic volume, increased tortuosity and compactness and lower sigmoid apex height on CTC compared to men (p<0.0001,all). Quantitative measurements in colonic metrics were highly reproducible (ICC=0.9989 and 0.9970; CCC=0.9945). Quantitative morphologic differences between genders can be reproducibility measured. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sample normalization methods in quantitative metabolomics.

PubMed

Wu, Yiman; Li, Liang

2016-01-22

To reveal metabolomic changes caused by a biological event in quantitative metabolomics, it is critical to use an analytical tool that can perform accurate and precise quantification to examine the true concentration differences of individual metabolites found in different samples. A number of steps are involved in metabolomic analysis including pre-analytical work (e.g., sample collection and storage), analytical work (e.g., sample analysis) and data analysis (e.g., feature extraction and quantification). Each one of them can influence the quantitative results significantly and thus should be performed with great care. Among them, the total sample amount or concentration of metabolites can be significantly different from one sample to another. Thus, it is critical to reduce or eliminate the effect of total sample amount variation on quantification of individual metabolites. In this review, we describe the importance of sample normalization in the analytical workflow with a focus on mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms, discuss a number of methods recently reported in the literature and comment on their applicability in real world metabolomics applications. Sample normalization has been sometimes ignored in metabolomics, partially due to the lack of a convenient means of performing sample normalization. We show that several methods are now available and sample normalization should be performed in quantitative metabolomics where the analyzed samples have significant variations in total sample amounts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electric Field Quantitative Measurement System and Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A method and system are provided for making a quantitative measurement of an electric field. A plurality of antennas separated from one another by known distances are arrayed in a region that extends in at least one dimension. A voltage difference between at least one selected pair of antennas is measured. Each voltage difference is divided by the known distance associated with the selected pair of antennas corresponding thereto to generate a resulting quantity. The plurality of resulting quantities defined over the region quantitatively describe an electric field therein.

Apex technique in the treatment of obstructed defecation syndrome associated with rectal intussusception and full rectal mucosa prolapse.

PubMed

Regadas, F Sergio P; Abedrapo, Mario; Cruz, Jose Vinicius; Murad Regadas, Sthela M; Regadas Filho, F Sergio P

2014-11-01

The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the use of a modified stapling technique, called the apex technique, to treat rectal intussusception and full rectal mucosal prolapse. It was conducted as a retrospective study at 3 centers (2 in Brazil and 1 in Chile). The apex technique is performed by using a HEM/EEA-33 stapler. A pursestring suture is placed at the apex of the prolapse, on the 4 quadrants, independent of the distance to the dentate line. A second pursestring is then placed to define the band of rectal mucosa to be symmetrically resected. Outcome measures included width of the resected full-thickness rectal wall; the intensity of postoperative pain on a visual analog scale from 1 to 10; full mucosal prolapse and rectal intussusception assessed by physical examination, cinedefecography, or echodefecography; and change in the constipation scale. Forty-five patients (30 women/15 men; mean age, 59.5 years) with rectal intussusception and full mucosal prolapse were included. The median operative time was 17 (range, 15-30) minutes. Bleeding after stapler fire requiring manual suture occurred in 3 patients (6.7%); 25 (55.6%) patients reported having no postoperative pain. Hospital stay was 24 hours. The mean width of the resected rectal wall was 5.9 (range, 5.0-7.5) cm. Stricture at the staple line was seen in 4 patients, of whom 1 required dilation under anesthesia. The median follow-up time was 120 (range, 90-120) days. A small residual prolapse was identified in 6 (13.3%) patients. Imaging demonstrated complete disappearance of rectal intussusception in all patients, and the mean postoperative constipation score decreased from 13 (range, 8-15) to 5 (range, 3-7). The apex technique appears to be a safe, quickly performed, and low-cost method for the treatment of rectal intussusception. In this series, imaging examinations showed the disappearance of rectal intussusception, and a significant decrease in constipation score suggested improvement in

Distance-based microfluidic quantitative detection methods for point-of-care testing.

PubMed

Tian, Tian; Li, Jiuxing; Song, Yanling; Zhou, Leiji; Zhu, Zhi; Yang, Chaoyong James

2016-04-07

Equipment-free devices with quantitative readout are of great significance to point-of-care testing (POCT), which provides real-time readout to users and is especially important in low-resource settings. Among various equipment-free approaches, distance-based visual quantitative detection methods rely on reading the visual signal length for corresponding target concentrations, thus eliminating the need for sophisticated instruments. The distance-based methods are low-cost, user-friendly and can be integrated into portable analytical devices. Moreover, such methods enable quantitative detection of various targets by the naked eye. In this review, we first introduce the concept and history of distance-based visual quantitative detection methods. Then, we summarize the main methods for translation of molecular signals to distance-based readout and discuss different microfluidic platforms (glass, PDMS, paper and thread) in terms of applications in biomedical diagnostics, food safety monitoring, and environmental analysis. Finally, the potential and future perspectives are discussed.

Evaluation of the APEX Model to Simulate Runoff Quality from Agricultural Fields in the Southern Region of the United States.

PubMed

Ramirez-Avila, John J; Radcliffe, David E; Osmond, Deanna; Bolster, Carl; Sharpley, Andrew; Ortega-Achury, Sandra L; Forsberg, Adam; Oldham, J Larry

2017-11-01

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model has been widely applied to assess phosphorus (P) loss in runoff water and has been proposed as a model to support practical decisions regarding agricultural P management, as well as a model to evaluate tools such as the P Index. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of APEX to simulate P losses from agricultural systems to determine its potential use for refinement or replacement of the P Index in the southern region of the United States. Uncalibrated and calibrated APEX model predictions were compared against measured water quality data from row crop fields in North Carolina and Mississippi and pasture fields in Arkansas and Georgia. Calibrated models satisfactorily predicted event-based surface runoff volumes at all sites (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency [NSE] > 0.47, |percent bias [PBIAS]| < 34) except Arkansas (NSE < 0.11, |PBIAS| < 50) but did not satisfactory simulate sediment, dissolved P, or total P losses in runoff water. The APEX model tended to underestimate dissolved and total P losses from fields where manure was surface applied. The model also overestimated sediments and total P loads during irrigation events. We conclude that the capability of APEX to predict sediment and P losses is limited, and consequently so is the potential for using APEX to make P management recommendations to improve P Indices in the southern United States. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

[A new method of processing quantitative PCR data].

PubMed

Ke, Bing-Shen; Li, Guang-Yun; Chen, Shi-Min; Huang, Xiang-Yan; Chen, Ying-Jian; Xu, Jun

2003-05-01

Today standard PCR can't satisfy the need of biotechnique development and clinical research any more. After numerous dynamic research, PE company found there is a linear relation between initial template number and cycling time when the accumulating fluorescent product is detectable.Therefore,they developed a quantitative PCR technique to be used in PE7700 and PE5700. But the error of this technique is too great to satisfy the need of biotechnique development and clinical research. A better quantitative PCR technique is needed. The mathematical model submitted here is combined with the achievement of relative science,and based on the PCR principle and careful analysis of molecular relationship of main members in PCR reaction system. This model describes the function relation between product quantity or fluorescence intensity and initial template number and other reaction conditions, and can reflect the accumulating rule of PCR product molecule accurately. Accurate quantitative PCR analysis can be made use this function relation. Accumulated PCR product quantity can be obtained from initial template number. Using this model to do quantitative PCR analysis,result error is only related to the accuracy of fluorescence intensity or the instrument used. For an example, when the fluorescence intensity is accurate to 6 digits and the template size is between 100 to 1,000,000, the quantitative result accuracy will be more than 99%. The difference of result error is distinct using same condition,same instrument but different analysis method. Moreover,if the PCR quantitative analysis system is used to process data, it will get result 80 times of accuracy than using CT method.

Quantitative analysis of facial paralysis using local binary patterns in biomedical videos.

PubMed

He, Shu; Soraghan, John J; O'Reilly, Brian F; Xing, Dongshan

2009-07-01

Facial paralysis is the loss of voluntary muscle movement of one side of the face. A quantitative, objective, and reliable assessment system would be an invaluable tool for clinicians treating patients with this condition. This paper presents a novel framework for objective measurement of facial paralysis. The motion information in the horizontal and vertical directions and the appearance features on the apex frames are extracted based on the local binary patterns (LBPs) on the temporal-spatial domain in each facial region. These features are temporally and spatially enhanced by the application of novel block processing schemes. A multiresolution extension of uniform LBP is proposed to efficiently combine the micropatterns and large-scale patterns into a feature vector. The symmetry of facial movements is measured by the resistor-average distance (RAD) between LBP features extracted from the two sides of the face. Support vector machine is applied to provide quantitative evaluation of facial paralysis based on the House-Brackmann (H-B) scale. The proposed method is validated by experiments with 197 subject videos, which demonstrates its accuracy and efficiency.

A mathematical simulation of the tip-apex distance and the calcar-referenced tip-apex distance for intertrochanteric fractures reduced with lag screws.

PubMed

Li, Shuang; Chang, Shi-Min; Jin, Yan-Min; Zhang, Ying-Qi; Niu, Wen-Xin; Du, Shou-Chao; Zhang, Li-Zhi; Ma, Hui

2016-06-01

As a predictor of the risk of lag screw cutout, it was recommended that keeping tip-apex distance (TAD)<25mm and placing the screw centrally or inferiorly, but positioning the lag screw too inferiorly in the head would produce TAD>25mm. We aim to simulate various positions of the lag screw in the femoral head and identify whether 25mm is a suitable cut-off value that favours all sizes of femoral heads with intertrochanteric fractures of the hip. Using a general mathematical software, the positions of the screw tip points were simulated. The virtual anterior-posterior and lateral views were then visualised, and the locus of the screw tips was projected into a Cartesian coordinate system according to the TAD and calcar-referenced tip-apex distance (CalTAD) formulas. Each original virtual anterior-posterior and lateral image was zoomed and compiled to match a calculated average image. The screw tip points were recorded, traced and compiled into volumes which could be used to visualise the screw's movements and positioning within the femoral head. The extracted volumes were calculated when 10mmapex distance and femoral head size, with an emphasis on measuring the position of the screw tip for the suitable zone by volume ratio. The previous 25mm TAD cut-off value should be adjusted according to the individual femoral head

Differential impacts of FtsZ proteins on plastid division in the shoot apex of Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Swid, Neora; Nevo, Reinat; Kiss, Vladimir; Kapon, Ruti; Dagan, Shlomi; Snir, Orli; Adam, Zach; Falconet, Denis; Reich, Ziv; Charuvi, Dana

2018-06-16

FtsZ proteins of the FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 families play important roles in the initiation and progression of plastid division in plants and green algae. Arabidopsis possesses a single FTSZ1 member and two FTSZ2 members, FTSZ2-1 and FTSZ2-2. The contribution of these to chloroplast division and partitioning has been mostly investigated in leaf mesophyll tissues. Here, we assessed the involvement of the three FtsZs in plastid division at earlier stages of chloroplast differentiation. To this end, we studied the effect of the absence of specific FtsZ proteins on plastids in the vegetative shoot apex, where the proplastid-to-chloroplast transition takes place. We found that the relative contribution of the two major leaf FtsZ isoforms, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2-1, to the division process varies with cell lineage and position within the shoot apex. While FtsZ2-1 dominates division in the L1 and L3 layers of the shoot apical meristem (SAM), in the L2 layer, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2-1 contribute equally toward the process. Depletion of the third isoform, FtsZ2-2, generally resulted in stronger effects in the shoot apex than those observed in mature leaves. The implications of these findings, along with additional observations made in this work, to our understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of plastid proliferation in the shoot apex are discussed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

High resolution imaging of subcellular glutathione concentrations by quantitative immunoelectron microscopy in different leaf areas of Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Koffler, Barbara E.; Bloem, Elke; Zellnig, Günther; Zechmann, Bernd

2013-01-01

Glutathione is an important antioxidant and redox buffer in plants. It fulfills many important roles during plant development, defense and is essential for plant metabolism. Even though the compartment specific roles of glutathione during abiotic and biotic stress situations have been studied in detail there is still great lack of knowledge about subcellular glutathione concentrations within the different leaf areas at different stages of development. In this study a method is described that allows the calculation of compartment specific glutathione concentrations in all cell compartments simultaneously in one experiment by using quantitative immunogold electron microscopy combined with biochemical methods in different leaf areas of Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 (center of the leaf, leaf apex, leaf base and leaf edge). The volume of subcellular compartments in the mesophyll of Arabidopsis was found to be similar to other plants. Vacuoles covered the largest volume within a mesophyll cell and increased with leaf age (up to 80% in the leaf apex of older leaves). Behind vacuoles, chloroplasts covered the second largest volume (up to 20% in the leaf edge of the younger leaves) followed by nuclei (up to 2.3% in the leaf edge of the younger leaves), mitochondria (up to 1.6% in the leaf apex of the younger leaves), and peroxisomes (up to 0.3% in the leaf apex of the younger leaves). These values together with volumes of the mesophyll determined by stereological methods from light and electron micrographs and global glutathione contents measured with biochemical methods enabled the determination of subcellular glutathione contents in mM. Even though biochemical investigations did not reveal differences in global glutathione contents, compartment specific differences could be observed in some cell compartments within the different leaf areas. Highest concentrations of glutathione were always found in mitochondria, where values in a range between 8.7 mM (in the apex of younger

The interaction of APEX1 variant with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on increasing chromosome damage and lung cancer risk among male Chinese.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoliang; Wei, Jinyu; Xu, Ping; Yin, Xiangqian; Hu, Die; Zhang, Xiao; Liu, Li; Zhang, Kai; Zhou, Changchun; Wang, Tian; Zhang, Xiaomin; He, Meian; Wu, Tangchun; Yang, Ming; Guo, Huan

2015-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most significant contributors to tobacco-induced lung carcinogenesis. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a central enzyme in the removal of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites caused by DNA damaging agents. This study aimed to investigate the potential interaction of APEX1 polymorphisms and PAHs on genetic damage and lung cancer risk among male Chinese. We recruited an occupational cohort of 922 male coke oven workers and determined their DNA damage levels by calculating the lymphocytic micronucleus (MN) frequencies. Two well-studied APEX1 polymorphisms (-307A > C and Asp148Glu) and their associations with MN frequencies were examined. The impact of MN-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on lung cancer risk was further investigated in two case-control studies including 1634 male lung cancer patients and 1678 controls. It was shown that, the APEX1 148Glu allele was associated with significantly higher MN frequencies than 148Asp allele, with strongest associations among the highest PAH-exposure workers (P = 0.008). The APEX1 148Glu allele was also associated with increased lung cancer risk among male smokers, especially among heavy smokers in both case-control studies (odd ratio: 4.40, 95%CI: 3.29-5.72). In addition, APEX1 148Glu variant interacts with smoking in increasing male lung cancer risk, as measured by the attributable proportion due to interaction, which was 0.23 (95%CI: 0.06-0.39). This study showed evidence on interaction between APEX1 148Glu variant and cigarette smoking in increasing lung cancer susceptibility among male Chinese, which may be due to the synergistic effects of APEX1 148Glu and PAHs in increasing chromosome damage levels. The results provide a new insight into gene-interactions in lung carcinogenesis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Simulation of APEX data: the SENSOR approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boerner, Anko; Schaepman, Michael E.; Schlaepfer, Daniel; Wiest, Lorenz; Reulke, Ralf

1999-10-01

The consistent simulation of airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral data is an important task and sometimes the only way for the adaptation and optimization of a sensor and its observing conditions, the choice and test of algorithms for data processing, error estimations and the evaluation of the capabilities of the whole sensor system. The integration of three approaches is suggested for the data simulation of APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment): (1) a spectrally consistent approach (e.g. using AVIRIS data), (2) a geometrically consistent approach (e.g. using CASI data), and (3) an end-to- end simulation of the sensor system. In this paper, the last approach is discussed in detail. Such a technique should be used if there is no simple deterministic relation between input and output parameters. The simulation environment SENSOR (Software Environment for the Simulation of Optical Remote Sensing Systems) presented here includes a full model of the sensor system, the observed object and the atmosphere. The simulator consists of three parts. The first part describes the geometrical relations between object, sun, and sensor using a ray tracing algorithm. The second part of the simulation environment considers the radiometry. It calculates the at-sensor-radiance using a pre-calculated multidimensional lookup-table for the atmospheric boundary conditions and bi- directional reflectances. Part three consists of an optical and an electronic sensor model for the generation of digital images. Application-specific algorithms for data processing must be considered additionally. The benefit of using an end- to-end simulation approach is demonstrated, an example of a simulated APEX data cube is given, and preliminary steps of evaluation of SENSOR are carried out.

High-resolution NO2 remote sensing from the Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popp, C.; Brunner, D.; Damm, A.; Van Roozendael, M.; Fayt, C.; Buchmann, B.

2012-09-01

We present and evaluate the retrieval of high spatial resolution maps of NO2 vertical column densities (VCD) from the Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer. APEX is a novel instrument providing airborne measurements of unique spectral and spatial resolution and coverage as well as high signal stability. In this study, we use spectrometer data acquired over Zurich, Switzerland, in the morning and late afternoon during a flight campaign on a cloud-free summer day in June 2010. NO2 VCD are derived with a two-step approach usually applied to satellite NO2 retrievals, i.e. a DOAS analysis followed by air mass factor calculations based on radiative transfer computations. Our analysis demonstrates that APEX is clearly sensitive to NO2 VCD above typical European tropospheric background abundances (>1 × 1015 molec cm-2). The two-dimensional maps of NO2 VCD reveal a very convincing spatial distribution with strong gradients around major NOx sources (e.g. Zurich airport, waste incinerator, motorways) and low NO2 in remote areas. The morning overflights resulted in generally higher NO2 VCD and a more distinct pattern than the afternoon overflights which can be attributed to the meteorological conditions prevailing during that day with stronger winds and hence larger dilution in the afternoon. The remotely sensed NO2 VCD are also in reasonably good agreement with ground-based in-situ measurements from air quality networks considering the limitations of comparing column integrals with point measurements. Airborne NO2 remote sensing using APEX will be valuable to detect NO2 emission sources, to provide input for NO2 emission modelling, and to establish links between in-situ measurements, air quality models, and satellite NO2 products.

High resolution NO2 remote sensing from the Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popp, C.; Brunner, D.; Damm, A.; Van Roozendael, M.; Fayt, C.; Buchmann, B.

2012-03-01

We present and evaluate the retrieval of high spatial resolution maps of NO2 vertical column densities (VCD) from the Airborne Prism EXperiment (APEX) imaging spectrometer. APEX is a novel instrument providing airborne measurements of unique spectral and spatial resolution and coverage as well as high signal stability. In this study, we use spectrometer data acquired over Zurich, Switzerland, in the morning and late afternoon during a flight campaign on a cloud-free summer day in June 2010. NO2 VCD are derived with a two-step approach usually applied to satellite NO2 retrievals, i.e. a DOAS analysis followed by air mass factor calculations based on radiative transfer computations. Our analysis demonstrates that APEX is clearly sensitive to NO2 VCD above typical European tropospheric background abundances (>1 × 1015 molec cm-2). The two-dimensional maps of NO2 VCD reveal a very plausible spatial distribution with strong gradients around major NOx sources (e.g. Zurich airport, waste incinerator, motorways) and low NO2 in remote areas. The morning overflights resulted in generally higher NO2 VCD and a more distinct pattern than the afternoon overflights which can be attributed to the meteorological conditions prevailing during that day (development of the boundary layer and increased wind speed in the afternoon) as well as to photochemical loss of NO2. The remotely sensed NO2 VCD are also highly correlated with ground-based in-situ measurements from local and national air quality networks (R=0.73). Airborne NO2 remote sensing using APEX will be valuable to detect NO2 emission sources, to provide input for NO2 emission modeling, and to establish links between in-situ measurements, air quality models, and satellite NO2 products.

[Influence of brightness value of supranasal point and apex nasi on dominant wavelength and excitation purity in complexion inspection of healthy adults].

PubMed

Zhu, Zhi-Rong; Zeng, Chang-Chun; Yang, Li; Liu, Han-Ping; Liu, Song-Hao

2011-12-01

In this study, to analyze the influence of the brightness value of the supranasal point and the apex nasi on their dominant wavelength and excitation purity according to the spectrocolorimetry data of the supranasal point and the apex nasi in healthy adults that were collected based on optical spectrum colorimetry. A total of 516 healthy adults were taken as the research subjects. The brightness, dominant wavelength and excitation purity values of the supranasal point and the apex nasi during the complexion inspection of subjects were calculated. This was based on the visible reflection spectrum, and the linear correlation/regression analysis between the brightness Y value and the dominant wavelength or excitation purity value. There was no correlation between the brightness Y value and the dominant wavelength of the normal supranasal point and the apex nasi; however, there was negative correlation between the brightness Y value and the excitation purity of the normal supranasal point and apex nasi. During the complexion inspection, the brightness Y value would not influence the dominant wavelength value, indicating that whiteness and/or blackness would not influence the normal individual complexion. However, the brightness Y value would influence the excitation purity of the supranasal point and the apex nasi, and the degree of saturation should be referred to as the brightness. This research provides a basic reference for diagnosing facial complexion in traditional Chinese medicine.

Validation of PCR methods for quantitation of genetically modified plants in food.

PubMed

Hübner, P; Waiblinger, H U; Pietsch, K; Brodmann, P

2001-01-01

For enforcement of the recently introduced labeling threshold for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food ingredients, quantitative detection methods such as quantitative competitive (QC-PCR) and real-time PCR are applied by official food control laboratories. The experiences of 3 European food control laboratories in validating such methods were compared to describe realistic performance characteristics of quantitative PCR detection methods. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) of GMO-specific, real-time PCR was experimentally determined to reach 30-50 target molecules, which is close to theoretical prediction. Starting PCR with 200 ng genomic plant DNA, the LOQ depends primarily on the genome size of the target plant and ranges from 0.02% for rice to 0.7% for wheat. The precision of quantitative PCR detection methods, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), varied from 10 to 30%. Using Bt176 corn containing test samples and applying Bt176 specific QC-PCR, mean values deviated from true values by -7to 18%, with an average of 2+/-10%. Ruggedness of real-time PCR detection methods was assessed in an interlaboratory study analyzing commercial, homogeneous food samples. Roundup Ready soybean DNA contents were determined in the range of 0.3 to 36%, relative to soybean DNA, with RSDs of about 25%. Taking the precision of quantitative PCR detection methods into account, suitable sample plans and sample sizes for GMO analysis are suggested. Because quantitative GMO detection methods measure GMO contents of samples in relation to reference material (calibrants), high priority must be given to international agreements and standardization on certified reference materials.

Two dimensional vibrations of the guinea pig apex organ of Corti measured in vivo using phase sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramamoorthy, Sripriya; Zhang, Yuan; Petrie, Tracy; Fridberger, Anders; Ren, Tianying; Wang, Ruikang; Jacques, Steven L.; Nuttall, Alfred L.

2015-02-01

In this study, we measure the in vivo apical-turn vibrations of the guinea pig organ of Corti in both axial and radial directions using phase-sensitive Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. The apical turn in guinea pig cochlea has best frequencies around 100 - 500 Hz which are relevant for human speech. Prior measurements of vibrations in the guinea pig apex involved opening the otic capsule, which has been questioned on the basis of the resulting changes to cochlear hydrodynamics. Here this limitation is overcome by measuring the vibrations through bone without opening the otic capsule. Furthermore, we have significantly reduced the surgery needed to access the guinea pig apex in the axial direction by introducing a miniature mirror inside the bulla. The method and preliminary data are discussed in this article.

A nonsurgical endodontic treatment in open-apex and immature teeth affected by dens invaginatus: using a collagen membrane as an apical barrier.

PubMed

Gharechahi, Maryam; Ghoddusi, Jamileh

2012-02-01

The authors' objective in this case report is to demonstrate an effective nonsurgical endodontic treatment in open-apex teeth affected by dens invaginatus (DI) by using a collagen membrane as an apical barrier and using a mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) apical plug. . The authors present two cases of DI with open apexes in maxillary lateral incisors. In the first case, an adolescent had bilateral Oehlers type II DI and extensive periradicular radiolucency, internal root resorption and a vestibular fistula in the left maxillary lateral incisor. In the second case, an adult had Oehlers type II DI and an incomplete apex in the left maxillary lateral incisor. For both patients, the clinician placed a collagen membrane through the apexes of the left maxillary incisors to provide a resorbable extraradicular barrier against which MTA cement could be packed. The clinician obturated the adolescent's right lateral incisor. In the adolescent, the vestibular sinus tract was closed after one week. At subsequent follow-up examinations, the periradicular regions were completely healed, and postoperative radiographs revealed good bone healing in the lateral incisors. The teeth were asymptomatic and healing was achieved without any need for further endodontic surgical intervention. In the adult patient, the tooth was symptom free after one week, and radiography performed six months after the procedure showed complete healing. and Despite complex anatomy and diagnoses of DI and open apexes, both patients successfully underwent nonsurgical endodontic treatment involving the use of a collagen membrane and an MTA apical plug. Using an extraradicular barrier clinically can help improve the adaptation of MTA in the apexes of open-apex teeth to achieve a complete seal.

Impact of Apex Model parameterization strategy on estimated benefit of conservation practices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Three parameterized Agriculture Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) models for corn-soybean rotation on clay pan soils were developed with the objectives, 1. Evaluate model performance of three parameterization strategies on a validation watershed; and 2. Compare predictions of water quality benefi...

Mesopredator behavioral response to olfactory signals of an apex predator.

PubMed

Wikenros, Camilla; Jarnemo, Anders; Frisén, Marielle; Kuijper, Dries P J; Schmidt, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

Olfactory signals constitute an important mechanism in interspecific interactions, but little is known regarding their role in communication between predator species. We analyzed the behavioral responses of a mesopredator, the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), to an olfactory cue (scat) of an apex predator, the lynx ( Lynx lynx ) in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland, using video camera traps. Red fox visited sites with scats more often than expected and the duration of their visits was longer at scat sites than at control sites (no scat added). Vigilant behavior, sniffing and scent marking (including over-marking) occurred more often at scat sites compared to control sites, where foxes mainly passed by. Vigilance was most pronounced during the first days of the recordings. Red fox behavior was also influenced by foxes previously visiting scat sites. They sniffed and scent marked (multiple over-marking) more frequently when the lynx scat had been over-marked previously by red fox. Fox visits to lynx scats may be seen as a trade-off between obtaining information on a potential food source (prey killed by lynx) and the potential risk of predation by an apex predator.

Hypercarnivorous apex predator could provide ecosystem services by dispersing seeds.

PubMed

Sarasola, José Hernán; Zanón-Martínez, Juan Ignacio; Costán, Andrea Silvina; Ripple, William J

2016-01-21

Large "hypercarnivorous" felids are recognized for their role as apex predators and hence as key elements in food webs and ecosystem functioning through competition and depredation. Here we show that cougars (Puma concolor), one of the largest and the most widely ranging apex felid predators with a strictly carnivorous diet, could also be effective secondary long distance seed dispersers, potentially establishing direct and non-herbivore mediated interactions with plant species at the bottom of the food web. Cougars accidently ingest and disseminate large amounts of seeds (31,678 seeds in 123 scats) of plant species initially consumed by their main prey, the Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata. The germination potential of seeds for the three plant species most abundantly found in cougar scats (19,570 seeds) was not significantly different from that observed in seeds obtained from dove gizzards, indicating that seed passage through cougar guts did not affect seed germination. Considering the estimated cougar density in our study area, dispersal of seeds by cougars could allow a mean, annual seed spread of ~5,000 seeds per km(2). Our results demonstrate that strictly carnivorous, felid predators could have broad and overlooked ecological functions related to ecosystem structuring and functioning.

Advancing the study of violence against women using mixed methods: integrating qualitative methods into a quantitative research program.

PubMed

Testa, Maria; Livingston, Jennifer A; VanZile-Tamsen, Carol

2011-02-01

A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative with qualitative data methods and analysis, offers a promising means of advancing the study of violence. Integrating semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis into a quantitative program of research on women's sexual victimization has resulted in valuable scientific insight and generation of novel hypotheses for testing. This mixed methods approach is described and recommendations for integrating qualitative data into quantitative research are provided.

Energy management that generates terrain following versus apex-preserving hopping in man and machine.

PubMed

Kalveram, Karl Theodor; Haeufle, Daniel F B; Seyfarth, André; Grimmer, Sten

2012-01-01

While hopping, 12 subjects experienced a sudden step down of 5 or 10 cm. Results revealed that the hopping style was "terrain following". It means that the subjects pursued to keep the distance between maximum hopping height (apex) and ground profile constant. The spring-loaded inverse pendulum (SLIP) model, however, which is currently considered as template for stable legged locomotion would predict apex-preserving hopping, by which the absolute maximal hopping height is kept constant regardless of changes of the ground level. To get more insight into the physics of hopping, we outlined two concepts of energy management: "constant energy supply", by which in each bounce--regardless of perturbations--the same amount of mechanical energy is injected, and "lost energy supply", by which the mechanical energy that is going to be dissipated in the current cycle is assessed and replenished. When tested by simulations and on a robot testbed capable of hopping, constant energy supply generated stable and robust terrain following hopping, whereas lost energy supply led to something like apex-preserving hopping, which, however, lacks stability as well as robustness. Comparing simulated and machine hopping with human hopping suggests that constant energy supply has a good chance to be used by humans to generate hopping.

Multisite Evaluation of APEX for Water Quality: I. Best Professional Judgment Parameterization.

PubMed

Baffaut, Claire; Nelson, Nathan O; Lory, John A; Senaviratne, G M M M Anomaa; Bhandari, Ammar B; Udawatta, Ranjith P; Sweeney, Daniel W; Helmers, Matt J; Van Liew, Mike W; Mallarino, Antonio P; Wortmann, Charles S

2017-11-01

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is capable of estimating edge-of-field water, nutrient, and sediment transport and is used to assess the environmental impacts of management practices. The current practice is to fully calibrate the model for each site simulation, a task that requires resources and data not always available. The objective of this study was to compare model performance for flow, sediment, and phosphorus transport under two parameterization schemes: a best professional judgment (BPJ) parameterization based on readily available data and a fully calibrated parameterization based on site-specific soil, weather, event flow, and water quality data. The analysis was conducted using 12 datasets at four locations representing poorly drained soils and row-crop production under different tillage systems. Model performance was based on the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), the coefficient of determination () and the regression slope between simulated and measured annualized loads across all site years. Although the BPJ model performance for flow was acceptable (NSE = 0.7) at the annual time step, calibration improved it (NSE = 0.9). Acceptable simulation of sediment and total phosphorus transport (NSE = 0.5 and 0.9, respectively) was obtained only after full calibration at each site. Given the unacceptable performance of the BPJ approach, uncalibrated use of APEX for planning or management purposes may be misleading. Model calibration with water quality data prior to using APEX for simulating sediment and total phosphorus loss is essential. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Optimization of Statistical Methods Impact on Quantitative Proteomics Data.

PubMed

Pursiheimo, Anna; Vehmas, Anni P; Afzal, Saira; Suomi, Tomi; Chand, Thaman; Strauss, Leena; Poutanen, Matti; Rokka, Anne; Corthals, Garry L; Elo, Laura L

2015-10-02

As tools for quantitative label-free mass spectrometry (MS) rapidly develop, a consensus about the best practices is not apparent. In the work described here we compared popular statistical methods for detecting differential protein expression from quantitative MS data using both controlled experiments with known quantitative differences for specific proteins used as standards as well as "real" experiments where differences in protein abundance are not known a priori. Our results suggest that data-driven reproducibility-optimization can consistently produce reliable differential expression rankings for label-free proteome tools and are straightforward in their application.

Aircraft Particle Emissions eXperiment (APEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wey, C. C.; Anderson, B. E.; Hudgins, C.; Wey, C.; Li-Jones, X.; Winstead, E.; Thornhill, L. K.; Lobo, P.; Hagen, D.; Whitefield, P.

2006-01-01

APEX systematically investigated the gas-phase and particle emissions from a CFM56-2C1 engine on NASA's DC-8 aircraft as functions of engine power, fuel composition, and exhaust plumage. Emissions parameters were measured at 11 engine power, settings, ranging from idle to maximum thrust, in samples collected at 1, 10, and 30 m downstream of the exhaust plane as the aircraft burned three fuels to stress relevant chemistry. Gas-phase emission indices measured at 1 m were in good agreement with the ICAO data and predictions provided by GEAE empirical modeling tools. Soot particles emitted by the engine exhibited a log-normal size distribution peaked between 15 and 40 nm, depending on engine power. Samples collected 30 m downstream of the engine exhaust plane exhibited a prominent nucleation mode.

ADVANCING THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN USING MIXED METHODS: INTEGRATING QUALITATIVE METHODS INTO A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Livingston, Jennifer A.; VanZile-Tamsen, Carol

2011-01-01

A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative with qualitative data methods and analysis, offers a promising means of advancing the study of violence. Integrating semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis into a quantitative program of research on women’s sexual victimization has resulted in valuable scientific insight and generation of novel hypotheses for testing. This mixed methods approach is described and recommendations for integrating qualitative data into quantitative research are provided. PMID:21307032

Methodological Reporting in Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Health Services Research Articles

PubMed Central

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Cavaleri, Mary A; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J; Green, Carla A

2012-01-01

Objectives Methodologically sound mixed methods research can improve our understanding of health services by providing a more comprehensive picture of health services than either method can alone. This study describes the frequency of mixed methods in published health services research and compares the presence of methodological components indicative of rigorous approaches across mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative articles. Data Sources All empirical articles (n = 1,651) published between 2003 and 2007 from four top-ranked health services journals. Study Design All mixed methods articles (n = 47) and random samples of qualitative and quantitative articles were evaluated to identify reporting of key components indicating rigor for each method, based on accepted standards for evaluating the quality of research reports (e.g., use of p-values in quantitative reports, description of context in qualitative reports, and integration in mixed method reports). We used chi-square tests to evaluate differences between article types for each component. Principal Findings Mixed methods articles comprised 2.85 percent (n = 47) of empirical articles, quantitative articles 90.98 percent (n = 1,502), and qualitative articles 6.18 percent (n = 102). There was a statistically significant difference (χ2(1) = 12.20, p = .0005, Cramer's V = 0.09, odds ratio = 1.49 [95% confidence interval = 1,27, 1.74]) in the proportion of quantitative methodological components present in mixed methods compared to quantitative papers (21.94 versus 47.07 percent, respectively) but no statistically significant difference (χ2(1) = 0.02, p = .89, Cramer's V = 0.01) in the proportion of qualitative methodological components in mixed methods compared to qualitative papers (21.34 versus 25.47 percent, respectively). Conclusion Few published health services research articles use mixed methods. The frequency of key methodological components is variable. Suggestions are provided to increase the

Method and apparatus for chromatographic quantitative analysis

DOEpatents

Fritz, James S.; Gjerde, Douglas T.; Schmuckler, Gabriella

1981-06-09

An improved apparatus and method for the quantitative analysis of a solution containing a plurality of anion species by ion exchange chromatography which utilizes a single eluent and a single ion exchange bed which does not require periodic regeneration. The solution containing the anions is added to an anion exchange resin bed which is a low capacity macroreticular polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin containing quarternary ammonium functional groups, and is eluted therefrom with a dilute solution of a low electrical conductance organic acid salt. As each anion species is eluted from the bed, it is quantitatively sensed by conventional detection means such as a conductivity cell.

[Preliminary experience on endoscopic endonasal management of petrous apex cholesterol granuloma].

PubMed

Wang, Jin; Chen, Lei; Yang, Jing

2015-05-01

To explore the feasibility and related aspects on endoscopic endonasal management of petrous apex cholesterol granuloma. Retrospective data analysis was performed on 3 cases in which the endoscopic endonasal approach was used to manage this lesion between 2011 and 2014. Case information including radiological data, surgical technique, symptoms, and complications was reviewed. The main clinical manifestations in these 3 patients were tinnitus, hearing loss at the hearing threshold of 40-50 dBHL. After operation, all 3 patients showed disappearance of their tinnitus and improvement of the hearing threshold of 10-30 dBHL (follow-up 6-45 months). Permanent drainage route was performed in 1 case which communicated with sphenoid sinus. While the other 2 cases which drained to pharyngeal recess resulted in drainage route blocking within the 3-6 months after surgery, but without obvious symptoms. This procedure for the drainage of petrous apex cholesterol granuloma showed to be effective, safe and minimally invasive. Although there is no recurrence in short-term, however, long-term surveillance and large case series are necessary, especially to the maitainence of permanent drainage.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Candidate Genes Potentially Involved in Regulation of Primocane Apex Rooting in Raspberry (Rubus spp.).

PubMed

Liu, Jianfeng; Ming, Yuetong; Cheng, Yunqing; Zhang, Yuchu; Xing, Jiyang; Sun, Yuqi

2017-01-01

Raspberries ( Rubus spp.) exhibit a unique rooting process that is initiated from the stem apex of primocane, conferring an unusual asexual mode of reproduction to this plant. However, the full complement of genes involved in this process has not been identified. To this end, the present study analyzed the transcriptomes of the Rubus primocane and floricane stem apex at three developmental stages by Digital Gene Expression profiling to identify genes that regulate rooting. Sequencing and de novo assembly yielded 26.82 Gb of nucleotides and 59,173 unigenes; 498, 7,346, 4,110, 7,900, 9,397, and 4,776 differently expressed genes were identified in paired comparisons of SAF1 (floricane at developmental stage 1) vs. SAP1 (primocane at developmental stage 1), SAF2 vs. SAP2, SAF3 vs. SAP3, SAP1 vs. SAP2, SAP1 vs. SAP3, and SAP2 vs. SAP3, respectively. SAP1 maintains an extension growth pattern; SAP2 then exhibits growth arrest and vertical (downward) gravitropic deflection; and finally, short roots begin to form on the apex of SAP3. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of SAP1 vs. SAP2 revealed 12 pathways that were activated in response to shoot growth arrest and root differentiation, including circadian rhythm-plant (ko04712) and plant hormone signal transduction (ko04075). Our results indicate that genes related to circadian rhythm, ethylene and auxin signaling, shoot growth, and root development are potentially involved in the regulation of primocane apex rooting in Rubus . These findings provide a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of primocane apex rooting in this economically valuable crop.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Candidate Genes Potentially Involved in Regulation of Primocane Apex Rooting in Raspberry (Rubus spp.)

PubMed Central

Liu, Jianfeng; Ming, Yuetong; Cheng, Yunqing; Zhang, Yuchu; Xing, Jiyang; Sun, Yuqi

2017-01-01

Raspberries (Rubus spp.) exhibit a unique rooting process that is initiated from the stem apex of primocane, conferring an unusual asexual mode of reproduction to this plant. However, the full complement of genes involved in this process has not been identified. To this end, the present study analyzed the transcriptomes of the Rubus primocane and floricane stem apex at three developmental stages by Digital Gene Expression profiling to identify genes that regulate rooting. Sequencing and de novo assembly yielded 26.82 Gb of nucleotides and 59,173 unigenes; 498, 7,346, 4,110, 7,900, 9,397, and 4,776 differently expressed genes were identified in paired comparisons of SAF1 (floricane at developmental stage 1) vs. SAP1 (primocane at developmental stage 1), SAF2 vs. SAP2, SAF3 vs. SAP3, SAP1 vs. SAP2, SAP1 vs. SAP3, and SAP2 vs. SAP3, respectively. SAP1 maintains an extension growth pattern; SAP2 then exhibits growth arrest and vertical (downward) gravitropic deflection; and finally, short roots begin to form on the apex of SAP3. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of SAP1 vs. SAP2 revealed 12 pathways that were activated in response to shoot growth arrest and root differentiation, including circadian rhythm—plant (ko04712) and plant hormone signal transduction (ko04075). Our results indicate that genes related to circadian rhythm, ethylene and auxin signaling, shoot growth, and root development are potentially involved in the regulation of primocane apex rooting in Rubus. These findings provide a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of primocane apex rooting in this economically valuable crop. PMID:28659963

A simple model to demonstrate the electronic apex locator.

PubMed

Tinaz, A C; Alaçam, T; Topuz, O

2002-11-01

To describe and evaluate a newly developed model for demonstrating and teaching the use of electronic apex locators. A phantom model, master jaw model and extracted human teeth were used to construct the demonstration model with alginate impression material as the periapical conductive medium. The model was validated in a series of length determinations with apical foramina enlarged to 0.20, 0.30 and 0.45 mm diameter, and the stability of the model was evaluated up to 45 h after construction. All evaluations were conducted with the Root ZX apex locator with 2.65 and 5.25% NaOCl in the canals. Most length measurements were within 1 mm of actual root length (range: -2.2 to +0.21 mm) and did not change significantly over 45 h for teeth with foramina of 0.3 mm or less. Measurements for teeth with wide (0.45 mm) apices were stable up to 28 h. NaOCl concentration did not significantly affect the readings. A simple, inexpensive model can be manufactured from plastic dental jaws, natural teeth and alginate impression material to demonstrate electronic working length measurement. The model is stable for many hours and provides consistent results with different concentrations of NaOCl in the canal and various apical diameters. The model is a useful teaching aid but needs further evaluation and refinement before use in research applications.

Multisite evaluation of APEX for water quality: 1. Best professional judgement parameterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural and Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model is capable of estimating edge-of-field water, nutrient, and sediment transport and is used to assess the environmental impacts of management practices. The current practice is to fully calibrate the model for each site simulation, a tas...

Human expansion precipitates niche expansion for an opportunistic apex predator (Puma concolor).

PubMed

Moss, Wynne E; Alldredge, Mathew W; Logan, Kenneth A; Pauli, Jonathan N

2016-12-23

There is growing recognition that developed landscapes are important systems in which to promote ecological complexity and conservation. Yet, little is known about processes regulating these novel ecosystems, or behaviours employed by species adapting to them. We evaluated the isotopic niche of an apex carnivore, the cougar (Puma concolor), over broad spatiotemporal scales and in a region characterized by rapid landscape change. We detected a shift in resource use, from near complete specialization on native herbivores in wildlands to greater use of exotic and invasive species by cougars in contemporary urban interfaces. We show that 25 years ago, cougars inhabiting these same urban interfaces possessed diets that were intermediate. Thus, niche expansion followed human expansion over both time and space, indicating that an important top predator is interacting with prey in novel ways. Thus, though human-dominated landscapes can provide sufficient resources for apex carnivores, they do not necessarily preserve their ecological relationships.

APEX calibration facility: status and first commissioning results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhr, Birgit; Fries, Jochen; Gege, Peter; Schwarzer, Horst

2006-09-01

The paper presents the current status of the operational calibration facility that can be used for radiometric, spectral and geometric on-ground characterisation and calibration of imaging spectrometers. The European Space Agency (ESA) co-funded this establishment at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen within the framework of the hyper-spectral imaging spectrometer Airborne Prism Experiment (APEX). It was designed to fulfil the requirements for calibration of APEX, but can also be used for other imaging spectrometers. A description of the hardware set-up of the optical bench will be given. Signals from two sides can alternatively be sent to the hyper-spectral sensor under investigation. Frome one side the spatial calibration will be done by using an off-axis collimator and six slits of different width and orientation to measure the line spread function (LSF) in flight direction as well as across flight direction. From the other side the spectral calibration will be performed. A monochromator provides radiation in a range from 380 nm to 13 μm with a bandwidth between 0.1 nm in the visible and 5 nm in the thermal infrared. For the relative radiometric calibration a large integrating sphere of 1.65 m diameter and exit port size of 55 cm × 40 cm is used. The absolute radiometric calibration will be done using a small integrating sphere with 50 cm diameter that is regularly calibrated according to national standards. This paper describes the hardware components and their accuracy, and it presents the software interface for automation of the measurements.

Development and evaluation of the bacterial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model.

PubMed

Hong, Eun-Mi; Park, Yongeun; Muirhead, Richard; Jeong, Jaehak; Pachepsky, Yakov A

2018-02-15

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a watershed-scale water quality model that includes detailed representation of agricultural management. The objective of this work was to develop a process-based model for simulating the fate and transport of manure-borne bacteria on land and in streams with the APEX model. The bacteria model utilizes manure erosion rates to estimate the amount of edge-of-field bacteria export. Bacteria survival in manure is simulated as a two-stage process separately for each manure application event. In-stream microbial fate and transport processes include bacteria release from streambeds due to sediment resuspension during high flow events, active release from the streambed sediment during low flow periods, bacteria settling with sediment, and survival. Default parameter values were selected from published databases and evaluated based on field observations. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate fate and transport of the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli in the Toenepi watershed, New Zealand that was monitored for seven years. The stream network of the watershed ran through grazing lands with daily bovine waste deposition. Results show that the APEX with the bacteria module reproduced well the monitored pattern of E. coli concentrations at the watershed outlet. The APEX with the microbial fate and transport module will be utilized for predicting microbial quality of water as affected by various agricultural practices, evaluating monitoring protocols, and supporting the selection of management practices based on regulations that rely on fecal indicator bacteria concentrations. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Recombinant Amelogenin Protein Induces Apical Closure and Pulp Regeneration in Open-apex, Non-vital Permanent Canine Teeth

PubMed Central

Mounir, Maha M.F.; Matar, Moustafa A.; Lei, Yaping; Snead, Malcolm L.

2015-01-01

Introduction Recombinant DNA produced amelogenin protein was compared to calcium hydroxide in a study of immature apex closure conducted in 24 young mongrel dogs. Methods Root canals of maxillary and mandibular right premolars (n = 240) were instrumented and left open for 14 days. Canals were cleansed, irrigated and split equally for treatment with recombinant mouse amelogenin (n = 120) or calcium hydroxide (n = 120). Results After 1, 3, and 6 months, the animals were sacrificed and the treated teeth recovered for histological assessment and immunodetection of protein markers associated with odontogenic cells. After 1 month, amelogenin-treated canals revealed calcified tissue formed at the apical foramen and a pulp chamber containing soft connective tissue and hard tissue; amelogenin-treated canals assessed after 3 and 6 month intervals further included apical tissue functionally attached to bone by a periodontal ligament. In contrast, calcified apical tissue was poorly formed in the calcium hydroxide group and soft connective tissue within the pulp chamber was not observed. Conclusions The findings from this experimental strategy suggest recombinant amelogenin protein can signal cells to enhance apex formation in non-vital immature teeth and promote soft connective tissue regeneration. PMID:26709200

Curve Modulation and Apex Migration Using Shilla Growth Guidance Rods for Early-onset Scoliosis at 5-Year Follow-up.

PubMed

Wilkinson, John T; Songy, Chad E; Bumpass, David B; McCullough, Francis L; McCarthy, Richard E

2017-04-03

The Shilla procedure was designed to correct and control early-onset spinal deformity while harnessing a child's remaining spinal growth. It allows for controlled axial skeletal growth within the construct, avoiding the need for frequent surgeries to lengthen implants. We hypothesized that curve characteristics evolve over time after initial apex fusion and placement of the Shilla implants. The purpose of this study was to identify trends in curve evolution after Shilla implantation and understand how these changes influence ultimate outcome. A single-center, retrospective review of all patients with Shilla implants in place for ≥5 years yielded 21 patients. Charts and radiographs were reviewed to compare coronal curve characteristics preoperatively, postoperatively, and at last follow-up to note changes in the apex of the primary curve. Also noted were the development of adjacent compensatory curves, the overall vertical spinal growth, and the need for definitive spinal fusion once skeletal maturity was reached. Of the 21 patients, the curve apex migrated caudally in 12 patients (57%) and cephalad in 1 patient (5%), with a mean migration of 2.7 vertebral levels. Two patients (10%) developed new, significant compensatory curves (1 caudal and 1 cephalad). All patients demonstrated spinal growth in T1-S1 length following index surgery (mean, 45 mm). At skeletal maturity, 10 patients underwent definitive posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation, and 3 underwent implant removal alone. This study constitutes the longest follow-up of Shilla patients evaluating curve and implant behavior. Results of this review suggest that the apex of the fused primary curve shifts in approximately 62% of patients, with nearly all of these (92%) involving a distal migration. Compensatory curves did develop after Shilla placement as well. Overall, these findings represent adding-on distal to the apex after Shilla instrumentation rather than a crankshaft phenomenon about the apex. A

Efficacy and safety of the adjustable gastric band - pooled interim analysis of the APEX and HERO studies at 48 weeks.

PubMed

Ponce, Jaime; Taheri, Shahrad; Lusco, Vincent; Cornell, Christopher; Ng-Mak, Daisy S; Shi, Rui; Okerson, Ted

2014-05-01

This 48 week combined analysis reports safety and clinical effectiveness of the LAP-BAND AP * laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) in severely obese patients enrolled in the 5 year, prospective, observational, open-label APEX (NCT00501085) and HERO (NCT00953173) studies. The studies enrolled 1620 patients (APEX: N = 514; HERO: N = 1106), 1140 patients in the US (including all APEX patients), and 480 patients in the European Union (EU), Canada or Australia. APEX and HERO are non-randomized, non-comparator, open-label studies with differences in study management practices and follow-up. Notably, laboratory data were not collected during the APEX study. After 48 weeks, mean (SD) percentage weight loss (%WL) was for APEX: 18.7% (7.9); HERO-US: 17.9% (8.5); HERO-EU: 16.5% (10.3); HERO-Canada: 13.4% (8.9); and HERO-Australia: 12.3% (6.9). After 48 weeks, there were no significant differences in %WL for APEX vs. HERO-US. After 48 weeks in the combined analysis (APEX + HERO): (1) patients without vs. with type 2 diabetes at baseline had greater %WL (18% [8.7] vs. 16% [8.5], p = 0.002); (2) female patients had greater %WL vs. male patients (17.9% [8.5] vs. 15.9% [9.3], p = 0.003); (3) younger patients had greater %WL vs. older patients (<50 years: 17.8% [8.7] vs. ≥50 years: 16.7% [8.6], p = 0.035); (4) baseline BMI did not affect %WL (≤35 to ≤45 kg/m(2): 17.7% [8.4] vs. >45 kg/m(2): 17.1% [9.1], p = 0.272). Device-related serious adverse events and adverse events were reported in 1.9% and 17.7% of patients, respectively. Revision and explantation surgeries were carried out on 3.4% and 2.3% of patients, respectively during the 48 weeks of follow-up. This analysis demonstrates the effective weight loss and safety profile of the current LAGB system, with US patients achieving better weight loss than patients from outside the US.

Quantitative Method of Measuring Metastatic Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

The metastatic potential of tumors can be evaluated by the quantitative detection of urokinase and DNA. The cell sample selected for examination is analyzed for the presence of high levels of urokinase and abnormal DNA using analytical flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Other factors such as membrane associated uroldnase, increased DNA synthesis rates and certain receptors can be used in the method for detection of potentially invasive tumors.

76 FR 12845 - Airworthiness Directives; APEX Aircraft Model CAP 10 B Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... Airworthiness Directives; APEX Aircraft Model CAP 10 B Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA... CAP 10C, in which the pilot lost control of the aeroplane. The following investigation has revealed... a CAP 10C, in which the pilot lost control of the aeroplane. The following investigation has...

General Dental Practitioners’ Concept towards Using Radiography and Apex-Locators in Endodontics

PubMed Central

Raoof, Maryam; Heidaripour, Maryam; Shahravan, Arash; Haghani, Jahangir; Afkham, Arash; Razifar, Mahsa; Mohammadizadeh, Sakineh

2014-01-01

Introduction: Despite being the gold standard as well as a routine technique in endodontics, radiographic working length (WL) determination owns many drawbacks. Electronic apex-locators (EALs) are recommended to complement radiographies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of Iranian general dental practitioners (GDPs) towards using radiography and EAL. Methods and Materials: Three hundred and ninety one GDPs attending the 53th Iranian Dental Association Congress completed a questionnaire focusing on the use of radiography and EALs during the various stages of root canal treatment. The data was analyzed with the chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. The results were then calculated as frequencies and percentages. Results: More than half of the GDPs reported using radiographs as the sole method for WL determination. A total of 30.4% of the practitioners were using the combined approach during root canal therapy of a single-rooted tooth, while 38.9% used this method in multi-rooted teeth. Approximately half of the respondents would not order follow-up radiographies after root canal treatment. Conclusion: Radiography continues to be the most common method for WL determination in Iran. PMID:25386209

Hypercarnivorous apex predator could provide ecosystem services by dispersing seeds

PubMed Central

Sarasola, José Hernán; Zanón-Martínez, Juan Ignacio; Costán, Andrea Silvina; Ripple, William J.

2016-01-01

Large “hypercarnivorous” felids are recognized for their role as apex predators and hence as key elements in food webs and ecosystem functioning through competition and depredation. Here we show that cougars (Puma concolor), one of the largest and the most widely ranging apex felid predators with a strictly carnivorous diet, could also be effective secondary long distance seed dispersers, potentially establishing direct and non-herbivore mediated interactions with plant species at the bottom of the food web. Cougars accidently ingest and disseminate large amounts of seeds (31,678 seeds in 123 scats) of plant species initially consumed by their main prey, the Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata. The germination potential of seeds for the three plant species most abundantly found in cougar scats (19,570 seeds) was not significantly different from that observed in seeds obtained from dove gizzards, indicating that seed passage through cougar guts did not affect seed germination. Considering the estimated cougar density in our study area, dispersal of seeds by cougars could allow a mean, annual seed spread of ~5,000 seeds per km2. Our results demonstrate that strictly carnivorous, felid predators could have broad and overlooked ecological functions related to ecosystem structuring and functioning. PMID:26791932

Methodological reporting in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods health services research articles.

PubMed

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Cavaleri, Mary A; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J; Green, Carla A

2012-04-01

Methodologically sound mixed methods research can improve our understanding of health services by providing a more comprehensive picture of health services than either method can alone. This study describes the frequency of mixed methods in published health services research and compares the presence of methodological components indicative of rigorous approaches across mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative articles. All empirical articles (n = 1,651) published between 2003 and 2007 from four top-ranked health services journals. All mixed methods articles (n = 47) and random samples of qualitative and quantitative articles were evaluated to identify reporting of key components indicating rigor for each method, based on accepted standards for evaluating the quality of research reports (e.g., use of p-values in quantitative reports, description of context in qualitative reports, and integration in mixed method reports). We used chi-square tests to evaluate differences between article types for each component. Mixed methods articles comprised 2.85 percent (n = 47) of empirical articles, quantitative articles 90.98 percent (n = 1,502), and qualitative articles 6.18 percent (n = 102). There was a statistically significant difference (χ(2) (1) = 12.20, p = .0005, Cramer's V = 0.09, odds ratio = 1.49 [95% confidence interval = 1,27, 1.74]) in the proportion of quantitative methodological components present in mixed methods compared to quantitative papers (21.94 versus 47.07 percent, respectively) but no statistically significant difference (χ(2) (1) = 0.02, p = .89, Cramer's V = 0.01) in the proportion of qualitative methodological components in mixed methods compared to qualitative papers (21.34 versus 25.47 percent, respectively). Few published health services research articles use mixed methods. The frequency of key methodological components is variable. Suggestions are provided to increase the transparency of mixed methods studies and

Growth plate closure: Apex view on bone scan

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

Giles, P.H.; Trochei, M.; Yeates, K.

1984-01-01

Angular deformities of the extremities in children following premature closure of the growth plate are well known. The deformities depend on the position of an osseus bridge which forms between the epiphysis and metaphysis. Several surgical procedures including resection of the osseus bridge have been described, however, delineation of the site of fusion is difficult to define. The commonest site of growth plate arrest is the distal femoral or proximal tibial growth plate. A new technique using the bone scan has been developed which accurately defines the area and position of these osseus bridges. Two hours after injection of technetiummore » 99m methylene diphosphonate apex views of the affected distal femoral growth plate were performed. The knee was flexed into its smallest angle. Using a pinhole collimator the gamma camera was angled to face the affected growth plate end on. The image was collected onto computer and analysed by: (I) regions of interest over segments of the growth plate to calculate the relative area of total growth plate affected: (II) generating histograms: (III) thresholding or performing isocontours to accentuate abnormal areas. The growth plate is normally uniformly increased when compared to the normal shaft of the bone. Fusion across the plate appears as an area of diminished uptake. The apex view gives a unique functional map of the growth plate such that abnormal areas are displayed, and the site, size and position of osseus fusion obtained. The technique has the potential for determining the metabolic activity of the growth plate before and after surgery. Serial studies will allow assessment of regneration of the plate and reformation of new osseus bridges.« less

Functional Polymorphisms of Base Excision Repair Genes XRCC1 and APEX1 Predict Risk of Radiation Pneumonitis in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Definitive Radiation Therapy

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

Yin Ming; Liao Zhongxing; Liu Zhensheng

2011-11-01

Purpose: To explore whether functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of base-excision repair genes are predictors of radiation treatment-related pneumonitis (RP), we investigated associations between functional SNPs of ADPRT, APEX1, and XRCC1 and RP development. Methods and Materials: We genotyped SNPs of ADPRT (rs1136410 [V762A]), XRCC1 (rs1799782 [R194W], rs25489 [R280H], and rs25487 [Q399R]), and APEX1 (rs1130409 [D148E]) in 165 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received definitive chemoradiation therapy. Results were assessed by both Logistic and Cox regression models for RP risk. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for the cumulative RP probability by the genotypes. Results: We found that SNPsmore » of XRCC1 Q399R and APEX1 D148E each had a significant effect on the development of Grade {>=}2 RP (XRCC1: AA vs. GG, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.97; APEX1: GG vs. TT, adjusted HR = 3.61, 95% CI, 1.64-7.93) in an allele-dose response manner (Trend tests: p = 0.040 and 0.001, respectively). The number of the combined protective XRCC1 A and APEX1 T alleles (from 0 to 4) also showed a significant trend of predicting RP risk (p = 0.001). Conclusions: SNPs of the base-excision repair genes may be biomarkers for susceptibility to RP. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.« less

APEX model simulation of edge-of-field water quality benefits from upland buffers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

For maximum usefulness, simulation models must be able to estimate the effectiveness of management practices not represented in the dataset used for model calibration. This study focuses on the ability of the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) to simulate upland buffer effectiveness f...

Apex simulation: environmental benefits of agroforestry and grass buffers for corn-soybean watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model is used to simulate the effects of vegetative filter strips on runoff and pollutant loadings from agricultural watersheds. A long-term paired watershed study under corn (Zea mays L-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation with agroforestr...

State of science of phosphorus modeling in tile drained agricultural systems using APEX

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phosphorus losses through tile drained systems in agricultural landscapes may be causing the persistent eutrophication problems observed in surface water. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the state of the science in the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model related to surf...

Estimating plant available water for general crop simulations in ALMANAC/APEX/EPIC/SWAT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Process-based simulation models ALMANAC/APEX/EPIC/SWAT contain generalized plant growth subroutines to predict biomass and crop yield. Environmental constraints typically restrict plant growth and yield. Water stress is often an important limiting factor; it is calculated as the sum of water use f...

Industrial ecology: Quantitative methods for exploring a lower carbon future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Valerie M.

2015-03-01

Quantitative methods for environmental and cost analyses of energy, industrial, and infrastructure systems are briefly introduced and surveyed, with the aim of encouraging broader utilization and development of quantitative methods in sustainable energy research. Material and energy flow analyses can provide an overall system overview. The methods of engineering economics and cost benefit analysis, such as net present values, are the most straightforward approach for evaluating investment options, with the levelized cost of energy being a widely used metric in electricity analyses. Environmental lifecycle assessment has been extensively developed, with both detailed process-based and comprehensive input-output approaches available. Optimization methods provide an opportunity to go beyond engineering economics to develop detailed least-cost or least-impact combinations of many different choices.

Intra-laboratory validation of chronic bee paralysis virus quantitation using an accredited standardised real-time quantitative RT-PCR method.

PubMed

Blanchard, Philippe; Regnault, Julie; Schurr, Frank; Dubois, Eric; Ribière, Magali

2012-03-01

Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is responsible for chronic bee paralysis, an infectious and contagious disease in adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). A real-time RT-PCR assay to quantitate the CBPV load is now available. To propose this assay as a reference method, it was characterised further in an intra-laboratory study during which the reliability and the repeatability of results and the performance of the assay were confirmed. The qPCR assay alone and the whole quantitation method (from sample RNA extraction to analysis) were both assessed following the ISO/IEC 17025 standard and the recent XP U47-600 standard issued by the French Standards Institute. The performance of the qPCR assay and of the overall CBPV quantitation method were validated over a 6 log range from 10(2) to 10(8) with a detection limit of 50 and 100 CBPV RNA copies, respectively, and the protocol of the real-time RT-qPCR assay for CBPV quantitation was approved by the French Accreditation Committee. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) Volume 21: Legal References: Air Pollution Control Regulations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Manpower Development.

The Legal References: Air Pollution Control Regulations Manual is the last in a set of 21 manuals (AA 001 009-001 029) used in APEX (Air Pollution Exercise), a computerized college and professional level "real world" game simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities, and air pollution difficulties. The manual…

A general method for bead-enhanced quantitation by flow cytometry

PubMed Central

Montes, Martin; Jaensson, Elin A.; Orozco, Aaron F.; Lewis, Dorothy E.; Corry, David B.

2009-01-01

Flow cytometry provides accurate relative cellular quantitation (percent abundance) of cells from diverse samples, but technical limitations of most flow cytometers preclude accurate absolute quantitation. Several quantitation standards are now commercially available which, when added to samples, permit absolute quantitation of CD4+ T cells. However, these reagents are limited by their cost, technical complexity, requirement for additional software and/or limited applicability. Moreover, few studies have validated the use of such reagents in complex biological samples, especially for quantitation of non-T cells. Here we show that addition to samples of known quantities of polystyrene fluorescence standardization beads permits accurate quantitation of CD4+ T cells from complex cell samples. This procedure, here termed single bead-enhanced cytofluorimetry (SBEC), was equally capable of enumerating eosinophils as well as subcellular fragments of apoptotic cells, moieties with very different optical and fluorescent characteristics. Relative to other proprietary products, SBEC is simple, inexpensive and requires no special software, suggesting that the method is suitable for the routine quantitation of most cells and other particles by flow cytometry. PMID:17067632

Quantitative evaluation methods of skin condition based on texture feature parameters.

PubMed

Pang, Hui; Chen, Tianhua; Wang, Xiaoyi; Chang, Zhineng; Shao, Siqi; Zhao, Jing

2017-03-01

In order to quantitatively evaluate the improvement of the skin condition after using skin care products and beauty, a quantitative evaluation method for skin surface state and texture is presented, which is convenient, fast and non-destructive. Human skin images were collected by image sensors. Firstly, the median filter of the 3 × 3 window is used and then the location of the hairy pixels on the skin is accurately detected according to the gray mean value and color information. The bilinear interpolation is used to modify the gray value of the hairy pixels in order to eliminate the negative effect of noise and tiny hairs on the texture. After the above pretreatment, the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) is calculated. On the basis of this, the four characteristic parameters, including the second moment, contrast, entropy and correlation, and their mean value are calculated at 45 ° intervals. The quantitative evaluation model of skin texture based on GLCM is established, which can calculate the comprehensive parameters of skin condition. Experiments show that using this method evaluates the skin condition, both based on biochemical indicators of skin evaluation methods in line, but also fully consistent with the human visual experience. This method overcomes the shortcomings of the biochemical evaluation method of skin damage and long waiting time, also the subjectivity and fuzziness of the visual evaluation, which achieves the non-destructive, rapid and quantitative evaluation of skin condition. It can be used for health assessment or classification of the skin condition, also can quantitatively evaluate the subtle improvement of skin condition after using skin care products or stage beauty.

Blending quantitative and qualitative methods in language research and intervention.

PubMed

Brinton, Bonnie; Fujiki, Martin

2003-05-01

Best practice in speech-language pathology should be informed by current research findings. Traditional research methods are not always geared to address some of the complex, individual questions that arise in clinical intervention, however. Qualitative research methods may provide useful tools for bridging the gap from research to practice. Combinations of qualitative and quantitative procedures may be particularly helpful in sorting out some of the important issues surrounding language intervention in both clinical and research contexts. Examples of research blending qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as the case study of Sid, an 11-year-old boy with specific language impairment, are presented to illustrate how a combination of procedures can be used to enhance language research and intervention.

Quantitative imaging biomarkers: a review of statistical methods for technical performance assessment.

PubMed

Raunig, David L; McShane, Lisa M; Pennello, Gene; Gatsonis, Constantine; Carson, Paul L; Voyvodic, James T; Wahl, Richard L; Kurland, Brenda F; Schwarz, Adam J; Gönen, Mithat; Zahlmann, Gudrun; Kondratovich, Marina V; O'Donnell, Kevin; Petrick, Nicholas; Cole, Patricia E; Garra, Brian; Sullivan, Daniel C

2015-02-01

Technological developments and greater rigor in the quantitative measurement of biological features in medical images have given rise to an increased interest in using quantitative imaging biomarkers to measure changes in these features. Critical to the performance of a quantitative imaging biomarker in preclinical or clinical settings are three primary metrology areas of interest: measurement linearity and bias, repeatability, and the ability to consistently reproduce equivalent results when conditions change, as would be expected in any clinical trial. Unfortunately, performance studies to date differ greatly in designs, analysis method, and metrics used to assess a quantitative imaging biomarker for clinical use. It is therefore difficult or not possible to integrate results from different studies or to use reported results to design studies. The Radiological Society of North America and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance with technical, radiological, and statistical experts developed a set of technical performance analysis methods, metrics, and study designs that provide terminology, metrics, and methods consistent with widely accepted metrological standards. This document provides a consistent framework for the conduct and evaluation of quantitative imaging biomarker performance studies so that results from multiple studies can be compared, contrasted, or combined. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

A quantitative method for evaluating alternatives. [aid to decision making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forthofer, M. J.

1981-01-01

When faced with choosing between alternatives, people tend to use a number of criteria (often subjective, rather than objective) to decide which is the best alternative for them given their unique situation. The subjectivity inherent in the decision-making process can be reduced by the definition and use of a quantitative method for evaluating alternatives. This type of method can help decision makers achieve degree of uniformity and completeness in the evaluation process, as well as an increased sensitivity to the factors involved. Additional side-effects are better documentation and visibility of the rationale behind the resulting decisions. General guidelines for defining a quantitative method are presented and a particular method (called 'hierarchical weighted average') is defined and applied to the evaluation of design alternatives for a hypothetical computer system capability.

Quantitative methods in assessment of neurologic function.

PubMed

Potvin, A R; Tourtellotte, W W; Syndulko, K; Potvin, J

1981-01-01

Traditionally, neurologists have emphasized qualitative techniques for assessing results of clinical trials. However, in recent years qualitative evaluations have been increasingly augmented by quantitative tests for measuring neurologic functions pertaining to mental state, strength, steadiness, reactions, speed, coordination, sensation, fatigue, gait, station, and simulated activities of daily living. Quantitative tests have long been used by psychologists for evaluating asymptomatic function, assessing human information processing, and predicting proficiency in skilled tasks; however, their methodology has never been directly assessed for validity in a clinical environment. In this report, relevant contributions from the literature on asymptomatic human performance and that on clinical quantitative neurologic function are reviewed and assessed. While emphasis is focused on tests appropriate for evaluating clinical neurologic trials, evaluations of tests for reproducibility, reliability, validity, and examiner training procedures, and for effects of motivation, learning, handedness, age, and sex are also reported and interpreted. Examples of statistical strategies for data analysis, scoring systems, data reduction methods, and data display concepts are presented. Although investigative work still remains to be done, it appears that carefully selected and evaluated tests of sensory and motor function should be an essential factor for evaluating clinical trials in an objective manner.

Development of partially fluorinated resin apex seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, H. E.; Chang, G. E. C.; Powell, S. H.; Yates, K.

1984-01-01

Partially fluorinated polyimides were prepared and molded in the form of discs and pins for test as potential apex seal materials for advanced rotary combustion engines. The polyimides were formulated from the diamine 2,2-bis 4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl hexafluoropropane (4-BDAF) and the dianhydrides of pyromellitic acid (PMDA) and benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid (BTDA). Tribological testing was performed at sliding speeds of 0.31 to 11.6 m/s and at temperatures of from 298K to 573K. It is shown that the carbon fiber filled polyimides, particularly the 80/20 compositions, have an excellent balance of wear/friction at 573K. The unfilled, 80/20 and 60/40 compositions indicate an unusual combination of high friction and low wear which may be advantageous in such applications as brakes and traction drives.

Theoretical Study of tip apex electronic structure in Scanning Tunneling Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Heesung; Huang, Min; Randall, John; Cho, Kyeongjae

2011-03-01

Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) has been widely used to explore diverse surface properties with an atomic resolution, and STM tip has played a critical role in controlling surface structures. However, detailed information of atomic and electronic structure of STM tip and the fundamental understanding of STM images are still incomplete. Therefore, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of the electronic structure of STM tip. We have studied the atomic and electronic structures of STM tip with various transition metals (TMs) by DFT method. The d-electrons of TM tip apex atoms show different orbital states near the Fermi level. We will present comprehensive data of STM tips from our DFT calculation. Verified quantification of the tip electronic structures will lead to fundamental understanding of STM tip structure-property relationship. This work is supported by the DARPA TBN Program and the Texas ETF. DARPA Tip Based Nanofabrication Program and the Emerging Technology Fund of the State of Texas.

Analysis of Apex Seal Friction Power Loss in Rotary Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert F.; Owen, A. Karl

2010-01-01

An analysis of the frictional losses from the apex seals in a rotary engine was developed. The modeling was initiated with a kinematic analysis of the rotary engine. Next a modern internal combustion engine analysis code was altered for use in a rotary engine to allow the calculation of the internal combustion pressure as a function of rotor rotation. Finally the forces from the spring, inertial, and combustion pressure on the seal were combined to provide the frictional horsepower assessment.

The electrical network of maize root apex is gravity dependent.

PubMed

Masi, Elisa; Ciszak, Marzena; Comparini, Diego; Monetti, Emanuela; Pandolfi, Camilla; Azzarello, Elisa; Mugnai, Sergio; Baluška, Frantisek; Mancuso, Stefano

2015-01-15

Investigations carried out on maize roots under microgravity and hypergravity revealed that gravity conditions have strong effects on the network of plant electrical activity. Both the duration of action potentials (APs) and their propagation velocities were significantly affected by gravity. Similarly to what was reported for animals, increased gravity forces speed-up APs and enhance synchronized electrical events also in plants. The root apex transition zone emerges as the most active, as well as the most sensitive, root region in this respect.

Removal of an apex predator initiates a trophic cascade that extends from herbivores to vegetation and the soil nutrient pool

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

It is widely assumed that organisms at low trophic levels, particularly microbes and plants, are essential to basic services in ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling. In theory, apex predators' effects on ecosystems could extend to nutrient cycling and the soil nutrient pool by influencing the intensity and spatial organization of herbivory. Here, we take advantage of a long-term manipulation of dingo abundance across Australia's dingo-proof fence in the Strzelecki Desert to investigate the effects that removal of an apex predator has on herbivore abundance, vegetation and the soil nutrient pool. Results showed that kangaroos were more abundant where dingoes were rare, and effects of kangaroo exclusion on vegetation, and total carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus in the soil were marked where dingoes were rare, but negligible where dingoes were common. By showing that a trophic cascade resulting from an apex predator's lethal effects on herbivores extends to the soil nutrient pool, we demonstrate a hitherto unappreciated pathway via which predators can influence nutrient dynamics. A key implication of our study is the vast spatial scale across which apex predators' effects on herbivore populations operate and, in turn, effects on the soil nutrient pool and ecosystem productivity could become manifest. PMID:28490624

Improved method and apparatus for chromatographic quantitative analysis

DOEpatents

Fritz, J.S.; Gjerde, D.T.; Schmuckler, G.

An improved apparatus and method are described for the quantitative analysis of a solution containing a plurality of anion species by ion exchange chromatography which utilizes a single element and a single ion exchange bed which does not require periodic regeneration. The solution containing the anions is added to an anion exchange resin bed which is a low capacity macroreticular polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin containing quarternary ammonium functional groups, and is eluted therefrom with a dilute solution of a low electrical conductance organic acid salt. As each anion species is eluted from the bed, it is quantitatively sensed by conventional detection means such as a conductivity cell.

Determining the Biogenicity of Microfossils in the Apex Chert, Western Australia, Using Transmission Electron Microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeGregorio, B. T.; Sharp, T. G.

2003-01-01

For over a decade, the oldest evidence for life on this planet has been microfossils in the 3.5 Ga Apex Chert in Western Australia. Recently, the biogenicity of these carbon-rich structures has been called into question through reanalysis of the local geology and reinterpretation of the original thin sections. Although initially described as a stratiform, bedded chert of siliceous clasts, the unit is now thought to be a brecciated hydrothermal vein chert. The high temperatures of a hydrothermal environment would probably have detrimental effects to early non-hyperthermophilic life, compared to that of a shallow sea. Conversely, a hydrothermal origin would suggest that if the microfossils were valid, they might have been hyperthermophilic. Apex Chert controversy. The Apex Chert microfossils were originally described as septate filaments composed of kerogen similar in morphology to Proterozoic and modern cyanobacteria. However new thin section analysis shows that these carbonaceous structures are not simple filaments. Many of the original microfossils are branched and have variable thickness when the plane of focus is changed. Hydrothermal alteration of organic remains has also been suggested for the creation of these strange morphologies. Another point of contention lies with the nature of the carbon material in these proposed microfossils. Kerogen is structurally amorphous, but transforms into well-ordered graphite under high pressures and temperatures. Raman spectrometry of the carbonaceous material in the proposed microfossils has been interpreted both as partially graphitized kerogen and amorphous graphite. However, these results are inconclusive, since Raman spectrometry cannot adequately discriminate between kerogen and disordered graphite. There are also opposing views for the origin of the carbon in the Apex Chert. The carbon would be biogenic if the proposed microfossils are indeed the remains of former living organisms. However, an inorganic Fischer

Pyramidal space frame and associated methods

DOEpatents

Clark, Ryan Michael; White, David; Farr, Jr, Adrian Lawrence

2016-07-19

A space frame having a high torsional strength comprising a first square bipyramid and two planar structures extending outward from an apex of the first square bipyramid to form a "V" shape is disclosed. Some embodiments comprise a plurality of edge-sharing square bipyramids configured linearly, where the two planar structures contact apexes of all the square bipyramids. A plurality of bridging struts, apex struts, corner struts and optional internal bracing struts increase the strength and rigidity of the space frame. In an embodiment, the space frame supports a solar reflector, such as a parabolic solar reflector. Methods of fabricating and using the space frames are also disclosed.

APEX (Aqueous Photochemistry of Environmentally occurring Xenobiotics): a free software tool to predict the kinetics of photochemical processes in surface waters.

PubMed

Bodrato, Marco; Vione, Davide

2014-04-01

The APEX software predicts the photochemical transformation kinetics of xenobiotics in surface waters as a function of: photoreactivity parameters (direct photolysis quantum yield and second-order reaction rate constants with transient species, namely ˙OH, CO₃(-)˙, (1)O₂ and the triplet states of chromophoric dissolved organic matter, (3)CDOM*), water chemistry (nitrate, nitrite, bicarbonate, carbonate, bromide and dissolved organic carbon, DOC), and water depth (more specifically, the optical path length of sunlight in water). It applies to well-mixed surface water layers, including the epilimnion of stratified lakes, and the output data are average values over the considered water column. Based on intermediate formation yields from the parent compound via the different photochemical pathways, the software can also predict intermediate formation kinetics and overall yield. APEX is based on a photochemical model that has been validated against available field data of pollutant phototransformation, with good agreement between model predictions and field results. The APEX software makes allowance for different levels of knowledge of a photochemical system. For instance, the absorption spectrum of surface water can be used if known, or otherwise it can be modelled from the values of DOC. Also the direct photolysis quantum yield can be entered as a detailed wavelength trend, as a single value (constant or average), or it can be defined as a variable if unknown. APEX is based on the free software Octave. Additional applications are provided within APEX to assess the σ-level uncertainty of the results and the seasonal trend of photochemical processes.

Apex-to-Cupola Distance Following VATS Predicts Recurrence in Patients With Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

PubMed Central

Chang, Jia-Ming; Lai, Wu-Wei; Yen, Yi-Ting; Tseng, Yau-Lin; Chen, Ying-Yuan; Wu, Ming-Ho; Chen, Wei; Light, Richard W.

2015-01-01

Abstract Our study sought to determine whether the size of the residual apical pleural space in young patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is associated with the risk of recurrence. We retrospectively reviewed patients (≤30 years’ old) with primary spontaneous pneumothorax following thoracoscopic surgery (2002–2010) in a university-affiliated hospital. The size of residual apical pleural space was estimated by measuring the apex-to-cupola distance on a postoperative chest radiograph at 2 time windows: first between postoperative day (POD) 0 and 3, and second between POD 4 and 14. A total of 149 patients were enrolled with a median follow-up of 11.2 months (interquartile range, 0.95–29.5 months), of whom 141 (94.6%) were male with a mean age of 20 years. The postoperative recurrence rate was 11.4%. Comparing the characteristics between the patients with and without recurrent pneumothorax, the patients with recurrence were younger (18.2 + 2.4 vs 20.7 + 3.7 years, P = 0.008), with a lower rate of pleurodesis (35% vs1 69%, P = 0.037), longer apex-to-cupola distance at POD 0 to 3 (22.41 ± 19.56 vs 10.07 ± 10.83 mm, P < 0.001) and POD 4 to 14 (11.82 ± 9.75 vs 5.54 ± 8.38 mm, P = 0.005) than the patients without recurrence. In a multivariate logistic regression model for recurrent pneumothorax, age <18 years (P = 0.026, odds ratio [OR]: 4.694), apex-to-cupola distance at POD 0 to 3 >10 mm (P = 0.027, OR: 5.319), and no pleurodesis during VATS (P = 0.022, OR: 5.042) were independent risk factors for recurrent pneumothorax. The recurrence rate was not low (11.4%) in young patients with PSP following VATS. Residual apical pleural space with apex-to-cupola distance of 10 mm or greater at POD 0 to 3, younger age, and no pleurodesis would increase postoperative recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. PMID:26376396

APEX-CAMBIUM: A Case Study in Advantages and Challenges of International Cooperation for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, David; Buckley, Nicole

2008-01-01

It is generally agreed that space science benefits from an international collaboration. There are different mechanisms to make this happen but to recognize opportunities requires a keen awareness of the activities, people and respective strengths. Apex- Cambium is a joint Canadian Space Agency (CSA)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiative. It was made possible in large part through the good relations and shared willingness to meet a common objective, that of doing exciting science in space. The actual mechanics of bringing an international project together can be divided into two perspectives: programmatic and implementation. The programmatic component includes recognizing complementarities, bringing science together, and the need to have Agencies approve and accept joint responsibility for the mission. The implementation component involves working to define science requirements, available resources and assigning individual responsibilities while keeping the overall success criteria as a collective objective. The APEX-CAMB11.JM mission will be described from the point of view of both CSA and NASA. Suggestions on how to facilitate these types of initiatives will be provided and highlights of the APEX-Cambium collaboration will be provided.

Impact of APEX parameterization and soil data on runoff, sediment, and nutrients transport assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrological models have become essential tools for environmental assessments. This study’s objective was to evaluate a best professional judgment (BPJ) parameterization of the Agricultural Policy and Environmental eXtender (APEX) model with soil-survey data against the calibrated model with either ...

Indirect scaling methods for testing quantitative emotion theories.

PubMed

Junge, Martin; Reisenzein, Rainer

2013-01-01

Two studies investigated the utility of indirect scaling methods, based on graded pair comparisons, for the testing of quantitative emotion theories. In Study 1, we measured the intensity of relief and disappointment caused by lottery outcomes, and in Study 2, the intensity of disgust evoked by pictures, using both direct intensity ratings and graded pair comparisons. The stimuli were systematically constructed to reflect variables expected to influence the intensity of the emotions according to theoretical models of relief/disappointment and disgust, respectively. Two probabilistic scaling methods were used to estimate scale values from the pair comparison judgements: Additive functional measurement (AFM) and maximum likelihood difference scaling (MLDS). The emotion models were fitted to the direct and indirect intensity measurements using nonlinear regression (Study 1) and analysis of variance (Study 2). Both studies found substantially improved fits of the emotion models for the indirectly determined emotion intensities, with their advantage being evident particularly at the level of individual participants. The results suggest that indirect scaling methods yield more precise measurements of emotion intensity than rating scales and thereby provide stronger tests of emotion theories in general and quantitative emotion theories in particular.

A thioacidolysis method tailored for higher‐throughput quantitative analysis of lignin monomers

PubMed Central

Foster, Cliff; Happs, Renee M.; Doeppke, Crissa; Meunier, Kristoffer; Gehan, Jackson; Yue, Fengxia; Lu, Fachuang; Davis, Mark F.

2016-01-01

Abstract Thioacidolysis is a method used to measure the relative content of lignin monomers bound by β‐O‐4 linkages. Current thioacidolysis methods are low‐throughput as they require tedious steps for reaction product concentration prior to analysis using standard GC methods. A quantitative thioacidolysis method that is accessible with general laboratory equipment and uses a non‐chlorinated organic solvent and is tailored for higher‐throughput analysis is reported. The method utilizes lignin arylglycerol monomer standards for calibration, requires 1–2 mg of biomass per assay and has been quantified using fast‐GC techniques including a Low Thermal Mass Modular Accelerated Column Heater (LTM MACH). Cumbersome steps, including standard purification, sample concentrating and drying have been eliminated to help aid in consecutive day‐to‐day analyses needed to sustain a high sample throughput for large screening experiments without the loss of quantitation accuracy. The method reported in this manuscript has been quantitatively validated against a commonly used thioacidolysis method and across two different research sites with three common biomass varieties to represent hardwoods, softwoods, and grasses. PMID:27534715

A thioacidolysis method tailored for higher-throughput quantitative analysis of lignin monomers

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

Harman-Ware, Anne E.; Foster, Cliff; Happs, Renee M.

Thioacidolysis is a method used to measure the relative content of lignin monomers bound by β-O-4 linkages. Current thioacidolysis methods are low-throughput as they require tedious steps for reaction product concentration prior to analysis using standard GC methods. A quantitative thioacidolysis method that is accessible with general laboratory equipment and uses a non-chlorinated organic solvent and is tailored for higher-throughput analysis is reported. The method utilizes lignin arylglycerol monomer standards for calibration, requires 1-2 mg of biomass per assay and has been quantified using fast-GC techniques including a Low Thermal Mass Modular Accelerated Column Heater (LTM MACH). Cumbersome steps, includingmore » standard purification, sample concentrating and drying have been eliminated to help aid in consecutive day-to-day analyses needed to sustain a high sample throughput for large screening experiments without the loss of quantitation accuracy. As a result, the method reported in this manuscript has been quantitatively validated against a commonly used thioacidolysis method and across two different research sites with three common biomass varieties to represent hardwoods, softwoods, and grasses.« less

A thioacidolysis method tailored for higher-throughput quantitative analysis of lignin monomers

DOE PAGES

Harman-Ware, Anne E.; Foster, Cliff; Happs, Renee M.; ...

2016-09-14

Thioacidolysis is a method used to measure the relative content of lignin monomers bound by β-O-4 linkages. Current thioacidolysis methods are low-throughput as they require tedious steps for reaction product concentration prior to analysis using standard GC methods. A quantitative thioacidolysis method that is accessible with general laboratory equipment and uses a non-chlorinated organic solvent and is tailored for higher-throughput analysis is reported. The method utilizes lignin arylglycerol monomer standards for calibration, requires 1-2 mg of biomass per assay and has been quantified using fast-GC techniques including a Low Thermal Mass Modular Accelerated Column Heater (LTM MACH). Cumbersome steps, includingmore » standard purification, sample concentrating and drying have been eliminated to help aid in consecutive day-to-day analyses needed to sustain a high sample throughput for large screening experiments without the loss of quantitation accuracy. As a result, the method reported in this manuscript has been quantitatively validated against a commonly used thioacidolysis method and across two different research sites with three common biomass varieties to represent hardwoods, softwoods, and grasses.« less

Iterative optimization method for design of quantitative magnetization transfer imaging experiments.

PubMed

Levesque, Ives R; Sled, John G; Pike, G Bruce

2011-09-01

Quantitative magnetization transfer imaging (QMTI) using spoiled gradient echo sequences with pulsed off-resonance saturation can be a time-consuming technique. A method is presented for selection of an optimum experimental design for quantitative magnetization transfer imaging based on the iterative reduction of a discrete sampling of the Z-spectrum. The applicability of the technique is demonstrated for human brain white matter imaging at 1.5 T and 3 T, and optimal designs are produced to target specific model parameters. The optimal number of measurements and the signal-to-noise ratio required for stable parameter estimation are also investigated. In vivo imaging results demonstrate that this optimal design approach substantially improves parameter map quality. The iterative method presented here provides an advantage over free form optimal design methods, in that pragmatic design constraints are readily incorporated. In particular, the presented method avoids clustering and repeated measures in the final experimental design, an attractive feature for the purpose of magnetization transfer model validation. The iterative optimal design technique is general and can be applied to any method of quantitative magnetization transfer imaging. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Modeling salt movement and halophytic crop growth on marginal lands with the APEX model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, N.; Saito, L.; Verburg, P.; Jeong, J.; Garrett, A.

2016-12-01

Saline soils negatively impact crop productivity in nearly 20% of irrigated agricultural lands worldwide. At these saline sites, cultivation of highly salt-tolerant plants, known as halophytes, may increase productivity compared to conventional salt-sensitive crops (i.e., glycophytes), thereby increasing the economic potential of marginal lands. Through a variety of mechanisms, halophytes are more effective than glycophytes at excluding, accumulating, and secreting salts from their tissues. Each mechanism can have a different impact on the salt balance in the plant-soil-water system. To date, little information is available to understand the long-term impacts of halophyte cultivation on environmental quality. This project utilizes the Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) model, developed by the US Department of Agriculture, to model the growth and production of two halophytic crops. The crops being modeled include quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), which has utilities for human consumption and forage, and AC Saltlander green wheatgrass (Elymus hoffmannii), which has forage utility. APEX simulates salt movement between soil layers and accounts for the salt balance in the plant-soil-water system, including salinity in irrigation water and crop-specific salt uptake. Key crop growth parameters in APEX are derived from experimental growth data obtained under non-stressed conditions. Data from greenhouse and field experiments in which quinoa and AC Saltlander were grown under various soil salinity and irrigation salinity treatments are being used to parameterize, calibrate, and test the model. This presentation will discuss progress on crop parameterization and completed model runs under different salt-affected soil and irrigation conditions.

Genotypic differences in Al resistance and the role of cell-wall pectin in Al exclusion from the root apex in Fagopyrum tataricum

PubMed Central

Yang, Jian Li; Zhu, Xiao Fang; Zheng, Cheng; Zhang, Yue Jiao; Zheng, Shao Jian

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the factors limiting crop production on acid soils. However, genotypic differences exist among plant species or cultivars in response to Al toxicity. This study aims to investigate genotypic differences among eight cultivars of tatary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) for Al resistance and explore the possible mechanisms of Al resistance. Methods Al resistance was evaluated based on relative root elongation (root elongation with Al/root elongation without Al). Root apex Al content, pectin content and exudation of root organic acids were determined and compared. Key Results Genotypic differences among the eight cultivars were correlated with exclusion of Al from the root apex. However, there was a lack of correlation between Al exclusion and Al-induced oxalate secretion. Interestingly, cell-wall pectin content of the root apex was generally lower in Al-resistant cultivars than in Al-sensitive cultivars. Although we were unable to establish a significant correlation between Al exclusion and pectin content among the eight cultivars, a strong correlation could be established among six cultivars, in which the pectin content in the most Al-resistant cultivar ‘Chuan’ was significantly lower than that in the most Al-sensitive cultivar ‘Liuku2’. Furthermore, root apex cell-wall pectin methylesterase activity (PME) was similar in ‘Chuan’ and ‘Liuku2’ in the absence of Al, but Al treatment resulted in increased PME activity in ‘Liuku2’ compared with ‘Chuan’. Immunolocalization of pectins also showed that the two cultivars had similar amounts of either low-methyl-ester pectins or high-methyl-ester pectins in the absence of Al, but Al treatment resulted in a more significant increase of low-methyl-ester pectins and decrease of high-methyl-ester pectins in ‘Liuku2’. Conclusions Cell-wall pectin content may contribute, at least in part, to differential Al resistance among tatary buckwheat cultivars

The Electrical Network of Maize Root Apex is Gravity Dependent

PubMed Central

Masi, Elisa; Ciszak, Marzena; Comparini, Diego; Monetti, Emanuela; Pandolfi, Camilla; Azzarello, Elisa; Mugnai, Sergio; Baluška, Frantisek; Mancuso, Stefano

2015-01-01

Investigations carried out on maize roots under microgravity and hypergravity revealed that gravity conditions have strong effects on the network of plant electrical activity. Both the duration of action potentials (APs) and their propagation velocities were significantly affected by gravity. Similarly to what was reported for animals, increased gravity forces speed-up APs and enhance synchronized electrical events also in plants. The root apex transition zone emerges as the most active, as well as the most sensitive, root region in this respect. PMID:25588706

Embedding Quantitative Methods by Stealth in Political Science: Developing a Pedagogy for Psephology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunn, Andrew

2017-01-01

Student evaluations of quantitative methods courses in political science often reveal they are characterised by aversion, alienation and anxiety. As a solution to this problem, this paper describes a pedagogic research project with the aim of embedding quantitative methods by stealth into the first-year undergraduate curriculum. This paper…

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS OF SUICIDE RESEARCH IN OLD AGE.

PubMed

Ojagbemi, A

2017-06-01

This paper examines the merits of the qualitative and quantitative methods of suicide research in the elderly using two studies identified through a free search of the Pubmed database for articles that might have direct bearing on suicidality in the elderly. The studies have been purposively selected for critical appraisal because they meaningfully reflect the quantitative and qualitative divide as well as the social, economic, and cultural boundaries between the elderly living in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. The paper concludes that an integration of both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches may provide a better platform for unraveling the complex phenomenon of suicide in the elderly.

Calibration, Sensor Model Improvements and Uncertainty Budget of the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer APEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hueni, A.

2015-12-01

ESA's Airborne Imaging Spectrometer APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment) was developed under the PRODEX (PROgramme de Développement d'EXpériences scientifiques) program by a Swiss-Belgian consortium and entered its operational phase at the end of 2010 (Schaepman et al., 2015). Work on the sensor model has been carried out extensively within the framework of European Metrology Research Program as part of the Metrology for Earth Observation and Climate (MetEOC and MetEOC2). The focus has been to improve laboratory calibration procedures in order to reduce uncertainties, to establish a laboratory uncertainty budget and to upgrade the sensor model to compensate for sensor specific biases. The updated sensor model relies largely on data collected during dedicated characterisation experiments in the APEX calibration home base but includes airborne data as well where the simulation of environmental conditions in the given laboratory setup was not feasible. The additions to the model deal with artefacts caused by environmental changes and electronic features, namely the impact of ambient air pressure changes on the radiometry in combination with dichroic coatings, influences of external air temperatures and consequently instrument baffle temperatures on the radiometry, and electronic anomalies causing radiometric errors in the four shortwave infrared detector readout blocks. Many of these resolved issues might be expected to be present in other imaging spectrometers to some degree or in some variation. Consequently, the work clearly shows the difficulties of extending a laboratory-based uncertainty to data collected under in-flight conditions. The results are hence not only of interest to the calibration scientist but also to the spectroscopy end user, in particular when commercial sensor systems are used for data collection and relevant sensor characteristic information tends to be sparse. Schaepman, et al, 2015. Advanced radiometry measurements and Earth science

Mass and energy supply of a cool coronal loop near its apex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Limei; Peter, Hardi; He, Jiansen; Xia, Lidong; Wang, Linghua

2018-03-01

Context. Different models for the heating of solar corona assume or predict different locations of the energy input: concentrated at the footpoints, at the apex, or uniformly distributed. The brightening of a loop could be due to the increase in electron density ne, the temperature T, or a mixture of both. Aim. We investigate possible reasons for the brightening of a cool loop at transition region temperatures through imaging and spectral observation. Methods: We observed a loop with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and used the slit-jaw images together with spectra taken at a fixed slit position to study the evolution of plasma properties in and below the loop. We used spectra of Si IV, which forms at around 80 000 K in equilibrium, to identify plasma motions and derive electron densities from the ratio of inter-combination lines of O IV. Additional observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) were employed to study the response at coronal temperatures (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, AIA) and to investigate the surface magnetic field below the loop (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, HMI). Results: The loop first appears at transition region temperatures and later also at coronal temperatures, indicating a heating of the plasma in the loop. The appearance of hot plasma in the loop coincides with a possible accelerating upflow seen in Si IV, with the Doppler velocity shifting continuously from -70 km s-1 to -265 km s-1. The 3D magnetic field lines extrapolated from the HMI magnetogram indicate possible magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic flux tubes below or near the loop apex. At the same time, an additional intensity enhancement near the loop apex is visible in the IRIS slit-jaw images at 1400 Å. These observations suggest that the loop is probably heated by the interaction between the loop and the upflows, which are accelerated by the magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic flux tubes at lower altitudes. Before

Framework to parameterize and validate APEX to support deployment of the nutrient tracking tool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Guidelines have been developed to parameterize and validate the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) to support the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT). This follow-up paper presents 1) a case study to illustrate how the developed guidelines are applied in a headwater watershed located in cent...

Framework to parameterize and validate APEX to support deployment of the nutrient tracking tool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is the scientific basis for the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT). NTT is an enhanced version of the Nitrogen Trading Tool, a user-friendly web-based computer program originally developed by the USDA. NTT was developed to estimate reductions in...

Increasing Literacy in Quantitative Methods: The Key to the Future of Canadian Psychology

PubMed Central

Counsell, Alyssa; Cribbie, Robert A.; Harlow, Lisa. L.

2016-01-01

Quantitative methods (QM) dominate empirical research in psychology. Unfortunately most researchers in psychology receive inadequate training in QM. This creates a challenge for researchers who require advanced statistical methods to appropriately analyze their data. Many of the recent concerns about research quality, replicability, and reporting practices are directly tied to the problematic use of QM. As such, improving quantitative literacy in psychology is an important step towards eliminating these concerns. The current paper will include two main sections that discuss quantitative challenges and opportunities. The first section discusses training and resources for students and presents descriptive results on the number of quantitative courses required and available to graduate students in Canadian psychology departments. In the second section, we discuss ways of improving quantitative literacy for faculty, researchers, and clinicians. This includes a strong focus on the importance of collaboration. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for improving quantitative skills and literacy for students and researchers in Canada. PMID:28042199

Increasing Literacy in Quantitative Methods: The Key to the Future of Canadian Psychology.

PubMed

Counsell, Alyssa; Cribbie, Robert A; Harlow, Lisa L

2016-08-01

Quantitative methods (QM) dominate empirical research in psychology. Unfortunately most researchers in psychology receive inadequate training in QM. This creates a challenge for researchers who require advanced statistical methods to appropriately analyze their data. Many of the recent concerns about research quality, replicability, and reporting practices are directly tied to the problematic use of QM. As such, improving quantitative literacy in psychology is an important step towards eliminating these concerns. The current paper will include two main sections that discuss quantitative challenges and opportunities. The first section discusses training and resources for students and presents descriptive results on the number of quantitative courses required and available to graduate students in Canadian psychology departments. In the second section, we discuss ways of improving quantitative literacy for faculty, researchers, and clinicians. This includes a strong focus on the importance of collaboration. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for improving quantitative skills and literacy for students and researchers in Canada.

APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) Volume 6: Industrialist's Manual No. 1, Shear Power Company.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Manpower Development.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 1, Shear Power Company is part of a set of 21 manuals (AA 001 009-001 029) used in APEX (Air Pollution Exercise), a computerized college and professional level "real world" game simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities, and air pollution difficulties. The first two sections,…

APEX: A Computerized Simulation Game as the Basis for an Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tannenbaum, Robert S.

APEX is a computerized gaming simulation; it is also the name of an interdisciplinary course in environmental problems in urban areas introduced at the School of Health Science, Hunter College of the City University of New York. In the course, students assume the roles of decision makers in both the private and public sectors. They receive data…

Nuclear medicine and quantitative imaging research (instrumentation and quantitative methods of evaluation)

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

Beck, R.N.; Cooper, M.D.

1990-09-01

This report summarizes goals and accomplishments of the research program supported under DOE Grant No. FG02-86ER60418 entitled Instrumentation and Quantitative Methods of Evaluation, with R. Beck, P. I. and M. Cooper, Co-P.I. during the period January 15, 1990 through September 1, 1990. This program addresses the problems involving the basic science and technology underlying the physical and conceptual tools of radioactive tracer methodology as they relate to the measurement of structural and functional parameters of physiologic importance in health and disease. The principal tool is quantitative radionuclide imaging. The overall objective of this program is to further the development andmore » transfer of radiotracer methodology from basic theory to routine clinical practice in order that individual patients and society as a whole will receive the maximum net benefit from the new knowledge gained. The focus of the research is on the development of new instruments and radiopharmaceuticals, and the evaluation of these through the phase of clinical feasibility. 7 figs.« less

Quantitative Evaluation Method of Each Generation Margin for Power System Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Su; Tanaka, Kazuyuki

As the power system deregulation advances, the competition among the power companies becomes heated, and they seek more efficient system planning using existing facilities. Therefore, an efficient system planning method has been expected. This paper proposes a quantitative evaluation method for the (N-1) generation margin considering the overload and the voltage stability restriction. Concerning the generation margin related with the overload, a fast solution method without the recalculation of the (N-1) Y-matrix is proposed. Referred to the voltage stability, this paper proposes an efficient method to search the stability limit. The IEEE30 model system which is composed of 6 generators and 14 load nodes is employed to validate the proposed method. According to the results, the proposed method can reduce the computational cost for the generation margin related with the overload under the (N-1) condition, and specify the value quantitatively.

APEX Snaps First Close-up of Star Factories in Distant Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-03-01

For the first time, astronomers have made direct measurements of the size and brightness of regions of star-birth in a very distant galaxy, thanks to a chance discovery with the APEX telescope. The galaxy is so distant, and its light has taken so long to reach us, that we see it as it was 10 billion years ago. A cosmic "gravitational lens" is magnifying the galaxy, giving us a close-up view that would otherwise be impossible. This lucky break reveals a hectic and vigorous star-forming life for galaxies in the early Universe, with stellar nurseries forming one hundred times faster than in more recent galaxies. The research is published online today in the journal Nature. Astronomers were observing a massive galaxy cluster [1] with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope, using submillimetre wavelengths of light, when they found a new and uniquely bright galaxy, more distant than the cluster and the brightest very distant galaxy ever seen at submillimetre wavelengths. It is so bright because the cosmic dust grains in the galaxy are glowing after being heated by starlight. The new galaxy has been given the name SMM J2135-0102. "We were stunned to find a surprisingly bright object that wasn't at the expected position. We soon realised it was a previously unknown and more distant galaxy being magnified by the closer galaxy cluster," says Carlos De Breuck from ESO, a member of the team. De Breuck was making the observations at the APEX telescope on the plateau of Chajnantor at an altitude of 5000 m in the Chilean Andes. The new galaxy SMM J2135-0102 is so bright because of the massive galaxy cluster that lies in the foreground. The vast mass of this cluster bends the light of the more distant galaxy, acting as a gravitational lens [2]. As with a telescope, it magnifies and brightens our view of the distant galaxy. Thanks to a fortuitous alignment between the cluster and the distant galaxy, the latter is strongly magnified by a factor of 32. "The magnification

Orbital Apex Syndrome Caused by Invasive Aspergillosis as an Adverse Effect of Systemic Chemotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: a Case Report.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Yuji; Sakamoto, Yasuo; Ohuchi, Mayuko; Tokunaga, Ryuma; Shigaki, Hironobu; Kurashige, Junji; Iwatsuki, Masaaki; Baba, Yoshifumi; Yoshida, Naoya; Watanabe, Masayuki; Baba, Hideo

2016-02-01

Continuous therapy with cytotoxic drugs suppresses humoral immune function and may result in local infection. We present a case of orbital apex syndrome caused by Aspergillus infection during chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. A 74-year-old man with colorectal liver metastases under long-term continuous systemic chemotherapy presented with painful, progressive orbital apex syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a small enhancing lesion around the right ethmoid sinus. We initially diagnosed colorectal cancer metastasis and he underwent biopsy via the endoscopic endonasal transethmoid approach. However, pathological examination of the cultured specimen revealed Aspergillus fumigatus. The patient was treated with voriconazole and the orbital apex syndrome resolved after 1 month. Orbital aspergillosis is a life-threatening disease and should be listed as a differential diagnosis of uncommon local infections during continuous chemotherapy. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

New determination of the solar apex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehrenbach, Ch.; Duflot, M.; Burnage, R.

2001-04-01

Many studies recently have been performed to determine the velocity vector of the Sun, mainly using the latest data on proper motions and parallaxes given by the Hipparcos satellite. We wished to carry out a similar study using totally independent data: the numerous radial velocities (RV) obtained with the Fehrenbach Objective Prisms (PO). This method allows the determination of the RVs of all the stars contained in the same field. These RVs are relative to each other but are linked to the IAU standard system by means of at least two calibration stars of known RV belonging to that field. These data are very homogeneous. We discuss the precision of the results, and deduce that this material is relevant for the computation of the movement of the Sun towards its Apex. We have performed several studies: 1) With 6965 stars of magnitudes ranging from 7 to 10, measured with the small PO of 15 cm diameter (PPO), with the whole sample and with the same sample split into blue and red stars. 2) With 11 978 stars of magnitudes ranging from 7 to 11, by adding to the previous sample the stars measured with the 60 cm diameter PO associated with the Schmidt telescope of Observatoire de Haute Provence (SPO). The results of both studies are consistent. 3) We have estimated the distance D of all stars studied and determined U, V, W and S for four groups of stars selected according to their distances: D<100, ~ 100500 parsecs. We have determined the variation of U, V, W and S with respect to the distance of the stars. The variation of U, V and S is linear up to 500 parsecs. We can consider that W is constant.

Comparison of Quantitative Antifungal Testing Methods for Textile Fabrics.

PubMed

Imoto, Yasuo; Seino, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Takashi; Yamamoto, Takao A

2017-01-01

　Quantitative antifungal testing methods for textile fabrics under growth-supportive conditions were studied. Fungal growth activities on unfinished textile fabrics and textile fabrics modified with Ag nanoparticles were investigated using the colony counting method and the luminescence method. Morphological changes of the fungi during incubation were investigated by microscopic observation. Comparison of the results indicated that the fungal growth activity values obtained with the colony counting method depended on the morphological state of the fungi on textile fabrics, whereas those obtained with the luminescence method did not. Our findings indicated that unique characteristics of each testing method must be taken into account for the proper evaluation of antifungal activity.

Quantitative methods for analysing cumulative effects on fish migration success: a review.

PubMed

Johnson, J E; Patterson, D A; Martins, E G; Cooke, S J; Hinch, S G

2012-07-01

It is often recognized, but seldom addressed, that a quantitative assessment of the cumulative effects, both additive and non-additive, of multiple stressors on fish survival would provide a more realistic representation of the factors that influence fish migration. This review presents a compilation of analytical methods applied to a well-studied fish migration, a more general review of quantitative multivariable methods, and a synthesis on how to apply new analytical techniques in fish migration studies. A compilation of adult migration papers from Fraser River sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka revealed a limited number of multivariable methods being applied and the sub-optimal reliance on univariable methods for multivariable problems. The literature review of fisheries science, general biology and medicine identified a large number of alternative methods for dealing with cumulative effects, with a limited number of techniques being used in fish migration studies. An evaluation of the different methods revealed that certain classes of multivariable analyses will probably prove useful in future assessments of cumulative effects on fish migration. This overview and evaluation of quantitative methods gathered from the disparate fields should serve as a primer for anyone seeking to quantify cumulative effects on fish migration survival. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Reproducibility of CSF quantitative culture methods for estimating rate of clearance in cryptococcal meningitis.

PubMed

Dyal, Jonathan; Akampurira, Andrew; Rhein, Joshua; Morawski, Bozena M; Kiggundu, Reuben; Nabeta, Henry W; Musubire, Abdu K; Bahr, Nathan C; Williams, Darlisha A; Bicanic, Tihana; Larsen, Robert A; Meya, David B; Boulware, David R

2016-05-01

Quantitative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures provide a measure of disease severity in cryptococcal meningitis. The fungal clearance rate by quantitative cultures has become a primary endpoint for phase II clinical trials. This study determined the inter-assay accuracy of three different quantitative culture methodologies. Among 91 participants with meningitis symptoms in Kampala, Uganda, during August-November 2013, 305 CSF samples were prospectively collected from patients at multiple time points during treatment. Samples were simultaneously cultured by three methods: (1) St. George's 100 mcl input volume of CSF with five 1:10 serial dilutions, (2) AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) method using 1000, 100, 10 mcl input volumes, and two 1:100 dilutions with 100 and 10 mcl input volume per dilution on seven agar plates; and (3) 10 mcl calibrated loop of undiluted and 1:100 diluted CSF (loop). Quantitative culture values did not statistically differ between St. George-ACTG methods (P= .09) but did for St. George-10 mcl loop (P< .001). Repeated measures pairwise correlation between any of the methods was high (r≥0.88). For detecting sterility, the ACTG-method had the highest negative predictive value of 97% (91% St. George, 60% loop), but the ACTG-method had occasional (∼10%) difficulties in quantification due to colony clumping. For CSF clearance rate, St. George-ACTG methods did not differ overall (mean -0.05 ± 0.07 log10CFU/ml/day;P= .14) on a group level; however, individual-level clearance varied. The St. George and ACTG quantitative CSF culture methods produced comparable but not identical results. Quantitative cultures can inform treatment management strategies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

TAA1-regulated local auxin biosynthesis in the root-apex transition zone mediates the aluminum-induced inhibition of root growth in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yang, Zhong-Bao; Geng, Xiaoyu; He, Chunmei; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Rong; Horst, Walter J; Ding, Zhaojun

2014-07-01

The transition zone (TZ) of the root apex is the perception site of Al toxicity. Here, we show that exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana roots to Al induces a localized enhancement of auxin signaling in the root-apex TZ that is dependent on TAA1, which encodes a Trp aminotransferase and regulates auxin biosynthesis. TAA1 is specifically upregulated in the root-apex TZ in response to Al treatment, thus mediating local auxin biosynthesis and inhibition of root growth. The TAA1-regulated local auxin biosynthesis in the root-apex TZ in response to Al stress is dependent on ethylene, as revealed by manipulating ethylene homeostasis via the precursor of ethylene biosynthesis 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, the inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis aminoethoxyvinylglycine, or mutant analysis. In response to Al stress, ethylene signaling locally upregulates TAA1 expression and thus auxin responses in the TZ and results in auxin-regulated root growth inhibition through a number of auxin response factors (ARFs). In particular, ARF10 and ARF16 are important in the regulation of cell wall modification-related genes. Our study suggests a mechanism underlying how environmental cues affect root growth plasticity through influencing local auxin biosynthesis and signaling. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Autoradiographic method for quantitation of deposition and distribution of radiocalcium in bone

PubMed Central

Lawrence Riggs, B; Bassingthwaighte, James B.; Jowsey, Jenifer; Peter Pequegnat, E

2010-01-01

A method is described for quantitating autoradiographs of bone-seeking isotopes in microscopic sections of bone. Autoradiographs of bone sections containing 45Ca and internal calibration standards are automatically scanned with a microdensitometer. The digitized optical density output is stored on magnetic tape and is converted by computer to equivalent activity of 45Ca per gram of bone. The computer determines the total 45Ca uptake in the bone section and, on the basis of optical density and anatomic position, quantitatively divides the uptake into 4 components, each representing a separate physiologic process (bone formation, secondary mineralization, diffuse long-term exchange, and surface short-term exchange). The method is also applicable for quantitative analysis of microradiographs of bone sections for mineral content and density. PMID:5416906

[Quantitative and qualitative research methods, can they coexist yet?].

PubMed

Hunt, Elena; Lavoie, Anne-Marise

2011-06-01

Qualitative design is gaining ground in Nursing research. In spite of a relative progress however, the evidence based practice movement continues to dominate and to underline the exclusive value of quantitative design (particularly that of randomized clinical trials) for clinical decision making. In the actual context convenient to those in power making utilitarian decisions on one hand, and facing nursing criticism of the establishment in favor of qualitative research on the other hand, it is difficult to chose a practical and ethical path that values the nursing role within the health care system, keeping us committed to quality care and maintaining researcher's integrity. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have advantages and disadvantages, and clearly, none of them can, by itself, capture, describe and explain reality adequately. Therefore, a balance between the two methods is needed. Researchers bare responsibility to society and science, and they should opt for the appropriate design susceptible to answering the research question, not promote the design favored by the research funding distributors.

Removal of an orbital apex hemangioma using an endoscopic transethmoidal approach: technical note.

PubMed

Karaki, Masayuki; Kobayashi, Ryuichi; Mori, Nozomu

2006-07-01

The posterior orbit contains a number of important and vulnerable structures, including the optic nerve, the ophthalmic artery and vein, and the ocular muscles and their motor nerves, which makes surgical access to the lesion in this region quite difficult. Transfrontal, transfrontal-ethmoidal, and transmaxillary procedures have the disadvantage of possible injuries to a number of nontumor structures, whereas an endoscopic transethmoidal approach is a minimally invasive surgery for the retrobulbar lesions. Retrobulbar cavernous hemangioma was successfully removed by a transethmoidal approach. Tumor removal was performed in a patient with an intraconal cavernous hemangioma of approximately 15 mm in diameter. By a transethmoidal approach, the medial-inferior part of the orbit, as well as the apex of the orbit, were clearly visualized after endonasal ethmoidectomy. After the removal of the medial orbital bone, the orbital periosteum was incised and elevated. By elevating the orbital fat, the tumor could be identified separately from the orbital contents. Cavernous hemangioma at the orbital apex was removed without complications. An endoscopic transethmoidal approach, which requires no skin incision, is a minimally invasive surgery for retrobulbar orbital tumor, leading to excellent cosmetic results with less bleeding.

Apex-angle-dependent resonances in triangular split-ring resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnett, Max A.; Fiddy, Michael A.

2016-02-01

Along with other frequency selective structures (Pendry et al. in IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech 47(11):2075-2084, 1999) (circles and squares), triangular split-ring resonators (TSRRs) only allow frequencies near the center resonant frequency to propagate. Further, TSRRs are attractive due to their small surface area (Vidhyalakshmi et al. in Stopband characteristics of complementary triangular split ring resonator loaded microstrip line, 2011), comparatively, and large quality factors ( Q) as previously investigated by Gay-Balmaz et al. (J Appl Phys 92(5):2929-2936, 2002). In this work, we examine the effects of varying the apex angle on the resonant frequency, the Q factor, and the phase shift imparted by the TSRR element within the GHz frequency regime.

Quantitation of valve regurgitation severity by three-dimensional vena contracta area is superior to flow convergence method of quantitation on transesophageal echocardiography.

PubMed

Abudiab, Muaz M; Chao, Chieh-Ju; Liu, Shuang; Naqvi, Tasneem Z

2017-07-01

Quantitation of regurgitation severity using the proximal isovelocity acceleration (PISA) method to calculate effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) area has limitations. Measurement of three-dimensional (3D) vena contracta area (VCA) accurately grades mitral regurgitation (MR) severity on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We evaluated 3D VCA quantitation of regurgitant jet severity using 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in 110 native mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valves and six prosthetic valves in patients with at least mild valvular regurgitation. The ASE-recommended integrative method comprising semiquantitative and quantitative assessment of valvular regurgitation was used as a reference method, including ERO area by 2D PISA for assigning severity of regurgitation grade. Mean age was 62.2±14.4 years; 3D VCA quantitation was feasible in 91% regurgitant valves compared to 78% by the PISA method. When both methods were feasible and in the presence of a single regurgitant jet, 3D VCA and 2D PISA were similar in differentiating assigned severity (ANOVAP<.001). In valves with multiple jets, however, 3D VCA had a better correlation to assigned severity (ANOVAP<.0001). The agreement of 2D PISA and 3D VCA with the integrative method was 47% and 58% for moderate and 65% and 88% for severe regurgitation, respectively. Measurement of 3D VCA by TEE is superior to the 2D PISA method in determination of regurgitation severity in multiple native and prosthetic valves. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

APEX_SCOPE: A graphical user interface for visualization of multi-modal data in inter-disciplinary studies.

PubMed

Kanbar, Lara J; Shalish, Wissam; Precup, Doina; Brown, Karen; Sant'Anna, Guilherme M; Kearney, Robert E

2017-07-01

In multi-disciplinary studies, different forms of data are often collected for analysis. For example, APEX, a study on the automated prediction of extubation readiness in extremely preterm infants, collects clinical parameters and cardiorespiratory signals. A variety of cardiorespiratory metrics are computed from these signals and used to assign a cardiorespiratory pattern at each time. In such a situation, exploratory analysis requires a visualization tool capable of displaying these different types of acquired and computed signals in an integrated environment. Thus, we developed APEX_SCOPE, a graphical tool for the visualization of multi-modal data comprising cardiorespiratory signals, automated cardiorespiratory metrics, automated respiratory patterns, manually classified respiratory patterns, and manual annotations by clinicians during data acquisition. This MATLAB-based application provides a means for collaborators to view combinations of signals to promote discussion, generate hypotheses and develop features.

Forest cover and level of protection influence the island-wide distribution of an apex carnivore and umbrella species, the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)

Treesearch

Andrew M. Kittle; Anjali C. Watson; Samuel A. Cushman; David. W. Macdonald

2017-01-01

Apex predators fulfil potentially vital ecological roles. Typically wide-ranging and charismatic, they can also be useful surrogates for biodiversity preservation, making their targeted conservation imperative. The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), an endangered, endemic sub-species, is the island’s apex predator. Of potential keystone importance, this...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: APEX CO and HI observations of Lupus I (Gaczkowski+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaczkowski, B.; Roccatagliata, V.; Flaischlen, S.; Kroell, D.; Krause, M. G. H. Burkert A.; Diehl, R.; Fierlinger, K.; Ngoumou, J.; Preibisch, T.

2017-11-01

The FITS files contain the data cubes corresponding to the 13C and C18O(3-2) lines. They were taken using the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) telescope, with an angular resolution of 30" and a velocity resolution of 0.1km/s. (2 data files).

APEX (Air Pollution Exercise) Volume 10: Industrialist's Manual No. 6, Dusty Rhodes' Cement Company.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Manpower Development.

The Industrialist's Manual No. 6, Dusty Rhodes' Cement Company is part of a set of 21 manuals (AA 001 009-001 029) used in APEX (Air Pollution Exercise), a computerized college and professional level "real world" game simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial activities, and air pollution difficulties. The first two…

APEX 3D Propeller Test Preliminary Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony J.

2002-01-01

A low Reynolds number, high subsonic mach number flight regime is fairly uncommon in aeronautics. Most flight vehicles do not fly under these aerodynamic conditions. However, recently there have been a number of proposed aircraft applications (such as high altitude observation platforms and Mars aircraft) that require flight within this regime. One of the main obstacles to flight under these conditions is the ability to reliably generate sufficient thrust for the aircraft. For a conventional propulsion system, the operation and design of the propeller is the key aspect to its operation. Due to the difficulty in experimentally modeling the flight conditions in ground-based facilities, it has been proposed to conduct propeller experiments from a high altitude gliding platform (APEX). A preliminary design of a propeller experiment under the low Reynolds number, high mach number flight conditions has been devised. The details of the design are described as well as the potential data that will be collected.

Root Apex Transition Zone As Oscillatory Zone

PubMed Central

Baluška, František; Mancuso, Stefano

2013-01-01

Root apex of higher plants shows very high sensitivity to environmental stimuli. The root cap acts as the most prominent plant sensory organ; sensing diverse physical parameters such as gravity, light, humidity, oxygen, and critical inorganic nutrients. However, the motoric responses to these stimuli are accomplished in the elongation region. This spatial discrepancy was solved when we have discovered and characterized the transition zone which is interpolated between the apical meristem and the subapical elongation zone. Cells of this zone are very active in the cytoskeletal rearrangements, endocytosis and endocytic vesicle recycling, as well as in electric activities. Here we discuss the oscillatory nature of the transition zone which, together with several other features of this zone, suggest that it acts as some kind of command center. In accordance with the early proposal of Charles and Francis Darwin, cells of this root zone receive sensory information from the root cap and instruct the motoric responses of cells in the elongation zone. PMID:24106493

Investigating of the Field Emission Performance on Nano-Apex Carbon Fiber and Tungsten Tips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mousa, Marwan S.; Alnawasreh, Shadi; Madanat, Mazen A.; Al-Rabadi, Anas N.

2015-10-01

Field electron emission measurements have been performed on carbon-based and tungsten microemitters. Several samples of both types of emitters with different apex radii have been obtained employing electrolytic etching techniques using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution with different molarities depending on the material used. A suitable, home-built, field electron microscope (FEM) with 10 mm tip to screen separation distance was used to electrically characterize the electron emitters. Measurements were carried out under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions with base pressure of 10-9 mbar. The current-voltage characteristics (I-V) presented as Fowler-Nordheim (FN) type plots, and field electron emission images have been recorded. In this work, initial comparison of the field electron emission performance of these micro and nanoemitters has been carried out, with the aim of obtaining a reliable, stable and long life powerful electron source. We compare the apex radii measured from the micrographs obtained from the SEM images to those extracted from the FN-type _I-V_plots for carbon fibers and tungsten tips.

Facile Preparation of a Platinum Silicide Nanoparticle-Modified Tip Apex for Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy.

PubMed

Lin, Chun-Ting; Chen, Yu-Wei; Su, James; Wu, Chien-Ting; Hsiao, Chien-Nan; Shiao, Ming-Hua; Chang, Mao-Nan

2015-12-01

In this study, we propose an ultra-facile approach to prepare a platinum silicide nanoparticle-modified tip apex (PSM tip) used for scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM). We combined a localized fluoride-assisted galvanic replacement reaction (LFAGRR) and atmospheric microwave annealing (AMA) to deposit a single platinum silicide nanoparticle with a diameter of 32 nm on the apex of a bare silicon tip of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The total process was completed in an ambient environment in less than 3 min. The improved potential resolution in the SKPM measurement was verified. Moreover, the resolution of the topography is comparable to that of a bare silicon tip. In addition, the negative charges found on the PSM tips suggest the possibility of exploring the use of current PSM tips to sense electric fields more precisely. The ultra-fast and cost-effective preparation of the PSM tips provides a new direction for the preparation of functional tips for scanning probe microscopy.

Comparison study on qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods for urban natural gas pipeline network.

PubMed

Han, Z Y; Weng, W G

2011-05-15

In this paper, a qualitative and a quantitative risk assessment methods for urban natural gas pipeline network are proposed. The qualitative method is comprised of an index system, which includes a causation index, an inherent risk index, a consequence index and their corresponding weights. The quantitative method consists of a probability assessment, a consequences analysis and a risk evaluation. The outcome of the qualitative method is a qualitative risk value, and for quantitative method the outcomes are individual risk and social risk. In comparison with previous research, the qualitative method proposed in this paper is particularly suitable for urban natural gas pipeline network, and the quantitative method takes different consequences of accidents into consideration, such as toxic gas diffusion, jet flame, fire ball combustion and UVCE. Two sample urban natural gas pipeline networks are used to demonstrate these two methods. It is indicated that both of the two methods can be applied to practical application, and the choice of the methods depends on the actual basic data of the gas pipelines and the precision requirements of risk assessment. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term observations of Boreal Toads at an ARMI apex site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corn, Paul Stephen; Muths, Erin L.; Pilliod, David S.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a national project with goals to monitor the status and trends of amphibians, conduct research on causes of declines, and provide information and support to management agencies for conservation of amphibian populations. ARMI activities are organized around extensive inventories and place-based monitoring (such as collaboration with the Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network), and intensive population studies and research at selected locations (apex sites). One such site is an oxbow pond on the Buffalo Fork near the Black Rock Ranger Station east of Grand Teton National Park. We have been conducting mark-recapture of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas) at Black Rock since 2002. In concert with studies of other toad populations in the Rocky Mountains, we have documented a high rate of incidence of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and a negative rate of growth of the toad population, but not the population crash or extinction observed in other populations with high prevalence of Bd. Long-term observations at other ARMI apex sites have proven invaluable for studying effects of climate change on amphibian behavior, and the Black Rock site has been upgraded with onsite recording of weather data and auditory monitoring of other amphibian species. Continued research at Black Rock will be critical for understanding the interrelated effects of climate and disease on amphibians in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Combined Endoscopic Transorbital and Endonasal Repair of High Flow Orbital Apex/Middle Fossa Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak with a Nasoseptal Flap.

PubMed

Lucke-Wold, Brandon; Mendez, Gustavo; Cua, David; Akins, Paul; Gillham, Haley; Ciporen, Jeremy

2018-01-01

High flow orbital apex or middle fossa cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks can be life threatening and complex to repair. These leaks associated with large dural defects are most commonly repaired with an open temporalis muscle patch or free flaps, but these flaps do not always stop the leak. A 65-year-old patient presented two years after orbital exenteration and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma. He developed multi-organism meningitis and pneumocephalus secondary to a large high-flow orbital apex/middle fossa CSF leak. To repair the leak, a combined endoscopic transorbital/endonasal approach with pedicled nasospetal flap and dermis fat graft was used. We describe the unique endoscopic technique that was used to treat the life threatening high flow orbital apex/middle fossa CSF leak. The technique allowed the use of the transposed pedicled flap, which is an alternative to the free flap in controlling CSF leak. Cisternogram post-operatively and clinical exam confirmed resolution of CSF leak. Although a critically ill patient at admission with a modified Rankin scale (MRS) of 5, he was discharged home on continued IV antibiotic therapy with a MRS of 3. Endoscopic evaluation at three months after treatment showed the effectiveness of the flap and he continued to improve clinically. This is the first case to describe a combined endoscopic transorbital and endonasal repair of high flow orbital apex/middle fossa CSF leak with a pedicled nasoseptal flap. These techniques can be utilized during initial reconstruction after orbital exenteration or as a salvage flap.

Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Insights into Design and Analysis Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lieber, Eli

2009-01-01

This article describes and discusses issues related to research design and data analysis in the mixing of qualitative and quantitative methods. It is increasingly desirable to use multiple methods in research, but questions arise as to how best to design and analyze the data generated by mixed methods projects. I offer a conceptualization for such…

Evaluation of electrical impedance ratio measurements in accuracy of electronic apex locators.

PubMed

Kim, Pil-Jong; Kim, Hong-Gee; Cho, Byeong-Hoon

2015-05-01

The aim of this paper was evaluating the ratios of electrical impedance measurements reported in previous studies through a correlation analysis in order to explicit it as the contributing factor to the accuracy of electronic apex locator (EAL). The literature regarding electrical property measurements of EALs was screened using Medline and Embase. All data acquired were plotted to identify correlations between impedance and log-scaled frequency. The accuracy of the impedance ratio method used to detect the apical constriction (APC) in most EALs was evaluated using linear ramp function fitting. Changes of impedance ratios for various frequencies were evaluated for a variety of file positions. Among the ten papers selected in the search process, the first-order equations between log-scaled frequency and impedance were in the negative direction. When the model for the ratios was assumed to be a linear ramp function, the ratio values decreased if the file went deeper and the average ratio values of the left and right horizontal zones were significantly different in 8 out of 9 studies. The APC was located within the interval of linear relation between the left and right horizontal zones of the linear ramp model. Using the ratio method, the APC was located within a linear interval. Therefore, using the impedance ratio between electrical impedance measurements at different frequencies was a robust method for detection of the APC.

Criteria for quantitative and qualitative data integration: mixed-methods research methodology.

PubMed

Lee, Seonah; Smith, Carrol A M

2012-05-01

Many studies have emphasized the need and importance of a mixed-methods approach for evaluation of clinical information systems. However, those studies had no criteria to guide integration of multiple data sets. Integrating different data sets serves to actualize the paradigm that a mixed-methods approach argues; thus, we require criteria that provide the right direction to integrate quantitative and qualitative data. The first author used a set of criteria organized from a literature search for integration of multiple data sets from mixed-methods research. The purpose of this article was to reorganize the identified criteria. Through critical appraisal of the reasons for designing mixed-methods research, three criteria resulted: validation, complementarity, and discrepancy. In applying the criteria to empirical data of a previous mixed methods study, integration of quantitative and qualitative data was achieved in a systematic manner. It helped us obtain a better organized understanding of the results. The criteria of this article offer the potential to produce insightful analyses of mixed-methods evaluations of health information systems.

A Method for Comprehensive Glycosite-Mapping and Direct Quantitation of Serum Glycoproteins.

PubMed

Hong, Qiuting; Ruhaak, L Renee; Stroble, Carol; Parker, Evan; Huang, Jincui; Maverakis, Emanual; Lebrilla, Carlito B

2015-12-04

A comprehensive glycan map was constructed for the top eight abundant glycoproteins in plasma using both specific and nonspecific enzyme digestions followed by nano liquid chromatography (LC)-chip/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Glycopeptides were identified using an in-house software tool, GPFinder. A sensitive and reproducible multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) technique on a triple quadrupole MS was developed and applied to quantify immunoglobulins G, A, M, and their site-specific glycans simultaneously and directly from human serum/plasma without protein enrichments. A total of 64 glycopeptides and 15 peptides were monitored for IgG, IgA, and IgM in a 20 min ultra high performance (UP)LC gradient. The absolute protein contents were quantified using peptide calibration curves. The glycopeptide ion abundances were normalized to the respective protein abundances to separate protein glycosylation from protein expression. This technique yields higher method reproducibility and less sample loss when compared with the quantitation method that involves protein enrichments. The absolute protein quantitation has a wide linear range (3-4 orders of magnitude) and low limit of quantitation (femtomole level). This rapid and robust quantitation technique, which provides quantitative information for both proteins and glycosylation, will further facilitate disease biomarker discoveries.

Analytical methods for quantitation of prenylated flavonoids from hops.

PubMed

Nikolić, Dejan; van Breemen, Richard B

2013-01-01

The female flowers of hops ( Humulus lupulus L.) are used as a flavoring agent in the brewing industry. There is growing interest in possible health benefits of hops, particularly as estrogenic and chemopreventive agents. Among the possible active constituents, most of the attention has focused on prenylated flavonoids, which can chemically be classified as prenylated chalcones and prenylated flavanones. Among chalcones, xanthohumol (XN) and desmethylxanthohumol (DMX) have been the most studied, while among flavanones, 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) and 6-prenylnaringenin (6-PN) have received the most attention. Because of the interest in medicinal properties of prenylated flavonoids, there is demand for accurate, reproducible and sensitive analytical methods to quantify these compounds in various matrices. Such methods are needed, for example, for quality control and standardization of hop extracts, measurement of the content of prenylated flavonoids in beer, and to determine pharmacokinetic properties of prenylated flavonoids in animals and humans. This review summarizes currently available analytical methods for quantitative analysis of the major prenylated flavonoids, with an emphasis on the LC-MS and LC-MS-MS methods and their recent applications to biomedical research on hops. This review covers all methods in which prenylated flavonoids have been measured, either as the primary analytes or as a part of a larger group of analytes. The review also discusses methodological issues relating to the quantitative analysis of these compounds regardless of the chosen analytical approach.

Quantitative impact characterization of aeronautical CFRP materials with non-destructive testing methods

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

Kiefel, Denis, E-mail: Denis.Kiefel@airbus.com, E-mail: Rainer.Stoessel@airbus.com; Stoessel, Rainer, E-mail: Denis.Kiefel@airbus.com, E-mail: Rainer.Stoessel@airbus.com; Grosse, Christian, E-mail: Grosse@tum.de

2015-03-31

In recent years, an increasing number of safety-relevant structures are designed and manufactured from carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) in order to reduce weight of airplanes by taking the advantage of their specific strength into account. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for quantitative defect analysis of damages are liquid- or air-coupled ultrasonic testing (UT), phased array ultrasonic techniques, and active thermography (IR). The advantage of these testing methods is the applicability on large areas. However, their quantitative information is often limited on impact localization and size. In addition to these techniques, Airbus Group Innovations operates a micro x-ray computed tomography (μ-XCT)more » system, which was developed for CFRP characterization. It is an open system which allows different kinds of acquisition, reconstruction, and data evaluation. One main advantage of this μ-XCT system is its high resolution with 3-dimensional analysis and visualization opportunities, which enables to gain important quantitative information for composite part design and stress analysis. Within this study, different NDT methods will be compared at CFRP samples with specified artificial impact damages. The results can be used to select the most suitable NDT-method for specific application cases. Furthermore, novel evaluation and visualization methods for impact analyzes are developed and will be presented.« less

APEX simulation of runoff and total phosphorous for three adjacent row-crop watersheds with claypan soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model can simulate crop yields, runoff, and the transport of sediment and nutrients in small watersheds that have combinations of farm level landscapes, cropping systems and/or management practices. The objectives of the study were to parameteri...

Development of a sensitivity and uncertainty analysis tool in R for parametrization of the APEX model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrologic models are used to simulate the responses of agricultural systems to different inputs and management strategies to identify alternative management practices to cope up with future climate and/or geophysical changes. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a model develope...

The positron peak puzzle - Recent results from APEX

DOE PAGES

Ahmad, I; Austin, SM; Back, BB; ...

1996-01-01

Results are presented from a new experiment, APEX, designed to study the previously reported sharp lines in sum-energy spectra of positrons and electrons produced in collisions of very heavy ions. Data have been collected for 238U + 181Ta and 238U + 232Th. No evidence is found for narrow structures similar to those previously reported. For the specific case of the isolated decay of a neutral particle of mass 1.4–2.1 MeV/c 2, the upper limits on cross sections obtained are significantly less than previously reported. Data are also presented for internal pair conversion in 206Pb. These results are used to setmore » limits for the possible contribution to the pair yield of a 1780 keV transition in 238U observed in heavy-ion gamma-ray coincidence measurements.« less

Novel method for quantitative ANA measurement using near-infrared imaging.

PubMed

Peterson, Lisa K; Wells, Daniel; Shaw, Laura; Velez, Maria-Gabriela; Harbeck, Ronald; Dragone, Leonard L

2009-09-30

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) have been detected in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases and are used in the screening and/or diagnosis of autoimmunity in patients as well as mouse models of systemic autoimmunity. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on HEp-2 cells is the gold standard for ANA screening. However, its usefulness is limited in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of disease activity due to the lack of standardization in performing the technique, subjectivity in interpreting the results and the fact that it is only semi-quantitative. Various immunological techniques have been developed in an attempt to improve upon the method to quantify ANA, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), line immunoassays (LIAs), multiplexed bead immunoassays and IIF on substrates other than HEp-2 cells. Yet IIF on HEp-2 cells remains the most common screening method for ANA. In this study, we describe a simple quantitative method to detect ANA which combines IIF on HEp-2 coated slides with analysis using a near-infrared imaging (NII) system. Using NII to determine ANA titer, 86.5% (32 of 37) of the titers for human patient samples were within 2 dilutions of those determined by IIF, which is the acceptable range for proficiency testing. Combining an initial screening for nuclear staining using microscopy with titration by NII resulted in 97.3% (36 of 37) of the titers detected to be within two dilutions of those determined by IIF. The NII method for quantitative ANA measurements using serum from both patients and mice with autoimmunity provides a fast, relatively simple, objective, sensitive and reproducible assay, which could easily be standardized for comparison between laboratories.

Comparison of tip apex distance and cut-out complications between helical blades and lag screws in intertrochanteric fractures among the elderly: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Shuang; Chang, Shi-Min; Niu, Wen-Xin; Ma, Hui

2015-11-01

To investigate whether helical blade implant systems have advantages in terms of tip apex distance (TAD) and cut-out rate in comparison to conventional lag screws for intertrochanteric fractures in a geriatric population. Methods: Relevant articles were sourced from the MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid and Cochrane Library databases from inception through March 2015. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing outcomes between helical blade and lag screw implant systems were selected. Mean TAD values and reported cut-out complications were noted. Each author independently assessed the relevance of the enrolled studies and the quality of the extracted data. Data were analyzed using R software. Ten studies including 1831 patients were eligible for this review, seven of which were included in a combined analysis of dichotomous outcomes and five in a combined analysis of continuous outcomes. The results revealed that, compared with lag screw implantations, the use of helical blades led to a lower rate of cut-out complications (95 % CI: 0.28–0.96, P = 0.036). Patients who experienced cut-out complications had a significantly greater tip apex distance (95 % CI: 0.68–1.34, P < 0.001). However, the actual tip apex distances were similar between the screw group and blade group (95 % CI: −0.44–0.79, P = 0.58). No difference in TAD values was found between blades and screws. In addition, the cut-out risk in the blade-design group was lower than that of the screw group. Therefore, TAD is not an accurate predictor of cut-out risk.

SpaceX-3 KSC Payloads: Biotube, Bric, Apex2-2

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, John Carver, a project manager with Jacobs Technology checks the Advanced Plant Experiment, or APEX, experiment as it is being prepared for launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Scheduled for launch on March 16 atop a Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon will be marking its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission is the third of 12 flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Mixed methods in gerontological research: Do the qualitative and quantitative data “touch”?

PubMed Central

Happ, Mary Beth

2010-01-01

This paper distinguishes between parallel and integrated mixed methods research approaches. Barriers to integrated mixed methods approaches in gerontological research are discussed and critiqued. The author presents examples of mixed methods gerontological research to illustrate approaches to data integration at the levels of data analysis, interpretation, and research reporting. As a summary of the methodological literature, four basic levels of mixed methods data combination are proposed. Opportunities for mixing qualitative and quantitative data are explored using contemporary examples from published studies. Data transformation and visual display, judiciously applied, are proposed as pathways to fuller mixed methods data integration and analysis. Finally, practical strategies for mixing qualitative and quantitative data types are explicated as gerontological research moves beyond parallel mixed methods approaches to achieve data integration. PMID:20077973

Quantitative methods used in Australian health promotion research: a review of publications from 1992-2002.

PubMed

Smith, Ben J; Zehle, Katharina; Bauman, Adrian E; Chau, Josephine; Hawkshaw, Barbara; Frost, Steven; Thomas, Margaret

2006-04-01

This study examined the use of quantitative methods in Australian health promotion research in order to identify methodological trends and priorities for strengthening the evidence base for health promotion. Australian health promotion articles were identified by hand searching publications from 1992-2002 in six journals: Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health, Health Promotion International, Health Education Research, Health Education and Behavior and the American Journal of Health Promotion. The study designs and statistical methods used in articles presenting quantitative research were recorded. 591 (57.7%) of the 1,025 articles used quantitative methods. Cross-sectional designs were used in the majority (54.3%) of studies with pre- and post-test (14.6%) and post-test only (9.5%) the next most common designs. Bivariate statistical methods were used in 45.9% of papers, multivariate methods in 27.1% and simple numbers and proportions in 25.4%. Few studies used higher-level statistical techniques. While most studies used quantitative methods, the majority were descriptive in nature. The study designs and statistical methods used provided limited scope for demonstrating intervention effects or understanding the determinants of change.

Applying quantitative benefit-risk analysis to aid regulatory decision making in diagnostic imaging: methods, challenges, and opportunities.

PubMed

Agapova, Maria; Devine, Emily Beth; Bresnahan, Brian W; Higashi, Mitchell K; Garrison, Louis P

2014-09-01

Health agencies making regulatory marketing-authorization decisions use qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess expected benefits and expected risks associated with medical interventions. There is, however, no universal standard approach that regulatory agencies consistently use to conduct benefit-risk assessment (BRA) for pharmaceuticals or medical devices, including for imaging technologies. Economics, health services research, and health outcomes research use quantitative approaches to elicit preferences of stakeholders, identify priorities, and model health conditions and health intervention effects. Challenges to BRA in medical devices are outlined, highlighting additional barriers in radiology. Three quantitative methods--multi-criteria decision analysis, health outcomes modeling and stated-choice survey--are assessed using criteria that are important in balancing benefits and risks of medical devices and imaging technologies. To be useful in regulatory BRA, quantitative methods need to: aggregate multiple benefits and risks, incorporate qualitative considerations, account for uncertainty, and make clear whose preferences/priorities are being used. Each quantitative method performs differently across these criteria and little is known about how BRA estimates and conclusions vary by approach. While no specific quantitative method is likely to be the strongest in all of the important areas, quantitative methods may have a place in BRA of medical devices and radiology. Quantitative BRA approaches have been more widely applied in medicines, with fewer BRAs in devices. Despite substantial differences in characteristics of pharmaceuticals and devices, BRA methods may be as applicable to medical devices and imaging technologies as they are to pharmaceuticals. Further research to guide the development and selection of quantitative BRA methods for medical devices and imaging technologies is needed. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Influence of the apex angle of a hollow prism made from an ordinary commercial glass plate as a simple refractometer to the accuracy of the refractive index measurement of the edible oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idris, N.; Maswati; Yusibani, E.

2018-05-01

The influence of the apex angle of a hollow prism used as a simple refractometer to the accuracy of a refractive index measurement of the edible oil samples was studied. The hollow prism was made from an ordinary commercial glass plate with a thickness of 2 mm. The apex angle of the constructed hollow prism was varied. The edible oil sample used in this study was palm oil, namely the packaged, branded oil sample and the bulk oil sample. For measuring the refractive index, the oil sample was filled in the constructed hollow prism, and then a helium-neon laser beam was passed through the oil sample at a certain angle of incidence. The angle of minimum deviation of the transmitted laser He-Ne beam was measured and then was used for calculating the refractive index of the oil sample. The refractive index measurement was made using the hollow prism with different apex angles, ranging from 300 to 600. The measurement accuracy was estimated by comparing the refractive index measured using the hollow prisms to that of obtained using a standard Abbe refractometer. It was found that the refractive index of the edible oil can be measured accurately by using the hollow prism. It was also found that the accuracy of the refractive index measurement significantly changes with the apex angle of the hollow prism. The refractive index values measured using this simple refractometer deviate up to 3,49% from the refractive index value measured using the standard Abbe refractometer, especially when the apex angle of the prism is 30°. The measurement results with high accuracies obtained when using the hollow prisms with apex angles of 450 and 600. The optimum apex angle for the present constructed hollow prism is 450. The refractive index obtained using the hollow prism with the apex angle of 450 is 1,4623 and 1,4438 for the bulk oil and the packed, branded oil samples, respectively. This result suggests that the apex angle of the prism used affects largely the accuracy of the

Competition between apex predators? Brown bears decrease wolf kill rate on two continents.

PubMed

Tallian, Aimee; Ordiz, Andrés; Metz, Matthew C; Milleret, Cyril; Wikenros, Camilla; Smith, Douglas W; Stahler, Daniel R; Kindberg, Jonas; MacNulty, Daniel R; Wabakken, Petter; Swenson, Jon E; Sand, Håkan

2017-02-08

Trophic interactions are a fundamental topic in ecology, but we know little about how competition between apex predators affects predation, the mechanism driving top-down forcing in ecosystems. We used long-term datasets from Scandinavia (Europe) and Yellowstone National Park (North America) to evaluate how grey wolf ( Canis lupus ) kill rate was affected by a sympatric apex predator, the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ). We used kill interval (i.e. the number of days between consecutive ungulate kills) as a proxy of kill rate. Although brown bears can monopolize wolf kills, we found no support in either study system for the common assumption that they cause wolves to kill more often. On the contrary, our results showed the opposite effect. In Scandinavia, wolf packs sympatric with brown bears killed less often than allopatric packs during both spring (after bear den emergence) and summer. Similarly, the presence of bears at wolf-killed ungulates was associated with wolves killing less often during summer in Yellowstone. The consistency in results between the two systems suggests that brown bear presence actually reduces wolf kill rate. Our results suggest that the influence of predation on lower trophic levels may depend on the composition of predator communities. © 2017 The Authors.

Competition between apex predators? Brown bears decrease wolf kill rate on two continents

PubMed Central

Ordiz, Andrés; Metz, Matthew C.; Milleret, Cyril; Wikenros, Camilla; Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Kindberg, Jonas; MacNulty, Daniel R.; Wabakken, Petter; Swenson, Jon E.; Sand, Håkan

2017-01-01

Trophic interactions are a fundamental topic in ecology, but we know little about how competition between apex predators affects predation, the mechanism driving top-down forcing in ecosystems. We used long-term datasets from Scandinavia (Europe) and Yellowstone National Park (North America) to evaluate how grey wolf (Canis lupus) kill rate was affected by a sympatric apex predator, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We used kill interval (i.e. the number of days between consecutive ungulate kills) as a proxy of kill rate. Although brown bears can monopolize wolf kills, we found no support in either study system for the common assumption that they cause wolves to kill more often. On the contrary, our results showed the opposite effect. In Scandinavia, wolf packs sympatric with brown bears killed less often than allopatric packs during both spring (after bear den emergence) and summer. Similarly, the presence of bears at wolf-killed ungulates was associated with wolves killing less often during summer in Yellowstone. The consistency in results between the two systems suggests that brown bear presence actually reduces wolf kill rate. Our results suggest that the influence of predation on lower trophic levels may depend on the composition of predator communities. PMID:28179516

The basilar membrane acts as a passive support structure at the cochlear apex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, Rebecca L.; Fridberger, Anders

2015-12-01

The precise mechanical behavior of the basilar membrane (BM) at low frequencies is still unknown. To address this issue we use an in vitro preparation of the guinea pig temporal bone to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the organ of Corti at the apex of the cochlea. Confocal laser interferometry is used to record the nanometre displacements of both Hensen's cells (HeC) and the BM in response to sound and electrical stimulation. We show that at low frequencies, the BM exhibits greatly reduced sound-evoked movement (˜35dB less) and no current-evoked movement, when compared to the HeC at the same position along the spiral. The BM best frequency is found to be an average of 52Hz (0.35 octave) higher than the HeC best frequency. In addition, we demonstrate that BM motion is not affected by inhibition of somatic electromotility or by blocking the mechanoelectrical transduction channels.We therefore propose that the BM primarily acts as a passive support structure at the cochlear apex. We suggest that the micromechanics of the cochlea that are vital to low-frequency amplification and frequency selectivity take place predominantly at the surface of the organ of Corti.

Using APEX to Model Anticipated Human Error: Analysis of a GPS Navigational Aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanSelst, Mark; Freed, Michael; Shefto, Michael (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

The interface development process can be dramatically improved by predicting design facilitated human error at an early stage in the design process. The approach we advocate is to SIMULATE the behavior of a human agent carrying out tasks with a well-specified user interface, ANALYZE the simulation for instances of human error, and then REFINE the interface or protocol to minimize predicted error. This approach, incorporated into the APEX modeling architecture, differs from past approaches to human simulation in Its emphasis on error rather than e.g. learning rate or speed of response. The APEX model consists of two major components: (1) a powerful action selection component capable of simulating behavior in complex, multiple-task environments; and (2) a resource architecture which constrains cognitive, perceptual, and motor capabilities to within empirically demonstrated limits. The model mimics human errors arising from interactions between limited human resources and elements of the computer interface whose design falls to anticipate those limits. We analyze the design of a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) device used for radical and navigational decisions in small yacht recalls. The analysis demonstrates how human system modeling can be an effective design aid, helping to accelerate the process of refining a product (or procedure).

Reaching for the APEX at Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohut, Matthew

2008-01-01

The multidimensional design of the APEX program is the result of an extensive research and development effort dating back nearly a decade. "In the late 1990s and early 2000, we were pretty successful at getting new research and technology projects here at the center," Johnson says, "and we had a lack of critical mass of project managers. We were taking people who were primarily researchers and putting them in the position of managing projects." Smith and Johnson held a series of workshops across the center during 2000 and 2001 to gather feedback about how to address this issue. When they briefed the center's senior management on their findings, one of the top recommendations was to establish a project manager development program at Ames. At that point, they cast a wide net for ideas and information. "We did centerwide needs assessment, we did focus groups, we did surveys," Smith says. "We came up with a proposal for what a program would look like, tying in what we knew about the Academy of Program1 Project Leadership (now the Academy for Program/Project and Engineering Leadership, or APPEL), what we've seen at other centers, what other centers have tried. We were always checking to make sure our program mapped to APPEL. We also looked at the PMI [Project Management Institute] model, INCOSE [International Council on Systems Engineering], CMMI [Capability Maturity Model Integration], you name it." "We had a lot of conversations with the Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard," Johnson adds. "We saw those centers as models for what Ames was aspiring to be in terms of a center for managing space flight missions." Their research confirmed what they already knew-that strong practitioner involvement would be critical to their program design process. 'XPEX is for the practitioner by the practitioner," Smith says. "They have to be a part of designing it. Otherwise there's no way we could design a program that meets their needs." At the same time that they worked at the grassroots

Dexamethasone levels and base-to-apex concentration gradients in the scala tympani perilymph after intracochlear delivery in the guinea pig.

PubMed

Hahn, Hartmut; Salt, Alec N; Biegner, Thorsten; Kammerer, Bernd; Delabar, Ursular; Hartsock, Jared J; Plontke, Stefan K

2012-06-01

To determine whether intracochlearly applied dexamethasone will lead to better control of drug levels, higher peak concentrations, and lower base-to-apex concentration gradients in the scala tympani (ST) of the guinea pig than after intratympanic (round window [RW]) application. Local application of drugs to the RW results in substantial variation of intracochlear drug levels and significant base-to-apex concentration gradients in ST. Two microliters of dexamethasone-phosphate (10 mg/ml) were injected into ST either through the RW membrane, which was covered with 1% sodium hyaluronate gel or through a cochleostomy with a fluid tight seal of the micropipette. Perilymph was sequentially sampled from the apex at a single time point for each animal, at 20, 80, or 200 min after the injection ended. Results were mathematically interpreted by means of an established computer model and compared with previous experiments performed by our group with the same experimental techniques but using intratympanic applications. Single intracochlear injections of 20 minutes resulted in approximately 10 times higher peak concentrations (on average) than 2 to 3 hours of intratympanic application to the RW niche. Intracochlear drug levels were less variable and could be measured for over 220 minutes. Concentration gradients along the scala tympani were less pronounced. The remaining variability in intracochlear drug levels was attributable to perilymph and drug leak from the injection site. With significantly higher, less variable drug levels and smaller base-to-apex concentration gradients, intracochlear applications have advantages to intratympanic injections. For further development of this technique, it is of importance to control leaks of perilymph and drug from the injection site and to evaluate its clinical feasibility and associated risks.

Use of soft data for multi-criteria calibration and validation of APEX: Impact on model simulations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

It is widely known that the use of soft data and multiple model performance criteria in model calibration and validation is critical to ensuring the model capture major hydrologic and water quality processes. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a hydrologic and water quality mod...

76 FR 13663 - Cooper Tools, Currently Known as Apex Tool Group, LLC, Hicksville, OH; Amended Certification...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-71,652] Cooper Tools, Currently... Adjustment Assistance on April 27, 2010, applicable to workers of Cooper Tools, Hicksville, Ohio. The workers.... purchased Cooper Tools and is currently known as Apex Tool Group, LLC. Some workers separated from...

A no-gold-standard technique for objective assessment of quantitative nuclear-medicine imaging methods

PubMed Central

Jha, Abhinav K; Caffo, Brian; Frey, Eric C

2016-01-01

The objective optimization and evaluation of nuclear-medicine quantitative imaging methods using patient data is highly desirable but often hindered by the lack of a gold standard. Previously, a regression-without-truth (RWT) approach has been proposed for evaluating quantitative imaging methods in the absence of a gold standard, but this approach implicitly assumes that bounds on the distribution of true values are known. Several quantitative imaging methods in nuclear-medicine imaging measure parameters where these bounds are not known, such as the activity concentration in an organ or the volume of a tumor. We extended upon the RWT approach to develop a no-gold-standard (NGS) technique for objectively evaluating such quantitative nuclear-medicine imaging methods with patient data in the absence of any ground truth. Using the parameters estimated with the NGS technique, a figure of merit, the noise-to-slope ratio (NSR), can be computed, which can rank the methods on the basis of precision. An issue with NGS evaluation techniques is the requirement of a large number of patient studies. To reduce this requirement, the proposed method explored the use of multiple quantitative measurements from the same patient, such as the activity concentration values from different organs in the same patient. The proposed technique was evaluated using rigorous numerical experiments and using data from realistic simulation studies. The numerical experiments demonstrated that the NSR was estimated accurately using the proposed NGS technique when the bounds on the distribution of true values were not precisely known, thus serving as a very reliable metric for ranking the methods on the basis of precision. In the realistic simulation study, the NGS technique was used to rank reconstruction methods for quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) based on their performance on the task of estimating the mean activity concentration within a known volume of interest

A no-gold-standard technique for objective assessment of quantitative nuclear-medicine imaging methods.

PubMed

Jha, Abhinav K; Caffo, Brian; Frey, Eric C

2016-04-07

The objective optimization and evaluation of nuclear-medicine quantitative imaging methods using patient data is highly desirable but often hindered by the lack of a gold standard. Previously, a regression-without-truth (RWT) approach has been proposed for evaluating quantitative imaging methods in the absence of a gold standard, but this approach implicitly assumes that bounds on the distribution of true values are known. Several quantitative imaging methods in nuclear-medicine imaging measure parameters where these bounds are not known, such as the activity concentration in an organ or the volume of a tumor. We extended upon the RWT approach to develop a no-gold-standard (NGS) technique for objectively evaluating such quantitative nuclear-medicine imaging methods with patient data in the absence of any ground truth. Using the parameters estimated with the NGS technique, a figure of merit, the noise-to-slope ratio (NSR), can be computed, which can rank the methods on the basis of precision. An issue with NGS evaluation techniques is the requirement of a large number of patient studies. To reduce this requirement, the proposed method explored the use of multiple quantitative measurements from the same patient, such as the activity concentration values from different organs in the same patient. The proposed technique was evaluated using rigorous numerical experiments and using data from realistic simulation studies. The numerical experiments demonstrated that the NSR was estimated accurately using the proposed NGS technique when the bounds on the distribution of true values were not precisely known, thus serving as a very reliable metric for ranking the methods on the basis of precision. In the realistic simulation study, the NGS technique was used to rank reconstruction methods for quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) based on their performance on the task of estimating the mean activity concentration within a known volume of interest

The simulation model of growth and cell divisions for the root apex with an apical cell in application to Azolla pinnata.

PubMed

Piekarska-Stachowiak, Anna; Nakielski, Jerzy

2013-12-01

In contrast to seed plants, the roots of most ferns have a single apical cell which is the ultimate source of all cells in the root. The apical cell has a tetrahedral shape and divides asymmetrically. The root cap derives from the distal division face, while merophytes derived from three proximal division faces contribute to the root proper. The merophytes are produced sequentially forming three sectors along a helix around the root axis. During development, they divide and differentiate in a predictable pattern. Such growth causes cell pattern of the root apex to be remarkably regular and self-perpetuating. The nature of this regularity remains unknown. This paper shows the 2D simulation model for growth of the root apex with the apical cell in application to Azolla pinnata. The field of growth rates of the organ, prescribed by the model, is of a tensor type (symplastic growth) and cells divide taking principal growth directions into account. The simulations show how the cell pattern in a longitudinal section of the apex develops in time. The virtual root apex grows realistically and its cell pattern is similar to that observed in anatomical sections. The simulations indicate that the cell pattern regularity results from cell divisions which are oriented with respect to principal growth directions. Such divisions are essential for maintenance of peri-anticlinal arrangement of cell walls and coordinated growth of merophytes during the development. The highly specific division program that takes place in merophytes prior to differentiation seems to be regulated at the cellular level.

Modified APEX model for Simulating Macropore Phosphorus Contributions to Tile Drains.

PubMed

Ford, William I; King, Kevin W; Williams, Mark R; Confesor, Remegio B

2017-11-01

The contribution of macropore flow to phosphorus (P) loadings in tile-drained agricultural landscapes remains poorly understood at the field scale, despite the recognized deleterious impacts of contaminant transport via macropore pathways. A new subroutine that couples existing matrix-excess and matrix-desiccation macropore flow theory and a modified P routine is implemented in the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. The original and modified formulation were applied and evaluated for a case study in a poorly drained field in Western Ohio with 31 months of surface and subsurface monitoring data. Results highlighted that a macropore subroutine in APEX improved edge-of-field discharge calibration and validation for both tile and total discharge from satisfactory and good, respectively, to very good and improved dissolved reactive P load calibration and validation statistics for tile P loads from unsatisfactory to very good. Output from the calibrated macropore simulations suggested median annual matrix-desiccation macropore flow contributions of 48% and P load contributions of 43%, with the majority of loading occurring in winter and spring. While somewhat counterintuitive, the prominence of matrix-desiccation macropore flow during seasons with less cracking reflects the importance of coupled development of macropore pathways and adequate supply of the macropore flow source. The innovative features of the model allow for assessments of annual macropore P contributions to tile drainage and has the potential to inform P site assessment tools. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A Framework for Mixing Methods in Quantitative Measurement Development, Validation, and Revision: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyt, Russell

2012-01-01

A framework for quantitative measurement development, validation, and revision that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods is introduced. It extends and adapts Adcock and Collier's work, and thus, facilitates understanding of quantitative measurement development, validation, and revision as an integrated and cyclical set of…

Quantitative methods in electroencephalography to access therapeutic response.

PubMed

Diniz, Roseane Costa; Fontenele, Andrea Martins Melo; Carmo, Luiza Helena Araújo do; Ribeiro, Aurea Celeste da Costa; Sales, Fábio Henrique Silva; Monteiro, Sally Cristina Moutinho; Sousa, Ana Karoline Ferreira de Castro

2016-07-01

Pharmacometrics or Quantitative Pharmacology aims to quantitatively analyze the interaction between drugs and patients whose tripod: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and disease monitoring to identify variability in drug response. Being the subject of central interest in the training of pharmacists, this work was out with a view to promoting this idea on methods to access the therapeutic response of drugs with central action. This paper discusses quantitative methods (Fast Fourier Transform, Magnitude Square Coherence, Conditional Entropy, Generalised Linear semi-canonical Correlation Analysis, Statistical Parametric Network and Mutual Information Function) used to evaluate the EEG signals obtained after administration regimen of drugs, the main findings and their clinical relevance, pointing it as a contribution to construction of different pharmaceutical practice. Peter Anderer et. al in 2000 showed the effect of 20mg of buspirone in 20 healthy subjects after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8h after oral ingestion of the drug. The areas of increased power of the theta frequency occurred mainly in the temporo-occipital - parietal region. It has been shown by Sampaio et al., 2007 that the use of bromazepam, which allows the release of GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system could theoretically promote dissociation of cortical functional areas, a decrease of functional connectivity, a decrease of cognitive functions by means of smaller coherence (electrophysiological magnitude measured from the EEG by software) values. Ahmad Khodayari-Rostamabad et al. in 2015 talk that such a measure could be a useful clinical tool potentially to assess adverse effects of opioids and hence give rise to treatment guidelines. There was the relation between changes in pain intensity and brain sources (at maximum activity locations) during remifentanil infusion despite its potent analgesic effect. The statement of mathematical and computational

Improvement of the variable storage coefficient method with water surface gradient as a variable

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The variable storage coefficient (VSC) method has been used for streamflow routing in continuous hydrological simulation models such as the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for more than 30 years. APEX operates on a daily time step and ...

Orbital apex syndrome secondary to a fungal nasal septal abscess caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes: a case report.

PubMed

Kishimoto, Ippei; Shinohara, Shogo; Ueda, Tetsuhiro; Tani, Shoichi; Yoshimura, Hajime; Imai, Yukihiro

2017-09-26

Orbital apex syndrome is a localized type of orbital cellulitis, where mass lesions occur at the apex of the cranial nerves. Although nasal septal abscess is uncommon, the organism most likely to cause nasal septal abscess is Staphylococcus aureus, and fungal septal abscesses are rare. Here we present an extremely rare and serious case of orbital apex syndrome secondary to fungal nasal septal abscess caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes. A 59-year-old man with a 1-month history of headache underwent consultation in an otolaryngological clinic of a general hospital. He was diagnosed with nasal septal abscess and was treated with incisional drainage and 1 month of an antibiotic drip; however, his symptoms persisted. The patient later complained of diplopia due to bilateral abducens nerve palsy, and was then referred to the department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital. The septal lesion was biopsied under general anesthesia, and S. apiospermum was detected using polymerase chain reaction. The patient was treated with an antifungal drug and surgical resection of the lesion was performed. Although the patient survived, he lost his eyesight. This patient represents the second reported case of nasal septal abscess and orbital apex syndrome caused by S. apiospermum. If not treated properly, septal abscess can be life-threatening and cause severe complications, such as ablepsia.

Bayesian data augmentation methods for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research findings

PubMed Central

Crandell, Jamie L.; Voils, Corrine I.; Chang, YunKyung; Sandelowski, Margarete

2010-01-01

The possible utility of Bayesian methods for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research has been repeatedly suggested but insufficiently investigated. In this project, we developed and used a Bayesian method for synthesis, with the goal of identifying factors that influence adherence to HIV medication regimens. We investigated the effect of 10 factors on adherence. Recognizing that not all factors were examined in all studies, we considered standard methods for dealing with missing data and chose a Bayesian data augmentation method. We were able to summarize, rank, and compare the effects of each of the 10 factors on medication adherence. This is a promising methodological development in the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research. PMID:21572970

Quantitative Urine Culture Method Using a Plastic „Paddle” Containing Dual Media

PubMed Central

Craig, William A.; Kunin, Calvin M.

1972-01-01

A new dip-inoculum method for quantitative urine culture is described which utilizes a dual-chambered plastic „paddle” housing both a general purpose and differential medium. Comparative bacterial counts of 1,000 clinical specimens using the pour plate and this device were identical in 82.9% and within a factor of five in 95.6%. The „paddle” detected all but 19 of 258 specimens (92.6%) with 100,000 or greater colonies per ml. This simple, convenient method should allow more extensive use of quantitative urine culture in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with urinary tract infections in office practice. It should not be considered as a substitute for the more definitive pour plate method or for standard methods for characterization of bacteriological species when more exact information is required. PMID:4555636

Simple and rapid method for isolation and quantitation of polyhydroxyalkanoate by SDS-sonication treatment.

PubMed

Arikawa, Hisashi; Sato, Shunsuke; Fujiki, Tetsuya; Matsumoto, Keiji

2017-08-01

We developed a new method for isolation and quantitation of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from culture broth. In this method, the cells were sonicated in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution and centrifuged to recover PHA. The recovered PHA was rinsed with deionized water and ethanol, and then weighed after drying. Hazardous chemicals such as chloroform, methanol, and sulfuric acid were not used, and no expensive analytical instruments were needed. We applied this method to Cupriavidus necator culture broths that included various amounts of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) from flasks and jar fermentors. The quantitation by this method was practical for use with a wide range of production amounts and PHA monomer compositions compared to the conventional whole-cell methanolysis method with gas chromatographic analysis, and besides, the recovered PHAs were adequately pure (≥96% purity). Therefore, this new method would be valuable not only for quantitation of PHA but also for preparation of samples to characterize their mechanical properties. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is tip apex distance as important as we think? A biomechanical study examining optimal lag screw placement.

PubMed

Kane, Patrick; Vopat, Bryan; Heard, Wendell; Thakur, Nikhil; Paller, David; Koruprolu, Sarath; Born, Christopher

2014-08-01

Intertrochanteric hip fractures pose a significant challenge for the orthopaedic community as optimal surgical treatment continues to be debated. Currently, varus collapse with lag screw cutout is the most common mode of failure. Multiple factors contribute to cutout. From a surgical technique perspective, a tip apex distance less than 25 mm has been suggested to decrease the risk of cutout. We hypothesized that a low-center lag screw position in the femoral head, with a tip apex distance greater than 25 mm will provide equal, if not superior, biomechanical stability compared with a center-center position with a tip apex distance less than 25 mm in an unstable intertrochanteric hip fracture stabilized with a long cephalomedullary nail. We attempted to examine the biomechanical characteristics of intertrochanteric fractures instrumented with long cephalomedullary nails with two separate lag screw positions, center-center and low-center. Our first research purpose was to examine if there was a difference between the center-center and low-center groups in cycles to failure and failure load. Second, we analyzed if there was a difference in fracture translation between the study groups during loading. Nine matched pairs of femurs were assigned to one of two treatment groups: low-center lag screw position and center-center lag screw position. Cephalomedullary nails were placed and tip apex distance was measured. A standard unstable four-part intertrochanteric fracture was created in all samples. The femurs were loaded dynamically until failure. Cycles to failure and load and displacement data were recorded, and three-dimensional (3-D) motion was recorded using an Optotrak(®) motion tracking system. There were no significant differences between the low-center and center-center treatment groups regarding the mean number of cycles to failure and mean failure load. The 3-D kinematic data showed significantly increased motion in the center-center group compared with the low

MR Imaging-based Semi-quantitative Methods for Knee Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

JARRAYA, Mohamed; HAYASHI, Daichi; ROEMER, Frank Wolfgang; GUERMAZI, Ali

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based semi-quantitative (SQ) methods applied to knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been introduced during the last decade and have fundamentally changed our understanding of knee OA pathology since then. Several epidemiological studies and clinical trials have used MRI-based SQ methods to evaluate different outcome measures. Interest in MRI-based SQ scoring system has led to continuous update and refinement. This article reviews the different SQ approaches for MRI-based whole organ assessment of knee OA and also discuss practical aspects of whole joint assessment. PMID:26632537

Multisite Evaluation of APEX for Water Quality: II. Regional Parameterization.

PubMed

Nelson, Nathan O; Baffaut, Claire; Lory, John A; Anomaa Senaviratne, G M M M; Bhandari, Ammar B; Udawatta, Ranjith P; Sweeney, Daniel W; Helmers, Matt J; Van Liew, Mike W; Mallarino, Antonio P; Wortmann, Charles S

2017-11-01

Phosphorus (P) Index assessment requires independent estimates of long-term average annual P loss from fields, representing multiple climatic scenarios, management practices, and landscape positions. Because currently available measured data are insufficient to evaluate P Index performance, calibrated and validated process-based models have been proposed as tools to generate the required data. The objectives of this research were to develop a regional parameterization for the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to estimate edge-of-field runoff, sediment, and P losses in restricted-layer soils of Missouri and Kansas and to assess the performance of this parameterization using monitoring data from multiple sites in this region. Five site-specific calibrated models (SSCM) from within the region were used to develop a regionally calibrated model (RCM), which was further calibrated and validated with measured data. Performance of the RCM was similar to that of the SSCMs for runoff simulation and had Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) > 0.72 and absolute percent bias (|PBIAS|) < 18% for both calibration and validation. The RCM could not simulate sediment loss (NSE < 0, |PBIAS| > 90%) and was particularly ineffective at simulating sediment loss from locations with small sediment loads. The RCM had acceptable performance for simulation of total P loss (NSE > 0.74, |PBIAS| < 30%) but underperformed the SSCMs. Total P-loss estimates should be used with caution due to poor simulation of sediment loss. Although we did not attain our goal of a robust regional parameterization of APEX for estimating sediment and total P losses, runoff estimates with the RCM were acceptable for P Index evaluation. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Development of a station based climate database for SWAT and APEX assessments in the U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water quality simulation models such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy EXtender (APEX) are widely used in the U.S. These models require large amounts of spatial and tabular data to simulate the natural world. Accurate and seamless daily climatic data are critical...

Quantitative, Qualitative and Geospatial Methods to Characterize HIV Risk Environments.

PubMed

Conners, Erin E; West, Brooke S; Roth, Alexis M; Meckel-Parker, Kristen G; Kwan, Mei-Po; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Staines-Orozco, Hugo; Clapp, John D; Brouwer, Kimberly C

2016-01-01

Increasingly, 'place', including physical and geographical characteristics as well as social meanings, is recognized as an important factor driving individual and community health risks. This is especially true among marginalized populations in low and middle income countries (LMIC), whose environments may also be more difficult to study using traditional methods. In the NIH-funded longitudinal study Mapa de Salud, we employed a novel approach to exploring the risk environment of female sex workers (FSWs) in two Mexico/U.S. border cities, Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. In this paper we describe the development, implementation, and feasibility of a mix of quantitative and qualitative tools used to capture the HIV risk environments of FSWs in an LMIC setting. The methods were: 1) Participatory mapping; 2) Quantitative interviews; 3) Sex work venue field observation; 4) Time-location-activity diaries; 5) In-depth interviews about daily activity spaces. We found that the mixed-methodology outlined was both feasible to implement and acceptable to participants. These methods can generate geospatial data to assess the role of the environment on drug and sexual risk behaviors among high risk populations. Additionally, the adaptation of existing methods for marginalized populations in resource constrained contexts provides new opportunities for informing public health interventions.

Quantitative, Qualitative and Geospatial Methods to Characterize HIV Risk Environments

PubMed Central

Conners, Erin E.; West, Brooke S.; Roth, Alexis M.; Meckel-Parker, Kristen G.; Kwan, Mei-Po; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Staines-Orozco, Hugo; Clapp, John D.; Brouwer, Kimberly C.

2016-01-01

Increasingly, ‘place’, including physical and geographical characteristics as well as social meanings, is recognized as an important factor driving individual and community health risks. This is especially true among marginalized populations in low and middle income countries (LMIC), whose environments may also be more difficult to study using traditional methods. In the NIH-funded longitudinal study Mapa de Salud, we employed a novel approach to exploring the risk environment of female sex workers (FSWs) in two Mexico/U.S. border cities, Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. In this paper we describe the development, implementation, and feasibility of a mix of quantitative and qualitative tools used to capture the HIV risk environments of FSWs in an LMIC setting. The methods were: 1) Participatory mapping; 2) Quantitative interviews; 3) Sex work venue field observation; 4) Time-location-activity diaries; 5) In-depth interviews about daily activity spaces. We found that the mixed-methodology outlined was both feasible to implement and acceptable to participants. These methods can generate geospatial data to assess the role of the environment on drug and sexual risk behaviors among high risk populations. Additionally, the adaptation of existing methods for marginalized populations in resource constrained contexts provides new opportunities for informing public health interventions. PMID:27191846

Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers: A Review of Statistical Methods for Technical Performance Assessment

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Technological developments and greater rigor in the quantitative measurement of biological features in medical images have given rise to an increased interest in using quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) to measure changes in these features. Critical to the performance of a QIB in preclinical or clinical settings are three primary metrology areas of interest: measurement linearity and bias, repeatability, and the ability to consistently reproduce equivalent results when conditions change, as would be expected in any clinical trial. Unfortunately, performance studies to date differ greatly in designs, analysis method and metrics used to assess a QIB for clinical use. It is therefore, difficult or not possible to integrate results from different studies or to use reported results to design studies. The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance (QIBA) with technical, radiological and statistical experts developed a set of technical performance analysis methods, metrics and study designs that provide terminology, metrics and methods consistent with widely accepted metrological standards. This document provides a consistent framework for the conduct and evaluation of QIB performance studies so that results from multiple studies can be compared, contrasted or combined. PMID:24919831

A scoring system for appraising mixed methods research, and concomitantly appraising qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods primary studies in Mixed Studies Reviews.

PubMed

Pluye, Pierre; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Griffiths, Frances; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique

2009-04-01

A new form of literature review has emerged, Mixed Studies Review (MSR). These reviews include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. In the present paper, we examine MSRs in health sciences, and provide guidance on processes that should be included and reported. However, there are no valid and usable criteria for concomitantly appraising the methodological quality of the qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. To propose criteria for concomitantly appraising the methodological quality of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies or study components. A three-step critical review was conducted. 2322 references were identified in MEDLINE, and their titles and abstracts were screened; 149 potentially relevant references were selected and the full-text papers were examined; 59 MSRs were retained and scrutinized using a deductive-inductive qualitative thematic data analysis. This revealed three types of MSR: convenience, reproducible, and systematic. Guided by a proposal, we conducted a qualitative thematic data analysis of the quality appraisal procedures used in the 17 systematic MSRs (SMSRs). Of 17 SMSRs, 12 showed clear quality appraisal procedures with explicit criteria but no SMSR used valid checklists to concomitantly appraise qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. In two SMSRs, criteria were developed following a specific procedure. Checklists usually contained more criteria than needed. In four SMSRs, a reliability assessment was described or mentioned. While criteria for quality appraisal were usually based on descriptors that require specific methodological expertise (e.g., appropriateness), no SMSR described the fit between reviewers' expertise and appraised studies. Quality appraisal usually resulted in studies being ranked by methodological quality. A scoring system is proposed for concomitantly appraising the methodological quality of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies for SMSRs. This

Quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging methods for pharmaceutical research.

PubMed

Mantle, M D

2011-09-30

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a tool in pharmaceutical research is now well established and the current literature covers a multitude of different pharmaceutically relevant research areas. This review focuses on the use of quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging techniques and how they have been exploited to extract information that is of direct relevance to the pharmaceutical industry. The article is divided into two main areas. The first half outlines the theoretical aspects of magnetic resonance and deals with basic magnetic resonance theory, the effects of nuclear spin-lattice (T(1)), spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation and molecular diffusion upon image quantitation, and discusses the applications of rapid magnetic resonance imaging techniques. In addition to the theory, the review aims to provide some practical guidelines for the pharmaceutical researcher with an interest in MRI as to which MRI pulse sequences/protocols should be used and when. The second half of the article reviews the recent advances and developments that have appeared in the literature concerning the use of quantitative micro-imaging methods to pharmaceutically relevant research. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SpaceX-3 KSC Payloads: Biotube, Bric, Apex2-2

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Donald Houzer, a QinetiQ North America mechanical technician checks out the Advanced Plant Experiment, or APEX, experiment as it is being prepared for launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Scheduled for launch on March 16 atop a Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon will be marking its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission is the third of 12 flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

APEX Detection of Molecular Gas in Ram-Pressure Stripped Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moretti, Alessia

2017-11-01

I will report on our recent study aimed at detecting molecular gas in the main body and in the tails of a sample of 5 jellyfish galaxies that have been observed within our ongoing MUSE Large Program (GASP). The analyzed sample is constituted by the most extreme jellyfish galaxies, for which the analysis of the ionized gas has already demonstrated that the mechanism at play in regulating 5the gas outflow is the ram pressure stripping. The detection of molecular gas in the tails and the broad characterization that we have been able to extract with APEX data is one of the key ingredients to understand if and how the molecular gas is subject to the same physical process.

Virtualising the Quantitative Research Methods Course: An Island-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baglin, James; Reece, John; Baker, Jenalle

2015-01-01

Many recent improvements in pedagogical practice have been enabled by the rapid development of innovative technologies, particularly for teaching quantitative research methods and statistics. This study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a series of specialised computer laboratory sessions. The sessions combined the use of an…

Method for the Simultaneous Quantitation of Apolipoprotein E Isoforms using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Wildsmith, Kristin R.; Han, Bomie; Bateman, Randall J.

2009-01-01

Using Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) as a model protein, we developed a protein isoform analysis method utilizing Stable Isotope Labeling Tandem Mass Spectrometry (SILT MS). ApoE isoforms are quantitated using the intensities of the b and y ions of the 13C-labeled tryptic isoform-specific peptides versus unlabeled tryptic isoform-specific peptides. The ApoE protein isoform analysis using SILT allows for the simultaneous detection and relative quantitation of different ApoE isoforms from the same sample. This method provides a less biased assessment of ApoE isoforms compared to antibody-dependent methods, and may lead to a better understanding of the biological differences between isoforms. PMID:19653990

A method for the quantitative determination of crystalline phases by X-ray

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petzenhauser, I.; Jaeger, P.

1988-01-01

A mineral analysis method is described for rapid quantitative determination of crystalline substances in those cases in which the sample is present in pure form or in a mixture of known composition. With this method there is no need for prior chemical analysis.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: YSOs APEX-CHAMP+ high-J CO maps (Yildiz+,

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildiz, U. A.; Kristensen, L. E.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Karska, A.; Belloche, A.; Endo, A.; Frieswijk, W.; Gusten, R.; van Kempen, T. A.; Leurini, S.; Nagy, Z.; Perez-Beaupuits, J. P.; Risacher, C.; van der Marel, N.; van Weeren, R. J.; Wyrowski, F.

2015-01-01

Files contain the observations of 12CO and 13 JCMT-HARP-B and 12CO and 13CO 6-5 from APEX-CHAMP+, toward 26 low mass protostars as listed below. The data analysis was done via GILDAS-CLASS, where raw data are processed to obtain regularly sampled data. The spectra are given in two formats; fits cube and GILDAS lmv cube. File names are self explanatory, i.e., SOURCENAMEMOLECULETRANSITIONTELESCOPENAMEcube_VELOCITYRESOLUTION.fits and SOURCENAMEMOLECULETRANSITIONTELESCOPENAMEcube_VELOCITYRESOLUTION.lmv (3 data files).

Validation of a Spectral Method for Quantitative Measurement of Color in Protein Drug Solutions.

PubMed

Yin, Jian; Swartz, Trevor E; Zhang, Jian; Patapoff, Thomas W; Chen, Bartolo; Marhoul, Joseph; Shih, Norman; Kabakoff, Bruce; Rahimi, Kimia

2016-01-01

A quantitative spectral method has been developed to precisely measure the color of protein solutions. In this method, a spectrophotometer is utilized for capturing the visible absorption spectrum of a protein solution, which can then be converted to color values (L*a*b*) that represent human perception of color in a quantitative three-dimensional space. These quantitative values (L*a*b*) allow for calculating the best match of a sample's color to a European Pharmacopoeia reference color solution. In order to qualify this instrument and assay for use in clinical quality control, a technical assessment was conducted to evaluate the assay suitability and precision. Setting acceptance criteria for this study required development and implementation of a unique statistical method for assessing precision in 3-dimensional space. Different instruments, cuvettes, protein solutions, and analysts were compared in this study. The instrument accuracy, repeatability, and assay precision were determined. The instrument and assay are found suitable for use in assessing color of drug substances and drug products and is comparable to the current European Pharmacopoeia visual assessment method. In the biotechnology industry, a visual assessment is the most commonly used method for color characterization, batch release, and stability testing of liquid protein drug solutions. Using this method, an analyst visually determines the color of the sample by choosing the closest match to a standard color series. This visual method can be subjective because it requires an analyst to make a judgment of the best match of color of the sample to the standard color series, and it does not capture data on hue and chroma that would allow for improved product characterization and the ability to detect subtle differences between samples. To overcome these challenges, we developed a quantitative spectral method for color determination that greatly reduces the variability in measuring color and allows

A fast semi-quantitative method for Plutonium determination in an alpine firn/ice core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrieli, J.; Cozzi, G.; Vallelonga, P.; Schwikowski, M.; Sigl, M.; Boutron, C.; Barbante, C.

2009-04-01

deposition decreased very sharply reaching a minimum in 1967. The third period (1967-1975) is characterized by irregular Pu profiles with smaller peaks (about 20-30% compared to the 1964 peak) which could be due to French and Chinese tests. Comparison with the Pu profiles obtained from the Col du Dome and Belukha ice cores by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) shows very good agreement. Considering the semi-quantitative method and the analytical uncertainty, the results are also quantitatively comparable. However, the Pu concentrations at Colle Gnifetti are normally 2-3 times greater than in Col du Dome. This could be explained by different air mass transport or, more likely, different accumulation rates at each site.

A method for the extraction and quantitation of phycoerythrin from algae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, D. E.

1982-01-01

A summary of a new technique for the extraction and quantitation of phycoerythrin (PHE) from algal samples is described. Results of analysis of four extracts representing three PHE types from algae including cryptomonad and cyanophyte types are presented. The method of extraction and an equation for quantitation are given. A graph showing the relationship of concentration and fluorescence units that may be used with samples fluorescing around 575-580 nm (probably dominated by cryptophytes in estuarine waters) and 560 nm (dominated by cyanophytes characteristics of the open ocean) is provided.

An improved transmutation method for quantitative determination of the components in multicomponent overlapping chromatograms.

PubMed

Shao, Xueguang; Yu, Zhengliang; Ma, Chaoxiong

2004-06-01

An improved method is proposed for the quantitative determination of multicomponent overlapping chromatograms based on a known transmutation method. To overcome the main limitation of the transmutation method caused by the oscillation generated in the transmutation process, two techniques--wavelet transform smoothing and the cubic spline interpolation for reducing data points--were adopted, and a new criterion was also developed. By using the proposed algorithm, the oscillation can be suppressed effectively, and quantitative determination of the components in both the simulated and experimental overlapping chromatograms is successfully obtained.

Multi-site evaluation of APEX for crop and grazing land in the Heartland region of the US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural and Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) is capable of estimating edge-of-field water, nutrient, and sediment transport and is used to assess the environmental impacts of management practices. Current practice is to fully calibrate the model for each site simulation, which requires ...

76 FR 67243 - In the Matter of Accesspoint Corp., Aero Performance Products, Inc., Apex Resources Group, Inc...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-31

... Performance Products, Inc., Apex Resources Group, Inc., Aradyme Corp., Bancroft Uranium, Inc., Fightersoft Multimedia Corp., Fortress Financial Group, Inc., and Global Aircraft Solutions, Inc.; Order of Suspension of... securities of Aero Performance Products, Inc. because it has not filed any periodic reports since the period...

A comparative assessment of the accuracy of electronic apex locator (Root ZX) in the presence of commonly used irrigating solutions

PubMed Central

Raidullah, Ebadullah; Francis, Maria L.

2014-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of Root ZX in determining working length in presence of normal saline, 0.2% chlorhexidine and 2.5% of sodium hypochlorite. Material and Methods: Sixty extracted, single rooted, single canal human teeth were used. Teeth were decoronated at CEJ and actual canal length determined. Then working length measurements were obtained with Root ZX in presence of normal saline 0.9%, 0.2% chlorhexidine and 2.5% NaOCl. The working length obtained with Root ZX were compared with actual canal length and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: No statistical significant difference was found between actual canal length and Root ZX measurements in presence of normal saline and 0.2% chlorhexidine. Highly statistical difference was found between actual canal length and Root ZX measurements in presence of 2.5% of NaOCl, however all the measurements were within the clinically acceptable range of ±0.5mm. Conclusion: The accuracy of EL measurement of Root ZX within±0.5 mm of AL was consistently high in the presence of 0.2% chlorhexidine, normal saline and 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. Clinical significance: This study signifies the efficacy of ROOT ZX (Third generation apex locator) as a dependable aid in endodontic working length. Key words:Electronic apex locator, working length, root ZX accuracy, intracanal irrigating solutions. PMID:24596634

Quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol content in cold pressed rice bran oil by TLC-image analysis method

PubMed Central

Sakunpak, Apirak; Suksaeree, Jirapornchai; Monton, Chaowalit; Pathompak, Pathamaporn; Kraisintu, Krisana

2014-01-01

Objective To develop and validate an image analysis method for quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. Methods TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods were developed, validated, and used for quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. The results obtained by these two different quantification methods were compared by paired t-test. Results Both assays provided good linearity, accuracy, reproducibility and selectivity for determination of γ-oryzanol. Conclusions The TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods provided a similar reproducibility, accuracy and selectivity for the quantitative determination of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. A statistical comparison of the quantitative determinations of γ-oryzanol in samples did not show any statistically significant difference between TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods. As both methods were found to be equal, they therefore can be used for the determination of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. PMID:25182282

Biological characteristics of crucian by quantitative inspection method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Mengqi

2015-04-01

Biological characteristics of crucian by quantitative inspection method Through quantitative inspection method , the biological characteristics of crucian was preliminary researched. Crucian , Belongs to Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae, Carassius auratus, is a kind of main plant-eating omnivorous fish,like Gregarious, selection and ranking. Crucian are widely distributed, perennial water all over the country all have production. Determine the indicators of crucian in the experiment, to understand the growth, reproduction situation of crucian in this area . Using the measured data (such as the scale length ,scale size and wheel diameter and so on) and related functional to calculate growth of crucian in any one year.According to the egg shape, color, weight ,etc to determine its maturity, with the mean egg diameter per 20 eggs and the number of eggs per 0.5 grams, to calculate the relative and absolute fecundity of the fish .Measured crucian were female puberty. Based on the relation between the scale diameter and length and the information, linear relationship between crucian scale diameter and length: y=1.530+3.0649. From the data, the fertility and is closely relative to the increase of age. The older, the more mature gonad development. The more amount of eggs. In addition, absolute fecundity increases with the pituitary gland.Through quantitative check crucian bait food intake by the object, reveals the main food, secondary foods, and chance food of crucian ,and understand that crucian degree of be fond of of all kinds of bait organisms.Fish fertility with weight gain, it has the characteristics of species and populations, and at the same tmes influenced by the age of the individual, body length, body weight, environmental conditions (especially the nutrition conditions), and breeding habits, spawning times factors and the size of the egg. After a series of studies of crucian biological character, provide the ecological basis for local crucian's feeding, breeding

A collimator optimization method for quantitative imaging: application to Y-90 bremsstrahlung SPECT.

PubMed

Rong, Xing; Frey, Eric C

2013-08-01

Post-therapy quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shown great potential to provide reliable activity estimates, which are essential for dose verification. Typically 90Y imaging is performed with high- or medium-energy collimators. However, the energy spectrum of 90Y bremsstrahlung photons is substantially different than typical for these collimators. In addition, dosimetry requires quantitative images, and collimators are not typically optimized for such tasks. Optimizing a collimator for 90Y imaging is both novel and potentially important. Conventional optimization methods are not appropriate for 90Y bremsstrahlung photons, which have a continuous and broad energy distribution. In this work, the authors developed a parallel-hole collimator optimization method for quantitative tasks that is particularly applicable to radionuclides with complex emission energy spectra. The authors applied the proposed method to develop an optimal collimator for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT in the context of microsphere radioembolization. To account for the effects of the collimator on both the bias and the variance of the activity estimates, the authors used the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the volume of interest activity estimates as the figure of merit (FOM). In the FOM, the bias due to the null space of the image formation process was taken in account. The RMSE was weighted by the inverse mass to reflect the application to dosimetry; for a different application, more relevant weighting could easily be adopted. The authors proposed a parameterization for the collimator that facilitates the incorporation of the important factors (geometric sensitivity, geometric resolution, and septal penetration fraction) determining collimator performance, while keeping the number of free parameters describing the collimator small (i.e., two parameters). To make the optimization results for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT more

A new method to evaluate image quality of CBCT images quantitatively without observers

PubMed Central

Shimizu, Mayumi; Okamura, Kazutoshi; Yoshida, Shoko; Weerawanich, Warangkana; Tokumori, Kenji; Jasa, Gainer R; Yoshiura, Kazunori

2017-01-01

Objectives: To develop an observer-free method for quantitatively evaluating the image quality of CBCT images by applying just-noticeable difference (JND). Methods: We used two test objects: (1) a Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) plate phantom attached to a dry human mandible; and (2) a block phantom consisting of a Teflon step phantom and an aluminium step phantom. These phantoms had holes with different depths. They were immersed in water and scanned with a CB MercuRay (Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) at tube voltages of 120 kV, 100 kV, 80 kV and 60 kV. Superimposed images of the phantoms with holes were used for evaluation. The number of detectable holes was used as an index of image quality. In detecting holes quantitatively, the threshold grey value (ΔG), which differentiated holes from the background, was calculated using a specific threshold (the JND), and we extracted the holes with grey values above ΔG. The indices obtained by this quantitative method (the extracted hole values) were compared with the observer evaluations (the observed hole values). In addition, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the shallowest detectable holes and the deepest undetectable holes were measured to evaluate the contribution of CNR to detectability. Results: The results of this evaluation method corresponded almost exactly with the evaluations made by observers. The extracted hole values reflected the influence of different tube voltages. All extracted holes had an area with a CNR of ≥1.5. Conclusions: This quantitative method of evaluating CBCT image quality may be more useful and less time-consuming than evaluation by observation. PMID:28045343

Comparison of WEPP and APEX runoff and erosion prediction at field scale in Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) and the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) are process-based models that can predict spatial and temporal distributions of erosion for hillslopes and watersheds. This study applies the WEPP model to predict runoff and erosion for a 35-ha fie...

A Survey of Jet Aircraft PM by TEM in APEX III

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanderWal, Randy L.; Bryg, Victoria M.

2014-01-01

Based upon field testing during the NASA led APEX III campaign conducted in November 2005 at the NASA Glenn Research Center in coordination with Continental Airlines and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This paper reports observations of particulate emissions collected from a suite of jet engine aircraft to assess differences and similarities in soot macro- micro- and nanostructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Aggregates are compact, primary particle sizes varied and nanostructure mixed. Comparisons are made to more familiar laboratory flame-generated soot as a well-studied point of reference. Results are interpreted in terms of turbulence interacting with the different stages of particle formation and growth.

A New Kinetic Spectrophotometric Method for the Quantitation of Amorolfine.

PubMed

Soto, César; Poza, Cristian; Contreras, David; Yáñez, Jorge; Nacaratte, Fallon; Toral, M Inés

2017-01-01

Amorolfine (AOF) is a compound with fungicide activity based on the dual inhibition of growth of the fungal cell membrane, the biosynthesis and accumulation of sterols, and the reduction of ergosterol. In this work a sensitive kinetic and spectrophotometric method for the AOF quantitation based on the AOF oxidation by means of KMnO 4 at 30 min (fixed time), pH alkaline, and ionic strength controlled was developed. Measurements of changes in absorbance at 610 nm were used as criterion of the oxidation progress. In order to maximize the sensitivity, different experimental reaction parameters were carefully studied via factorial screening and optimized by multivariate method. The linearity, intraday, and interday assay precision and accuracy were determined. The absorbance-concentration plot corresponding to tap water spiked samples was rectilinear, over the range of 7.56 × 10 -6 -3.22 × 10 -5  mol L -1 , with detection and quantitation limits of 2.49 × 10 -6  mol L -1 and 7.56 × 10 -6  mol L -1 , respectively. The proposed method was successfully validated for the application of the determination of the drug in the spiked tap water samples and the percentage recoveries were 94.0-105.0%. The method is simple and does not require expensive instruments or complicated extraction steps of the reaction product.

Quantitative determination and validation of octreotide acetate using 1 H-NMR spectroscopy with internal standard method.

PubMed

Yu, Chen; Zhang, Qian; Xu, Peng-Yao; Bai, Yin; Shen, Wen-Bin; Di, Bin; Su, Meng-Xiang

2018-01-01

Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) is a well-established technique in quantitative analysis. We presented a validated 1 H-qNMR method for assay of octreotide acetate, a kind of cyclic octopeptide. Deuterium oxide was used to remove the undesired exchangeable peaks, which was referred to as proton exchange, in order to make the quantitative signals isolated in the crowded spectrum of the peptide and ensure precise quantitative analysis. Gemcitabine hydrochloride was chosen as the suitable internal standard. Experimental conditions, including relaxation delay time, the numbers of scans, and pulse angle, were optimized first. Then method validation was carried out in terms of selectivity, stability, linearity, precision, and robustness. The assay result was compared with that by means of high performance liquid chromatography, which is provided by Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The statistical F test, Student's t test, and nonparametric test at 95% confidence level indicate that there was no significant difference between these two methods. qNMR is a simple and accurate quantitative tool with no need for specific corresponding reference standards. It has the potential of the quantitative analysis of other peptide drugs and standardization of the corresponding reference standards. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of right ventricular pacing on cardiac apex rotation assessed by a gyroscopic sensor.

PubMed

Marcelli, Emanuela; Cercenelli, Laura; Parlapiano, Mario; Fumero, Roberto; Bagnoli, Paola; Costantino, Maria Laura; Plicchi, Gianni

2007-01-01

To quantify cardiac apex rotation (CAR), the authors recently proposed the use of a Coriolis force sensor (gyroscope) as an alternative to other complex techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of right ventricular (RV) pacing on CAR. A sheep heart was initially paced from the right atrium to induce a normal activation sequence at a fixed heart rate (AAI mode) and then an atrioventricular pacing was performed (DOO mode, AV delay = 60 ms). A small gyroscope was epicardially glued on the cardiac apex to measure the angular velocity (Ang V). From AAI to DOO pacing mode, an increase (+9.2%, p < 0.05) of the maximum systolic twisting velocity (Ang VMAX) and a marked decrease (-19.9%, p < 0.05) of the maximum diastolic untwisting velocity (Ang VMIN) resulted. RV pacing had negligible effects (-3.1%, p = 0.09) on the maximum angle of CAR, obtained by integrating Ang V. The hemodynamic parameters of systolic (LVdP/dtMAX) and diastolic (LVdP/dtMIN) cardiac function showed slight variations (-3.8%, p < 0.05 and +3.9%, p < 0.05, respectively). Results suggest that cardiac dyssynchrony induced by RV pacing can alter the normal physiological ventricular twist patterns, particularly affecting diastolic untwisting velocity.

Quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol content in cold pressed rice bran oil by TLC-image analysis method.

PubMed

Sakunpak, Apirak; Suksaeree, Jirapornchai; Monton, Chaowalit; Pathompak, Pathamaporn; Kraisintu, Krisana

2014-02-01

To develop and validate an image analysis method for quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods were developed, validated, and used for quantitative analysis of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. The results obtained by these two different quantification methods were compared by paired t-test. Both assays provided good linearity, accuracy, reproducibility and selectivity for determination of γ-oryzanol. The TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods provided a similar reproducibility, accuracy and selectivity for the quantitative determination of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil. A statistical comparison of the quantitative determinations of γ-oryzanol in samples did not show any statistically significant difference between TLC-densitometric and TLC-image analysis methods. As both methods were found to be equal, they therefore can be used for the determination of γ-oryzanol in cold pressed rice bran oil.

Should the tip-apex distance (TAD) rule be modified for the proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA)? A retrospective study.

PubMed

Nikoloski, Andrej N; Osbrough, Anthony L; Yates, Piers J

2013-10-17

Unstable proximal femoral fractures are common and challenging for the orthopaedic surgeon. Often, these are treated with intramedullary nails. The most common mode of failure of any device to treat these fractures is cut-out. The Synthes proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) is unique because it is the only proximal femoral intramedullary nail which employs a helical blade in lieu of a lag screw. The optimal tip-apex distance is 25 mm or less for a dynamic hip screw. The optimal blade tip placement is not known for the PFNA. The aim of this study is to determine if the traditional tip-apex distance rule (<25 mm) applies to the PFNA. A retrospective study of all proximal femoral fractures treated with the PFNA in Western Australian public teaching hospitals between August 2006 and October 2007 was performed. Cases were identified from company and theatre implant use records. Patient demographic data was obtained from hospital records. Fractures were classified according to Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation. Fracture reduction, distal locking type and blade position within the head (tip-apex distance and Cleveland zone) were recorded from the intraoperative and immediate postoperative radiographs. Postoperative radiographs obtained in the routine treatment of patients were studied for review looking primarily for cut-out. Clinical outcomes were measured with the Oxford hip score. One hundred eighty-eight PFNAs were implanted during the study period, with 178 cases included in this study. Ninety-seven patients could be followed up clinically. There were 18 surgical implant-related failures (19%). The single most common mode of failure was cut-out in six cases (6.2%). Three cut-outs (two medial perforation and one varus collapse) occurred with tip-apex distance (TAD) less than 20 mm. There was no cut-out in cases where the TAD was from 20-30 mm. There were three implant-related failures (nail fracture

A method to generate the surface cell layer of the 3D virtual shoot apex from apical initials.

PubMed

Kucypera, Krzysztof; Lipowczan, Marcin; Piekarska-Stachowiak, Anna; Nakielski, Jerzy

2017-01-01

The development of cell pattern in the surface cell layer of the shoot apex can be investigated in vivo by use of a time-lapse confocal images, showing naked meristem in 3D in successive times. However, how this layer is originated from apical initials and develops as a result of growth and divisions of their descendants, remains unknown. This is an open area for computer modelling. A method to generate the surface cell layer is presented on the example of the 3D paraboloidal shoot apical dome. In the used model the layer originates from three apical initials that meet at the dome summit and develops through growth and cell divisions under the isotropic surface growth, defined by the growth tensor. The cells, which are described by polyhedrons, divide anticlinally with the smallest division plane that passes depending on the used mode through the cell center, or the point found randomly near this center. The formation of the surface cell pattern is described with the attention being paid to activity of the apical initials and fates of their descendants. The computer generated surface layer that included about 350 cells required about 1200 divisions of the apical initials and their derivatives. The derivatives were arranged into three more or less equal clonal sectors composed of cellular clones at different age. Each apical initial renewed itself 7-8 times to produce the sector. In the shape and location and the cellular clones the following divisions of the initial were manifested. The application of the random factor resulted in more realistic cell pattern in comparison to the pure mode. The cell divisions were analyzed statistically on the top view. When all of the division walls were considered, their angular distribution was uniform, whereas in the distribution that was limited to apical initials only, some preferences related to their arrangement at the dome summit were observed. The realistic surface cell pattern was obtained. The present method is a useful

Calibration of the APEX Model to Simulate Management Practice Effects on Runoff, Sediment, and Phosphorus Loss.

PubMed

Bhandari, Ammar B; Nelson, Nathan O; Sweeney, Daniel W; Baffaut, Claire; Lory, John A; Senaviratne, Anomaa; Pierzynski, Gary M; Janssen, Keith A; Barnes, Philip L

2017-11-01

Process-based computer models have been proposed as a tool to generate data for Phosphorus (P) Index assessment and development. Although models are commonly used to simulate P loss from agriculture using managements that are different from the calibration data, this use of models has not been fully tested. The objective of this study is to determine if the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model can accurately simulate runoff, sediment, total P, and dissolved P loss from 0.4 to 1.5 ha of agricultural fields with managements that are different from the calibration data. The APEX model was calibrated with field-scale data from eight different managements at two locations (management-specific models). The calibrated models were then validated, either with the same management used for calibration or with different managements. Location models were also developed by calibrating APEX with data from all managements. The management-specific models resulted in satisfactory performance when used to simulate runoff, total P, and dissolved P within their respective systems, with > 0.50, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency > 0.30, and percent bias within ±35% for runoff and ±70% for total and dissolved P. When applied outside the calibration management, the management-specific models only met the minimum performance criteria in one-third of the tests. The location models had better model performance when applied across all managements compared with management-specific models. Our results suggest that models only be applied within the managements used for calibration and that data be included from multiple management systems for calibration when using models to assess management effects on P loss or evaluate P Indices. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Informatics methods to enable sharing of quantitative imaging research data.

PubMed

Levy, Mia A; Freymann, John B; Kirby, Justin S; Fedorov, Andriy; Fennessy, Fiona M; Eschrich, Steven A; Berglund, Anders E; Fenstermacher, David A; Tan, Yongqiang; Guo, Xiaotao; Casavant, Thomas L; Brown, Bartley J; Braun, Terry A; Dekker, Andre; Roelofs, Erik; Mountz, James M; Boada, Fernando; Laymon, Charles; Oborski, Matt; Rubin, Daniel L

2012-11-01

The National Cancer Institute Quantitative Research Network (QIN) is a collaborative research network whose goal is to share data, algorithms and research tools to accelerate quantitative imaging research. A challenge is the variability in tools and analysis platforms used in quantitative imaging. Our goal was to understand the extent of this variation and to develop an approach to enable sharing data and to promote reuse of quantitative imaging data in the community. We performed a survey of the current tools in use by the QIN member sites for representation and storage of their QIN research data including images, image meta-data and clinical data. We identified existing systems and standards for data sharing and their gaps for the QIN use case. We then proposed a system architecture to enable data sharing and collaborative experimentation within the QIN. There are a variety of tools currently used by each QIN institution. We developed a general information system architecture to support the QIN goals. We also describe the remaining architecture gaps we are developing to enable members to share research images and image meta-data across the network. As a research network, the QIN will stimulate quantitative imaging research by pooling data, algorithms and research tools. However, there are gaps in current functional requirements that will need to be met by future informatics development. Special attention must be given to the technical requirements needed to translate these methods into the clinical research workflow to enable validation and qualification of these novel imaging biomarkers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A quantitative method for optimized placement of continuous air monitors.

PubMed

Whicker, Jeffrey J; Rodgers, John C; Moxley, John S

2003-11-01

Alarming continuous air monitors (CAMs) are a critical component for worker protection in facilities that handle large amounts of hazardous materials. In nuclear facilities, continuous air monitors alarm when levels of airborne radioactive materials exceed alarm thresholds, thus prompting workers to exit the room to reduce inhalation exposures. To maintain a high level of worker protection, continuous air monitors are required to detect radioactive aerosol clouds quickly and with good sensitivity. This requires that there are sufficient numbers of continuous air monitors in a room and that they are well positioned. Yet there are no published methodologies to quantitatively determine the optimal number and placement of continuous air monitors in a room. The goal of this study was to develop and test an approach to quantitatively determine optimal number and placement of continuous air monitors in a room. The method we have developed uses tracer aerosol releases (to simulate accidental releases) and the measurement of the temporal and spatial aspects of the dispersion of the tracer aerosol through the room. The aerosol dispersion data is then analyzed to optimize continuous air monitor utilization based on simulated worker exposure. This method was tested in a room within a Department of Energy operated plutonium facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, U.S. Results from this study show that the value of quantitative airflow and aerosol dispersion studies is significant and that worker protection can be significantly improved while balancing the costs associated with CAM programs.

Quantitative verification of the keyhole concept: a comparison of area of exposure in the parasellar region via supraorbital keyhole, frontotemporal pterional, and supraorbital approaches.

PubMed

Cheng, Cheng-Mao; Noguchi, Akio; Dogan, Aclan; Anderson, Gregory J; Hsu, Frank P K; McMenomey, Sean O; Delashaw, Johnny B

2013-02-01

This study was designed to determine if the "keyhole concept," proposed by Perneczky's group, can be verified quantitatively. Fourteen (3 bilateral and 8 unilateral) sides of embalmed latex-injected cadaveric heads were dissected via 3 sequential craniotomy approaches: supraorbital keyhole, frontotemporal pterional, and supraorbital. Three-dimensional cartesian coordinates were recorded using a stereotactic localizer. The orthocenter of the ipsilateral anterior clinoid process, the posterior clinoid process, and the contralateral anterior clinoid process are expressed as a center point (the apex). Seven vectors project from the apex to their corresponding target points in a radiating manner on the parasellar skull base. Each 2 neighboring vectors border what could be considered a triangle, and the total area of the 7 triangles sharing the same apex was geometrically expressed as the area of exposure in the parasellar region. Values are expressed as the mean ± SD (mm(2)). The total area of exposure was as follows: supraorbital keyhole 1733.1 ± 336.0, pterional 1699.3 ± 361.9, and supraorbital 1691.4 ± 342.4. The area of exposure on the contralateral side was as follows: supraorbital keyhole 602.2 ± 194.7, pterional 595.2 ± 228.0, and supraorbital 553.3 ± 227.2. The supraorbital keyhole skull flap was 2.0 cm(2), and the skull flap size ratio was 1:5:6.5 (supraorbital keyhole/pterional/supraorbital). The area of exposure of the parasellar region through the smaller supraorbital keyhole approach is as adequate as the larger pterional and supraorbital approaches. The keyhole concept can be verified quantitatively as follows: 1) a wide area of exposure on the skull base can be obtained through a small keyhole skull opening, and 2) the side opposite the opening can also be visualized.

Microfossils of the Early Archean Apex chert - New evidence of the antiquity of life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schopf, J. W.

1993-01-01

Eleven taxa (including eight heretofore undescribed species) of cellularly preserved filamentous microbes, among the oldest fossils known, have been discovered in a bedded chert unit of the Early Archean Apex Basalt of northwestern Western Australia. This prokaryotic assemblage establishes that trichomic cyanobacteriumlike microorganisms were extant and morphologically diverse at least as early as about 3465 million years ago and suggests that oxygen-producing photoautotrophy may have already evolved by this early stage in biotic history.

Multi-site evaluation of APEX for crop and grazing land in the Heartland region of the US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural and Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) is powerful and useful to estimate the edge-of-field impacts of management practices. A drawback is that it needs to be calibrated for each site, which requires resources and data. The objective of this study was to compare annual model perfo...

Combining qualitative and quantitative research within mixed method research designs: a methodological review.

PubMed

Östlund, Ulrika; Kidd, Lisa; Wengström, Yvonne; Rowa-Dewar, Neneh

2011-03-01

It has been argued that mixed methods research can be useful in nursing and health science because of the complexity of the phenomena studied. However, the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches continues to be one of much debate and there is a need for a rigorous framework for designing and interpreting mixed methods research. This paper explores the analytical approaches (i.e. parallel, concurrent or sequential) used in mixed methods studies within healthcare and exemplifies the use of triangulation as a methodological metaphor for drawing inferences from qualitative and quantitative findings originating from such analyses. This review of the literature used systematic principles in searching CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO for healthcare research studies which employed a mixed methods approach and were published in the English language between January 1999 and September 2009. In total, 168 studies were included in the results. Most studies originated in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. The analytic approach most widely used was parallel data analysis. A number of studies used sequential data analysis; far fewer studies employed concurrent data analysis. Very few of these studies clearly articulated the purpose for using a mixed methods design. The use of the methodological metaphor of triangulation on convergent, complementary, and divergent results from mixed methods studies is exemplified and an example of developing theory from such data is provided. A trend for conducting parallel data analysis on quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods healthcare research has been identified in the studies included in this review. Using triangulation as a methodological metaphor can facilitate the integration of qualitative and quantitative findings, help researchers to clarify their theoretical propositions and the basis of their results. This can offer a better understanding of the links between theory and

[Quantitative method for simultaneous assay of four coumarins with one marker in Fraxini Cortex].

PubMed

Feng, Weihong; Wang, Zhimin; Zhang, Qiwei; Liu, Limei; Wang, Jinyu; Yang, Fei

2011-07-01

To establish a new quantitative method for simultaneous determination of multi-coumarins in Fraxini Cortex by using one chemical reference substance, and validate its feasibilities. The new quality evaluation method, quantitative analysis of multi-components by singer-marker (QAMS), was established and validated with Fraxini Cortex. Four main coumarins were selected as analytes to evaluate the quality and their relative correlation factors (RCF) were determined by HPLC-DAD. Within the linear range, the values of RCF at 340 nm of aesculin to asculetin, fraxin and fraxetin were 1.771, 0.799, 1.409, respectively. And the contents of aesculin in samples of Fraxini Cortex were authentically determined by the external standard method, and the contents of the three other coumarins were calculated by their RCF. The contents of these four coumarins in all samples were also determined by the external standard method. Within a certain range, the RCF had a good reproducibility (RSD 2.5%-3.9%). Significant differences were not observed between the quantitative results of two methods. It is feasible and suitable to evaluate the quality of Fraxini Cortex and its Yinpian by QAMS.

Proteus mirabilis biofilm - qualitative and quantitative colorimetric methods-based evaluation.

PubMed

Kwiecinska-Piróg, Joanna; Bogiel, Tomasz; Skowron, Krzysztof; Wieckowska, Ewa; Gospodarek, Eugenia

2014-01-01

Proteus mirabilis strains ability to form biofilm is a current topic of a number of research worldwide. In this study the biofilm formation of P. mirabilis strains derived from urine of the catheterized and non-catheterized patients has been investigated. A total number of 39 P. mirabilis strains isolated from the urine samples of the patients of dr Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz clinics between 2011 and 2012 was used. Biofilm formation was evaluated using two independent quantitative and qualitative methods with TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride) and CV (crystal violet) application. The obtained results confirmed biofilm formation by all the examined strains, except quantitative method with TTC, in which 7.7% of the strains did not have this ability. It was shown that P. mirabilis rods have the ability to form biofilm on the surfaces of both biomaterials applied, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (Nelaton catheters). The differences in ability to form biofilm observed between P. mirabilis strains derived from the urine of the catheterized and non-catheterized patients were not statistically significant.

Development and evaluation of the bacterial fate and transport module for the agricultural policy/environmental extender (APEX) model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a watershed-scale water quality model that includes detailed representation of agricultural management but currently does not have microbial fate and transport simulation capabilities. The objective of this work was to develop a process-based ...

Evaluating the APEX model for simulating streamflow and water quality on ten agricultural watersheds in the U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Simulation models are increasingly used to assess water quality constituent losses from agricultural systems. Mis-use often gives irrelevant or erroneous answers. The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) model is emerging as one of the premier modeling tools for fields, farms, and agr...

Quantitative polarized light microscopy of unstained mammalian cochlear sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalwani, Neil M.; Ong, Cheng Ai; Lysaght, Andrew C.; Haward, Simon J.; McKinley, Gareth H.; Stankovic, Konstantina M.

2013-02-01

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in the world, and most frequently it originates in the inner ear. Yet, the inner ear has been difficult to access for diagnosis because of its small size, delicate nature, complex three-dimensional anatomy, and encasement in the densest bone in the body. Evolving optical methods are promising to afford cellular diagnosis of pathologic changes in the inner ear. To appropriately interpret results from these emerging technologies, it is important to characterize optical properties of cochlear tissues. Here, we focus on that characterization using quantitative polarized light microscopy (qPLM) applied to unstained cochlear sections of the mouse, a common animal model of human hearing loss. We find that the most birefringent cochlear materials are collagen fibrils and myelin. Retardance of the otic capsule, the spiral ligament, and the basilar membrane are substantially higher than that of other cochlear structures. Retardance of the spiral ligament and the basilar membrane decrease from the cochlear base to the apex, compared with the more uniform retardance of other structures. The intricate structural details revealed by qPLM of unstained cochlear sections ex vivo strongly motivate future application of polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to human cochlea in vivo.

Quantitative polarized light microscopy of unstained mammalian cochlear sections

PubMed Central

Kalwani, Neil M.; Ong, Cheng Ai; Lysaght, Andrew C.; Haward, Simon J.; McKinley, Gareth H.

2013-01-01

Abstract. Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in the world, and most frequently it originates in the inner ear. Yet, the inner ear has been difficult to access for diagnosis because of its small size, delicate nature, complex three-dimensional anatomy, and encasement in the densest bone in the body. Evolving optical methods are promising to afford cellular diagnosis of pathologic changes in the inner ear. To appropriately interpret results from these emerging technologies, it is important to characterize optical properties of cochlear tissues. Here, we focus on that characterization using quantitative polarized light microscopy (qPLM) applied to unstained cochlear sections of the mouse, a common animal model of human hearing loss. We find that the most birefringent cochlear materials are collagen fibrils and myelin. Retardance of the otic capsule, the spiral ligament, and the basilar membrane are substantially higher than that of other cochlear structures. Retardance of the spiral ligament and the basilar membrane decrease from the cochlear base to the apex, compared with the more uniform retardance of other structures. The intricate structural details revealed by qPLM of unstained cochlear sections ex vivo strongly motivate future application of polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to human cochlea in vivo. PMID:23407909

Quantitative nondestructive evaluation of ceramic matrix composite by the resonance method

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

Watanabe, T.; Aizawa, T.; Kihara, J.

The resonance method was developed to make quantitative nondestructive evaluation on the mechanical properties without any troublesome procedure. Since the present method is indifferent to the geometry of specimen, both monolithic and ceramic matrix composite materials in process can be evaluated in the nondestructive manner. Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, SiC/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and various C/C composite materials are employed to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the present method.

Simple and cost-effective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method to measure dabrafenib quantitatively and six metabolites semi-quantitatively in human plasma.

PubMed

Vikingsson, Svante; Dahlberg, Jan-Olof; Hansson, Johan; Höiom, Veronica; Gréen, Henrik

2017-06-01

Dabrafenib is an inhibitor of BRAF V600E used for treating metastatic melanoma but a majority of patients experience adverse effects. Methods to measure the levels of dabrafenib and major metabolites during treatment are needed to allow development of individualized dosing strategies to reduce the burden of such adverse events. In this study, an LC-MS/MS method capable of measuring dabrafenib quantitatively and six metabolites semi-quantitatively is presented. The method is fully validated with regard to dabrafenib in human plasma in the range 5-5000 ng/mL. The analytes were separated on a C18 column after protein precipitation and detected in positive electrospray ionization mode using a Xevo TQ triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. As no commercial reference standards are available, the calibration curve of dabrafenib was used for semi-quantification of dabrafenib metabolites. Compared to earlier methods the presented method represents a simpler and more cost-effective approach suitable for clinical studies. Graphical abstract Combined multi reaction monitoring transitions of dabrafenib and metabolites in a typical case sample.

IT: An Effective Pedagogic Tool in the Teaching of Quantitative Methods in Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadkami, Sanjay M.

1998-01-01

Examines the possibility of supplementing conventional pedagogic methods with information technology-based teaching aids in the instruction of quantitative methods to undergraduate students. Considers the case for a problem-based learning approach, and discusses the role of information technology. (Author/LRW)

General Methods for Evolutionary Quantitative Genetic Inference from Generalized Mixed Models.

PubMed

de Villemereuil, Pierre; Schielzeth, Holger; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Morrissey, Michael

2016-11-01

Methods for inference and interpretation of evolutionary quantitative genetic parameters, and for prediction of the response to selection, are best developed for traits with normal distributions. Many traits of evolutionary interest, including many life history and behavioral traits, have inherently nonnormal distributions. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) framework has become a widely used tool for estimating quantitative genetic parameters for nonnormal traits. However, whereas GLMMs provide inference on a statistically convenient latent scale, it is often desirable to express quantitative genetic parameters on the scale upon which traits are measured. The parameters of fitted GLMMs, despite being on a latent scale, fully determine all quantities of potential interest on the scale on which traits are expressed. We provide expressions for deriving each of such quantities, including population means, phenotypic (co)variances, variance components including additive genetic (co)variances, and parameters such as heritability. We demonstrate that fixed effects have a strong impact on those parameters and show how to deal with this by averaging or integrating over fixed effects. The expressions require integration of quantities determined by the link function, over distributions of latent values. In general cases, the required integrals must be solved numerically, but efficient methods are available and we provide an implementation in an R package, QGglmm. We show that known formulas for quantities such as heritability of traits with binomial and Poisson distributions are special cases of our expressions. Additionally, we show how fitted GLMM can be incorporated into existing methods for predicting evolutionary trajectories. We demonstrate the accuracy of the resulting method for evolutionary prediction by simulation and apply our approach to data from a wild pedigreed vertebrate population. Copyright © 2016 de Villemereuil et al.

APEX sensitivity to atrazine dissipation rate on surface runoff loss within a coastal zone in Southeastern Puerto Rico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Simulation models are increasingly used to predict effects of conservation practices on transport of pesticides to water bodies. We used two models - the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) and the Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) to predict the movement of the herbicide, at...

Long-Term Observations of Ocean Biogeochemistry with Nitrate and Oxygen Sensors in Apex Profiling Floats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, K. S.; Coletti, L.; Jannasch, H.; Martz, T.; Swift, D.; Riser, S.

2008-12-01

Long-term, autonomous observations of ocean biogeochemical cycles are now feasible with chemical sensors in profiling floats. These sensors will enable decadal-scale observations of trends in global ocean biogeochemical cycles. Here, we focus on measurements on nitrate and dissolved oxygen. The ISUS (In Situ Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer) optical nitrate sensor has been adapted to operate in a Webb Research, Apex profiling float. The Apex float is of the type used in the Argo array and is designed for multi-year, expendable deployments in the ocean. Floats park at 1000 m depth and make 60 nitrate and oxygen measurements at depth intervals ranging from 50 m below 400 m to 5 m in the upper 100 m as they profile to the surface. All data are transmitted to shore using the Iridium telemetry system and they are available on the Internet in near-real time. Floats equipped with ISUS and an Aanderaa oxygen sensor are capable of making 280 vertical profiles from 1000 m. At a 5 day cycle time, the floats should have nearly a four year endurance. Three floats have now been deployed at the Hawaii Ocean Time series station (HOT), Ocean Station Papa (OSP) in the Gulf of Alaska and at 50 South, 30 East in the Southern Ocean. Two additional floats are designated for deployment at the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series station (BATS) and in the Drake Passage. The HOT float has made 56 profiles over 260 days and should continue operating for 3 more years. Nitrate concentrations are in excellent agreement with the long-term mean observed at HOT. No significant long-term drift in sensor response has occurred. A variety of features have been observed in the HOT nitrate data that are linked to contemporaneous changes in oxygen production and mesoscale dynamics. The impacts of these features will be briefly described. The Southern Ocean float has operated for 200 days and is now observing reinjection of nitrate into surface waters as winter mixing occurs(surface nitrate > 24 micromolar). We

Utility of multilevel lateral interbody fusion of the thoracolumbar coronal curve apex in adult deformity surgery in combination with open posterior instrumentation and L5-S1 interbody fusion: a case-matched evaluation of 32 patients.

PubMed

Theologis, Alexander A; Mundis, Gregory M; Nguyen, Stacie; Okonkwo, David O; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Fessler, Richard; Bess, Shay; Schwab, Frank; Diebo, Bassel G; Burton, Douglas; Hart, Robert; Deviren, Vedat; Ames, Christopher

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of supplementing long thoracolumbar posterior instrumented fusion (posterior spinal fusion, PSF) with lateral interbody fusion (LIF) of the lumbar/thoracolumbar coronal curve apex in adult spinal deformity (ASD). METHODS Two multicenter databases were evaluated. Adults who had undergone multilevel LIF of the coronal curve apex in addition to PSF with L5-S1 interbody fusion (LS+Apex group) were matched by number of posterior levels fused with patients who had undergone PSF with L5-S1 interbody fusion without LIF (LS-Only group). All patients had at least 2 years of follow-up. Percutaneous PSF and 3-column osteotomy (3CO) were excluded. Demographics, perioperative details, radiographic spinal deformity measurements, and HRQoL data were analyzed. RESULTS Thirty-two patients were matched (LS+Apex: 16; LS: 16) (6 men, 26 women; mean age 63 ± 10 years). Overall, the average values for measures of deformity were as follows: Cobb angle > 40°, sagittal vertical axis (SVA) > 6 cm, pelvic tilt (PT) > 25°, and mismatch between pelvic incidence (PI) and lumbar lordosis (LL) > 15°. There were no significant intergroup differences in preoperative radiographic parameters, although patients in the LS+Apex group had greater Cobb angles and less LL. Patients in the LS+Apex group had significantly more anterior levels fused (4.6 vs 1), longer operative times (859 vs 379 minutes), and longer length of stay (12 vs 7.5 days) (all p < 0.01). For patients in the LS+Apex group, Cobb angle, pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar lordosis (LL), PI-LL (lumbopelvic mismatch), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain improved significantly (p < 0.05). For patients in the LS-Only group, there were significant improvements in Cobb angle, ODI score, and VAS scores for back and leg pain. The LS+Apex group had better correction of Cobb angles (56% vs 33%, p = 0.02), SVA (43% vs 5%, p = 0

A Novel Method for Relative Quantitation of N-Glycans by Isotopic Labeling Using 18O-Water

PubMed Central

Tao, Shujuan; Orlando, Ron

2014-01-01

Quantitation is an essential aspect of comprehensive glycomics study. Here, a novel isotopic-labeling method is described for N-glycan quantitation using 18O-water. The incorporation of the 18O-labeling into the reducing end of N-glycans is simply and efficiently achieved during peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-β-glucosaminyl) asparagine amidase F release. This process provides a 2-Da mass difference compared with the N-glycans released in 16O-water. A mathematical calculation method was also developed to determine the 18O/16O ratios from isotopic peaks. Application of this method to several standard glycoprotein mixtures and human serum demonstrated that this method can facilitate the relative quantitation of N-glycans over a linear dynamic range of two orders, with high accuracy and reproducibility. PMID:25365792

Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches Creswell John W Sage 320 £29 0761924426 0761924426 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2004-09-01

The second edition of Creswell's book has been significantly revised and updated. The author clearly sets out three approaches to research: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. As someone who has used mixed methods in my research, it is refreshing to read a textbook that addresses this. The differences between the approaches are clearly identified and a rationale for using each methodological stance provided.

Visual and Quantitative Analysis Methods of Respiratory Patterns for Respiratory Gated PET/CT.

PubMed

Son, Hye Joo; Jeong, Young Jin; Yoon, Hyun Jin; Park, Jong-Hwan; Kang, Do-Young

2016-01-01

We integrated visual and quantitative methods for analyzing the stability of respiration using four methods: phase space diagrams, Fourier spectra, Poincaré maps, and Lyapunov exponents. Respiratory patterns of 139 patients were grouped based on the combination of the regularity of amplitude, period, and baseline positions. Visual grading was done by inspecting the shape of diagram and classified into two states: regular and irregular. Quantitation was done by measuring standard deviation of x and v coordinates of Poincaré map (SD x , SD v ) or the height of the fundamental peak ( A 1 ) in Fourier spectrum or calculating the difference between maximal upward and downward drift. Each group showed characteristic pattern on visual analysis. There was difference of quantitative parameters (SD x , SD v , A 1 , and MUD-MDD) among four groups (one way ANOVA, p = 0.0001 for MUD-MDD, SD x , and SD v , p = 0.0002 for A 1 ). In ROC analysis, the cutoff values were 0.11 for SD x (AUC: 0.982, p < 0.0001), 0.062 for SD v (AUC: 0.847, p < 0.0001), 0.117 for A 1 (AUC: 0.876, p < 0.0001), and 0.349 for MUD-MDD (AUC: 0.948, p < 0.0001). This is the first study to analyze multiple aspects of respiration using various mathematical constructs and provides quantitative indices of respiratory stability and determining quantitative cutoff value for differentiating regular and irregular respiration.

Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Duty Machine Tools Remanufacturing Based on Modified Catastrophe Progression Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

shunhe, Li; jianhua, Rao; lin, Gui; weimin, Zhang; degang, Liu

2017-11-01

The result of remanufacturing evaluation is the basis for judging whether the heavy duty machine tool can remanufacture in the EOL stage of the machine tool lifecycle management.The objectivity and accuracy of evaluation is the key to the evaluation method.In this paper, the catastrophe progression method is introduced into the quantitative evaluation of heavy duty machine tools’ remanufacturing,and the results are modified by the comprehensive adjustment method,which makes the evaluation results accord with the standard of human conventional thinking.Using the catastrophe progression method to establish the heavy duty machine tools’ quantitative evaluation model,to evaluate the retired TK6916 type CNC floor milling-boring machine’s remanufacturing.The evaluation process is simple,high quantification,the result is objective.

[Development and validation of event-specific quantitative PCR method for genetically modified maize LY038].

PubMed

Mano, Junichi; Masubuchi, Tomoko; Hatano, Shuko; Futo, Satoshi; Koiwa, Tomohiro; Minegishi, Yasutaka; Noguchi, Akio; Kondo, Kazunari; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Teshima, Reiko; Kurashima, Takeyo; Takabatake, Reona; Kitta, Kazumi

2013-01-01

In this article, we report a novel real-time PCR-based analytical method for quantitation of the GM maize event LY038. We designed LY038-specific and maize endogenous reference DNA-specific PCR amplifications. After confirming the specificity and linearity of the LY038-specific PCR amplification, we determined the conversion factor required to calculate the weight-based content of GM organism (GMO) in a multilaboratory evaluation. Finally, in order to validate the developed method, an interlaboratory collaborative trial according to the internationally harmonized guidelines was performed with blind DNA samples containing LY038 at the mixing levels of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0%. The precision of the method was evaluated as the RSD of reproducibility (RSDR), and the values obtained were all less than 25%. The limit of quantitation of the method was judged to be 0.5% based on the definition of ISO 24276 guideline. The results from the collaborative trial suggested that the developed quantitative method would be suitable for practical testing of LY038 maize.

Quantitative data standardization of X-ray based densitometry methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergunova, K. A.; Petraikin, A. V.; Petrjajkin, F. A.; Akhmad, K. S.; Semenov, D. S.; Potrakhov, N. N.

2018-02-01

In the present work is proposed the design of special liquid phantom for assessing the accuracy of quantitative densitometric data. Also are represented the dependencies between the measured bone mineral density values and the given values for different X-ray based densitometry techniques. Shown linear graphs make it possible to introduce correction factors to increase the accuracy of BMD measurement by QCT, DXA and DECT methods, and to use them for standardization and comparison of measurements.

Wavelength Selection Method Based on Differential Evolution for Precise Quantitative Analysis Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Chen, Weidong; Lian, Feiyu; Ge, Hongyi; Guan, Aihong

2017-12-01

Quantitative analysis of component mixtures is an important application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and has attracted broad interest in recent research. Although the accuracy of quantitative analysis using THz-TDS is affected by a host of factors, wavelength selection from the sample's THz absorption spectrum is the most crucial component. The raw spectrum consists of signals from the sample and scattering and other random disturbances that can critically influence the quantitative accuracy. For precise quantitative analysis using THz-TDS, the signal from the sample needs to be retained while the scattering and other noise sources are eliminated. In this paper, a novel wavelength selection method based on differential evolution (DE) is investigated. By performing quantitative experiments on a series of binary amino acid mixtures using THz-TDS, we demonstrate the efficacy of the DE-based wavelength selection method, which yields an error rate below 5%.

Examining Stress in Graduate Assistants: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Survey Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzola, Joseph J.; Walker, Erin J.; Shockley, Kristen M.; Spector, Paul E.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to employ qualitative and quantitative survey methods in a concurrent mixed model design to assess stressors and strains in graduate assistants. The stressors most frequently reported qualitatively were work overload, interpersonal conflict, and organizational constraints; the most frequently reported psychological…

The Use of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in the Analysis of Academic Achievement among Undergraduates in Jamaica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaren, Ingrid Ann Marie

2012-01-01

This paper describes a study which uses quantitative and qualitative methods in determining the relationship between academic, institutional and psychological variables and degree performance for a sample of Jamaican undergraduate students. Quantitative methods, traditionally associated with the positivist paradigm, and involving the counting and…

Calibration methods influence quantitative material decomposition in photon-counting spectral CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtis, Tyler E.; Roeder, Ryan K.

2017-03-01

Photon-counting detectors and nanoparticle contrast agents can potentially enable molecular imaging and material decomposition in computed tomography (CT). Material decomposition has been investigated using both simulated and acquired data sets. However, the effect of calibration methods on material decomposition has not been systematically investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the range and number of contrast agent concentrations within a modular calibration phantom on quantitative material decomposition. A commerciallyavailable photon-counting spectral micro-CT (MARS Bioimaging) was used to acquire images with five energy bins selected to normalize photon counts and leverage the contrast agent k-edge. Material basis matrix values were determined using multiple linear regression models and material decomposition was performed using a maximum a posteriori estimator. The accuracy of quantitative material decomposition was evaluated by the root mean squared error (RMSE), specificity, sensitivity, and area under the curve (AUC). An increased maximum concentration (range) in the calibration significantly improved RMSE, specificity and AUC. The effects of an increased number of concentrations in the calibration were not statistically significant for the conditions in this study. The overall results demonstrated that the accuracy of quantitative material decomposition in spectral CT is significantly influenced by calibration methods, which must therefore be carefully considered for the intended diagnostic imaging application.

Ray craters on Ganymede: Implications for cratering apex-antapex asymmetry and surface modification processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Luyuan; Hirata, Naoyuki; Miyamoto, Hideaki

2017-10-01

As the youngest features on Ganymede, ray craters are useful in revealing the sources of recent impactors and surface modification processes on the satellite. We examine craters with D > 10 km on Ganymede from images obtained by the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft to identify ray craters and study their spatial distributions. Furthermore, we carefully select images of appropriate solar and emission angles to obtain unbiased ray crater densities. As a result, we find that the density of large ray craters (D > 25 km) on the bright terrain exhibits an apex-antapex asymmetry, and its degree of asymmetry is much lower than the theoretical estimation for ecliptic comets. For large craters (D > 25 km), ecliptic comets ought to be less important than previously assumed, and a possible explanation is that nearly isotropic comets may play a more important role on Ganymede than previously thought. We also find that small ray craters (10 km < D < 25 km) on the bright terrain and ray craters (D > 10 km) on the dark terrain show no apex-antapex asymmetry. We interpret that the distribution difference between the terrain types comes from preferential thermal sublimation on the dark terrain, while the distribution difference between large and small ray craters suggests that rays of small craters are more readily erased by some surface modification processes, such as micrometeorite gardening.

Detailed Surgical Anatomy of Prostate: Relationship between Urethra and Dorsal Vein Complex with Apex.

PubMed

Tunc, Lutfi; Akin, Yigit; Gumustas, Huseyin; Ak, Esat; Peker, Tuncay; Veneziano, Domenico; Guneri, Cagri

2016-01-01

To describe our surgical technique for dissecting the apex of prostate during robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) and detailed surgical anatomy of prostate including relationship between urethra and dorsal vein complex with apex. In retrospective view of prospective collected data, 73 patients underwent RALP between December 2012 and September 2014. Surgical anatomy of prostate was revealed in all procedures. Quality of life (QoL) scores were assessed before, immediately after catheter removal, and 1 month after surgery. We divided urinary continence into 3 groups, as very early continence; continence at time of urethral catheter removal, early continent; and continence 1 month after surgery. The rest of the patients were accepted as continence. The mean follow-up was 10.2 ± 5.4 months and mean age was 61.5 ± 6.6. Maximum protection of urethra could be provided in all. Mean catheter removal was 8.9 ± 1.7 days, and all patients were continent at the time of catheter removal. QoL scores before RALP could be protected after surgery (p = 0.2). Neither conversion to open/conventional laparoscopic surgery nor complications related with bladder neck were detected. Our surgical technique can be a strong candidate for being a surgical technique for preserving urethra and very early continence could be provided after surgery. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Ontogeny of head and caudal fin shape of an apex marine predator: The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).

PubMed

Fu, Amy L; Hammerschlag, Neil; Lauder, George V; Wilga, Cheryl D; Kuo, Chi-Yun; Irschick, Duncan J

2016-05-01

How morphology changes with size can have profound effects on the life history and ecology of an animal. For apex predators that can impact higher level ecosystem processes, such changes may have consequences for other species. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are an apex predator in tropical seas, and, as adults, are highly migratory. However, little is known about ontogenetic changes in their body form, especially in relation to two aspects of shape that influence locomotion (caudal fin) and feeding (head shape). We captured digital images of the heads and caudal fins of live tiger sharks from Southern Florida and the Bahamas ranging in body size (hence age), and quantified shape of each using elliptical Fourier analysis. This revealed changes in the shape of the head and caudal fin of tiger sharks across ontogeny. Smaller juvenile tiger sharks show an asymmetrical tail with the dorsal (upper) lobe being substantially larger than the ventral (lower) lobe, and transition to more symmetrical tail in larger adults, although the upper lobe remains relatively larger in adults. The heads of juvenile tiger sharks are more conical, which transition to relatively broader heads over ontogeny. We interpret these changes as a result of two ecological transitions. First, adult tiger sharks can undertake extensive migrations and a more symmetrical tail could be more efficient for swimming longer distances, although we did not test this possibility. Second, adult tiger sharks expand their diet to consume larger and more diverse prey with age (turtles, mammals, and elasmobranchs), which requires substantially greater bite area and force to process. In contrast, juvenile tiger sharks consume smaller prey, such as fishes, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Our data reveal significant morphological shifts in an apex predator, which could have effects for other species that tiger sharks consume and interact with. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects on auditory-nerve fibers of opening the otic capsule at the apex of the chinchilla cochlea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recio-Spinoso, Alberto; Temchin, Andrei N.; Ruggero, Mario A.

2015-12-01

Vibration responses to clicks measured at the apex of chinchilla cochleae with open otic capsules have onsets much shorter than those of responses of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs) corrected for synaptic and neural delays. Apical vibration responses to tones in open cochleae also differ in other respects from the responses to tones of ANFs with low characteristic frequency (CF) in normal chinchilla cochleae. To further specify the origin(s) of these differences, we recorded from chinchilla ANFs after delicately opening a small hole in the otic capsule overlying scala vestibuli in the cochlear apex. In those cochleae, the earliest ANF responses to clicks are often evoked by condensation (rather than rarefaction) clicks and responses to tones often exhibit level-dependent phase changes different from those in normal cochleae. These findings are largely consistent with, and seem to account for, apical vibration responses of cochleae with open otic capsules. An unexpected finding is that the tuning curves of ANFs with moderately high CF and normal CF thresholds often had hypersensitive tails.

Medically resistant pediatric insular-opercular/perisylvian epilepsy. Part 1: invasive monitoring using the parasagittal transinsular apex depth electrode.

PubMed

Weil, Alexander G; Fallah, Aria; Lewis, Evan C; Bhatia, Sanjiv

2016-11-01

OBJECTIVE Insular lobe epilepsy (ILE) is an under-recognized cause of extratemporal epilepsy and explains some epilepsy surgery failures in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. The diagnosis of ILE usually requires invasive investigation with insular sampling; however, the location of the insula below the opercula and the dense middle cerebral artery vasculature renders its sampling challenging. Several techniques have been described, ranging from open direct placement of orthogonal subpial depth and strip electrodes through a craniotomy to frame-based stereotactic placement of orthogonal or oblique electrodes using stereo-electroencephalography principles. The authors describe an alternative method for sampling the insula, which involves placing insular depth electrodes along the long axis of the insula through the insular apex following dissection of the sylvian fissure in conjunction with subdural electrodes over the lateral hemispheric/opercular region. The authors report the feasibility, advantages, disadvantages, and role of this approach in investigating pediatric insular-opercular refractory epilepsy. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective analysis of all children (< 18 years old) who underwent invasive intracranial studies involving the insula between 2002 and 2015. RESULTS Eleven patients were included in the study (5 boys). The mean age at surgery was 7.6 years (range 0.5-16 years). All patients had drug-resistant epilepsy as defined by the International League Against Epilepsy and underwent comprehensive noninvasive epilepsy surgery workup. Intracranial monitoring was performed in all patients using 1 parasagittal insular electrode (1 patient had 2 electrodes) in addition to subdural grids and strips tailored to the suspected epileptogenic zone. In 10 patients, extraoperative monitoring was used; in 1 patient, intraoperative electrocorticography was used alone without extraoperative monitoring. The mean number of insular contacts was 6.8 (range

Development and evaluation of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial contamination of waters in agricultural watershed is the critical public health issue. The watershed-scale model has been proven to be one of the candidate tools for predicting microbial water quality and evaluating management practices. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX...

Some selected quantitative methods of thermal image analysis in Matlab.

PubMed

Koprowski, Robert

2016-05-01

The paper presents a new algorithm based on some selected automatic quantitative methods for analysing thermal images. It shows the practical implementation of these image analysis methods in Matlab. It enables to perform fully automated and reproducible measurements of selected parameters in thermal images. The paper also shows two examples of the use of the proposed image analysis methods for the area of ​​the skin of a human foot and face. The full source code of the developed application is also provided as an attachment. The main window of the program during dynamic analysis of the foot thermal image. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Project-Based Learning in Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory: Using EPA Methods to Guide Student Method Development for Pesticide Quantitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Eric J.; Pauls, Steve; Dick, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Presented is a project-based learning (PBL) laboratory approach for an upper-division environmental chemistry or quantitative analysis course. In this work, a combined laboratory class of 11 environmental chemistry students developed a method based on published EPA methods for the extraction of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its…

Method and platform standardization in MRM-based quantitative plasma proteomics.

PubMed

Percy, Andrew J; Chambers, Andrew G; Yang, Juncong; Jackson, Angela M; Domanski, Dominik; Burkhart, Julia; Sickmann, Albert; Borchers, Christoph H

2013-12-16

There exists a growing demand in the proteomics community to standardize experimental methods and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) platforms in order to enable the acquisition of more precise and accurate quantitative data. This necessity is heightened by the evolving trend of verifying and validating candidate disease biomarkers in complex biofluids, such as blood plasma, through targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based approaches with stable isotope-labeled standards (SIS). Considering the lack of performance standards for quantitative plasma proteomics, we previously developed two reference kits to evaluate the MRM with SIS peptide approach using undepleted and non-enriched human plasma. The first kit tests the effectiveness of the LC/MRM-MS platform (kit #1), while the second evaluates the performance of an entire analytical workflow (kit #2). Here, these kits have been refined for practical use and then evaluated through intra- and inter-laboratory testing on 6 common LC/MS platforms. For an identical panel of 22 plasma proteins, similar concentrations were determined, regardless of the kit, instrument platform, and laboratory of analysis. These results demonstrate the value of the kit and reinforce the utility of standardized methods and protocols. The proteomics community needs standardized experimental protocols and quality control methods in order to improve the reproducibility of MS-based quantitative data. This need is heightened by the evolving trend for MRM-based validation of proposed disease biomarkers in complex biofluids such as blood plasma. We have developed two kits to assist in the inter- and intra-laboratory quality control of MRM experiments: the first kit tests the effectiveness of the LC/MRM-MS platform (kit #1), while the second evaluates the performance of an entire analytical workflow (kit #2). In this paper, we report the use of these kits in intra- and inter-laboratory testing on 6 common LC/MS platforms. This

Gain and frequency tuning within the mouse cochlear apex

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

Oghalai, John S.; Raphael, Patrick D.; Gao, Simon

Normal mammalian hearing requires cochlear outer hair cell active processes that amplify the traveling wave with high gain and sharp tuning, termed cochlear amplification. We have used optical coherence tomography to study cochlear amplification within the apical turn of the mouse cochlea. We measured not only classical basilar membrane vibratory tuning curves but also vibratory responses from the rest of the tissues that compose the organ of Corti. Basilar membrane tuning was sharp in live mice and broad in dead mice, whereas other regions of the organ of Corti demonstrated phase shifts consistent with additional filtering beyond that provided bymore » basilar membrane mechanics. We use these experimental data to support a conceptual framework of how cochlear amplification is tuned within the mouse cochlear apex. We will also study transgenic mice with targeted mutations that affect different biomechanical aspects of the organ of Corti in an effort to localize the underlying processes that produce this additional filtering.« less

Simulating soybean productivity under rainfed conditions for major soil types using APEX model in East Central Mississippi

Treesearch

Bangbang Zhang; Gary Feng; John J. Read; Xiangbin Kong; Ying Ouyang; Ardeshir Adeli; Johnie N. Jenkins

2016-01-01

Knowledge of soybean yield constraints under rainfed conditions on major soil types in East CentralMississippi would assist growers in the region to effectively utilize the benefits of water/irrigation man-agement. The objectives of this study were to use the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX)agro-ecosystem model to simulate rainfed soybean grain yield (...

Full skin quantitative optical coherence elastography achieved by combining vibration and surface acoustic wave methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunhui; Guan, Guangying; Huang, Zhihong; Wang, Ruikang K.; Nabi, Ghulam

2015-03-01

By combining with the phase sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT), vibration and surface acoustic wave (SAW) methods have been reported to provide elastography of skin tissue respectively. However, neither of these two methods can provide the elastography in full skin depth in current systems. This paper presents a feasibility study on an optical coherence elastography method which combines both vibration and SAW in order to give the quantitative mechanical properties of skin tissue with full depth range, including epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat. Experiments are carried out on layered tissue mimicking phantoms and in vivo human forearm and palm skin. A ring actuator generates vibration while a line actuator were used to excited SAWs. A PhS-OCT system is employed to provide the ultrahigh sensitive measurement of the generated waves. The experimental results demonstrate that by the combination of vibration and SAW method the full skin bulk mechanical properties can be quantitatively measured and further the elastography can be obtained with a sensing depth from ~0mm to ~4mm. This method is promising to apply in clinics where the quantitative elasticity of localized skin diseases is needed to aid the diagnosis and treatment.

A method for three-dimensional quantitative observation of the microstructure of biological samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pengfei; Chen, Dieyan; Ma, Wanyun; Wu, Hongxin; Ji, Liang; Sun, Jialin; Lv, Danyu; Zhang, Lu; Li, Ying; Tian, Ning; Zheng, Jinggao; Zhao, Fengying

2009-07-01

Contemporary biology has developed into the era of cell biology and molecular biology, and people try to study the mechanism of all kinds of biological phenomena at the microcosmic level now. Accurate description of the microstructure of biological samples is exigent need from many biomedical experiments. This paper introduces a method for 3-dimensional quantitative observation on the microstructure of vital biological samples based on two photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM). TPLSM is a novel kind of fluorescence microscopy, which has excellence in its low optical damage, high resolution, deep penetration depth and suitability for 3-dimensional (3D) imaging. Fluorescent stained samples were observed by TPLSM, and afterward the original shapes of them were obtained through 3D image reconstruction. The spatial distribution of all objects in samples as well as their volumes could be derived by image segmentation and mathematic calculation. Thus the 3-dimensionally and quantitatively depicted microstructure of the samples was finally derived. We applied this method to quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of chromosomes in meiotic mouse oocytes at metaphase, and wonderful results came out last.

Compatibility of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Studying Child Sexual Abuse in America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phelan, Patricia

1987-01-01

Illustrates how the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods were necessary in obtaining a clearer understanding of the process of incest in American society. Argues that the exclusive use of one methodology would have obscured important information. (FMW)

Apex shift of a circular biconcave vesicle induced by osmotic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Quan-Hui; Yan, Jie; Zhong-Can, Ou-Yang

1999-09-01

The contribution of a small osmotic pressure into the exact circular biconcave solution (H. Naito, M. Okuda, Ou-Yang Zhong-Can, Phys. Rev. E 48 (1993) 2304; 54 (1996) 2816) of the spontaneous curvature model of Helfrich leads to a definite and new theoretical consequence, the radius of the apex of the biconcave shape can shift toward to or apart from the center depending on the increase or decrease of the osmotic pressure. This result is in agreement with the following observed phenomena: The first stage of the discocyte-echinocyte and the discocyte-spherocyte transformation induced by exposing the cells to high concentrations of certain chemical agents; and the ring-shaped torocyte formation due to the iron deficiency or thalassemia.

Real time quantitative phase microscopy based on single-shot transport of intensity equation (ssTIE) method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Wei; Tian, Xiaolin; He, Xiaoliang; Song, Xiaojun; Xue, Liang; Liu, Cheng; Wang, Shouyu

2016-08-01

Microscopy based on transport of intensity equation provides quantitative phase distributions which opens another perspective for cellular observations. However, it requires multi-focal image capturing while mechanical and electrical scanning limits its real time capacity in sample detections. Here, in order to break through this restriction, real time quantitative phase microscopy based on single-shot transport of the intensity equation method is proposed. A programmed phase mask is designed to realize simultaneous multi-focal image recording without any scanning; thus, phase distributions can be quantitatively retrieved in real time. It is believed the proposed method can be potentially applied in various biological and medical applications, especially for live cell imaging.

Petrobactin Is Exported from Bacillus anthracis by the RND-Type Exporter ApeX

PubMed Central

Hagan, A. K.; Berger, D.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Bacillus anthracis—a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium—causes anthrax, a highly lethal disease with high bacteremia titers. Such rapid growth requires ample access to nutrients, including iron. However, access to this critical metal is heavily restricted in mammals, which requires B. anthracis to employ petrobactin, an iron-scavenging small molecule known as a siderophore. Petrobactin biosynthesis is mediated by asb gene products, and import of the iron-bound (holo)-siderophore into the bacterium has been well studied. In contrast, little is known about the mechanism of petrobactin export following its production in B. anthracis cells. Using a combination of bioinformatics data, gene deletions, and laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI-MS), we identified a resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type transporter, termed ApeX, as a putative petrobactin exporter. Deletion of apeX abrogated export of intact petrobactin, which accumulated inside the cell. However, growth of ΔapeX mutants in iron-depleted medium was not affected, and virulence in mice was not attenuated. Instead, petrobactin components were determined to be exported through a different protein, which enables iron transport sufficient for growth, albeit with a slightly lower affinity for iron. This is the first report to identify a functional siderophore exporter in B. anthracis and the in vivo functionality of siderophore components. Moreover, this is the first application of LAESI-MS to sample a virulence factor/metabolite directly from bacterial culture media and cell pellets of a human pathogen. PMID:28900020

Composition and Quantitation of Microalgal Lipids by ERETIC 1H NMR Method

PubMed Central

Nuzzo, Genoveffa; Gallo, Carmela; d’Ippolito, Giuliana; Cutignano, Adele; Sardo, Angela; Fontana, Angelo

2013-01-01

Accurate characterization of biomass constituents is a crucial aspect of research in the biotechnological application of natural products. Here we report an efficient, fast and reproducible method for the identification and quantitation of fatty acids and complex lipids (triacylglycerols, glycolipids, phospholipids) in microalgae under investigation for the development of functional health products (probiotics, food ingredients, drugs, etc.) or third generation biofuels. The procedure consists of extraction of the biological matrix by modified Folch method and direct analysis of the resulting material by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The protocol uses a reference electronic signal as external standard (ERETIC method) and allows assessment of total lipid content, saturation degree and class distribution in both high throughput screening of algal collection and metabolic analysis during genetic or culturing studies. As proof of concept, the methodology was applied to the analysis of three microalgal species (Thalassiosira weissflogii, Cyclotella cryptica and Nannochloropsis salina) which drastically differ for the qualitative and quantitative composition of their fatty acid-based lipids. PMID:24084790

Comparison of culture-based, vital stain and PMA-qPCR methods for the quantitative detection of viable hookworm ova.

PubMed

Gyawali, P; Sidhu, J P S; Ahmed, W; Jagals, P; Toze, S

2017-06-01

Accurate quantitative measurement of viable hookworm ova from environmental samples is the key to controlling hookworm re-infections in the endemic regions. In this study, the accuracy of three quantitative detection methods [culture-based, vital stain and propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR)] was evaluated by enumerating 1,000 ± 50 Ancylostoma caninum ova in the laboratory. The culture-based method was able to quantify an average of 397 ± 59 viable hookworm ova. Similarly, vital stain and PMA-qPCR methods quantified 644 ± 87 and 587 ± 91 viable ova, respectively. The numbers of viable ova estimated by the culture-based method were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than vital stain and PMA-qPCR methods. Therefore, both PMA-qPCR and vital stain methods appear to be suitable for the quantitative detection of viable hookworm ova. However, PMA-qPCR would be preferable over the vital stain method in scenarios where ova speciation is needed.

Quantitative method of measuring cancer cell urokinase and metastatic potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

The metastatic potential of tumors can be evaluated by the quantitative detection of urokinase and DNA. The cell sample selected for examination is analyzed for the presence of high levels of urokinase and abnormal DNA using analytical flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Other factors such as membrane associated urokinase, increased DNA synthesis rates and certain receptors can be used in the method for detection of potentially invasive tumors.

Quantitative Methods in the Study of Local History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davey, Pene

1974-01-01

The author suggests how the quantitative analysis of data from census records, assessment roles, and newspapers may be integrated into the classroom. Suggestions for obtaining quantitative data are provided. (DE)

Quantitative methods to direct exploration based on hydrogeologic information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graettinger, A.J.; Lee, J.; Reeves, H.W.; Dethan, D.

2006-01-01

Quantitatively Directed Exploration (QDE) approaches based on information such as model sensitivity, input data covariance and model output covariance are presented. Seven approaches for directing exploration are developed, applied, and evaluated on a synthetic hydrogeologic site. The QDE approaches evaluate input information uncertainty, subsurface model sensitivity and, most importantly, output covariance to identify the next location to sample. Spatial input parameter values and covariances are calculated with the multivariate conditional probability calculation from a limited number of samples. A variogram structure is used during data extrapolation to describe the spatial continuity, or correlation, of subsurface information. Model sensitivity can be determined by perturbing input data and evaluating output response or, as in this work, sensitivities can be programmed directly into an analysis model. Output covariance is calculated by the First-Order Second Moment (FOSM) method, which combines the covariance of input information with model sensitivity. A groundwater flow example, modeled in MODFLOW-2000, is chosen to demonstrate the seven QDE approaches. MODFLOW-2000 is used to obtain the piezometric head and the model sensitivity simultaneously. The seven QDE approaches are evaluated based on the accuracy of the modeled piezometric head after information from a QDE sample is added. For the synthetic site used in this study, the QDE approach that identifies the location of hydraulic conductivity that contributes the most to the overall piezometric head variance proved to be the best method to quantitatively direct exploration. ?? IWA Publishing 2006.

Quantitative diagnostic method for biceps long head tendinitis by using ultrasound.

PubMed

Huang, Shih-Wei; Wang, Wei-Te

2013-01-01

To investigate the feasibility of grayscale quantitative diagnostic method for biceps tendinitis and determine the cut-off points of a quantitative biceps ultrasound (US) method to diagnose biceps tendinitis. Design. Prospective cross-sectional case controlled study. Outpatient rehabilitation service. A total of 336 shoulder pain patients with suspected biceps tendinitis were recruited in this prospective observational study. The grayscale pixel data of the range of interest (ROI) were obtained for both the transverse and longitudinal views of the biceps US. A total of 136 patients were classified with biceps tendinitis, and 200 patients were classified as not having biceps tendinitis based on the diagnostic criteria. Based on the Youden index, the cut-off points were determined as 26.85 for the transverse view and 21.25 for the longitudinal view of the standard deviation (StdDev) of the ROI values, respectively. When the ROI evaluation of the US surpassed the cut-off point, the sensitivity was 68% and the specificity was 90% in the StdDev of the transverse view, and the sensitivity was 81% and the specificity was 73% in the StdDev of the longitudinal view to diagnose biceps tendinitis. For equivocal cases or inexperienced sonographers, our study provides a more objective method for diagnosing biceps tendinitis in shoulder pain patients.

The use of digital PCR to improve the application of quantitative molecular diagnostic methods for tuberculosis.

PubMed

Devonshire, Alison S; O'Sullivan, Denise M; Honeyborne, Isobella; Jones, Gerwyn; Karczmarczyk, Maria; Pavšič, Jernej; Gutteridge, Alice; Milavec, Mojca; Mendoza, Pablo; Schimmel, Heinz; Van Heuverswyn, Fran; Gorton, Rebecca; Cirillo, Daniela Maria; Borroni, Emanuele; Harris, Kathryn; Barnard, Marinus; Heydenrych, Anthenette; Ndusilo, Norah; Wallis, Carole L; Pillay, Keshree; Barry, Thomas; Reddington, Kate; Richter, Elvira; Mozioğlu, Erkan; Akyürek, Sema; Yalçınkaya, Burhanettin; Akgoz, Muslum; Žel, Jana; Foy, Carole A; McHugh, Timothy D; Huggett, Jim F

2016-08-03

Real-time PCR (qPCR) based methods, such as the Xpert MTB/RIF, are increasingly being used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB). While qualitative methods are adequate for diagnosis, the therapeutic monitoring of TB patients requires quantitative methods currently performed using smear microscopy. The potential use of quantitative molecular measurements for therapeutic monitoring has been investigated but findings have been variable and inconclusive. The lack of an adequate reference method and reference materials is a barrier to understanding the source of such disagreement. Digital PCR (dPCR) offers the potential for an accurate method for quantification of specific DNA sequences in reference materials which can be used to evaluate quantitative molecular methods for TB treatment monitoring. To assess a novel approach for the development of quality assurance materials we used dPCR to quantify specific DNA sequences in a range of prototype reference materials and evaluated accuracy between different laboratories and instruments. The materials were then also used to evaluate the quantitative performance of qPCR and Xpert MTB/RIF in eight clinical testing laboratories. dPCR was found to provide results in good agreement with the other methods tested and to be highly reproducible between laboratories without calibration even when using different instruments. When the reference materials were analysed with qPCR and Xpert MTB/RIF by clinical laboratories, all laboratories were able to correctly rank the reference materials according to concentration, however there was a marked difference in the measured magnitude. TB is a disease where the quantification of the pathogen could lead to better patient management and qPCR methods offer the potential to rapidly perform such analysis. However, our findings suggest that when precisely characterised materials are used to evaluate qPCR methods, the measurement result variation is too high to determine whether molecular quantification

Semi-quantitative methods yield greater inter- and intraobserver agreement than subjective methods for interpreting 99m technetium-hydroxymethylene-diphosphonate uptake in equine thoracic processi spinosi.

PubMed

van Zadelhoff, Claudia; Ehrle, Anna; Merle, Roswitha; Jahn, Werner; Lischer, Christoph

2018-05-09

Scintigraphy is a standard diagnostic method for evaluating horses with back pain due to suspected thoracic processus spinosus pathology. Lesion detection is based on subjective or semi-quantitative assessments of increased uptake. This retrospective, analytical study is aimed to compare semi-quantitative and subjective methods in the evaluation of scintigraphic images of the processi spinosi in the equine thoracic spine. Scintigraphic images of 20 Warmblood horses, presented for assessment of orthopedic conditions between 2014 and 2016, were included in the study. Randomized, blinded image evaluation was performed by 11 veterinarians using subjective and semi-quantitative methods. Subjective grading was performed for the analysis of red-green-blue and grayscale scintigraphic images, which were presented in full-size or as masked images. For the semi-quantitative assessment, observers placed regions of interest over each processus spinosus. The uptake ratio of each processus spinosus in comparison to a reference region of interest was determined. Subsequently, a modified semi-quantitative calculation was developed whereby only the highest counts-per-pixel for a specified number of pixels was processed. Inter- and intraobserver agreement was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients. Inter- and intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients were 41.65% and 71.39%, respectively, for the subjective image assessment. Additionally, a correlation between intraobserver agreement, experience, and grayscale images was identified. The inter- and intraobserver agreement was significantly increased when using semi-quantitative analysis (97.35% and 98.36%, respectively) or the modified semi-quantitative calculation (98.61% and 98.82%, respectively). The proposed modified semi-quantitative technique showed a higher inter- and intraobserver agreement when compared to other methods, which makes it a useful tool for the analysis of scintigraphic images. The

Early Archean (approximately 3.4 Ga) prokaryotic filaments from cherts of the apex basalt, Western Australia: The oldest cellularly preserved microfossils now known

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schopf, J. W.

1991-01-01

In comparison with that known from later geologic time, the Archean fossil record is miniscule: although literally hundreds of Proterozoic formations, containing more that 2800 occurrences of bona fide microfossils are now known, fewer than 30 units containing some 43 categories of putative microfossils (the vast majority of which are of questionable authenticity) have been reported from the Archean. Among the oldest known fossils are Early Archean filaments reported from cherts of the Towers Formation and the Apex Basalt of the 3.3-3.6 Ga-old Warrawoona Group of Western Australia. The paleobiologic significance of the Towers Formation microstructures is open to question: thin aggregated filaments are properly regarded as dubiomicrofossils (perhaps biogenic, but perhaps not); therefore, they cannot be regarded as firm evidence of Archean life. Although authentic, filamentous microfossiles were reported from a second Towers Formation locality, because the precise layer containing the fossiliferous cherts was not relocated, this discovery can neither be reconfirmed by the original collector nor confirmed independently by other investigators. Discovery of microfossils in bedded cherts of the Apex Basalt, the stratigraphic unit immediately overlying the Towers Formation, obviates the difficulties stored above. The cellularly preserved filaments of the Apex Basalt meet all of the criteria required of a bona fide Archean microfossils. Recent studies indicate that the Apex assemblage includes at least six morphotypes of uniseriate filaments, composed of barrel-shaped, discoidal, or quadrate cells and exhibiting rounded or conical terminal cells and medial bifurcated and paired half-cells that reflect the occurrence of prokaryotic binary cell division. Interestingly, the majority of these morphotypes are morphologically more similar to extant cyanobacteria than to modern filamentous bacteria. Prokaryotes seem clearly to have been hypobradytelic, and the evidence suggests

Objective evaluation of reconstruction methods for quantitative SPECT imaging in the absence of ground truth.

PubMed

Jha, Abhinav K; Song, Na; Caffo, Brian; Frey, Eric C

2015-04-13

Quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging is emerging as an important tool in clinical studies and biomedical research. There is thus a need for optimization and evaluation of systems and algorithms that are being developed for quantitative SPECT imaging. An appropriate objective method to evaluate these systems is by comparing their performance in the end task that is required in quantitative SPECT imaging, such as estimating the mean activity concentration in a volume of interest (VOI) in a patient image. This objective evaluation can be performed if the true value of the estimated parameter is known, i.e. we have a gold standard. However, very rarely is this gold standard known in human studies. Thus, no-gold-standard techniques to optimize and evaluate systems and algorithms in the absence of gold standard are required. In this work, we developed a no-gold-standard technique to objectively evaluate reconstruction methods used in quantitative SPECT when the parameter to be estimated is the mean activity concentration in a VOI. We studied the performance of the technique with realistic simulated image data generated from an object database consisting of five phantom anatomies with all possible combinations of five sets of organ uptakes, where each anatomy consisted of eight different organ VOIs. Results indicate that the method provided accurate ranking of the reconstruction methods. We also demonstrated the application of consistency checks to test the no-gold-standard output.

A novel semi-quantitative method for measuring tissue bleeding.

PubMed

Vukcevic, G; Volarevic, V; Raicevic, S; Tanaskovic, I; Milicic, B; Vulovic, T; Arsenijevic, S

2014-03-01

In this study, we describe a new semi-quantitative method for measuring the extent of bleeding in pathohistological tissue samples. To test our novel method, we recruited 120 female patients in their first trimester of pregnancy and divided them into three groups of 40. Group I was the control group, in which no dilation was applied. Group II was an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using classical mechanical dilators. Group III was also an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using a hydraulic dilator. Tissue samples were taken from the patients' cervical canals using a Novak's probe via energetic single-step curettage prior to any dilation in Group I and after dilation in Groups II and III. After the tissue samples were prepared, light microscopy was used to obtain microphotographs at 100x magnification. The surfaces affected by bleeding were measured in the microphotographs using the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program and its "polylines" function. The lines were used to mark the area around the entire sample (marked A) and to create "polyline" areas around each bleeding area on the sample (marked B). The percentage of the total area affected by bleeding was calculated using the formula: N = Bt x 100 / At where N is the percentage (%) of the tissue sample surface affected by bleeding, At (A total) is the sum of the surfaces of all of the tissue samples and Bt (B total) is the sum of all the surfaces affected by bleeding in all of the tissue samples. This novel semi-quantitative method utilizes the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program, which is simple to use and widely available, thereby offering a new, objective and precise approach to estimate the extent of bleeding in tissue samples.

A six-year retrospective analysis of cut-out risk predictors in cephalomedullary nailing for pertrochanteric fractures: Can the tip-apex distance (TAD) still be considered the best parameter?

PubMed

Caruso, G; Bonomo, M; Valpiani, G; Salvatori, G; Gildone, A; Lorusso, V; Massari, L

2017-08-01

Intramedullary fixation is considered the most stable treatment for pertrochanteric fractures of the proximal femur and cut-out is one of the most frequent mechanical complications. In order to determine the role of clinical variables and radiological parameters in predicting the risk of this complication, we analysed the data pertaining to a group of patients recruited over the course of six years. A total of 571 patients were included in this study, which analysed the incidence of cut-out in relation to several clinical variables: age; gender; the AO Foundation and Orthopaedic Trauma Association classification system (AO/OTA); type of nail; cervical-diaphyseal angle; surgical wait times; anti-osteoporotic medication; complete post-operative weight bearing; and radiological parameters (namely the lag-screw position with respect to the femoral head, the Cleveland system, the tip-apex distance (TAD), and the calcar-referenced tip-apex distance (CalTAD)). The incidence of cut-out across the sample was 5.6%, with a higher incidence in female patients. A significantly higher risk of this complication was correlated with lag-screw tip positioning in the upper part of the femoral head in the anteroposterior radiological view, posterior in the latero-lateral radiological view, and in the Cleveland peripheral zones. The tip-apex distance and the calcar-referenced tip-apex distance were found to be highly significant predictors of the risk of cut-out at cut-offs of 30.7 mm and 37.3 mm, respectively, but the former appeared more reliable than the latter in predicting the occurrence of this complication. The tip-apex distance remains the most accurate predictor of cut-out, which is significantly greater above a cut-off of 30.7 mm. Cite this article: G. Caruso, M. Bonomo, G. Valpiani, G. Salvatori, A. Gildone, V. Lorusso, L. Massari. A six-year retrospective analysis of cut-out risk predictors in cephalomedullary nailing for pertrochanteric fractures: Can the tip-apex distance

Body-size trends of the extinct giant shark Carcharocles megalodon: a deep-time perspective on marine apex predators.

PubMed

Pimiento, Catalina; Balk, Meghan A

2015-06-01

The extinct shark Carcharocles megalodon is one of the largest marine apex predators ever to exist. Nonetheless, little is known about its body-size variations through time and space. Here, we studied the body-size trends of C. megalodon through its temporal and geographic range to better understand its ecology and evolution. Given that this species was the last of the megatooth lineage, a group of species that shows a purported size increase through time, we hypothesized that C. megalodon also displayed this trend, increasing in size over time and reaching its largest size prior to extinction. We found that C. megalodon body-size distribution was left-skewed (suggesting a long-term selective pressure favoring larger individuals), and presented significant geographic variation (possibly as a result of the heterogeneous ecological constraints of this cosmopolitan species) over geologic time. Finally, we found that stasis was the general mode of size evolution of C. megalodon (i.e., no net changes over time), contrasting with the trends of the megatooth lineage and our hypothesis. Given that C. megalodon is a relatively long-lived species with a widely distributed fossil record, we further used this study system to provide a deep-time perspective to the understanding of the body-size trends of marine apex predators. For instance, our results suggest that (1) a selective pressure in predatory sharks for consuming a broader range of prey may favor larger individuals and produce left-skewed distributions on a geologic time scale; (2) body-size variations in cosmopolitan apex marine predators may depend on their interactions with geographically discrete communities; and (3) the inherent characteristics of shark species can produce stable sizes over geologic time, regardless of the size trends of their lineages.

Replace-approximation method for ambiguous solutions in factor analysis of ultrasonic hepatic perfusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ji; Ding, Mingyue; Yuchi, Ming; Hou, Wenguang; Ye, Huashan; Qiu, Wu

2010-03-01

Factor analysis is an efficient technique to the analysis of dynamic structures in medical image sequences and recently has been used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of hepatic perfusion. Time-intensity curves (TICs) extracted by factor analysis can provide much more diagnostic information for radiologists and improve the diagnostic rate of focal liver lesions (FLLs). However, one of the major drawbacks of factor analysis of dynamic structures (FADS) is nonuniqueness of the result when only the non-negativity criterion is used. In this paper, we propose a new method of replace-approximation based on apex-seeking for ambiguous FADS solutions. Due to a partial overlap of different structures, factor curves are assumed to be approximately replaced by the curves existing in medical image sequences. Therefore, how to find optimal curves is the key point of the technique. No matter how many structures are assumed, our method always starts to seek apexes from one-dimensional space where the original high-dimensional data is mapped. By finding two stable apexes from one dimensional space, the method can ascertain the third one. The process can be continued until all structures are found. This technique were tested on two phantoms of blood perfusion and compared to the two variants of apex-seeking method. The results showed that the technique outperformed two variants in comparison of region of interest measurements from phantom data. It can be applied to the estimation of TICs derived from CEUS images and separation of different physiological regions in hepatic perfusion.

Are Teacher Course Evaluations Biased against Faculty That Teach Quantitative Methods Courses?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royal, Kenneth D.; Stockdale, Myrah R.

2015-01-01

The present study investigated graduate students' responses to teacher/course evaluations (TCE) to determine if students' responses were inherently biased against faculty who teach quantitative methods courses. Item response theory (IRT) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) techniques were utilized for data analysis. Results indicate students…

[Adequate application of quantitative and qualitative statistic analytic methods in acupuncture clinical trials].

PubMed

Tan, Ming T; Liu, Jian-ping; Lao, Lixing

2012-08-01

Recently, proper use of the statistical methods in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has received increased attention. Statistical inference based on hypothesis testing is the foundation of clinical trials and evidence-based medicine. In this article, the authors described the methodological differences between literature published in Chinese and Western journals in the design and analysis of acupuncture RCTs and the application of basic statistical principles. In China, qualitative analysis method has been widely used in acupuncture and TCM clinical trials, while the between-group quantitative analysis methods on clinical symptom scores are commonly used in the West. The evidence for and against these analytical differences were discussed based on the data of RCTs assessing acupuncture for pain relief. The authors concluded that although both methods have their unique advantages, quantitative analysis should be used as the primary analysis while qualitative analysis can be a secondary criterion for analysis. The purpose of this paper is to inspire further discussion of such special issues in clinical research design and thus contribute to the increased scientific rigor of TCM research.

Estimation of phosphorous loss from agricultural land in the Heartland region of the U.S.A. using the APEX model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Accurate phosphorus (P) loss estimation from agricultural land is important for development of best management practices and protection of water quality. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender (APEX) model is a powerful simulation model designed to simulate edge-of-field water, sediment, an...

Quantitative analysis of the anti-noise performance of an m-sequence in an electromagnetic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Zhe; Zhang, Yiming; Zheng, Qijia

2018-02-01

An electromagnetic method with a transmitted waveform coded by an m-sequence achieved better anti-noise performance compared to the conventional manner with a square-wave. The anti-noise performance of the m-sequence varied with multiple coding parameters; hence, a quantitative analysis of the anti-noise performance for m-sequences with different coding parameters was required to optimize them. This paper proposes the concept of an identification system, with the identified Earth impulse response obtained by measuring the system output with the input of the voltage response. A quantitative analysis of the anti-noise performance of the m-sequence was achieved by analyzing the amplitude-frequency response of the corresponding identification system. The effects of the coding parameters on the anti-noise performance are summarized by numerical simulation, and their optimization is further discussed in our conclusions; the validity of the conclusions is further verified by field experiment. The quantitative analysis method proposed in this paper provides a new insight into the anti-noise mechanism of the m-sequence, and could be used to evaluate the anti-noise performance of artificial sources in other time-domain exploration methods, such as the seismic method.

The APEX experiment at JLab. Searching for the vector boson A' decaying to e+e-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franklin, Gregg B.

2017-04-01

Jefferson Lab's A' Experiment (APEX) will search for a new vector boson, the A', in the mass range 65 MeV < mA' < 550 MeV, with sensitivity for the A' coupling to electrons of α' > 6 × 10-8α, where α = e2/4π. New vector bosons with such small couplings arise naturally from a small kinetic mixing of the "dark photon", A', with the photon — one of the very few ways in which new forces can couple to the Standard Model — and have received considerable attention as an explanation of various dark-matter related anomalies. In this experiment, A' bosons produced by radiation off an electron beam could appear as narrow resonances with small production cross-sections in the e+e- invariant mass distribution. The two Jefferson Lab HRS spectrometers will provide a reconstructed invariant-mass resolution for the A' of δM/M < 0.5%. With a 33-day run, the experiment will achieve high sensitivity by taking advantage of this mass resolution and high statistics of the e+e- pairs, which will be orders of magnitude larger than in previous searches for the A' boson in this mass range. This paper will review the key concepts of the experiment and the status of the preparations for running APEX. The results of a completed pilot run will be presented.

A method for operative quantitative interpretation of multispectral images of biological tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisenko, S. A.; Kugeiko, M. M.

2013-10-01

A method for operative retrieval of spatial distributions of biophysical parameters of a biological tissue by using a multispectral image of it has been developed. The method is based on multiple regressions between linearly independent components of the diffuse reflection spectrum of the tissue and unknown parameters. Possibilities of the method are illustrated by an example of determining biophysical parameters of the skin (concentrations of melanin, hemoglobin and bilirubin, blood oxygenation, and scattering coefficient of the tissue). Examples of quantitative interpretation of the experimental data are presented.

An Alu-based, MGB Eclipse real-time PCR method for quantitation of human DNA in forensic samples.

PubMed

Nicklas, Janice A; Buel, Eric

2005-09-01

The forensic community needs quick, reliable methods to quantitate human DNA in crime scene samples to replace the laborious and imprecise slot blot method. A real-time PCR based method has the possibility of allowing development of a faster and more quantitative assay. Alu sequences are primate-specific and are found in many copies in the human genome, making these sequences an excellent target or marker for human DNA. This paper describes the development of a real-time Alu sequence-based assay using MGB Eclipse primers and probes. The advantages of this assay are simplicity, speed, less hands-on-time and automated quantitation, as well as a large dynamic range (128 ng/microL to 0.5 pg/microL).

Analysis of cervical kyphosis and spinal balance in young idiopathic scoliosis patients classified by the apex of thoracic kyphosis.

PubMed

Ito, Kenyu; Imagama, Shiro; Ito, Zenya; Ando, Kei; Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi; Hida, Tetsuro; Tsushima, Mikito; Ishikawa, Yoshimoto; Matsumoto, Akiyuki; Nishida, Yoshihiro; Ishiguro, Naoki

2016-10-01

Sagittal balance has recently been the focus of studies aimed at understanding the correction force required for both coronal and sagittal malalignment. However, the correlation between cervical kyphosis and sagittal balance in AIS patients has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to clarify the correlation between cervical alignment and spinal balance in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Here, we hypothesized that cervical kyphosis patients can be classified into groups by the apex of thoracic kyphosis. This study included 92 AIS patients (84 females, 8 males; mean age, 15.1 years). Patients were divided into the cervical lordosis (CL), cervical sigmoid (CS), or cervical kyphosis (CK) groups and further classified according to the apex of thoracic kyphosis into High (above T3), Middle (T4-T9), and Low (below T10) groups. There were 17 (18.5 %), 22 (23.9 %), and 53 (57.6 %) patients with CL, CS, and CK, respectively. In the CK group, 13 had CK-High, 35 had CK-Middle, and 5 had CK-Low. The C7 sagittal vertical axis (C7SVA) measurements were most backward in CK-High and most forward in CK-Low. The T5-12 kyphosis (TK) measurement was significantly lower in CK-High. Most AIS patients had kyphotic cervical alignment. Patients with CK can be classified as having CK-High, CK-Middle, or CK-Low according to the apex of thoracic kyphosis. CK-High is due to thoracic hypokyphosis with a backward balanced C7SVA. CK-Middle is well-balanced cervical kyphosis. CK-Low has forward-bent global kyphosis of the cervicothoracic spine that positioned the C7SVA forward.

A Stereological Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Cartilage Repair Tissue.

PubMed

Foldager, Casper Bindzus; Nyengaard, Jens Randel; Lind, Martin; Spector, Myron

2015-04-01

To implement stereological principles to develop an easy applicable algorithm for unbiased and quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair. Design-unbiased sampling was performed by systematically sectioning the defect perpendicular to the joint surface in parallel planes providing 7 to 10 hematoxylin-eosin stained histological sections. Counting windows were systematically selected and converted into image files (40-50 per defect). The quantification was performed by two-step point counting: (1) calculation of defect volume and (2) quantitative analysis of tissue composition. Step 2 was performed by assigning each point to one of the following categories based on validated and easy distinguishable morphological characteristics: (1) hyaline cartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in hyaline matrix), (2) fibrocartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in fibrous matrix), (3) fibrous tissue (elongated cells in fibrous tissue), (4) bone, (5) scaffold material, and (6) others. The ability to discriminate between the tissue types was determined using conventional or polarized light microscopy, and the interobserver variability was evaluated. We describe the application of the stereological method. In the example, we assessed the defect repair tissue volume to be 4.4 mm(3) (CE = 0.01). The tissue fractions were subsequently evaluated. Polarized light illumination of the slides improved discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage and increased the interobserver agreement compared with conventional transmitted light. We have applied a design-unbiased method for quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair, and we propose this algorithm as a natural supplement to existing descriptive semiquantitative scoring systems. We also propose that polarized light is effective for discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage.

"Inject-mix-react-separate-and-quantitate" (IMReSQ) method for screening enzyme inhibitors.

PubMed

Wong, Edmund; Okhonin, Victor; Berezovski, Maxim V; Nozaki, Tomoyoshi; Waldmann, Herbert; Alexandrov, Kirill; Krylov, Sergey N

2008-09-10

Many regulatory enzymes are considered attractive therapeutic targets, and their inhibitors are potential drug candidates. Screening combinatorial libraries for enzyme inhibitors is pivotal to identifying hit compounds for the development of drugs targeting regulatory enzymes. Here, we introduce the first inhibitor screening method that consumes only nanoliters of the reactant solutions and is applicable to regulatory enzymes. The method is termed inject-mix-react-separate-and-quantitate (IMReSQ) and includes five steps. First, nanoliter volumes of substrate, candidate inhibitor, and enzyme solutions are injected by pressure into a capillary as separate plugs. Second, the plugs are mixed inside this capillary microreactor by transverse diffusion of laminar flow profiles. Third, the reaction mixture is incubated to form the enzymatic product. Fourth, the product is separated from the substrate inside the capillary by electrophoresis. Fifth, the amounts of the product and substrate are quantitated. In this proof-of-principle work, we applied IMReSQ to study inhibition of recently cloned protein farnesyltransferase from parasite Entamoeba histolytica. This enzyme is a potential therapeutic target for antiparasitic drugs. We identified three previously unknown inhibitors of this enzyme and proved that IMReSQ could be used for quantitatively ranking the potencies of inhibitors.

Stem Migration and Fretting Corrosion of the Antirotation Pin in the K2/Apex Hip System.

PubMed

Kent, Michael; Edmondson, Mark; Ebert, Jay; Nivbrant, Nils; Kop, Alan; Wood, David; De Steiger, Richard

2016-03-01

Many exchangeable neck hip systems have been withdrawn because of fretting corrosion at the neck/stem coupling. Our prospective randomized study evaluating stem stability (Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) and clinical outcomes between the K2/Apex hip systems was ceased early because of a withdrawal of the stems which had an unfavorably high early revision rate reported in the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Registry (9.3% at 3 years). At 2 years, there are no clinical differences between the stems. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis has identified a high proportion of potentially concerning subsidence and retroversion in both groups, more marked in the K2 stem, although mostly in asymptomatic patients. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry has shown similar bone density around the stems. Retrieval analysis of 3 study patients showed fretting corrosion of the antirotation pin and aseptic lymphocyte-dominated vasculitis-associated lesion, with no relationship to bearing type or size. Analysis of 7 further nonstudy K2/Apex stems confirmed similar corrosion. This study shows potentially concerning subsidence of both stems and is the first to describe corrosion at the neck-stem interface and a relationship to metal-related pathology. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recombinant Amelogenin Protein Induces Apical Closure and Pulp Regeneration in Open-apex, Nonvital Permanent Canine Teeth.

PubMed

Mounir, Maha M F; Matar, Moustafa A; Lei, Yaping; Snead, Malcolm L

2016-03-01

Recombinant DNA-produced amelogenin protein was compared with calcium hydroxide in a study of immature apex closure conducted in 24 young mongrel dogs. Root canals of maxillary and mandibular right premolars (n = 240) were instrumented and left open for 14 days. Canals were cleansed, irrigated, and split equally for treatment with recombinant mouse amelogenin (n = 120) or calcium hydroxide (n = 120). After 1, 3, and 6 months, the animals were sacrificed and the treated teeth recovered for histologic assessment and immunodetection of protein markers associated with odontogenic cells. After 1 month, amelogenin-treated canals revealed calcified tissue formed at the apical foramen and a pulp chamber containing soft connective tissue and hard tissue; amelogenin-treated canals assessed after 3- and 6-month intervals further included apical tissue functionally attached to bone by a periodontal ligament. In contrast, calcified apical tissue was poorly formed in the calcium hydroxide group, and soft connective tissue within the pulp chamber was not observed. The findings from this experimental strategy suggest recombinant amelogenin protein can signal cells to enhance apex formation in nonvital immature teeth and promote soft connective tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retinal status analysis method based on feature extraction and quantitative grading in OCT images.

PubMed

Fu, Dongmei; Tong, Hejun; Zheng, Shuang; Luo, Ling; Gao, Fulin; Minar, Jiri

2016-07-22

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in ophthalmology for viewing the morphology of the retina, which is important for disease detection and assessing therapeutic effect. The diagnosis of retinal diseases is based primarily on the subjective analysis of OCT images by trained ophthalmologists. This paper describes an OCT images automatic analysis method for computer-aided disease diagnosis and it is a critical part of the eye fundus diagnosis. This study analyzed 300 OCT images acquired by Optovue Avanti RTVue XR (Optovue Corp., Fremont, CA). Firstly, the normal retinal reference model based on retinal boundaries was presented. Subsequently, two kinds of quantitative methods based on geometric features and morphological features were proposed. This paper put forward a retinal abnormal grading decision-making method which was used in actual analysis and evaluation of multiple OCT images. This paper showed detailed analysis process by four retinal OCT images with different abnormal degrees. The final grading results verified that the analysis method can distinguish abnormal severity and lesion regions. This paper presented the simulation of the 150 test images, where the results of analysis of retinal status showed that the sensitivity was 0.94 and specificity was 0.92.The proposed method can speed up diagnostic process and objectively evaluate the retinal status. This paper aims on studies of retinal status automatic analysis method based on feature extraction and quantitative grading in OCT images. The proposed method can obtain the parameters and the features that are associated with retinal morphology. Quantitative analysis and evaluation of these features are combined with reference model which can realize the target image abnormal judgment and provide a reference for disease diagnosis.

Comparative assessment of fluorescent transgene methods for quantitative imaging in human cells.

PubMed

Mahen, Robert; Koch, Birgit; Wachsmuth, Malte; Politi, Antonio Z; Perez-Gonzalez, Alexis; Mergenthaler, Julia; Cai, Yin; Ellenberg, Jan

2014-11-05

Fluorescence tagging of proteins is a widely used tool to study protein function and dynamics in live cells. However, the extent to which different mammalian transgene methods faithfully report on the properties of endogenous proteins has not been studied comparatively. Here we use quantitative live-cell imaging and single-molecule spectroscopy to analyze how different transgene systems affect imaging of the functional properties of the mitotic kinase Aurora B. We show that the transgene method fundamentally influences level and variability of expression and can severely compromise the ability to report on endogenous binding and localization parameters, providing a guide for quantitative imaging studies in mammalian cells. © 2014 Mahen et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Quantitative methods for evaluating the efficacy of thalamic deep brain stimulation in patients with essential tremor.

PubMed

Wastensson, Gunilla; Holmberg, Björn; Johnels, Bo; Barregard, Lars

2013-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus is a safe and efficient method for treatment of disabling tremor in patient with essential tremor (ET). However, successful tremor suppression after surgery requires careful selection of stimulus parameters. Our aim was to examine the possible use of certain quantitative methods for evaluating the efficacy of thalamic DBS in ET patients in clinical practice, and to compare these methods with traditional clinical tests. We examined 22 patients using the Essential Tremor Rating Scale (ETRS) and quantitative assessment of tremor with the stimulator both activated and deactivated. We used an accelerometer (CATSYS tremor Pen) for quantitative measurement of postural tremor, and a eurythmokinesimeter (EKM) to evaluate kinetic tremor in a rapid pointing task. The efficacy of DBS on tremor suppression was prominent irrespective of the method used. The agreement between clinical rating of postural tremor and tremor intensity as measured by the CATSYS tremor pen was relatively high (rs = 0.74). The agreement between kinetic tremor as assessed by the ETRS and the main outcome variable from the EKM test was low (rs = 0.34). The lack of agreement indicates that the EKM test is not comparable with the clinical test. Quantitative methods, such as the CATSYS tremor pen, could be a useful complement to clinical tremor assessment in evaluating the efficacy of DBS in clinical practice. Future studies should evaluate the precision of these methods and long-term impact on tremor suppression, activities of daily living (ADL) function and quality of life.

Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of glycoproteins combined with enrichment methods.

PubMed

Ahn, Yeong Hee; Kim, Jin Young; Yoo, Jong Shin

2015-01-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) has been a core technology for high sensitive and high-throughput analysis of the enriched glycoproteome in aspects of quantitative assays as well as qualitative profiling of glycoproteins. Because it has been widely recognized that aberrant glycosylation in a glycoprotein may involve in progression of a certain disease, the development of efficient analysis tool for the aberrant glycoproteins is very important for deep understanding about pathological function of the glycoprotein and new biomarker development. This review first describes the protein glycosylation-targeting enrichment technologies mainly employing solid-phase extraction methods such as hydrizide-capturing, lectin-specific capturing, and affinity separation techniques based on porous graphitized carbon, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, or immobilized boronic acid. Second, MS-based quantitative analysis strategies coupled with the protein glycosylation-targeting enrichment technologies, by using a label-free MS, stable isotope-labeling, or targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) MS, are summarized with recent published studies. © 2014 The Authors. Mass Spectrometry Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of the APEX model to simulate runoff quality from agricultural fields in the southern region of the US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The phosphorus (P) Index (PI) is the risk assessment tool approved in the NRCS 590 standard used to target critical source areas and practices to reduce P losses. A revision of the 590 standard, suggested using the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to assess the risk of nitroge...

Deblending using an improved apex-shifted hyperbolic radon transform based on the Stolt migration operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Xiangbo; Feng, Fei; Jiao, Xuming; Wang, Shengchao

2017-10-01

Simultaneous seismic source separation, also known as deblending, is an essential process for blended acquisition. With the assumption that the blending noise is coherent in the common shot domain but is incoherent in other domains, traditional deblending methods are commonly performed in the common receiver, common midpoint or common offset domain. In this paper, we propose an improved apex-shifted hyperbolic radon transform (ASHRT) to deblend directly in the common shot domain. A time-axis stretch strategy named Stolt-stretch is introduced to overcome the limitation of the constant velocity assumption of Stolt-based operators. To improve the sparsity in the transform domain, a total variation (TV) norm inversion is implemented to enhance the energy convergence in the radon panel. Because of highly efficient Stolt migration and the demigration operator in the frequency-wavenumber domain, as well as the flexible geometry condition of the source-receiver, this approach is quite suitable for quality control (QC) during streamer acquisition. The synthetic and field examples demonstrate that our proposition is robust and efficient.

Selective Weighted Least Squares Method for Fourier Transform Infrared Quantitative Analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Li, Yan; Wei, Haoyun; Chen, Xia

2017-06-01

Classical least squares (CLS) regression is a popular multivariate statistical method used frequently for quantitative analysis using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry. Classical least squares provides the best unbiased estimator for uncorrelated residual errors with zero mean and equal variance. However, the noise in FT-IR spectra, which accounts for a large portion of the residual errors, is heteroscedastic. Thus, if this noise with zero mean dominates in the residual errors, the weighted least squares (WLS) regression method described in this paper is a better estimator than CLS. However, if bias errors, such as the residual baseline error, are significant, WLS may perform worse than CLS. In this paper, we compare the effect of noise and bias error in using CLS and WLS in quantitative analysis. Results indicated that for wavenumbers with low absorbance, the bias error significantly affected the error, such that the performance of CLS is better than that of WLS. However, for wavenumbers with high absorbance, the noise significantly affected the error, and WLS proves to be better than CLS. Thus, we propose a selective weighted least squares (SWLS) regression that processes data with different wavenumbers using either CLS or WLS based on a selection criterion, i.e., lower or higher than an absorbance threshold. The effects of various factors on the optimal threshold value (OTV) for SWLS have been studied through numerical simulations. These studies reported that: (1) the concentration and the analyte type had minimal effect on OTV; and (2) the major factor that influences OTV is the ratio between the bias error and the standard deviation of the noise. The last part of this paper is dedicated to quantitative analysis of methane gas spectra, and methane/toluene mixtures gas spectra as measured using FT-IR spectrometry and CLS, WLS, and SWLS. The standard error of prediction (SEP), bias of prediction (bias), and the residual sum of squares of the errors

Quantitative Research Methods in Chaos and Complexity: From Probability to Post Hoc Regression Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilstrap, Donald L.

2013-01-01

In addition to qualitative methods presented in chaos and complexity theories in educational research, this article addresses quantitative methods that may show potential for future research studies. Although much in the social and behavioral sciences literature has focused on computer simulations, this article explores current chaos and…

Systemic Induction of Photosynthesis via Illumination of the Shoot Apex Is Mediated Sequentially by Phytochrome B, Auxin and Hydrogen Peroxide in Tomato1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Guo, Zhixin; Ahammed, Golam Jalal; Wang, Mengmeng; Zhou, Jie; Xia, Xiaojian; Shi, Kai; Yin, Xueren; Chen, Kunsong; Yu, Jingquan; Zhou, Yanhong

2016-01-01

Systemic signaling of upper leaves promotes the induction of photosynthesis in lower leaves, allowing more efficient use of light flecks. However, the nature of the systemic signals has remained elusive. Here, we show that preillumination of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) shoot apex alone can accelerate photosynthetic induction in distal leaves and that this process is light quality dependent, where red light promotes and far-red light delays photosynthetic induction. Grafting the wild-type rootstock with a phytochome B (phyB) mutant scion compromised light-induced photosynthetic induction as well as auxin biosynthesis in the shoot apex, auxin signaling, and RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG1 (RBOH1)-dependent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in the systemic leaves. Light-induced systemic H2O2 production in the leaves of the rootstock also was absent in plants grafted with an auxin-resistant diageotropica (dgt) mutant scion. Cyclic electron flow around photosystem I and associated ATP production were increased in the systemic leaves by exposure of the apex to red light. This enhancement was compromised in the systemic leaves of the wild-type rootstock with phyB and dgt mutant scions and also in RBOH1-RNA interference leaves with the wild type as scion. Silencing of ORANGE RIPENING, which encodes NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, compromised the systemic induction of photosynthesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that exposure to red light triggers phyB-mediated auxin synthesis in the apex, leading to H2O2 generation in systemic leaves. Enhanced H2O2 levels in turn activate cyclic electron flow and ATP production, leading to a faster induction of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in the systemic leaves, allowing plants better adaptation to the changing light environment. PMID:27550998

Crossing Latitudes—Long-Distance Tracking of an Apex Predator

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Luciana C.; Thums, Michele; Meeuwig, Jessica J.; Vianna, Gabriel M. S.; Stevens, John; McAuley, Rory; Meekan, Mark G.

2015-01-01

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are apex predators occurring in most tropical and warm temperate marine ecosystems, but we know relatively little of their patterns of residency and movement over large spatial and temporal scales. We deployed satellite tags on eleven tiger sharks off the north-western coast of Western Australia and used the Brownian Bridge kernel method to calculate home ranges and analyse movement behaviour. One individual recorded one of the largest geographical ranges of movement ever reported for the species, travelling over 4000 km during 517 days of monitoring. Tags on the remainder of the sharks reported for shorter periods (7-191 days). Most of these sharks had restricted movements and long-term (30-188 days) residency in coastal waters in the vicinity of the area where they were tagged. Core home range areas of sharks varied greatly from 1166.9 to 634,944 km2. Tiger sharks spent most of their time in water temperatures between 23°-26°C but experienced temperatures ranging from 6°C to 33°C. One shark displayed seasonal movements among three distinct home range cores spread along most of the coast of Western Australia and generalized linear models showed that this individual had different patterns of temperature and depth occupancy in each region of the coast, with the highest probability of residency occurring in the shallowest areas of the coast with water temperatures above 23°C. These results suggest that tiger sharks can migrate over very large distances and across latitudes ranging from tropical to the cool temperate waters. Such extensive long-term movements may be a key element influencing the connectivity of populations within and among ocean basins. PMID:25671609

Dual respiratory and cardiac motion estimation in PET imaging: Methods design and quantitative evaluation.

PubMed

Feng, Tao; Wang, Jizhe; Tsui, Benjamin M W

2018-04-01

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate four post-reconstruction respiratory and cardiac (R&C) motion vector field (MVF) estimation methods for cardiac 4D PET data. In Method 1, the dual R&C motions were estimated directly from the dual R&C gated images. In Method 2, respiratory motion (RM) and cardiac motion (CM) were separately estimated from the respiratory gated only and cardiac gated only images. The effects of RM on CM estimation were modeled in Method 3 by applying an image-based RM correction on the cardiac gated images before CM estimation, the effects of CM on RM estimation were neglected. Method 4 iteratively models the mutual effects of RM and CM during dual R&C motion estimations. Realistic simulation data were generated for quantitative evaluation of four methods. Almost noise-free PET projection data were generated from the 4D XCAT phantom with realistic R&C MVF using Monte Carlo simulation. Poisson noise was added to the scaled projection data to generate additional datasets of two more different noise levels. All the projection data were reconstructed using a 4D image reconstruction method to obtain dual R&C gated images. The four dual R&C MVF estimation methods were applied to the dual R&C gated images and the accuracy of motion estimation was quantitatively evaluated using the root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimated MVFs. Results show that among the four estimation methods, Methods 2 performed the worst for noise-free case while Method 1 performed the worst for noisy cases in terms of quantitative accuracy of the estimated MVF. Methods 4 and 3 showed comparable results and achieved RMSE lower by up to 35% than that in Method 1 for noisy cases. In conclusion, we have developed and evaluated 4 different post-reconstruction R&C MVF estimation methods for use in 4D PET imaging. Comparison of the performance of four methods on simulated data indicates separate R&C estimation with modeling of RM before CM estimation (Method 3) to be

Quantitative photogrammetric analysis of the Klapp method for treating idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Iunes, Denise H; Cecílio, Maria B B; Dozza, Marina A; Almeida, Polyanna R

2010-01-01

Few studies have proved that physical therapy techniques are efficient in the treatment of scoliosis. To analyze the efficiency of the Klapp method for the treatment of scoliosis, through a quantitative analysis using computerized biophotogrammetry. Sixteen participants of a mean age of 15+/-2.61 yrs. with idiopathic scoliosis were treated using the Klapp method. To analyze the results from the treatment, they were all of photographed before and after the treatments, following a standardized photographic method. All of the photographs were analyzed quantitatively by the same examiner using the ALCimagem 2000 software. The statistical analyses were performed using the paired t-test with a significance level of 5%. The treatments showed improvements in the angles which evaluated the symmetry of the shoulders, i.e. the acromioclavicular joint angle (AJ; p=0.00) and sternoclavicular joint angle (SJ; p=0.01). There were also improvements in the angle that evaluated the left Thales triangle (DeltaT; p=0.02). Regarding flexibility, there were improvements in the tibiotarsal angle (TTA; p=0.01) and in the hip joint angles (HJA; p=0.00). There were no changes in the vertebral curvatures and nor improvements in head positioning. Only the lumbar curvature, evaluated by the lumbar lordosis angle (LL; p=0.00), changed after the treatments. The Klapp method was an efficient therapeutic technique for treating asymmetries of the trunk and improving its flexibility. However, it was not efficient for pelvic asymmetry modifications in head positioning, cervical lordosis or thoracic kyphosis.

Functional Stability of HIV-1 Envelope Trimer Affects Accessibility to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies at Its Apex.

PubMed

Gift, Syna Kuriakose; Leaman, Daniel P; Zhang, Lei; Kim, Arthur S; Zwick, Michael B

2017-12-15

The trimeric envelope glycoprotein spike (Env) of HIV-1 is the target of vaccine development to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env trimer instability and heterogeneity in principle make subunit interfaces inconsistent targets for the immune response. Here, we investigate how functional stability of Env relates to neutralization sensitivity to V2 bnAbs and V3 crown antibodies that engage subunit interfaces upon binding to unliganded Env. Env heterogeneity was inferred when antibodies neutralized a mutant Env with a plateau of less than 100% neutralization. A statistically significant correlation was found between the stability of mutant Envs and the MPN of V2 bnAb, PG9, as well as an inverse correlation between stability of Env and neutralization by V3 crown antibody, 447-52D. A number of Env-stabilizing mutations and V2 bnAb-enhancing mutations were identified in Env, but they did not always overlap, indicating distinct requirements of functional stabilization versus antibody recognition. Blocking complex glycosylation of Env affected V2 bnAb recognition, as previously described, but also notably increased functional stability of Env. This study shows how instability and heterogeneity affect antibody sensitivity of HIV-1 Env, which is relevant to vaccine design involving its dynamic apex. IMPORTANCE The Env trimer is the only viral protein on the surface of HIV-1 and is the target of neutralizing antibodies that reduce viral infectivity. Quaternary epitopes at the apex of the spike are recognized by some of the most potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies to date. Being that their glycan-protein hybrid epitopes are at subunit interfaces, the resulting heterogeneity can lead to partial neutralization. Here, we screened for mutations in Env that allowed for complete neutralization by the bnAbs. We found that when mutations outside V2 increased V2 bnAb recognition, they often also increased Env stability-of-function and decreased binding by

Functional Stability of HIV-1 Envelope Trimer Affects Accessibility to Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies at Its Apex

PubMed Central

Gift, Syna Kuriakose; Leaman, Daniel P.; Zhang, Lei; Kim, Arthur S.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The trimeric envelope glycoprotein spike (Env) of HIV-1 is the target of vaccine development to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env trimer instability and heterogeneity in principle make subunit interfaces inconsistent targets for the immune response. Here, we investigate how functional stability of Env relates to neutralization sensitivity to V2 bnAbs and V3 crown antibodies that engage subunit interfaces upon binding to unliganded Env. Env heterogeneity was inferred when antibodies neutralized a mutant Env with a plateau of less than 100% neutralization. A statistically significant correlation was found between the stability of mutant Envs and the MPN of V2 bnAb, PG9, as well as an inverse correlation between stability of Env and neutralization by V3 crown antibody, 447-52D. A number of Env-stabilizing mutations and V2 bnAb-enhancing mutations were identified in Env, but they did not always overlap, indicating distinct requirements of functional stabilization versus antibody recognition. Blocking complex glycosylation of Env affected V2 bnAb recognition, as previously described, but also notably increased functional stability of Env. This study shows how instability and heterogeneity affect antibody sensitivity of HIV-1 Env, which is relevant to vaccine design involving its dynamic apex. IMPORTANCE The Env trimer is the only viral protein on the surface of HIV-1 and is the target of neutralizing antibodies that reduce viral infectivity. Quaternary epitopes at the apex of the spike are recognized by some of the most potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies to date. Being that their glycan-protein hybrid epitopes are at subunit interfaces, the resulting heterogeneity can lead to partial neutralization. Here, we screened for mutations in Env that allowed for complete neutralization by the bnAbs. We found that when mutations outside V2 increased V2 bnAb recognition, they often also increased Env stability-of-function and decreased binding

A Stereological Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Cartilage Repair Tissue

PubMed Central

Nyengaard, Jens Randel; Lind, Martin; Spector, Myron

2015-01-01

Objective To implement stereological principles to develop an easy applicable algorithm for unbiased and quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair. Design Design-unbiased sampling was performed by systematically sectioning the defect perpendicular to the joint surface in parallel planes providing 7 to 10 hematoxylin–eosin stained histological sections. Counting windows were systematically selected and converted into image files (40-50 per defect). The quantification was performed by two-step point counting: (1) calculation of defect volume and (2) quantitative analysis of tissue composition. Step 2 was performed by assigning each point to one of the following categories based on validated and easy distinguishable morphological characteristics: (1) hyaline cartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in hyaline matrix), (2) fibrocartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in fibrous matrix), (3) fibrous tissue (elongated cells in fibrous tissue), (4) bone, (5) scaffold material, and (6) others. The ability to discriminate between the tissue types was determined using conventional or polarized light microscopy, and the interobserver variability was evaluated. Results We describe the application of the stereological method. In the example, we assessed the defect repair tissue volume to be 4.4 mm3 (CE = 0.01). The tissue fractions were subsequently evaluated. Polarized light illumination of the slides improved discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage and increased the interobserver agreement compared with conventional transmitted light. Conclusion We have applied a design-unbiased method for quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair, and we propose this algorithm as a natural supplement to existing descriptive semiquantitative scoring systems. We also propose that polarized light is effective for discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage. PMID:26069715

Are three generations of quantitative molecular methods sufficient in medical virology? Brief review.

PubMed

Clementi, Massimo; Bagnarelli, Patrizia

2015-10-01

In the last two decades, development of quantitative molecular methods has characterized the evolution of clinical virology more than any other methodological advancement. Using these methods, a great deal of studies has addressed efficiently in vivo the role of viral load, viral replication activity, and viral transcriptional profiles as correlates of disease outcome and progression, and has highlighted the physio-pathology of important virus diseases of humans. Furthermore, these studies have contributed to a better understanding of virus-host interactions and have sharply revolutionized the research strategies in basic and medical virology. In addition and importantly from a medical point of view, quantitative methods have provided a rationale for the therapeutic intervention and therapy monitoring in medically important viral diseases. Despite the advances in technology and the development of three generations of molecular methods within the last two decades (competitive PCR, real-time PCR, and digital PCR), great challenges still remain for viral testing related not only to standardization, accuracy, and precision, but also to selection of the best molecular targets for clinical use and to the identification of thresholds for risk stratification and therapeutic decisions. Future research directions, novel methods and technical improvements could be important to address these challenges.

Developing Investigative Entry Points: Exploring the Use of Quantitative Methods in English Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraner, Kristin L.; Robbins, Daniel

2010-01-01

Although many research questions in English education demand the use of qualitative methods, this paper will briefly explore how English education researchers and doctoral students may use statistics and quantitative methods to inform, complement, and/or deepen their inquiries. First, the authors will provide a general overview of the survey areas…

Anatomy of the anterior root attachments of the medial and lateral menisci: a quantitative analysis.

PubMed

LaPrade, Christopher M; Ellman, Michael B; Rasmussen, Matthew T; James, Evan W; Wijdicks, Coen A; Engebretsen, Lars; LaPrade, Robert F

2014-10-01

While the biomechanical importance of the meniscal roots has been demonstrated, the anatomy of the anterior meniscal roots remains largely unknown. Defining the quantitative anatomy of the anterior meniscal root attachments is essential for developing improved diagnostic and surgical techniques. The anterior medial (AM) and anterior lateral (AL) meniscal roots could be quantitatively defined relative to open and arthroscopic surgical landmarks. Descriptive laboratory study. Twelve nonpaired human cadaveric knees were used (average age, 51.3 years). A coordinate measuring device quantified the anatomic relationships of the AM and AL root attachments to open and arthroscopic surgical landmarks. The tibial attachments of both anterior roots were defined and quantified by categorizing the fibers of the root as either central, dense attachments or peripheral, supplemental attachments. The center of the tibial tuberosity and the medial tibial eminence apex were 27.0 mm lateral and distal and 27.5 mm posterior to the center of the AM root, respectively. The center of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the lateral tibial eminence apex were 5.0 mm posteromedial and 14.4 mm posterolateral to the center of the AL root, respectively. The AM root attachment had a mean area of 110.4 mm(2) (95% CI, 92.2-128.5) with a central attachment of 56.3 mm(2) (95% CI, 46.9-65.8). The AL root attachment had a mean area of 140.7 mm(2) (95% CI, 121.6-159.8) and inserted deeply beneath the ACL in all specimens. The overlap of the ACL on the AL root averaged 88.9 mm(2) (95% CI, 63.3-114.6), comprising 63.2% of the AL root attachment. The anterior meniscal roots were identified in relation to pertinent open and arthroscopic landmarks. The extended overlap between the AL root and ACL attachment revealed a more intimate tibial attachment relationship than previously recognized. Quantitative descriptions of the anterior meniscal roots elucidate the relationship between the root attachments

An improved model for teaching use of electronic apex locators.

PubMed

Tchorz, J P; Hellwig, E; Altenburger, M J

2012-04-01

To develop a simple, practical and inexpensive model, which enables the use of electronic apex locators (EALs) during pre-clinical and continuing education. Extracted teeth were placed in a mould and embedded in acrylic resin. The resin was applied in two consecutive steps to form a cavity around the root apices. A closable plastic tube serves as a valve, and a steel wire connects to the EAL. With its semi-closed reservoir for conductive fluids surrounding the root apices, the new model enables working length measurements of root canals using EALs. The model simulates the clinical situation for endodontic teaching purposes, as it allows working length determination of root canals as recommended. The measuring results of the EAL can be verified by radiography. At the same time, the roots are not directly visible and accessible to the user, allowing a precise evaluation and grading of the treatment. © 2011 International Endodontic Journal.

Hidden dental diversity in the oldest terrestrial apex predator Dimetrodon.

PubMed

Brink, Kirstin S; Reisz, Robert R

2014-01-01

Paleozoic sphenacodontid synapsids are the oldest known fully terrestrial apex predators. Dimetrodon and other sphenacodontids are the first terrestrial vertebrates to have strong heterodonty, massive skulls and well-developed labio-lingually compressed and recurved teeth with mesial and distal cutting edges (carinae). Here we reveal that the dentition of Dimetrodon and other sphenacodontids is diverse. Tooth morphology includes simple carinae with smooth cutting edges and elaborate enamel features, including the first occurrence of cusps and true denticles (ziphodonty) in the fossil record. A time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis indicates that changes in dental morphology occur in the absence of any significant changes in skull morphology, suggesting that the morphological change is associated with changes in feeding style and trophic interactions in these ecosystems. In addition, the available evidence indicates that ziphodonty evolved for the first time in the largest known species of the genus Dimetrodon and independently from the ziphodont teeth observed in some therapsids.

New Performance Metrics for Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Microbial Source Tracking Methods

EPA Science Inventory

Binary sensitivity and specificity metrics are not adequate to describe the performance of quantitative microbial source tracking methods because the estimates depend on the amount of material tested and limit of detection. We introduce a new framework to compare the performance ...

Physical characterization of the fine particle emissions from commercial aircraft engines during the Aircraft Particle Emissions Experiment (APEX) 1 to 3

EPA Science Inventory

The f1me particulate matter (PM) emissions from nine commercial aircraft engine models were determined by plume sampling during the three field campaigns of the Aircraft Particle Emissions Experiment (APEX). Ground-based measurements were made primarily at 30 m behind the engine ...

A novel method for quantitative geosteering using azimuthal gamma-ray logging.

PubMed

Yuan, Chao; Zhou, Cancan; Zhang, Feng; Hu, Song; Li, Chaoliu

2015-02-01

A novel method for quantitative geosteering by using azimuthal gamma-ray logging is proposed. Real-time up and bottom gamma-ray logs when a logging tool travels through a boundary surface with different relative dip angles are simulated with the Monte Carlo method. Study results show that response points of up and bottom gamma-ray logs when the logging tool moves towards a highly radioactive formation can be used to predict the relative dip angle, and then the distance from the drilling bit to the boundary surface is calculated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Methods Intervention: What Do the Students Want?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frankland, Lianne; Harrison, Jacqui

2016-01-01

The shortage of social science graduates with competent quantitative skills jeopardises the competitive UK economy, public policy making effectiveness and the status the UK has as a world leader in higher education and research (British Academy for Humanities and Social Sciences, 2012). There is a growing demand for quantitative skills across all…

Comparison of salivary collection and processing methods for quantitative HHV-8 detection.

PubMed

Speicher, D J; Johnson, N W

2014-10-01

Saliva is a proved diagnostic fluid for the qualitative detection of infectious agents, but the accuracy of viral load determinations is unknown. Stabilising fluids impede nucleic acid degradation, compared with collection onto ice and then freezing, and we have shown that the DNA Genotek P-021 prototype kit (P-021) can produce high-quality DNA after 14 months of storage at room temperature. Here we evaluate the quantitative capability of 10 collection/processing methods. Unstimulated whole mouth fluid was spiked with a mixture of HHV-8 cloned constructs, 10-fold serial dilutions were produced, and samples were extracted and then examined with quantitative PCR (qPCR). Calibration curves were compared by linear regression and qPCR dynamics. All methods extracted with commercial spin columns produced linear calibration curves with large dynamic range and gave accurate viral loads. Ethanol precipitation of the P-021 does not produce a linear standard curve, and virus is lost in the cell pellet. DNA extractions from the P-021 using commercial spin columns produced linear standard curves with wide dynamic range and excellent limit of detection. When extracted with spin columns, the P-021 enables accurate viral loads down to 23 copies μl(-1) DNA. The quantitative and long-term storage capability of this system makes it ideal for study of salivary DNA viruses in resource-poor settings. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Laboratory Evaluations of the Enterococcus qPCR Method for Recreational Water Quality Testing: Method Performance and Sources of Uncertainty in Quantitative Measurements

EPA Science Inventory

The BEACH Act of 2000 directed the U.S. EPA to establish more expeditious methods for the detection of pathogen indicators in coastal waters, as well as new water quality criteria based on these methods. Progress has been made in developing a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for en...

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Mixed Methods Research--Challenges and Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almalki, Sami

2016-01-01

This paper is concerned with investigating the integration of quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods research and whether, in spite of its challenges, it can be of positive benefit to many investigative studies. The paper introduces the topic, defines the terms with which this subject deals and undertakes a literature review to outline…

Oxidative Stress and NO Signalling in the Root Apex as an Early Response to Changes in Gravity Conditions

PubMed Central

Mugnai, Sergio; Monetti, Emanuela; Voigt, Boris; Volkmann, Dieter; Mancuso, Stefano

2014-01-01

Oxygen influx showed an asymmetry in the transition zone of the root apex when roots were placed horizontally on ground. The influx increased only in the upper side, while no changes were detected in the division and in the elongation zone. Nitric oxide (NO) was also monitored after gravistimulation, revealing a sudden burst only in the transition zone. In order to confirm these results in real microgravity conditions, experiments have been set up by using parabolic flights and drop tower. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also monitored. Oxygen, NO, and ROS were continuously monitored during normal and hyper- and microgravity conditions in roots of maize seedlings. A distinct signal in oxygen and NO fluxes was clearly detected only in the apex zone during microgravity, with no significant changes in normal and in hypergravity conditions. The same results were obtained by ROS measurement. The detrimental effect of D'orenone, disrupting the polarised auxin transport, on the onset of the oxygen peaks during the microgravity period was also evaluated. Results indicates an active role of NO and ROS as messengers during the gravitropic response, with probable implications in the auxin redistribution. PMID:25197662

Improving statistical inference on pathogen densities estimated by quantitative molecular methods: malaria gametocytaemia as a case study.

PubMed

Walker, Martin; Basáñez, María-Gloria; Ouédraogo, André Lin; Hermsen, Cornelus; Bousema, Teun; Churcher, Thomas S

2015-01-16

Quantitative molecular methods (QMMs) such as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) and quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (QT-NASBA) are increasingly used to estimate pathogen density in a variety of clinical and epidemiological contexts. These methods are often classified as semi-quantitative, yet estimates of reliability or sensitivity are seldom reported. Here, a statistical framework is developed for assessing the reliability (uncertainty) of pathogen densities estimated using QMMs and the associated diagnostic sensitivity. The method is illustrated with quantification of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytaemia by QT-NASBA. The reliability of pathogen (e.g. gametocyte) densities, and the accompanying diagnostic sensitivity, estimated by two contrasting statistical calibration techniques, are compared; a traditional method and a mixed model Bayesian approach. The latter accounts for statistical dependence of QMM assays run under identical laboratory protocols and permits structural modelling of experimental measurements, allowing precision to vary with pathogen density. Traditional calibration cannot account for inter-assay variability arising from imperfect QMMs and generates estimates of pathogen density that have poor reliability, are variable among assays and inaccurately reflect diagnostic sensitivity. The Bayesian mixed model approach assimilates information from replica QMM assays, improving reliability and inter-assay homogeneity, providing an accurate appraisal of quantitative and diagnostic performance. Bayesian mixed model statistical calibration supersedes traditional techniques in the context of QMM-derived estimates of pathogen density, offering the potential to improve substantially the depth and quality of clinical and epidemiological inference for a wide variety of pathogens.

QUANTITATIVE MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF GLYCOPROTEINS COMBINED WITH ENRICHMENT METHODS

PubMed Central

Ahn, Yeong Hee; Kim, Jin Young; Yoo, Jong Shin

2015-01-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) has been a core technology for high sensitive and high-throughput analysis of the enriched glycoproteome in aspects of quantitative assays as well as qualitative profiling of glycoproteins. Because it has been widely recognized that aberrant glycosylation in a glycoprotein may involve in progression of a certain disease, the development of efficient analysis tool for the aberrant glycoproteins is very important for deep understanding about pathological function of the glycoprotein and new biomarker development. This review first describes the protein glycosylation-targeting enrichment technologies mainly employing solid-phase extraction methods such as hydrizide-capturing, lectin-specific capturing, and affinity separation techniques based on porous graphitized carbon, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, or immobilized boronic acid. Second, MS-based quantitative analysis strategies coupled with the protein glycosylation-targeting enrichment technologies, by using a label-free MS, stable isotope-labeling, or targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) MS, are summarized with recent published studies. © 2014 The Authors. Mass Spectrometry Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Rapid Commun. Mass Spec Rev 34:148–165, 2015. PMID:24889823

phot1 Inhibition of ABCB19 Primes Lateral Auxin Fluxes in the Shoot Apex Required For Phototropism

PubMed Central

Christie, John M.; Thomson, Catriona E.; Lin, Jinshan; Titapiwatanakun, Boosaree; Ennis, Margaret; Kaiserli, Eirini; Lee, Ok Ran; Adamec, Jiri; Peer, Wendy A.; Murphy, Angus S.

2011-01-01

It is well accepted that lateral redistribution of the phytohormone auxin underlies the bending of plant organs towards light. In monocots, photoreception occurs at the shoot tip above the region of differential growth. Despite more than a century of research, it is still unresolved how light regulates auxin distribution and where this occurs in dicots. Here, we establish a system in Arabidopsis thaliana to study hypocotyl phototropism in the absence of developmental events associated with seedling photomorphogenesis. We show that auxin redistribution to the epidermal sites of action occurs at and above the hypocotyl apex, not at the elongation zone. Within this region, we identify the auxin efflux transporter ATP-BINDING CASSETTE B19 (ABCB19) as a substrate target for the photoreceptor kinase PHOTOTROPIN 1 (phot1). Heterologous expression and physiological analyses indicate that phosphorylation of ABCB19 by phot1 inhibits its efflux activity, thereby increasing auxin levels in and above the hypocotyl apex to halt vertical growth and prime lateral fluxes that are subsequently channeled to the elongation zone by PIN-FORMED 3 (PIN3). Together, these results provide new insights into the roles of ABCB19 and PIN3 in establishing phototropic curvatures and demonstrate that the proximity of light perception and differential phototropic growth is conserved in angiosperms. PMID:21666806

phot1 inhibition of ABCB19 primes lateral auxin fluxes in the shoot apex required for phototropism.

PubMed

Christie, John M; Yang, Haibing; Richter, Gregory L; Sullivan, Stuart; Thomson, Catriona E; Lin, Jinshan; Titapiwatanakun, Boosaree; Ennis, Margaret; Kaiserli, Eirini; Lee, Ok Ran; Adamec, Jiri; Peer, Wendy A; Murphy, Angus S

2011-06-01

It is well accepted that lateral redistribution of the phytohormone auxin underlies the bending of plant organs towards light. In monocots, photoreception occurs at the shoot tip above the region of differential growth. Despite more than a century of research, it is still unresolved how light regulates auxin distribution and where this occurs in dicots. Here, we establish a system in Arabidopsis thaliana to study hypocotyl phototropism in the absence of developmental events associated with seedling photomorphogenesis. We show that auxin redistribution to the epidermal sites of action occurs at and above the hypocotyl apex, not at the elongation zone. Within this region, we identify the auxin efflux transporter ATP-BINDING CASSETTE B19 (ABCB19) as a substrate target for the photoreceptor kinase PHOTOTROPIN 1 (phot1). Heterologous expression and physiological analyses indicate that phosphorylation of ABCB19 by phot1 inhibits its efflux activity, thereby increasing auxin levels in and above the hypocotyl apex to halt vertical growth and prime lateral fluxes that are subsequently channeled to the elongation zone by PIN-FORMED 3 (PIN3). Together, these results provide new insights into the roles of ABCB19 and PIN3 in establishing phototropic curvatures and demonstrate that the proximity of light perception and differential phototropic growth is conserved in angiosperms.

Changes in vacuolation in the root apex cells of soybean seedlings in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klymchuk, D. O.; Kordyum, E. L.; Vorobyova, T. V.; Chapman, D. K.; Brown, C. S.

2003-01-01

Changes in the vacuolation in root apex cells of soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr.]) seedlings grown in microgravity were investigated. Spaceflight and ground control seedlings were grown in the absence or presence of KMnO4 (to remove ethylene) for 6 days. After landing, in order to study of cell ultrastructure and subcellular free calcium ion distribution, seedling root apices were fixed in 2.5% (w/v) glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer and 2% (w/v) glutaraldehyde, 2.5% (w/v) formaldehyde, 2% (w/v) potassium antimonate K[Sb(OH)6] in 0.1 M K2HPO4 buffer with an osmolarity (calculated theoretically) of 0.45 and 1.26 osmol. The concentrations of ethylene in all spaceflight canisters were significantly higher than in the ground control canisters. Seedling growth was reduced in the spaceflight-exposed plants. Additionally, the spaceflight-exposed plants exhibited progressive vacuolation in the root apex cells, particularly in the columella cells, to a greater degree than the ground controls. Plasmolysis was observed in columella cells of spaceflight roots fixed in solutions with relatively high osmolarity (1.26 osmol). The appearance of plasmolysis permitted the evaluation of the water status of cells. The water potential of the spaceflight cells was higher than the surrounding fixative solution. A decrease in osmotic potential and/or an increase in turgor potential may have induced increases in cell water potential. However, the plasmolysed (i.e. non-turgid) cells implied that increases in water potential were accompanied with a decrease in osmotic potential. In such cells changes in vacuolation may have been involved to maintain turgor pressure or may have been a result of intensification of other vacuolar functions like digestion and storage. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of somatic embryogenesis initiated from the Arabidopsis shoot apex.

PubMed

Kadokura, Satoshi; Sugimoto, Kaoru; Tarr, Paul; Suzuki, Takamasa; Matsunaga, Sachihiro

2018-04-28

Somatic embryogenesis is one of the best examples of the remarkable developmental plasticity of plants, in which committed somatic cells can dedifferentiate and acquire the ability to form an embryo and regenerate an entire plant. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the shoot apices of young seedlings have been reported as an alternative tissue source for somatic embryos (SEs) besides the widely studied zygotic embryos taken from siliques. Although SE induction from shoots demonstrates the plasticity of plants more clearly than the embryo-to-embryo induction system, the underlying developmental and molecular mechanisms involved are unknown. Here we characterized SE formation from shoot apex explants by establishing a system for time-lapse observation of explants during SE induction. We also established a method to distinguish SE-forming and non-SE-forming explants prior to anatomical SE formation, enabling us to identify distinct transcriptome profiles of these two explants at SE initiation. We show that embryonic fate commitment takes place at day 3 of SE induction and the SE arises directly, not through callus formation, from the base of leaf primordia just beside the shoot apical meristem (SAM), where auxin accumulates and shoot-root polarity is formed. The expression domain of a couple of key developmental genes for the SAM transiently expands at this stage. Our data demonstrate that SE-forming and non-SE-forming explants share mostly the same transcripts except for a limited number of embryonic genes and root genes that might trigger the SE-initiation program. Thus, SE-forming explants possess a mixed identity (SAM, root and embryo) at the time of SE specification. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Overcoming Methods Anxiety: Qualitative First, Quantitative Next, Frequent Feedback along the Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Jeffrey L.; Allen, Brooke Thomas

2013-01-01

Political Science research methods courses face two problems. First is what to cover, as there are too many techniques to explore in any one course. Second is dealing with student anxiety around quantitative material. We explore a novel way to approach these issues. Our students began by writing a qualitative paper. They followed with a term…

Validation of quantitative and qualitative methods for detecting allergenic ingredients in processed foods in Japan.

PubMed

Sakai, Shinobu; Adachi, Reiko; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Teshima, Reiko

2013-06-19

A labeling system for food allergenic ingredients was established in Japan in April 2002. To monitor the labeling, the Japanese government announced official methods for detecting allergens in processed foods in November 2002. The official methods consist of quantitative screening tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and qualitative confirmation tests using Western blotting or polymerase chain reactions (PCR). In addition, the Japanese government designated 10 μg protein/g food (the corresponding allergenic ingredient soluble protein weight/food weight), determined by ELISA, as the labeling threshold. To standardize the official methods, the criteria for the validation protocol were described in the official guidelines. This paper, which was presented at the Advances in Food Allergen Detection Symposium, ACS National Meeting and Expo, San Diego, CA, Spring 2012, describes the validation protocol outlined in the official Japanese guidelines, the results of interlaboratory studies for the quantitative detection method (ELISA for crustacean proteins) and the qualitative detection method (PCR for shrimp and crab DNAs), and the reliability of the detection methods.

Quantitative analysis of tympanic membrane perforation: a simple and reliable method.

PubMed

Ibekwe, T S; Adeosun, A A; Nwaorgu, O G

2009-01-01

Accurate assessment of the features of tympanic membrane perforation, especially size, site, duration and aetiology, is important, as it enables optimum management. To describe a simple, cheap and effective method of quantitatively analysing tympanic membrane perforations. The system described comprises a video-otoscope (capable of generating still and video images of the tympanic membrane), adapted via a universal serial bus box to a computer screen, with images analysed using the Image J geometrical analysis software package. The reproducibility of results and their correlation with conventional otoscopic methods of estimation were tested statistically with the paired t-test and correlational tests, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11 software. The following equation was generated: P/T x 100 per cent = percentage perforation, where P is the area (in pixels2) of the tympanic membrane perforation and T is the total area (in pixels2) for the entire tympanic membrane (including the perforation). Illustrations are shown. Comparison of blinded data on tympanic membrane perforation area obtained independently from assessments by two trained otologists, of comparative years of experience, using the video-otoscopy system described, showed similar findings, with strong correlations devoid of inter-observer error (p = 0.000, r = 1). Comparison with conventional otoscopic assessment also indicated significant correlation, comparing results for two trained otologists, but some inter-observer variation was present (p = 0.000, r = 0.896). Correlation between the two methods for each of the otologists was also highly significant (p = 0.000). A computer-adapted video-otoscope, with images analysed by Image J software, represents a cheap, reliable, technology-driven, clinical method of quantitative analysis of tympanic membrane perforations and injuries.

Qualitative Methods Can Enrich Quantitative Research on Occupational Stress: An Example from One Occupational Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Farrell, Edwin

2010-01-01

The chapter examines the ways in which qualitative and quantitative methods support each other in research on occupational stress. Qualitative methods include eliciting from workers unconstrained descriptions of work experiences, careful first-hand observations of the workplace, and participant-observers describing "from the inside" a…

Can You Repeat That Please?: Using Monte Carlo Simulation in Graduate Quantitative Research Methods Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carsey, Thomas M.; Harden, Jeffrey J.

2015-01-01

Graduate students in political science come to the discipline interested in exploring important political questions, such as "What causes war?" or "What policies promote economic growth?" However, they typically do not arrive prepared to address those questions using quantitative methods. Graduate methods instructors must…

Quantitative rotating frame relaxometry methods in MRI.

PubMed

Gilani, Irtiza Ali; Sepponen, Raimo

2016-06-01

Macromolecular degeneration and biochemical changes in tissue can be quantified using rotating frame relaxometry in MRI. It has been shown in several studies that the rotating frame longitudinal relaxation rate constant (R1ρ ) and the rotating frame transverse relaxation rate constant (R2ρ ) are sensitive biomarkers of phenomena at the cellular level. In this comprehensive review, existing MRI methods for probing the biophysical mechanisms that affect the rotating frame relaxation rates of the tissue (i.e. R1ρ and R2ρ ) are presented. Long acquisition times and high radiofrequency (RF) energy deposition into tissue during the process of spin-locking in rotating frame relaxometry are the major barriers to the establishment of these relaxation contrasts at high magnetic fields. Therefore, clinical applications of R1ρ and R2ρ MRI using on- or off-resonance RF excitation methods remain challenging. Accordingly, this review describes the theoretical and experimental approaches to the design of hard RF pulse cluster- and adiabatic RF pulse-based excitation schemes for accurate and precise measurements of R1ρ and R2ρ . The merits and drawbacks of different MRI acquisition strategies for quantitative relaxation rate measurement in the rotating frame regime are reviewed. In addition, this review summarizes current clinical applications of rotating frame MRI sequences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Geochemical Characterization Of Cherts From The 3.46Ga Apex Basalt To Assess The Origins Of Possible Biosignatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bower, D. M.; Steele, A.; Ackerson, M. R.; Bullock, E. S.; Green, O. R.; Fries, M.; Conrad, P. G.

2017-12-01

Many terrestrial cherts contain compelling microtextures and mineral phases that are indicative of ancient life in hydrothermal systems on early Earth. In volcanically-derived hydrothermal deposits, cherts have undergone multiple alteration events often resulting in separate generations of quartz veins that are much younger than the host rocks. In some cases, multiple episodes of hydrothermal alteration obscure otherwise syngenetic biosignatures and likewise create false signatures in the form of secondary carbon emplacement or diagenetic phase changes. To better identify possible biosignatures in hydrothermal deposits and understand their origins, we used confocal micro Raman spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging to characterize the quartz fabrics, mineral phases, trace elements, and macromolecular carbon (MMC) in quartz veins from the 3.46 Ga Apex Basalt chert samples. MMC, anatase (TiO2), pyrite (Fe2S), jarosite-alunite (KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 - Kal3(SO4)2(OH)6), chamosite-phyllosilicates, and Fe-oxides all occur in close association in multiple generations of quartz veins throughout the sample suite. Mineral phases xenotime (YPO4), scorodite (FeAsO4 . H2O), apatite (CaPO4), pentlandite ((Fe,Ni)9S8), barite (BaSO4), sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S), dolomite ((CaMg(CO3)2) and halides occur in specific generations of quartz. Trace elements (Cr, Mn, Mo, Cu, Sc, Va, Sb, and Co) are heterogeneously distributed within individual samples and likely occur due to fluid scavenging of the host basalts. CL imaging of quartz demonstrates that the majority of silicate material in the Apex cherts underwent recrystallization. This could result in the alteration of MMC and associated mineral assemblages. The biogencity and true origins of morphological features and chemical signatures in the Apex cherts are hotly debated, yet discovering the causes and nature of these puzzling attributes will be key for determining the usefulness of interrogating

Qualitative to quantitative: linked trajectory of method triangulation in a study on HIV/AIDS in Goa, India.

PubMed

Bailey, Ajay; Hutter, Inge

2008-10-01

With 3.1 million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in India and 39.5 million people globally, the epidemic has posed academics the challenge of identifying behaviours and their underlying beliefs in the effort to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. The Health Belief Model (HBM) is frequently used to identify risk behaviours and adherence behaviour in the field of HIV/AIDS. Risk behaviour studies that apply HBM have been largely quantitative and use of qualitative methodology is rare. The marriage of qualitative and quantitative methods has never been easy. The challenge is in triangulating the methods. Method triangulation has been largely used to combine insights from the qualitative and quantitative methods but not to link both the methods. In this paper we suggest a linked trajectory of method triangulation (LTMT). The linked trajectory aims to first gather individual level information through in-depth interviews and then to present the information as vignettes in focus group discussions. We thus validate information obtained from in-depth interviews and gather emic concepts that arise from the interaction. We thus capture both the interpretation and the interaction angles of the qualitative method. Further, using the qualitative information gained, a survey is designed. In doing so, the survey questions are grounded and contextualized. We employed this linked trajectory of method triangulation in a study on the risk assessment of HIV/AIDS among migrant and mobile men. Fieldwork was carried out in Goa, India. Data come from two waves of studies, first an explorative qualitative study (2003), second a larger study (2004-2005), including in-depth interviews (25), focus group discussions (21) and a survey (n=1259). By employing the qualitative to quantitative LTMT we can not only contextualize the existing concepts of the HBM, but also validate new concepts and identify new risk groups.

Systems and methods for imaging using radiation from laser produced plasmas

DOEpatents

Renard-Le Galloudec, Nathalie; Cowan, Thomas E.; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Rassuchine, Jennifer

2009-06-30

In particular embodiments, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for imaging a subject using radiation emitted from a laser produced plasma generating by irradiating a target with a laser. In particular examples, the target includes at least one radiation enhancing component, such as a fluor, cap, or wire. In further examples, the target has a metal layer and an internal surface defining an internal apex, the internal apex of less than about 15 .mu.m, such as less than about 1 .mu.m. The targets may take a variety of shapes, including cones, pyramids, and hemispheres. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide improved imaging of a subject, such as improved medical images of a radiation dose than typical conventional methods and systems.

A New Green Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Enrofloxacin by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.