Early history and reactivation of the rand thrust, southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postlethwaite, Clay E.; Jacobson, Carl E.

The Rand thrust of the Rand Mountains in the northwestern Mojave Desert separates an upper plate of quartz monzonite and quartzofeldspathic to amphibolitic gneiss from a lower plate of metagraywacke and mafic schist (Rand Schist). The Rand thrust is considered part of the regionally extensive Vincent/Chocolate Mountain thrust system, which is commonly believed to represent a Late Cretaceous subduction zone. The initial direction of dip and sense of movement along the Vincent/Chocolate Mountain thrust are controversial. Microfabrics of mylonites and quartzites from the Rand Mountains were analyzed in an attempt to determine transport direction for this region, but the results are ambiguous. In addition, the southwestern portion of the Rand thrust was found to have been reactivated as a low-angle normal fault after subduction. Reactivation might have occurred shortly after subduction, in which case it could account for the preservation of high-pressure mineral assemblages in the Rand Schist, or it could be related to mid-Tertiary extension in the western United States. In either event, the reactivation might be responsible for the complicated nature of the microfabrics. The Rand Schist exhibits an inverted metamorphic zonation. Isograds in the schist are not significantly truncated by the reactivated segment of the Rand thrust. This indicates that other segments of the Vincent/Chocolate Mountain thrust should be re-evaluated for the possibility of late movement, even if they show an apparently undisturbed inverted metamorphic zonation.

Improving Interagency Information Sharing Using Technology Demonstrations: The Legal Basis for Using New Sensor Technologies for Counterdrug Operations Along the U.S. Border

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work . This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is...commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 The RAND Corporation ...from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation . CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH

RAND's Impact in the Middle East. Corporate Publication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RAND Corporation, 2015

2015-01-01

The RAND Corporation works throughout the Middle East to analyze complex policy problems and help policymakers create enduring solutions. RAND's work in the Middle East focuses on the issues that drive economic development. This brief report provides an overview of RAND's impact in the Middle East in the areas of supporting youth, health and…

Best Practices for Suicide Prevention Messaging and Evaluating California's "Know the Signs" Media Campaign.

PubMed

Acosta, Joie; Ramchand, Rajeev; Becker, Amariah

2017-09-01

Although communication is a key component of US strategies to prevent suicide and there are a number of marketing campaigns promoting messages that suicide is a preventable public health problem, there has been little evaluation of these campaigns. The study describes the development of a checklist of best practices for suicide prevention communication campaigns and the use of the checklist to evaluate California's investment in "Know the Signs" (KTS-M), a suicide prevention mass media campaign. We conducted a literature review and solicited expert feedback to identify best practices and then used the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to assess whether KTS-M was consistent with the identified best practices. Overall, experts agreed that KTS-M adhered to most of the 46 checklist items and suggested that the campaign was among the best suicide prevention media campaigns they had observed. The checklist was developed through expert input and literature review and focuses only on media campaigns. Given the nascent state of the evidence about what makes an effective suicide prevention message and the growing number of campaigns, the checklist of best practices reflects one way of promoting quality in this evolving field. The consistency between the experts' comments and their ratings of KTS-M suggests that the checklist may provide important guidance to inform the development of future campaigns and the evaluation of ongoing campaigns.

The U.S.-Soviet Strategic Balance in the 1980s: Can We Meet the Challenge,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

34 ; ’ 085 The Rand Paper Series Papers are issued by The Rand Corporation as a service to its professional Staff, Theis purpose is to tacilitate the...exchange of ideas among those who share the author’s research interests; Papers are not reports prepared in fulfillment of Rand’s contracts or grants...Views expressed in a Paper are the author’s own, and are not necessarily shared by Rand or its research sponsors. The Rand Corporation Santa Monica

Intratheater Airlift Functional Solution Analysis (FSA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non ...commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non -RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under...1. REPORT DATE 2011 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Intratheater Airlift Functional Solution

A Framework to Assess Programs for Building Partnerships

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation . 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY...ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research...6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Rand Corporation ,1776

Role of heterogeneous research and development funds in the productivity of the US manufacturing industry

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

Rhee, C.O.

1987-01-01

This paper investigates, in the framework of firm's optimal behavior, the effect of company-funded and federally-funded RandD on productivity in selected US industries. Especially, the role of federal funding RandD in productivity through direct as well as indirect mechanisms is analyzed. Using different model specification, two types of RandD-federal and company, and data of industry level, no support can be found for the blanket statement that federally-funded RandD (FRD) crowds out or pulls in company-funding RandD in productivity growth. Whether crowding-out or pulling-in is shown to be industry-specific as well as based on FRD's time dimension. Hence, the lag effectmore » of heterogeneous RandD funds on productivity is emphasized. The classification of heterogeneous RandD funds into basic research, applied research, and development is adopted to look at the impact of each on productivity. The model of firm's optimal behavior following such classification demonstrates that federally-funded basic research has a tremendous pulling-in impact on company-funded applied research and development, respectively.« less

Organizing complexity: the hopeful dreams and harsh realities of interdisciplinary collaboration at the rand corporation in the early cold war.

PubMed

Bessner, Daniel

2015-01-01

Historians argue that in the early Cold War an interdisciplinary research culture defined the RAND Corporation. However, a significant epistemological gap divided the members of RAND's Social Science Division (SSD) from the rest of the organization. While the social scientists used qualitative methods, most RAND researchers embraced quantified approaches and derided the social sciences as unscientific. This encouraged RAND's social scientists to develop a political-military simulation that embraced everything-politics, culture, and psychology-that RAND's other analysts largely ignored. Yet the fact that the SSD embraced gaming, a heuristic practiced throughout RAND, suggests that the political simulation was nonetheless inspired by social scientists' engagement with their colleagues. This indicates that the concept of interdisciplinarity should move beyond its implication of collaboration to incorporate instances in which research agendas are defined against but also shaped by colleagues in other disciplines. Such a rethinking of the term may make it possible to trace how varieties of interdisciplinary interaction historically informed knowledge production. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Expanding the Use of Time/Frequency Difference of Arrival Geolocation in the Department of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

next decade. Military acquisition and research , development, test , and evaluation will likely be the hardest hit by spending cuts (Eaglen and Nguyen...Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non-RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under copyright law...Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint

Adding Value to Air Force Management Through Building Partnerships Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit...public service of the RAND Corporation . CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND...5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Rand Corporation ,Project Air Force,PO Box 2138,Santa Monica,CA,90407-2138

Air Power Against Terror: America’s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Institute View document details For More Information This PDF document was made available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation ...WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the...WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Rand Corporation ,1776 Main Street,PO Box 2138,Santa Monica,CA,90407-2138 8

How Much Do Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction Affect Use of General Medical Services? Extent of Use, Reason for Use, and Associated Costs.

PubMed

Graham, Kathryn; Cheng, Joyce; Bernards, Sharon; Wells, Samantha; Rehm, Jürgen; Kurdyak, Paul

2017-01-01

To measure service use and costs associated with health care for patients with mental health (MH) and substance use/addiction (SA) problems. A 5-year cross-sectional study (2007-2012) of administrative health care data was conducted (average annual sample size = 123,235 adults aged >18 years who had a valid Ontario health care number and used at least 1 service during the year; 55% female). We assessed average annual use of primary care, emergency departments and hospitals, and overall health care costs for patients identified as having MH only, SA only, co-occurring MH and SA problems (MH+SA), and no MH and/or SA (MH/SA) problems. Total visits/admissions and total non-MH/SA visits (i.e., excluding MH/SA visits) were regressed separately on MH, SA, and MH+SA cases compared to non-MH/SA cases using the 2011-2012 sample ( N = 123,331), controlling for age and sex. Compared to non-MH/SA patients, MH/SA patients were significantly ( P < 0.001) more likely to visit primary care physicians (1.82 times as many visits for MH-only patients, 4.24 for SA, and 5.59 for MH+SA), use emergency departments (odds, 1.53 [MH], 3.79 [SA], 5.94 [MH+SA]), and be hospitalized (odds, 1.59 [MH], 4.10 [SA], 7.82 [MH+SA]). MH/SA patients were also significantly more likely than non-MH/SA patients to have non-MH/SA-related visits and accounted for 20% of the sample but over 30% of health care costs. MH and SA are core issues for all health care settings. MH/SA patients use more services overall and for non-MH/SA issues, with especially high use and costs for MH+SA patients.

Reading "The Fountainhead": The Missing Self in Ayn Rand's Ethical Individualism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fand, Roxanne J.

2009-01-01

Ayn Rand's novel "The Fountainhead" can be a useful text in an undergraduate English class, helping students think through issues of individualism. Rand's own concept of the self, however, ignores its social dimensions. (Contains 7 notes.)

Analysis of the Air Force Logistics Enterprise: Evaluation of Global Repair Network Options for Supporting the C-130

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

for each of the target shops. The primary maintenance function would be at the flightline to aid sortie generation. However, on observing that...law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non ...commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND electronic documents to a non -RAND website is prohibited. RAND electronic documents are protected under

The National Response System: The Need to Leverage Networks and Knowledge

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

military organizations engaged a battle against the asymmetric threat of terrorism. In 1996 , John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt coined the use of the term...16 John Arquilla and others, The Advent of Netwar (Santa Monica: RAND, 1996 ), 5, http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR789/ [Accessed January 12...Advent of Netwar (Santa Monica: RAND, 1996 ), 82, http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR789/. 20 Richard M. Gomez, "Centralized Command - Decentralized

Developing an Assessment Framework for U.S. Air Force Building Partnerships Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation . 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH...HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective...NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Rand Corporation

75 FR 82397 - Medicaid Program: Initial Core Set of Health Quality Measures for Medicaid-Eligible Adults

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-30

............ NA........ RAND Schizophrenia 2: ........ Annual assessment of weight/BMI, glycemic control, lipids. 41......... NA........ RAND Schizophrenia B: ........ Proportion of schizophrenia patients with long- term utilization of antipsychotic medications. 42......... NA........ RAND Schizophrenia C...

Reconnaissance In Megacities: Lessons From The Past

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-26

Operations: Visualizing the Elephant (Santa Monica: RAND, 2004), ix. 49 prevented a coordinated and decisive response. In Fallujah and Sadr City, air and...Monica: RAND, 2000. ———. Managing Complexity During Military Operations: Visualizing the Elephant . Santa Monica: RAND, 2004. Glenn, Russell W

Locomotor Stability in a Model Swimmer: Coupling Fluid Dynamics, Neurophysiology and Muscle Mechanics

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-05

springs which resist deformation. (C) Inset that shows the position of the muscle segments. Cohen, Holmes, Rand, J. Math Biol. 1982 A representative...numbers are the segment number, labeled from head to tail. Cohen, Holmes, Rand, J. Math Biol. 1982 The signals are periodic. Cohen, Holmes, Rand, J... Math Biol. 1982 From head to tail there is a phase lag on each side. Cohen, Holmes, Rand, J. Math Biol. 1982 On a given segment, the signals are in

Hybrid Airships for Lift: A New Lift Paradigm and a Pragmatic Assessment of the Vehicle’s Key Operational Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

prepares for storms.” 11 RAND, High Altitude Airships for the Future Force Army, 32. 12 Boyd to author, email, 23 September 2011. 27...2011). High Altitude Airships for the Future Force Army, RAND Technical Report DASW01-01-C-0003. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2005. www.rand.org/pubs...beginning to realize the potential capabilities of HA for lift, misinformed opinions on airship challenges continue to plague a rational analysis on

77 FR 6156 - Rand Capital Corporation, et al.; Notice of Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-07

... venture capital investments in small, early-stage and developing enterprises. Rand's principal objective... Capital Corporation, et al.; Notice of Application February 1, 2012. AGENCY: Securities and Exchange... Act'') granting an exemption from section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. Applicants: Rand Capital...

Exploration of Patient Characteristics and Quality of Life in Patients with Lipoedema Using a Survey.

PubMed

Romeijn, Jeroen R M; de Rooij, Michette J M; Janssen, Loes; Martens, Herm

2018-05-10

Lipoedema is a chronic disorder in which excessive fat distribution occurs predominantly from the waist down, resulting in a disproportion between the lower extremities and upper torso. Lipoedema is often not recognized, while patients experience pain and easy bruising. As a long-term condition, lipoedema has a massive effect on patients' lives and mental health. The aim of this study is to explore patient characteristics, quality of life, physical complaints and comorbidities in patients with lipoedema. A survey was conducted by email amongst lipoedema patients, consisting of informed consent and multiple questionnaires. The questionnaires included general patient characteristics, physical complaints, comorbidities, RAND-36 and EQ-5D-3L. Participants who responded to a message on the Dutch Lipoedema Association website were recruited. All lipoedema patients experience physical complaints, with pain (88.3 %) and easy bruising (85.9 %) as primary complaints. The diagnosis was mostly made by a dermatologist after visiting a mean of 2.8 doctors. Furthermore, mean time from onset until diagnosis was 18 years. Quality of life (59.3) was significantly lower than the Dutch female average (74.9; p < 0.001). Additionally, patients with comorbidities had significant lower quality of life (RAND 54.7, p < 0.001). Lipoedema patients often have severe complaints and experience lower quality of life regarding physical, emotional and social functioning. Additionally, comorbidities have a large impact on quality of life.

Investigation of the Methane Hydrate Formation by Cavitation Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, H.; Nagao, J.

2015-12-01

Methane hydrate (hereafter called "MH") is crystalline solid compound consisting of hydrogen-bonded water molecules forming cages and methane gas molecules enclosed in the cage. When using MH as an energy resource, MH is dissociated to methane gas and water and collect only the methane gas. The optimum MH production method was the "depressurization method". Here, the production of MH means dissociating MH in the geologic layers and collecting the resultant methane gas by production systems. In the production of MH by depressurization method, MH regeneration was consider to important problem for the flow assurance of MH production system. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the effect of flow phenomena in the pipeline on hydrate regeneration. Cavitation is one of the flow phenomena which was considered a cause of MH regeneration. Large quantity of microbubbles are produced by cavitation in a moment, therefore, it is considered to promote MH formation. In order to verify the possible of MH regeneration by cavitation, it is necessary to detailed understanding the condition of MH formation by cavitation. As a part of a Japanese National hydrate research program (MH21, funded by METI), we performed a study on MH formation using by cavitation. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the formation MH by using cavitation in the various temperature and pressure condition, and to clarify the condition of MH formation by using observation results.

Medicaid provisions and the US mental health industry composition.

PubMed

Pellegrini, Lawrence C; Rodriguez-Monguio, Rosa

2014-12-01

Medicaid is the largest payer for mental health (MH) services. This study examines associations between Medicaid provisions and the MH industry composition. Medicaid data derived from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MH facility gross payroll and occupational employment data derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State fixed-effects regression models are performed to examine associations. In the 1999-2009 period, per-capita gross payroll gains are largest for residential MH and substance abuse (SA) facilities and MH practitioner offices, followed by MH clinics and physician offices. Likewise, occupational employment gains per 100 000 people are largest for MH and SA social workers and MH counselors, followed by psychiatrists and psychologists. The Medicaid beneficiary rate is related with gross payroll gains at residential MH and SA facilities (p < 0.001) and MH clinics (p < 0.001), and with employment gains for MH and SA social workers (p < 0.001) and MH counselors (p < 0.001). Smaller effect sizes exist with MH physician offices (p < 0.05) and psychiatric hospitals' (p < 0.01) gross payroll. No statistically significant relationship exists between the Medicaid beneficiary rate and psychiatrist and psychologist employment. Medicaid provisions are related with the MH industry composition. An imbalanced MH industry may lead to inadequate management of MH disorders.

Prognostication: Do the Services See the Same Future of Warfare?

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

conduct of war, warfare. 24 Dana Johnson, Scott Pace, C. Bryan Gabbard , Space: Emerging Options for National Power, (RAND, 1998), 10. 25 Creveld, 145...Bryan Gabbard . Space: Emerging Options for National Power, RAND http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR517/, 1998. (Accessed 5 January 2008

75 FR 20386 - Trane a Subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand Including On-Site Leased Workers From Aerotek, Express...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-19

... Ingersoll Rand Including On-Site Leased Workers From Aerotek, Express Personnel Services, Select Staffing... Ingersoll Rand, including on-site leased workers from Aerotek, Express Personnel Staffing, and Select... from Aerotek, Express Personnel Staffing, Select Staffing, and Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Pueblo...

Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Annex to Volume 3. Tabular Results from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study for Coast Guard Service Members

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE U.S. MILITARY Annex to Volume 3. Tabular Results from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study for... Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Top-Line Estimates for Active-Duty Service Members from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study • Sexual ...Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Top-Line Estimates for Active-Duty Coast Guard Members from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study vi

Middle School: Lessons from the Rand Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunting, Carolyn E.

2005-01-01

This article reports on a recent study by the Rand Corporation that concluded that there is cause for middle schools to worry. Commissioned by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, one of four major philanthropies supporting the middle school movement, the Rand investigation is clear in its assessment: The American middle school leaves adolescents…

Recent Contributions of Information Sciences Research at RAND to Modeling- and Simulation-Based Policy Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donohue, G. L.; And Others

This report presents examples of Rand's current research in the information sciences and illustrates the application of information science tools to specific policy studies. The projects discussed depict Rand's success with using corporate seed money to bridge the gap between the research and development of new information science tools and…

PTEN Regulates Beta-Catenin in Androgen Signaling: Implication in Prostate Cancer Progression

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

Smad3 and Smad4 proteins contain a number of functional domains, including MH1, MH2, and the linker region (2). It appears that theMH2 domain is involved...domains or Smad4 linker region. These data demonstrate that the MH2 domains of Smad3 and Smad4 are involved in the interaction with hZimp10. hZimp10...length (FL), MH1 domain (MH1, 1–146 amino acids), linker domain (L, 147–308 amino acids), and MH2 domain (MH2, 309 –553 amino acids) and GST- Smad3 full

The Global Positioning System: Assessing National Policies,

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

WASSEM • MONICA PINTO CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES INSTITUTE RAND The research described in this report was supported by RAND’s Critical...MONICA PINTO Prepared for the Executive Office of the President Office of Science and Technology Policy CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES INSTITUTE RAND...National Research Council Committee on the Future of the Global Positioning System, Washington, D.C., July 28-30,1994. Barbier, Jacques , and Thierry

Intratheater Airlift Functional Needs Analysis (FNA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. Skip all front matter: Jump to Page 16 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit...facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and...personnel. xii Intratheater Airlift Functional Needs Analysis all operating environments. The FNA assesses the ability of current assets to

Emotional/Behavioral difficulties and mental health service contacts of students in special education for non-mental health problems.

PubMed

Pastor, Patricia N; Reuben, Cynthia A

2009-02-01

Emotional/behavioral difficulties and mental health (MH) service contacts of 3 groups of youth were compared: students in special education for non-MH problems, students in special education for MH problems, and youth not in special education. Parents reported the characteristics, special education placement, emotional/behavioral difficulties, and MH service contacts of 25,122 youth aged 6-17 years in the National Health Interview Survey. Two thirds of students in special education received special education services for non-MH problems. Among students in special education for non-MH problems, 17% had serious emotional/behavioral difficulties compared with 51% of students in special education for MH problems and 4% of youth not in special education. MH service contacts were examined only for youth whose difficulties significantly interfered with their ability to function in or out of school. Among youth with serious difficulties, the percentage of youth without a recent MH service contact was greater for students in special education for non-MH problems (40%) and youth not in special education (47%) compared with students in special education for MH problems (13%). Compared with youth not in special education, students in special education for non-MH problems were 4 times more likely to have serious emotional/behavioral difficulties but were just as likely as youth not in special education to lack a recent MH service contact. Study findings provide a national context for considering the MH screening/evaluation needs of students receiving special education for non-MH problems.

Understanding Health Care Social Media Use From Different Stakeholder Perspectives: A Content Analysis of an Online Health Community

PubMed Central

Wu, Yang; Liu, Jingfang; Li, Jia; Zhang, Pengzhu

2017-01-01

Background Health care social media used for health information exchange and emotional communication involves different types of users, including patients, caregivers, and health professionals. However, it is difficult to identify different stakeholders because user identification data are lacking due to privacy protection and proprietary interests. Therefore, identifying the concerns of different stakeholders and how they use health care social media when confronted with huge amounts of health-related messages posted by users is a critical problem. Objective We aimed to develop a new content analysis method using text mining techniques applied in health care social media to (1) identify different health care stakeholders, (2) determine hot topics of concern, and (3) measure sentiment expression by different stakeholders. Methods We collected 138,161 messages posted by 39,606 members in lung cancer, diabetes, and breast cancer forums in the online community MedHelp.org over 10 years (January 2007 to October 2016) as experimental data. We used text mining techniques to process text data to identify different stakeholders and determine health-related hot topics, and then analyzed sentiment expression. Results We identified 3 significantly different stakeholder groups using expectation maximization clustering (3 performance metrics: Rand=0.802, Jaccard=0.393, Fowlkes-Mallows=0.537; P<.001), in which patients (24,429/39,606, 61.68%) and caregivers (12,232/39,606, 30.88%) represented the majority of the population, in contrast to specialists (2945/39,606, 7.43%). We identified 5 significantly different health-related topics: symptom, examination, drug, procedure, and complication (Rand=0.783, Jaccard=0.369, Fowlkes-Mallows=0.495; P<.001). Patients were concerned most about symptom topics related to lung cancer (536/1657, 32.34%), drug topics related to diabetes (1883/5904, 31.89%), and examination topics related to breast cancer (8728/23,934, 36.47%). By comparison, caregivers were more concerned about drug topics related to lung cancer (300/2721, 11.03% vs 109/1657, 6.58%), procedure topics related to breast cancer (3952/13,954, 28.32% vs 5822/23,934, 24.33%), and complication topics (4449/25,701, 17.31% vs 4070/31,495, 12.92%). In addition, patients (9040/36,081, 25.05%) were more likely than caregivers (2659/18,470, 14.39%) and specialists (17,943/83,610, 21.46%) to express their emotions. However, patients’ sentiment intensity score (2.46) was lower than those of caregivers (4.66) and specialists (5.14). In particular, for caregivers, negative sentiment scores were higher than positive scores (2.56 vs 2.18), with the opposite among specialists (2.62 vs 2.46). Overall, the proportion of negative messages was greater than that of positive messages related to symptom, complication, and examination. The pattern was opposite for drug and procedure topics. A trend analysis showed that patients and caregivers gradually changed their emotional state in a positive direction. Conclusions The hot topics of interest and sentiment expression differed significantly among different stakeholders in different disease forums. These findings could help improve social media services to facilitate diverse stakeholder engagement for health information sharing and social interaction more effectively. PMID:28389418

Anesthetic drugs and onset of malignant hyperthermia.

PubMed

Visoiu, Mihaela; Young, Michael C; Wieland, Keith; Brandom, Barbara W

2014-02-01

The time between the beginning of anesthetic administration and recognition of the first sign of malignant hyperthermia (MH) (MH onset time) could differ among anesthetic drugs. We examined the time of the first signs of suspected MH, anesthetic drugs administered, subject age, and year of event in Adverse Metabolic/Musculoskeletal Reaction to Anesthesia reports in the North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry. Inclusion criteria were judgment by the reporting clinician that the event was possible or fulminant MH, documentation of the time when anesthetic administration began, and the time when the first MH sign was noted. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis analysis, and nonparametric correlation were used to assess the difference in MH onset times under different conditions. Four hundred seventy-seven cases met inclusion criteria; 58.5% were possible MH and 41.5% fulminant MH. Inhaled anesthetic and succinylcholine were given in 53.9% of cases, inhaled anesthetic only in 41.7%, and succinylcholine without inhaled anesthetics in 2.9%. No causative anesthetic drugs were reported in 7 MH cases. In 394 patients exposed to only 1 of the 4 inhaled anesthetics, without regard for subject age, MH onset time was shorter in the presence of halothane than any of the other anesthetics and shorter after succinylcholine in all anesthetics. If succinylcholine was not given, MH onset was shorter during sevoflurane anesthesia than during desflurane or isoflurane. In 322 cases, 1 rather than multiple first signs of MH were reported with masseter spasm as the earliest MH sign. In 339 cases in which masseter spasm was not reported, there was no difference in MH onset time with or without succinylcholine. In 146 cases in which masseter spasm was not reported and succinylcholine was not given, MH onset was shorter during halothane anesthesia, than during exposure to desflurane, or isoflurane. MH onset time during sevoflurane was shorter than during desflurane or isoflurane. MH was reported later in the course of anesthesia after 1998, when halothane and succinylcholine were less often reported. MH occurred after succinylcholine administration in the absence of inhaled anesthetics. We could not separate an effect of age from that of other variables. The onset of MH has been observed later during desflurane and isoflurane anesthesia than during exposure to sevoflurane. Since 1998, MH signs have more often appeared later, in the second or third hour of anesthesia, than they did before 1998.

Portfolio-Analysis Methods for Assessing Capability Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND...knowledge; (4) time; (5) the psychological context resulting from other contemporary events; (6) the format of presen- tation (briefing, discussion...TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization

Assessing Stop-Loss Policy Options through Personnel Flow Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH...the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by OSD, the Joint Staff, the Unified...detrimental to cohesion, morale , and other aspects of unit performance. However, the multifaceted challenges of meeting general force needs with

Options for Filling Vacant Officer Positions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH...of Defense (OSD). The research was conducted in the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center...extant Department of Defense (DoD) military manpower policy, and assesses alternative mixes of military manpower against criteria developed to determine

U.S. Security-Related Agreements in Force Since 1955: Introducing a New Database

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving...PAF), a division of the RAND Corporation, is the U.S. Air Force’s federally funded research and development center for studies and analyses. PAF...33   Additional Applications of the Treaty and Agreement Database ........................................................... 35   Summary

Scenario-Based Systems Engineering Application to Mine Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

hunter- killer capabilities to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom mines with sonar and video systems, cable cutting devices, and mine...Method: Serial 3 LCS MH-60s LCS: RMS with AN/AQS-20, MH-60s: Archerfish Hunt Method: Serial 1M MK18 MH-60s LCS: MK18 Mod 2, MH-60s...Archerfish Hunt Method: Serial 2M MK18 MH-60s LCS: MK18 Mod 2, MH-60s: Archerfish Hunt Method: Serial 3M MK18 MH-60s LCS: MK18

Elasticity of methane hydrate phases at high pressure.

PubMed

Beam, Jennifer; Yang, Jing; Liu, Jin; Liu, Chujie; Lin, Jung-Fu

2016-04-21

Determination of the full elastic constants (cij) of methane hydrates (MHs) at extreme pressure-temperature environments is essential to our understanding of the elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties of methane in MH reservoirs on Earth and icy satellites in the solar system. Here, we have investigated the elastic properties of singe-crystal cubic MH-sI, hexagonal MH-II, and orthorhombic MH-III phases at high pressures in a diamond anvil cell. Brillouin light scattering measurements, together with complimentary equation of state (pressure-density) results from X-ray diffraction and methane site occupancies in MH from Raman spectroscopy, were used to derive elastic constants of MH-sI, MH-II, and MH-III phases at high pressures. Analysis of the elastic constants for MH-sI and MH-II showed intriguing similarities and differences between the phases' compressional wave velocity anisotropy and shear wave velocity anisotropy. Our results show that these high-pressure MH phases can exhibit distinct elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties at relevant environments of their respective natural reservoirs. These results provide new insight into the determination of how much methane exists in MH reservoirs on Earth and on icy satellites elsewhere in the solar system and put constraints on the pressure and temperature conditions of their environment.

Malignant hyperthermia in Brazil: analysis of hotline activity in 2009.

PubMed

Almeida da Silva, Helga Cristina; dos Santos Almeida, Clea; Mendes Brandão, Julio Cézar; Nogueira e Silva, Cleyton Amaral; Pinto de Lorenzo, Mariana Elisa; Duarte Ferreira, Carolina Baeta Neves; Resende, André Hosoi; Barreira, Sara Rocha; de Almeida, Priscilla Antunes; Cunha Ferraro, Leonardo Henrique; Takeda, Alexandre; de Oliveira, Kátia Ferreira; Lelis, Talitha Gonçalez; Hortense, Alexandre; Perez, Marcelo Vaz; Schmidt, Beny; Bulle Oliveira, Acary Souza; Gomes do Amaral, José Luiz

2013-01-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease that causes abnormal hypermetabolic reaction to halogenated anesthetics and/or depolarizing muscle relaxants. In Brazil, there is a hotline telephone service for MH since 1991, available 24 hours a day in São Paulo. This article analyzes the activity of the Brazilian hotline service for MH in 2009. Prospective analysis of all phone calls made to the Brazilian hotline service for MH from January to December 2009. Twenty-two phone calls were received: 21 from the South/Southeast region of Brazil and one from the North region. Fifteen calls were requests for general information about MH. Seven were about suspected MH acute episodes, two of which were not considered as MH. In five episodes compatible with MH, all patients received halogenated volatile anesthetics (2, isoflurane; 3, sevoflurane) and one also used succinylcholine; there were four men and one woman, with a mean age of 18 years (2-27). The problems described in the five MH episodes were tachycardia (5), increased expired carbon dioxide (4), hyperthermia (3), acidemia (1), rhabdomyolysis (1), and myoglobinuria (1). One patient received dantrolene. All five patients with MH episodes were follow-up in the intensive care unit and recovered without sequelae. Susceptibility to MH was later confirmed in two patients by in vitro muscle contracture test. The number of calls per year in the Brazilian hotline service for MH is still low. The characteristics of MH episode were similar to those reported in other countries. The knowledge of MH in Brazil needs to be increased. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Mandibular ramus shape of Australopithecus sediba suggests a single variable species.

PubMed

Ritzman, Terrence B; Terhune, Claire E; Gunz, Philipp; Robinson, Chris A

2016-11-01

The fossils from Malapa cave, South Africa, attributed to Australopithecus sediba, include two partial skeletons-MH1, a subadult, and MH2, an adult. Previous research noted differences in the mandibular rami of these individuals. This study tests three hypotheses that could explain these differences. The first two state that the differences are due to ontogenetic variation and sexual dimorphism, respectively. The third hypothesis, which is relevant to arguments suggesting that MH1 belongs in the genus Australopithecus and MH2 in Homo, is that the differences are due to the two individuals representing more than one taxon. To test these hypotheses, we digitized two-dimensional sliding semilandmarks in samples of Gorilla, Pan, Pongo, and Homo, as well as MH1 and MH2. We document large amounts of shape variation within all extant species, which is related neither to ontogeny nor sexual dimorphism. Extant species nevertheless form clusters in shape space, albeit with some overlap. The shape differences in extant taxa between individuals in the relevant age categories are minimal, indicating that it is unlikely that ontogeny explains the differences between MH1 and MH2. Similarly, the pattern of differences between MH1 and MH2 is inconsistent with those found between males and females in the extant sample, suggesting that it is unlikely that sexual dimorphism explains these differences. While the difference between MH1 and MH2 is large relative to within-species comparisons, it does not generally fall outside of the confidence intervals for extant intraspecific variation. However, the MH1-MH2 distance also does not plot outside and below the between-species confidence intervals. Based on these results, as well as the contextual and depositional evidence, we conclude that MH1 and MH2 represent a single species and that the relatively large degree of variation in this species is due to neither ontogeny nor sexual dimorphism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Restoring the Power Projection Capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-16

Armed Services on February 16, 2017. For more information on this publication , visit www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/CT464.html Testimonies RAND...law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is...planning prior to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine did not take account of the need to deter large-scale aggression against the North Atlantic Treaty

Children on the Homefront: The Experiences of Children from Military Families

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

2010). Children on the homefront : the experience of children from military families. Pediatrics. 25 ( 1 ), 13-25. Department of Defense, Public...around the world . Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore RAND Testimony View document details For More Information Browse Books & Publications Make a...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

The Future of Conventional Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-08-01

of ideas among those who share the author’s research interests; Papers are not reports prepared in fulfillment of Rand’s contracts or grants. Views...expressed in a Paper are the author’s own, and are not necessarily shared by Rand or its research sponsors. The Rand Corporation Santa Monica...technology is realizing fundamental changes. In defending the fiscal year 1975 Defense Department research and development budget, Dr. Malcolm Currie

The Federal Role in Terrorism Insurance. Evaluating Alternatives in an Uncertain World

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is...Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc. Richard Thomas* Senior vice president Chief underwriting officer American International Group Steven Wechsler ...bomb, outdoor anthrax, nuclear bomb Attack scaling S [0.33, 3.0] Postattack government compensation Market retention R [$27.5 billion, $100 billion

Smarter Power, Stronger Partners, Volume 1: Exploiting U.S. Advantages to Prevent Aggression

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited...or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit...www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities

Army Stock Positioning: How Can Distribution Performance Be Improved

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

Support RAND Make a tax -deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface The...the source- preference logic that selects the warehouse for issuing an item to a cus- tomer. Below, we describe the LMP source-preference logic and...the AMC pilot to use it to tailor how warehouses are selected to issue items to customers. AMC Pilot Implementation of LMP Source-Preference

RandAgiamo™, a Pilot Project Increasing Adoptability of Shelter Dogs in the Umbria Region (Italy)

PubMed Central

Menchetti, Laura; Mancini, Stefania; Catalani, Maria Chiara; Boccini, Beatrice; Diverio, Silvana

2015-01-01

Simple Summary In Italy, dog shelters are overcrowded because the rate of dog adoption is lower than that of abandonment. A project called “RandAgiamo” was implemented in a rescue shelter in central Italy. RandAgiamo provides training, socialization and advertising of adult shelter dogs. Official data of the Umbria regional health authorities from the year 2014 showed a higher rate of adoption in shelters involved in the project. RandAgiamo dogs had triple odds of being adopted compared to others housed in shelters of the same province. The increase in adoption rate can be beneficial for both dog welfare and shelter management. Abstract Current Italian legislation does not permit euthanasia of dogs, unless they are ill or dangerous. Despite good intentions and ethical benefits, this “no-kill policy” has caused a progressive overpopulation of dogs in shelters, due to abandonment rates being higher than adoption rates. Shelter overcrowding has negative implications for dog welfare and increases public costs. The aim of this paper is to describe the pilot project “RandAgiamo” implemented in a rescue shelter in the Umbria Region and to evaluate its effectiveness on the rate of dog adoption using official data. RandAgiamo aimed to increase adult shelter dogs’ adoptability by a standard training and socialization programme. It also promoted dogs’ visibility by publicizing them through social media and participation in events. We analysed the official data of the Umbria regional health authorities regarding dog shelters of the Perugia province of the year 2014. In the RandAgiamo shelter, the dog adoption rate was 27.5% higher than that of dogs housed in other shelters located in the same geographical area (p < 0.001). The RandAgiamo project could be beneficial for the dogs’ welfare, owner satisfaction, shelter management, and public perception of shelter dogs. However, staff were required to provide dog training and related activities. PMID:26479385

Displacement of fovea toward optic disk after macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling.

PubMed

Ohta, Kouichi; Sato, Atsuko; Senda, Nami; Fukui, Emi

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a displacement of the foveal depression toward the optic disk after idiopathic macular hole (MH) surgery with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. Two patients with a unilateral MH developed an MH in the fellow eyes. Vitrectomy with ILM peeling was performed on the fellow eye to close the MH. Images of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were used to measure the disk-to-fovea distances pre MH formation, after MH formation, and 6 months after the closure of the MH. The disk-to-fovea distance was shorter at 6 months than after the development of the MH (4,109 µm and 4,174 µm in Case 1 and 4,001 µm and 4,051 µm in Case 2). These results indicate that the fovea moves nasally after the MH surgery with ILM peeling.

Application of metal hydride paper to simple pressure generator for use in soft actuator systems.

PubMed

Ino, Shuichi; Sakaki, Kouji; Hosono, Minako; Doi, Kouki; Shimada, Shigenobu; Chikai, Manabu

2015-01-01

Metal hydride (MH) actuators have a simple structure and a number of features that make them attractive for use in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. The MH actuator provides a high power-to-weight ratio, high-strain actuation, human-compatible softness, and noiseless operation, while being environmentally benign. On the other hand, there remain technical challenges to be overcome to improve the MH actuator regarding its speed of operation and energy efficiency, given the low heat conductivity of the MH powder that is used as the pressure generator for soft actuation. To overcome the issues of low heat conductivity and the handling of MH powder, we developed an MH paper, which is a special paper incorporating MH powder and carbon fiber, for use as a new pressure-generating element for a soft MH actuator system. In addition, the basic properties and structure of the proposed MH paper were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and several thermodynamic experiments. The results of these experiments showed that the hydrogen absorption and desorption rates of the MH paper were significantly higher than those of the MH powder around room temperature.

The Influence of Dietary Habits and Meat Consumption on Plasma 3‐Methylhistidine—A Potential Marker for Muscle Protein Turnover

PubMed Central

Kochlik, Bastian; Gerbracht, Christiana; Grune, Tilman

2018-01-01

Scope 3‐Methylhistidine (3‐MH) as a potential biomarker for muscle protein turnover is influenced by meat intake but data on the impact of meat on plasma 3‐MH are scarce. We determined the association of plasma 3‐MH, 1‐methylhistidine (1‐MH), and creatinine with dietary habits and assessed the impact of a single white meat intervention during a meat‐free period. Methods and results Plasma 3‐MH, 1‐MH, and creatinine concentrations of healthy young omnivores (n = 19) and vegetarians (n = 16) were analyzed together with data on anthropometry, body composition, grip strength, and nutrition. After baseline measurements omnivores adhered to a meat‐free diet for 6 days and received a defined administration of chicken breast on day four. At baseline, omnivores had higher plasma 3‐MH and 1‐MH concentrations than vegetarians. White meat administration led to a slight increase in plasma 3‐MH in omnivores. The elevated 3‐MH concentrations significantly declined within 24 h after white meat intake. Conclusion 1‐MH concentrations in plasma seem to be suitable to display (white) meat consumption and its influence on 3‐MH plasma concentration. 3‐MH in plasma may be used as a biomarker for muscle protein turnover if subjects have not consumed meat in the previous 24 h. PMID:29573154

A prospective study of mental health care for comorbid depressed mood in older adults with painful osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Comorbid depression is common among adults with painful osteoarthritis (OA). We evaluated the relationship between depressed mood and receipt of mental health (MH) care services. Methods In a cohort with OA, annual interviews assessed comorbidity, arthritis severity, and MH (SF-36 mental health score). Surveys were linked to administrative health databases to identify mental health-related visits to physicians in the two years following the baseline interview (1996-98). Prescriptions for anti-depressants were ascertained for participants aged 65+ years (eligible for drug benefits). The relationship between MH scores and MH-related physician visits was assessed using zero-inflated negative binomial regression, adjusting for confounders. For those aged 65+ years, logistic regression examined the probability of receiving any MH-related care (physician visit or anti-depressant prescription). Results Analyses were based on 2,005 (90.1%) individuals (mean age 70.8 years). Of 576 (28.7%) with probable depression (MH score < 60/100), 42.5% experienced one or more MH-related physician visits during follow-up. The likelihood of a physician visit was associated with sex (adjusted OR women vs. men = 5.87, p = 0.005) and MH score (adjusted OR per 10-point decrease in MH score = 1.63, p = 0.003). Among those aged 65+, 56.7% with probable depression received any MH care. The likelihood of receiving any MH care exhibited a significant interaction between MH score and self-reported health status (p = 0.0009); with good general health, worsening MH was associated with increased likelihood of MH care; as general health declined, this effect was attenuated. Conclusions Among older adults with painful OA, more than one-quarter had depressed mood, but almost half received no mental health care, suggesting a care gap. PMID:21910895

Mucosal Healing Is Associated With Improved Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shah, Shailja C; Colombel, Jean-Frederic; Sands, Bruce E; Narula, Neeraj

2016-09-01

The paradigm for treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC) is shifting from resolving symptoms toward objective measures such as mucosal healing (MH). However, it is unclear whether MH is associated with improved long-term outcomes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and analyze studies comparing long-term outcomes of patients with MH with those without MH. We performed a systematic search of 3 large databases to identify prospective studies of patients with active UC that included outcomes of patients found to have MH at the first endoscopic evaluation after initiation of UC therapy (MH1) compared with those without MH1. The primary outcome was clinical remission after at least 52 weeks. Secondary outcomes included proportions of patients who were free of colectomy or corticosteroids and rate of MH after at least 52 weeks. We analyzed 13 studies comprising 2073 patients with active UC. Patients with MH1 had pooled odds ratio of 4.50 for achieving long-term (after at least 52 weeks) clinical remission (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.12-9.52), 4.15 for remaining free of colectomy (95% CI, 2.53-6.81), 8.40 for achieving long-term MH (95% CI, 3.13-22.53), and 9.70 for achieving long-term corticosteroid-free clinical remission (95% CI, 0.94-99.67), compared with patients without MH1. We found no difference in outcomes if patients achieved MH1 while receiving biologic versus non-biologic therapy. In a meta-analysis, we associated MH with long-term clinical remission, avoidance of colectomy, and corticosteroid-free clinical remission. MH is therefore appropriate goal of UC therapy. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Malignant hyperthermia in Brazil: analysis of hotline activity in 2009.

PubMed

da Silva, Helga Cristina Almeida; Almeida, Clea dos Santos; Brandão, Julio Cézar Mendes; Nogueira e Silva, Cleyton Amaral; de Lorenzo, Mariana Elisa Pinto; Ferreira, Carolina Baeta Neves Duarte; Resende, André Hosoi; Barreira, Sara Rocha; de Almeida, Priscilla Antunes; Ferraro, Leonardo Henrique Cunha; Takeda, Alexandre; de Oliveira, Kátia Ferreira; Lelis, Talitha Gonçalez; Hortense, Alexandre; Perez, Marcelo Vaz; Schmidt, Beny; Oliveira, Acary Souza Bulle; do Amaral, José Luiz Gomes

2013-01-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease that causes abnormal hypermetabolic reaction to halogenated anesthetics and/or depolarizing muscle relaxants. In Brazil, there is a hotline telephone service for MH since 1991, available 24 hours a day in São Paulo. This article analyzes the activity of the Brazilian hotline service for MH in 2009. Prospective analysis of all phone calls made to the Brazilian hotline service for MH from January to December 2009. Twenty-two phone calls were received: 21 from the South/Southeast region of Brazil and one from the North region. Fifteen calls were requests for general information about MH. Seven were about suspected MH acute episodes, two of which were not considered as MH. In five episodes compatible with MH, all patients received halogenated volatile anesthetics (2, isoflurane; 3, sevoflurane) and one also used succinylcholine; there were four men and one woman, with a mean age of 18 years (2-27). The problems described in the five MH episodes were tachycardia (5), increased expired carbon dioxide (4), hyperthermia (3), acidemia (1), rhabdomyolysis (1), and myoglobinuria (1). One patient received dantrolene. All five patients with MH episodes were follow-up in the intensive care unit and recovered without sequelae. Susceptibility to MH was later confirmed in two patients by in vitro muscle contracture test. The number of calls per year in the Brazilian hotline service for MH is still low. The characteristics of MH episode were similar to those reported in other countries. The knowledge of MH in Brazil needs to be increased. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Mathematics Audit of the DoDEA Schools: 2014-2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

inform instruction ” was a moderate or major focus of their PD during 2014–2015, and 31 percent reported that they had a moderate or high need for...permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the...agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community . For more information on the RAND Forces and Resources Policy Center, see www.rand.org/nsrd/ndri

Byting Back. Regaining Information Superiority Against 21st-Century Insurgents

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is...thus, denoting safe or unsafe areas for urban combat, ingress/ egress, or convoy operations. It also offers clues as to where insur- gents might plant...on security authorities. Victims may, themselves, be reluctant to come forward if they feel their efforts are futile, or worse, can put them in

Beyond Close Air Support. Forging a New Air-Ground Partnership

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

15213-1516 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services : Telephone: (310) 451...prominence for either partner. It gives the least opportunity for parochial claims and one-sided plead- ing for one’s own service . Its very difficulty...could be a virtue: Once the services have mastered partnership, they can easily revert to sim- pler approaches. Partnership does not, of course, imply

Tobacco retail environment near housing programmes for patients with mental health conditions in New York City.

PubMed

Rogers, Erin S; Vargas, Elizabeth A

2017-08-30

The current study sought to characterise the tobacco retail environment of supportive housing facilities for persons with mental health (MH) conditions in New York City (NYC) and to estimate the potential impact of a tobacco retail ban near public schools on the retail environment of MH housing in NYC. Texas A&M Geocoding Services was used to geocode the addresses of housing programmes for patients with MH conditions, non-MH residences, public schools and tobacco retailers in NYC. ESRI ArcMap was used to calculate the number of tobacco retailers within a 500-foot radius around each housing programme and school address point, and the Euclidean distance to the nearest retailer. Generalised linear models were used to compare retail counts and distance between MH and non-MH residences. The mean number of tobacco retailers within 500 feet of an MH housing programme was 2.9 (SD=2.3) and the mean distance to nearest tobacco retailer was 370.6 feet (SD=350.7). MH residences had more retailers within 500 feet and a shorter distance to the nearest retailer compared with non-MH residences in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island (p<0.001). Banning tobacco licences within 350, 500 or 1000 feet of a school would significantly improve the tobacco retail environment of MH housing programmes and reduce disparities between MH and non-MH residences in some boroughs. People with MH conditions residing in supportive housing in NYC encounter a heavy tobacco retail environment in close proximity to their home, and in some boroughs, one worse than non-MH residences. Implementing a ban on tobacco retail near public schools would improve the tobacco retail environment of MH housing programmes in NYC. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Structure-Mapping Engine: Algorithm and Examples.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

set of entity correspondences. Call the set of Emape implied by a match hypothesis MH(b,, t,) Emaps(MH(b,, t,)). Emaps(MH(b,, t,)) is simply the union ...which can never appear in the same Gmap as MH. This set is the union of MH,’s Conflicting set with the NoGood sets for all of its descendents. If MH...few Conflicting relations. match hypothesis, and carries out union and intersection operations by using OR and AnD. Second, it is important to look

Preliminary thoughts on research in medical humanities.

PubMed

Yun, Xiaojing; Guo, Jiawei; Qian, Haihong

2017-05-23

Medical humanities (MH) is an interdisciplinary field of medicine which includes the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history, and religion), social sciences (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, and health geography), and the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and their application to medical education and practice. Studies of MH should not be limited to theoretical discussions. Research results must be translated into use of methodologies to formulate medical policies, guide clinical practices, and help resolve physical or mental problems. MH has a critical role in addressing medicine-related issues, such as human cloning legislation and the treatment of Ebola virus infection. Recently, MH has also been included in the "Healthy China 2030" project, indicating that MH has garnered more attention in China. Medical colleges, research institutes, and non-profit organizations are focusing on MH studies. Over the past few years, financial support for MH studies has also increased. Although the development of MH currently lags behind medicine and health sciences, MH has promise.

Use of Formal and Informal Mental Health Resources by Cancer Survivors: Differences Between Rural and Nonrural Survivors and a Preliminary Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior

PubMed Central

Andrykowski, Michael A.; Burris, Jessica L.

2009-01-01

Objective Previous research has identified rural residence as a risk factor for poorer mental health (MH) outcomes in cancer survivors. This may be due to less use of various MH resources due to poorer access and less favorable attitudes and social norms related to MH resource utilization. The present study sought to examine use of MH resources in rural and nonrural survivors and identify factors associated with MH resource use. Methods Cancer survivors (n=113, 1 to 5 years post-diagnosis) completed a questionnaire packet and telephone interview. Accessibility and post-diagnosis use of various formal and informal MH resources was assessed along with constructs potentially linked to use of MH resources by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; personal attitude, social norm, perceived behavioral control). Results Results indicated no widespread differences between rural and nonrural cancer survivors in MH resource use although some evidence suggested poorer accessibility and less use of mental health professionals and cancer support groups among rural survivors. In general, rural survivors reported less favorable personal attitudes and social norms regarding MH resource use. TPB constructs accounted for a significant portion of variance in use of most MH resources with personal attitudes generally being the strongest predictor of MH resource use. Conclusions Additional research is needed to expand the search for factors, particularly modifiable factors, which might account for disparities in MH outcomes between rural and nonrural survivors. PMID:20017114

Global Transcriptomic Analysis of Targeted Silencing of Two Paralogous ACC Oxidase Genes in Banana

PubMed Central

Xia, Yan; Kuan, Chi; Chiu, Chien-Hsiang; Chen, Xiao-Jing; Do, Yi-Yin; Huang, Pung-Ling

2016-01-01

Among 18 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase homologous genes existing in the banana genome there are two genes, Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, that participate in banana fruit ripening. To better understand the physiological functions of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, two hairpin-type siRNA expression vectors targeting both the Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 were constructed and incorporated into the banana genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The generation of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic banana plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. To gain insights into the functional diversity and complexity between Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, transcriptome sequencing of banana fruits using the Illumina next-generation sequencer was performed. A total of 32,093,976 reads, assembled into 88,031 unigenes for 123,617 transcripts were obtained. Significantly enriched Gene Oncology (GO) terms and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with GO annotation were ‘catalytic activity’ (1327, 56.4%), ‘heme binding’ (65, 2.76%), ‘tetrapyrrole binding’ (66, 2.81%), and ‘oxidoreductase activity’ (287, 12.21%). Real-time RT-PCR was further performed with mRNAs from both peel and pulp of banana fruits in Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic plants. The results showed that expression levels of genes related to ethylene signaling in ripening banana fruits were strongly influenced by the expression of genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis. PMID:27681726

Use of formal and informal mental health resources by cancer survivors: differences between rural and nonrural survivors and a preliminary test of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Andrykowski, Michael A; Burris, Jessica L

2010-11-01

Previous research has identified rural residence as a risk factor for poorer mental health (MH) outcomes in cancer survivors. This may be due to less use of various MH resources due to poorer access and less favorable attitudes and social norms related to MH resource utilization. The present study sought to examine use of MH resources in rural and nonrural survivors and identify factors associated with MH resource use. Cancer survivors (n=113, 1-5 years postdiagnosis) completed a questionnaire packet and telephone interview. Accessibility and postdiagnosis use of various formal and informal MH resources were assessed along with constructs potentially linked to use of MH resources by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; personal attitude, social norm, perceived behavioral control). Results indicated no widespread differences between rural and nonrural cancer survivors in MH resource use although some evidence suggested poorer accessibility and less use of mental health professionals and cancer support groups among rural survivors. In general, rural survivors reported less favorable personal attitudes and social norms regarding MH resource use. TPB constructs accounted for a significant portion of variance in use of most MH resources with personal attitudes generally being the strongest predictor of MH resource use. Additional research is needed to expand the search for factors, particularly modifiable factors, which might account for disparities in MH outcomes between rural and nonrural survivors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biological effects of rice harbouring Bph14 and Bph15 on brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

PubMed

Li, Jie; Chen, Qiuhong; Wang, Liangquan; Liu, Jia; Shang, Keke; Hua, Hongxia

2011-05-01

Brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål; BPH) resistance genes Bph14 and Bph15 have been introgressed singly or pyramided into rice variety Minghui 63 (MH63). The antibiosis and antixenosis effects of these rice lines on BPH and the expression of five P450 genes of BPH regulated by these rice lines were investigated in this study. The resistance level of rice lines harbouring resistance genes was improved compared with MH63. MH63::14 (carrying Bph14) had negative effects on the development of males, honeydew excretion of females, the female ratio and the copulation rate compared with MH63. MH63::14 also exhibited antixenosis action against BPH nymphs, female adults and oviposition. Besides these negative effects, MH63::15 (carrying Bph15) could also retard the development of females, lower the fecundity and shorten the lifespan of females. The antixenosis action of MH63::15 was stronger than that of MH63::14. When Bph14 and Bph15 were pyramided, antibiosis and antixenosis effects were significantly enhanced relative to single-introgression lines. Among the five P450 genes of BPH, expression of three genes was upregulated, one gene was downregulated and one gene was unchanged by resistant hosts. Both Bph14 and Bph15 could improve resistance levels of MH63. MH63::15 and MH63::14&15 had greater potential to control BPH infestations than MH63::14. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Program Manager’s Guide for Program Improvement in Ongoing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 4

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Hughes EFX, Boerstler H, O’Connor EJ. “Assessing the Impact of Continuous Quality Improvement/ Total Quality Management : Concept versus...facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Gery...RAND Program Manager’s Guide helps managers assess program performance, consider options for improvement, implement solutions, then assess whether the

Supporting the Future Total Force. A Methodology for Evaluating Potential Air National Guard Mission Assignments

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

force with its primary function —to organize, train, and equip aviation forces primarily for prompt and sustained offen- sive and defensive air...staff. 4 The full warfighter headquarters end-to-end operation was considered in this study to include non -AOC command and control functions performed...representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non -commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non -RAND Web site is

Supporting the Future Total Force: A Methodology for Evaluating Potential Air National Guard Mission Assignments

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

practices. The Air Force continues to strive to align the total force with its primary function —to organize, train, and equip aviation forces primarily for...to include non -AOC command and control functions performed for the COMAFFOR and staff. Potential COMAFFOR Warfighting Operations Support Postures...representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non -commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non -RAND Web site is

Vitreoretinal Interface Characteristics in Eyes with Idiopathic Macular Holes: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis.

PubMed

Seyhan Karatepe, Arzu; Menteş, Jale; Erakgün, E Tansu; Afrashi, Filiz; Nalçacı, Serhad; Akkın, Cezmi; Ateş, Yeşim

2018-04-01

To determine the qualitative and quantitative vitreoretinal interface characteristics with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in eyes with macular hole (MH) and investigate their relation with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and MH duration. Sixty-one eyes of 46 consecutive patients diagnosed with idiopathic MH were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 66.7±7.5 (51-79) years. Complete ophthalmologic examination and SD-OCT examination were performed in all eyes and MH stages were determined according to SD-OCT findings. Qualitative characteristics of the vitreoretinal interface were investigated, including vitreomacular traction, vitreopapillary traction, maculopapillary traction, vitreoschisis, intraretinal cyst, presence of epiretinal membrane, and the integrity of the photoreceptor inner segment-outer segment junction (IS/OS) and external limiting membrane (ELM). In addition, MH diameter, MH base diameter (MHBD), ELM defect diameter, IS/OS defect diameter, and MH height were quantitatively measured and the MH index was calculated. Out of 61 eyes, 9.8% were classified as stage 1a, 19.7% as stage 1b, 18% as stage 2, 23% as stage 3, and 29.5% as stage 4. Mean BCVA was 0.28±0.24 (1 mps-1.0) Snellen and MH duration was 10.08±18.6 (1-108) months. The most common interface characteristics associated with MH were determined as intraretinal cyst (91.8%), IS/OS defect (78.7%) and ELM defect (63.9%). Duration and stage of MH were inversely proportional to BCVA but directly proportional to the presence and diameter of IS/OS and ELM defects. BCVA was significantly lower in eyes with IS/OS and ELM defects (p<0.0001; p<0.0001 Mann-Whitney U test). We determined that the most important factors affecting BCVA in cases with idiopathic MH were MH stage, MH duration, MHBD, and the presence and diameter of IS/OS and ELM defects, which suggests that these parameters should be considered while making decisions about prognosis and treatment.

Multi-generational effects of rice harboring Bph15 on brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

PubMed

Li, Jie; Shang, Keke; Liu, Jia; Jiang, Tingru; Hu, Dingbang; Hua, Hongxia

2014-02-01

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is one of the most devastating rice pests in Asia. Resistant cultivars are an effective way of managing BPH. Bph15 is a BPH resistance gene and has been introgressed into rice variety Minghui 63 (MH63). The multi-generational effects of rice line MH63::15 (harboring Bph15) on BPH were investigated and compared with its parental line MH63. U-test analysis indicated that, over seven generations, the developmental duration of BPH nymphs was significantly prolonged by MH63::15. The results of a two-way analysis indicated that, over seven generations, MH63::15 had significant negative effects on the hatchability, emergence rate, copulation rate, weight of adults and fecundity of BPH, but no significant effects on the survival rate of nymphs or female ratio of BPH. In addition, the development of ovary was significantly retarded by MH63::15, and the expression of oogenesis genes were either down-regulated (three genes) or up-regulated (one genes) by MH63::15 compared with MH63. After being reared continuously on MH63::15 for seven generations, most of the life parameters of BPH were negatively affected by MH63::15, especially fecundity and ovary development. These results indicate that MH63::15 rice has potential for use in the control of BPH. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mental health service use among American Red Cross disaster workers responding to the September 11, 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks.

PubMed

Elhai, Jon D; Jacobs, Gerard A; Kashdan, Todd B; DeJong, Gary L; Meyer, David L; Frueh, B Christopher

2006-06-30

In this article, we explored 1) the extent of mental health (MH) service use by American Red Cross disaster relief workers, both before (lifetime) and 1 year after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and 2) demographic, disaster and MH variables predicting (1-year) post-September 11 MH service use in this population. A sample of 3015 Red Cross disaster workers was surveyed 1 year after the attacks, regarding demographic characteristics, MH service use before and since the attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Findings revealed that while 13.5% used MH services before the attacks, 10.7% used services after. Variables increasing the likelihood of MH service use after the attacks included the following: no previous MH treatment, younger age, being divorced/widowed, and higher PTSD intrusion or hyperarousal symptoms. Findings support other recent research on MH service use after the September 11 attacks.

Two competing ionization processes in ESI-MS analysis of N-(1,3-diphenylallyl)benzenamines: formation of the unusual [M-H]+ ion versus the regular [M+H]+ ion.

PubMed

Fang, Liwen; Dong, Cheng; Guo, Cheng; Xu, Jianxing; Liu, Qiaoling; Qu, Zhirong; Jiang, Kezhi

2018-06-01

A series of N-(1,3-diphenylallyl)benzenamine derivatives (M) were investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the positive-ion mode. Both the anomalous [M-H] + and the regular [M+H] + were observed in the ESI mass spectra. The occurrence of [M-H] + has been supported by accurate mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Calculation results indicated that formation of [M-H] + is attributed to the ion-molecule reaction of M with the protonated ESI solvent molecule (e.g. CH 3 OH 2 + ) via hydride abstraction from a tertiary C sp3 -H. The competing ionization processes leading to [M-H] + or [M+H] + were significantly affected by the concentration of formic acid in the electrospray ionization solvent and the proton affinity of the N atom.

A roadmap to parity in mental health financing: the case of Lebanon.

PubMed

Yehia, Farah; Nahas, Ziad; Saleh, Shadi

2014-09-01

Inadequate access to mental health (MH) services in Lebanon, where prevalence is noteworthy, is a concern. Although a multitude of factors affects access to services, lack of financial coverage of MH services is one that merits further investigation. This study aims at providing a systematic description of MH financing systems with a special focus on Lebanon, presenting stakeholder viewpoints on best MH financing alternatives/strategies and recommending options for enhancing financial coverage. A comprehensive review of existing literature on MH financing systems was conducted, with a focus on the system in Lebanon. In addition, key stakeholders were interviewed to assess MH organizational and financing arrangements. Finally, a national round table was organized with the aim of discussing findings (from the review and interviews) and developing an action roadmap. Taxation and out-of-pocket payments are the most common MH financing sources worldwide and in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In Lebanon, all funding entities, except private insurance and mutual funds, cover inpatient and outpatient MH services, albeit with inconsistencies in levels of coverage. The national roundtable recommended two main MH financing enhancements: (i) creating a knowledge-sharing committee between insurers and MH specialists, and (ii) convincing labor unions/representatives to lobby for MH coverage as part of the negotiated benefit package. There are concerns regarding the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of the MH financing system in Lebanon. The fragmented system in Lebanon leads to differences in MH coverage across different financing intermediaries, which is inequitable. The fact that one out of four Lebanese suffer a mental disorder throughout their lives and very low percentages of those obtain treatment signals a problem in effectiveness. As for efficiency, the inefficient fragmentation of MH financing among seven intermediaries is a problematic characteristic of the healthcare financing system as a whole. Moreover, the orientation of the general healthcare system towards curative rather than preventive care is reflected in MH financing as well. Limitations of the study include the lack of access to data about the MH expenditure of every financing intermediary in Lebanon; therefore it was not possible to calculate a total annual MH spending on a country level. Another limitation was the inability to map the sources of funding with the MH service provision sector, as more extensive data about the MH services provided by each of the public, private, voluntary and informal sectors is needed. Providing a clear description of the current MH financing system helps policymakers recognize the disparities present in the coverage of MH, guiding them into making informed decisions on allocation of funds. This study therefore constitutes the first step towards achieving more equitable and socially just coverage, advances knowledge and provides well-needed locally relevant research. Findings are expected to inform policymaking and have already contributed to influencing a change in the policy of the Internal Security Forces Health Fund. As a result of the roundtable discussion and follow up that ensued, the fund has removed the suicide attempt exclusion from its insurance policy.

Making an Impact in the Kurdistan Region--Iraq. Summary of Four Studies to Assess the Present and Future Labor Market, Improve Technical Vocational Education and Training, Reform the Health Sector, and Build Data Collection Capacity. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthony, C. Ross; Constant, Louay; Culbertson, Shelby; Click, Peter; Kumar, Krishna B.; Meili, Robin C.; Moore, Melinda; Shatz, Howard J.; Vernez, Georges

2015-01-01

This executive summary describes key results from four studies carried out by the RAND Corporation as part of Phase II of its work for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The KRG asked RAND to undertake several studies aimed at improving the economic and social development of the Kurdistan Region--Iraq (KRI). RAND's work is intended to help…

Alternative Measured-Service Rate Structures for Local Telephone Service,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

contracts or grants . Views expressed in a Papet are the author’s own, and are not necessarily shared by Rand or its research sponsors. The Rand Corporation...by National Science Foundation, grant DAR 77-16286 to The Rand Corporation. Measuring costs depend strongly on the technology of the telephone network...a Budget Constraint. The Case of the Two-Part Tariff," Review of Economic Studies, July 1974, Vol. 41, pp. 337-345. -28- Oi, W. Y., "A Disneyland

Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Highlights from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

assault, sexual harassment , and gender discrimination in the military. The resulting study, the RAND Military Workplace Study (RMWS), invited close to...members are highlighted in this brief. Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military HigHligHts from tHe 2014 rAND militAry WorkplAce stuDy...significantly higher rates than men : 22 percent of women and 7 percent of men experienced sexual harassment in the past year. In addition, we estimate

An Overview and Comparison of Demand Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA) Concepts for Satellite Communications Networks,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

helps improve public policy through research and analysis . RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of its research...celebrating 50 years of service to the United States Air Force. Project AIR FORCE began in March 1946 as Project RAND at Douglas Aircraft Company , under...through research and analysis for the public welfare and security of the United States—what is known today as RAND. Contents Preface iii Figures ix

Global Combat Support Basing. Robust Prepositioning Strategies for Air Force War Reserve Material

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

e.g., WRM assets at b may receive their mainte- nance from a traveling maintenance team based offsite at b’ ). Both the 5 Mark S. Daskin , Lawrence V...This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic...representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is

Analysis and Recommendations on the Company-Grade Officer Shortfall in the Reserve Components of the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND...conducted within the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by OSD, the Joint Staff, the... develop - ment center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps

RAND’s Role in the Evolution of Balloon and Satellite Observation Systems and Related U.S. Space Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

committee consisting of the Under Secre- tary of the Air Force, Joseph Charyk; the Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering , John H. Rubel...prepared as part of RAND-sponsored research, was originally intended to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Project RAND (now Project AIR FORCE), a...simple matter either for the authors or for the U.S. government.(/-) Hence, a project begun two years ago to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Air

Expression profiles of a MhCTR1 gene in relation to banana fruit ripening.

PubMed

Hu, Huei-Lin; Do, Yi-Yin; Huang, Pung-Ling

2012-07-01

The banana (Musa spp.) is a typical climacteric fruit of high economic importance. The development of bananas from maturing to ripening is characterized by increased ethylene production accompanied by a respiration burst. To elucidate the signal transduction pathway involved in the ethylene regulation of banana ripening, a gene homologous to Arabidopsis CTR1 (constitutive triple response 1) was isolated from Musa spp. (Hsien Jin Chiao, AAA group) and designated as MhCTR1. MhCTR1 spans 11.5 kilobases and consists of 15 exons and 14 introns with consensus GT-AG nucleotides situated at their boundaries. MhCTR1 encodes a polypeptide of 805 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 88.6 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of MhCTR1 demonstrates 55%, 56% and 55% homology to AtCTR1, RhCTR1, and LeCTR1, respectively. MhCTR1 is expressed mostly in the mature green pulp and root organs. During fruit development MhCTR1 expression increases just before ethylene production rises. Moreover, MhCTR1 expression was detected mainly in the pulps at ripening stage 3, and correlated with the onset of peel yellowing, while MhCTR1 was constitutively expressed in the peels. MhCTR1 expression could be induced by ethylene treatment (0.01 μL L(-1)), and MhCTR1 expression decreased in both peel and pulp 24 h after treatment. Overall, changes observed in MhCTR1 expression in the pulp closely related to the regulation of the banana ripening process. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Suggestive association of major histocompatibility IB genetic markers with resistance to bacterial cold water disease in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

PubMed

Johnson, Nathan A; Vallejo, Roger L; Silverstein, Jeffrey T; Welch, Timothy J; Wiens, Gregory D; Hallerman, Eric M; Palti, Yniv

2008-01-01

Genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are important for both innate and adaptive immune responses in mammals; however, much less is known regarding their contribution in teleost fishes. We examined the involvement of four major histocompatibility (MH) genomic regions in rainbow trout in resistance to the causative agent of bacterial coldwater disease (BCWD), Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Fish from the 2005 NCCCWA brood-year (71 full-sib families) were challenged with F. psychrophilum strain CSF 259-93. The overall mortality rate was 70%, with large variation in mortality between families. Disease resistance was quantified as post-challenge days to death. Phenotypic variation and additive genetic variation were estimated using mixed models of survival analysis. To examine association, eight microsatellite markers were isolated from MH gene-containing BAC clones and mapped onto the rainbow trout genetic linkage map. The parents and grandparents of the 2005 brood-year families were genotyped with these eight markers and another two markers tightly linked to the MH-IB region to assess the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) of MH genomic regions MH-IA, MH-IB, TAP1, and MH-II with survival post-challenge. MH-IB and MH-II markers were linked to BCWD survivability when data were analyzed by family. Tests for disease association at the population level substantiated the involvement of MH-IB, but not MH-II, with disease resistance. The impact of selective breeding for disease resistance on MH sequence variation is discussed in the context of aquaculture production.

Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in Mycorrhizal Networks and Mycoheterotrophic Plants of Tropical Forests: A Stable Isotope Analysis1[W

PubMed Central

Courty, Pierre-Emmanuel; Walder, Florian; Boller, Thomas; Ineichen, Kurt; Wiemken, Andres; Rousteau, Alain; Selosse, Marc-André

2011-01-01

Most achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophic (MH) plants obtain carbon (C) from mycorrhizal networks and indirectly exploit nearby autotrophic plants. We compared overlooked tropical rainforest MH plants associating with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to well-reported temperate MH plants associating with ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes. We investigated 13C and 15N abundances of MH plants, green plants, and AMF spores in Caribbean rainforests. Whereas temperate MH plants and fungi have higher δ13C than canopy trees, these organisms displayed similar δ13C values in rainforests, suggesting differences in C exchanges. Although temperate green and MH plants differ in δ15N, they display similar 15N abundances, and likely nitrogen (N) sources, in rainforests. Contrasting with the high N concentrations shared by temperate MH plants and their fungi, rainforest MH plants had lower N concentrations than AMF, suggesting differences in C/N of exchanged nutrients. We provide a framework for isotopic studies on AMF networks and suggest that MH plants in tropical and temperate regions evolved different physiologies to adapt in diverging environments. PMID:21527422

Understanding Health Care Social Media Use From Different Stakeholder Perspectives: A Content Analysis of an Online Health Community.

PubMed

Lu, Yingjie; Wu, Yang; Liu, Jingfang; Li, Jia; Zhang, Pengzhu

2017-04-07

Health care social media used for health information exchange and emotional communication involves different types of users, including patients, caregivers, and health professionals. However, it is difficult to identify different stakeholders because user identification data are lacking due to privacy protection and proprietary interests. Therefore, identifying the concerns of different stakeholders and how they use health care social media when confronted with huge amounts of health-related messages posted by users is a critical problem. We aimed to develop a new content analysis method using text mining techniques applied in health care social media to (1) identify different health care stakeholders, (2) determine hot topics of concern, and (3) measure sentiment expression by different stakeholders. We collected 138,161 messages posted by 39,606 members in lung cancer, diabetes, and breast cancer forums in the online community MedHelp.org over 10 years (January 2007 to October 2016) as experimental data. We used text mining techniques to process text data to identify different stakeholders and determine health-related hot topics, and then analyzed sentiment expression. We identified 3 significantly different stakeholder groups using expectation maximization clustering (3 performance metrics: Rand=0.802, Jaccard=0.393, Fowlkes-Mallows=0.537; P<.001), in which patients (24,429/39,606, 61.68%) and caregivers (12,232/39,606, 30.88%) represented the majority of the population, in contrast to specialists (2945/39,606, 7.43%). We identified 5 significantly different health-related topics: symptom, examination, drug, procedure, and complication (Rand=0.783, Jaccard=0.369, Fowlkes-Mallows=0.495; P<.001). Patients were concerned most about symptom topics related to lung cancer (536/1657, 32.34%), drug topics related to diabetes (1883/5904, 31.89%), and examination topics related to breast cancer (8728/23,934, 36.47%). By comparison, caregivers were more concerned about drug topics related to lung cancer (300/2721, 11.03% vs 109/1657, 6.58%), procedure topics related to breast cancer (3952/13,954, 28.32% vs 5822/23,934, 24.33%), and complication topics (4449/25,701, 17.31% vs 4070/31,495, 12.92%). In addition, patients (9040/36,081, 25.05%) were more likely than caregivers (2659/18,470, 14.39%) and specialists (17,943/83,610, 21.46%) to express their emotions. However, patients' sentiment intensity score (2.46) was lower than those of caregivers (4.66) and specialists (5.14). In particular, for caregivers, negative sentiment scores were higher than positive scores (2.56 vs 2.18), with the opposite among specialists (2.62 vs 2.46). Overall, the proportion of negative messages was greater than that of positive messages related to symptom, complication, and examination. The pattern was opposite for drug and procedure topics. A trend analysis showed that patients and caregivers gradually changed their emotional state in a positive direction. The hot topics of interest and sentiment expression differed significantly among different stakeholders in different disease forums. These findings could help improve social media services to facilitate diverse stakeholder engagement for health information sharing and social interaction more effectively. ©Yingjie Lu, Yang Wu, Jingfang Liu, Jia Li, Pengzhu Zhang. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 07.04.2017.

11. Historic American Buildings Survey Marvin Rand, Photographer August 1971 ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Historic American Buildings Survey Marvin Rand, Photographer August 1971 FIRST FLOOR: MUSIC ROOM (Stained Glass Windows Designed by Shepard) - Villa Montezuma, 1925 K Street, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

Moderate hypothermia suppresses jugular venous superoxide anion radical, oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in forebrain ischemia/reperfusion rats.

PubMed

Koda, Yoichi; Tsuruta, Ryosuke; Fujita, Motoki; Miyauchi, Takashi; Kaneda, Kotaro; Todani, Masaki; Aoki, Tetsuya; Shitara, Masaki; Izumi, Tomonori; Kasaoka, Shunji; Yuasa, Makoto; Maekawa, Tsuyoshi

2010-01-22

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of moderate hypothermia (MH) on generation of jugular venous superoxide radical (O2-.), oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in forebrain ischemia/reperfusion (FBI/R) rats. Twenty-one Wistar rats were allocated to a control group (n=7, 37 degrees C), a pre-MH group (n=7, 32 degrees C before ischemia), and a post-MH group (n=7, 32 degrees C after reperfusion). MH was induced before induction of ischemia in the pre-MH group and just after reperfusion in the post-MH group. Forebrain ischemia was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries with hemorrhagic hypotension for 10 min, followed by reperfusion. O(2)(-)(.) in the jugular vein was measured from the produced current using a novel O2-. sensor. The O2-. current showed a gradual increase during forebrain ischemia in the control and post-MH groups but was attenuated in the pre-MH group. Following reperfusion, the current showed a marked increase in the control group but was strongly attenuated in the pre- and post-MH groups. Concentrations of malondialdehyde, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the brain and plasma 120 min after reperfusion in the pre- and post-MH groups were significantly lower than those in the control group, except for plasma HMGB1 in the post-MH group. In conclusion, MH suppressed O2-. measured in the jugular vein, oxidative stress, early inflammation, and endothelial injury in FBI/R rats. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of malignant hyperthermia diagnosis in hospital discharge records in California, Florida, New York, and Wisconsin.

PubMed

Lu, Zhen; Rosenberg, Henry; Li, Guohua

2017-06-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare yet potentially fatal pharmacogenetic disorder triggered by exposure to inhalational anesthetics and the depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent succinylcholine. Epidemiologic data on the geographic variation in MH prevalence is scant. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of recorded MH diagnosis in patients discharged from hospitals in four states in the United States. Observational study. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Database (SID) for California (2011), Florida (2011), New York (2012) and Wisconsin (2012). A total of 164 hospital discharges that had a recorded diagnosis of MH using the International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification code 995.86. MH prevalence was assessed by patient demographic and clinical characteristics. The prevalence of MH per 100,000 hospital discharges ranged from 1.23 (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.80-1.66) in New York to 1.91 (95% CI, 1.48-2.34) in California, and the prevalence of MH per 100,000 surgical discharges ranged from 1.47 (95% CI, 0.93-2.02) in New York to 2.86 (95% CI, 2.00-3.71) in Florida. The prevalence of MH in male patients was more than twice the prevalence in female patients. Of the 164 patients with MH diagnosis, 11% were dead on discharge. There exists a modest variation in the prevalence of recorded MH diagnosis in hospital discharges in California, Florida, New York and Wisconsin. Epidemiologic patterns of MH diagnosis in hospital discharges appear to be similar across the four states. Further research is needed to better understand the geographic variation and contributing factors of MH in different populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure of the N-terminal domain of the protein Expansion: an ‘Expansion’ to the Smad MH2 fold

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

Beich-Frandsen, Mads; Aragón, Eric; Llimargas, Marta

2015-04-01

Expansion is a modular protein that is conserved in protostomes. The first structure of the N-terminal domain of Expansion has been determined at 1.6 Å resolution and the new Nα-MH2 domain was found to belong to the Smad/FHA superfamily of structures. Gene-expression changes observed in Drosophila embryos after inducing the transcription factor Tramtrack led to the identification of the protein Expansion. Expansion contains an N-terminal domain similar in sequence to the MH2 domain characteristic of Smad proteins, which are the central mediators of the effects of the TGF-β signalling pathway. Apart from Smads and Expansion, no other type of proteinmore » belonging to the known kingdoms of life contains MH2 domains. To compare the Expansion and Smad MH2 domains, the crystal structure of the Expansion domain was determined at 1.6 Å resolution, the first structure of a non-Smad MH2 domain to be characterized to date. The structure displays the main features of the canonical MH2 fold with two main differences: the addition of an α-helical region and the remodelling of a protein-interaction site that is conserved in the MH2 domain of Smads. Owing to these differences, to the new domain was referred to as Nα-MH2. Despite the presence of the Nα-MH2 domain, Expansion does not participate in TGF-β signalling; instead, it is required for other activities specific to the protostome phyla. Based on the structural similarities to the MH2 fold, it is proposed that the Nα-MH2 domain should be classified as a new member of the Smad/FHA superfamily.« less

The current and ideal state of mental health training: pediatric resident perspectives.

PubMed

Hampton, Elisa; Richardson, Joshua E; Bostwick, Susan; Ward, Mary J; Green, Cori

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: Mental health (MH) problems are prevalent in the pediatric population, and in a setting of limited resources, pediatricians need to provide MH care in the primary medical home yet are uncomfortable doing so citing a lack of training during residency as one barrier. The purpose of this study is to describe pediatric residents' experiences and perspectives on the current and ideal states of MH training and ideas for curriculum development to bridge this gap. A qualitative study using focus groups of pediatric residents from an urban academic medical center was performed. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Twenty-six residents participated in three focus groups, which is when thematic saturation was achieved. The team generated five major themes: capabilities, comfort, organizational capacity, coping, and education. Residents expressed uncertainty at every step of an MH visit. Internal barriers identified included low levels of comfort and negative emotional responses. External barriers included a lack of MH resources and mentorship in MH care, or an inadequate organizational capacity. These internal and external barriers resulted in a lack of perceived capability in handling MH issues. In response, residents reported inadequate coping strategies, such as ignoring MH concerns. To build knowledge and skills, residents prefer educational modalities including didactics, experiential learning through collaborations with MH specialists, and tools built into patient care flow. Insights: Pediatric residency programs need to evolve in order to improve resident training in MH care. The skills and knowledge requested by residents parallel the American Academy of Pediatrics statement on MH competencies. Models of collaborative care provide similar modalities of learning requested by residents. These national efforts have not been operationalized in training programs yet may be useful for curriculum development and dissemination to enhance trainees' MH knowledge and skills to provide optimal MH care for children.

Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of polymeric nanoparticles based on hyaluronic acid-poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate for tumor-targeted delivery of morin hydrate

PubMed Central

Abbad, Sarra; Wang, Cheng; Waddad, Ayman Yahia; Lv, Huixia; Zhou, Jianping

2015-01-01

Herein, we describe the preparation of a targeted cellular delivery system for morin hydrate (MH), based on a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid-poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) (HA-PBCA) block copolymer. In order to enhance the therapeutic effect of MH, D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) was mixed with HA-PBCA during the preparation process. The MH-loaded HA-PBCA “plain” nanoparticle (MH-PNs) and HA-PBCA/TPGS “mixed” nanoparticles (MH-MNs) were concomitantly characterized in terms of loading efficiency, particle size, zeta potential, critical aggregation concentration, and morphology. The obtained MH-PNs and MH-MNs exhibited a spherical morphology with a negative zeta potential and a particle size less than 200 nm, favorable for drug targeting. Remarkably, the addition of TPGS resulted in about 1.6-fold increase in drug-loading. The in vitro cell viability experiment revealed that MH-MNs enhanced the cytotoxicity of MH in A549 cells compared with MH solution and MH-PNs. Furthermore, blank MNs containing TPGS exhibited selective cytotoxic effects against cancer cells without diminishing the viability of normal cells. In addition, the cellular uptake study indicated that MNs resulted in 2.28-fold higher cellular uptake than that of PNs, in A549 cells. The CD44 receptor competitive inhibition and the internalization pathway studies suggested that the internalization mechanism of the nanoparticles was mediated mainly by the CD44 receptors through a clathrin-dependent endocytic pathway. More importantly, MH-MNs exhibited a higher in vivo antitumor potency and induced more tumor cell apoptosis than did MH-PNs, following intravenous administration to S180 tumor-bearing mice. Overall, the results imply that the developed nanoparticles are promising vehicles for the targeted delivery of lipophilic anticancer drugs. PMID:25609946

Challenges to Effective Primary Care-Specialty Communication and Coordination in the Mental Health Referral and Care Process for Publicly Insured Children.

PubMed

Porras-Javier, Lorena; Bromley, Elizabeth; Lopez, Maria; Coker, Tumaini R

2018-03-26

Publicly insured children needing referral to mental health (MH) services often do not access or receive services. The objective of this study was to identify gaps in communication and coordination between primary care providers (PCPs) and MH providers during the MH referral and care process for publicly insured children. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 PCPs and staff from a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and 6 MH providers and staff from two local MH clinics. Interview participants identified multiple gaps in communication throughout the care process and different phases as priorities for improvement. PCPs described primary care-MH communication challenges during early phases, while MH providers described coordination challenges in transferring patients back to primary care for ongoing mental health management. Strategies are needed to improve primary care-specialty MH communication and coordination throughout all phases of the referral and care process, particularly at initial referral and transfer back to primary care.

5. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California Historical Society Original: After 1860's Re-photo: January 1940 FIRST FRAME CHURCH (LEFT) - Mission San Rafael Archangel, San Rafael, Marin County, CA

Geographic access to specialty mental health care across high- and low-income U.S. communities

PubMed Central

Cummings, Janet R.; Allen, Lindsay; Clennon, Julie; Ji, Xu; Druss, Benjamin G.

2017-01-01

Importance With the future of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid program unclear, it is critical to examine the geographic availability of specialty mental health (MH) treatment resources that serve low-income populations across local communities. Objective To examine the geographic availability of community-based specialty MH treatment resources and how these resources are distributed by community socioeconomic status (SES). Design Measures of MH specialty resource availability were derived for 31,836 zip-code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) using national data. Analyses examined the association between community SES (assessed by median household income quartiles) and resource availability using logistic regressions. Models controlled for ZCTA-level demographic characteristics and state indicators. Main Outcome Measures Dichotomous indicators for whether a ZCTA had any: (1) outpatient MH treatment facility (more than nine-tenths of which offer payment arrangements for low-income populations); (2) office-based practice of MH specialist physician(s); (3) office-based practice of non-physician MH practitioners (e.g., therapists); and (4) facility or office-based practice (i.e., any resource). Results More than four-tenths (42.5%) of communities in the highest income quartile had any community-based MH treatment resource versus 23.1% of communities in the lowest income quartile (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.74, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=1.50,2.03). When examining the distribution of MH specialist providers, 25.3% of the highest income communities had any MH specialist physician practice versus 8.0% of the lowest income communities (AOR=3.04, 95% CI=2.53,3.66). Similarly, 35.1% of the highest income communities had any non-physician MH specialist practice versus 12.9% of the lowest income communities (AOR=2.77, 95% CI=2.35,3.26). In contrast, MH treatment facilities were less likely to be located in the highest versus lowest income communities (12.9% versus 16.5%, AOR=0.43, 95% CI=0.37,0.51). Over seven-tenths of the lowest income communities with any resource had an outpatient MH treatment facility. Conclusions and Relevance MH treatment facilities are more likely to be located in poorer communities, whereas office-based practices of MH specialist providers are more likely to be located in higher income communities. These findings indicate that MH treatment facilities constitute the backbone of the specialty MH treatment infrastructure in low-income communities. Policies are needed to support and expand available resources for this critical infrastructure. PMID:28384733

Characteristics of the high-rate discharge capability of a nickel/metal hydride battery electrode

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

Geng, M.; Han, J.; Feng, F.

1999-10-01

The high rate discharge capability of the negative electrode in a Ni/MH battery is mainly determined by the charge transfer process at the interface between the metal hydride (MH) alloy powder and the electrolyte, and the mass transfer process in the bulk MH alloy powder. In this study, the anodic polarization curves of a MH electrode were measured and analyzed. An alloy of nominal composition Mm{sub 0.95}Ti{sub 0.05}Ni{sub 3.85}Co{sub 0.45}Mn{sub 0.35}Al{sub 0.35} was used as the negative electrode material. With increasing number of charge/discharge cycles, the MH alloy powders microcrack into particles several micrometers in diameter. The decrease in themore » MH alloy particle size results in an increase in both the activation surface area and the exchange current density of the MH alloy electrode. The electrode overpotentials of the MH electrode decreases with increasing number of cycles at a large value of anodic polarization current. The decrease in electrode overpotential leads to an increase in the high rate discharge capability of the MH electrode. By using the limiting current, the hydrogen diffusion coefficient in the MH alloy was estimated to be 1.2 x 10{sup {minus}11}cm{sup 2}s{sup {minus}1} assuming an average particle radius of 5 {micro}m.« less

Of Tanks and Toyotas: An Assessment of Japan’s Defense Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

AD-A282 389 A RAND NOTE Of Tants and Toyotas An Asmamnt of Jan’s Defense Idustry Arthur Alexander DTIC S ELECTEJUL 2 6 1994 0 G 94-22886 RAND 94 7 21...RAND NOTE N3542-AF Of Tanks and Toyotas : An Assesmen of Japan’s Defense Idus"r Arthur Alexander Prepared for the United States Air Force Accesion For...Japanese dfense expenditures are modest when compared to those of NATO countries such as Italy and France, whose economies are considerably smaller than

Exploring and Monitoring of Methane Hydrate Deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudac, D.; Obhođaš, J.; Nađ, K.; Valković, V.

2018-01-01

Relatively recently, in the last 20 years, it was discovered that methane hydrate (MH) deposits are globally distributed in the permafrost and oceans. Before 1965 when first deposits were discovered in nature, it was believed that MH can occur only in laboratory conditions or in vast parts of the Universe. Presently it is presumed that this solid crystalline compounds in which CH4 molecules occupies the water ice lattices (nominal chemical formula of MH is C4H62O23) can serve as an energy source favorably to the all of the world remaining conventional hydrocarbon sources. The worldwide estimates of MH deposits range from 2x1014 m3 to 3.053x1018 cubic meters. This uncertainty partly results from our limitations in geological understanding of the MH deposits, which is due to the relatively bad quality of data obtained by presently available seismic and electromagnetic techniques. Moreover, MH deposits can become vulnerable to climate changes, which were already occurring in geological past whit tremendous consequences for the global life on Earth. Thus, further development of advanced techniques is needed to enhance our abilities to better characterize, quantify and monitor the MH deposits. In the work presented 14 MeV neutrons and associated alpha particle imaging (API) where used to quantify the amount of MH in the sample. Samples were prepared from sea sediment, quartz sand and MH simulant. MH simulant with chemical formula C4H46O23 was made from sucrose (25 % by mass) and water. MH quantity was measured by measuring the carbon content in the sample [1-8].

A Flexible and Integrated System for the Remote Acquisition of Neuropsychological Data in Stroke Research

PubMed Central

Durisko, Corrine; McCue, Michael; Doyle, Patrick J.; Dickey, Michael Walsh

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Neuropsychological testing is a central aspect of stroke research because it provides critical information about the cognitive-behavioral status of stroke survivors, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of stroke-related disorders. Standard neuropsychological methods rely upon face-to-face interactions between a patient and researcher, which creates geographic and logistical barriers that impede research progress and treatment advances. Introduction: To overcome these barriers, we created a flexible and integrated system for the remote acquisition of neuropsychological data (RAND). The system we developed has a secure architecture that permits collaborative videoconferencing. The system supports shared audiovisual feeds that can provide continuous virtual interaction between a participant and researcher throughout a testing session. Shared presentation and computing controls can be used to deliver auditory and visual test items adapted from standard face-to-face materials or execute computer-based assessments. Spoken and manual responses can be acquired, and the components of the session can be recorded for offline data analysis. Materials and Methods: To evaluate its feasibility, our RAND system was used to administer a speech-language test battery to 16 stroke survivors with a variety of communication, sensory, and motor impairments. The sessions were initiated virtually without prior face-to-face instruction in the RAND technology or test battery. Results: Neuropsychological data were successfully acquired from all participants, including those with limited technology experience, and those with a communication, sensory, or motor impairment. Furthermore, participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the RAND system and the remote assessment that it permits. Conclusions: The results indicate the feasibility of using the RAND system for virtual home-based neuropsychological assessment without prior face-to-face contact between a participant and researcher. Because our RAND system architecture uses off-the-shelf technology and software, it can be duplicated without specialized expertise or equipment. In sum, our RAND system offers a readily available and promising alternative to face-to-face neuropsychological assessment in stroke research. PMID:27214198

10. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California Historical Society Original: About 1890 Re-photo: January 1940 SECOND FRAME CHURCH REPLACING MISSION (1890) - Mission San Rafael Archangel, San Rafael, Marin County, CA

Intrinsic borohydride fuel cell/battery hybrid power sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Jian; Fang, Bin; Wang, Chunsheng; Currie, Kenneth

The electrochemical oxidation behaviors of NaBH 4 on Zn, Zn-MH, and MH (metal-hydride) electrodes were investigated, and an intrinsic direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC)/battery hybrid power source using MH (or Zn-MH) as the anode and MnO 2 as the cathode was tested. Borohydride cannot be effectively oxidized on Zn electrodes at the Zn oxidation potential because of the poor electrocatalytic ability of Zn for borohydride oxidation and the high overpotential, even though borohydride has the same oxidation potential of Zn in an alkaline solution. The borohydride can be electrochemically oxidized on Ni and MH electrodes through a 4e reaction at a high overpotential. Simply adding borohydride into an alkaline electrolyte of a Zn/air or MH/air battery can greatly increase the capacity, while an intrinsic DBFC/MH(or Zn)-MnO 2 battery can deliver a higher peak power than regular DBFCs.

Identification of Two Meloidogyne hapla Genes and an Investigation of Their Roles in the Plant-Nematode Interaction.

PubMed

Gleason, Cynthia; Polzin, Frederik; Habash, Samer S; Zhang, Lei; Utermark, Jan; Grundler, Florian M W; Elashry, Abdelnaser

2017-02-01

Root-knot nematodes are soil-borne pathogens that invade and establish feeding sites in plant roots. They have an extremely broad host range, including most vascular plants. During infection of a susceptible host, root-knot nematodes secrete molecules called effectors that help them establish an intimate interaction with the plant and, at the same time, allow them to evade or suppress plant immune responses. Despite the fact that Meloidogyne hapla is a significant pest on several food crops, no effectors have been characterized from this root-knot nematode species thus far. Using the published genome and proteome from M. hapla, we have identified and characterized two genes, MhTTL2 and Mh265. MhTTL2 encodes a predicted secreted protein containing a transthyretin-like protein domain. The expression of MhTTL2 was up-regulated during parasitic life stages of the nematode, and in situ hybridization showed that MhTTL2 was expressed in the amphids, suggesting it has a role in the nematode nervous system during parasitism. We also studied the gene Mh265. The Mh265 transcript was localized to the subventral esophageal glands. An upregulation in Mh265 expression coincided with the pre- and early-parasitic life stages of the nematode. When Mh265 was constitutively expressed in plants, it enhanced their susceptibility to nematodes. These transgenic plants were also compromised in flg22-induced callose deposition, suggesting the Mh265 is modulating plant basal immune responses.

Avian acute leukemia viruses MC29 and MH2 share specific RNA sequences: Evidence for a second class of transforming genes

PubMed Central

Duesberg, Peter H.; Vogt, Peter K.

1979-01-01

The genome of the defective avian tumor virus MH2 was identified as a RNA of 5.7 kilobases by its presence in different MH2-helper virus complexes and its absence from pure helper virus, by its unique fingerprint pattern of RNase T1-resistant (T1) oligonucleotides that differed from those of two helper virus RNAs, and by its structural analogy to the RNA of MC29, another avian acute leukemia virus. Two sets of sequences were distinguished in MH2 RNA: 66% hybridized with DNA complementary to helper-independent avian tumor viruses, termed group-specific, and 34% were specific. The percentage of specific sequences is considered a minimal estimate because the MH2 RNA used was about 30% contaminated by helper virus RNA. No sequences related to the transforming src gene of avian sarcoma viruses were found in MH2. MH2 shared three large T1 oligonucleotides with MC29, two of which could also be isolated from a RNase A- and T1-resistant hybrid formed between MH2 RNA and MC29 specific cDNA. These oligonucleotides belong to a group of six that define the specific segment of MC29 RNA described previously. The group-specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 RNA shared only the two smallest out of about 20 T1 oligonucleotides associated with MH2 RNA. It is concluded that the specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 are related, and it is proposed that they are necessary for, or identical with, the onc genes of these viruses. These sequences would define a related class of transforming genes in avian tumor viruses that differs from the src genes of avian sarcoma viruses. Images PMID:221900

Trends and outcomes of malignant hyperthermia in the United States, 2000 to 2005.

PubMed

Rosero, Eric B; Adesanya, Adebola O; Timaran, Carlos H; Joshi, Girish P

2009-01-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal pharmacogenetic disorder with an estimated mortality of less than 5%. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current incidence of MH and the predictors associated with in-hospital mortality in the United States. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which is the largest all-payer inpatient database in the United States, was used to identify patients discharged with a diagnosis of MH during the years 2000-2005. The weighted exact Cochrane-Armitage test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess trends in the incidence and risk-adjusted mortality from MH, taking into account the complex survey design. From 2000 to 2005, the number of cases of MH increased from 372 to 521 per year. The occurrence of MH increased from 10.2 to 13.3 patients per million hospital discharges (P = 0.001). Mortality rates from MH ranged from 6.5% in 2005 to 16.9% in 2001 (P < 0.0001). The median age of patients with MH was 39 (interquartile range, 23-54 yr). Only 17.8% of the patients were children, who had lower mortality than adults (0.7% vs. 14.1%, P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analyses revealed that risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality was associated with increasing age, female sex, comorbidity burden, source of admission to hospital, and geographic region of the United States. The incidence of MH in the United States has increased in recent years. The in-hospital mortality from MH remains elevated and higher than previously reported. The results of this study should enable the identification of areas requiring increased focus in MH-related education.

Disparities in mental health outcomes among lung cancer survivors associated with ruralness of residence.

PubMed

Andrykowski, Michael A; Steffens, Rachel F; Bush, Heather M; Tucker, Thomas C

2014-04-01

Healthy People 2020 identifies elimination of health disparities as a key aim. Rural residence is associated with disparities in cancer screening, physical morbidity, and survival. The present study aimed to identify potential disparities in mental health (MH) outcomes (e.g., anxiety and depression symptoms, distress) in lung cancer (LC) survivors associated with ruralness of residence. Lung cancer survivors (LC group; n = 193; mean age = 63.1 years; mean time since diagnosis = 15.6 months) were recruited from the population-based SEER Kentucky Cancer Registry. LC survivors completed a telephone interview and questionnaire assessing MH outcomes. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes were used to identify Rural (n = 117) and Urban (n = 76) LC survivors. A healthy comparison (HC) group was recruited (n = 152) and completed a questionnaire assessing MH outcomes. Across six MH indices, Rural LC survivors reported poorer MH relative to Urban LC survivors with a mean effect size (ES) of 0.43 SD in unadjusted analyses and 0.29 SD in analyses adjusted for education and physical comorbidity. Comparison of the LC and HC groups revealed significant Ruralness × Group interactions for five of six MH indices. The Rural LC group reported poorer MH than the Rural HC group with a mean ES of 0.51 SD. The MH of Urban LC and HC groups did not differ (mean ES = 0.00 SD). Rural residence is a risk factor for poorer MH outcomes for LC survivors. The MH of Rural LC survivors may be more negatively impacted by cancer diagnosis and treatment than the MH of Urban LC survivors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Diversity in eMental Health Practice: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Providers

PubMed Central

Bird, Jennifer; Rotumah, Darlene; Singer, Judy

2017-01-01

Background In Australia, mental health services are undergoing major systemic reform with eMental Health (eMH) embedded in proposed service models for all but those with severe mental illness. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers have been targeted as a national priority for training and implementation of eMH into service delivery. Implementation studies on technology uptake in health workforces identify complex and interconnected variables that influence how individual practitioners integrate new technologies into their practice. To date there are only two implementation studies that focus on eMH and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers. They suggest that the implementation of eMH in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations may be different from the implementation of eMH with allied health professionals and mainstream health services. Objective The objective of this study is to investigate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers in one regional area of Australia used eMH resources in their practice following an eMH training program and to determine what types of eMH resources they used. Methods Individual semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers. Interviews were co-conducted by one indigenous and one non-indigenous interviewer. A sample of transcripts were coded and thematically analyzed by each interviewer and then peer reviewed. Consensus codes were then applied to all transcripts and themes identified. Results It was found that 9 of the 16 service providers were implementing eMH resources into their routine practice. The findings demonstrate that participants used eMH resources for supporting social inclusion, informing and educating, assessment, case planning and management, referral, responding to crises, and self and family care. They chose a variety of types of eMH resources to use with their clients, both culturally specific and mainstream. While they referred clients to online treatment programs, they used only eMH resources designed for mobile devices in their face-to-face contact with clients. Conclusions This paper provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander service providers and the eMH field with findings that may inform and guide the implementation of eMH resources. It may help policy developers locate this workforce within broader service provision planning for eMH. The findings could, with adaptation, have wider application to other workforces who work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. The findings highlight the importance of identifying and addressing the particular needs of minority groups for eMH services and resources. PMID:28554880

8. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. Historic American Buildings Survey Frances Rand Smith Collection California Historical Society Original: 1870's Re-photo: January, 1940 FIRST FRAME CHURCH (LEFT), OLD MARIN COUNTY COURT HOUSE (CENTER) - Mission San Rafael Archangel, San Rafael, Marin County, CA

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Curtiss-Wright in Kearny, New Jersey

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The site is located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and was operated by Ingersoll Rand Company. Ingersoll Rand began facility construction in 1903 and produced products such as pumps, turbo equipment, air and gas compressors, rock drills, and mining equipment.

15. VIEW OF INGERSOLLRAND AIR COMPRESSOR, 1920 (left) and INGERSOLLRAND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. VIEW OF INGERSOLL-RAND AIR COMPRESSOR, 1920 (left) and INGERSOLL-RAND TURBINE GENERATOR UNIT AND FLYWHEEL, patented 1901-1911 (right). - Juniata Shops, Power Plant & Boiler House, East of Fourth Avenue at Second Street, Altoona, Blair County, PA

The Foundations of Operational Resilience Assessing the Ability to Operate in an Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) Environment: The Analytical Framework, Lexicon, and Characteristics of the Operational Resilience Analysis Model (ORAM)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-07

engineering (CCE) methods, such as aggregate crater fill and laying replacement concrete. [RAND] • Level 2: CCE plus the use of folded fiberglass ( FFM ...or aluminum mats (e.g., AM-2). [RAND] • Level 3: CCE, FFMs , and Critical Runway Assessment and Repair (CRATR) teams. [RAND] Recovery. In air...CSG carrier strike group CTA central terminal area DCA defensive counterair DoD U.S. Department of Defense FFM folded fiber mats FOB forward

RandAgiamo™, a Pilot Project Increasing Adoptability of Shelter Dogs in the Umbria Region (Italy).

PubMed

Menchetti, Laura; Mancini, Stefania; Catalani, Maria Chiara; Boccini, Beatrice; Diverio, Silvana

2015-08-14

Current Italian legislation does not permit euthanasia of dogs, unless they are ill or dangerous. Despite good intentions and ethical benefits, this 'no-kill policy' has caused a progressive overpopulation of dogs in shelters, due to abandonment rates being higher than adoption rates. Shelter overcrowding has negative implications for dog welfare and increases public costs. The aim of this paper is to describe the pilot project "RandAgiamo" implemented in a rescue shelter in the Umbria Region and to evaluate its effectiveness on the rate of dog adoption using official data. RandAgiamo aimed to increase adult shelter dogs' adoptability by a standard training and socialization programme. It also promoted dogs' visibility by publicizing them through social media and participation in events. We analysed the official data of the Umbria regional health authorities regarding dog shelters of the Perugia province of the year 2014. In the RandAgiamo shelter, the dog adoption rate was 27.5% higher than that of dogs housed in other shelters located in the same geographical area (P < 0.001). The RandAgiamo project could be beneficial for the dogs' welfare, owner satisfaction, shelter management, and public perception of shelter dogs. However, staff were required to provide dog training and related activities.

High mucosal healing rates in 5-ASA-treated ulcerative colitis patients: results of a meta-analysis of clinical trials.

PubMed

Römkens, Tessa E H; Kampschreur, Milou T; Drenth, Joost P H; van Oijen, Martijn G H; de Jong, Dirk J

2012-11-01

Recently, mucosal healing (MH) is regarded as an important treatment goal in ulcerative colitis (UC). 5-Aminosalicylates (5-ASA) are the standard treatment in mild-to-moderate UC, but the effect on MH is less known. The aim of this study was to systematically review the medical literature in order to compare different preparations of 5-ASA for the effect on MH. We conducted a structured search of PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify randomized controlled clinical trials with 5-ASA in UC providing data about MH. We calculated the sample size-weighted pooled proportion of patients with MH, and performed meta-analysis of head-to-head comparisons. Out of 645 hits, we included 90 treatment arms, involving 3977 patients using oral 5-ASA (granulate and tablets) and 2513 patients using rectal 5-ASA (suppositories, enema, and foam). Overall, 43,7% of 5-ASA treated patients achieved MH (oral 36,9%; rectal 50,3%). In oral studies, 49% of patients using granulate (7 treatment-arms) achieved MH compared to 34,9% using tablets (43 treatment-arms). In rectal studies the proportion of MH was 62% for suppositories (eight treatment arms), 51% for foam (nine treatment arms), and 46% for enema (23 treatment arms), respectively. 5-ASA preparations achieved MH in nearly 50% of UC patients. There were no significant differences in MH between the various 5-ASA agents, either in the oral or the rectal treatment groups. Copyright © 2012 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.

Functional characterization of an apple apomixis-related MhFIE gene in reproduction development.

PubMed

Liu, Dan-Dan; Dong, Qing-Long; Sun, Chao; Wang, Qing-Lian; You, Chun-Xiang; Yao, Yu-Xin; Hao, Yu-Jin

2012-04-01

The products of the FIS genes play important regulatory roles in diverse developmental processes, especially in seed formation after fertilization. In this study, a FIS-class gene MhFIE was isolated from apple. It encoded a predicted protein highly similar to polycomb group (PcG) protein FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (FIE). MhFIE functioned as an Arabidopsis FIE homologue, as indicated by functional complementation experiment using Arabidopsis fie mutant. In addition, BiFC assay showed that MhFIE protein interacted with AtCLF. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis ectopically expressing MhFIE produced less APETALA3 (AtAP3) and AGAMOUS (AtAG) transcripts than WT control, and therefore exhibited abnormal flower, seed development. These results suggested that polycomb complex including FIE and CLF proteins played an important role in reproductive development by regulating the expression of its downstream genes. In addition, it was found that MhFIE constitutively expressed in various tissues tested. Its expression levels were lower in apomictic apple species than the sexual reproductive species, suggested it was possibly involved into apomixis in apple. Furthermore, the hybrids of tea crabapple generated MhFIE transcripts at different levels. The parthenogenesis capacity was negatively correlated with MhFIE expression level in these hybrids. These results suggested that MhFIE was involved into the regulation of flower development and apomixis in apple. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

MhYTP1 and MhYTP2 from Apple Confer Tolerance to Multiple Abiotic Stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Wang, Na; Guo, Tianli; Wang, Ping; Sun, Xun; Shao, Yun; Jia, Xin; Liang, Bowen; Gong, Xiaoqing; Ma, Fengwang

2017-01-01

The first YTH domain-containing RNA binding protein (YTP) was found in rat, where it was related to oxidative stress. Unlike characterizations in yeast and animals, functions of plant YTPs are less clear. Malus hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd. YTP1 and YTP2 (MhYTP1 and MhYTP2) are known to be active in leaf senescence and fruit ripening. However, no research has been published about their roles in stress responses. Here, we investigate the stress-related functions of MhYTP1 and MhYTP2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Both of the two genes participated in salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and play roles in plant responses to oxidative stress, chilling, high temperature, high salinity, and mannitol induced physiological drought stress. Moreover, MhYTP1 plays leading roles in SA and ABA signaling, and MhYTP2 plays leading roles in JA signaling and oxidative stress responses. These results will fill a gap in our knowledge about plant YTPs and stress responses and provide a foundation for future attempts to improve stress tolerance in apple. PMID:28824695

Effects of a rhizobacterium on the growth of and chromium remediation by Lemna minor.

PubMed

Tang, Jie; Zhang, Ying; Cui, Yan; Ma, Jiong

2015-07-01

Duckweed has shown great potential for both energy and environmental applications, particularly in wastewater treatment and fuel ethanol production. A rhizobacterium, Exiguobacterium sp. MH3, has been reported to associate with the duckweed Lemna minor for symbiotic growth. The aim of this work is to study the effects of rhizobacterium MH3 on L. minor growth and chromium (Cr) remediation. It appeared to have a synergism between the rhizobacterium MH3 and duckweed; the presence of strain MH3 promoted the growth of duckweeds by increasing both the frond number and dry weight of duckweed by more than 30%, while duckweed in turn provided essential carbon source and energy for the growth of rhizobacterium MH3. Under Cr(VI) exposure, particularly at higher Cr(VI) concentrations, Exiguobacterium sp. MH3 significantly alleviated the harmful effects of the stress on the duckweed by promoting duckweed growth and preventing duckweed from excessive uptake of Cr. Potential mechanisms were also discussed in light of the genome sequence of strain MH3, and it was speculated that siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) secreted by strain MH3 might contribute to promoting duckweed growth.

Making Strategic Analysis Matter

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Bryan Gabbard , Assessing the Tradecraft of Intelligence Analysis, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, TR-293, 2008. 4 See The Commission on the...July 7, 2011: http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP152.html Treverton, Gregory F., and C. Bryan Gabbard , Assessing the Tradecraft of

A simulation based approach to optimize inventory replenishment with RAND algorithm: An extended study of corrected demand using Holt's method for textile industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morshed, Mohammad Sarwar; Kamal, Mostafa Mashnoon; Khan, Somaiya Islam

2016-07-01

Inventory has been a major concern in supply chain and numerous researches have been done lately on inventory control which brought forth a number of methods that efficiently manage inventory and related overheads by reducing cost of replenishment. This research is aimed towards providing a better replenishment policy in case of multi-product, single supplier situations for chemical raw materials of textile industries in Bangladesh. It is assumed that industries currently pursue individual replenishment system. The purpose is to find out the optimum ideal cycle time and individual replenishment cycle time of each product for replenishment that will cause lowest annual holding and ordering cost, and also find the optimum ordering quantity. In this paper indirect grouping strategy has been used. It is suggested that indirect grouping Strategy outperforms direct grouping strategy when major cost is high. An algorithm by Kaspi and Rosenblatt (1991) called RAND is exercised for its simplicity and ease of application. RAND provides an ideal cycle time (T) for replenishment and integer multiplier (ki) for individual items. Thus the replenishment cycle time for each product is found as T×ki. Firstly, based on data, a comparison between currently prevailing (individual) process and RAND is provided that uses the actual demands which presents 49% improvement in total cost of replenishment. Secondly, discrepancies in demand is corrected by using Holt's method. However, demands can only be forecasted one or two months into the future because of the demand pattern of the industry under consideration. Evidently, application of RAND with corrected demand display even greater improvement. The results of this study demonstrates that cost of replenishment can be significantly reduced by applying RAND algorithm and exponential smoothing models.

The Future Of Sectarian Relations in the Middle East

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

by demanding remuneration for its forward deployments. Meanwhile, the United States relationship with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar is growing...information on the RAND Intelligence Policy Center, see http://www.rand.org/nsrd/ndri/centers/intel.html or contact the director (contact

New projects developed by COMOTI in gas industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nitulescu, Marian; Silivestru, Valentin; Toma, Niculae; Slujitoru, Cristian; Petrescu, Valentin; Leahu, Mihai; Oniga, Ciprian; Ulici, Gheorghe

2015-08-01

The paper aims to present two new projects developed by the Romanian Research and Development Institute for Gas Turbines (COMOTI) in partnership with City University of London and GHH-Rand Germany, in the field of screw compressors/expanders. COMOTI passed, in recent years, from being a GHH-Rand licensed manufacturer for a range of oil-injected screw compressors, of CU type, to a new phase of range diversification, approaching screw compressors with a maximum discharge pressure of 45 bara. So, in cooperation with City University and GHH-Rand we design, manufacture and test, with air, in COMOTI test bench the new type of screw compressor named CHP 220. Also, the cooperation with GHH-Rand has resulted in the design, manufacture and air testing on the test bench, and then gas testing - in a gas compression station - for an electric generator driven by a screw expander. This paper presents how the tests were carried out, the experimental data and the interpretation of results

Malus hupehensis NPR1 induces pathogenesis-related protein gene expression in transgenic tobacco.

PubMed

Zhang, J-Y; Qiao, Y-S; Lv, D; Gao, Z-H; Qu, S-C; Zhang, Z

2012-03-01

Most commercially grown apple cultivars are susceptible to fungal diseases. Malus hupehensis has high resistance to many diseases affecting apple cultivars. Understanding innate defence mechanisms would help to develop disease-resistant apple crops. Non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1) plays a key role in regulating salicylic acid (SA)-mediated systemic acquired resistance (SAR). MhNPR1 cDNA, corresponding to genomic DNA and its 5' flanking sequences, was isolated from M. hupehensis. Sequence analysis showed that the regulatory mechanism for oligomer-monomer transition of the MhNPR1 protein in apple might be similar to that of GmNPR1 in soybean, but different from that of AtNPR1 in Arabidopsis. No significant differences in MhNPR1 expression were found in M. hupehensis after infection with Botryosphaeria berengeriana, showing that MhNPR1 might be regulated by pathogens at the protein level, as described for Arabidopsis and grapevine. SA treatment significantly induced MhNPR1 expression in leaves, stems and roots, while methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment induced MhNPR1 expression in roots, but not in leaves or stems. The expression of MhNPR1 was highly increased in roots, moderately in leaves, and did not change in stems after treatment with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). SAR marker genes (MhPR1 and MhPR5) were induced by SA, MeJA and ACC in leaves, stems and roots. Overexpression of MhNPR1 significantly induced the expression of pathogenesis-related genes (NtPR1, NtPR3 and NtPR5) in transgenic tobacco plants and resistance to the fungus Botrytis cinerea, suggesting that MhNPR1 orthologues are a component of the SA defence signalling pathway and SAR is induced in M. hupehensis. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Photochemical activation of MH3-B1/rGel: a HER2-targeted treatment approach for ovarian cancer

PubMed Central

Bull-Hansen, Bente; Berstad, Maria B.; Berg, Kristian; Cao, Yu; Skarpen, Ellen; Fremstedal, Ane Sofie; Rosenblum, Michael G.; Peng, Qian; Weyergang, Anette

2015-01-01

HER2-targeted therapy has been shown to have limited efficacy in ovarian cancer despite frequent overexpression of this receptor. Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a modality for cytosolic drug delivery, currently undergoing clinical evaluation. In the present project we studied the application of PCI in combination with the HER2-targeted recombinant fusion toxin, MH3-B1/rGel, for the treatment of ovarian cancer. The SKOV-3 cell line, resistant to trastuzumab- and MH3-B1/rGel- monotherapy, was shown to respond strongly to PCI of MH3-B1/rGel to a similar extent as observed for the treatment-sensitive SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. Extensive hydrolytic degradation of MH3-B1/rGel in acidic endocytic vesicles was indicated as the mechanism of MH3-B1/rGel resistance in SKOV-3 cells. This was shown by the positive Pearson's correlation coefficient between Alexa488-labeled MH3-B1/rGel and Lysotracker in SKOV-3 cells in contrast to the negative Pearson's correlation coefficient in SK-BR-3 cells. The application of PCI to induce the release of MH3-B1/rGel was also demonstrated to be effective on SKOV-3 xenografts. Application of PCI with MH3-B1/rGel was further found highly effective in the HER2 expressing HOC-7 and NuTu-19 ovarian cancer cell lines. The presented results warrant future development of PCI in combination with MH3-B1/rGel as a novel therapeutic approach in preclinical models of ovarian cancer. PMID:26002552

The formation of [M-H]+ ions in N-alkyl-substituted thieno[3,4-c]-pyrrole-4,6-dione derivatives during atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Sioud, Salim; Kharbatia, Najeh; Amad, Maan H; Zhu, Zhiyong; Cabanetos, Clement; Lesimple, Alain; Beaujuge, Pierre

2014-11-30

The formation of ions during atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) mass spectrometry in the positive mode usually provides radical cations and/or protonated species. Intriguingly, during the analysis of some N-alkyl-substituted thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) derivatives synthesized in our laboratory, unusual [M-H](+) ion peaks were observed. In this work we investigate the formation of [M-H](+) ions observed under APPI conditions. Multiple experimental parameters, including the type of ionization source, the composition of the solvent, the type of dopant, the infusion flow rate, and the length of the alkyl side chain were investigated to determine their effects on the formation of [M-H](+) ions. In addition, a comparison study of the gas-phase tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) fragmentation of [M + H](+) vs [M-H](+) ions and computational approaches were used. [M-H](+) ions were observed under APPI conditions. The type of dopant and the length of the alkyl chain affected the formation of these ions. MS/MS fragmentation of [M-H](+) and [M + H](+) ions exhibited completely different patterns. Theoretical calculations revealed that the loss of hydrogen molecules from the [M + H](+) ions is the most favourable condition under which to form [M-H](+) ions. [M-H](+) ions were detected in all the TPD derivatives studied here under the special experimental conditions during APPI, using a halogenated benzene dopant, and TPD containing substituted N-alkyl side chains with a minimum of four carbon atoms. Density functional theory calculations showed that for [M-H](+) ions to be formed under these conditions, the loss of hydrogen molecules from the [M + H](+)  ions is proposed to be necessary. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Malignant hyperthermia susceptibility in patients with exertional rhabdomyolysis: a retrospective cohort study and updated systematic review.

PubMed

Kraeva, Natalia; Sapa, Alexander; Dowling, James J; Riazi, Sheila

2017-07-01

Two potentially fatal syndromes, malignant hyperthermia (MH), an adverse reaction to general anesthesia, and exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) share some clinical features, including hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, tachycardia, and elevated serum creatine kinase. Some patients with ER have experienced an MH event and/or have been diagnosed as MH susceptible (MHS). In order to assess the relationship between ER and MH further, we conducted a retrospective cohort study summarizing clinical and genetic information on Canadian patients with ER who were diagnosed as MHS. In addition, a systematic literature review was performed to compile further evidence on MH susceptibility and RYR1 and CACNA1S variants associated with rhabdomyolysis. Demographic, clinical, and genetic information was collected on Canadian MHS patients who presented with rhabdomyolysis. In addition, we performed a systematic review of the literature published during 1995-2016 on genetic screening of the RYR1 and CACNA1S genes in patients with ER. Retrospective data on Canadian MHS patients with ER showed that ten out of 17 patients carried RYR1 or CACNA1S variants that were either known MH-causative mutations or potentially pathogenic variants. The systematic review revealed 39 different rare RYR1 variants, including 13 MH-causative/associated mutations and five rare potentially deleterious CACNA1S variants in 78% of patients with ER. Findings from the Canadian patient cohort and the systematic review all signal a potential association between MH susceptibility and ER. The presence of MH-causative mutations and putative deleterious RYR1 variants in ER patients without a history of adverse anesthetic reactions suggests their possible increased risk for MH.

The Effect of Nano Loading and Ultrasonic Compounding of EVA/LDPE/Nano-magnesium Hydroxide on Mechanical Properties and Distribution of Nano Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azman, I. A.; Salleh, R. M.; Alauddin, S. M.; Shueb, M. I.

2018-05-01

Blends of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) are promising composite which have good mechanical properties to environmental stress cracking. However, they lack fire resistant properties, which limits it usage in wire and cable industry. In order to improve flame retardancy ability, a range of nano-magnesium hydroxide (nano-MH) loading which is from 0 phr to maximum of 20 phr with ultrasonic extrusion 0-100 kHz frequencies have been introduced. Ultrasonic extrusion was used to improve the distribution of nano-MH. It was found that, 10 phr of nano loading with 100 kHz ultrasonic assisted has greater tensile strength compared to the nanocomposite without ultrasonication. Further increase of nano MH loading, will decrease the tensile properties. Better elongation at break was observed at10 phr nano-MH with the frequency of 50 kHz. The sample of 20 phr of nanoMH assisted with 50 kHz ultrasonic exhibits good flexural properties while 10 phr of nano-MH without the ultrasonic assisted demonstrates good in izod impact properties. From the evaluation of mechanical properties studied, it was found that 10 phr of nano-MH has shown the best performance among all the samples tested for EVA/LDPE/nano-MH composites. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has been conducted on 10 phr sample with different frequencies in order to observe the distribution of nano-MH particles. The sample with 100 kHz frequency shows more uniform dispersion of nano-MH in EVA/LDPE composites. This investigation indicates that the ultrasonic technology can enhance the mechanical properties studied as well as the dispersion of nano particles in the composite.

Prenatal Maternal Hyperoxygenation Testing and Implications for Critical Care Delivery Planning among Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease: Early Experience.

PubMed

Schidlow, David N; Donofrio, Mary T

2018-01-01

 Maternal hyperoxygenation (MH) during fetal ultrasound can characterize fetal pulmonary vasoreactivity (PVr) and its associations with postnatal physiology.  We explored MH testing to facilitate perinatal risk stratification for fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD).  MH was performed in 12 fetuses: 2 with Ebstein anomaly, 2 with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), 4 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with (a) restrictive atrial septum (RAS) or (b) intact atrial septum (IAS) with decompressing vertical vein (VV), and 4 with D-loop transposition of the great arteries (TGA). PVr and physiologic and anatomic changes with MH and outcomes were recorded.  Among Ebstein fetuses, pulmonary blood flow with MH mirrored postnatal findings. Among TAPVC fetuses, MH VV gradients correlated with postnatal gradients. One HLHS/IAS/VV fetus had no PVr and decreased pulmonary vein forward to reverse velocity time integral ratio with MH. Shortly after delivery, the infant experienced severe low cardiac output and required urgent atrial septoplasty. The remaining HLHS fetuses had PVr and underwent routine Stage 1 Norwood. Among TGA fetuses, septum primum position, foramen ovale flow, and the presence or absence of PVr with MH reflected postnatal findings.  MH may help identify fetuses with CHD at risk for perinatal compromise. Additional study may yield insights into fetal PVr and elucidate predictors of perinatal outcomes. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Comparative analysis of volatile oils in the stems and roots of Ephedra sinica via GC-MS-based plant metabolomics.

PubMed

Lv, Meng-Ying; Sun, Jian-Bo; Wang, Min; Fan, Hong-Yan; Zhang, Zun-Jian; Xu, Feng-Guo

2016-02-01

With a great difference in therapeutic effects of Mahuang (MH, the stems of Ephedra sinica) and Mahuanggen (MHG, the roots of Ephedra sinica), chemical differences between MH and MHG should be investigated. In the present study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based plant metabolomics was employed to compare volatile oil profiles of MH and MHG. The antioxidant activities of volatile oils from MH and MHG were also compared. 32 differential chemical markers were identified according to the variable importance in the projection (VIP) value of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and P value of Mann-Whitney test. Among them, chemical markers of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) and α-terpineol were quantified. Their contents were much higher in most MH samples compared with MHG. The antioxidant assay demonstrated that MH had significantly higher free radical-scavenging activity than MHG. Although MH and MHG derived from the same medicinal plant, there was much difference in their volatile oil profiles. MH samples had significantly higher content of two reported pharmacologically important chemical markers of TMP and α-terpineol, which may account for their different antioxidant activities. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intimate partner violence, depression, PTSD, and use of mental health resources among ethnically diverse black women.

PubMed

Sabri, Bushra; Bolyard, Richelle; McFadgion, Akosoa L; Stockman, Jamila K; Lucea, Marguerite B; Callwood, Gloria B; Coverston, Catherine R; Campbell, Jacquelyn C

2013-01-01

This study examined exposure to violence and risk for lethality in intimate partner relationships as factors related to co-occurring MH problems and use of mental health (MH) resources among women of African descent. Black women with intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences (n = 431) were recruited from primary care, prenatal or family planning clinics in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Severity of IPV was significantly associated with co-occurring MH problems, but was not associated with the use of MH resources among African-American women. Risk for lethality and co-occurring problems were also not significantly related to the use of resources. African Caribbean women with severe physical abuse experiences were significantly less likely to use resources. In contrast, severity of physical abuse was positively associated with the use of resources among Black women with mixed ethnicity. Severe IPV experiences are risk factors for co-occurring MH problems, which in turn, increases the need for MH services. However, Black women may not seek help for MH problems. Thus, social work practitioners in health care settings must thoroughly assess women for their IPV experiences and develop tailored treatment plans that address their abuse histories and MH needs.

Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective layer-by-layer coatings for neural implants.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiling; Nong, Jia; Zhong, Yinghui

2015-08-01

Infection, inflammation, and neuronal loss are common issues that seriously affect the functionality and longevity of chronically implanted neural prostheses. Minocycline hydrochloride (MH) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and effective anti-inflammatory drug that also exhibits potent neuroprotective activities. In this study, we investigated the development of biocompatible thin film coatings capable of sustained release of MH for improving the long term performance of implanted neural electrodes. We developed a novel magnesium binding-mediated drug delivery mechanism for controlled and sustained release of MH from an ultrathin hydrophilic layer-by-layer (LbL) coating and characterized the parameters that control MH loading and release. The anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potencies of the LbL coating and released MH were also examined. Sustained release of physiologically relevant amount of MH for 46 days was achieved from the Mg(2+)-based LbL coating at a thickness of 1.25 μm. In addition, MH release from the LbL coating is pH-sensitive. The coating and released MH demonstrated strong anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective potencies. This study reports, for the first time, the development of a bioactive coating that can target infection, inflammation, and neuroprotection simultaneously, which may facilitate the translation of neural interfaces to clinical applications.

Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective layer-by-layer coatings for neural implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhiling; Nong, Jia; Zhong, Yinghui

2015-08-01

Objective. Infection, inflammation, and neuronal loss are common issues that seriously affect the functionality and longevity of chronically implanted neural prostheses. Minocycline hydrochloride (MH) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and effective anti-inflammatory drug that also exhibits potent neuroprotective activities. In this study, we investigated the development of biocompatible thin film coatings capable of sustained release of MH for improving the long term performance of implanted neural electrodes. Approach. We developed a novel magnesium binding-mediated drug delivery mechanism for controlled and sustained release of MH from an ultrathin hydrophilic layer-by-layer (LbL) coating and characterized the parameters that control MH loading and release. The anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potencies of the LbL coating and released MH were also examined. Main results. Sustained release of physiologically relevant amount of MH for 46 days was achieved from the Mg2+-based LbL coating at a thickness of 1.25 μm. In addition, MH release from the LbL coating is pH-sensitive. The coating and released MH demonstrated strong anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective potencies. Significance. This study reports, for the first time, the development of a bioactive coating that can target infection, inflammation, and neuroprotection simultaneously, which may facilitate the translation of neural interfaces to clinical applications.

Empirical expression for DC magnetization curve of immobilized magnetic nanoparticles for use in biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elrefai, Ahmed L.; Sasayama, Teruyoshi; Yoshida, Takashi; Enpuku, Keiji

2018-05-01

We studied the magnetization (M-H) curve of immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) used for biomedical applications. First, we performed numerical simulation on the DC M-H curve over a wide range of MNPs parameters. Based on the simulation results, we obtained an empirical expression for DC M-H curve. The empirical expression was compared with the measured M-H curves of various MNP samples, and quantitative agreements were obtained between them. We can also estimate the basic parameters of MNP from the comparison. Therefore, the empirical expression is useful for analyzing the M-H curve of immobilized MNPs for specific biomedical applications.

Anesthetic management of an 8-month-old infant with osteogenesis imperfecta undergoing liver transplantation: a case report.

PubMed

Lee, Jiwon; Ryu, Ho-Geol; Kim, Anna; Yoo, Seokha; Shin, Seung-Yeon; Kang, Sun-Hye; Jeong, Jinyoung; Yoo, Yongjae

2014-06-01

Anesthetic management of pediatric liver transplantation in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) requires tough decisions and comprehensive considerations of the cascade of effects that may arise and the required monitoring. Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil was chosen as the main anesthetic strategy. Malignant hyperthermia (MH), skeletal fragility, anhepatic phase during liver transplantation, uncertainties of TIVA in children, and propofol infusion syndrome were considered and monitored. There were no adverse events during the operation. Despite meticulous precautions with regard to the risk of MH, there was an episode of high fever (40℃) in the ICU a few hours after the operation, which was initially feared as MH. Fortunately, MH was ruled out as the fever subsided soon after hydration and antipyretics were given. Although the delivery of supportive care and the administration of dantrolene are the core principles in the management of MH, perioperative fever does not always mean a MH in patients at risk for MH, and other common causes of fever should also be considered.

Incidence of Macular Holes in the Fellow Eye without Vitreomacular Detachment at Baseline.

PubMed

Philippakis, Elise; Astroz, Polina; Tadayoni, Ramin; Gaudric, Alain

2018-06-12

To determine the rate of macular holes (MH) occurring in the fellow eyes of eyes with MH depending on the vitreomacular interface at baseline. This was a retrospective study of patients operated on for idiopathic MH, with persistent vitreofoveal attachment in the fellow eye assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Follow-up lasted 6 months or more, and the main outcome was the occurrence of an MH. The 77 fellow eyes included had a mean follow-up of 34.11 ± 22.3 months (6-78.4). At baseline, 31 eyes had vitreomacular traction (VMT), 35 vitreomacular adhesion, and 11 no posterior vitreous detachment. MH occurred in 19.5% of the cases (15/77). The rate of MH was significantly higher among the eyes with VMT than among the eyes without VMT at baseline (35.5 vs. 8.7%; p = 0.009). One-third of eyes with VMT at baseline identified by SD-OCT will develop an MH in the following 5 years. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Environmental risks of the gas hydrate field development in the Eastern Nankai Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, K.; Nagakubo, S.

2009-12-01

To establish any kinds of new energy resources, environmental impacts of the technology should be well understood before full industrial implementation. Methane hydrate (MH), a relatively clean fossil energy with low CO2 and no SOx emission, is not an exception. Because methane gas itself has strong greenhouse gas effect, and methane hydrate is not stable under the atmospheric pressure and room temperature, public image of MH field development is very risky game and potentially disastrous to the global climate. However, the real physics of the MH bearing sediments is far different from such images. MH21 Research Consortium in Japan has studied about the resource assessment and production techniques to develop MH since 2001. As the results, we found several gas hydrate concentrated zones with pore filling type hydrate in sandy layers of turbidite sediment in the Eastern Nankai Trough area off coasts of the Central Japan. The depressurization technique, in the other word, in-situ MH dissociation by water production and natural heat supply from surrounding formation, will be used as the basic method to produce methane gas from MH. Under the conditions, we have evaluated realistic environmental risk of the MH production. Because the most MH found in the Eastern Nankai Trough are composed of biogenic and almost pure methane, there is no concern of sea water contamination by oil releases that is the most common environmental disaster caused by misconducts of the oil industry. Also MH reservoirs there are not pressurized, and blowout of wells during drilling is very unlikely. Endothermic MH dissociation process decreases formation temperature with depressurization, and give negative feedback, then, there is no chance of chain reaction. Heat supply from surrounding formations is necessary for continuous dissociation, but heat transfer in the formations is relatively slow, and the dissociation rate is limited. Once the operation to pump water in boreholes for depressurization is stopped, or some troubles break surface facilities, pressure recovers to the original condition, but formation temperature is kept low by inflow of cold sea water. Therefore, the gas release risk of the offshore MH field is lower than conventional oil and gas. There can be a slight chance to release gas to seafloor after the production along with pressure recovery though natural and man-made pathways such as poorly abandoned wells, reactivated fractures or faults, etc. Even in the case, most of the discharged gas will be dissolved in to seawater, and almost no chance to discharge it into atmosphere. Another possible scenario is surface instability caused by weakened formation due to MH dissociation. To mitigate the risk to avoid catastrophic phenomena, site selection is the key. During the offshore production tests planned in 2012 and 2014, MH21 will conduct modelling, monitoring and verification program to quantify the real environmental risks of the MH field development.

Alternative Models for the ERIC Clearinghouse Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenwood, P. W.; Weiler, D. M.

The National Center for Educational Communication (NCEC) contracted with Rand to develop a range of potential objectives and structures for the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system that could render it more effective in the future. The Rand study team surveyed the scope and sources of education literature and studied the…

The New DOD Instruction 5000.02: An Analysis of the Efficiencies to be Gained

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

IT, and Information Systems • Post Implementation Review (PIR) • DOD Enterprise Architecture requirement • Cybersecurity Strategy for all IT... dam /rand/pubs/occasional_papers/2010/RAND_OP3 08.pdf President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management. (1986). A quest for excellence, final

Time Critical Targeting Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Interactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

range of topics in force development and employment. Carl has participated in projects examining the interdiction of armoured ground forces , long...Critical Targeting Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Interactions Executive Summary In 2003, RAND Project Air Force examined the...Attack. ____________________ ________________________________________________ Carl Rhodes Project Air Force , RAND Corporation Carl Rhodes is the

Genetic algorithm for investigating flight MH370 in Indian Ocean using remotely sensed data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marghany, Maged; Mansor, Shattri; Shariff, Abdul Rashid Bin Mohamed

2016-06-01

This study utilized Genetic algorithm (GA) for automatic detection and simulation trajectory movements of flight MH370 debris. In doing so, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission(OSTM) on the Jason- 2 satellite have been used within 1 and half year covers data to simulate the pattern of Flight MH370 debris movements across the southern Indian Ocean. Further, multi-objectives evolutionary algorithm also used to discriminate uncertainty of flight MH370 imagined and detection. The study shows that the ocean surface current speed is 0.5 m/s. This current patterns have developed a large anticlockwise gyre over a water depth of 8,000 m. The multi-objectives evolutionary algorithm suggested that objects are existed on satellite data are not flight MH370 debris. In addition, multiobjectives evolutionary algorithm suggested that the difficulties to acquire the exact location of flight MH370 due to complicated hydrodynamic movements across the southern Indian Ocean.

Bisphosphonates significantly increase the activity of doxorubicin or vincristine against canine malignant histiocytosis cells.

PubMed

Hafeman, S D; Varland, D; Dow, S W

2012-03-01

Canine malignant histiocytosis (MH) is an aggressive neoplasm of macrophages and dendritic cells. It carries a poor prognosis because of the development of widespread metastasis and poor sensitivity to chemotherapy. Thus, there is a large need for new treatments for MH. We hypothesized that bisphosphonates might be useful to increase the effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy against MH. To address this question, we conducted in vitro screening studies using MH cell lines and a panel of 6 chemotherapy and 5 bisphosphonate drugs. The combination of clodronate with vincristine was found to elicit synergistic killing which was associated with a significant increase in cell cycle arrest. Second, zoledronate combined with doxorubicin also significantly increased cell killing. Zoledronate significantly increased the uptake of doxorubicin by MH cells. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that certain bisphosphonate drugs may increase the overall effectiveness of chemotherapy for MH in dogs. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Bisphosphonates Significantly Increase the Activity of Doxorubicin or Vincristine Against Canine Malignant Histiocytosis Cells

PubMed Central

Hafeman, S.D.; Varland, D.; Dow, S.W.

2011-01-01

Canine malignant histiocytosis (MH) is an aggressive neoplasm of macrophages and dendritic cells. It carries a poor prognosis due to the development of widespread metastasis and poor sensitivity to chemotherapy. Thus, there is a large need for new treatments for MH. We hypothesized that bisphosphonates might be useful to increase the effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy against MH. To address this question, we conducted in vitro screening studies using MH cell lines and a panel of 6 chemotherapy and 5 bisphosphonate drugs. The combination of clodronate with vincristine was found to elicit synergistic killing which was associated with a significant increase in cell cycle arrest. Second, zoledronate combined with doxorubicin also significantly increased cell killing. Zoledronate significantly increased the uptake of doxorubicin by MH cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that certain bisphosphonate drugs may increase the overall effectiveness of chemotherapy for MH in dogs. PMID:22236140

Improving Implementation of eMental Health for Mood Disorders in Routine Practice: Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitating Factors

PubMed Central

Mol, Mayke; Kleiboer, Annet; Bührmann, Leah; Finch, Tracy; Smit, Jan; Riper, Heleen

2018-01-01

Background Electronic mental health interventions (eMental health or eMH) can be used to increase accessibility of mental health services for mood disorders, with indications of comparable clinical outcomes as face-to-face psychotherapy. However, the actual use of eMH in routine mental health care lags behind expectations. Identifying the factors that might promote or inhibit implementation of eMH in routine care may help to overcome this gap between effectiveness studies and routine care. Objective This paper reports the results of a systematic review of the scientific literature identifying those determinants of practices relevant to implementing eMH for mood disorders in routine practice. Methods A broad search strategy was developed with high sensitivity to four key terms: implementation, mental health care practice, mood disorder, and eMH. The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was applied to guide the review and structure the results. Thematic analysis was applied to identify the most important determinants that facilitate or hinder implementation of eMH in routine practice. Results A total of 13,147 articles were screened, of which 48 studies were included in the review. Most studies addressed aspects of the reach (n=33) of eMH, followed by intervention adoption (n=19), implementation of eMH (n=6), and maintenance (n=4) of eMH in routine care. More than half of the studies investigated the provision of mental health services through videoconferencing technologies (n=26), followed by Internet-based interventions (n=20). The majority (n=44) of the studies were of a descriptive nature. Across all RE-AIM domains, we identified 37 determinants clustered in six main themes: acceptance, appropriateness, engagement, resources, work processes, and leadership. The determinants of practices are expressed at different levels, including patients, mental health staff, organizations, and health care system level. Depending on the context, these determinants hinder or facilitate successful implementation of eMH. Conclusions Of the 37 determinants, three were reported most frequently: (1) the acceptance of eMH concerning expectations and preferences of patients and professionals about receiving and providing eMH in routine care, (2) the appropriateness of eMH in addressing patients’ mental health disorders, and (3) the availability, reliability, and interoperability with other existing technologies such as the electronic health records are important factors for mental health care professionals to remain engaged in providing eMH to their patients in routine care. On the basis of the taxonomy of determinants of practices developed in this review, implementation-enhancing interventions can be designed and applied to achieve better implementation outcomes. Suggestions for future research and implementation practice are provided. PMID:29549072

Modeling the Diagnostic Effects of Vegetation, Soil Albedo, and Dust on Mid-Holocene Saharan Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, A.; Poulsen, C. J.; Skinner, C. B.

2017-12-01

Unlike today, the Mid-Holocene (MH, 6,000 BP) African Sahara comprised of mixed vegetation and permanent lakes that supported human settlements. Climate proxies including leaf wax isotope, pollen, and dust flux records suggest that African monsoonal precipitation reached 31°N, compared to 15°N today. Changes in orbital forcing are partly responsible for the intensification of the African monsoon, but alone cannot explain the more humid MH Sahara. Modeling studies have shown that vegetation and soil albedo feedbacks greatly increase Saharan rainfall but still fall short of levels indicated by proxies. A recent study proposed that reduced Saharan dust concentrations due to greater vegetation coverage further increased MH rainfall. However, this study used idealized dust concentrations to improve proxy agreement and did not include the dust aerosol indirect effects in its model physics. Here we use CESM CAM5-chem to quantify the impact of diagnostic changes in Saharan dust, including indirect effects, on MH Saharan climate and compare it to changes in orbital forcing, soil albedo, and vegetation. Consistent with previous studies, a change in MH orbital forcing alone leads to a 20% increase in summer (June-Sept.) precipitation over Northern Africa (0°-30°N, 20°W-30°E) relative to a pre-industrial control, but still fails to reach the northward extent suggested by proxies. Adding MH soil albedo or vegetation increases summer precipitation by 45% and 52%, and shifts the maximum latitudinal rainfall extent 10° and 12° northward, respectively. These increases are 2.28 and 2.64 times greater than the precipitation increase from MH orbital forcing alone. MH soil albedo results in a dust burden increase of 22%, yet MH vegetation results in a 96% reduction. Both MH soil albedo and vegetation combined increase summer precipitation by 56% and 13° northward, an increase 2.84 times greater than the orbital forcing alone, and reduces dust burden by 97%. An additional simulation with prescribed pre-industrial dust over a MH Sahara will isolate the effect of dust, and an analysis of aerosol indirect effects will be presented. The simulations presented here are the most realistic treatment of dust aerosols on MH Saharan climate and advance our understanding of how dust forcing compares with more widely studied climate forcings.

Preparation and evaluation of β-glucan hydrogel prepared by the radiation technique for drug carrier applications.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Seok; Lim, Youn-Mook; Baik, Jae; Jeong, Jin-Oh; An, Sung-Jun; Jeong, Sung-In; Gwon, Hui-Jeong; Khil, Myung-Seob

2018-06-14

β-Glucan can provide excellent environment to apply to drug carrier due to its immunological and anti-inflammatory effect. Minocycline hydrochloride (MH) has excellent oral bioavailability pharmacological properties. Specifically, MH is effectively absorbed into the gingiva for periodontal disease treatment. In this study, we attempt to develop MH loaded β-glucan hydrogel for periodontal disease treatment through radiation-crosslinking technique. In addition, MH loaded β-glucan hydrogels were tested for their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity. Finally, we conducted an in vivo study to demonstrate the potential to prevent the invasion of bacteria to treat periodontal disease. The gel content and compressive strength of the β-glucan hydrogels increased as the β-glucan content and the absorbed dose (up to 7 kGy) increased. For a radiation dose of 7 kGy, the gelation and the compressive strength of a 6 wt% β-glucan hydrogel were approximately 92% and 270 kPa, respectively. As a drug, MH was consistently released from β-glucan hydrogels, reaching 80% at approximately 90 min. Furthermore, the MH loaded β-glucan hydrogels showed no cytotoxicity. The MH loaded β-glucan hydrogels exhibited good antibacterial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis. In addition, MH loaded β-glucan hydrogel demonstrated the potential of a good capability to prevent the invasion of bacteria and to treat wounds. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Report of the Indo-US health care summit 2009 - Mental health section.

PubMed

Pandurangi, Anand K; Desai, Nimesh G

2009-01-01

The 2nd Indo-US Health Care Summit held in January 2009 was a forum to discuss collaboration between physicians in the US and India on medical education, health care services and research. Six specialties were represented including Mental Health (MH). Using Depression as the paradigmatic disorder, the following objectives were developed. Objective I - Leadership and Public Education: Linkage with like-minded agencies and organizations. The core message should be simple. Major Depression is a brain disorder. Depression is treatable. Timely treatment prevents disability and suicide. Objective II - Medical Education: To improve psychiatric education, it was proposed that (1) relations between US/UK and Indian mid-level institutions be established, (2) teaching methods such as tele-psychiatry and online courses be pursued, (3) use models of teaching excellence to arouse student interest, and (4) develop core curricula for other branches of medicine, and CME. Objective III - Reduce Complications of Depression (Suicide, Alcoholism): Goals include (1) decriminalizing attempted suicide, (2) improving reporting systems, and including depression, psychosis, alcoholism, and suicide in the national registry, (3) pilot studies in vulnerable groups on risk and interventions, and (4) education of colleagues on alcoholism as a link between psychiatric and medical disorders. Objective IV - Integrating MH Treatment& Primary Health Care: The focus should be on training of general practitioners in psychiatry. Available training modules including long distance learning modules to be suitably modified for India. Collaborations and specific project designs are to be developed, implemented and monitored by each specialty group and reviewed in future summits.

Masseteric hypertrophy.

PubMed

Mandel, L; Kaynar, A

1994-01-01

The etiology and symptomatology of benign MH were reviewed. Three cases were presented in order to illustrate and emphasize the clinical appearance and variations in the causation of benign MH. The history and clinical examination are the keys to differentiating MH from parotid and dental pathology.

Displacement of foveal area toward optic disc after macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling.

PubMed

Kawano, K; Ito, Y; Kondo, M; Ishikawa, K; Kachi, S; Ueno, S; Iguchi, Y; Terasaki, H

2013-07-01

To determine whether there is a displacement of the fovea toward the optic disc after successful macular hole (MH) surgery with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. The medical records of 54 eyes of 53 patients that had undergone pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling and gas or air tamponade for an idiopathic MH were evaluated. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) had been performed before and >6 months after the surgery. The preoperative distances between the center of the MH and the optic disc (MH-OD), center of the MH and the bifurcation or crossing of retinal vessels (MH-RV) were measured in the OCT images. In addition, the postoperative distance between the center of the fovea and optic disc (F-OD) and the center of the fovea and the same bifurcation or crossing of retinal vessels (F-RV) were measured in the OCT images. The F-OD was 2.67±0.33 disc diameters (DD), which was significantly shorter than that of the MH-OD of 2.77±0.33 DD (P<0.001). The F-RV was also significantly shorter than the MH-RV on the inner nasal area (from 0.85±0.16DD to 0.79±0.15DD; P<0.001), the inner temporal area (from 0.82±0.15DD to 0.77±0.14DD; P<0.001), and outer nasal area (from 1.70±0.31DD to 1.65±0.32DD; P<0.001), but it was significantly longer than the MH-RV in the outer temporal area (from 1.65±0.29DD to 1.68±0.29DD; P<0.001). Our results showed that successful closure of a MH by vitrectomy with ILM peeling and gas tamponade leads to a displacement of the center of the macula toward the optic disc.

Federal Programs Supporting Educational Change, Vol. VIII: Implementing and Sustaining Innovations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Paul; McLaughlin, Milbrey Wallin

This report reviews and synthesizes the findings of a four year, two-phase study conducted by the Rand Corporation to examine and evaluate a national sample of educational innovations funded by Federal programs. Section I of this document provides background information and descriptions of the study. Section II discusses Rand's research approach…

Domestic Research at Rand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rand Corp., Santa Monica, CA.

This third descriptive inventory of the Rand Corporation's domestic non-military research covers all projects since 1972, as well as its special 1969-1975 program for New York City. For each of over 300 research projects in nine program areas, brief summaries identify the project title and sponsor, beginning and ending dates, person-years of work…

58. View of high pressure IngersollRand dehumidifier/dessicator and compressor system ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

58. View of high pressure Ingersoll-Rand dehumidifier/dessicator and compressor system to supply dry pressurized air to waveguides. - Clear Air Force Station, Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Site II, One mile west of mile marker 293.5 on Parks Highway, 5 miles southwest of Anderson, Anderson, Denali Borough, AK

Strategies and Models for Promoting Adolescent Vaccination for Low-Income Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Katherine M.; Martin, Laurie T.; Lurie, Nicole

2009-01-01

In 2007, Sanofi Pasteur asked RAND Health, a division of the RAND Corporation, to study the current climate for adolescent immunization in the United States, to recommend broad strategies for immunizing low-income adolescents (through age 18), and to identify promising "on the ground" practices consistent with the proposed strategic…

Eternal Hope: America’s International Narcotics Efforts,

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-01

85 10 02 110 -. ’%6 X:V§: kv7 V * The Rand Paper Series Papers are issued by The Rand Corporation as a service to its profes- sional staff. Their...drug entrepreneurs. Second, new export-import channels developed very rapidly too. Prior to 1970, there seems to have been a trivial amount of Mexican

Fels-Rand: an Xlisp-Stat program for the comparative analysis of data under phylogenetic uncertainty.

PubMed

Blomberg, S

2000-11-01

Currently available programs for the comparative analysis of phylogenetic data do not perform optimally when the phylogeny is not completely specified (i.e. the phylogeny contains polytomies). Recent literature suggests that a better way to analyse the data would be to create random trees from the known phylogeny that are fully-resolved but consistent with the known tree. A computer program is presented, Fels-Rand, that performs such analyses. A randomisation procedure is used to generate trees that are fully resolved but whose structure is consistent with the original tree. Statistics are then calculated on a large number of these randomly-generated trees. Fels-Rand uses the object-oriented features of Xlisp-Stat to manipulate internal tree representations. Xlisp-Stat's dynamic graphing features are used to provide heuristic tools to aid in analysis, particularly outlier analysis. The usefulness of Xlisp-Stat as a system for phylogenetic computation is discussed. Available from the author or at http://www.uq.edu.au/~ansblomb/Fels-Rand.sit.hqx. Xlisp-Stat is available from http://stat.umn.edu/~luke/xls/xlsinfo/xlsinfo.html. s.blomberg@abdn.ac.uk

An exploration of clinical decision making in mental health triage.

PubMed

Sands, Natisha

2009-08-01

Mental health (MH) triage is a specialist area of clinical nursing practice that involves complex decision making. The discussion in this article draws on the findings of a Ph.D. study that involved a statewide investigation of the scope of MH triage nursing practice in Victoria, Australia. Although the original Ph.D. study investigated a number of core practices in MH triage, the focus of the discussion in this article is specifically on the findings related to clinical decision making in MH triage, which have not previously been published. The study employed an exploratory descriptive research design that used mixed data collection methods including a survey questionnaire (n = 139) and semistructured interviews (n = 21). The study findings related to decision making revealed a lack of empirically tested evidence-based decision-making frameworks currently in use to support MH triage nursing practice. MH triage clinicians in Australia rely heavily on clinical experience to underpin decision making and have little of knowledge of theoretical models for practice, such as methodologies for rating urgency. A key recommendation arising from the study is the need to develop evidence-based decision-making frameworks such as clinical guidelines to inform and support MH triage clinical decision making.

Effect of protective coating on microhardness of a new glass ionomer cement: Nanofilled coating versus unfilled resin.

PubMed

Faraji, Foad; Heshmat, Haleh; Banava, Sepideh

2017-01-01

EQUIA TM is a new gastrointestinal (GI) system with high compressive strength, surface microhardness (MH), and fluoride release potential. This in vitro study aimed to assess the effect of aging and type of protective coating on the MH of EQUIA TM GI cement. A total of 30 disc-shaped specimens measuring 9 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness were fabricated of EQUIA TM GI and divided into three groups of G-Coat nanofilled coating (a), no coating (b) and margin bond (c). The Vickers MH value of specimens was measured before (baseline) and at 3 and 6 months after water storage. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Group B had significantly higher MH than the other two groups at baseline. Both G-Coat and margin bond increased the surface MH of GI at 3 and 6 months. The MH values of G-Coat and margin bond groups did not significantly increase or decrease between 3 and 6 months. The increase in MH was greater in the G-Coat compared to the margin bond group in the long-term. Clinically, margin bond may be a suitable alternative when G-Coat is not available.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a nonsymbiotic hemoglobin gene (GLB1) from Malus hupehensis Rehd. with heterologous expression in tomato.

PubMed

Shi, Xingzheng; Wang, Xinliang; Peng, Futian; Zhao, Yu

2012-08-01

Nonsymbiotic hemoglobins (nsHbs) are involved in a variety of cellular processes in plants. Previous studies indicate that nsHb expression improves plant tolerance during waterlogging and hypoxia. In the present work, the nsHb class-1 coding sequence was cloned from Malus hupehensis Rehd. var. pinyiensis Jiang and subsequently named MhGLB1. The results elucidated the expressed characteristics and physiological effects of MhGLB1. The full-length cDNA contained a 477 bp open reading frame encoding a protein with a molecular mass of 17.8 KDa with 158 amino acids. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that MhGLB1 expresses in roots, stems and leaves growing under normal and nitrate-induced conditions. Hypoxic stress induced accumulation of MhGLB1 within 12 h, and abscisic acid significantly induced expression of MhGLB1 in roots. The photosynthetic, transpiration and stomatal conductance rates of transgenic MhGLB1 tomato plants decreased more slowly than that of wild-type plants under waterlogging treatment. These results indicated that the MhGLB1 gene has an important role in hypoxia.

Development of nickel-metal hydride cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuwajima, Saburo; Kamimori, Nolimits; Nakatani, Kensuke; Yano, Yoshiaki

1993-01-01

National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has conducted the research and development (R&D) of battery cells for space use. A new R&D program about a Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cell for space use from this year, based on good results in evaluations of commercial Ni-MH cells in Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC), was started. The results of those commercial Ni-MH cell's evaluations and recent status about the development of Ni-MH cells for space use are described.

Definition of frailty in older men according to questionnaire data (RAND-36/SF-36): The Helsinki Businessmen Study.

PubMed

Sirola, J; Pitkala, K H; Tilvis, R S; Miettinen, T A; Strandberg, T E

2011-11-01

To explore the association of frailty according to questionnaire data (modified Fried criteria) with important endpoints in older men. Prospective cohort study (the Helsinki Businessmen Study) in Finland. In 1974, clinically healthy men (born 1919-1934, n=1815) of similar socioeconomic status were identified. After a 26-year follow-up in 2000 (mean age 73 years), disease prevalence, mobility-disability, and frailty status (80.9% of survivors, n=1125) were appraised using a postal questionnaire including RAND-36. Four criteria were used for definition: 1) >5% weight loss from midlife, or body mass index (BMI) <21 kg/m2; 2) reported physical inactivity; 3) low vitality (RAND-36); 4) physical weakness (RAND-36). Responders with 3-4, 1-2, and zero criteria were classified as frail (n=108), prefrail (n=567), and nonfrail (n=450), respectively. Eight-year mortality was assessed from registers, and in 2007, survivors were re-assessed with questionnaires. Nonfrail as referent and adjusted for age, BMI and smoking, both prefrail (HR 2.26; 95% CI, 1.57-3.26), and frail status (4.09; 95% CI, 2.60-6.44) were significant predictors of mortality. Nonfrailty predicted better survival independently of the frailty components, diseases, and disability, and also predicted faster walking speed and less disability 7 years later. Frailty, and also prefrailty, as defined using questionnaire data (RAND-36) independently predicted important endpoints in older men.

Malting of barley with combinations of Lactobacillus plantarum, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma reesei, Rhizopus oligosporus and Geotrichum candidum to enhance malt quality.

PubMed

Hattingh, M; Alexander, A; Meijering, I; van Reenen, C A; Dicks, L M T

2014-03-03

Good quality malt is characterised by the presence of high levels of fermentable sugars, amino acids and vitamins. To reach the starch-rich endosperm of the kernel, β-glucan- and arabinoxylan-rich cell walls have to be degraded. β-Glucanase is synthesized in vast quantities by the aleurone layer and scutellum during germination. Secretion of hydrolytic enzymes is often stimulated by addition of the plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA3) during germination. We have shown an enhanced β-glucanase and α-amylase activity in malt when germinating barley was inoculated with a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum B.S1.6 and spores of Aspergillus niger MH1, Rhizopus oligosporus MH2 or Trichoderma reesei MH3, and L. plantarum B.S1.6 combined with cell-free culture supernatants from each of these fungi. Highest malt β-glucanase activity (414 Units/kg malt) was recorded with a combination of L. plantarum B.S1.6 and spores of A. niger MH1. Highest α-amylase activities were recorded with a combination of L. plantarum B.S1.6 and spores of R. oligosporus MH2 (373 Ceralpha Units/g malt). Highest FAN levels were recorded when L. plantarum was inoculated in combination with spores of either R. oligosporus MH2 or T. reesei MH3 (259 and 260 ppm, respectively). This is the first study showing that cell-free culture supernatants of Aspergillus, Rhizopus and Trichoderma have a stimulating effect on β-glucanase and α-amylase production during malting. A combination of L. plantarum B.S1.6, and spores of A. niger MH1 and R. oligosporus MH2 may be used as starter cultures to enhance malt quality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High intralocus variability and interlocus recombination promote immunological diversity in a minimal major histocompatibility system.

PubMed

Wilson, Anthony B; Whittington, Camilla M; Bahr, Angela

2014-12-20

The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC/MH) have attracted considerable scientific interest due to their exceptional levels of variability and important function as part of the adaptive immune system. Despite a large number of studies on MH class II diversity of both model and non-model organisms, most research has focused on patterns of genetic variability at individual loci, failing to capture the functional diversity of the biologically active dimeric molecule. Here, we take a systematic approach to the study of MH variation, analyzing patterns of genetic variation at MH class IIα and IIβ loci of the seahorse, which together form the immunologically active peptide binding cleft of the MH class II molecule. The seahorse carries a minimal class II system, consisting of single copies of both MH class IIα and IIβ, which are physically linked and inherited in a Mendelian fashion. Both genes are ubiquitously expressed and detectible in the brood pouch of male seahorses throughout pregnancy. Genetic variability of the two genes is high, dominated by non-synonymous variation concentrated in their peptide-binding regions. Coding variation outside these regions is negligible, a pattern thought to be driven by intra- and interlocus recombination. Despite the tight physical linkage of MH IIα and IIβ loci, recombination has produced novel composite alleles, increasing functional diversity at sites responsible for antigen recognition. Antigen recognition by the adaptive immune system of the seahorse is enhanced by high variability at both MH class IIα and IIβ loci. Strong positive selection on sites involved in pathogen recognition, coupled with high levels of intra- and interlocus recombination, produce a patchwork pattern of genetic variation driven by genetic hitchhiking. Studies focusing on variation at individual MH loci may unintentionally overlook an important component of ecologically relevant variation.

Evolution and function of the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae peroxiredoxin, a 2-Cys-like enzyme with a single Cys residue.

PubMed

Gonchoroski, Taylor; Virginio, Veridiana G; Thompson, Claudia E; Paes, Jéssica A; Machado, Cláudio X; Ferreira, Henrique B

2017-04-01

The minimal genome of the mollicute Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the etiological agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia, encodes a limited repertoire of antioxidant enzymes that include a single and atypical peroxiredoxin (MhPrx), whose evolution and function were studied here. MhPrx has only one catalytic cysteine, in contrast with some of its possible ancestors (2-Cys peroxiredoxins), which have two. Although it is more similar to 2-Cys orthologs, MhPrx can still function with a single peroxidatic cysteine (Cys P ), using non-thiolic electron donors to reduce it. Therefore, MhPrx could be a representative of a possible group of 2-Cys peroxiredoxins, which have lost the resolving cysteine (Cys R ) residue without losing their catalytic properties. To further investigate MhPrx evolution, we performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis in the context of several bacterial families, including Prxs belonging to Tpx and AhpE families, shedding light on the evolutionary history of Mycoplasmataceae Prxs and giving support to the hypothesis of a relatively recent loss of the Cys R within this family. Moreover, mutational analyses provided insights into MhPrx function with one, two, or without catalytic cysteines. While removal of the MhPrx putative Cys P caused complete activity loss, confirming its catalytic role, the introduction of a second cysteine in a site correspondent to that of the Cys R of a 2-Cys orthologue, as in the MhPrx supposed ancestral form, was compatible with enzyme activity. Overall, our phylogenetic and mutational studies support that MhPrx recently diverged from a 2-Cys Prx ancestor and pave the way for future studies addressing structural, functional, and evolutive aspects of peroxiredoxin subfamilies in Mollicutes and other bacteria.

Cloning and characterization of the SERK1 gene in triploid Pingyi Tiancha [Malus hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd. var. pingyiensis Jiang] and a tetraploid hybrid strain.

PubMed

Zhang, L J; Dong, W X; Guo, S M; Wang, Y X; Wang, A D; Lu, X J

2015-11-19

This study aims to explore the roles of somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase (SERK) in Malus hupehensis (Pingyi Tiancha). The full-length sequences of SERK1 in triploid Pingyi Tiancha (3n) and a tetraploid hybrid strain 33# (4n) were cloned, sequenced, and designated as MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1, respectively. Multiple alignments of amino acid sequences were conducted to identify similarity between MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 and SERK sequences in other species, and a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate their phylogenetic relations. Expression levels of MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 in different tissues and developmental stages were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. The coding sequence lengths of MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 were 1899 bp (encoding 632 amino acids) and 1881 bp (encoding 626 amino acids), respectively. Sequence analysis demonstrated that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 display high similarity to SERKs in other species, with a conserved intron/exon structure that is unique to members of the SERK family. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree showed that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 clustered with orange CitSERK (93%). Furthermore, MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 were mainly expressed in the reproductive organs, in particular the ovary. Their expression levels were highest in young flowers and they differed among different tissues and organs. Our results suggest that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 are related to plant reproduction, and that MhSERK1 is related to apomixis in triploid Pingyi Tiancha.

The inhibitory effect of Manuka honey on human colon cancer HCT-116 and LoVo cell growth. Part 2: Induction of oxidative stress, alteration of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis, and suppression of metastatic ability.

PubMed

Afrin, Sadia; Giampieri, Francesca; Gasparrini, Massimiliano; Forbes-Hernández, Tamara Y; Cianciosi, Danila; Reboredo-Rodriguez, Patricia; Manna, Piera Pia; Zhang, Jiaojiao; Quiles, Josè L; Battino, Maurizio

2018-04-25

Despite its high content of phenolic compounds, the chemopreventive activity of Manuka honey (MH) is still elusive. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effects of MH on oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes, cellular metabolism and the metastatic ability in HCT-116 and LoVo cells, paying particular attention to the molecular mechanisms involved. We observed a strong induction of oxidative stress after MH treatment since it augmented the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and increased the damage to proteins, lipids and DNA. Furthermore, MH suppressed the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzyme expression (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and heme oxygenase-1) and the activity of SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Cell metabolisms were markedly disrupted after MH treatment. It decreased maximal oxygen consumption and spare respiratory capacity, which could reduce the mitochondrial function that is correlated with cell survival potential. Simultaneously, MH decreased the extracellular acidification rate (glycolysis) of HCT-116 and LoVo cells. Furthermore, MH suppressed the p-AMPK/AMPK, PGC1α and SIRT1 activation, involved in the survival of HCT-116 and LoVo cells under metabolic stress conditions. Dose-dependently, MH reduced the migration and invasion (MMP-2 and MMP-9) ability, and concurrently regulated EMT-related markers (E cadherin, N cadherin, and β-catenin) in both cell types. The above findings indicate that MH induces HCT-116 and LoVo cell death partly by enhancing oxidative stress, as well as by regulating the energy metabolism in both aerobic and anaerobic pathways and suppressing the metastatic ability.

Cost and quality impact of Intermountain's mental health integration program.

PubMed

Reiss-Brennan, Brenda; Briot, Pascal C; Savitz, Lucy A; Cannon, Wayne; Staheli, Russ

2010-01-01

Most patients with mental health (MH) conditions, such as depression, receive care for their conditions from a primary care physician (PCP) in their health/medical home. Providing MH care, however, presents many challenges for the PCP, including (1) the difficulty of getting needed consultation from an MH specialist; (2) the time constraints of a busy PCP practice; (3) the complicated nature of recognizing depression, which may be described with only somatic complaints; (4) the barriers to reimbursement and compensation; and (5) associated medical and social comorbidities. Practice managers, emergency departments, and health plans are stretched to provide care for complex patients with unmet MH needs. At the same time, payment reform linked to accountable care organizations and/or episodic bundle payments, MH parity rules, and increasing MH costs to large employers and payers all highlight the critical need to identify high-quality, efficient, integrated MH care delivery practices. Over the past ten years, Intermountain Healthcare has developed a team-based approach-known as mental health integration (MHI)-for caring for these patients and their families. The team includes the PCPs and their staff, and they, in turn, are integrated with MH professionals, community resources, care management, and the patient and his or her family. The integration model goes far beyond co-location in its team-based approach; it is operationalized at the clinic, thereby improving both physician and staff satisfaction. Patients treated in MHI clinics also show improved satisfaction, lower costs, and better quality outcomes. The MHI program is financially sustainable in routinized clinics without subsidies. MHI is a successful approach to improving care for patients with MH conditions in primary care health homes.

Living on the edge: timing of Rand Flora disjunctions congruent with ongoing aridification in Africa.

PubMed

Pokorny, Lisa; Riina, Ricarda; Mairal, Mario; Meseguer, Andrea S; Culshaw, Victoria; Cendoya, Jon; Serrano, Miguel; Carbajal, Rodrigo; Ortiz, Santiago; Heuertz, Myriam; Sanmartín, Isabel

2015-01-01

The Rand Flora is a well-known floristic pattern in which unrelated plant lineages show similar disjunct distributions in the continental margins of Africa and adjacent islands-Macaronesia-northwest Africa, Horn of Africa-Southern Arabia, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. These lineages are now separated by environmental barriers such as the arid regions of the Sahara and Kalahari Deserts or the tropical lowlands of Central Africa. Alternative explanations for the Rand Flora pattern range from vicariance and climate-driven extinction of a widespread pan-African flora to independent dispersal events and speciation in situ. To provide a temporal framework for this pattern, we used published data from nuclear and chloroplast DNA to estimate the age of disjunction of 17 lineages that span 12 families and nine orders of angiosperms. We further used these estimates to infer diversification rates for Rand Flora disjunct clades in relation to their higher-level encompassing lineages. Our results indicate that most disjunctions fall within the Miocene and Pliocene periods, coinciding with the onset of a major aridification trend, still ongoing, in Africa. Age of disjunctions seemed to be related to the climatic affinities of each Rand Flora lineage, with sub-humid taxa dated earlier (e.g., Sideroxylon) and those with more xeric affinities (e.g., Campylanthus) diverging later. We did not find support for significant decreases in diversification rates in most groups, with the exception of older subtropical lineages (e.g., Sideroxylon, Hypericum, or Canarina), but some lineages (e.g., Cicer, Campylanthus) showed a long temporal gap between stem and crown ages, suggestive of extinction. In all, the Rand Flora pattern seems to fit the definition of biogeographic pseudocongruence, with the pattern arising at different times in response to the increasing aridity of the African continent, with interspersed periods of humidity allowing range expansions.

Correspondence between the RAND-Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life item bank and the Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire.

PubMed

Edelen, Maria Orlando; Stucky, Brian D; Sherbourne, Cathy; Eberhart, Nicole; Lara, Marielena

2014-05-01

In many research and clinical settings in which patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are used, it is often desirable to link scores across disparate measures or to use scores from 1 measure to describe scores on a separate measure. However, PRO measures are scored by using a variety of metrics, making such comparisons difficult. The objective of this article was to provide an example of how to transform scores across disparate measures (the Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [AQLQ-Marks] and the newly developed RAND-Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life item bank [RAND-IAQL-Bank]) by using an item response theory (IRT)-based linking method. Our sample of adults with asthma (N = 2032) completed 2 measures of asthma-specific quality of life: the AQLQ-Marks and the RAND-IAQL-Bank. We use IRT-based co-calibration of the 2 measures to provide a linkage, or a common metric, between the 2 measures. Co-calibration refers to the process of using IRT to estimate item parameters that describe the responses to the scales' items according to a common metric; in this case, a normal distribution transformed to a T scale with a mean of 50 and an SD of 10. Respondents had an average age of 43 (15), were 60% female, and predominantly non-Hispanic White (56%), with 19% African American, 14% Hispanic, and 11% Asian. Most had at least some college education (83%), and 90% had experienced an asthma attack during the last 12 months. Our results indicate that the AQLQ-Marks and RAND-IAQL-Bank scales measured highly similar constructs and were sufficiently unidimensional for IRT co-calibration. Once linked, scores from the 2 measures were invariant across subgroups. A crosswalk is provided that allows researchers and clinicians using AQLQ-Marks to crosswalk to the RAND-IAQL toolkit. The ability to translate scores from the RAND-IAQL toolkit to other "legacy" (ie, commonly used) measures increases the value of the new toolkit, aids in interpretation, and will hopefully facilitate adoption by asthma researchers and clinicians. More generally, the techniques we illustrate can be applied to other newly developed or existing measures in the PRO research field to obtain crosswalks with widely used traditional legacy instruments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Tryptase inhibits cell apoptosis through upregulating PAR-2 and Rho kinase in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts].

PubMed

Zheng, Qianqian; Li, Shigang; Jia, Yunli; Liu, Wei; Yu, Lingling; Chen, Xianyong; Wang, Jinling

2016-12-01

Objective To investigate the regulatory effects of tryptase on protease-activated receptors 2 (PAR-2), Rho signal pathway and apoptosis of MH7A rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts. Methods In MH7A cells, the expression of PAR-2 was measured by flow cytometry; cell apoptosis was examined by annexin V- FITC/PI staining combined with flow cytometry; the expression of Rho kinase was detected by Pull-down assay and Western botting. Results Tryptase upregulated the expression of PAR-2 in MH7A cells, and suppressed Fas-mediated apoptosis of MH7A cells in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, PAR-2 inhibitor, FSLLRY-NH2 significantly reduced anti-apoptotic effects of tryptase in MH7A cells, which was related with the increase of activated Rho kinase expression. Conclusion Tryptase plays a role in resistance to the apoptosis of MH7A cells through raising PAR-2 and activating Rho kinase.

Evidence of fatal skeletal injuries on Malapa Hominins 1 and 2

PubMed Central

L’Abbé, Ericka N.; Symes, Steven A.; Pokines, James T.; Cabo, Luis L.; Stull, Kyra E.; Kuo, Sharon; Raymond, David E.; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick S.; Berger, Lee R.

2015-01-01

Malapa is one of the richest early hominin sites in Africa and the discovery site of the hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. The holotype and paratype (Malapa Hominin 1 and 2, or MH1 and MH2, respectively) skeletons are among the most complete in the early hominin record. Dating to approximately two million years BP, MH1 and MH2 are hypothesized to have fallen into a natural pit trap. All fractures evident on MH1 and MH2 skeletons were evaluated and separated based on wet and dry bone fracture morphology/characteristics. Most observed fractures are post-depositional, but those in the right upper limb of the adult hominin strongly indicate active resistance to an impact, while those in the juvenile hominin mandible are consistent with a blow to the face. The presence of skeletal trauma independently supports the falling hypothesis and supplies the first evidence for the manner of death of an australopith in the fossil record that is not attributed to predation or natural death. PMID:26459912

Effect of EVA on thermal stability, flammability, mechanical properties of HDPE/EVA/Mg(OH)2 composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, R.; Deng, Z. L.; Ma, Y. H.; Chen, X. L.

2017-06-01

In this work, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is introduced to improve the properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/magnesium hydroxide (MH) composites. The thermal stability, flame retardancy and mechanical properties of HDPE/EVA/MH composites are investigated and discussed. With increasing content of EVA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the composites increases. The thermal stability analysis shows that the initial decomposition temperature begins at a low temperature; however, the residues of the composites at 600°C increase when HDPE is replaced by small amounts of EVA. The early degradation absorbs heat, dilute oxygen and residue. During this process, it protects the matrix inside. Compared with the HDPE/MH and EVA/MH composites, the ternary HDPE/EVA/MH composites exhibit better flame retardancy by increasing the LOI values, and reducing the heat release rate (HRR) and total heat release (THR). With increasing content of EVA, the mechanical properties can also be improved, which is attributed to the good affinity between EVA and MH particles.

[Influence of Mueller-Hinton broth on the in vitro activities of cefuzoname, flomoxef, imipenem, and minocycline against Staphylococcus aureus].

PubMed

Fujita, S; Tonohata, A

1990-05-01

The influence of Mueller-Hinton (MH) broth (from BBL Microbiology Systems, and Difco Laboratories) of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of cefuzoname (CZON), flomoxef (FMOX), imipenem (IPM), and minocycline (MINO) for 100 strains of Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Antibacterial activity of MINO was stronger than any other antibiotics. MICs of CZON for 16 strains (14 of 50 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 2 of 50 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus) were greater than or equal to 4-fold greater when tested in BBL MH broth than when tested in Difco MH broth, thus, different media altered categories of some strains (8 of 50 MRSA) from susceptible to resistant. MICs of FMOX in the BBL MH broth for 12 of 50 MRSA strains rose greater than or equal to 4-fold compared to the Difco MH broth. On the other hand, MICs of IPM and MINO were affected very little by the different brand of MH broth used.

Multigenerational Brazilian family with malignant hyperthermia and a novel mutation in the RYR1 gene.

PubMed

Matos, A R; Sambuughin, N; Rumjanek, F D; Amoedo, N D; Cunha, L B P; Zapata-Sudo, G; Sudo, R T

2009-12-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease triggered in susceptible individuals by the administration of volatile halogenated anesthetics and/or succinylcholine, leading to the development of a hypermetabolic crisis, which is caused by abnormal release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, through the Ca2+ release channel ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1). Mutations in the RYR1 gene are associated with MH in the majority of susceptible families. Genetic screening of a 5-generation Brazilian family with a history of MH-related deaths and a previous MH diagnosis by the caffeine halothane contracture test (CHCT) in some individuals was performed using restriction and sequencing analysis. A novel missense mutation, Gly4935Ser, was found in an important functional and conserved locus of this gene, the transmembrane region of RyR1. In this family, 2 MH-susceptible individuals previously diagnosed with CHCT carry this novel mutation and another 24 not previously diagnosed members also carry it. However, this same mutation was not found in another MH-susceptible individual whose CHCT was positive to the test with caffeine but not to the test with halothane. None of the 5 MH normal individuals of the family, previously diagnosed by CHCT, carry this mutation, nor do 100 controls from control Brazilian and USA populations. The Gly4932Ser variant is a candidate mutation for MH, based on its co-segregation with disease phenotype, absence among controls and its location within the protein.

A 90-day subchronic feeding study of genetically modified rice expressing Cry1Ab protein in Sprague-Dawley rats.

PubMed

Song, Huan; He, Xiaoyun; Zou, Shiying; Zhang, Teng; Luo, Yunbo; Huang, Kunlun; Zhu, Zhen; Xu, Wentao

2015-04-01

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic rice line (mfb-MH86) expressing a synthetic cry1Ab gene can be protected against feeding damage from Lepidopteran insects, including Sesamia inferens, Chilo suppressalis, Tryporyza incertulas and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis. Rice flour from mfb-MH86 and its near-isogenic control MH86 was separately formulated into rodent diets at concentrations of 17.5, 35 and 70 % (w/w) for a 90-day feeding test with rats, and all of the diets were nutritionally balanced. In this study, the responses of rats fed diets containing mfb-MH86 were compared to those of rats fed flour from MH86. Overall health, body weight and food consumption were comparable between groups fed diets containing mfb-MH86 and MH86. Blood samples were collected prior to sacrifice and a few significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in haematological and biochemical parameters between rats fed genetically modified (GM) and non-GM diets. However, the values of these parameters were within the normal ranges of values for rats of this age and sex, thus not considered treatment related. In addition, upon sacrifice a large number of organs were weighed, macroscopic and histopathological examinations were performed with only minor changes to report. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that no toxic effect was observed in the conditions of the experiment, based on the different parameters assessed. GM rice mfb-MH86 is as safe and nutritious as non-GM rice.

A MOLA-controlled RAND-USGS Control Network for Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Archinal, B. A.; Colvin, T. R.; Davies, M. E.; Kirk, R. L.; Duxbury, T. C.; Lee, E. M.; Cook, D.; Gitlin, A. R.

2002-01-01

We are undertaking, in support of the Mars Digital Image Mosaic (MDIM) 2.1, many improvements in the RAND-USGS photogrammetric control network for Mars, primarily involving the use of Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)-derived radii and DIMs to improve control point absolute radii and horizontal positions. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Ayn Rand: To be Selfish or Not to be Selfish--That is the Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doctor, Tyrus L.; Kritsonis, William Allan

2009-01-01

Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishness" (1961) is comprised of a philosophy that defies the entire premise of what our education system is and shall be built upon. The "Objectivist" perspective has depicted a clear distinction between the "Have's" and the "Have Not's" or the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. The "Objectivist" perspective believes that…

An Analysis of the Objectivist Ethics in Educational Leadership through Ayn Rand's "The Virtues of Selfishness" (1964)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Karen Dupre; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

Educational leadership is vital to sustain quality educational institutions. It is the role of the school leader to indoctrinate stakeholders with the objectivist ethics-embracing egoism and relinquishing altruistic ideals when it comes to invigorating the system with sustainable change. Ayn Rand's timeless piece of literature "The Virtue of…

Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act. RAND Quarterly Report, October 2008. TR-621-LACPD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fain, Terry; Turner, Susan; Ridgeway, Greg

2008-01-01

In July 2008, RAND Corporation staff conducted Correctional Program Checklist (CPC) assessments of five home-based programs (Asian Youth Center, Communities in Schools, Inter-Agency Drug Abuse Recovery Programs, Soledad Enrichment Action, and Stars Behavioral Health Group) as part of its ongoing evaluation of Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act…

Designing an Effective Prevention Program: Principles Underlying the Rand Smoking and Drug Prevention Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellickson, Phyllis L.

This paper describes the Project ALERT program (Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training) which was established by the Rand Corporation to prevent smoking and drug use among seventh graders. The program is based on the social influence model of drug use initiation. Curriculum features are described including motivation to resist and…

Recent Large Service Aquisitions in the Department of Defense: Lessons for the Office of the Secretary of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

In August 2001, the Directorate of Acquisition Resources and Analysis in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) asked the RAND Corporation to...Research Institute (NDRI), a unit of the RAND Corporation. NDRI is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the Office of

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT-INGERSOLL-RAND ENERGY SYSTEMS IR POWERWORKS(TM) 70 KW MICROTURBINE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification report discusses the technology and performance of the IR PowerWorks 70kW Microturbine System manufactured by Ingersoll-Rand Energy Systems. This system is a 70 kW electrical generator that puts out 480 v AC at 60 Hz and that is driven by...

Combined Biology and Bioinformatics Approaches to Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-01

In these experiments, LMO4 interacted with the MH1 and linker domains of Smad3 ; no interaction was found with the MH2 domain (Figure 4b). Figure 2...transcriptional response to TGFb by interacting with Smad proteins, and that both the MH1 and linker domains of Smad3 participate in the interaction. LMO4 can...LMO4 interacts with the MH1 and linker regions of Smad proteins. (a) Full-length, 35S-labeled Smad2, Smad3 , Smad4, Smad5, and Smad8 were incubated with

Recycling of used Ni-MH rechargeable batteries

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

Yoshida, T.; Ono, H.; Shirai, R.

1995-12-31

The Ni-MH (nickel metal hydride) rechargeable battery was developed several years ago. Its higher electrochemical capacity and greater safety compared with the Ni-Cd rechargeable battery have resulted in very rapid increase in its production. The Ni-MH rechargeable battery consists of Ni, Co and rare earth metals, so that recycling is important to recover these valuable mineral resources. In this study, a basic recycling process for used Ni-MH rechargeable batteries has been developed, in which the Ni, Co and rare earth elements are recovered through a combination of mechanical processing and hydrometallurgical processing.

Benchmarking the Integration of WAVEWATCH III Results into HAZUS-MH: Preliminary Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berglund, Judith; Holland, Donald; McKellip, Rodney; Sciaudone, Jeff; Vickery, Peter; Wang, Zhanxian; Ying, Ken

2005-01-01

The report summarizes the results from the preliminary benchmarking activities associated with the use of WAVEWATCH III (WW3) results in the HAZUS-MH MR1 flood module. Project partner Applied Research Associates (ARA) is integrating the WW3 model into HAZUS. The current version of HAZUS-MH predicts loss estimates from hurricane-related coastal flooding by using values of surge only. Using WW3, wave setup can be included with surge. Loss estimates resulting from the use of surge-only and surge-plus-wave-setup were compared. This benchmarking study is preliminary because the HAZUS-MH MR1 flood module was under development at the time of the study. In addition, WW3 is not scheduled to be fully integrated with HAZUS-MH and available for public release until 2008.

Mental Health Disorders and Publicly Funded Service Use by HIV Positive Individuals: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Durbin, Anna; Brown, Hilary K; Antoniou, Tony; Sirotich, Frank; Bansal, Symron; Heifetz, Marina; Roesslein, Kay; Lunsky, Yona

2017-12-01

We compared use of community and hospital-based mental health and addiction (MH&A) services by adults with and without HIV. This population-based study examined the probability and intensity of MH&A service use by individuals with (n = 5095) and without HIV (n = 2,753,091) in Ontario, Canada between 2013 and 2014. Adults with HIV were more likely than HIV-negative adults to use MH&A primary and psychiatric care, and to have MH&A emergency department visits and hospital admissions; they also used more of each service. Use of MH&A hospital services was particularly high for persons in the HIV group compared to the no HIV group.

TRPV1 variants impair intracellular Ca2+ signaling and may confer susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia.

PubMed

Abeele, Fabien Vanden; Lotteau, Sabine; Ducreux, Sylvie; Dubois, Charlotte; Monnier, Nicole; Hanna, Amy; Gkika, Dimitra; Romestaing, Caroline; Noyer, Lucile; Flourakis, Matthieu; Tessier, Nolwenn; Al-Mawla, Ribal; Chouabe, Christophe; Lefai, Etienne; Lunardi, Joël; Hamilton, Susan; Fauré, Julien; Van Coppenolle, Fabien; Prevarskaya, Natalia

2018-06-21

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disorder arising from uncontrolled muscle calcium release due to an abnormality in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium-release mechanism triggered by halogenated inhalational anesthetics. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are still incomplete. We aimed to identify transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) variants within the entire coding sequence in patients who developed sensitivity to MH of unknown etiology. In vitro and in vivo functional studies were performed in heterologous expression system, trpv1 -/- mice, and a murine model of human MH. We identified TRPV1 variants in two patients and their heterologous expression in muscles of trpv1 -/- mice strongly enhanced calcium release from SR upon halogenated anesthetic stimulation, suggesting they could be responsible for the MH phenotype. We confirmed the in vivo significance by using mice with a knock-in mutation (Y524S) in the type I ryanodine receptor (Ryr1), a mutation analogous to the Y522S mutation associated with MH in humans. We showed that the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine slows the heat-induced hypermetabolic response in this model. We propose that TRPV1 contributes to MH and could represent an actionable therapeutic target for prevention of the pathology and also be responsible for MH sensitivity when mutated.

Effect of protective coating on microhardness of a new glass ionomer cement: Nanofilled coating versus unfilled resin

PubMed Central

Faraji, Foad; Heshmat, Haleh; Banava, Sepideh

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: EQUIATM is a new gastrointestinal (GI) system with high compressive strength, surface microhardness (MH), and fluoride release potential. This in vitro study aimed to assess the effect of aging and type of protective coating on the MH of EQUIATM GI cement. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 disc-shaped specimens measuring 9 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness were fabricated of EQUIATM GI and divided into three groups of G-Coat nanofilled coating (a), no coating (b) and margin bond (c). The Vickers MH value of specimens was measured before (baseline) and at 3 and 6 months after water storage. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Group B had significantly higher MH than the other two groups at baseline. Both G-Coat and margin bond increased the surface MH of GI at 3 and 6 months. The MH values of G-Coat and margin bond groups did not significantly increase or decrease between 3 and 6 months. Conclusion: The increase in MH was greater in the G-Coat compared to the margin bond group in the long-term. Clinically, margin bond may be a suitable alternative when G-Coat is not available. PMID:29259364

Maternal Mental Health Disorders and Reports to Child Protective Services: A Birth Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Hammond, Ivy; Eastman, Andrea Lane; Leventhal, John M.; Putnam-Hornstein, Emily

2017-01-01

Background. Existing literature has documented a strong relationship between parental mental illness and child maltreatment, but little is known about the prevalence of mental illness among childbearing women. In the present study, linked administrative records were used to identify the prevalence of maternal mental health (MH) disorders documented at birth and determine the associated likelihood of maltreatment reports during infancy. Materials and Methods. Vital records for California’s 2006 birth cohort were linked to hospital discharge and Child Protective Services (CPS) records. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) billing codes from the mother’s delivery hospitalization were used to determine diagnosed maternal MH disorders for 551,232 infants born in 2006, and reports of alleged maltreatment were documented from CPS records. Vital birth records were used to control for sociodemographic factors. Finally, the associated risk of reported maltreatment during the first year of life was examined using generalized linear models. Results. Among infants in this statewide birth cohort, 2.8% were born to a mother with a documented MH disorder, of which 41.3% had documented maternal substance abuse issues versus less than 0.5% of infants born to mothers without a diagnosed MH disorder. Further, 34.6% of infants born to mothers with a MH disorder were reported to CPS within one year, and a majority of those reports were made within the first month of life (77.2%). In contrast, among children born to mothers without a MH disorder, 4.4% were reported to CPS during infancy. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, the rate of CPS reports during infancy for infants born to mothers with a MH disorder but no substance use disorder was 2.6 times that of infants born to mothers without a MH disorder (95% CI = 2.47, 2.73). Among infants born to mothers with MH and substance use disorders, the rate of CPS reports during infancy was 5.69 times that of infants born to mothers without a MH disorder (95% CI = 5.51, 5.87). Conclusions. Administrative records provide a method for identifying infants born to mothers with MH disorders, enabling researchers to track rates over time and generate population-level data to inform policy development and improve service delivery. PMID:29084185

Establishing a human pancreatic stem cell line and transplanting induced pancreatic islets to reverse experimental diabetes in rats.

PubMed

Xiao, Mei; An, LiLong; Yang, XueYi; Ge, Xin; Qiao, Hai; Zhao, Ting; Ma, XiaoFei; Fan, JingZhuang; Zhu, MengYang; Dou, ZhongYing

2008-09-01

The major obstacle in using pancreatic islet transplantation to cure type I and some type II diabetes is the shortage of the donors. One of ways to overcome such obstacle is to isolate and clone pancreatic stem cells as "seed cells" and induce their differentiation into functional islets as an abundant transplantation source. In this study, a monoclonal human pancreatic stem cell (mhPSC) line was obtained from abortive fetal pancreatic tissues. Pancreatic tissues were taken from abortive fetus by sterile procedures, and digested into single cells and cell clusters with 0.1% type IV collagenase. Cultured in modified glucose-low DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), these single cells and cell clusters adhered to culture dishes, and then primary epidermal-like pancreatic stem cells started to clone. After digesting with 0.25% trypsin and 0.04% EDTA, fibroblasts and other cells were gradually eliminated and epithelioid pancreatic stem cells were gradually purified during generations. Using clone-ring selection, the mhPSCs were obtained. After addition of 10 ng/mL epidermal growth factor (EGF) in cell culture medium, the mhPSCs quickly grew and formed a gravelstone-like monolayer. Continuously proliferated, a mhPSC line, which was derived from a male abortive fetus of 4 months old, has been passed through 50 generations. More than 1 x 10(9) mhPSCs were cryo-preserved in liquid nitrogen. Karyotype analysis showed that the chromosome set of the mhPSC line was normal diploid. Immunocytochemistry results demonstrated that the mhPSC line was positive for the pdx1, glucagon, nestin and CK19, and negative for the insulin, CD34, CD44 and CD45 protein expression. RT-PCR revealed further that the mhPSCs expressed transcription factors of the pdx1, glucagon, nestin and CK19. Also, in vitro induced with beta-mercaptoethanol, the mhPSCs differentiated into nerve cells that expressed the NF protein. Induced with nicotinamide, the mhPSCs differentiated into functional islet-like clusters, as identified by dithizone staining, which expressed the transcription factor of the insulin and secreted the insulin and C-peptide. Furthermore, the transplantation of mhPSCs-induced pancreatic islets into the subcapsular region of the kidney in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats could reduce blood glucose levels and prolong the life time.

Retinal thinning after internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular hole.

PubMed

Imamura, Yutaka; Ishida, Masahiro

2018-03-01

To determine the changes in retinal thickness and whether they correlate with the size of the macular hole (MH) after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling. Retrospective, interventional case series METHODS: Consecutive patients with an MH and undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling were studied. The retinal thicknesses in the inner 4 sectors as defined by the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) before and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery. The basal and minimum diameters of the MHs were measured. The correlations between the retinal thicknesses and the size of the MH were determined. Thirty-three eyes of 32 consecutive patients (18 women; mean age, 64.2 ± 8.8 years) with an MH were studied. Thirteen eyes had a stage-2 MH; 12 eyes, a stage-3 MH; and 8 eyes, a stage-4 MH. The mean retinal thickness in the temporal sector was 362.8 ± 29.9 µm preoperatively, 337.9 ± 20.6 µm at 2 weeks postoperatively, and 307.6 ± 20.2 µm at 12 months postoperatively (P < .001 for both, paired t tests). The respective mean thicknesses in the superior, inferior, and nasal sectors were 373.9 ± 34.9, 367 ± 28.7, and 385.5 ± 35.9 µm preoperatively; 361.6 ± 22.7, 359.4 ± 20.6, and 383.4 ± 29.0 µm at 2 weeks postoperatively (P = .0087, P = .049, P = .635); and 339.4 ± 18.9, 331.6 ± 21.4, and 371.3 ± 23.2 µm at 12 months postoperatively (P < .001, P < .001, P = .033). The changes in the retinal thickness at 2 weeks and 12 months in all 4 sectors were significantly correlated with the basal and minimum diameters of the MH. Retinal thinning was observed soon after the MH surgery mainly in the temporal sector but also in the superior and inferior sectors. The thinning was greater in eyes with a larger MH, indicating that retinal structures dynamically change after internal limiting membrane peeling.

Excess comorbidities associated with malignant hyperthermia diagnosis in pediatric hospital discharge records.

PubMed

Li, Guohua; Brady, Joanne E; Rosenberg, Henry; Sun, Lena S

2011-09-01

Case reports have linked malignant hyperthermia (MH) to several genetic diseases. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess excess comorbidities associated with MH diagnosis in pediatric hospital discharge records. Data for this study came from the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) for the years 2000, 2003, and 2006. The KID contains an 80% random sample of patients under the age of 21 discharged from short-term, non-Federal hospitals in the United States, with up to 19 diagnoses recorded for each patient. Using all pediatric inpatients as the reference, we calculated the standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for children with MH diagnosis according to major disease groups and specific medical conditions. Of the 5,916,989 nonbirth-related hospital discharges studied, 175 had a recorded diagnosis of MH. Compared with the general pediatric inpatient population, children with MH diagnosis were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (SMR 5.7; 95% CI: 3.9-7.9), diseases of the circulatory system (SMR 3.3; 95% CI: 2.1-4.8), and congenital anomalies (SMR 3.2; 95% CI: 2.3-4.4). The specific diagnosis that was most strongly associated with MH was muscular dystrophies (SMR 31.3; 95% CI 12.6-64.6). Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue are significantly associated with MH diagnosis in children. Further research is warranted to determine the clinical utility of these comorbidities in assessing MH susceptibility in children. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Strawberry-Tree Honey Induces Growth Inhibition of Human Colon Cancer Cells and Increases ROS Generation: A Comparison with Manuka Honey

PubMed Central

Afrin, Sadia; Forbes-Hernandez, Tamara Y.; Gasparrini, Massimiliano; Bompadre, Stefano; Quiles, José L.; Sanna, Gavino; Spano, Nadia; Giampieri, Francesca; Battino, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Honey is a natural product known to modulate several biological activities including cancer. The aim of the present study was to examine the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity of Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) honey (STH) and its cytotoxic properties against human colon adenocarcinoma (HCT-116) and metastatic (LoVo) cell lines in comparison with Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey (MH). Several unifloral STH and MH were analyzed for their phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and protein contents, as well as their radical scavenging activities. STH from the Berchidda area showed the highest amount of phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and protein content, and antioxidant capacity compared to MH. Both STH and MH induced cytotoxicity and cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HCT-116 and LoVo cells, with less toxicity on non-cancer cells. Compared to MH, STH showed more effect at lower concentrations on HCT-116 and LoVo cells. In addition, both honeys increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In HCT-116 cells, STH and MH induced similar ROS production but in LoVo cells STH induced a higher percentage of ROS compared to MH. Our results indicate that STH and MH can induce cell growth inhibition and ROS generation in colon adenocarcinoma and metastatic cells, which could be due to the presence of phytochemicals with antioxidant properties. These preliminary results are interesting and suggest a potential chemopreventive action which could be useful for further studies in order to develop chemopreventive agents for colon cancer. PMID:28287469

Enhancement in Corneal Permeability of Dissolved Carteolol by Its Combination with Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Nagai, Noriaki; Yamaoka, Sakie; Fukuoka, Yuya; Ishii, Miyu; Otake, Hiroko; Kanai, Kazutaka; Okamoto, Norio; Shimomura, Yoshikazu

2018-01-01

We prepared magnesium hydroxide (MH) nanoparticles, and investigated their effect when combined with dissolved carteolol on the bioavailability and intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing effect of carteolol. The carteolol was solved in saline containing additives (0.5% methylcellulose, 0.001% benzalkonium chloride, 0.5% mannitol; CRT-solution). MH nanoparticles were prepared by a bead mill method with additives. Then carteolol/MH microparticle and carteolol/MH nanoparticle fixed combinations (mCMFC and nCMFC) were prepared by mixing the CRT-solution and MH particles. The transcorneal penetration and IOP-reducing effect of carteolol was evaluated in rabbits. The mean particle size of mCMFC was 7.2 μm, and the particle size was reduced to 73.5–113.5 nm by the bead mill treatment. The MH particles in nCMFC remained in the nano size range for 8 days after preparation, and the amounts of lacrimal fluid and corneal damage were unchanged by repetitive instillation of nCMFC (twice a day for 4 weeks). The transcorneal penetration of carteolol was enhanced by the combination with MH nanoparticles, and the IOP-reducing effect of nCMFC was significantly higher than that of CRT-solution or mCMFC. In conclusion, we designed nCMFC, and showed that the high levels of dissolved carteolol can be delivered into the aqueous humor by the instillation of nCMFC. Combination with MH nanoparticles may achieve an enhancement of corneal penetration for water-soluble drugs. These findings provide significant information that can be used to design further studies aimed at developing anti-glaucoma eye drugs. PMID:29342127

UHPLC-MS/MS determination of varietal thiol precursors in Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

PubMed

Vanzo, Andreja; Janeš, Lucija; Požgan, Franc; Velikonja Bolta, Špela; Sivilotti, Paolo; Lisjak, Klemen

2017-10-13

Varietal thiol precursors in grapes are subject to metabolic changes during post-harvest treatments. Metabolic activity should therefore be limited after sampling to understand their biosynthesis in the berry and genetic regulation. In this study, berries were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after harvesting, transported in dry ice, stored briefly at -80 °C, cryo-milled and extracted without being thawed in cold methanol in a ratio of 1:4 (w/v). A UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantitative determination of the thiol precursors 3-S-glutathionylhexan-1-ol (G3MH), 3-S-cysteinylhexan-1-ol (Cys3MH), 4-S-glutathionyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (G4MMP) and 4-S-cysteinyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (Cys4MMP), glutathione, oxidized glutathione and L-methionine in grapes was developed. Reference material was provided through synthesis of precursors and their deuterium labelled analogues. The average thiol precursor content in grapes in 2013-15 was in the range 8-16 μg kg -1 for G3MH, 1-6 μg kg -1 for Cys3MH, 1-4 μg kg -1 for Cys4MMP and 0.3 μg kg -1 for G4MMP. In 2013 and 2014, the highest precursor content in mature Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards located in Italy regarded G3MH, followed by Cys3MH, Cys4MMP and G4MMP. In 2015, G3MH was again the most abundant precursor, but followed by Cys4MMP, Cys3MH and G4MMP.

Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Top-Line Estimates for Active-Duty Service Members from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

enhance the validity of their answers. The development of this new approach to measuring sexual assault and sex-based MEO violations was completed...include the buttocks, inner thigh, breast, groin, anus, vagina, penis and testicles. Top-Line Results from the RAND Military Workplace Study 41 12

The RAND Change Agent Study Ten Years Later: Macro Perspectives and Micro Realities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Milbrey Wallin

From 1973 to 1978, the Rand Corporation conducted a national study of local public schools' responses to various federal programs requiring educational change--Title III of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title VII of the ESEA, programs financed by the 1968 Vocational Education Act, and the Right-to-Read program. This paper…

Investigation of DBMS for Use in a Research Environment. Rand Paper Series 7002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Pilar N.

This investigation of the use of database management systems (DBMS) in a research environment used the Rand Corporation as a case study. After a general introduction in section 1, eight sections present the major components of the study. Section 2 contains an overview of DBMS terminology and concepts, followed in section 3 by a general dsecription…

Beyond al-Qaeda. Part 1. The Global Jihadist Movement

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

of Western Converts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 CHAPTER FOUR Al-Qaeda’s Finances ...terrorists associated with al-Qaeda. (See pp. 44–47.) Al-Qaeda’s Finances Al-Qaeda has also modified the way it moves funds around the globe. Before...and Anthony Davis. Within RAND we cannot fail to acknowledge the important contributions to our understanding of al-Qaeda finances made by the RAND

Navy Satellite Communications in the Hellenic Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

spherical pressurized balloon with an envelope of plastic mylar and aluminum. Its communication capabilities were for a voice baseband bandwidth of 200...N-1780-ARPA, November 1981. 24. Betrosian, Edward Electromagnetic Properties and Communication caracteristics of PACSAT, Rand Corp (R-2920-ARPA...Survivable Command and Control, RAND Note N-1780-ARPA, November 1981. 4. Betrosian, Edward Electromagnetic Properties and Communication caracteristics of

A Theory of Dark Network Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

Theoretical Framework for Analysis.” Master’s Thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 1996 . de Nooy, Wouter, Andrej Mrvar , and Vladimir Batagelj ...understanding the nature of relationships in networks. Wouter de Nooy, Andrej Mrvar and Vladimir Batagelj , Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek...34 RAND Corporation, 1996 , http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR789/ (accessed November 5, 2009) and John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt

Gaining New Military Capability: An Experiment in Concept Development.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

Angeles Police Department ( LAPD ) were invited, at- tended, and made important contributions.1 ORGANIZING COG DISCUSSIONS We sought to structure COG...Terry Covington, RAND; Charles Duke, Los Angeles Police Department ; Gene Gritton, RAND; Thomas Karr, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; LTC Will Irwin, USA...Munition Joint Requirements Oversight Council Joint Stand-off Weapon Joint Strategic Tracking and Radar System Laser radar Los Angeles Police

Rand Arroyo Center 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

field effective command and control sys- tems within the framework of current policies and processes. Cost Considerations in Cloud Computing ...www.rand.org/t/PE113 Finds that cloud provider costs can vary compared with tradi- tional information system alternatives because of different cost structures...for analysts evaluating new cloud investments. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Calvert FOCUS ON Capabilities Development and Acquisition

Technological Innovation, Corporate R&D Alliances and Organizational Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

public corporations . On the other hand, the questionnaire response bias was a potential problem. As explained in Section 4, the size and innovativeness...DISSERTATION RAND. " " .,’ Technological Innovation, Corporate R&D Alliances and Organizational Learning Wayne G. Walker RAND Graduate School... response , including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing

Tracing of her5 progeny in zebrafish transgenics reveals the dynamics of midbrain-hindbrain neurogenesis and maintenance.

PubMed

Tallafuss, Alexandra; Bally-Cuif, Laure

2003-09-01

The midbrain-hindbrain domain (MH) of the vertebrate embryonic neural tube develops in response to the isthmic organizer (IsO), located at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB). MH derivatives are largely missing in mutants affected in IsO activity; however, the potentialities and fate of MH precursors in these conditions have not been directly determined. To follow the dynamics of MH maintenance in vivo, we used artificial chromosome transgenesis in zebrafish to construct lines where egfp transcription is driven by the complete set of regulatory elements of her5, the first known gene expressed in the MH area. In these lines, egfp transcription faithfully recapitulates her5 expression from its induction phase onwards. Using the stability of GFP protein as lineage tracer, we first demonstrate that her5 expression at gastrulation is a selective marker of MH precursor fate. By comparing GFP protein and her5 transcription, we further reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of her5 expression that conditions neurogenesis progression towards the MHB over time. Finally, we trace the molecular identity of GFP-positive cells in the acerebellar (ace) and no-isthmus (noi) mutant backgrounds to analyze directly fgf8 and pax2.1 mutant gene activities for their ultimate effect on cell fate. We demonstrate that most MH precursors are maintained in both mutants but express abnormal identities, in a manner that strikingly differs between the ace and noi contexts. Our observations directly support a role for Fgf8 in protecting anterior tectal and metencephalic precursors from acquiring anterior identities, while Pax2.1 controls the choice of MH identity as a whole. Together, our results suggest a model where an ordered MH pro-domain is identified at gastrulation, and where cell identity choices within this domain are subsequently differentially controlled by Fgf8 and Pax2.1 functions.

Gene therapy-mediated delivery of targeted cytotoxins for glioma therapeutics

PubMed Central

Candolfi, Marianela; Xiong, Weidong; Yagiz, Kader; Liu, Chunyan; Muhammad, A. K. M. G.; Puntel, Mariana; Foulad, David; Zadmehr, Ali; Ahlzadeh, Gabrielle E.; Kroeger, Kurt M.; Tesarfreund, Matthew; Lee, Sharon; Debinski, Waldemar; Sareen, Dhruv; Svendsen, Clive N.; Rodriguez, Ron; Lowenstein, Pedro R.; Castro, Maria G.

2010-01-01

Restricting the cytotoxicity of anticancer agents by targeting receptors exclusively expressed on tumor cells is critical when treating infiltrative brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBMs express an IL-13 receptor (IL13Rα2) that differs from the physiological IL4R/IL13R receptor. We developed a regulatable adenoviral vector (Ad.mhIL-4.TRE.mhIL-13-PE) encoding a mutated human IL-13 fused to Pseudomonas exotoxin (mhIL-13-PE) that specifically binds to IL13Rα2 to provide sustained expression, effective anti-GBM cytotoxicity, and minimal neurotoxicity. The therapeutic Ad also encodes mutated human IL-4 that binds to the physiological IL4R/IL13R without interacting with IL13Rα2, thus inhibiting potential binding of mhIL-13-PE to normal brain cells. Using intracranial GBM xenografts and syngeneic mouse models, we tested the Ad.mhIL-4.TRE.mhIL-13-PE and two protein formulations, hIL-13-PE used in clinical trials (Cintredekin Besudotox) and a second-generation mhIL-13-PE. Cintredekin Besudotox doubled median survival without eliciting long-term survival and caused severe neurotoxicity; mhIL-13-PE led to ∼40% long-term survival, eliciting severe neurological toxicity at the high dose tested. In contrast, Ad-mediated delivery of mhIL-13-PE led to tumor regression and long-term survival in over 70% of the animals, without causing apparent neurotoxicity. Although Cintredekin Besudotox was originally developed to target GBM, when tested in a phase III trial it failed to achieve clinical endpoints and revealed neurotoxicity. Limitations of Cintredekin Besudotox include its short half-life, which demanded frequent or continued administration, and binding to IL4R/IL13R, present in normal brain cells. These shortcomings were overcome by our therapeutic Ad, thus representing a significant advance in the development of targeted therapeutics for GBM. PMID:21030678

The RAND Health Insurance Experiment, Three Decades Later*

PubMed Central

Aron-Dine, Aviva; Einav, Liran; Finkelstein, Amy

2013-01-01

We re-present and re-examine the analysis from the famous RAND Health Insurance Experiment from the 1970s on the impact of consumer cost sharing in health insurance on medical spending. We begin by summarizing the experiment and its core findings in a manner that would be standard in the current age. We then examine potential threats to the validity of a causal interpretation of the experimental treatment effects stemming from different study participation and differential reporting of outcomes across treatment arms. Finally, we re-consider the famous RAND estimate that the elasticity of medical spending with respect to its out-of-pocket price is −0.2, emphasizing the challenges associated with summarizing the experimental treatment effects from non-linear health insurance contracts using a single price elasticity. PMID:24610973

Terrain Analysis Procedural Guide for Soil. Report Number 6 in the ETL Series on Guides for Army Terrain Analysts

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

01 T3 Swamp Pt. OH. CH. MH. OL T4 Peat Bog Pt T5 . - Peat Cuttings Pt T6 Cranberry Bog Pt. OH. CH. MH, OL T7 Rice holds Pt. OH, CH, MH, OL ’ ~Known...Commonly Associated Soils Landlorm/erc Climate Horizon USCS Symbol Coastal Plain unspecified unspecified OL. ML. CL. ML-CL, MH. Depressions CH, OH...total sample. SALINA A salt marsh or pond located adjacent to the sea, but not open to the sea. SALT PAN Any flat area or natural depression where water

"Metabolically healthy" obesity: Prevalence, clinical features and association with myocardial ischaemia.

PubMed

De Lorenzo, Andrea; Glerian, Leticia; Amaral, Ana Carolina; Reis, Thiago B; Lima, Ronaldo S L

To evaluate the prevalence of the "metabolically healthy" (MH) or "metabolically unhealthy" (MU) obesity phenotypes and their association with cardiorespiratory fitness and inducible myocardial ischaemia. Individuals without known coronary artery disease undergoing myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS) were studied. Those without dyslipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes were considered MH, and when ≥1 of these was present, MU status was considered present. Summed stress and difference perfusion scores (SSS and SDS, respectively) were calculated; a SDS >1 defined ischaemic MPS. MH patients were 35.0% of the nonobese population and 23.5% of the obese (p<0.001). The prevalence of ischaemia was not significantly different between MH patients with obesity or MH patients without obesity (10.9% vs 9.1%, p=0.3), except for patients with body mass index ≥40kg/m 2 (21.9%). MH obese patients were less frequently able to exercise and had lower exercise capacity than the nonobese patients. The prevalence of myocardial ischaemia was not significantly different between MH obese or nonobese individuals, supporting the concept of the "metabolically healthy obesity". However, there are other factors involved, such as the ability to exercise, that influence the risk of myocardial ischaemia, limiting the "safety" of that obesity phenotype. Copyright © 2016 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Galactic star formation enhanced and quenched by ram pressure in groups and clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekki, Kenji

2014-02-01

We investigate how ram pressure of intragroup and intracluster medium can influence the spatial and temporal variations of star formation (SF) of disc galaxies with halo masses (Mh) ranging from 1010 to 1012 M⊙ (i.e. from dwarf irregular to Milky Way-type) in groups and clusters with 1013 ≤ Mh/M⊙ ≤ 1015 by using numerical simulations with a new model for time-varying ram pressure. The long-term evolution of SF rates and Hα morphologies corresponding to the distributions of star-forming regions are particularly investigated for different model parameters. The principal results are as follows. Whether ram pressure can enhance or reduce SF depends on Mh of disc galaxies and inclination angles of gas discs with respect to their orbital directions for a given orbit and a given environment. For example, SF can be moderately enhanced in disc galaxies with Mh = 1012 M⊙ at the pericentre passages in a cluster with Mh = 1014 M⊙ whereas it can be completely shut down (`quenching') for low-mass discs with Mh = 1010 M⊙. Ram pressure can reduce the Hα-to-optical-disc-size ratios of discs and the level of the reduction depends on Mh and orbits of disc galaxies for a given environment. Disc galaxies under strong ram pressure show characteristic Hα morphologies such as ring-like, one-sided and crescent-like distributions.

Novel Interventions for Heat/Exercise Induced Sudden Death and Fatigue

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

mutations associated with enhanced susceptibility to Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS), Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (ER), and Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) by...reduces the probability of a hypermetabolic response in YS mice. 15. SUBJECT TERMS: Exertional Heat Stroke, Exertional Rhabdomyolysis ...and exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) have been reported in subjects with diagnosis of Malignant Hyperthermia (MH). MH is a life- threatening

Pro-apoptotic effect of a Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae putative type I signal peptidase on PK(15) swine cells.

PubMed

Paes, Jéssica A; Virginio, Veridiana G; Cancela, Martín; Leal, Fernanda M A; Borges, Thiago J; Jaeger, Natália; Bonorino, Cristina; Schrank, Irene S; Ferreira, Henrique B

2017-03-01

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is an economically significant swine pathogen that causes porcine enzootic pneumonia (PEP). Important processes for swine infection by M. hyopneumoniae depend on cell surface proteins, many of which are secreted by secretion pathways not completely elucidated so far. A putative type I signal peptidase (SPase I), a possible component of a putative Sec-dependent pathway, was annotated as a product of the sipS gene in the pathogenic M. hyopneumoniae 7448 genome. This M. hyopneumoniae putative SPase I (MhSPase I) displays only 14% and 23% of sequence identity/similarity to Escherichia coli bona fide SPase I, and, in complementation assays performed with a conditional E. coli SPase I mutant, only a partial restoration of growth was achieved with the heterologous expression of a recombinant MhSPase I (rMhSPase I). Considering the putative surface location of MhSPase I and its previously demonstrated capacity to induce a strong humoral response, we then assessed its potential to elicit a cellular and possible immunomodulatory response. In assays for immunogenicity assessment, rMhSPase I unexpectedly showed a cytotoxic effect on murine splenocytes. This cytotoxic effect was further confirmed using the swine epithelial PK(15) cell line in MTT and annexin V-flow cytometry assays, which showed that rMhSPase I induces apoptosis in a dose dependent-way. It was also demonstrated that this pro-apoptotic effect of rMhSPase I involves activation of a caspase-3 cascade. The potential relevance of the rMhSPase I pro-apoptotic effect for M. hyopneumoniae-host interactions in the context of PEP is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Household Food Insecurity and Mental Health Problems Among Adolescents: What Do Parents Report?

PubMed

Poole-Di Salvo, Elizabeth; Silver, Ellen J; Stein, Ruth E K

2016-01-01

To investigate whether adolescents living in households with food insecurity have poorer parent-reported mental health (MH) than peers. We analyzed cross-sectional data from ∼8600 adolescents who participated in the 2007 (8th grade) wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten. Household food insecurity (HFI) was assessed by parental report on the 18-item US Household Food Security Scale. Total Difficulties score >13 on the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) indicated problems with adolescent MH. SDQ subscale scores (Emotional, Conduct, Hyperactivity, Peer Problems) were also calculated. Associations between HFI and MH were explored in bivariate and multivariable analyses. Interactions of HFI and gender and HFI and receipt of free/reduced-price school lunch were analyzed with regard to problems with MH. A total of 10.2% of adolescents lived with HFI; 11.2% had SDQ >13. Adolescents with HFI had higher rates of overall MH problems (28.7% vs 9.2%), emotional problems (21.6% vs 6.6%), conduct problems (26.5% vs 11.6%), hyperactivity (22.4% vs 11.3%), and peer problems (19.8% vs 8.6%) (all P < .01). After adjustment for confounders, the association between HFI and overall MH problems (odds ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval 1.6-3.3) remained. Interactions of HFI and gender and HFI and free/reduced-price school lunch were not significant. HFI was associated with increased risk of parent-reported MH problems among both male and female adolescents. Free/reduced-price school lunch did not significantly alter this relationship. Effective interventions to promote MH and reduce HFI among adolescents are necessary. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing impact of mental health presentations on New South Wales public hospital emergency departments 1999-2006.

PubMed

Tankel, Alan S; Di Palma, Matthew J; Kramer, Kathy M; van der Zwan, Rick

2011-12-01

The percentage of mental health (MH) presentations to New South Wales (NSW) EDs in recent years has not been described at the statewide level. Evidence from other states suggests this burden might be increasing. The present study aims to evaluate recent trends in MH presentations to NSW EDs, including geographic variations and the spectrum of MH disorders encountered. Data were sourced from the NSW Emergency Department Data Collection, which collates information from routine reporting undertaken in all NSW EDs. The database employs ICD-9 diagnostic descriptors. The present study retrospectively analyses presentations from 1999 to 2006 for patients who received an MH primary discharge diagnosis, as defined by ICD-9. In addition, rates of presentation for poisoning are considered. The percentage of MH presentations to the three largest hospital categories--principal referral, major metropolitan and rural base (i.e. major non-metropolitan)--is examined. During 1999 and 2006, there were 9,013,357 ED presentations at the study sites. Of these, 3.22% received an MH primary discharge diagnosis. An additional 0.93% received a diagnosis of poisoning. In 2006, there were 15,262 more MH presentations than in 1999, a 49.78% increase. Over this period, total annual ED presentations increased by 201,763 (19.30%). General population growth was 6.31%. Across the state, 32.0% of MH presentations were for psychotic conditions and 68.0% for neurotic illnesses. Mental health presentations to NSW EDs are increasing. There is a need to review emergency services to accommodate these changes. The reasons for this growth remain unclear and require formal prospective evaluation. © 2011 The Authors. EMA © 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

For Better or Worse? Change in Service Use by Children Investigated by Child Welfare Over a Decade.

PubMed

Stein, Ruth E K; Hurlburt, Michael S; Heneghan, Amy M; Zhang, Jinjin; Kerker, Bonnie; Landsverk, John; Horwitz, Sarah McCue

2016-04-01

Children, particularly minority children, referred to child welfare because of suspected maltreatment are vulnerable and need many services. We sought to assess whether service use has improved over the past decade and whether racial-ethnic disparities in service use have decreased. We used 2 national data sets (the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being [NSCAW] I and II) collected a decade apart to assess changes over time in health, education, mental health (MH), and dental services and overall service use. In NSCAW II more children were young, had lower Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores, and were Hispanic. We found significant increases in dental services, a decrease in special education services, and a decrease in MH services on the bivariate level (all P < .01). A large proportion of the change in MH services occurred in school settings, but the pattern continued when examining only those services delivered outside of school. The greatest decrease occurred for children with CBCL scores <64. However, in multivariate analyses, older children, white non-Hispanic children, and children placed out of the home were significantly more likely to receive MH services. Rates of MH services controlling for CBCL scores showed no improvement over the decade, nor was there a decrease in racial and ethnic disparities. These data showed no change in MH services over time for children referred for child welfare evaluation, but improvement in dental services was noted. Racial and ethnic disparities persist. Decrease in MH services occurred predominantly among children whose MH symptoms were below the clinical range. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implications of National Anesthesia Workload on the Staffing of a Call Center: The Malignant Hyperthermia Consultant Hotline.

PubMed

Dexter, Franklin; Rosenberg, Henry; Epstein, Richard H; Semo, Judith Jurin; Litman, Ronald S

2015-08-01

Recently, we analyzed data from the American Society of Anesthesiologist's (ASA) Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI) to report the United States (U.S.) anesthesia workload by time of day and day of the week. The AQI data were reported using the Central Time zone. Times for the N = 613 calls to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Hotline from August 1, 2012, through March 7, 2014, were adjusted similarly. The MH Hotline effectively provides at all times to each anesthesia group an additional board-certified anesthesiologist who has expertise in managing, diagnosing, and/or preventing MH crises. We compared the timing of calls with the MH Hotline consultants relative to times of most anesthesia workload nationally. The interval 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM Central Time on regular workdays accounted for most (P < 0.0001) calls to the MH Hotline (62.5% ± 2.0% [mean ± standard error]). However, the interval accounted for significantly less than the 82.2% of anesthesia minutes and 84.5% of general anesthesia minutes during that interval nationally (both P < 0.0001). Thus, most calls to the MH Hotline occurred when anesthesia groups nationwide were the busiest. Weekends accounted for 15.3% ± 1.5% of MH Hotline calls, significantly greater than the rates of 5.2% of anesthesia minutes and 4.3% of general anesthesia minutes during weekends nationally (both P < 0.0001). Thus, the MH Hotline was used proportionately more often when anesthesia providers have fewer colleagues present and available for consultation (all P < 0.0001). These findings may be expected of other (future) national support centers for anesthesia.

The impact of targeted Rheumatoid Arthritis pharmacological treatment on mental health: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

PubMed

Matcham, Faith; Galloway, James; Hotopf, Matthew; Roberts, Emmert; Scott, Ian C; Steer, Sophia; Norton, Sam

2018-06-06

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) pharmacotherapy may impact mental health (MH) outcomes by improving pain and stiffness; and potentially via targeting inflammatory processes common to RA and depression. The objectives of this review were to i) ascertain the frequency of MH assessment in RA pharmacotherapy trials; ii) quantify the efficacy of RA pharmacotherapy efficacy on MH outcomes; iii) explore the clinical and demographic factors related to MH outcomes. CENTRAL, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Medline, Embase and CINAHL were systematically searched from inception to March 2017 for randomised trials of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in adult RA patients. The primary outcome was MH; self-reported physical health was extracted as a secondary outcome. Pairwise meta-analysis (PMA) created pooled effect sizes and 95%CIs for comparisons of all treatments versus comparators (active or placebo). Network meta-analysis (NMA) provided effect size estimates of targeted biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) versus conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) using indirect comparisons of different treatment modalities. 71 eligible studies were identified. 57 studies were included in the PMA, representing 23,535 patients. bDMARDs showed small effects on MH (standardised mean difference (SMD) versus csDMARDs = 0.19 to 0.30), and moderate effects on self-reported physical health (SMD versus csDMARDs = 0.46 to 0.50), with NMA determining no significant differences in effectiveness between bDMARD mode of action on either outcome. Effective pharmacotherapy alone is unlikely to substantially improve MH outcomes for most RA patients. Integrated MH care provided within routine clinical practice is essential to optimise mental and physical health outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A qualitative study examining the benefits and challenges of incorporating patient-reported outcome substance use and mental health questionnaires into clinical practice to improve outcomes on the HIV care continuum.

PubMed

Monroe, Anne K; Jabour, Sarah M; Peña, Sebastian; Keruly, Jeanne C; Moore, Richard D; Chander, Geetanjali; Riekert, Kristin A

2018-06-07

Inadequate identification and treatment of substance use (SU) and mental health (MH) disorders hinders retention in HIV care. The objective of this study was to elicit stakeholder input on integration of SU/MH screening using computer-assisted patient-reported outcomes (PROs) into clinical practice. We conducted semi-structured interviews with HIV-positive patients who self-reported SU/MH symptoms on a computer-assisted PROs (n = 19) and HIV primary care providers (n = 11) recruited from an urban academic HIV clinic. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. We iteratively developed codes and organized key themes using editing style analysis. Two themes emerged: (1) Honest Disclosure: Some providers felt PROs might improve SU/MH disclosure; more were concerned that patients would not respond honestly if their provider saw the results. Patients were also divided, stating PROs could help overcome stigma but that it could be harder to disclose SU/MH to a computer versus a live person. (2) Added Value in the Clinical Encounter: Most providers felt PROs would fill a practice gap. Patients had concerns regarding confidentiality but indicated PROs would help providers take better care of them. Both patients and providers indicated that PROs are potentially useful clinical tools to improve detection of SU/MH. However, patients and providers expressed conflicting viewpoints about disclosure of SU/MH using computerized PROs. Future studies implementing PROs screening interventions must assess concerns over confidentiality and honest disclosure of SU/MH to understand the effectiveness of PROs as a clinical tool. More research is also needed on patient-centered integration of the results of PROs in HIV care.

Sperm competition, but not major histocompatibility divergence, drives differential fertilization success between alternative reproductive tactics in Chinook salmon.

PubMed

Lehnert, S J; Helou, L; Pitcher, T E; Heath, J W; Heath, D D

2018-01-01

Post-copulatory sexual selection processes, including sperm competition and cryptic female choice (CFC), can operate based on major histocompatibility (MH) genes. We investigated sperm competition between male alternative reproductive tactics [jack (sneaker) and hooknose (guard)] of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Using a full factorial design, we examined in vitro competitive fertilization success of paired jack and hooknose males at three time points after sperm activation (0, 15 and 60 s) to test for male competition, CFC and time effects on male fertilization success. We also examined egg-mediated CFC at two MH genes by examining both the relationship between competitive fertilization success and MH divergence as well as inheritance patterns of MH alleles in resulting offspring. We found that jacks sired more offspring than hooknose males at 0 s post-activation; however, jack fertilization success declined over time post-activation, suggesting a trade-off between sperm speed and longevity. Enhanced fertilization success of jacks (presumably via higher sperm quality) may serve to increase sneaker tactic competitiveness relative to dominant hooknose males. We also found evidence of egg-mediated CFC (i.e. female × male interaction) influencing competitive fertilization success; however, CFC was not acting on the MH genes as we found no relationship between fertilization success and MH II β 1 or MH I α 1 divergence and we found no deviations from Mendelian inheritance of MH alleles in the offspring. Our study provides insight into evolutionary mechanisms influencing variation in male mating success within alternative reproductive tactics, thus underscoring different strategies that males can adopt to attain success. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

NATO’s Northeastern Flank: Emerging Opportunities for Engagement

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that...styled Islamic State, all of the allies currently most likely to call for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military action by invoking Article 5...Ministry of Defense MODCR Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NBG Nordic Battlegroup NCO

Life-Cycle Analysis of Aircraft Turbine Engines

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-01

actual experience. Mixed but promisng results were obtained in modeling ownership costs for military engines. Depot maintenance costs were more...Acquisition Experience, The Rand Corporation, RM-6072-PR, November 1969. System Acquisition Stategies , The Rand Corporation, R-733-PR/ARPA, June 1971. 98...Paris, 1971I. Phillips. Almarin, Technology and Market Structure, IA•xington Books, D.C. Heath and Company, Lexington, Mass.. 1971. A Position Paper on

Annual Report 2011-2012 (RAND National Security Research Division)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Charles Nemfakos, Chad J . R . Ohlandt, Caroline Reilly, Rena Rudavsky, Jerry M . Sollinger, Katharine Watkins Webb, and Carolyn Wong, MG-1171/1-OSD...Assessment of Marine Corps Intelligence, Christopher Paul, Harry J . Thie, Katharine Watkins Webb, Stephanie Young, Colin P . Clarke, Susan G . Straus...counterinsurgency campaign. For more information, see Reintegrating Afghan Insurgents, Seth G . Jones, OP-327-MCIA, 2011 . Online at www .rand .org/pubs

Measuring Underemployment Among Military Spouses

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

military wives in their distribu- tion of age, citizenship, race, education , parental status, potential expe- rience, region of residence, and whether or...that the “look-alike” civilians are similar to the military wives in age, citi- zenship, race, education , parental status, experience, recent moving...available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY

Analysis to Inform Defense Planning Despite Austerity

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

available from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND...xvii S.3. Cost-Effectiveness Landscape , by Strategic Perspective . . . . . . xxiii 1.1. Problems Go Far Beyond Fiscal Constraints...objectives for each regional and functional area, as well as such cross-cutting challenges as simul - taneous conflicts. It might also have different

Applying Rapid Acquisition Policy Lessons for Defense Innovation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-21

51 Applying Rapid Acquisition Policy Lessons for Defense Innovation Jonathan Wong Abstract: With the Department of Defense’s (DOD) recent focus on ...finds that DOD can incorporate innovation practices by dispersing organizations focused on new capabilities development across the agency to avoid...adjunct political scientist at the Rand Corporation. His research focuses on the intersection of new technology and defense acquisition. Prior to Rand

Validation of Portuguese version of Quality of Erection Questionnaire (QEQ) and comparison to International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and RAND 36-Item Health Survey

PubMed Central

Reis, Ana Luiza; Reis, Leonardo Oliveira; Saade, Ricardo Destro; Santos, Carlos Alberto; de Lima, Marcelo Lopes; Fregonesi, Adriano

2015-01-01

Purpose To validate the Quality of Erection Questionnaire (QEQ) considering Brazilian social-cultural aspects. Materials and Methods To determine equivalence between the Portuguese and the English QEQ versions, the Portuguese version was back-translated by two professors who are native English speakers. After language equivalence had been determined, urologists considered the QEQ Portuguese version suitable. Men with self-reported erectile dysfunction (ED) and infertile men who had a stable sexual relationship for at least 6 months were invited to answer the QEQ, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36). The questionnaires were presented together and answered without help in a private room. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), test-retest reliability (Spearman), convergent validity (Spearman correlation) coefficients and known-groups validity (the ability of the QEQ Portuguese version to differentiate erectile dysfunction severity groups) were assessed. Results We recruited 197 men (167 ED patients and 30 non-ED patients), mean age of 53.3 and median of 55.5 years (23-82 years). The Portuguese version of the QEQ had high internal consistency (Cronbach α=0.93), high stability between test and retest (ICC 0.83, with IC 95%: 0.76-0.88, p<0.001) and Spearman correlation coefficient r=0.82 (p<0.001), which demonstrated the high correlation between the QEQ and IIEF results. The correlations between the QEQ and RAND-36 were significantly low in ED (r=0.20, p=0.01) and non-ED patients (r=0.37, p=0.04). Conclusion The QEQ Portuguese version presented good psychometric properties and high convergent validity in relation to IIEF. The low correlations between the QEQ and the RAND-36, as well as between the IIEF and the RAND-36 indicated IIEF and QEQ specificity, which may have resulted from the patients’ psychological adaptations that minimized the impact of ED on Quality of Life (QoL) and reestablished the well-being feeling. PMID:25928522

Novel skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor mutation in a large Brazilian family with malignant hyperthermia.

PubMed

McWilliams, S; Nelson, T; Sudo, R T; Zapata-Sudo, G; Batti, M; Sambuughin, N

2002-07-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an autosomal dominant disorder that predisposes susceptible individuals to a potentially life-threatening crisis when exposed to commonly used anesthetics. Mutations in the skeletal muscle calcium release channel, ryanodine receptor (RYR1) are associated with MH in over 50% of affected families. Linkage analysis of the RYR1 gene region at 19q13 was performed in a large Brazilian family and a distinct disease co-segregating haplotype was revealed in the majority of members with diagnosis of MH. Subsequent sequencing of RYR1 mutational hot spots revealed a nucleotide substitution of C to T at position 7062, causing a novel amino acid change from Arg2355 to Cys associated with MH in the family. Haplotype analysis of the RYR1 gene area at 19q13 in the family with multiple MH members is an important tool in identification of genetic cause underlying this disease.

A novel network module for medical devices.

PubMed

Chen, Ping-Yu

2008-01-01

In order to allow medical devices to upload the vital signs to a server on a network without manually configuring for end-users, a new network module is proposed. The proposed network module, called Medical Hub (MH), functions as a bridge to fetch the data from all connecting medical devices, and then upload these data to the server. When powering on, the MH can immediately establish network configuration automatically. Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal is also supported by the MH with the UPnP Internet Gateway Device (IGD) methodology. Besides the network configuration, other configuration in the MH is automatically established by using the remote management protocol TR-069. On the other hand, a mechanism for updating software automatically according to the variant connected medical device is proposed. With this mechanism, newcome medical devices can be detected and supported by the MH without manual operation.

Design of a 10.8 kWh, 28V Ni-MH Battery Using Commercial Ni-MH Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hellen, Robert M.; Darcy, Eric C.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the design of a 10.8 kWh, 28V, Ni-MH battery using commercial off-the shelf (COTS) 4/3A Ni-MH cells for the X-38 vehicle, an experimental version of the Crew Return Vehicle (CRY). This will be an autonomous vehicle that will enable International Space Station crews to return to earth in the event of a medical, or other, emergency. The X-38 will be powered by 3 batteries: a 32 V primary battery, which will power the vehicle avionics for up to 7 hours for a loiter and de-orbit phase of the descent; a 28 V Ni-MH battery which will take over for the primary battery after de-orbit until landing, and a 270V Ni-Cd battery, which will be used to power electromechanical actuators and the winches controlling a parachute for landing.

Development of nickel-metal hydride cell: An update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuwajima, S.; Kusawake, Hiroaki; Nakatani, Kensuke; Yano, Y.

1994-01-01

This paper presents in viewgraph format an overview of NASDA's evaluation of commercial nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) cells and the development and testing of Ni-MH cells for use in space. The commercial cells are concluded to be feasible and suitable for use in LEO; for GEO, the durability for overcharge is needed because long-term charge retention is required. For the aerospace Ni-MH cell design, two activation procedures are applied to evaluate the effect of the difference in the amount of overcharge protection and precharge. Specific energy of the Ni-MH cell is nearly accomplished at 50 Wh/kg. Initial characteristics indicate the effect derived from precharge. Thirty-five amp-hour class Ni-MH cells have good performance for LEO cycle of 25 and 40 percent DOD up to 3000 cycles as similar to commercial cells. The effect of the difference in the amount of overcharge protection will appear in life test.

Getting stuck in the blues: persistence of mental health problems in Australia.

PubMed

Roy, John; Schurer, Stefanie

2013-09-01

Do episodes of mental health (MH) problems cause future MH problems, and if yes, how strong are these dynamics? We quantify the degree of persistence in MH problems using nationally representative, longitudinal data from Australia and system generalized method of moments (GMM), and correlated random effects approaches are applied to separate true from spurious state dependence. Our results suggest only a moderate degree of persistence in MH problems when assuming that persistence is constant across the MH distribution once individual-specific heterogeneity is accounted for. However, individuals who fell once below a threshold that indicates an episode of depression are up to five times more likely to experience such a low score again a year later, indicating a strong element of state dependence in depression. Low income is a strong risk factor in state dependence for both men and women, which has important policy implications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Registered Replication Report: Rand, Greene, and Nowak (2012).

PubMed

Bouwmeester, S; Verkoeijen, P P J L; Aczel, B; Barbosa, F; Bègue, L; Brañas-Garza, P; Chmura, T G H; Cornelissen, G; Døssing, F S; Espín, A M; Evans, A M; Ferreira-Santos, F; Fiedler, S; Flegr, J; Ghaffari, M; Glöckner, A; Goeschl, T; Guo, L; Hauser, O P; Hernan-Gonzalez, R; Herrero, A; Horne, Z; Houdek, P; Johannesson, M; Koppel, L; Kujal, P; Laine, T; Lohse, J; Martins, E C; Mauro, C; Mischkowski, D; Mukherjee, S; Myrseth, K O R; Navarro-Martínez, D; Neal, T M S; Novakova, J; Pagà, R; Paiva, T O; Palfi, B; Piovesan, M; Rahal, R-M; Salomon, E; Srinivasan, N; Srivastava, A; Szaszi, B; Szollosi, A; Thor, K Ø; Tinghög, G; Trueblood, J S; Van Bavel, J J; van 't Veer, A E; Västfjäll, D; Warner, M; Wengström, E; Wills, J; Wollbrant, C E

2017-05-01

In an anonymous 4-person economic game, participants contributed more money to a common project (i.e., cooperated) when required to decide quickly than when forced to delay their decision (Rand, Greene & Nowak, 2012), a pattern consistent with the social heuristics hypothesis proposed by Rand and colleagues. The results of studies using time pressure have been mixed, with some replication attempts observing similar patterns (e.g., Rand et al., 2014) and others observing null effects (e.g., Tinghög et al., 2013; Verkoeijen & Bouwmeester, 2014). This Registered Replication Report (RRR) assessed the size and variability of the effect of time pressure on cooperative decisions by combining 21 separate, preregistered replications of the critical conditions from Study 7 of the original article (Rand et al., 2012). The primary planned analysis used data from all participants who were randomly assigned to conditions and who met the protocol inclusion criteria (an intent-to-treat approach that included the 65.9% of participants in the time-pressure condition and 7.5% in the forced-delay condition who did not adhere to the time constraints), and we observed a difference in contributions of -0.37 percentage points compared with an 8.6 percentage point difference calculated from the original data. Analyzing the data as the original article did, including data only for participants who complied with the time constraints, the RRR observed a 10.37 percentage point difference in contributions compared with a 15.31 percentage point difference in the original study. In combination, the results of the intent-to-treat analysis and the compliant-only analysis are consistent with the presence of selection biases and the absence of a causal effect of time pressure on cooperation.

Registered Replication Report: Rand, Greene, and Nowak (2012)

PubMed Central

Bouwmeester, S.; Verkoeijen, P. P. J. L.; Aczel, B.; Barbosa, F.; Bègue, L.; Brañas-Garza, P.; Chmura, T. G. H.; Cornelissen, G.; Døssing, F. S.; Espín, A. M.; Evans, A. M.; Ferreira-Santos, F.; Fiedler, S.; Flegr, J.; Ghaffari, M.; Glöckner, A.; Goeschl, T.; Guo, L.; Hauser, O. P.; Hernan-Gonzalez, R.; Herrero, A.; Horne, Z.; Houdek, P.; Johannesson, M.; Koppel, L.; Kujal, P.; Laine, T.; Lohse, J.; Martins, E. C.; Mauro, C.; Mischkowski, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Myrseth, K. O. R.; Navarro-Martínez, D.; Neal, T. M. S.; Novakova, J.; Pagà, R.; Paiva, T. O.; Palfi, B.; Piovesan, M.; Rahal, R.-M.; Salomon, E.; Srinivasan, N.; Srivastava, A.; Szaszi, B.; Szollosi, A.; Thor, K. Ø.; Tinghög, G.; Trueblood, J. S.; Van Bavel, J. J.; van ‘t Veer, A. E.; Västfjäll, D.; Warner, M.; Wengström, E.; Wills, J.; Wollbrant, C. E.

2017-01-01

In an anonymous 4-person economic game, participants contributed more money to a common project (i.e., cooperated) when required to decide quickly than when forced to delay their decision (Rand, Greene & Nowak, 2012), a pattern consistent with the social heuristics hypothesis proposed by Rand and colleagues. The results of studies using time pressure have been mixed, with some replication attempts observing similar patterns (e.g., Rand et al., 2014) and others observing null effects (e.g., Tinghög et al., 2013; Verkoeijen & Bouwmeester, 2014). This Registered Replication Report (RRR) assessed the size and variability of the effect of time pressure on cooperative decisions by combining 21 separate, preregistered replications of the critical conditions from Study 7 of the original article (Rand et al., 2012). The primary planned analysis used data from all participants who were randomly assigned to conditions and who met the protocol inclusion criteria (an intent-to-treat approach that included the 65.9% of participants in the time-pressure condition and 7.5% in the forced-delay condition who did not adhere to the time constraints), and we observed a difference in contributions of −0.37 percentage points compared with an 8.6 percentage point difference calculated from the original data. Analyzing the data as the original article did, including data only for participants who complied with the time constraints, the RRR observed a 10.37 percentage point difference in contributions compared with a 15.31 percentage point difference in the original study. In combination, the results of the intent-to-treat analysis and the compliant-only analysis are consistent with the presence of selection biases and the absence of a causal effect of time pressure on cooperation. PMID:28475467

Comparing the Rates of Early Childhood Victimization across Sexual Orientations: Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Mostly Heterosexual.

PubMed

Zou, Christopher; Andersen, Judith P

2015-01-01

Few studies have examined the rates of childhood victimization among individuals who identify as "mostly heterosexual" (MH) in comparison to other sexual orientation groups. For the present study, we utilized a more comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences to extend prior literature by examining if MH individuals' experience of victimization more closely mirrors that of sexual minority individuals or heterosexuals. Heterosexual (n = 422) and LGB (n = 561) and MH (n = 120) participants were recruited online. Respondents completed surveys about their adverse childhood experiences, both maltreatment by adults (e.g., childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and childhood household dysfunction) and peer victimization (i.e., verbal and physical bullying). Specifically, MH individuals were 1.47 times more likely than heterosexuals to report childhood victimization experiences perpetrated by adults. These elevated rates were similar to LGB individuals. Results suggest that rates of victimization of MH groups are more similar to the rates found among LGBs, and are significantly higher than heterosexual groups. Our results support prior research that indicates that an MH identity falls within the umbrella of a sexual minority, yet little is known about unique challenges that this group may face in comparison to other sexual minority groups.

Characterization of spent nickel-metal hydride batteries and a preliminary economic evaluation of the recovery processes.

PubMed

Lin, Sheng-Lun; Huang, Kuo-Lin; Wang, I-Ching; Chou, I-Cheng; Kuo, Yi-Ming; Hung, Chung-Hsien; Lin, Chitsan

2016-03-01

Valuable metal materials can be recovered from spent nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. However, little attention has been paid to the metal compositions of individual components of NiMH batteries, although this is important for the selection of the appropriate recycling process. In this study, NiMH batteries were manually disassembled to identify the components and to characterize the metals in each of these. A preliminary economic analysis was also conducted to evaluate the recovery of valuable metals from spent NiMH batteries using thermal melting versus simple mechanical separation. The results of this study show that metallic components account for more than 60% of battery weight. The contents of Ni, Fe, Co, and rare earth elements (REEs) (i.e., valuable metals of interest for recovery) in a single battery were 17.9%, 15.4%, 4.41%, and 17.3%, respectively. Most of the Fe was in the battery components of the steel cathode collector, cathode cap, and anode metal grid, while Ni (>90%) and Co (>90%) were mainly in the electrode active materials (anode and cathode metal powders). About 1.88 g of REEs (Ce, La, and Y) could be obtained from one spent NiMH battery. The estimated profits from recovering valuable metals from spent NiMH batteries by using thermal melting and mechanical processes are 2,329 and 2,531 USD/ton, respectively, when including a subsidy of 1,710 USD/ton. The findings of this study are very useful for further research related to technical and economic evaluations of the recovery of valuable metals from spent NiMH batteries. The spent nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries were manually disassembled and their components were identified. The metals account for more than 60% of battery weight, when Ni, Fe, Co, and rare earth elements (REEs) were 17.9%, 15.4%, 4.41%, and 17.3%, respectively, in a single battery. The estimated profits of recovering valuable metals from NiMH batteries by using thermal melting and mechanical processing are 2,329 and 2,531 USD/ton, respectively, when including a subsidy of 1,710 USD/ton. These findings are very useful to develop or select the recovery methods of valuable metals from spent NiMH batteries.

The Madagascar hissing cockroach as a novel surrogate host for Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. mallei and B. thailandensis.

PubMed

Fisher, Nathan A; Ribot, Wilson J; Applefeld, Willard; DeShazer, David

2012-06-22

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are gram-negative pathogens responsible for the diseases melioidosis and glanders, respectively. Both species cause disease in humans and animals and have been designated as category B select agents by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Burkholderia thailandensis is a closely related bacterium that is generally considered avirulent for humans. While it can cause disease in rodents, the B. thailandensis 50% lethal dose (LD50) is typically ≥ 104-fold higher than the B. pseudomallei and B. mallei LD50 in mammalian models of infection. Here we describe an alternative to mammalian hosts in the study of virulence and host-pathogen interactions of these Burkholderia species. Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MH cockroaches) possess a number of qualities that make them desirable for use as a surrogate host, including ease of breeding, ease of handling, a competent innate immune system, and the ability to survive at 37°C. MH cockroaches were highly susceptible to infection with B. pseudomallei, B. mallei and B. thailandensis and the LD50 was <10 colony-forming units (cfu) for all three species. In comparison, the LD50 for Escherichia coli in MH cockroaches was >105 cfu. B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, and B. thailandensis cluster 1 type VI secretion system (T6SS-1) mutants were all attenuated in MH cockroaches, which is consistent with previous virulence studies conducted in rodents. B. pseudomallei mutants deficient in the other five T6SS gene clusters, T6SS-2 through T6SS-6, were virulent in both MH cockroaches and hamsters. Hemocytes obtained from MH cockroaches infected with B. pseudomallei harbored numerous intracellular bacteria, suggesting that this facultative intracellular pathogen can survive and replicate inside of MH cockroach phagocytic cells. The hemolymph extracted from these MH cockroaches also contained multinuclear giant cells (MNGCs) with intracellular B. pseudomallei, which indicates that infected hemocytes can fuse while flowing through the insect's open circulatory system in vivo. The results demonstrate that MH cockroaches are an attractive alternative to mammals to study host-pathogen interactions and may allow the identification of new Burkholderia virulence determinants. The importance of T6SS-1 as a virulence factor in MH cockroaches and rodents suggests that the primary role of this secretion system is to target evasion of the innate immune system.

Attitude orientation control for a spinning satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, Gerald

The Department of the Air Force, Headquarters Space Systems Division, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are currently involved in litigation with Hughes Aircraft Company over the alledged infringement of the 'Williams patent,' which describes a method for attitude control of a spin-stabilized vehicle. Summarized here is pre-1960 RAND work on this subject and information obtained from RAND personnel knowledgeable on this subject. It was concluded that there is no RAND documentation that directly parallels the 'Williams patent' concept. Also, the TIROS II magnetic torque attitude control method is reviewed. The TIROS II meteorological satellite, launched on November 23, 1960, incorporated a magnetic actuation system for spin axis orientation control. The activation system was ground controlled to orient the satellite spin axis to obtain the desired pointing direction for optical and infrared sensor subsystems.

Infection, Reproduction Potential, and Root Galling by Root-knot Nematode Species and Concomitant Populations on Peanut and Tobacco

PubMed Central

Hirunsalee, Anan; Barker, K. R.; Beute, M. K.

1995-01-01

Single populations of Meloidogyne arenaria races 1 (MA1) and 2 (MA2) and M. hapla (MH), and mixed populations of MA1 + MA2 and MA1 + MH with four inoculum levels of eggs were tested on peanut cv. 'Florigiant' and M. incognita-resistant tobacco cv. 'McNair 373' in a greenhouse experiment. Root infection, female development, and reproduction of MA2 on peanut and MA1 on resistant tobacco were limited at 2 and 6 weeks. MA1, MH, and MA1 + MH on peanut had similar root infection (total parasitic forms per root unit) at both 2 and 6 weeks, and similar female development and reproduction potentials at 6 weeks. MA2 tended to depress root infection, female development, and reproduction of MA1 on peanut. MH had little effect on MA1 on this crop. On tobacco, MA2 population had greater incidence of root infection than did MH at 2 weeks. The two nematode species had similar development in roots at 6 weeks. All of these processes were restricted when either MA2 or MH was present together with MA1. As initial inoculum level of parasitically fit populations increased, relative infection ratio on both peanut and tobacco, and reproduction factor on peanut decreased. Populations that had high infection incidence and reproduction rates induced greater root galling than did other populations. Root galling was suppressed in the presence of antagonistic response between nematode populations. PMID:19277277

Electrochemical OFF-ON ratiometric chemodosimeters for the selective and rapid detection of fluoride.

PubMed

Mani, Veerappan; Li, Wen-Yung; Gu, Jiun-An; Lin, Chun-Mao; Huang, Sheng-Tung

2015-01-01

We have described two "OFF-ON electrochemical latent ratiometric redox chemodosimeters", 1,4-Bis(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)benzene (H2Q') and 1,4-Bis (tert-butyldimet hylsiloxy)-2-methoxybenzene (MH2Q') for the selective detection of inorganic fluoride. The electrochemical signals of hydroquinone (H2Q) and o-methoxy hydroquinone (MH2Q) within this latent redox probes (H2Q' and MH2Q') were completely masked by protecting their hydroxyl group as silylether (OFF state). The externally added fluoride ions triggered the deprotection of H2Q' and MH2Q' and unmasked the electrochemical properties of H2Q and MH2Q respectively. The electrochemical reporters (H2Q and MH2Q) presented a pair of redox peaks at the electrode surface (ON state) and the peak currents are linearly dependent with the concentration of fluoride which leading to the ratiometric detection of fluoride. The limit of detection (signal-to-noise ratio=3) observed for the probes are 23.8 µM and 2.38 µM for H2Q' and MH2Q' respectively. The deprotection is highly selective for fluoride over other anions investigated. The probes are highly stable and the proposed approach offers rapid response time and promising practical applicability. The proposed strategy holds great promise for the commencement of new H2Q based electrochemical probes by tuning the electrochemical behavior of H2Q. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prospective randomized trial: outcomes of SF₆ versus C₃F₈ in macular hole surgery.

PubMed

Briand, Sophie; Chalifoux, Emmanuelle; Tourville, Eric; Bourgault, Serge; Caissie, Mathieu; Tardif, Yvon; Giasson, Marcelle; Boivin, Jocelyne; Blanchette, Caty; Cinq-Mars, Benoit

2015-04-01

To compare macular hole (MH) closure and visual acuity improvement after vitrectomy using SF6 versus C3F8 gas tamponade. The secondary purposes were to report the cumulative incidence of cataract development at 1 year after MH surgery and the proportion of complications. Prospective, randomized study. Thirty-one patients were prospectively randomized to the SF6 group and 28 patients to the C3F8 group. Preoperative data included MH minimum diameter, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), cataract staging, and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement. Postoperative data included optical coherence tomography confirmation of the closure at 6 weeks and 1 year, and ETDRS BCVA and cataract development/extraction, both 1 year after the MH surgery. Primary MH closure was achieved in 93.3% in the SF6 group and 92.9% in the C3F8 group. Mean ETDRS BCVA improved by 17.7 letters in the SF6 and 16.9 letters in the C3F8 group. The difference in cumulative incidence of cataract development and extraction between both groups was not statistically significant. Regardless of the dye used, similar results were achieved. Finally, the proportion of adverse events was similar in both groups. MH surgery with SF6 gas achieves results similar to C3F8 in terms of visual acuity improvement, MH closure, cataract development/extraction, and adverse events. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social and Contextual Influences on Mental Health Following an Episode of Mass Violence.

PubMed

Felix, Erika D; Moore, Stephanie A; Meskunas, Haley; Terzieva, Antoniya

2017-11-01

Few studies explore how the recovery context following an episode of mass violence affects posttragedy mental health (MH), despite clear implications for developing posttrauma supports. Following a mass murder, this prospective, longitudinal study examined how reactions to media coverage, family reactions, and disappointment in social support influenced posttragedy MH (posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety), above and beyond the influence of pretragedy MH, pretragedy victimization, and objective exposure. University students who participated in a study of college adjustment prior to the mass murder ( n = 593) were recontacted and provided information on their posttragedy life ( n = 142). Students ( n = 84) also responded to open-ended questions about what was the most stressful part of the tragedy and psychological effects of the mass murder. After accounting for pretragedy victimization and MH, and objective exposure to events, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that distress related to media coverage and stronger family reactions contributed to higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and anxiety, but not depression. Disappointment with social support was not significantly related to posttragedy MH. Common themes in student comments include grief, feeling vulnerable/unsafe, concern for the impact on others, stress related to media coverage, proximity to the events, changes in psychosocial adjustment, and returning to daily life. Results suggest that negative reactions to media coverage and family reactions that are overprotective or distressing negatively affect survivors' MH, beyond their objective exposure to the violence, pretragedy MH, and pretragedy victimization.

Mental Health Correlates of Cigarette Use in LGBT Individuals in the Southeastern United States.

PubMed

Drescher, Christopher F; Lopez, Eliot J; Griffin, James A; Toomey, Thomas M; Eldridge, Elizabeth D; Stepleman, Lara M

2018-05-12

Smoking prevalence for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals is higher than for heterosexual, cisgender individuals. Elevated smoking rates have been linked to psychiatric comorbidities, substance use, poverty, low education levels, and stress. This study examined mental health (MH) correlates of cigarette use in LGBT individuals residing in a metropolitan area in the southeastern United States. Participants were 335 individuals from an LGBT health needs assessment (mean age 34.7; SD = 13.5; 63% gay/lesbian; 66% Caucasian; 81% cisgender). Demographics, current/past psychiatric diagnoses, number of poor MH days in the last 30, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 2 depression screener, the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, and frequency of cigarette use were included. Analyses included bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression. Multiple demographic and MH factors were associated with smoker status and frequency of smoking. A logistic regression indicated that lower education and bipolar disorder were most strongly associated with being a smoker. For smokers, a hierarchical regression model including demographic and MH variables accounted for 17.6% of the variance in frequency of cigarette use. Only education, bipolar disorder, and the number of poor MH days were significant contributors in the overall model. Conclusions/Importance: Less education, bipolar disorder, and recurrent poor MH increase LGBT vulnerability to cigarette use. Access to LGBT-competent MH providers who can address culturally specific factors in tobacco cessation is crucial to reducing this health disparities.

Assessing the U.S. Air Force Unified Engagement Building Partnerships Seminars

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY Report...Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, TR-907-AF, 2010. • Jennifer D. P. Moroney, Jefferson P. Marquis, Cathryn Quantic Thurston, and Gregory F. Treverton, A...15, 2010: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG868.html Moroney, Jennifer D. P., Jefferson P. Marquis, Cathryn Quantic Thurston, and Gregory F

Russia and the West After the Ukrainian Crisis: European Vulnerabilities to Russian Pressures

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions...North Atlan- tic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) member states to Russian military and economic pressures and to Russian influ...Nuclear Forces LNG liquefied natural gas NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization OIES Oxford Institute of Energy Studies PVV Party for Freedom (Partij voor

China in the Middle East: The Wary Dragon

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-05

use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization ...in Central Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Further west, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, located some distance away...2011 and 2013, and Yemen in 2015, all organized by PRC civilian ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but none of these—except Yemen

Assessing and Evaluating Department of Defense Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade: Worked Example

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to...permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the...world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do

The Extent of Restrictions on the Service of Active-Component Military Women

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND...EN engineman, GM gunner’s mate, IT information systems, ET electronics technician, FC fire control, LS logistics spe- cialist, and CS culinary ...sonar technician rating. Women in non–submarine- specific ratings, such as YN yeoman, CS culinary specialist, and LS logistics specialist, are

China: Domestic Change and Foreign Policy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

prepared for the RAND- Sejong Project on East Asia’s Potential for Instability and Crisis, February 1995. Political-Military Leadership Trends 15...prepared for the RAND- Sejong Project on East Asia’s Potential for Instability and Crisis, February 1995. Swaine, Michael D., "Strategic Appraisal... King , "Prospects for Democratization in China," Problems of Communism, Vol. 41, May-June 1992, pp. 58-70. Wolf, Charles, Jr., et al., Long-Term

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Seeking Commonality in Military Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

rand 2011 www.rand.org The Advantages and Disadvantages of Seeking Commonality in Military Equipment I ncreasingly, the Army and the Department...advantages and disadvantages of commonality and developed a decision aid to help Army policymakers manage these tradeoffs. The study drew upon...TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Advantages and Disadvantages of Seeking Commonality in Military Equipment 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM

Developing a Standard Update Process for the Army’s Annual MOS Availability Factors (AMAFs)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

as a public service of the RAND Corporation. 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND...HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND...RAND Arroyo Center View document details For More Information Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution Support

Counter-Attrition Programs in the United States Armed Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

the average pretest - posttest improvement of ART students on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test was 2.5 RGL. No comparison control group change scores...retraining programs, elaborate quasi - experimentation could be readily built Into the existing operational system. Every major installation has one or more...research on teach-n. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1963, pp. 171-246. Reprinted as Experimental and quasi - experimental designs for research. Chicago: Rand

Army Warfighters’ Forums Can Be Innovative and Successful

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

RAND ReseARch AReAs Children and Families eduCation and the arts energy and environment health and health Care inFrastruCture and transportation...rand 2011 www.rand.org Army Warfighters’ Forums Can Be Innovative and Successful T he U.S. Army fielded Stryker Brigades to fill the void...Army created the Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) Warfighters’ Forum , a networked and collaborative means of sharing information that leverages

Energy Security in the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

gas facility. Biomass can also be burned with coal (at volumes of up to 10 percent without affecting performance) to generate electricity.26 In...2008, coal-burning facilities substituted biomass for coal to generate 1.3 percent of electricity. 26. See David Ortiz and others, Near-Term...Opportunities for Integrat- ing Biomass into the U.S. Electricity Supply (Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND, 2011), www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/ TR984.html

The Role of Special and Incentive Pays in Retaining Military Mental Health Care Providers

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make... dental , optometry, veterinary, psychiatric nurse practitioner, and clinical or counseling psychology programs (GoArmy.com, no date). It pays school...reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please

Evaluating the Impact of the Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is... CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND...images: © Jezper, Fotolia.com © Copyright 2014 RAND Corporation This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation

Translating E-Mental Health Into Practice: What Are the Barriers and Enablers to E-Mental Health Implementation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professionals?

PubMed

Bennett-Levy, James; Singer, Judy; DuBois, Simon; Hyde, Kelly

2017-01-11

With increasing evidence for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions for enhancing mental health and well-being, a growing challenge is how to translate promising research findings into service delivery contexts. A 2012 e-mental health initiative by the Australian Federal Government (eMHPrac) has sought to address the issue through several strategies, one of which has been to train different health professional workforces in e-mental health (e-MH). The aim of the study was to report on the barriers and enablers of e-MH uptake in a cohort of predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals (21 Indigenous, 5 non-Indigenous) who occupied mainly support or case management roles within their organizations. A 3- or 2-day e-MH training program was followed by up to 5 consultation sessions (mean 2.4 sessions) provided by the 2 trainers. The trainer-consultants provided written reports on each of the 30 consultation sessions for 7 consultation groups. They were also interviewed as part of the study. The written reports and interview data were thematically analyzed by 2 members of the research team. Uptake of e-MH among the consultation group was moderate (22%-30% of participants). There were significant organizational barriers to uptake resulting from procedural and administrative problems, demanding workloads, prohibitive policies, and a lack of fit between the organizational culture and the introduction of new technologies. Personal barriers included participant beliefs about the applicability of e-MH to certain populations, and workers' lack of confidence and skills. However, enthusiastic managers and tech-savvy champions could provide a counter-balance as organizational enablers of e-MH; and the consultation sessions themselves appear to have enhanced skills and confidence, shifted attitudes to new technologies, and seeded a perception that e-MH could be a valuable health education resource. A conclusion from the program was that it was important to match e-MH training and resources to work roles. In the latter stages of the consultation sessions, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals responded very positively to YouTube video clips and apps with a health education dimension. Therapy-oriented apps and programs may fit less well within the scope of practice of some workforces, including this one. We suggest that researchers broaden their focus and definitions of e-MH and give rather more weight to e-MH's health education possibilities. Developing criteria for evaluating apps and YouTube videos may empower a rather greater section of health workforce to use e-MH with their clients. ©James Bennett-Levy, Judy Singer, Simon DuBois, Kelly Hyde. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.01.2017.

Effect of breed body size and the muscular hypertrophy gene in the production and carcass traits of concentrate-finished yearling bulls.

PubMed

Martínez, A; Aldai, N; Celaya, R; Osoro, K

2010-04-01

To examine the extent of the effect of muscular hypertrophy character in beef of northern-Spanish breeds, animal performance and carcass characteristics of 152 finishing steers from 5 genotypes were studied: 32 yearling bulls from a rustic Asturiana de la Montaña (AM) breed, 96 yearling bulls from Asturiana de los Valles (AV) breed, divided in 3 groups depending on the presence of the gene responsible for double-muscling (i.e., 32 AV mh/mh, 32 AV mh/+, 32 AV +/+), and 24 yearling bulls from AM x AV cross were used. Each genotype was composed of 8 animals per year (4 animals per pen) for 4 yr, except for the AM x AV genotype, which was only evaluated in the last 3 yr of the experiment. All animals were fed indoors with concentrate meal and barley straw ad libitum. Average daily gains in AV animals (1.41 kg/d) were greater (P < 0.01) than in AM (1.12 kg/d), whereas AM x AV were intermediate (1.29 kg/d) to these. No significant differences (P = 0.604) in ADG were found among the 3 AV genotypes. Longer fattening periods (P < 0.001) were taken for AM animals to reach acceptable BW at slaughter. Double-muscled animals (AV mh/mh) were found to have the best feed efficiencies when expressed as G:F (P < 0.001). However, residual feed intake calculated on a daily basis showed a greater efficiency in AV mh/mh and AM than in other genotypes. Carcasses from double-muscled animals had greater BW, yield, conformation and compactness index, and less fat cover than the other genotypes (P < 0.001). Carcasses from AM breed were the lightest and had the worst conformation, whereas those from AM x AV generally presented intermediate characteristics between AV and AM. Double-muscled animals had the greatest LM weight and area. The sixth-rib dissection revealed a greater percentage of muscle (84.6%) and decreased percentages of subcutaneous fat (1.1%), intermuscular fat (4.7%), bone (8.5%), and other tissues (1.2%) in AV mh/mh compared with other genotypes. Water-holding capacity was greatest in AM and least in AV mh/mh. In conclusion, double-muscled AV bulls would provide the greatest economic returns at intensive feeding systems because of their greater efficiency, reduced feeding costs, greater carcass weight and conformation, and greater lean yields, though some LM characteristics (reduced fat content and water-holding capacity) could negatively affect the sensory attributes of the meat compared with other genotypes with greater fatness.

Metastic Progression of Breast Cancer by Allelic Loss on Chromosome 18q21

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

Smad5 Smad2 Smad3 Smad8 Smad6 Samd7 MH1 Linker MH2 S1 S2 S3 Smad4 Smad1, Smad5 Samd2, Smad3 ,Smad8 Smad6,Smad7 ?? ?? A. B. Figure 1...homologous amino acid sequences at their N- and C- terminal regions (MH1 and MH2 respectively), which are separated by a highly divergent linker region...cancers (Figure 2). NB 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Smad8α Smad8β Smad8γ Smad3α Smad3 β NB 1 2 3 4 5

Hydrogen storage properties of nano-structural carbon and metal hydrides composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyaoka, Hiroki; Ichikawa, Takayuki; Isobe, Shigehito; Fujii, Hironobu

2006-08-01

Thermodynamic and structural properties of some ball-milled mixtures composed of the hydrogenated nanostructural carbon (C nanoH x) and metal hydride (MH; M=Li, Na, Mg and Ca) were examined from thermal desoroption mass spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, respectively. The results showed that the hydrogen desorption temperatures are significantly lowered from those of each hydride (C nanoH x, MH) in the composites. This indicates that a new type of interaction exists between C nanoH x and MH, which destabilizes C-H and/or M-H bonding as well. Therefore, the above Metal-C-H system would be recognized as a new family of hydrogen storage materials.

Transparent 'solution' of ultrathin magnesium hydroxide nanocrystals for flexible and transparent nanocomposite films.

PubMed

Wang, Jie-Xin; Sun, Qian; Chen, Bo; Wu, Xi; Zeng, Xiao-Fei; Zhang, Cong; Zou, Hai-Kui; Chen, Jian-Feng

2015-05-15

Transparent solutions of nanocrystals exhibit many unique properties, and are thus attractive materials for numerous applications. However, the synthesis of transparent nanocrystal solutions of magnesium hydroxide (MH) with wide applications is yet to be realized. Here, we report a facile two-step process, which includes a direct reactive precipitation in alcohol phase instead of aqueous phase combined with a successive surface modification, to prepare transparent alcohol solutions containing lamellar MH nanocrystals with an average size of 52 nm and an ultrathin thickness of 1-2 nm, which is the thinnest MH nanoplatelet reported in the literatures. Further, highly flexible and transparent nanocomposite films are fabricated with a solution mixing method by adding the transparent MH nanocrystal solutions into PVB solution. Considering the simplicity of the fabrication process, high transparency and good flexibility, this MH/polymer nanocomposite film is promising for flame-resistant applications in plastic electronics and optical devices with high transparency, such as flexible displays, optical filters, and flexible solar cells.

Comparison of ``AA`` nickel metal hydride cells with ``AA`` Ni-Cd cells

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

Alminauskas, V.; Johnson, W.

1996-12-31

This paper compares ``AA`` size nickel metal hydride (Ni-HM) cells with comparable ``AA;; nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) cells both of which were obtained in 1993. The Ni-MH cells were found to be a suitable substitute for conventional Ni-Cd cells. Both these cell types have similar voltages and discharge characteristics. The Ni-MH cells, though had nearly twice the capacity as comparable Ni-Cd cells. There was no significant difference in self discharge between the two types of cells. The Ni-MH cells also performed as well as Ni-Cd cells at rates lower than 5 amperes and at temperatures higher than 0 C (32 F).more » The most interesting finding is that the Ni-MH cells showed an irreversible decay of the discharge voltage with each cycle which was more noticeable during pulses. Eventually the Ni-MH packs fail, not because of loss of capacity, but because of low voltage during the pulse.« less

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can unmask hypertension in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

PubMed Central

Bacaksiz, Ahmet; Erdogan, Ercan; Sonmez, Osman; Sevgili, Emrah; Tasal, Abdurrahman; Onsun, Nahide; Topukcu, Bugce; Kulaç, Beytullah; Uysal, Omer; Goktekin, Omer

2013-01-01

Background Psoriasis vulgaris is one of the most prevalent chronic, inflammatory skin disorders. Patients with psoriasis have excess risk of essential hypertension. Masked hypertension (MH), defined as normal office blood pressure (BP) with elevated ambulatory BP (ABPM), has been drawing attention recently due to its association with increased risk of developing sustained hypertension, cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MH in psoriatic patients. Material/Methods On hundred and ten middle-aged, normotensive, non-obese patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 110 age- and sex-matched normotensive controls were included in the study. ABPM was performed in all participants over a 24-h period. The clinical severity of the disease was determined according to current indexes. Results The prevalence of MH among subjects with psoriasis vulgaris was 31.8% and increased compared to control subjects (p<0.01). Predictors of MH in patients with psoriasis vulgaris were detected as male sex, smoking, obesity-related anthropometric measures, and disease activity. Male sex, waist circumference, and diffuse psoriatic involvement were detected as independent predictors of MH. Conclusions MH is prevalent in patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Assessment with ABPM and close follow-up for development of hypertension is reasonable. PMID:23800996

Comparing the Rates of Early Childhood Victimization across Sexual Orientations: Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Mostly Heterosexual

PubMed Central

Zou, Christopher; Andersen, Judith P.

2015-01-01

Few studies have examined the rates of childhood victimization among individuals who identify as “mostly heterosexual” (MH) in comparison to other sexual orientation groups. For the present study, we utilized a more comprehensive assessment of adverse childhood experiences to extend prior literature by examining if MH individuals’ experience of victimization more closely mirrors that of sexual minority individuals or heterosexuals. Heterosexual (n = 422) and LGB (n = 561) and MH (n = 120) participants were recruited online. Respondents completed surveys about their adverse childhood experiences, both maltreatment by adults (e.g., childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and childhood household dysfunction) and peer victimization (i.e., verbal and physical bullying). Specifically, MH individuals were 1.47 times more likely than heterosexuals to report childhood victimization experiences perpetrated by adults. These elevated rates were similar to LGB individuals. Results suggest that rates of victimization of MH groups are more similar to the rates found among LGBs, and are significantly higher than heterosexual groups. Our results support prior research that indicates that an MH identity falls within the umbrella of a sexual minority, yet little is known about unique challenges that this group may face in comparison to other sexual minority groups. PMID:26444428

High temperature charging efficiency and degradation behavior of high capacity Ni-MH batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jeon; Kim, Joong

2001-02-01

Recently the Ni/MH secondary battery has been studied extensively to achieve higher energy density, longer cycle life and faster charging-discharging rate for electric vehicles and portable computers, and etc. In this work, the charging efficiency of the Ni-MH battery which uses Ni electrode with addition of various compounds and the degradation behavior of the 90Ah battery were studied. The battery using the Ni electrode with Ca(OH)2 addition showed the charging efficiency and the utilization ratio significantly better than electrodes without added compounds. After 418 cycles, the residual capacities at the Ni electrode showed nearly the same values in the upper, middle and lower regions. In the case of the MH electrode, the residual capacity in the upper region appeared lower than that in other regions. As a result of ICP analysis, the amount of dissolved elements in the three regions appeared almost the same. The faster degradation in the upper region of the MH electrode was caused by the TiO2 oxide film formed at the electrode surface because of overcharging. The thickness of the oxide film increases with cycling, so it will form a layer that is not able to allow hydrogen to penetrate into the MH electrode.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Utilization and Military Career Impact in the United States Marine Corps.

PubMed

Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan; LaCroix, Jessica M; Koss, Kari; Perera, Kanchana U; Rowan, Anderson; VanSickle, Marcus R; Novak, Laura A; Trieu, Theresa H

2018-04-23

Service members (SM) are at increased risk of psychiatric conditions, including suicide, yet research indicates SMs believe seeking mental health treatment may negatively impact their military careers, despite a paucity of research examining actual career impacts. This study examined the link between seeking outpatient mental health (MH) treatment and military career impacts within the United States Marine Corps. In Phase 1, a retrospective medical record review of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 38) was conducted. In Phase 2, a sample of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 40) was matched to a non-treatment-seeking sample of Marines ( N = 138) to compare career-progression. In Phase 1, there were no significant links between demographic, military, and clinical characteristics and referral source or receipt of career-affecting treatment recommendations. In Phase 2, MH treatment-seeking Marines in outpatient settings were more likely than matched controls to be separated from the military (95.0% versus 63.0%, p = 0.002), but no more likely to experience involuntary separation. MH treatment-seeking Marines were more likely to have documented legal action (45.0% versus 23.9%, p = 0.008) and had a shorter time of military service following the index MH encounter than matched controls ( p < 0.001). Clinical, anti-stigma, and suicide prevention policy implications are discussed.

Clinical study and stability assessment of a novel transcutaneous influenza vaccination using a dissolving microneedle patch.

PubMed

Hirobe, Sachiko; Azukizawa, Hiroaki; Hanafusa, Takaaki; Matsuo, Kazuhiko; Quan, Ying-Shu; Kamiyama, Fumio; Katayama, Ichiro; Okada, Naoki; Nakagawa, Shinsaku

2015-07-01

Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is an attractive vaccination method compared with conventional injectable vaccines because it is easier to administer without pain. We developed a dissolving microneedle patch (MicroHyala, MH) made of hyaluronic acid and showed that transcutaneous vaccination using MH induced a strong immune response against various antigens in mice. In the present study, we investigated the clinical safety and efficacy of a novel transcutaneous influenza vaccine using MH (flu-MH), which contains trivalent influenza hemagglutinins (15 μg each). Subjects of the TCI group were treated transcutaneously with flu-MH, and were compared with subjects who received subcutaneous injections of a solution containing 15 μg of each influenza antigen (SCI group). No severe local or systemic adverse events were detected in either group and immune responses against A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 strains were induced equally in the TCI and SCI groups. Moreover, the efficacy of the vaccine against the B strain in the TCI group was stronger than that in the SCI group. Influenza vaccination using MH is promising for practical use as an easy and effective method to replace conventional injections systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing mate choice and overdominance at MH in natural families of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

PubMed

Tentelier, C; Barroso-Gomila, O; Lepais, O; Manicki, A; Romero-Garmendia, I; Jugo, B M

2017-04-01

This study aimed to test mate choice and selection during early life stages on major histocompatibility (MH) genotype in natural families of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar spawners and juveniles, using nine microsatellites to reconstruct families, one microsatellite linked to an MH class I gene and one minisatellite linked to an MH class II gene. MH-based mate choice was only detected for the class I locus on the first year, with lower expected heterozygosity in the offspring of actually mated pairs than predicted under random mating. The genotype frequencies of MH-linked loci observed in the juveniles were compared with frequencies expected from Mendelian inheritance of parental alleles to detect selection during early life stages. No selection was detected on the locus linked to class I gene. For the locus linked to class II gene, observed heterozygosity was higher than expected in the first year and lower in the second year, suggesting overdominance and underdominance, respectively. Within family, juveniles' body size was linked to heterozygosity at the same locus, with longer heterozygotes in the first year and longer homozygotes in the second year. Selection therefore seems to differ from one locus to the other and from year to year. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Winning Bodies and Souls: State Building and the Necessity of Nationalism

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

the citizens that live within its territory. The RAND study, America’s Role in Nation Building: from Germany to Iraq, nicely encapsulates the...neglect of nationalism in the theory and practice of the state building when it blithely observes that:   What principally distinguishes Germany , Japan...Nation Building: From Germany to Iraq (Santa Monica: RAND, 2003), xix. 6 This argument views nation-building projects as primarily the result of what

Cheaper, Faster, Better? Commercial Approaches to Weapons Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

Heppenheimer , T. A ., Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1995. Holley, Irving B., Ideas and Weapons, New...DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A Approved for Public Release Distribution Unlimited ,**■’ .% Project AIR FORCE * RAND The research reported here was sponsored...United States. I. Lorell, MarkA., 1947- . UC263.C494 2000 355.6�—dc21 99-058412 RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and

Variable speed gas engine-driven air compressor system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, J. R.; Ruggles, A. E.; Chen, T. N.; Gehret, J.

1992-11-01

Tecogen Inc. and Ingersoll-Rand Co. as a subcontractor have designed a nominal 150-hp gas engine-driven air compressor utilizing the TECODRIVE 8000 engine and the Ingersoll-Rand 178.5-mm twin screw compressor. Phase 1 included the system engineering and design, economic and applications studies, and a draft commercialization plan. Phase 2 included controls development, laboratory prototype construction, and performance testing. The testing conducted verified that the compressor meets all design specifications.

Chinese Economic Coercion Against Taiwan: A Tricky Weapon to Use

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

View document details For More Information Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution Support RAND This PDF...is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2007 RAND Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any...Taiwan Statistical Year- book , 1995, pp. 192–193, cited in Zhao, 1999, pp. 24, 28. 84 Chinese Economic Coercion Against Taiwan: A Tricky Weapon to Use

Congressional Testimony on Educational Innovations. Testimony to the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education Committee on Education and Labor. U.S. House of Representatives. Rand Paper Series No. 5983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Paul

This testimony summarizes the results of the Rand Corporation's change agent study of educational innovations funded by federal programs. The second section consists of policy recommendations for ESEA Title IV Consolidated Programs, Part C. The study aimed to help improve federal policies by describing how the process of innovation and educational…

Working Around the Military: Challenges to Military Spouse Employment and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE The RAND...failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 2004 2. REPORT TYPE 3...RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2004 RAND

California’s K-12 Public Schools: How Are They Doing?

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs...percent Asian and other, and 9 percent black. It is likely that by 2012–2013, the majority of California public school children will be Hispanic... majority of school district revenues. The school dis- tricts currently have few options for raising their own funds. Further, a growing share of education

The Laser-Guided Bomb: Case History of a Development

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-06-01

is part of Rand’s R&D and Acquisition Studies Program , supported by tJSAF Project RAND. Previous research done at Rarn has dealt with stu.les of...particular development programs , institutional aspects of Air Force acquisition decisiormaking, and improvements in system acquisition policy wieh respect...Corn- parative Study of Doctrine, Technology, and Organization in the USAF Ballistic and Cruise Missile Programs , 1950-1960, RM-48%3-PR, August 1966

Assessing Locally Focused Stability Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Detailed Theory -of-Change Chart RAND RR387-4.2 LFSO actions Immediate goals LFSO main goal Higher -level goals Sustainable stability in region Reduced...projects in the vil- lage, and laying the groundwork for starting a village council. At the higher level, the Theory of Change now documents the assumption... Theory of Change RAND RR387-4.5 LFSO actions Immediate goals Chain of consequences LFSO main goal Higher -level goals HN commandos targeting INS 13

Reshaping the Army’s Active and Reserve Components

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

career fields are still doing work , and the Army will proba- bly not want to convert all those billets to high-utilization career fields. Factors That...herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work . This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is...NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) RAND Corporation,National Security Research Division,1776 Main Street, PO

The Security Dynamics of Demographic Factors

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

Tianjin, Manila, Cairo, Seoul, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro , Buenos Aires, Lahore, Hyderabad, Bangkok, Lima, and Tehran. Chapter Four THE SECURITY...Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, e -mail Julie_DaVanzo@rand.org, or visit the project’s Web site at http://www.rand.org/popmatters For more...Third and finally, some basic recommendations for U.S. pol- icy will be offered in light of the emerging demographic realities. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY

Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the U.S. Military: Evaluating Estimates from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

harassment, and gender discrimination in the military. The RAND Military Workplace Study (RMWS) included one of the largest surveys of its kind: Almost...approach to counting service members who experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination , providing DoD with unprecedented...harassment, or gender discrimination . Specifically, both the phone and web follow-up surveys revealed possible nonresponse bias in the RMWS estimates, but

Jointness: A Selected Bibliography

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

2010. 113pp. (U260 .E33 2010) http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2010/RAND_MG675.pdf Button, Robert , et al . Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future...SiteCollectionDocuments/ILW%20Web-ExclusivePubs/ Land%20Warfare%20Papers/LWP69.pdf Cole, Ronald H., et al . The History of the Unified Command Plan...http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA479692 Conley, Raymond E., et al . Enhancing the Performance of Senior Department of Defense Civilian Executives

Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army. May-June 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-01

artisans formed corporations , and in the Middle Ages, tradesmen formed guilds.5 In the U.S. Army, recurring officers’ calls and lunchtime discussions...Analysis of Air-Based Mechanization and Vertical Envel- opment Concepts and Technologies, DB-321-A (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation , 2001). 4. Colonel...AB-169-A/OSD (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation , September 1997); and John Matsumura et al., Rapid Force Projection Technologies: Assessing the

Building the Future: Summary of Four Studies to Develop the Private Sector, Education, Health Care, and Data for Decisionmaking for the Kurdistan Region - Iraq (with Arabic-language version).

PubMed

Anthony, C Ross; Hansen, Michael L; Kumar, Krishna B; Shatz, Howard J; Vernez, Georges

2013-01-01

In 2010, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) asked the RAND Corporation to undertake four studies aimed at improving the economic and social development of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. RAND's work was intended to help the KRG expand access to high-quality education and health care, increase private-sector development and employment for the expanding labor force, and design a data-collection system to support high-priority policies. The studies were carried out over the year beginning February 2010. The RAND teams worked closely with the Ministries of Planning, Education, and Health to develop targeted solutions to the critical issues faced by the KRG. This article summarizes the health care study. It is intended to provide a high-level overview of the approaches, followed by the studies, key findings, and major recommendations.

Differential expression of extracellular matrix constituents and cell adhesion molecules between malignant pleural mesothelioma and mesothelial hyperplasia.

PubMed

Alì, Greta; Borrelli, Nicla; Riccardo, Giannini; Proietti, Agnese; Pelliccioni, Serena; Niccoli, Cristina; Boldrini, Laura; Lucchi, Marco; Mussi, Alfredo; Fontanini, Gabriella

2013-11-01

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive neoplasm associated with asbestos exposure. Currently, the molecular mechanisms that induce MPM development are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify new molecular biomarkers for mesothelial carcinogenesis. We analyzed a panel of 84 genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling and cell adhesion by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array in 15 samples of epithelioid mesothelioma and 10 samples of reactive mesothelial hyperplasia (MH; 3 of 25 samples were inadequate for mRNA analysis). To validate the differentially expressed genes identified by PCR array, we analyzed 27 more samples by immunohistochemistry, in addition to the 25 samples already studied. Twenty-five genes were differentially expressed in MPM and MH by PCR array. Of these we studied matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7), MMP14, CD44, and integrin, alpha3 expression by immunohistochemistry in 26 epithelioid MPM and 26 MH samples from the entire series of 52 cases. We observed higher MMP14 and integrin, alpha3 expression in MPM samples compared with MH samples (p = 0.000002 and p = 0.000002, respectively). Conversely, CD44 expression was low in most (57.7%) mesothelioma samples but only in 11.5% of the MH samples (p = 0.0013). As regards MMP7, we did not observe differential expression between MH and MPM samples. We have extensively studied genes involved in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix remodeling in MPM and MH samples, gaining new insight into the pathophysiology of mesothelioma. Moreover, our data suggest that these factors could be potential biomarkers for MPM.

Coating magnesium hydroxide on surface of carbon microspheres and interface binding with poly (ethylene terephthalate) matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Baoxia; Niu, Mei; Yang, Yongzhen; Bai, Jie; Song, Yinghao; Peng, Yun; Liu, Xuguang

2017-08-01

In this account, magnesium hydroxide (MH) employed as a capsule wall was firstly coated on the surface of carbon microspheres (CMSs) to obtain MH@CMSs using liquid phase deposition, then was modified by 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) to form FMH@CMSs. To investigate the interface binding forces, a series of PET composites was prepared by melt compounding with MH@CMSs or FMH@CMSs. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the morphology, chemical structure, and effect of functionalization of CMSs. The coating degree and thermal stability were investigated by thermogravimetry analysis. The results showed that CMSs were coated by an inorganic shell layer of MH as a capsule wall. On the other hand, MH@CMSs were coated with an organic layer of APTS. When compared to MH@CMSs, the interface binding forces between FMH@CMSs and PET matrix were significantly improved, and the tensile strength of FMH@CMSs/PET was higher than that of MH@CMSs/PET. At 1 wt% mass fraction of FMH@CMSs, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of PET composites increased from 21% to 27.6% following a V-0 rating. The tensile strength of FMH@CMSs/PET increased by 66.2% to reach 47.20 MPa, a value nearly similar to that of PET. Overall, the formed two layers provided the FMH@CMSs/PET with good mechanical and flame-retardant properties, which would broaden their scope of application.

Retinal displacement toward optic disc after internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular hole.

PubMed

Ishida, Masahiro; Ichikawa, Yoshikazu; Higashida, Rieko; Tsutsumi, Yorihisa; Ishikawa, Atsushi; Imamura, Yutaka

2014-05-01

To examine the retinal displacement following successful macular hole (MH) surgery with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and gas tamponade, and to determine the correlation between the extent of displacement and the basal MH size. Retrospective, interventional, observational case series. The medical records of consecutive patients with an idiopathic MH that had undergone vitrectomy with ILM peeling and gas tamponade were studied. The distances between the optic disc and the intersection of 2 retinal vessels located nasal or temporal to the fovea were measured manually preoperatively (A), and 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively (B), on the fundus autofluorescence or near-infrared images. The basal and minimum diameters of the MHs were measured in the spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic images. The correlations between the ratio of the retinal displacement (A - B/A) and basal diameters of the MHs were determined. Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients (9 men, mean age: 64.6 ± 8.4 years) were studied. Ten eyes (47.6%) had stage 2 MH, 9 eyes (42.9%) had stage 3 MH, and 2 eyes (9.5%) had stage 4 MH. The temporal retinal vessels were displaced 260.8 ± 145.8 μm toward the optic disc at 2 weeks postoperatively, which was significantly greater than the 91.1 ± 89.7 μm of the nasal retinal vessels (paired t test, P < .001). The ratio of retinal displacement in the temporal field at 2 weeks was significantly correlated with the basal diameter of the MH (Spearman's rank correlation coeffieient = -0.476, P = .033. The greater displacement of the temporal retina than the nasal retina toward the optic disc postoperatively suggests that the temporal retina is more flexible and can be retracted toward the optic disc during the MH closure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rhizospheric Bacterial Strain Brevibacterium casei MH8a Colonizes Plant Tissues and Enhances Cd, Zn, Cu Phytoextraction by White Mustard.

PubMed

Płociniczak, Tomasz; Sinkkonen, Aki; Romantschuk, Martin; Sułowicz, Sławomir; Piotrowska-Seget, Zofia

2016-01-01

Environmental pollution by heavy metals has become a serious problem in the world. Phytoextraction, which is one of the plant-based technologies, has attracted the most attention for the bioremediation of soils polluted with these contaminants. The aim of this study was to determine whether the multiple-tolerant bacterium, Brevibacterium casei MH8a isolated from the heavy metal-contaminated rhizosphere soil of Sinapis alba L., is able to promote plant growth and enhance Cd, Zn, and Cu uptake by white mustard under laboratory conditions. Additionally, the ability of the rifampicin-resistant spontaneous mutant of MH8a to colonize plant tissues and its mechanisms of plant growth promotion were also examined. In order to assess the ecological consequences of bioaugmentation on autochthonous bacteria, the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was used. The MH8a strain exhibited the ability to produce ammonia, 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, indole 3-acetic acid and HCN but was not able to solubilize inorganic phosphate and produce siderophores. Introduction of MH8a into soil significantly increased S. alba biomass and the accumulation of Cd (208%), Zn (86%), and Cu (39%) in plant shoots in comparison with those grown in non-inoculated soil. Introduced into the soil, MH8a was able to enter the plant and was found in the roots and leaves of inoculated plants thus indicating its endophytic features. PLFA analysis revealed that the MH8a that was introduced into soil had a temporary influence on the structure of the autochthonous bacterial communities. The plant growth-promoting features of the MH8a strain and its ability to enhance the metal uptake by white mustard and its long-term survival in soil as well as its temporary impact on autochthonous microorganisms make the strain a suitable candidate for the promotion of plant growth and the efficiency of phytoextraction.

Rhizospheric Bacterial Strain Brevibacterium casei MH8a Colonizes Plant Tissues and Enhances Cd, Zn, Cu Phytoextraction by White Mustard

PubMed Central

Płociniczak, Tomasz; Sinkkonen, Aki; Romantschuk, Martin; Sułowicz, Sławomir; Piotrowska-Seget, Zofia

2016-01-01

Environmental pollution by heavy metals has become a serious problem in the world. Phytoextraction, which is one of the plant-based technologies, has attracted the most attention for the bioremediation of soils polluted with these contaminants. The aim of this study was to determine whether the multiple-tolerant bacterium, Brevibacterium casei MH8a isolated from the heavy metal-contaminated rhizosphere soil of Sinapis alba L., is able to promote plant growth and enhance Cd, Zn, and Cu uptake by white mustard under laboratory conditions. Additionally, the ability of the rifampicin-resistant spontaneous mutant of MH8a to colonize plant tissues and its mechanisms of plant growth promotion were also examined. In order to assess the ecological consequences of bioaugmentation on autochthonous bacteria, the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was used. The MH8a strain exhibited the ability to produce ammonia, 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, indole 3-acetic acid and HCN but was not able to solubilize inorganic phosphate and produce siderophores. Introduction of MH8a into soil significantly increased S. alba biomass and the accumulation of Cd (208%), Zn (86%), and Cu (39%) in plant shoots in comparison with those grown in non-inoculated soil. Introduced into the soil, MH8a was able to enter the plant and was found in the roots and leaves of inoculated plants thus indicating its endophytic features. PLFA analysis revealed that the MH8a that was introduced into soil had a temporary influence on the structure of the autochthonous bacterial communities. The plant growth-promoting features of the MH8a strain and its ability to enhance the metal uptake by white mustard and its long-term survival in soil as well as its temporary impact on autochthonous microorganisms make the strain a suitable candidate for the promotion of plant growth and the efficiency of phytoextraction. PMID:26909087

WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide: a systematic review of evidence from low and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Keynejad, Roxanne C; Dua, Tarun; Barbui, Corrado; Thornicroft, Graham

2018-02-01

Despite mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders being highly prevalent, there is a worldwide gap between service need and provision. WHO launched its Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) in 2008, and the Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) in 2010. mhGAP-IG provides evidence-based guidance and tools for assessment and integrated management of priority MNS disorders in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), using clinical decision-making protocols. It targets a non-specialised primary healthcare audience, but has also been used by ministries, non-governmental organisations and academics, for mental health service scale-up in 90 countries. This review aimed to identify evidence to date for mhGAP-IG implementation in LMICs. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge/Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, SciELO/Web of Science, Cochrane, Pubmed databases and Google Scholar for studies reporting evidence, experience or evaluation of mhGAP-IG in LMICs, in any language. Data were extracted from included papers, but heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. We conducted a systematic review of evidence to date, of mhGAP-IG implementation and evaluation in LMICs. Thirty-three included studies reported 15 training courses, 9 clinical implementations, 3 country contextualisations, 3 economic models, 2 uses as control interventions and 1 use to develop a rating scale. Our review identified the importance of detailed reports of contextual challenges in the field, alongside detailed protocols, qualitative studies and randomised controlled trials. The mhGAP-IG literature is substantial, relative to other published evaluations of clinical practice guidelines: an important contribution to a neglected field. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)/S1P receptor 1 signaling regulates receptor activator of NF-{kappa}B ligand (RANKL) expression in rheumatoid arthritis

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

Takeshita, Harunori; Kitano, Masayasu, E-mail: mkitano6@hyo-med.ac.jp; Iwasaki, Tsuyoshi

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer MH7A cells and CD4{sup +} T cells expressed S1P1 and RANKL. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer S1P increased RANKL expression in MH7A cells and CD4{sup +} T cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The effect of S1P in MH7A cells was inhibited by specific Gi/Go inhibitors. -- Abstract: Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)/S1P receptor 1 (S1P1) signaling plays an important role in synovial cell proliferation and inflammatory gene expression by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synoviocytes. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of S1P/S1P1 signaling in the expression of receptor activator of NF-{kappa}B ligand (RANKL) in RA synoviocytes and CD4{sup +} T cells. We demonstrated MH7Amore » cells, a human RA synovial cell line, and CD4{sup +} T cells expressed S1P1 and RANKL. Surprisingly, S1P increased RANKL expression in MH7A cells and CD4{sup +} T cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, S1P enhanced RANKL expression induced by stimulation with TNF-{alpha} in MH7A cells and CD4{sup +} T cells. These effects of S1P in MH7A cells were inhibited by pretreatment with PTX, a specific Gi/Go inhibitor. These findings suggest that S1P/S1P1 signaling may play an important role in RANKL expression by MH7A cells and CD4{sup +} T cells. S1P/S1P1 signaling of RA synoviocytes is closely connected with synovial hyperplasia, inflammation, and RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in RA. Thus, regulation of S1P/S1P1 signaling may become a novel therapeutic target for RA.« less

Evaluation of the Malcolm horizon in a moving-base flight simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillingham, K. K.

1984-01-01

The efficacy of the Malcolm Horizon (MH) in a controlled, simulated, instrument flight environment was examined. Eight flight parameters were used to compare performance under experimental and control conditions. The parameters studied were pitch attitude, roll attitude, turn rate, airspeed, vertical velocity, heading, altitude, and course deviation. Testing of a commercial realization of the MH concept in a flight simulator revealed strengths and weaknesses of the currently available MH hardware.

A Benefit Analysis of Using a Low-Cost Flight Simulator for the MH-60R

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. A BENEFIT ...2016 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF USING A LOW- COST FLIGHT SIMULATOR FOR THE MH... BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF USING A LOW- COST FLIGHT SIMULATOR FOR THE MH-60R J. Gregory Zilai Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., United States Naval

Insights into the prominent effect of mahanimbine on Acanthamoeba castellanii: Cell profiling analysis based on microscopy techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, Fatimah; Amin, Nakisah Mat

2017-02-01

Mahanimbine (MH), has been shown to have antiamoeba properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the growth inhibitory mechanisms of MH on Acanthamoeba castellanii, a causative agents for Acanthamoeba keratitis. The IC50 value obtained for MH against A. castellanii was 1.18 µg/ml. Light and scanning electron microscopy observation showed that most cells were in cystic appearance. While transmission electron microscopy observation revealed changes at the ultrastructural level and fluorescence microscopy observation indicated the induction of apoptosis and autophagic activity in the amoeba cytoplasms. In conclusion, MH has very potent anti-amoebic properties on A. castellanii as is shown by cytotoxicity analyses based on microscopy techniques.

Determination of thermal properties of commercial Ni-MH cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darcy, Eric C.

1994-02-01

The test objectives were to evaluate the electrical and thermal performance of commercial Ni-MH cells, evaluate the effectiveness of commercial charge control circuits, assess the abuse tolerance of these cells, and correlate performance and abuse tolerances to cell design via disassembly. Design objectives were to determine which cell designs are most suitable for scale-up and to guide the design of future shuttle and space station based battery chargers. Results, displayed in viewgraph format, include: reflex charging with ICS circuit resulted in premature charge termination; Ni-MH cells appear very tolerant to overcharge at low rates; Enstore's charger is more electrically and thermally efficient at high rates; and Ni-MH cycles much more efficiently than Ni-Cd with the delta-V/delta-t termination.

Determination of thermal properties of commercial Ni-MH cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Darcy, Eric C.

1994-01-01

The test objectives were to evaluate the electrical and thermal performance of commercial Ni-MH cells, evaluate the effectiveness of commercial charge control circuits, assess the abuse tolerance of these cells, and correlate performance and abuse tolerances to cell design via disassembly. Design objectives were to determine which cell designs are most suitable for scale-up and to guide the design of future shuttle and space station based battery chargers. Results, displayed in viewgraph format, include: reflex charging with ICS circuit resulted in premature charge termination; Ni-MH cells appear very tolerant to overcharge at low rates; Enstore's charger is more electrically and thermally efficient at high rates; and Ni-MH cycles much more efficiently than Ni-Cd with the delta-V/delta-t termination.

Evaluation and Recommendations for Improvement of the Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non- commercial use only. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another...Law 97-219) created the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program by mandating that all federal research, development, test , and evaluation (RDT...contractors and the small, technology-oriented business community. 6. Expand intellectual capital in the United States. POLICY OPTIONS FOR THE DOD SBIR PROGRAM

The Development and Application of the RAND Program Classification Tool. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

one may be selected.)  Pretest /baseline only  Posttest only  Pre-post  Pre-post with comparison group ...following outcome data (used to identify the results of a program’s efforts)? (More than one may be selected.)  Pretest /baseline only  Posttest only...results of a program’s efforts)? o Pretest /baseline only o Posttest only o Pre-post o Pre-post with comparison group o Randomized controlled trial

Soldiers for Peace: Critical Operational Issues.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

or policies of its research sponsors. Published 1996 by RAND 1700 Main Street, RO. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 RAND URL: http...force in Cyprus, a corps of 30,000 men equipped with 265 A5 M-48 main battle tanks, over 100 armored personnel carriers, and nearly 200 pieces of...AMX-30B main battle tanks from 52 to 104 and took delivery of 18 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. In addition, the National Guard improved its

Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing. Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND...staff, the CPA, and its parent organizations and the Depart- ment of Defense (DoD), had to answer basic human-resources ques- tions, including: Which...validated (i.e., a formal determination that the position is needed and properly defined) requirements placed on them by their parent agencies

Three Essays on Education Policy: Empirical Analyses of the Challenges and Opportunities with For-Profit Colleges, Military Enlistment and Immigration

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

on immigrant students was made possible by a broader project funded by the Spencer Foundation. RAND Labor and Population and RAND Education...under financial support from the Spencer Foundation, and I thank Robert Bozick and Trey Miller for entrusting me with the opportunity to develop...financial support from the Spencer Foundation and thank Peter Brownell and Paco Martorell for their comments. 94 rankings of development other than

Small Business and Strategic Sourcing: Lessons from Past Research and Current Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

from www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EDUCATION AND THE ARTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH...Susan M., and Kristin J. Leuschner, eds., In the Name of Entrepreneurship ? The Logic and Effects of Special Regulatory Treatment for Small Business...Well They Perform, and How We Can Learn More About Them,” International Review of Entrepreneurship , Vol. 8, No. 3, 2010, pp. 1–32. Hanks, Christopher

Fixing Leaks: Assessing the Department of Defense’s Approach to Preventing and Deterring Unauthorized Disclosures

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS LAW AND BUSINESS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE ...ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) RAND...RAND project team concerning the activities of the UD PIT for the period from mid-September 2012 through January 2013; then, building off those

Capabilities for Joint Analysis in the Department of Defense: Rethinking Support for Strategic Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

activity, completed ana- lytic baselines, current memoranda describing in-progress work , briefings sent to high officials, and published papers by...Is Enough, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation , MR-400-RC, 1994. ———, “Report of Working Group: Overall Force Planning Concepts, in Lessons...RAND’s Work on Planning Under Uncertainty for National Security, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation , TR-1249-OSD, 2012. As of July 22, 2016: http

Best Practices in Developing Proactive Supply Strategies for Air Force Low-Demand ServiceParts

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

research clients and sponsors. R ® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2010 RAND Corporation Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal...RAND Corporation, MG-274-AF, 2005 • Nancy Y. Moore, Cynthia R . Cook, Clifford A. Grammich, and Charles Lindenblatt, Using a Spend Analysis to...poration, DB-434-AF, 2004 • Nancy Y. Moore, Laura H. Baldwin, Frank Camm, and Cynthia R . Cook, Implementing Best Purchasing and Supply Management Preface

What Veterans Bring to Civilian Workplaces: A Prototype Toolkit for Helping Veterans Communicate to Private-Sector Employers About the Nontechnical Skills Taught in the Military

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving...This Toolkit 5 Continuous learning (related terms: adaptive learning, willingness to learn, active learning, metacognition ): Takes the necessary...even when not under direct supervision; displays self -discipline and self -control; diligently checks work to ensure that all essential details have

The Post-Cold War Force-Sizing Debate: Paradigms, Metaphors, and Disconnects

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

Lynn D . Pullen, John Y. Schrader, and Michael D . Swaine, A New Strategy and Fewer Forces: The Pacifu: Dimension. RAND, R -4089/2- USDP, 1992. 80...and Forces, Vol. II. RAND, N-3098/2-DAG, October 1990. Wohlstetter, Roberta, Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision. Stan- ford: Stanford University Press, 1962. RAN D / R -4243-JS ...The Post-Cold War Force-Sizing Debate Paradigms, Metaphors, and Disconnects James A. Winnefeld RAN D I NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Defense Manpower Policy: Presentations from the 1976 Rand Conference on Defense Manpower

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-12-01

organizations working on defense manpower issues and problems, This book contains selected presentations from ti -a Rand Confer- ence on Defense Manpower...the complete Conference agenda.) Nevertheless, the papers included here provide a reasonably good sampling of the topics and issues addressed at the...one of the key concerns in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill. Accordingly, the purpose of this book is to shed some light on some of the major issues

The digastric muscle is less involved in pharyngeal swallowing in rabbits.

PubMed

Tsujimura, Takanori; Yamada, Aki; Nakamura, Yuki; Fukuhara, Takako; Yamamura, Kensuke; Inoue, Makoto

2012-06-01

The swallowing reflex is centrally programmed by the lower brain stem, the so-called swallowing central pattern generator (CPG), and once the reflex is initiated, many muscles in the oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal regions are systematically activated. The mylohyoid (MH) muscle has been considered to be a "leading muscle" according to previous studies, but the functional role of the digastric (DIG) muscle in the swallowing reflex remains unclear. In the present study, therefore, the activities of single units of MH and DIG neurons were recorded extracellularly, and the functional involvement of these neurons in the swallowing reflex was investigated. The experiments were carried out on eight adult male Japanese white rabbits anesthetized with urethane. To identify DIG and MH neurons, the peripheral nerve (either DIG or MH) was stimulated to evoke action potentials of single motoneurons. Motoneurons were identified as such if they either (1) responded to antidromic nerve stimulation of DIG or MH in an all-or-none manner at threshold intensities and (2) followed stimulation frequencies of up to 0.5 kHz. As a result, all 11 MH neurons recorded were synchronously activated during the swallowing reflex, while there was no activity in any of the 7 DIG neurons recorded during the swallowing reflex. All neurons were anatomically localized ventromedially at the level of the caudal portion of the trigeminal motor nucleus, and there were no differences between the MH and DIG neuron sites. The present results strongly suggest that at least in the rabbit, DIG motoneurons are not tightly controlled by the swallowing CPG and, hence, the DIG muscle is less involved in the swallowing reflex.

Restricting nonclassical MHC genes coevolve with TRAV genes used by innate-like T cells in mammals

PubMed Central

Boudinot, Pierre; Mondot, Stanislas; Jouneau, Luc; Teyton, Luc; Lefranc, Marie-Paule; Lantz, Olivier

2016-01-01

Whereas major histocompatibility class-1 (MH1) proteins present peptides to T cells displaying a large T-cell receptor (TR) repertoire, MH1Like proteins, such as CD1D and MR1, present glycolipids and microbial riboflavin precursor derivatives, respectively, to T cells expressing invariant TR-α (iTRA) chains. The groove of such MH1Like, as well as iTRA chains used by mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) and natural killer T (NKT) cells, respectively, may result from a coevolution under particular selection pressures. Herein, we investigated the evolutionary patterns of the iTRA of MAIT and NKT cells and restricting MH1Like proteins: MR1 appeared 170 Mya and is highly conserved across mammals, evolving more slowly than other MH1Like. It has been pseudogenized or independently lost three times in carnivores, the armadillo, and lagomorphs. The corresponding TRAV1 gene also evolved slowly and harbors highly conserved complementarity determining regions 1 and 2. TRAV1 is absent exclusively from species in which MR1 is lacking, suggesting that its loss released the purifying selection on MR1. In the rabbit, which has very few NKT and no MAIT cells, a previously unrecognized iTRA was identified by sequencing leukocyte RNA. This iTRA uses TRAV41, which is highly conserved across several groups of mammals. A rabbit MH1Like gene was found that appeared with mammals and is highly conserved. It was independently lost in a few groups in which MR1 is present, like primates and Muridae, illustrating compensatory emergences of new MH1Like/Invariant T-cell combinations during evolution. Deciphering their role is warranted to search similar effector functions in humans. PMID:27170188

Human skeletal muscle protein breakdown during spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stein, T. P.; Schluter, M. D.

1997-01-01

Human spaceflight is associated with a loss of body protein. Excretion of 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) in the urine is a useful measurement of myofibrillar protein breakdown. Bed rest, particularly with 6 degrees head-down tilt, is an accepted ground-based model for human spaceflight. The objectives of this report were to compare 3-MH excretion from two Life Sciences shuttle missions (duration 9.5 and 15 days, n = 9) and from 17 days of bed rest (n = 7) with 6 degrees head-down tilt. The bed rest study was designed to mimic an actual Life Sciences spaceflight and so incorporated an extensive battery of physiological tests focused on the musculoskeletal system. Results showed that nitrogen retention, based on excretion of nitrogen in the urine, was reduced during both bed rest [from 22 +/- 1 to 1 +/- 5 mg N x kg(-1) x day(-1) (n = 7; P < 0.05)] and spaceflight [from 57 +/- 9 to 19 +/- 3 mg N x kg(-1) x day(-1) (n = 9; P < 0.05)]. 3-MH excretion was unchanged with either bed rest [pre-bed rest 5.30 +/- 0.29 vs. bed rest 5.71 +/- 0.30 micromol 3-MH x kg(-1) x day(-1), n = 7; P = not significant (NS)] or spaceflight [preflight 4.98 +/- 0.37 vs. 4.59 +/- 0.39 micromol 3-MH x kg(-1) x day(-1) in-flight, n = 9; P = NS]. We conclude that 1) 3-MH excretion was unaffected by spaceflight on the shuttle or with bed rest plus exercise, and 2) because protein breakdown (elevated 3-MH) was increased on Skylab but not on the shuttle, it follows that muscle protein breakdown is not an inevitable consequence of spaceflight.

Magnolia Bioactive Constituent 4-O-Methylhonokiol Prevents the Impairment of Cardiac Insulin Signaling and the Cardiac Pathogenesis in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhiguo; Chen, Jing; Zhou, Shanshan; Wang, Shudong; Cai, Xiaohong; Conklin, Daniel J.; Kim, Ki-Soo; Kim, Ki Ho; Tan, Yi; Zheng, Yang; Kim, Young Heui; Cai, Lu

2015-01-01

In obesity, cardiac insulin resistance is a putative cause of cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. In our previous study, we observed that Magnolia extract BL153 attenuated high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced cardiac pathogenic changes. In this study, we further investigated the protective effects of the BL153 bioactive constituent, 4-O-methylhonokiol (MH), against HFD-induced cardiac pathogenesis and its possible mechanisms. C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet or a HFD with gavage administration of vehicle, BL153, or MH (low or high dose) daily for 24 weeks. Treatment with MH attenuated HFD-induced obesity, as evidenced by body weight gain, and cardiac pathogenesis, as assessed by the heart weight and echocardiography. Mechanistically, MH treatment significantly reduced HFD-induced impairment of cardiac insulin signaling by preferentially augmenting Akt2 signaling. MH also inhibited cardiac expression of the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and increased the phosphorylation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2) as well as the expression of a Nrf2 downstream target gene heme oxygenase-1. The increased Nrf2 signaling was associated with decreased oxidative stress and damage, as reflected by lowered malondialdehyde and 3-nitrotyrosine levels. Furthermore, MH reduced HFD-induced cardiac lipid accumulation along with lowering expression of cardiac fatty acid translocase/CD36 protein. These results suggest that MH, a bioactive constituent of Magnolia, prevents HFD-induced cardiac pathogenesis by attenuating the impairment of cardiac insulin signaling, perhaps via activation of Nrf2 and Akt2 signaling to attenuate CD36-mediated lipid accumulation and lipotoxicity. PMID:26157343

Effect of the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan on cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial histone deacetylase expression in rats with aortic constriction

PubMed Central

XU, WEI-PING; YAO, TONG-QING; JIANG, YI-BO; ZHANG, MAO-ZHEN; WANG, YUE-PENG; YU, YING; LI, JING-XIANG; LI, YI-GANG

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to observe the myocardial expression of members of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) family (HDAC2, HDAC5 and HDAC9) in rats with or without myocardial hypertrophy (MH) in the presence and absence of the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=6/group): Sham-operated control rats, treated with distilled water (1 ml/day) through gavage; rats with MH (established through aortic constriction), treated with distilled water (1 ml/day) through gavage; and MH + valsartan rats, treated with 20 mg/kg/day valsartan through gavage. Treatments commenced one day after surgery and continued for eight weeks. Body weight (BW), heart weight (HW) and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were determined, and the myocardial expression of HDAC2, HDAC5 and HDAC9 was analyzed through a reverse transcription semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The BWs of the rats in the three groups were similar at baseline; however, after eight weeks the BW of the rats in the MH + valsartan group was significantly reduced compared with that of the MH rats. Furthermore, the HW/BW ratio and plasma ANP and BNP levels were increased, the myocardial HDAC2 expression was significantly upregulated and the HDAC5 and HDAC9 expression was significantly downregulated in the MH rats compared with those in the control rats; however, these changes were significantly attenuated by valsartan. Modulation of myocardial HDAC5, HDAC9 and HDAC2 expression may therefore be one of the anti-hypertrophic mechanisms of valsartan in this rat MH model. PMID:26136964

Smoking cessation behaviors among persons with psychiatric diagnoses: results from a population-level state survey.

PubMed

Morris, Chad D; Burns, Emily K; Waxmonsky, Jeanette A; Levinson, Arnold H

2014-03-01

Persons with psychiatric illnesses are disproportionally affected by tobacco use, smoking at rates at least twice that of other adults. Intentions to quit are known to be high in this population, but population-level cessation behaviors and attitudes by mental health (MH) diagnosis are not well known. A population-level survey was conducted in 2008 to examine state-level tobacco attitudes and behaviors in Colorado. Respondents were eligible for the study if they had non-missing values for smoking status (n=14,118). Weighted descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted of smoking prevalence, cessation behaviors, and attitudes toward cessation by MH status and specific diagnosis. Among respondents with MH diagnoses, smoking was twice as prevalent as among respondents without an MH diagnosis, adjusted for demographic characteristics (adjusted odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.6-3.1). Compared to smokers without an MH diagnosis, those with MH diagnoses were more likely to attempt quitting (58.7% vs. 44.4%, p<0.05), use nicotine replacement therapy more often, and succeed in quitting at similar rates. Smokers with anxiety/PTSD were less likely to quit successfully compared those with other MH diagnoses (0.7% vs. 11.9%, p=0.03). This population-level analysis found that smokers with mental illness are more likely than those without mental illness to attempt quitting and to use cessation treatment at similar rates, but those with anxiety are less likely to achieve short-term abstinence. Additional approaches are needed for smokers with mental illness in order to reach and sustain long-term abstinence from smoking. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mental health problems in teens investigated by U.S. child welfare agencies.

PubMed

Heneghan, Amy; Stein, Ruth E K; Hurlburt, Michael S; Zhang, Jinjin; Rolls-Reutz, Jennifer; Fisher, Emily; Landsverk, John; Horwitz, Sarah McCue

2013-05-01

To examine prevalence and correlates of five mental health (MH) problems among 12-17.5 year olds investigated by child welfare. Data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) were analyzed to examine depression, anxiety, substance use/abuse, suicidality, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as reported by teens and their caregivers. In a sample of 815 adolescents, prevalence for each MH problem and correlates (e.g., age, placement location) were identified using bivariate and multivariable logistic analyses. After investigation for maltreatment, 42.7% of teens reported at least one MH problem, regardless of placement. Nine percent reported depression, 13.9% reported suicidality, 23% had substance use/abuse, 13.5% reported anxiety, and 18.6% had ADHD. Of 332 teens with any MH problem, 52.1% reported only one problem, 28.3% had two problems, and 19.6% had ≥ three problems. Teens with prior out-of-home placement had odds 2.29 times higher of reporting a MH problem and odds 2.12 times higher of reporting substance use/abuse. Males were significantly less likely to report depression. Older teens were more likely to report substance use/abuse. Black teens were significantly less likely to report suicidality and ADHD and almost half as likely to report anxiety. Teens with a chronic health condition and teens whose caregiver reported depression had more than twice the odds of reporting anxiety. This study highlights high rates of MH problems in teens of all ages and placement locations and suggests that all teens involved with child welfare should be screened for MH problems, regardless of initial placement status. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Preliminary Study of Hazus-MH Volcano for Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, S.; An, H.; Oh, J.

2013-12-01

This presentation will introduce our design to develop a volcano risk modeling capacity within the Hazus-MH loss estimation framework. In particular, we will present how to build fragility curves within the Hazus-MH framework for loss estimation from volcanoes. This capability is designed to analyze the risk from volcanic hazards in Korea. The Korean peninsula has Mt. Baekdu in North Korea, which will soon enter an active phase, according to some volcanologists. The anticipated eruption will be explosive given the viscous and grassy silica-rich magma, and is expected to be one of the largest in recent millennia. We aim to assess the impacts of this eruption, in particular to South Korea. There are several types of hazards related to volcanic eruption, including ash, pyroclastic flows, volcanic floods and earthquakes. However, our initial efforts focus on modeling losses from volcanic ash. The proposed volcanic ash model is anticipated to be used to estimate losses caused by yellow dust in East Asia as well. Also, many countries, which are exposed to potentially dangerous volcanoes, can benefit from the proposed Hazus-MH Volcano risk model. Acknowledgement: this research was supported by a grant [NEMA-BAEKDUSAN-2012-1-3] from the Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Research Center sponsored by National Emergency Management Agency of Korea. We would like to thank Federal Emergency Management Agency which develops Hazus-MH and allows the international use of Hazus-MH.

[Anesthesia unrelated triggering of a fatal malignant hyperthermia crisis].

PubMed

Olthoff, D; Vonderlind, C

1997-12-01

For incidents of malignant hyperthermia (MH) outside the hospital, a high number of unrecorded cases must be reckoned with because of an insufficient knowledge of emergency services and poor identification and documentation that make it impossible to classify acute situations under the diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia crisis. As a result, there are no statistical data in this field, and only case reports with a broad spectrum of suspected trigger mechanisms have been published. The case described in this report is a proved example of a non-anesthesia-related triggering of MH in a 21-year-old man who had had an anesthetic-induced MH manifestation in childhood, which was confirmed with an in vitro contracture test. After visiting a restaurant, he became unconscious and convulsive after consuming a high level of alcohol (2.9/1000). The first cardiocirculatory arrest occurred directly before hospitalization. After admission, the patient showed a full-blown MH episode whose subsequent fatality was unavoidable in spite of adapted and optimal therapy. Suspected trigger mechanisms seem to be multifactoral (excessive alcohol consumption, over-heating, mental stress) as a forensic investigation did not point to any particular signs of typical trigger substances. The case demonstrates again that an MH attack might be triggered under certain non-anaesthesia-related situations. For patients with an MH disposition, additional information on their behavior outside the hospital is required.

Quantitative microscopy uncovers ploidy changes during mitosis in live Drosophila embryos and their effect on nuclear size.

PubMed

Puah, Wee Choo; Chinta, Rambabu; Wasser, Martin

2017-03-15

Time-lapse microscopy is a powerful tool to investigate cellular and developmental dynamics. In Drosophila melanogaster , it can be used to study division cycles in embryogenesis. To obtain quantitative information from 3D time-lapse data and track proliferating nuclei from the syncytial stage until gastrulation, we developed an image analysis pipeline consisting of nuclear segmentation, tracking, annotation and quantification. Image analysis of maternal-haploid ( mh ) embryos revealed that a fraction of haploid syncytial nuclei fused to give rise to nuclei of higher ploidy (2n, 3n, 4n). Moreover, nuclear densities in mh embryos at the mid-blastula transition varied over threefold. By tracking synchronized nuclei of different karyotypes side-by-side, we show that DNA content determines nuclear growth rate and size in early interphase, while the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio constrains nuclear growth during late interphase. mh encodes the Drosophila ortholog of human Spartan, a protein involved in DNA damage tolerance. To explore the link between mh and chromosome instability, we fluorescently tagged Mh protein to study its subcellular localization. We show Mh-mKO2 localizes to nuclear speckles that increase in numbers as nuclei expand in interphase. In summary, quantitative microscopy can provide new insights into well-studied genes and biological processes. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

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

Ma, Xi; Blue Sky Technology Corporation, Beijing 100083; Ma, Hongwen, E-mail: mahw@cugb.edu.cn

Highlights: • We use the anti-drop precipitation method for synthesis of magnesium hydroxide. • Boron mud which is solid waste from a borax factory is used as the magnesium source. • The magnesium hydroxide nanoflowers are prepared in a short time. • The as-prepared magnesium hydroxide can be used as an effective flame retardant. - Abstract: Using boron mud as the starting material, the flower-like magnesium hydroxide (MH) has been successfully prepared via anti-drop precipitation method. The effect of NH{sub 3}·H{sub 2}O concentration, aging time, and surfactant on the morphology of MH was investigated. The optimum precipitation conditions are droppingmore » MgSO{sub 4} solution in 5% NH{sub 3}·H{sub 2}O solution, with 3% polyethylene glycol as surfactant, aging for 30 min. XRD, SEM, FI-IR, and TG/DTA have been employed to characterize the as-prepared samples. XRD reveals that MH with high purity has the brucite structure. SEM images show that the flower-like MH exists in the form of mono-disperse well uniform spherical aggregation with diameter of 3–5 μm. TG/DTA shows a total percentage of weight loss 33.6% with a well-defined endothermic peak near 381.3 °C corresponding to the decomposition of MH. Furthermore, it reports that the extremely fast primary nucleation is of significance for crystal growth of MH.« less

Fabrication and evaluation of magnetic/hollow double-shelled imprinted sorbents formed by Pickering emulsion polymerization.

PubMed

Pan, Jianming; Li, Linzi; Hang, Hui; Wu, Runrun; Dai, Xiaohui; Shi, Weidong; Yan, Yongsheng

2013-06-25

Magnetic/hollow double-shelled imprinted polymers (MH-MIPs) were synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization. In this method, attapulgite (ATP) particles were used as stabilizers to establish a stable oil-in-water emulsion, and a few hydrophilic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were allowed to be magnetic separation carriers. The imprinting system was fabricated by radical polymerization in the presence of the functional and polymeric monomers in the oil phase. The results of characterization indicated that MH-MIPs exhibited magnetic sensitivity (Ms = 4.76 emu g(-1)), thermal stability (especially below 200 °C), and hollow structure and were composed of exterior ATP shells and interior imprinted polymers shells. Then MH-MIPs were evaluated as sorbents for the selective binding of λ-cyhalothrin as a result of their magnetism, enhanced mechanical strength, hydrophilic surface, and recognition ability. The kinetic properties of MH-MIPs were well described by the pseudo-second-order equation, indicating that the chemical process could be the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process for λ-cyhalothrin. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of MH-MIPs was 60.06 μmol g(-1) at 25 °C, and the Langmuir isotherm model gave a better fit to the experimental data, indicating the monolayer molecular adsorption for λ-cyhalothrin. The selective recognition experiments also demonstrated the high affinity and selectivity of MH-MIIPs toward λ-cyhalothrin over fenvalerate and diethyl phthalate.

Isolation, characterization, and structure analysis of a vacuolar processing enzyme gene (MhVPEγ) from Malus hupehensis (Pamp) Rehd.

PubMed

Ran, Kun; Yang, Hongqiang; Sun, Xiaoli; Li, Qiang; Jiang, Qianqian; Zhang, Weiwei; Shen, Wei

2014-05-01

Vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs) have received considerable attention recently, as they exhibit caspase-1-like cleavage activity and regulate the process of PCD. However, knowledge about their detailed characteristics and structures is relatively limited. In this study, a gamma vacuolar processing enzyme gene, MhVPEγ, has been isolated from the leaves of Malus hupehensis (Ramp) Rehd. var pinyiensis Jiang. MhVPEγ coded-translated protein sequence comprised of 494 amino acids with a signal peptide and a transmembrane helix structure at N-terminal, peptidase_C13 domain, and vacuolar sorting signal at C-terminal. Consequently, genomic walking approach was performed for the isolation of its upstream sequence. Computational analysis demonstrated several motifs of the promoter exhibiting hypothetic MeJA, ABA, and light-induced characteristics, as well as some typical domains universally discovered in promoter, such as TATA-box and CAAT-box. MhVPEγ transcript level was enhanced during wounding treatment, and WUN-motif, as one of the cis-acting regulatory elements existing in the upstream sequence perhaps regulates its expression. In silico-constructed 3D models revealed that MhCPYL successively interacts with MhVPEγ like that of "Induced Fit-Lock and Key" model, providing molecular conformation evidence that CPY is a direct substrate of VPEγ. This study is the first stride to understand the molecular mechanism of VPEγ and CPYL interactions.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Utilization and Military Career Impact in the United States Marine Corps

PubMed Central

Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan; LaCroix, Jessica M.; Koss, Kari; Perera, Kanchana U.; VanSickle, Marcus R.; Novak, Laura A.

2018-01-01

Service members (SM) are at increased risk of psychiatric conditions, including suicide, yet research indicates SMs believe seeking mental health treatment may negatively impact their military careers, despite a paucity of research examining actual career impacts. This study examined the link between seeking outpatient mental health (MH) treatment and military career impacts within the United States Marine Corps. In Phase 1, a retrospective medical record review of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines (N = 38) was conducted. In Phase 2, a sample of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines (N = 40) was matched to a non-treatment-seeking sample of Marines (N = 138) to compare career-progression. In Phase 1, there were no significant links between demographic, military, and clinical characteristics and referral source or receipt of career-affecting treatment recommendations. In Phase 2, MH treatment-seeking Marines in outpatient settings were more likely than matched controls to be separated from the military (95.0% versus 63.0%, p = 0.002), but no more likely to experience involuntary separation. MH treatment-seeking Marines were more likely to have documented legal action (45.0% versus 23.9%, p = 0.008) and had a shorter time of military service following the index MH encounter than matched controls (p < 0.001). Clinical, anti-stigma, and suicide prevention policy implications are discussed. PMID:29690594

A stability indicating HPLC method for determination of mebeverine in the presence of its degradation products and kinetic study of its degradation in oxidative condition

PubMed Central

Souri, E.; Aghdami, A. Negahban; Adib, N.

2014-01-01

An HPLC method for determination of mebeverine hydrochloride (MH) in the presence of its degradation products was developed. The degradation of MH was studied under hydrolysis, oxidative and photolysis stress conditions. Under alkaline, acidic and oxidative conditions, degradation of MH was observed. The separation was performed using a Symmetry C18 column and a mixture of 50 mM KH2PO4, acetonitrile and tetrahydrfuran (THF) (63:35:2; v/v/v) as the mobile phase. No interference peaks from degradation products in acidic, alkaline and oxidative conditions were observed. The linearity, accuracy and precision of the method were studied. The method was linear over the range of 1-100 μg/ml MH (r2>0.999) and the CV values for intra-day and inter-day variations were in the range of 1.0-1.8%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and the limit of detection (LOD) of the method were 1.0 and 0.2 μg/ml, respectively. Determination of MH in pharmaceutical dosage forms was performed using the developed method. Furthermore the kinetics of the degradation of MH in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was investigated. The proposed method could be a suitable method for routine quality control studies of mebeverine dosage forms. PMID:25657790

A stability indicating HPLC method for determination of mebeverine in the presence of its degradation products and kinetic study of its degradation in oxidative condition.

PubMed

Souri, E; Aghdami, A Negahban; Adib, N

2014-01-01

An HPLC method for determination of mebeverine hydrochloride (MH) in the presence of its degradation products was developed. The degradation of MH was studied under hydrolysis, oxidative and photolysis stress conditions. Under alkaline, acidic and oxidative conditions, degradation of MH was observed. The separation was performed using a Symmetry C18 column and a mixture of 50 mM KH2PO4, acetonitrile and tetrahydrfuran (THF) (63:35:2; v/v/v) as the mobile phase. No interference peaks from degradation products in acidic, alkaline and oxidative conditions were observed. The linearity, accuracy and precision of the method were studied. The method was linear over the range of 1-100 μg/ml MH (r(2)>0.999) and the CV values for intra-day and inter-day variations were in the range of 1.0-1.8%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and the limit of detection (LOD) of the method were 1.0 and 0.2 μg/ml, respectively. Determination of MH in pharmaceutical dosage forms was performed using the developed method. Furthermore the kinetics of the degradation of MH in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was investigated. The proposed method could be a suitable method for routine quality control studies of mebeverine dosage forms.

Formulation, characterization and pharmacokinetics of Morin hydrate niosomes prepared from various non-ionic surfactants.

PubMed

Waddad, Ayman Y; Abbad, Sarra; Yu, Fan; Munyendo, Were L L; Wang, Jing; Lv, Huixia; Zhou, Jianping

2013-11-18

Morin hydrate (MH), a bioflavonoid with antioxidant and anticancer activity as well as the ability to improve the bioavailability of other drugs on their concurrent use. Three differently optimized niosomal formulations using three different non-ionic surfactants (Span 60, Span 80 and Tween 60) were achieved by (L9 (3(4))) Taguchi orthogonal array (TOA). The analysis of TOA revealed that Tween 60 Niosomes had the highest entrapment efficiency (93.4%) compared to other optimized Niosomal formulations (71-79%). In terms of MH remaining %, Tween 60 Niosomes were found to be the most stable (89%) at 4 °C over one month compared to Span 60 (56%) and Span 80 (57%) Niosomes. The release pattern in all Niosomal formulations was found to follow the Weibull model and Tween 60 Niosomes had the highest release rate. The molecular modeling simulation explained the binding of MH to the human serum albumin (HSA) by hydrogen bonds during the in vitro release process. As for the bioavailability, the AUC0-8 showed 1.3-2.7 fold increase compared to the MH solution. Ex vivo images of the excised organs showed that MH could accumulate in brain which indicates that MH-Tween 60 Niosomes might be a possible candidate to deliver hydrophobic drugs and overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treating Zc(3900 ) and Z (4430 ) as the ground state and first radially excited tetraquarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agaev, S. S.; Azizi, K.; Sundu, H.

2017-08-01

Exploration of the resonances Zc(3900 ) and Z (4430 ) are performed by assuming that they are the ground state and first radial excitation of the same tetraquark with JP=1+. The mass and current coupling of the Zc(3900 ) and Z (4430 ) states are calculated using the QCD two-point sum rule method by taking into account vacuum condensates up to eight dimensions. We investigate the vertices ZcMhMl and Z MhMl, with Mh and Ml being the heavy and light mesons and evaluate the strong couplings gZcMhMl and gZ MhMl using the QCD sum rule on the light cone. The extracted couplings allow us to find the partial width of the decays Zc(3900 )→J /ψ π , ψ'π , ηcρ and Z (4430 )→ψ'π , J /ψ π , ηc'ρ , ηcρ , which may help in comprehensive investigation of these resonances. We compare the width of the decays of Zc(3900 ) and Z (4430 ) resonances with available experimental data as well as existing theoretical predictions.

Effect of mixed hay supplementation during fattening on carcass traits and meat quality of Hanwoo steers.

PubMed

Utama, Dicky Tri; Choi, Ji Hye; Lee, Chang Woo; Park, Yeon Soo; Lee, Sung Ki

2017-01-01

This study was aim to observe the effects of feeding mixed local hay (MH) consisted of 55% orchard grass ( Dactylis glomerata L.), 35% tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) and 10% red clover ( Trifolium pratense ) to Hanwoo steers on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality ( longissimus thoracis ) compared with feeding imported timothy hay (TH) and local rice straw (RS). Although no significant effects were found on animal performance and carcass yield grade, the carcasses of MH group had higher marbling score and quality grade than those of RS and TH group ( P  < 0.05). Therefore, higher fat content ( P  < 0.001), lower shear force and hardness value in the beef of MH group than that of other groups were observed. Furthermore, the beef of MH group had higher CIE a* value (redness) than that of other groups and feeding MH to Hanwoo steers lowered n-6 to n-3 fatty acids ratio in beef. Mixed hay provided benefits on meat quality and could be used for Hanwoo fattening program.

Malignant Hyperthermia: Report of Two Cases with a Neglected Complication in Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Neshati, Mahdi; Azadeh, Manizheh; Neshati, Parinaz; Burnett, Tyrone; Saenz, Ryan; Karbasi, Bahman; Shahmohammadi, Ghader; Nourizadeh, Eskandar; Rostamzadeh, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) can develop after contact with volatile anesthetics (halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) as well as succinylcholine and cause hypermetabolism during anesthesia, which is associated with high mortality when untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment could be life-saving. During cardiac surgery, hypothermia and cardiopulmonary bypass make the diagnosis of MH extremely challenging compared with other settings such as general surgery. We herein report 2 cases of MH, graded as “very likely” or “almost certain” based on the MH clinical grading scale. A 14-month-old infant and a 53-year-old male underwent surgery for severe pulmonary valve stenosis and mitral valve replacement, respectively. Both of them were extubated on the operation day, but they deteriorated with the development of high-grade fever, hypotension, renal failure, and acidosis. The first case had muscle spasms. Unfortunately, the delayed symptoms of MH in the early postoperative course were not diagnosed in these 2 cases, which caused permanent neurologic damage in the first case and death in the second one. However, the infant was discharged from the hospital after 2 months. PMID:29576786

Malignant Hyperthermia: Report of Two Cases with a Neglected Complication in Cardiac Surgery.

PubMed

Neshati, Mahdi; Azadeh, Manizheh; Neshati, Parinaz; Burnett, Tyrone; Saenz, Ryan; Karbasi, Bahman; Shahmohammadi, Ghader; Nourizadeh, Eskandar; Rostamzadeh, Mohsen

2017-10-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) can develop after contact with volatile anesthetics (halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) as well as succinylcholine and cause hypermetabolism during anesthesia, which is associated with high mortality when untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment could be life-saving. During cardiac surgery, hypothermia and cardiopulmonary bypass make the diagnosis of MH extremely challenging compared with other settings such as general surgery. We herein report 2 cases of MH, graded as "very likely" or "almost certain" based on the MH clinical grading scale. A 14-month-old infant and a 53-year-old male underwent surgery for severe pulmonary valve stenosis and mitral valve replacement, respectively. Both of them were extubated on the operation day, but they deteriorated with the development of high-grade fever, hypotension, renal failure, and acidosis. The first case had muscle spasms. Unfortunately, the delayed symptoms of MH in the early postoperative course were not diagnosed in these 2 cases, which caused permanent neurologic damage in the first case and death in the second one. However, the infant was discharged from the hospital after 2 months.

“Mucosal healing” in ulcerative colitis: Between clinical evidence and market suggestion

PubMed Central

Pagnini, Cristiano; Menasci, Francesca; Festa, Stefano; Rizzatti, Gianenrico; Fave, Gianfranco Delle

2014-01-01

In recent decades, the prominent role of endoscopy in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been translated into the concept of mucosal healing (MH) as a fundamental therapeutic end-point. This is partially the consequence of growing evidence of a positive prognostic role of MH on the disease course and partially due to market cues indicating a higher rate of MH in patients treated by novel potent biologic agents. The aim of the present review is to clarify the current knowledge of MH in UC, analyzing the definition, the putative prognostic role and the association of MH with the current drugs used to treat UC patients. Because solid data about the management of UC patients based solely on the healing of the mucosa are not yet available, a tailored approach for individual patients thatconsiders the natural history of UC and the presence of prognostic indicators of aggressive disease is desirable. Consequently, unnecessary examinations and treatment would be avoided and restricted to UC patients who require the maximum amount of effort to affect the disease course in the short and long term. PMID:24891976

Pharmacogenetics and pathophysiology of CACNA1S mutations in malignant hyperthermia.

PubMed

Beam, Teresa A; Loudermilk, Emily F; Kisor, David F

2017-02-01

A review of the pharmacogenetics (PGt) and pathophysiology of calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 S (CACNA1S) mutations in malignant hyperthermia susceptibility type 5 (MHS5; MIM #60188) is presented. Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening hypermetabolic state of skeletal muscle usually induced by volatile, halogenated anesthetics and/or the depolarizing neuromuscular blocker succinylcholine. In addition to ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) mutations, several CACNA1S mutations are known to be risk factors for increased susceptibility to MH (MHS). However, the presence of these pathogenic CACNA1S gene variations cannot be used to positively predict MH since the condition is genetically heterogeneous with variable expression and incomplete penetrance. At present, one or at most six CACNA1S mutations display significant linkage or association either to clinically diagnosed MH or to MHS as determined by contracture testing. Additional pathogenic variants in CACNA1S, either alone or in combination with genes affecting Ca 2+ homeostasis, are likely to be discovered in association to MH as whole exome sequencing becomes more commonplace. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Prototype design of a wearable metal hydride actuator using a soft bellows for motor rehabilitation.

PubMed

Ino, Shuichi; Sato, Mitsuru; Hosono, Minako; Nakajima, Sawako; Yamashita, Kazuhiko; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Izumi, Takashi

2008-01-01

A bedside and home rehabilitation system for people with motor disabilities due to stroke or the aging process requires a human-compatible actuator with softness, low noise and a high power-to-weight ratio. To achieve these types of joint motor rehabilitation systems, we designed a wearable metal hydride (MH) actuator using a soft bellows. The purpose of the current study is the development the soft and light bellows made of a polymer laminate film for the MH actuator. As a result of experimental tests, this soft bellows weighs 20 times less and stretches 30 times longer than the metal bellows used in a conventional MH actuator, and it has hydrogen impermeability, flex durability and adequate compliance for human joints. The MH actuator using the soft bellows can drive at a slow and safe enough speed for motor rehabilitation of patients' limbs. These preliminary findings support the efficacy of an MH actuator with a soft bellows for the purpose of developing a system for motor rehabilitation or human power assist.

Evaluation of Zr(Ni, Mn){sub 2} Laves phase alloys as negative active material for Ni-MH electric vehicle batteries

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

Knosp, B.; Jordy, C.; Blanchard, P.

1998-05-01

Laves phase alloys of compositions (Zr, Ti)(Ni, Mn, M){sub x} where M = Cr, V, Co, Al, and 1.9 < x < 2.1 with hexagonal C14 or cubic C15 structure have been studied in order to select the most suitable AB{sub 2} alloys as an active material for nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. With the selected alloy, feasibility of MH negative electrodes using industrial technology and containing more than 97% of the alloy powder has been demonstrated. 22 Ah Ni-MH batteries for electric vehicle application have been assembled, and 600 cycles have been achieved at steady C/3 charge and discharge ratesmore » and 80% depth of discharge.« less

Synthesis of CoOOH nanorods and application as coating materials of nickel hydroxide for high temperature Ni-MH cells.

PubMed

Hu, W K; Gao, X P; Geng, M M; Gong, Z X; Noréus, D

2005-03-31

Studies on nanoscale materials have received great interest in both fundamental and applied aspects in recent years. In this letter, we report the synthesis of CoOOH nanorods and their possible applications as coating materials on nickel hydroxide for high-temperature nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) cells. The morphology and structure of CoOOH nanorods and coated nickel hydroxide particles are investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The electrochemical properties in the cylindrical AA size Ni-MH cells are evaluated. Our results show that the Ni-MH cells, where the positive electrodes are composed of such nanometer sized CoOOH coatings, have a higher capacity available and good performance at elevated temperatures of >50 degrees C.

U.S. and Soviet Relations with Argentina: Obstacles and Opportunities for the U. S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

the tactors that conIstrain tle use of such assistance. The Note was writtcn prior to the Ma I 9S9 Argenti ne presidential elcction, and therefore does...821711 and Development Center for studies and analysis operated by The RAND Corporation . Thw Arroyo Center provides the Army with objective. ind.pendent...Center aork is performed under contract MDA903-86-C-0059. The Arroyo Center is housed in RANDs Arn Research Division. The R:ND Corporation is a private

Using Marijuana May Not Raise the Risk of Using Harder Drugs

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-02-01

Using Marijuana May Not Raise the Risk of Using Harder Drugs Marijuana is widely regarded as a "gateway" drug, that is, one whose use results in an...laws prohibiting the use or possession of marijuana . A recent analysis by RAND’s Drug Policy Research Center (DPRC) suggests that data typically used...to support a marijuana gateway effect can be explained as well by a different theory. The new research, by Andrew Morral, associate director of RAND

Thinking About America’s Defense. An Analytical Memoir

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

www.rand.org as a public service of the RAND Corporation. 6Jump down to document THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH...strategic relationship: [ The enemy’s] manifest invulnerability to our first strike could be to our advantage if it relieved him of a principal concern... invulnerable SSBNs at sea, (2) the number and effectiveness of “killer” RVs that are useful in a counterforce attack against the other’s ICBM-borne RVs in

An Evolving Joint Space Campaign Concept and the Army’s Role

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-29

Military Art and Science thesis (Fort Leavenworth, X3: US Army Conmd and general Staff College, 2 June 1989). 01. This is not a new approach for US strategy...the Undersecretary of Defense fop Acquisition, December 1967 (83E2T. Diukes. Francis J. (LTC, USA), "Space, Iltitary or Civilian?" student thesis , AW...RAND Paper, Santa Monica, Cft The RAND Corporation, not dated. Harris, Elwyn and Richard Darilek, Kenneth Horn, Mark Nelson, "The Army’s Role in Space

Tweede Serie Ergonomietests Lichtgewicht Bommenpakken (Second Series of Ergonomic Tests on Lightweight Bomb Disposal Suits)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

warmtebelastingtests vast te stellen en (sit-and-reach, stand-and-reach. abductie referentiewaarden te bepalen door het van de arnen, anteflexie van de armen ...volgende, bewegingbeperkingtests: sit-and-reach, stand-and-reach. abductie van de armen , anteflexie van de armen en beperking van zicht. Bij de sit-and...gebogen op de rand van een tafel en houdt de armen zo ver mogeijk gestrekt naar voren op tafel. Daarbij wordt de afstand vanaf de rand van de tafel tot

A New Age for Aerostats: Proving Airfield-Centric MANPADS Defense for Civil Aircraft Supporting Military Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Maintaining Readiness, RAND Report MR-1506 (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2003, 58. 15 Graham, David R . Statement before the U.S. Congress Committee on...2. 19 Ibid., 4. 20 Ibid., 2. 21 Bolkcom, Christopher, CRAF, 9. 22 Graham, David R ., 3. 23 Cortez, Robert K. Statement before the U.S...Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/ r /pa/prs/ps/2009/july/126397.htm on 8 Dec 2009. 30 GlobalSecurity.org. “Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS

Chinese Grand Strategy: How Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) Fits in China’s Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

Qiao and Wang, Unrestricted Warfare, 142. 6. Corpus, “America’s Acupuncture Points” Asia Times Online, (Part 2, Section 5). 7. Ibid. 8. Stokes...Corpus, “America’s Acupuncture Points”, (Part 1, Section 1). 46. Qiao and Wang, Unrestricted Warfare, 93. 47. Ibid. 48. Military Factory, “American War...Employment Concepts in the 21st Century. RAND Report FA7014-06-C-0001. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. Corpus, Victor N. “America’s Acupuncture Points

POW/MIA Issues. Volume 3. Appendixes

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

RANDS Johansen Charles SSgt/AF- 4 July 52 TFRM A611 RMC B-29/Photo op Vernon 19124748 TFRS 91st Strat RANDM Recon RANDS Rivers Bernard SSgt/AF- 4 July 52...Pvt Bellar, Bennie E. RA14326111 Cpl Beller, James E. RA18333098 Pvt Bernard , Elton J RA18281438 Cpl Besemer, Robert L. RA16263944 Cpl Billigmeier... Bernard AF31378023 Airman 1st class Mooradian, Ara A0932011 Capt Moore, John G. A0886003 Capt Myers, Thomas E. 13136A Capt Nelson, Lawrence A. A02221692

The RAND Online Measure Repository for Evaluating Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

tempo may raise the risk for mental health challenges. During this time, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented numerous programs to...and were based on the constraints of each electronic database. However, most searches were variations on a basic three-category format: The first...Gerontology, 1983, 38: 111–116. Iannuzzo RW, Jaeger J, Goldberg JF, Kafantaris V, Sublette ME. “Development and Reliability of the Ham-D/MADRS

Translating E-Mental Health Into Practice: What Are the Barriers and Enablers to E-Mental Health Implementation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professionals?

PubMed Central

Singer, Judy; DuBois, Simon; Hyde, Kelly

2017-01-01

Background With increasing evidence for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions for enhancing mental health and well-being, a growing challenge is how to translate promising research findings into service delivery contexts. A 2012 e-mental health initiative by the Australian Federal Government (eMHPrac) has sought to address the issue through several strategies, one of which has been to train different health professional workforces in e-mental health (e-MH). Objective The aim of the study was to report on the barriers and enablers of e-MH uptake in a cohort of predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals (21 Indigenous, 5 non-Indigenous) who occupied mainly support or case management roles within their organizations. Methods A 3- or 2-day e-MH training program was followed by up to 5 consultation sessions (mean 2.4 sessions) provided by the 2 trainers. The trainer-consultants provided written reports on each of the 30 consultation sessions for 7 consultation groups. They were also interviewed as part of the study. The written reports and interview data were thematically analyzed by 2 members of the research team. Results Uptake of e-MH among the consultation group was moderate (22%-30% of participants). There were significant organizational barriers to uptake resulting from procedural and administrative problems, demanding workloads, prohibitive policies, and a lack of fit between the organizational culture and the introduction of new technologies. Personal barriers included participant beliefs about the applicability of e-MH to certain populations, and workers’ lack of confidence and skills. However, enthusiastic managers and tech-savvy champions could provide a counter-balance as organizational enablers of e-MH; and the consultation sessions themselves appear to have enhanced skills and confidence, shifted attitudes to new technologies, and seeded a perception that e-MH could be a valuable health education resource. Conclusions A conclusion from the program was that it was important to match e-MH training and resources to work roles. In the latter stages of the consultation sessions, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals responded very positively to YouTube video clips and apps with a health education dimension. Therapy-oriented apps and programs may fit less well within the scope of practice of some workforces, including this one. We suggest that researchers broaden their focus and definitions of e-MH and give rather more weight to e-MH’s health education possibilities. Developing criteria for evaluating apps and YouTube videos may empower a rather greater section of health workforce to use e-MH with their clients. PMID:28077347

IntelliCable Interface Specification

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-14

address to configure itself for. NiMH/NiCAD: The checking of this bit means that this particular battery is not a Lithium - ion but is a NiCAD or a NiMH...value of 0, Lithium , should be used for all class of Lithium batteries , including Lithium - Ion and Lithium -Polymer. These all function much the same...2590 is Lithium - Ion but the 390 is NiMH, which have incompatible charging schemes. Offset 48 – ESR Value This field is the Equivalent Series

The effects of a medical hypnotherapy on clothing industry employees suffering from chronic pain.

PubMed

Roja, Zenija; Kalkis, Valdis; Roja, Inara; Kalkis, Henrijs

2013-09-25

Problems associated with pain in several body regions due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs), repetitive movement and negative stress at work are quite common in many manufacturing industries of Latvia, int.al. clothing industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of the psychotherapeutic intervention using medical hypnotherapy (MH) program for mind-body relaxation with pain-blocking imagery, cognitive restructuring of unpleasant physical and emotional experience. 300 sewers and 50 cutters with chronic pain were involved in the study. Self-rated WRMDs symptoms, pain intensity and interference were assessed using the extended version of Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Brief Pain Inventory Scale. Assessment of the functional state of muscles was carried out using myotonometric (MYO) measurements. Work heaviness degree was estimated via heart rate monitoring (HRM). The MH program was composed of cognitive hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis training. Sunnen Trance Scale was used to determine person's hypnotic susceptibility. Life quality assessment before and after MH program was carried out using Quality of Life Scale. At the beginning of MH program sessions both sewers and cutters reported on pain interference with general activities, mood, sleep, normal work, etc., but after MH the interference of pain significantly decreased. HRM data confirmed that work heaviness degree of sewers and cutters can be referred to as light and moderate work (energy expenditure for their tasks varies from 3.4 till 4.7 kcal/min). Using MYO measurements it was stated that before MH 22% of workers involved in the study fell under III MYO category indices, consequently, their muscle tone was increased, which is associated with muscular fatigue. After MH muscle tone remained within the normal range meaning that they were able to adapt to the existing workload (II MYO category) or fully relax (I MYO category). MH program including exercises-workouts, cognitive hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis training sessions is an effective method to decrease composite chronic pain intensity for sewers and cutters, as well as to decrease psychogenic tension and muscle fatigue (proved by objective measurements of muscles tone) and to increase the life quality.

Economic consequence of switching to citalopram after its generic entry for adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) treated with escitalopram: a 6-month retrospective study.

PubMed

Yu, Andrew P; Xie, Jipan; Bensimon, Arielle; Parikh, Kejal; Wu, Eric Q; Ben-Hamadi, Rym; Blum, Steven; Haim Erder, M

2010-01-01

To estimate, from a third-party payer's perspective, the effects of switching from escitalopram to citalopram, after the generic entry of citalopram, on hospitalization and healthcare costs among adult MDD patients who were on escitalopram therapy. Adult MDD patients treated with escitalopram were identified from Ingenix Impact claims database. MDD- and mental health (MH)-related hospitalization rates and healthcare costs were compared between 'switchers' (patients who switched to citalopram after its generic entry) and 'non-switchers'. MDD- and MH-related outcomes were defined as having a primary or a secondary diagnosis of ICD-9-CM = 296.2x, 296.3x and ICD-9-CM = 290-319, respectively. A propensity score matching method that estimated the likelihood of switching using baseline characteristics was used. Outcomes were examined for both 3-month and 6-month post-index periods. The sample included 3,427 matched pairs with balanced baseline characteristics. Switchers were more likely to incur an MDD-related (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52) and MH-related hospitalization (OR = 1.34) during the 6-month post-index period (both p < 0.05). Compared to switchers, non-switchers had significantly lower MDD- and MH-related hospitalization costs ($248.3 and $219.8 lower, respectively) and medical costs ($277.4 and $246.4 lower, respectively) (all p < 0.05). Although non-switchers had significantly higher MDD- and MH-related prescription drug costs, overall they had significantly lower total MDD- and MH-related healthcare costs ($109.9 and $93.6 lower, respectively; both p < 0.001). The 3-month results were consistent with these 6-month findings. The study limitations included limited generalizability of study findings, inability to differentiate switching from escitalopram to citalopram due to medical reasons versus non-medical reasons, and exclusion of indirect costs from cost calculations. Compared to patients maintaining on escitalopram, switchers from escitalopram to citalopram experienced higher risk of MDD- and MH-related hospitalization and incurred higher total MDD- and MH-related healthcare costs. The economic consequences of therapeutic substitution should take into account total healthcare costs, not just drug acquisition costs.

Improving mental health care transitions for children and youth: a protocol to implement and evaluate an emergency department clinical pathway.

PubMed

Jabbour, Mona; Reid, S; Polihronis, C; Cloutier, P; Gardner, W; Kennedy, A; Gray, C; Zemek, R; Pajer, K; Barrowman, N; Cappelli, M

2016-07-07

While the emergency department (ED) is often a first point of entry for children and youth with mental health (MH) concerns, there is a limited capacity to respond to MH needs in this setting. Child MH systems are typically fragmented among multiple ministries, organizations, and providers. Communication among these groups is often poor, resulting in gaps, particularly in transitions of care, for this vulnerable population. The evidence-based Emergency Department Mental Health Clinical Pathway (EDMHCP) was created with two main goals: (1) to guide risk assessment and disposition decision-making for children and youth presenting to the ED with MH concerns and (2) to provide a streamlined transition to follow-up services with community MH agencies (CMHAs) and other providers. The purpose of this paper is to describe our study protocol to implement and evaluate the EDMHCP. This mixed methods health services research project will involve implementation and evaluation of the EDMHCP in four exemplar ED-CMHA dyads. The Theoretical Domains Framework will be used to develop a tailored intervention strategy to implement the EDMHCP. A multiple baseline study design and interrupted time-series analysis will be used to determine if the EDMHCP has improved health care utilization, medical management of the MH problems, and health sector coordination. The primary process outcome will be the proportion of patients with MH-specific recommendations documented in the health record. The primary service outcome will be the proportion of patients receiving the EDMHCP-recommended follow-up at 24-h or at 7 days. Data sources will include qualitative interviews, health record audits, administrative databases, and patient surveys. A concurrent process evaluation will be conducted to assess the degree of variability and fidelity in implementation across the sites. This paper presents a novel model for measuring the effects of the EDMHCP. Our development process will identify how the EDMHCP is best implemented among partner organizations to deliver evidence-based risk management of children and youth presenting with MH concerns. More broadly, it will contribute to the body of evidence supporting clinical pathway implementation within novel partnerships. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02590302 ).

Monitoring macular pigment changes in macular holes using fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy.

PubMed

Sauer, Lydia; Peters, Sven; Schmidt, Johanna; Schweitzer, Dietrich; Klemm, Matthias; Ramm, Lisa; Augsten, Regine; Hammer, Martin

2017-08-01

To investigate the impact of macular pigment (MP) on fundus autofluorescence (FAF) lifetimes in vivo by characterizing full-thickness idiopathic macular holes (MH) and macular pseudo-holes (MPH). A total of 37 patients with MH and 52 with MPH were included. Using the fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope (FLIO), based on a Heidelberg Engineering Spectralis system, a 30° retinal field was investigated. FAF decays were detected in a short (498-560 nm; ch1) and long (560-720 nm; ch2) wavelength channel. τ m , the mean fluorescence lifetime, was calculated from a three-exponential approximation of the FAF decays. Macular coherence tomography scans were recorded, and macular pigment's optical density (MPOD) was measured (one-wavelength reflectometry). Two MH subgroups were analysed according to the presence or absence of an operculum above the MH. A total of 17 healthy fellow eyes were included. A longitudinal FAF decay examination was conducted in nine patients, which were followed up after surgery and showed a closed MH. In MH without opercula, significant τ m differences (p < 0.001) were found between the hole area (MHa) and surrounding areas (MHb) (ch1: MHa 238 ± 64 ps, MHb 181 ± 78 ps; ch2: MHa 275 ± 49 ps, MHb 223 ± 48 ps), as well as between MHa and healthy eyes or closed MH. Shorter τ m , adjacent to the hole, can be assigned to areas with equivalently higher MPOD. Opercula containing MP also show short τ m . In MPH, the intactness of the Hele fibre layer is associated with shortest τ m . Shortest τ m originates from MP-containing retinal layers, especially from the Henle fibre layer. Fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope (FLIO) provides information on the MP distribution, the pathogenesis and topology of MH. Macular pigment (MP) fluorescence may provide a biomarker for monitoring pathological changes in retinal diseases. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effects of a medical hypnotherapy on clothing industry employees suffering from chronic pain

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Problems associated with pain in several body regions due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs), repetitive movement and negative stress at work are quite common in many manufacturing industries of Latvia, int.al. clothing industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of the psychotherapeutic intervention using medical hypnotherapy (MH) program for mind-body relaxation with pain-blocking imagery, cognitive restructuring of unpleasant physical and emotional experience. Methods 300 sewers and 50 cutters with chronic pain were involved in the study. Self-rated WRMDs symptoms, pain intensity and interference were assessed using the extended version of Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Brief Pain Inventory Scale. Assessment of the functional state of muscles was carried out using myotonometric (MYO) measurements. Work heaviness degree was estimated via heart rate monitoring (HRM). The MH program was composed of cognitive hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis training. Sunnen Trance Scale was used to determine person’s hypnotic susceptibility. Life quality assessment before and after MH program was carried out using Quality of Life Scale. Results At the beginning of MH program sessions both sewers and cutters reported on pain interference with general activities, mood, sleep, normal work, etc., but after MH the interference of pain significantly decreased. HRM data confirmed that work heaviness degree of sewers and cutters can be referred to as light and moderate work (energy expenditure for their tasks varies from 3.4 till 4.7 kcal/min). Using MYO measurements it was stated that before MH 22% of workers involved in the study fell under III MYO category indices, consequently, their muscle tone was increased, which is associated with muscular fatigue. After MH muscle tone remained within the normal range meaning that they were able to adapt to the existing workload (II MYO category) or fully relax (I MYO category). Conclusions MH program including exercises-workouts, cognitive hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis training sessions is an effective method to decrease composite chronic pain intensity for sewers and cutters, as well as to decrease psychogenic tension and muscle fatigue (proved by objective measurements of muscles tone) and to increase the life quality. PMID:24066847

Sensitivity analysis of the FEMA HAZUS-MH MR4 Earthquake Model using seismic events affecting King County Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neighbors, C.; Noriega, G. R.; Caras, Y.; Cochran, E. S.

2010-12-01

HAZUS-MH MR4 (HAZards U. S. Multi-Hazard Maintenance Release 4) is a risk-estimation software developed by FEMA to calculate potential losses due to natural disasters. Federal, state, regional, and local government use the HAZUS-MH Earthquake Model for earthquake risk mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery planning (FEMA, 2003). In this study, we examine several parameters used by the HAZUS-MH Earthquake Model methodology to understand how modifying the user-defined settings affect ground motion analysis, seismic risk assessment and earthquake loss estimates. This analysis focuses on both shallow crustal and deep intraslab events in the American Pacific Northwest. Specifically, the historic 1949 Mw 6.8 Olympia, 1965 Mw 6.6 Seattle-Tacoma and 2001 Mw 6.8 Nisqually normal fault intraslab events and scenario large-magnitude Seattle reverse fault crustal events are modeled. Inputs analyzed include variations of deterministic event scenarios combined with hazard maps and USGS ShakeMaps. This approach utilizes the capacity of the HAZUS-MH Earthquake Model to define landslide- and liquefaction- susceptibility hazards with local groundwater level and slope stability information. Where Shakemap inputs are not used, events are run in combination with NEHRP soil classifications to determine site amplification effects. The earthquake component of HAZUS-MH applies a series of empirical ground motion attenuation relationships developed from source parameters of both regional and global historical earthquakes to estimate strong ground motion. Ground motion and resulting ground failure due to earthquakes are then used to calculate, direct physical damage for general building stock, essential facilities, and lifelines, including transportation systems and utility systems. Earthquake losses are expressed in structural, economic and social terms. Where available, comparisons between recorded earthquake losses and HAZUS-MH earthquake losses are used to determine how region coordinators can most effectively utilize their resources for earthquake risk mitigation. This study is being conducted in collaboration with King County, WA officials to determine the best model inputs necessary to generate robust HAZUS-MH models for the Pacific Northwest.

Evaluating sickness absence duration by musculoskeletal and mental health issues: a retrospective cohort study of Scottish healthcare workers.

PubMed

Demou, Evangelia; Smith, Shanley; Bhaskar, Abita; Mackay, Daniel F; Brown, Judith; Hunt, Kate; Vargas-Prada, Sergio; Macdonald, Ewan B

2018-01-26

Sickness absence (SA) among healthcare workers is associated with occupational and non-occupational risk factors and impacts employee health, healthcare delivery and patient health. At the same time, healthcare is one of the employment sectors with the highest rates of work-related ill health in the UK. Musculoskeletal (MSK) and mental health (MH) issues are leading causes of SA, but there is a lack of research on how certain MSK/MH conditions impact on SA duration. The study aim is to determine differences in SA duration by MH and MSK disorders in healthcare employees. Survival analyses were used to estimate SA duration due to MSK and MH problems over 6 years, and Cox's proportional hazards models to determine the HRs of returning to work, using a bespoke Scottish health board database with over 53 000 SA events. SA duration and time to return-to-work (RTW) were estimated for employees by age, gender, job and health conditions. MSK and MH conditions accounted for 27% and 6% of all SA events and 23.7% and 19.5% of all days lost, respectively. Average SA duration was 43.5 days for MSK and 53.9 days for MH conditions. For MSK conditions, employees with low back or neck pain had the fastest RTW (median P 50 : 7 days), whereas employees absent due to depression took the longest (P 50 : 54 days). The most influential sociodemographic variables affecting RTW were age, gender and job category. Using a unique and rich database, we found significant differences in SA duration by presenting condition in healthcare workers. MH conditions, and depression specifically, accounted for the most working days' absence. Significant variations in duration were also observed for MSK conditions. Our findings can inform public health practitioners and healthcare managers of the most significant factors impacting MSK-related and MH-related SA to develop and implement tailored and targeted workplace interventions. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Can't sleep? Try these tips

MedlinePlus

... 23320870 . Berry RB, Wagner MH. Behavioral treatment of insomnia. In: Berry RB, Wagner MH, eds. Sleep Medicine ... Davidson JR, Beaulieu-Bonneau S. Cognitive behavior therapies for insomnia. In: Kryger M, Roth T, Dement WC, eds. ...

Genetics Home Reference: Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome

MedlinePlus

... Breuning MH, Niedrist D, Hennekam RC, Schinzel A, Peters DJ. Genetic heterogeneity in Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome: delineation ... JT, van Ommen GJ, Breuning MH, Hennekam RC, Peters DJ. Genetic heterogeneity in Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome: mutations ...

Cultural Resources Survey of Smithville Lake, Missouri. Volume 1: Archeology

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-01

relationships of these families 99 4J C at U 00 o <u o o 43 u »J n o PÖ i-l JB H ^ «4-1 ^ O 3 n en <y U-l CO O 00 efl... HH MH m 4H MH ɜH m m IH MH <*H <W •W W M-l CO to oi co co CD m st CO o o o o o oo CM CM st CO CM IN st • f...cd •H CO CO • <u • • 00 0 0) CO • •u R XI X! 4-1 4J •H -H XI oi c 4J >-3 cd c) o 14H MH 01 R ß -H HH X! •H o o cd cd XI

Risk adjustment alternatives in paying for behavioral health care under Medicaid.

PubMed Central

Ettner, S L; Frank, R G; McGuire, T G; Hermann, R C

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of various risk adjustment models in behavioral health applications such as setting mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) capitation payments or overall capitation payments for populations including MH/SA users. DATA SOURCES/STUDY DESIGN: The 1991-93 administrative data from the Michigan Medicaid program were used. We compared mean absolute prediction error for several risk adjustment models and simulated the profits and losses that behavioral health care carve outs and integrated health plans would experience under risk adjustment if they enrolled beneficiaries with a history of MH/SA problems. Models included basic demographic adjustment, Adjusted Diagnostic Groups, Hierarchical Condition Categories, and specifications designed for behavioral health. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Differences in predictive ability among risk adjustment models were small and generally insignificant. Specifications based on relatively few MH/SA diagnostic categories did as well as or better than models controlling for additional variables such as medical diagnoses at predicting MH/SA expenditures among adults. Simulation analyses revealed that among both adults and minors considerable scope remained for behavioral health care carve outs to make profits or losses after risk adjustment based on differential enrollment of severely ill patients. Similarly, integrated health plans have strong financial incentives to avoid MH/SA users even after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Current risk adjustment methodologies do not eliminate the financial incentives for integrated health plans and behavioral health care carve-out plans to avoid high-utilizing patients with psychiatric disorders. PMID:11508640

Medical homes versus individual practice in primary care: impact on health care expenditures.

PubMed

Perelman, Julian; Roch, Isabelle; Heymans, Isabelle; Moureaux, Catherine; Lagasse, Raphael; Annemans, Lieven; Closon, Marie-Christine

2013-08-01

The medical home (MH) model has prompted increasing attention given its potential to improve quality of care while reducing health expenditures. We compare overall and specific health care expenditures in Belgium, from the third-party payer perspective (compulsory social insurance), between patients treated at individual practices (IP) and at MHs. We compare the sociodemographic profile of MH and IP users. This is a retrospective study using public insurance claims data. Generalized linear models estimate the impact on health expenditures of being treated at a MH versus IP, controlling for individual, and area-based sociodemographic characteristics. The choice of primary care setting is modeled using logistic regressions. A random sample of 43,678 persons followed during the year 2004. Third-party payer expenditures for primary care, secondary care consultations, pharmaceuticals, laboratory tests, acute and long-term inpatient care. Overall third-party payer expenditures do not differ significantly between MH and IP users (€+27). Third-party payer primary care expenditures are higher for MH than for IP users (€+129), but this difference is offset by lower expenditures for secondary care consultations (€-11), drugs (€-40), laboratory tests (€-5) and acute and long-term inpatient care (€-53). MHs attract younger and more underprivileged populations. MHs induce a shift in expenditures from secondary care, drugs, and laboratory tests to primary care, while treating a less economically favored population. Combined with positive results regarding quality, MH structures are a promising way to tackle the challenges of primary care.

Methyl helicterate protects against CCl4-induced liver injury in rats by inhibiting oxidative stress, NF-κB activation, Fas/FasL pathway and cytochrome P4502E1 level.

PubMed

Lin, Xing; Huang, Renbin; Zhang, Shijun; Zheng, Li; Wei, Ling; He, Min; Zhou, Yan; Zhuo, Lang; Huang, Quanfang

2012-10-01

This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of the methyl helicterate (MH) isolated from Helicteres angustifolia L. against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicities in rats. Liver injury was induced in rats by the administration of CCl4 twice a week for 8 weeks. Compared with the CCl4 group, MH significantly decreased the activities of ALT, AST and ALP in the serum and increased the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and GSH-Rd in the liver. Moreover, the content of hepatic MDA was reduced. Histological findings also confirmed the anti-hepatotoxic characterisation. In addition, MH significantly inhibited the proinflammatory mediators, such as PGE2, iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Further investigation showed that the inhibitory effect of MH on the proinflammatory cytokines was associated with the downregulation of NF-κB. Besides, MH also markedly decreased the levels of Fas/FasL protein expression and the activities of caspase-3/8, as well as the activity of cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). In brief, the protective effect of MH against CCl4-induced hepatic injury may rely on its ability to reduce oxidative stress, suppress inflammatory responses, protect against Fas/FasL-mediated apoptosis and block CYP2El-mediated CCl4 bioactivation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency Department Telepsychiatry Service Model for a Rural Regional Health System: The First Steps.

PubMed

Meyer, James D; McKean, Alastair J S; Blegen, Rebecca N; Demaerschalk, Bart M

2018-05-09

Emergency departments (EDs) have recognized an increasing number of patients presenting with mental health (MH) concerns. This trend imposes greater demands upon EDs already operating at capacity. Many ED providers do not feel they are optimally prepared to provide the necessary MH care. One consideration in response to this dilemma is to use advanced telemedicine technology for psychiatric consultation. We examined a rural- and community-based health system operating 21 EDs, none of which has direct access to psychiatric consultation. Dedicated beds to MH range from zero (in EDs with only 3 beds) to 6 (in an ED with 38 beds). We conducted a needs assessment of this health system. This included a survey of emergency room providers with a 67% response rate and site visits to directly observe patient flow and communication with ED staff. A visioning workshop provided input from ED staff. Data were also obtained, which reflected ED admissions for the year 2015. The data provide a summary of provider concerns, a summary of MH presentations and diagnosis, and age groupings. The data also provide a time when most MH concerns present to the ED. Based upon these results, a proposed model for delivering comprehensive regional emergency telepsychiatry and behavioral health services is proposed. Emergency telepsychiatry services may be a tenable solution for addressing the shortage of psychiatric consultation to EDs in light of increasing demand for MH treatment in the ED.

Reduced mitochondria cytochrome oxidase activity in adult children of mothers with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Mosconi, Lisa; de Leon, Mony; Murray, John; E, Lezi; Lu, Jianghua; Javier, Elizabeth; McHugh, Pauline; Swerdlow, Russell H

2011-01-01

Biomarker studies demonstrate inheritance of glucose hypometabolism and increased amyloid-β deposition in adult offspring of mothers, but not fathers, affected by late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). The underlying genetic mechanisms are unknown. We investigated whether cognitively normal (NL) individuals with a maternal history of LOAD (MH) have reduced platelet mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase activity (COX, electron transport chain complex IV) compared to those with paternal (PH) or negative family history (NH). Thirty-six consecutive NL individuals (age 55 ± 15 y, range 27-71 y, 56% female, CDR = 0, MMSE ≥28, 28% APOE-4 carriers), including 12 NH, 12 PH, and 12 MH, received a blood draw to measure platelet mitochondrial COX activity. Citrate synthase activity (CS) was measured as a reference. Groups were comparable for clinical and neuropsychological measures. We found that after correcting for CS, COX activity was reduced by 29% in MH compared to NH, and by 30% in MH compared to PH (p ≤ 0.006). Results remained significant controlling for age, gender, education, and APOE. No differences were found between PH and NH. COX measures discriminated MH from the other groups with accuracy ≥75%, and relative risk ≥3 (p ≤ 0.005). Among NL with LOAD-parents, only those with MH showed reduced COX activity in platelet mitochondria compared to PH and NH. The association between maternal history of LOAD and systemic COX reductions suggests transmission via mitochondrial DNA, which is exclusively maternally inherited in humans.

Randomized controlled trial of moderate hypothermia versus deep hypothermia anesthesia on brain injury during Stanford A aortic dissection surgery.

PubMed

Sun, Xufang; Yang, Hua; Li, Xinyu; Wang, Yue; Zhang, Chuncheng; Song, Zhimin; Pan, Zhenxiang

2018-01-01

This study aimed to compare the effects of moderate versus deep hypothermia anesthesia for Stanford A aortic dissection surgery on brain injury. A total of 82 patients who would undergo Stanford A aortic dissection surgery were randomized into two groups: moderate hypothermia group (MH, n = 40, nasopharyngeal temperature 25 °C, and rectal temperature 28 °C) and deep hypothermia group (DH, n = 42, nasopharyngeal temperature 20 °C, and rectal temperature 25 °C). Different vascular replacement techniques including aortic root replacement, Bentall, and Wheat were used. The intraoperative and postoperative indicators of these patients were recorded. There were no differences in intraoperative and postoperative measures between MH and DH groups. The concentrations of neuron-specific enolase and S-100β increased with operation time, and were significantly lower in MH group than those in the DH group (P < 0.05). The occurrence rates of complications including chenosis, postoperative agitation, and neurological complications in MH group were significantly lower than in DH group. The recovery time, postoperative tube, and ICU intubation stay were significantly shorter in MH group than those in DH group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences revealed in hospital stay and death rate. MH exhibited better cerebral protective effects, less complications, and shorter tube time than DH in surgery for Stanford A aortic dissection.

The importance of associations with saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi among fully mycoheterotrophic orchids is currently under-estimated: novel evidence from sub-tropical Asia

PubMed Central

Lee, Yung-I; Yang, Chih-Kai; Gebauer, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Most fully mycoheterotrophic (MH) orchids investigated to date are mycorrhizal with fungi that simultaneously form ectomycorrhizas with forest trees. Only a few MH orchids are currently known to be mycorrhizal with saprotrophic, mostly wood-decomposing, fungi instead of ectomycorrhizal fungi. This study provides evidence that the importance of associations between MH orchids and saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi is currently under-estimated. Methods Using microscopic techniques and molecular approaches, mycorrhizal fungi were localized and identified for seven MH orchid species from four genera and two subfamilies, Vanilloideae and Epidendroideae, growing in four humid and warm sub-tropical forests in Taiwan. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope natural abundances of MH orchids and autotrophic reference plants were used in order to elucidate the nutritional resources utilized by the orchids. Key Results Six out of the seven MH orchid species were mycorrhizal with either wood- or litter-decaying saprotrophic fungi. Only one orchid species was associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Stable isotope abundance patterns showed significant distinctions between orchids mycorrhizal with the three groups of fungal hosts. Conclusions Mycoheterotrophic orchids utilizing saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi as a carbon and nutrient source are clearly more frequent than hitherto assumed. On the basis of this kind of nutrition, orchids can thrive in deeply shaded, light-limiting forest understoreys even without support from ectomycorrhizal fungi. Sub-tropical East Asia appears to be a hotspot for orchids mycorrhizal with saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi. PMID:26113634

Mental health interventions in Myanmar: a review of the academic and gray literature.

PubMed

Nguyen, A J; Lee, C; Schojan, M; Bolton, P

2018-01-01

Recent political changes in Myanmar provide opportunities to expand mental health (MH) services. Given Myanmar's unique situation, we felt a need to assemble and interpret available local information on MH in Myanmar to inform service design, rather than simply drawing lessons from other countries. We reviewed academic and gray literature on the experience of MH problems in Myanmar and the suitability, availability, and effectiveness of MH and psychosocial programming. We searched: (1) Google Scholar; (2) PubMed; (3) PsychInfo; (4) English-language Myanmar journals and databases; (5) the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Network resources website; (6) websites and (7) local contacts of organizations identified during 2010 and 2013 mapping exercise of MHPSS providers; (8) the Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU) website; (9) University libraries in Yangon and Mandalay; and (10) identified local MH professionals. Qualitative data suggest that MH conditions resulting from stress are similar to those experienced elsewhere. Fourteen intervention evaluations were identified: three on community-level interventions, three on adult religion-based practice (meditation), four adult psychotherapeutic interventions, and four child-focused interventions. Support for the acceptability and effectiveness of interventions is mostly anecdotal. With the exception of two rigorous, randomized control trials, most evaluations had serious methodologic limitations. Few evaluations of psychotherapeutic or psychosocial programs for people from Myanmar have been published in the black or gray literature. Incorporating rigorous evaluations into existing and future programs is imperative for expanding the evidence base for psychotherapeutic and psychosocial programs in this context.

M-H characteristics and demagnetization resistance of samarium-cobalt permanent magnets to 300 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedra, Janis M.

1992-01-01

The influence of temperature on the M-H demagnetization characteristics of permanent magnets is important information for the full utilization of the capabilities of samarium-cobalt magnets at high temperatures in demagnetization-resistant permanent magnet devices. In high temperature space power converters, such as free-piston Stirling engine driven linear alternators, magnet demagnetization can occur as a long-term consequence of thermal agitation of domains and of metallurgical change, and also as an immediate consequence of too large an applied field. Investigated here is the short-term demagnetization resistance to applied fields derived from basic M-H data. This quasistatic demagnetization data was obtained for commercial, high-intrinsic-coercivity, Sm2Co17-type magnets from 5 sources, in the temperature range 23 to 300 C. An electromagnet driven, electronic hysteresigraph was used to test the 1-cm cubic samples. The observed variation of the 2nd quadrant M-H characteristics was a typical rapid loss of M-coercivity and a relatively lesser loss of remanence with increasing temperature. The 2nd quadrant M-H curve knee point is used to define the limits of operation safe against irreversible demagnetization due to an excessive bucking field for a given flux density swing at temperature. Such safe operating area plots are shown to differentiate the high temperature capabilities of the samples from different sources. For most of the samples, their 2nd quadrant M-H loop squareness increased with temperature, reaching a peak or a plateau above 250 C.

Compound RYR1 heterozygosity resulting in a complex phenotype of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility and a core myopathy.

PubMed

Kraeva, N; Heytens, L; Jungbluth, H; Treves, S; Voermans, N; Kamsteeg, E; Ceuterick-de Groote, C; Baets, J; Riazi, S

2015-07-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal pharmacogenetic myopathy triggered by exposure to volatile anesthetics and/or depolarizing muscle relaxants. Susceptibility to MH is primarily associated with dominant mutations in the ryanodine receptor type 1 gene (RYR1). Recent genetic studies have shown that RYR1 variants are the most common cause of dominant and recessive congenital myopathies - central core and multi-minicore disease, congenital fiber type disproportion, and centronuclear myopathy. However, the MH status of many patients, especially with recessive RYR1-related myopathies, remains uncertain. We report the occurrence of a triplet of RYR1 variants, c.4711A>G (p.Ile1571Val), c.10097G>A (p.Arg3366His), c.11798A>G (p.Tyr3933Cys), found in cis in four unrelated families, one from Belgium, one from The Netherlands and two from Canada. Phenotype-genotype correlation analysis indicates that the presence of the triplet allele alone confers susceptibility to MH, and that the presence of this allele in a compound heterozygous state with the MH-associated RYR1 variant c.14545G>A (p.Val4849Ile) results in the MH susceptibility phenotype and a congenital myopathy with cores and rods. Our study underlines the notion that assigning pathogenicity to individual RYR1 variants or combination of variants, and counseling in RYR1-related myopathies may require integration of clinical, histopathological, in vitro contracture testing, MRI and genetic findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High deductible health plans: does cost sharing stimulate increased consumer sophistication?

PubMed

Gupta, Neal; Polsky, Daniel

2015-06-01

To determine whether increased cost sharing in health insurance plans induces higher levels of consumer sophistication in a non-elderly population. This analysis is based on the collection of survey and demographic data collected from enrollees in the RAND health insurance experiment (HIE). During the RAND HIE, enrollees were randomly assigned to different levels of cost sharing (0, 25, 50 and 95%). The study population compromises about 2000 people enrolled in the RAND HIE, between the years 1974 and 1982. Effects on health-care decision making were measured using the results of a standardized questionnaire, administered at the beginning and end of the experiment. Points of enquiry included whether or not enrollees' (i) recognized the need for second opinions (ii) questioned the effectiveness of certain therapies and (iii) researched the background/skill of their medical providers. Consumer sophistication was also measured for regular health-care consumers, as indicated by the presence of a chronic disease. We found no statically significant changes (P < 0.05) in the health-care decision-making strategies between individuals randomized to high cost sharing plans and low cost sharing plans. Furthermore, we did not find a stronger effect for patients with a chronic disease. The evidence from the RAND HIE does not support the hypothesis that a higher level of cost sharing incentivizes the development of consumer sophistication. As a result, cost sharing alone will not promote individuals to become more selective in their health-care decision-making. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Melt volume flow rate and melt flow rate of kenaf fibre reinforced Floreon/magnesium hydroxide biocomposites.

PubMed

Lee, C H; Sapuan, S M; Lee, J H; Hassan, M R

2016-01-01

A study of the melt volume flow rate (MVR) and the melt flow rate (MFR) of kenaf fibre (KF) reinforced Floreon (FLO) and magnesium hydroxide (MH) biocomposites under different temperatures (160-180 °C) and weight loadings (2.16, 5, 10 kg) is presented in this paper. FLO has the lowest values of MFR and MVR. The increment of the melt flow properties (MVR and MFR) has been found for KF or MH insertion due to the hydrolytic degradation of the polylactic acid in FLO. Deterioration of the entanglement density at high temperature, shear thinning and wall slip velocity were the possible causes for the higher melt flow properties. Increasing the KF loadings caused the higher melt flow properties while the higher MH contents created stronger bonding for higher macromolecular chain flow resistance, hence lower melt flow properties were recorded. However, the complicated melt flow behaviour of the KF reinforced FLO/MH biocomposites was found in this study. The high probability of KF-KF and KF-MH collisions was expected and there were more collisions for higher fibre and filler loading causing lower melt flow properties.

Differences in activation properties of the hamstring muscles during overground sprinting.

PubMed

Higashihara, Ayako; Nagano, Yasuharu; Ono, Takashi; Fukubayashi, Toru

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify activation of the biceps femoris (BF) and medial hamstring (MH) during overground sprinting. Lower-extremity kinematics and electromyography (EMG) of the BF and MH were recorded in 13 male sprinters performing overground sprinting at maximum effort. Mean EMG activity was calculated in the early stance, late stance, mid-swing, and late-swing phases. Activation of the BF was significantly greater during the early stance phase than the late stance phase (p<0.01). Activation of the BF muscle was significantly lower during the first half of the mid-swing phase than the other phases (p<0.05). The MH had significantly greater EMG activation relative to its recorded maximum values compared to that for the BF during the late stance (p<0.05) and mid-swing (p<0.01) phases. These results indicate that the BF shows high activation before and after foot contact, while the MH shows high activation during the late stance and mid-swing phases. We concluded that the activation properties of the BF and MH muscles differ within the sprinting gait cycle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combination of mild hypothermia with neuroprotectants has greater neuroprotective effects during oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation-mediated neuronal injury

PubMed Central

Gao, Xiao-Ya; Huang, Jian-Ou; Hu, Ya-Fang; Gu, Yong; Zhu, Shu-Zhen; Huang, Kai-Bin; Chen, Jin-Yu; Pan, Su-Yue

2014-01-01

Co-treatment of neuroprotective reagents may improve the therapeutic efficacy of hypothermia in protecting neurons during ischemic stroke. This study aimed to find promising drugs that enhance the neuroprotective effect of mild hypothermia (MH). 26 candidate drugs were selected based on different targets. Primary cultured cortical neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) to induce neuronal damage, followed by either single treatment (a drug or MH) or a combination of a drug and MH. Results showed that, compared with single treatment, combination of MH with brain derived neurotrophic factor, glibenclamide, dizocilpine, human urinary kallidinogenase or neuroglobin displayed higher proportion of neuronal cell viability. The latter three drugs also caused less apoptosis rate in combined treatment. Furthermore, co-treatment of those three drugs and MH decreased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular calcium accumulation, as well as stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), indicating the combined neuroprotective effects are probably via inhibiting mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Taken together, the study suggests that combined treatment with hypothermia and certain neuroprotective reagents provide a better protection against OGD/R-induced neuronal injury. PMID:25404538

JSA guideline for the management of malignant hyperthermia crisis 2016.

PubMed

2017-04-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) can be fatal if the crisis is not appropriately treated. It is an inherited disease usually triggered by the administration of volatile inhalational anesthetics and/or succinylcholine, a muscle relaxant. In a patient with suspected MH, the mechanism of calcium release from storage in the sarcoplasmic reticulum in the skeletal muscle is abnormally accelerated. Unexplained hypercarbia representing >55 mmHg of end-tidal carbon dioxide, tachycardia, and muscle rigidity (including masseter muscle rigidity) are early signs of the initiation of MH, because the metabolism is accelerated. The body temperature can rise by >0.5 °C/15 min and may reach ≥40 °C. Respiratory and metabolic acidosis, arrhythmia, cola-colored urine, increased levels of serum potassium, and tented T-waves on electrocardiogram are common and can lead to cardiac arrest. MH should be treated by discontinuation of the triggering agents, administration of intravenous dantrolene (initially 1 mg/kg), and reduction of the body temperature. Early diagnosis and sufficient dantrolene with body temperature reduction are essential to relieve the patient's MH crisis. This guideline in Japanese translation has been posted on the website: http://www.anesth.or.jp/guide/pdf/guideline_akuseikounetsu.pdf .

Transdiagnostic Motivational Enhancement Therapy to Reduce Treatment Attrition: Use in Emerging Adults

PubMed Central

Mistler, Lisa A.; Sheidow, Ashli J.; Davis, Maryann

2017-01-01

Improving outcomes of youth with mental health (MH) needs as they transition into adulthood is of critical public health significance. Effective psychotherapy MH treatment is available, but can be effective only if the emerging adult (EA) attends long enough to benefit. Unfortunately, completion of psychotherapy among EAs is lower than for more mature adults (Edlund et al., 2002; Olfson, Marcus, Druss, & Pincus, 2002). To target the high attrition of EAs in MH treatment, investigators adapted a developmentally appropriate brief intervention aimed at reducing treatment attrition (TA) in psychotherapy and conducted a feasibility study of implementation. The intervention employs motivational interviewing strategies aimed at engaging and retaining EAs in outpatient MH treatment. Motivational enhancement therapy for treatment attrition, or MET-TA, takes only a few sessions at the outset of treatment as an adjunct to usual treatment. Importantly, it can be used for TA with psychotherapy for any MH condition; in other words, it is transdiagnostic. This article presents the first description of MET-TA, along with a case example that demonstrates important characteristics of the approach, and then briefly describes implementation feasibility based on a small pilot randomized controlled trial. PMID:28979088

Removal of choroidal neovascular membrane in a case of macular hole after anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Hirata, Akira; Hayashi, Ken; Murata, Kazuhisa; Nakamura, Kei-Ichiro

2018-03-01

The formation of macular hole after receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy is rare. We report a case of macular hole that occurred after intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a patient, who underwent vitrectomy combined with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) removal. A 64-year-old female with AMD affecting her right eye received an intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent. After treatment, we identified a full thickness macular hole (MH) that was associated with the rapid resolution of the macular edema and contraction of the CNV. After performing vitrectomy combined with CNV removal, the MH closed and her visual acuity improved. Examination of the removed CNV revealed a network of microvessels devoid of pericytes. and Importance: The present findings suggest that rapid resolution of macular edema and contraction of the CNV and/or mild increase in the vitreous traction after anti-VEGF therapy could potentially cause MH. CNV removal via the MH may be an acceptable procedure, if the MH remains open, the CNV is of the classic type, and it spares a central portion of the fovea.

Standards for material handling and facilities equipment proofload testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonn, S. P.

1970-01-01

Document provides information on verifying the safety of material handling and facilities equipment /MH/FE/, ranging from monorail systems to ladders and non-powered mobile equipment. Seven catagories of MH/FE equipment are defined.

Combined Biology and Bioinformatics Approaches to Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

interacted with the MH 1 and linker domains in both Smad3 and Smad4; no interaction was found with the MH2 domain (Fig. 7C). These data suggest that LMO4...LMO4 interacts with these Smads. GST protein-protein interaction assays showed that LMO4 binds to the MH1 and linker domain of Smad 1, Smad3 and Smad4...by facilitating the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding of a complex composed of an R-Smad (Smad2 and/or Smad3 ) and the co-Smad, Smad4 (10). To

Accelerated cycle life performance for ovonic nickel-metal hydride cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otzinger, Burton M.

1991-01-01

Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable batteries have emerged as the leading candidate for commercial replacement of nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries. An important incentive is that the Ni-MH cell provides approximately twice the capacity of a Ni-Cd cell for a given size. A six-cell battery was committed to an accelerated cycle life test to determine the effect of separation type on performance. Results of the test may also show the Ni-MH battery to be a replacement candidate for the aerospace Ni-Cd battery.

13. Photocopy of engineering drawing (original drawing,(original drawing, #MH 10460086, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Photocopy of engineering drawing (original drawing,(original drawing, #MH 104-600-86, dated October 31, 1995, and drawn by W. Robinson, is located in the Mountain Home Air Force Base Civil Engineering archives. This 1995 drawing is a copy of drawing #MH 104-600-06, dated December 21, 1955, entitled "Repair Exterior Siding Elev. & Exterior Painting. Bldg. 611," also located in the Mountain Home Air Force Base Civil Engineering archives). FAC 611. - Mountain Home Air Force Base, Base Chapel, 350 Willow Street, Cantonment Area, Mountain Home, Elmore County, ID

Legislations and policies to expand mental health and substance abuse benefits in health insurance plans: a community guide systematic economic review.

PubMed

Jacob, Verughese; Qu, Shuli; Chattopadhyay, Sajal; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Knopf, John A; Goetzel, Ron Z; Finnie, Ramona; Thota, Anilkrishna B

2015-03-01

Health insurance plans have historically limited the benefits for mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) services compared to benefits for physical health services. In recent years, legislative and policy initiatives in the U.S. have been taken to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits and achieve parity with physical health benefits. The relevance of these legislations for international audiences is also explored, particularly for the European context. This paper reviews the evidence of costs and economic benefits of legislative or policy interventions to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits in the U.S. The objectives are to assess the economic value of the interventions by comparing societal cost to societal benefits, and to determine impact on costs to insurance plans resulting from expansion of these benefits. The search for economic evidence covered literature published from January 1950 to March 2011 and included evaluations of federal and state laws or rules that expanded MH/SA benefits as well as voluntary actions by large employers. Two economists screened and abstracted the economic evidence of MH/SA benefits legislation based on standard economic and actuarial concepts and methods. The economic review included 12 studies: eleven provided evidence on cost impact to health plans, and one estimated the effect on suicides. There was insufficient evidence to determine if the intervention was cost-effective or cost-saving. However, the evidence indicates that MH/SA benefits expansion did not lead to any substantial increase in costs to insurance plans, measured as a percentage of insurance premiums. This review is unable to determine the overall economic value of policies that expanded MH/SA insurance benefits due to lack of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit studies, predominantly due to the lack of evaluations of morbidity and mortality outcomes. This may be remedied in time when long-term MH/SA patient-level data becomes available to researchers. A limitation of this review is that legislations considered here have been superseded by recent legislations that have stronger and broader impacts on MH/SA benefits within private and public insurance: Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). Economic assessments over the long term such as cost per QALY saved and cost-benefit will be feasible as more data becomes available from plans that implemented recent expansions of MH/SA benefits. Results from these evaluations will allow a better estimate of the economic impact of the interventions from a societal perspective. Future research should also evaluate the more downstream effects on business decisions about labor, such as effects on hiring, retention, and the offer of health benefits as part of an employee compensation package. Finally, the economic effect of the far reaching ACA of 2010 on mental health and substance abuse prevalence and care is also a subject for future research.

Barriers to the Identification and Management of Psychosocial Problems: Changes from 2004 to 2013

PubMed Central

Horwitz, Sarah McCue; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Kerker, Bonnie D.; Szilagyi, Moira; Garner, Andrew; O’Connor, Karen G.; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Stein, Ruth E.K.

2015-01-01

Objective Pediatricians report many barriers to caring for children with mental health (MH) problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has focused attention on MH problems but the impact on perceived barriers is unknown. We examined whether perceived barriers and their correlates changed from 2004 to 2013. Methods In 2004, 832/1600 (52%) and in 2013, 594/1617 (36.7%) of randomly selected AAP members surveyed responded to Periodic Surveys, answering questions about socio-demographics, practice characteristics, and 7 barriers to identifying, treating/managing and referring child/adolescent MH problems. To reduce non-response bias, weighted descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Lack of training in treatment of child MH problems (~65%) and lack of confidence treating children with counseling (~60%) did not differ across surveys. Five barriers (lack of training in identifying MH problems, lack of confidence diagnosing, lack of confidence treating with medications, inadequate reimbursement and lack of time) were less frequently endorsed in 2013 (all p<.01), although lack of time was still endorsed by 70% in 2013. In 2004, 34% of pediatricians endorsed 6 or 7 barriers compared to 26% in 2013 (p<.005). Practicing general pediatrics exclusively was associated with endorsing 6 or 7 barriers in both years (p <.001). Conclusion Although fewer barriers were endorsed in 2013, most pediatricians believe that they have inadequate training in treating child MH problems, a lack of confidence to counsel children, and limited time for these problems. These findings suggest significant barriers still exist, highlighting the need for improved developmental and behavioral pediatrics training. What’s New This study compares reported barriers from the 2004 and 2013 Periodic Surveys. Although pediatricians report fewer barriers in 2013, 66% continue to report lack of training in counseling or medication of children with MH problems, suggesting deficits in developmental and behavioral pediatrics training. PMID:26409303

Pattern recognition in the ALFALFA.70 and Sloan Digital Sky Surveys: a catalogue of ˜500 000 H I gas fraction estimates based on artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teimoorinia, Hossen; Ellison, Sara L.; Patton, David R.

2017-02-01

The application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the estimation of H I gas mass fraction (M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}}) is investigated, based on a sample of 13 674 galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) with H I detections or upper limits from the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFALFA). We show that, for an example set of fixed input parameters (g - r colour and I-band surface brightness), a multidimensional quadratic model yields M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}} scaling relations with a smaller scatter (0.22 dex) than traditional linear fits (0.32 dex), demonstrating that non-linear methods can lead to an improved performance over traditional approaches. A more extensive ANN analysis is performed using 15 galaxy parameters that capture variation in stellar mass, internal structure, environment and star formation. Of the 15 parameters investigated, we find that g - r colour, followed by stellar mass surface density, bulge fraction and specific star formation rate have the best connection with M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}}. By combining two control parameters, that indicate how well a given galaxy in SDSS is represented by the ALFALFA training set (PR) and the scatter in the training procedure (σfit), we develop a strategy for quantifying which SDSS galaxies our ANN can be adequately applied to, and the associated errors in the M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}} estimation. In contrast to previous works, our M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}} estimation has no systematic trend with galactic parameters such as M⋆, g - r and star formation rate. We present a catalogue of M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}} estimates for more than half a million galaxies in the SDSS, of which ˜150 000 galaxies have a secure selection parameter with average scatter in the M_{H I}/{{M}_{*}} estimation of 0.22 dex.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Barriers to Personal Health Record Use among Patients Attending a Safety-Net Clinic

PubMed Central

Hilton, Joan F.; Barkoff, Lynsey; Chang, Olivia; Halperin, Lindsay; Ratanawongsa, Neda; Sarkar, Urmimala; Leykin, Yan; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Thom, David H.; Kahn, James S.

2012-01-01

Background Personal health records (PHR) may improve patients' health by providing access to and context for health information. Among patients receiving care at a safety-net HIV/AIDS clinic, we examined the hypothesis that a mental health (MH) or substance use (SU) condition represents a barrier to engagement with web-based health information, as measured by consent to participate in a trial that provided access to personal (PHR) or general (non-PHR) health information portals and by completion of baseline study surveys posted there. Methods Participants were individually trained to access and navigate individualized online accounts and to complete study surveys. In response to need, during accrual months 4 to 12 we enhanced participant training to encourage survey completion with the help of staff. Using logistic regression models, we estimated odds ratios for study participation and for survey completion by combined MH/SU status, adjusted for levels of computer competency, on-study training, and demographics. Results Among 2,871 clinic patients, 70% had MH/SU conditions, with depression (38%) and methamphetamine use (17%) most commonly documented. Middle-aged patients and those with a MH/SU condition were over-represented among study participants (N = 338). Survey completion was statistically independent of MH/SU status (OR, 1.85 [95% CI, 0.93–3.66]) but tended to be higher among those with MH/SU conditions. Completion rates were low among beginner computer users, regardless of training level (<50%), but adequate among advanced users (>70%). Conclusions Among patients attending a safety-net clinic, MH/SU conditions were not barriers to engagement with web-based health information. Instead, level of computer competency was useful for identifying individuals requiring substantial computer training in order to fully participate in the study. Intensive on-study training was insufficient to enable beginner computer users to complete study surveys. PMID:22363761

Use of the SF-36v2 Health Survey as a Screen for Risk of Major Depressive Disorder in a US Population-based Sample and Subgroup With Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Bell, Jill A; daCosta DiBonaventura, Marco; Witt, Edward A; Ben-Joseph, Rami; Reeve, Bryce B

2017-02-01

To assess the feasibility of using the SF-36v2 mental health (MH) and mental component summary (MCS) scores for classification of risk for major depressive disorder (MDD), and to determine cut-off scores based on the sensitivity and specificity in a general US representative sample, and a chronic pain subpopulation. Data were analyzed from the 2013 US National Health and Wellness Survey (adults 18 y old and above; N=75,000), and among a chronic pain subpopulation (n=6679). Risk of MDD was a score ≥10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Logistic regression modeling was used to predict at risk for MDD and receiver operating characteristic curves were produced. The total sample had MH scores of 48.8 and MCS scores of 48.9, similar to the normative US population mean. Percent of respondents with a PHQ-9≥10 were 15.0% and 29.1% for the total sample and chronic pain subpopulation, respectively. Cut-off scores (PHQ-9≥10) in the total sample for the MH and MCS were 43.0 and 46.0, respectively. Specificities for the MH and MCS were 77.8% and 76.1%; sensitivities were 84.9% and 88.1%, respectively. Among the subpopulation with chronic pain, cut-off scores for the MH and MCS were 40.4 and 43.1, respectively. Corresponding specificities for the MH and MCS were 77.9% and 73.9%; sensitivities were 78.3% and 83.4%, respectively. The SF-36v2 was found to have sufficient specificity and sensitivity to categorize participants at risk for MDD. If no depression questionnaire is available, it is feasible to use the SF-36v2 to characterize the MH of populations.

Development of a 22q11DS psycho-educational programme: exploration of the views, concerns and educational needs of parents caring for children or adolescents with 22q11DS in relation to mental health issues.

PubMed

Alugo, T; Malone, H; Sheehan, A; Coyne, I; Lawlor, A; McNicholas, F

2017-07-01

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a multisystem genetic condition with a broad phenotype. It is associated with a high prevalence of depression and anxiety during childhood and increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood. Despite this, studies report that families may receive inadequate information of mental health (MH) risks at diagnosis. Therefore, this study investigated parents' experiences of caring for a child with 22q11DS, investigated their knowledge regarding the risk of MH problems and assessed the need for a psycho-educational programme. A qualitative design and purposeful sampling was utilized. Parents registered with the '22q11 Ireland' support group, and parents listed on the cleft palate database in a children's hospital in Ireland were invited to participate. Focus groups were held with 22 parents. Data were thematically analysed using Burnard's method of analysis. Most parents had some knowledge of the relationship between 22q11DS and an increased risk of MH issues. Parents reported that MH information relating to 22q11DS was mainly obtained from 22q11DS conferences, the '22q11 Ireland' support group and the Internet. Parents expressed a need for information to prevent or cope with their child's MH issues. Parents suggested that the following topics would be quite useful in a psycho-educational programme. These included information on the early warning signs of MH issues and guidance on when and how to tell the child about the condition and how to manage the child or young person's anxiety, obsessive behaviour or hearing voices. The findings indicated parental support for a psycho-educational programme that would provide relevant, accurate and timely information on how to effectively care for a child with 22q11DS MH needs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fecal immunochemical test for predicting mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Dai, Cong; Jiang, Min; Sun, Ming-Jun; Cao, Qin

2018-05-01

Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a promising marker for assessment of inflammatory bowel disease activity. However, the utility of FIT for predicting mucosal healing (MH) of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients has yet to be clearly demonstrated. The objective of our study was to perform a diagnostic test accuracy test meta-analysis evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of FIT in predicting MH of UC patients. We systematically searched the databases from inception to November 2017 that evaluated MH in UC. The methodological quality of each study was assessed according to the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies checklist. The extracted data were pooled using a summary receiver operating characteristic curve model. Random-effects model was used to summarize the diagnostic odds ratio, sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio. Six studies comprising 625 UC patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity values for predicting MH in UC were 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.81) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.76-0.85), respectively. The FIT level had a high rule-in value (positive likelihood ratio, 3.79; 95% CI, 2.85-5.03) and a moderate rule-out value (negative likelihood ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.16-0.43) for predicting MH in UC. The results of the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve, 0.88; standard error of the mean, 0.02) and diagnostic odds ratio (18.08; 95% CI, 9.57-34.13) also revealed improved discrimination for identifying MH in UC with FIT concentration. Our meta-analysis has found that FIT is a simple, reliable non-invasive marker for predicting MH in UC patients. © 2018 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Mechanical Model of Traditional Thai Massage for Integrated Healthcare.

PubMed

Rattanaphan, Salinee; Srichandr, Panya

2015-01-01

In this study, a mechanical model was developed, aiming to provide standardized and programmable traditional Thai massage (TTM) therapy to patients. The TTM was modeled and integrated into a mechanical hand (MH) system, and a prototype massage chair was built and tested for user satisfaction. Three fundamental principles of Thai massage were integrated: pull, press, and pin. Based on these principles, the mechanics of Thai massage was studied and a mathematical model was developed to describe the dynamics and conditions for the design and prototyping of an MH. On average, it was found that users were satisfied with the treatment and felt that the treatment was similar to that performed by human hands. According to the interview results, users indicated that they were likely to utilize the MH as an alternative to traditional massage. Therefore, integrated TTM with an MH may help healthcare providers deliver standardized, programmable massage therapy to patients as opposed to variable, inconsistent human massage.

Methane negative chemical ionization analysis of 1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-ones.

PubMed Central

Garland, W A; Miwa, B J

1980-01-01

The methane negative chemical ionization (NCI) mass spectra of the medically important 1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-ones generally consisted solely of M- and (M-H)- ions. Attempts to find the location of the H lost in the generation of the (M-H)- ion were unsuccessful, although many possibilities were eliminated. A Hammett correlation analysis of the relative sensitivities of a series of 7-substituted benzodiazepines suggested that the initial ionization takes place at the 4,5-imine bond. For certain benzodiazepines, the (M-H)- ion generated by methane NCI was 20 times more intense than the MH+ ion generated by methane positive chemical ionization (PCI). By using NCI, a sensitive and simple GC-MS assay for nordiazepam was developed that can quantitate this important metabolite of many of the clinically used benzodiazepines in the blood and brain of rats. PMID:6775944

Double Internal Limiting Membrane Insertion for Macular Hole-Associated Retinal Detachment

PubMed Central

Chen, San-Ni

2017-01-01

Purpose To describe a modified technique of internal limiting membrane (ILM) insertion for macular hole- (MH-) associated retinal detachment (RD) in highly myopic eyes. Methods Nine eyes underwent pars plana vitrectomy, cortical vitreous removal, and fovea-sparing ILM peeling. Double ILM insertion into the hole was performed with inverted perifoveal ILM and a free ILM flap followed by air-fluid exchange. Results Two of the 9 eyes had perifoveal ILM partially torn after cortical vitreous or epiretinal removal. All eyes had the ILM plug stabilized within the MH after double ILM insertion. Postoperatively, MH was sealed with the retina reattached in all the eyes. Conclusion Double ILM insertion may further secure the ILM flap in place in the eyes with MH-associated RD, especially in cases in which insufficient perifoveal ILM was left. This trial is registered with the clinical registration number Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03174639. PMID:28845304

Faster-than-Light Particles: A Review of Tachyon Characteristics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-01

A-DlAO9(4 529 RAND CORP SANTA MNtICA CA F/6 20/S FASTER-THAN-LIBI4T PARTICLES: A REVIEW OF TACHYON CHARACTERISTIC--ETCWU) OCT B0 E A PUSCHER F49620...77-C-0023 UNCLASSIFIED RAI0IN-1530-AF N. I nmui ininmuuuI LEVEL A RAND NOTE FASTER-THAN-LIGHT PARTICLES: A REVIEW OF ) ( TACHYON CHARACTERISTICS Edward...RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER 4TIT LE ( d Subtitle) TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED ( Faster-than-Light Particles: A Review of /Interim -i Tachyon

Consumer Surplus, Demand Functions, and Policy Analysis,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

ARD-AL758 865 CONSUMER SURPLUS DEMAND FUNCTIONS AND POLICY ANALYSIS 1/2 (U) RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CA F CANM JUN 83 RAND/R-3848-RC UNCLASSIFIED F/O 5...8217 - * 2, Consumer Surplus, Demand Functions, and Policy Analysis Frank Camm OCFILE COEYI b0 loo Thi! d Ci rr.i h,13 bea~n approvedS i i l ot p...ui.- r~aoz an~d sale; its (5 06 VP1 d’ *. . . * . ~ - V * * . R-3048-RC Consumer Surplus, Demand Functions, and Policy Analysis Frank Caomm June 1983

How Is Deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan Affecting U.S. Service Members and Their Families? An Overview of Early Rand Research on the Topic

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is...shorter or much longer than expected decreased the intention to stay in the military. This finding implies that service members feel discontent when...when the deployment will occur and how long it will be, and to feel assured that expectations will be met. • The intention to stay in the military

Improving Air Force Depot Programming by Linking Resources to Capabilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

thank Rick Grisenthwaite at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Jamie Jeter at Okla- homa City Air Logistics Center, and Glen Brown at Ogden Air...consistency, we use the term block cycle instead of SCU in our F-16 discussions. 4 8 Im p ro vin g A ir Fo rce D ep o t Pro g ram m in g b y Lin kin...Requirements RAND TR905-B.8 Figure B.9 Depot Purchased Equipment Maintenance Model Output: Projected Aircraft Availability RAND TR905-B.9 A ir cr af t av

Potential Applications of Manual Games,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

34 just because some electronic equipment is used to keep track of logistics, combat results, and force status. Even a highly computerized game like...D-A152 541 POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF MANUAL GAMES (U) RAND CORP ii SANTA MONICA CA T A BROW~N FEB 84 RAND/P-6957 UNCLASI7FIED F/G 12/2 N El..I 111 1...128 112.5 111 m; * _ 1.8 I1111 ’I’ll MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATI NAl fii~ t1 RI 1A L4k, I POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF MANUJAL GAMES Lfl N Lfl

Proceedings of the Annual RAND-China Reform Forum Conference (6th) Held in Santa Monica, California on August 28-29, 2003

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

documents for commercial use. Limited Electronic Distribution Rights For More Information CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH...Reform Forum Conference. August 28-29, 2003 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK...have been reviewed and approved by RAND Science and Technology. Proceedings of the 6th Annual RAND–China Reform Forum Conference August 28–29

Spectral Changes in Metal Halide and High-pressure Sodium Lamps Equipped with Electronic Dimming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Sargis, Raman; Wilson, David

1995-01-01

Electronic dimming of high-intensity discharge lamps offers control of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) but is often characterized as causing significant spectral changes. Growth chambers with 400-W metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps were equipped with a dimmer system using silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCR) as high-speed switches. Phase control operation turned the line power off for some period of the alternating current cycle. At full power, the electrical input to HPS and MH lamps was 480 W (root mean squared) and could be decreased to 267 W and 428 W, respectively, before the arc was extinguished. Concomitant with this decrease in input power, PPF decreased by 60% in HPS and 50% in MH. The HPS lamp has characteristic spectral peaks at 589 and 595 nm. As power to the HPS lamps was decreased, the 589-nm peak remained constant while the 595-nm peak decreased, equaling the 589-nm peak at 345-W input, and the 589-nm peak was almost absent at 270-W input. The MH lamp has a broader spectral output but also has a peak at 589 nm and another smaller peak at 545 nm. As input power to the MH lamps decreased, the peak at 589 diminished to equal the 545-nm peak. As input power approached 428 W, the 589-nm peak shifted to 570 nm. While the spectrum changed as input power was decreased in the MH and HPS lamps, the phytochrome equilibrium ratio (P(sub fr):P(sub tot)) remains unchanged for both lamp types.

Excitation of high frequency pressure driven modes in non-axisymmetric equilibrium at high βpol in PBX-M

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sesnic, S.; Holland, A.; Kaita, R.; Kaye, S. M.; Okabayashi, M.; Takahashi, H.; Asakura, N.; Bell, R. E.; Bernabei, S.; Chance, M. S.; Duperrex, P.-A.; Fonck, R. J.; Gammel, G. M.; Greene, G. J.; Hatcher, R. E.; Jardin, S. C.; Jiang, T.; Kessel, C. E.; Kugel, H. W.; Leblanc, B.; Levinton, F. M.; Manickam, J.; Ono, M.; Paul, S. F.; Powell, E. T.; Qin, Y.; Roberts, D. W.; Sauthoff, N. R.

1993-12-01

High frequency pressure driven modes have been observed in high poloidal beta discharges in the Princeton Beta Experiment Modification (PBX-M). These modes are excited in a non-axisymmetric equilibrium characterized by a large, low frequency mt = 1/nt = 1 island, and they are capable of expelling fast ions. The modes reside on or very close to the q = 1 surface and have mode numbers with either mh = nh or (less probably) mh/nh = mh/(mh-1), with mh varying between 3 and 10. Occasionally these modes are simultaneously localized in the vicinity of the ml = 2/nl = 1 island. The high frequency modes near the q = 1 surface also exhibit a ballooning character, being significantly stronger on the large major radius side of the plasma. When a large mt = 1/nt = 1 island is present, the mode is poloidally localized in the immediate vicinity of the X point of the island. The modes occur exclusively in high beta beam heated discharges and are likely to be driven by the beam ions. They can thus be a manifestation of either a toroidicity induced shear Alfven eigenmode (TAE) at q = (2mh+1)/2nh, a kinetic ballooning mode, or some other type of pressure driven (high β) mode. Most of the data are consistent with the theoretical predictions for the TAE gap mode. Since the high frequency modes in PBX-M, however, are found exclusively on or in the immediate neighbourhood of magnetic surfaces with low rational numbers (q = 1, 2,...), other possibilities are not excluded

Basic Study on Production Well Integrity for Methane Hydrate Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakumoto, M.; Yoneda, J.; Katagiri, J.; Tenma, N.; Aoki, K.

2014-12-01

Methane Hydrate (MH) exist as an ice-like crystal under low-temperature and high-pressure condition, and it has gathering attention as a non-conventional natural gas resource. Depressurization method is a method to reduce the bottom hole pressure by submersible pump lowering water level in the production well, and gas and water is recovered by MH dissociation at the in situ. During the depressurization operation, consolidation and deformation of sediment occurs because of increase of effective stress by depressurization and changes in the soil structure by MH dissociation. Then consolidation and deformation of sediment makes negative friction between the production well and sediment, and large stress is occur in casing. Therefore there is concern that it may cause compression failure and shear failure of the production well. For safe MH development, it is necessary to grasp the deformation and stress vicinity of the production well. At first, we conducted push-out test to get friction strength between the different materials simulated the well and sediment. And we have done numerical analysis for integrity using by these data. The results of numerical analysis showed that the large deformation of sediment occur around the depressurization zone, and for the well, the large tensile stress in the vertical direction occur the upper vicinity of the depressurization zone.This study was financially supported by the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (MH21 Research Consortium) planned by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The authors thank the entire personnel related to MH21 Research Consortium.

Mg-Doped Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan Composite Coated 316L Stainless Steel Implants for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Sutha, S; Dhineshbabu, N R; Prabhu, M; Rajendran, V

2015-06-01

In this investigation, ultrasonication process was used for the synthesis of magnesium doped nano-hydroxyapatite (MH) (0, 1, 2, and 3 mol% of Mg concentration) particles with controlled size and surface morphology. The size of the prepared MH particles was in the range of 20-100 nm with narrow distribution. Increase in the concentration of Mg reduced the particle size distribution from 60 to 40 nm. On incorporation of Mg in HAp lattice, an increase of 20-66 nm in specific surface area was observed in microporous HAp particles. XRF and XRD patterns reveal that the particles possess stoichiometric composition with reduced crystallinity with respect to the Mg concentration. Surface morphology of MH/chitosan (CTS) coated implant was found to be uniform without any defects. The corrosion rate of the implant decreased with increase in Mg concentration. The in vitro formation of bonelike apatite layer on the surface of the MH/CTS coated implant was observed from simulated body fluid studies. The antimicrobial activity of the MH/CTS composites against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains indicated that increasing Mg concentration enhanced antimicrobial properties. Nanoindentation analysis of apatite coated implant surface reveals that the mechanical property depends on the concentration of magnesium in HAp. From the cytotoxicity analysis against NIH 3T3 fibroblast, it was observed that the Mg incorporated HAp/CTS composite was less toxic than the MHO/CTS composite. From this result, it was concluded that the MH/CTS nanocomposites coated implant is the excellent material for implants.

Mechanism for the degradation of MmNi3.9Co0.6Mn0.3Al0.2 electrode and effects of additives on electrode degradation for Ni-MH secondary batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, In-Su; Kalubarme, R. S.; Yang, Dong-Cheol; Kim, Tae-Sin; Park, Choong-Nyeon; Ryu, Hyun-Wook; Park, Chan-Jin

2011-12-01

Electrode degradation can affect the lifetime and safety of Ni-MH secondary batteries. This study examined the factors responsible for the degradation of metal hydride (MH) electrodes. The charge-discharge characteristics and cycle life of an MmNi3.9Co0.6Mn0.3Al0.2 (Mm: misch metal) type MH electrode were examined in a cell with a KOH electrolyte. After the charge-discharge cycles, the surface morphology of the electrodes was analyzed to monitor the extent of degradation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provided information on the conductivity of the electrode. X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) was used to quantify the degradation of the electrode in terms of its composition. The MH electrodes degraded with cycling. This phenomenon was more prominent at higher C-rates and temperatures. The electrode degradation was attributed to the loss of active material from the current collector by the repeated absorption and desorption of hydrogen and the formation of an Al2O3 oxide layer on the electrode surface with cycling. In addition, the effects of the addition of Co nano and Y2O3 powder on the degradation of the MmNi3.9Co0.6Mn0.3Al0.2 electrode were examined. The addition of the Y2O3 and Co nano powder significantly improved the performance of the MH electrode by increasing the cycle life and initial activation rate.

Comparative study to investigate the effect of meloxicam or minocycline HCl in situ gel system on local treatment of periodontal pockets.

PubMed

Kassem, Abeer Ahmed; Ismail, Fatma Ahmed; Naggar, Vivian Fahim; Aboulmagd, Elsayed

2014-08-01

In situ gelling formulations allow easy application to the target area. Gelation is induced by physiological stimuli at the site of application where the formula attains semisolid properties and exerts sustained drug release. In situ gelling formulations containing either 3% meloxicam (Mx) or 2% minocycline HCl (MH) were prepared for local application into the periodontal pockets. Gel formulations were based on the thermosensitive Pluronic(®) (Pl) and the pH-sensitive Carbopol(®) (C) polymers. C gels were prepared in combination with HPMC (H) to decrease its acidity. The total percent drug released from Pl formulae was 21.72% after 1 week for Mx and 85% after 3 days for MH. Their release kinetics data indicated anomalous non-Fickian behavior that could be controlled by both diffusion and chain relaxation. Addition of MH to C/H gels (1:2.5) resulted in liquefaction, followed by drug precipitation. Regarding C/H gel containing Mx, it showed a prolonged release rate up to 7 days with an initial burst effect; the kinetics data revealed Fickian-diffusion mechanism. The in vitro antibacterial activity studies for MH gel in Pl revealed that the drug released exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of MH against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538; placebo gel showed no effect on the microorganism. Clinical evaluation of Pl gels containing either Mx or MH showed significant improvement in chronic periodontitis patients, manifested by decrease in pocket depth and gingival index and increase in bone density.

Exposure / Ritual Prevention Therapy Boosts Antidepressant Treatment of OCD

MedlinePlus

... 24026506 Grants: MH045436 , MH45404 . Clinical Trial: 00389493 Share Contact(s) Jules Asher NIMH Press Office 301-443-4536 ... More Science News about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Contact the Press Office 301-443-4536 NIMHpress@nih. ...

Developing an item bank and short forms that assess the impact of asthma on quality of life.

PubMed

Stucky, Brian D; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Sherbourne, Cathy D; Eberhart, Nicole K; Lara, Marielena

2014-02-01

The present work describes the process of developing an item bank and short forms that measure the impact of asthma on quality of life (QoL) that avoids confounding QoL with asthma symptomatology and functional impairment. Using a diverse national sample of adults with asthma (N = 2032) we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and item response theory and differential item functioning analyses to develop a 65-item unidimensional item bank and separate short form assessments. A psychometric evaluation of the RAND Impact of Asthma on QoL item bank (RAND-IAQL) suggests that though the concept of asthma impact on QoL is multi-faceted, it may be measured as a single underlying construct. The performance of the bank was then evaluated with a real-data simulated computer adaptive test. From the RAND-IAQL item bank we then developed two short forms consisting of 4 and 12 items (reliability = 0.86 and 0.93, respectively). A real-data simulated computer adaptive test suggests that as few as 4-5 items from the bank are needed to obtain highly precise scores. Preliminary validity results indicate that the RAND-IAQL measures distinguish between levels of asthma control. To measure the impact of asthma on QoL, users of these items may choose from two highly reliable short forms, computer adaptive test administration, or content-specific subsets of items from the bank tailored to their specific needs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal coupling potential of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with metal hydride tanks: Thermodynamic and design considerations towards integrated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yiotis, Andreas G.; Kainourgiakis, Michael E.; Kosmidis, Lefteris I.; Charalambopoulou, Georgia C.; Stubos, Athanassios K.

2014-12-01

We study the thermal coupling potential between a high temperature metal hydride (MH) tank and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) aiming towards the design of an efficient integrated system, where the thermal power produced during normal SOFC operation is redirected towards the MH tank in order to maintain H2 desorption without the use of external heating sources. Based on principles of thermodynamics, we calculate the energy balance in the SOFC/MH system and derive analytical expressions for both the thermal power produced during SOFC operation and the corresponding thermal power required for H2 desorption, as a function of the operating temperature, efficiency and fuel utilization ratio in the SOFC, and the MH enthalpy of desorption in the tank. Based on these calculations, we propose an integrated SOFC/MH design where heat is transferred primarily by radiation to the tank in order to maintain steady-state desorption conditions. We develop a mathematical model for this particular design that accounts for heat/mass transfer and desorption kinetics in the tank, and solve for the dynamics of the system assuming MgH2 as a storage material. Our results focus primarily on tank operating conditions, such as pressure, temperature and H2 saturation profiles vs operation time.

Changes in ryanodine-induced contractures by stimulus frequency in malignant hyperthermia susceptible and malignant hyperthermia nonsusceptible dog skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Sudo, R T; Nelson, T E

1997-09-01

Elective diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia depends on halothane and caffeine contracture testing of biopsied skeletal muscle. Ryanodine-induced contractures may provide greater sensitivity and specificity for malignant hyperthermia (MH) diagnosis. This study investigated the effects of ryanodine concentration and stimulus frequency to distinguish between MH susceptible (MHS) and MH non-susceptible (MHN) dogs. Increasing ryanodine concentrations (1, 2.5 and 5 microM) increased peak isometric contracture tension, but similar responses in MHS and MHN muscle precluded use for diagnosis. Time to tension onset and to peak tension decreased with increasing ryanodine concentration, and these times were shorter in MH skeletal muscle. Increasing stimulus frequency (0.1, 0.5 and 1 Hz) decreased the time to tension onset and to peak tension, but the effect was greater in MHN muscle which decreased the difference between MHN and MHS muscle responses. When ryanodine contracture tension onset time was selected to detect MHS muscle, combinations of either 0.1 Hz and 1 microM ryanodine or 0.5 Hz and 1 microM ryanodine reduced the probabilty of a false diagnosis to less than 1%. Similar studies performed on human muscle might identify optimal stimulus frequency and ryanodine concentration for detecting MH in patients.

Unaffected Arm Muscle Hypercatabolism in Dysphagic Subacute Stroke Patients: The Effects of Essential Amino Acid Supplementation

PubMed Central

Aquilani, Roberto; Boselli, Mirella; D'Antona, Giuseppe; Baiardi, Paola; Boschi, Federica; Viglio, Simona; Iadarola, Paolo; Pasini, Evasio; Barbieri, Annalisa; Dossena, Maurizia; Bongiorno, Andria Innocenza; Verri, Manuela

2014-01-01

Alterations in muscle protein turnover of the unaffected side of stroke patients could contribute to physical disability. We investigated whether hypercatabolic activity occurred in unaffected arm muscle and whether supplemented essential amino acids (EAAs) could limit muscle hypercatabolism (MH). Thirty-eight dysphagic subacute stroke subjects (<3 months after acute event) (29 males + 9 females; 69.7 ± 11.4 yrs) were enrolled and randomized to receive 8 g/day EAAs (n = 19; EAA group) or isocaloric placebo (maltodextrin; n = 19, Plac group). Before randomization, all patients had their arterial (A) and venous (V) amino acids measured and muscle (A − V) differences calculated in the unaffected arm. Eight matched and healthy subjects served as controls. When compared to healthy controls, the entire stroke population showed significant muscle release (= negative value A − V) of the amino acid phenylalanine (phenyl-) indicating a prevalence of MH. Moreover, randomized EAA and Plac groups had similar rates of MH. After 38 days from the start of the protocol, the EAA group but not the Plac group had MH converted to balanced protein turnover or anabolic activity. We concluded that muscle protein metabolism of the unaffected arm of dysphagic subacute stroke individuals could be characterized by MH which can be corrected by supplemented EAAs. PMID:25431770

Not forgetting severe mental disorders in humanitarian emergencies: a descriptive study from the Philippines

PubMed Central

Weintraub, Ana Cecilia Andrade de Moraes; Garcia, Mariana Gaspar; Birri, Elisa; Severy, Nathalie; Ferir, Marie-Christine; Ali, Engy; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Nadera, Dinah Palmera; Van Ommeren, Mark

2016-01-01

Background Severe mental disorders are often neglected following a disaster. Based on Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) experience of providing mental health (MH) care after the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, we describe the monthly volume of MH activities and beneficiaries; characteristics of people seeking MH care; profile and outcomes of people with severe mental disorders; prescription of psychotropic medication; and factors facilitating the identification and management of individuals with severe mental disorders. Methods A retrospective review of programme data was carried out. Results In total, 172 persons sought MH care. Numbers peaked three months into MSF's intervention and decreased thereafter. Of 134 (78%) people with complete data, 37 (28%) had a severe mental disorder, often characterised by psychotic symptoms (n=24, 64%) and usually unrelated to the typhoon (n=32, 86%). Four people (11%) were discharged after successful treatment, two (5%) moved out of the area, 20 (54%) were referred for follow-up on cessation of MSF activities and 10 (27%) were lost-to-follow-up. Psychotropic treatment was prescribed for 33 (75%) people with mental disorders and for 11 with non-severe mental disorders. Conclusions This study illustrates how actors can play an important role in providing MH care for people with severe mental disorders in the aftermath of a disaster. PMID:27620925

Is muscle energy production disturbed in exertional heat stroke?

PubMed

Sagui, Emmanuel; Abriat, Amandine; Kozak-Ribbens, Geneviève; Foutrier-Morello, Catherine; Bernard, Monique; Canini, Frédéric; Brosset, Christian; Bendahan, David

2014-03-01

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a life-threatening disease that shares some clinical similarities with malignant hyperthermia (MH). By use of (31)Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), EHS patients with MH susceptibility and MH patients shared common metabolic abnormalities. The aim of this study was to determine whether subjects who suffered from an EHS episode had disturbed muscle energetics. This retrospective study was performed within the French database of military subjects that were explored from 2004 to 2010 after they suffered an EHS. All subjects had both in vitro contracture test to determine their MH susceptibility and (31)Phosphorus MRS at 4.7 Tesla to assess muscle energetics by means of MRS score, a composite score corresponding to the sum of metabolic abnormalities recorded during a standardized rest-exercise-recovery protocol. 437 subjects were investigated and 32.5% of them exhibited abnormal MRS score. MRS score did not segregate subjects on demographic, clinical, or biological grounds. No clear correlation could be done between MH status and MRS score. These results did not confirm the potential relationship between calcium homeostasis and muscle energetics previously reported. However, muscle energy production was disturbed in a significant number of EHS subjects. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Delivering integrated HAZUS-MH flood loss analyses and flood inundation maps over the Web.

PubMed

Hearn, Paul P; Longenecker, Herbert E; Aguinaldo, John J; Rahav, Ami N

2013-01-01

Catastrophic flooding is responsible for more loss of life and damages to property than any other natural hazard. Recently developed flood inundation mapping technologies make it possible to view the extent and depth of flooding on the land surface over the Internet; however, by themselves these technologies are unable to provide estimates of losses to property and infrastructure. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) HAZUS-MH software is extensively used to conduct flood loss analyses in the United States, providing a nationwide database of population and infrastructure at risk. Unfortunately, HAZUS-MH requires a dedicated Geographic Information System (GIS) workstation and a trained operator, and analyses are not adapted for convenient delivery over the Web. This article describes a cooperative effort by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and FEMA to make HAZUS-MH output GIS and Web compatible and to integrate these data with digital flood inundation maps in USGS's newly developed Inundation Mapping Web Portal. By running the computationally intensive HAZUS-MH flood analyses offline and converting the output to a Web-GIS compatible format, detailed estimates of flood losses can now be delivered to anyone with Internet access, thus dramatically increasing the availability of these forecasts to local emergency planners and first responders.

A preliminary study on the potential of manuka honey and platelet-rich plasma in wound healing.

PubMed

Sell, Scott A; Wolfe, Patricia S; Spence, Andrew J; Rodriguez, Isaac A; McCool, Jennifer M; Petrella, Rebecca L; Garg, Koyal; Ericksen, Jeffery J; Bowlin, Gary L

2012-01-01

Aim. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro response of cells critical to the wound healing process in culture media supplemented with a lyophilized preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF) and Manuka honey. Materials and Methods. This study utilized cell culture media supplemented with PRGF, as well as whole Manuka honey and the medical-grade Medihoney (MH), a Manuka honey product. The response of human fibroblasts (hDF), macrophages, and endothelial cells (hPMEC) was evaluated, with respect to cell proliferation, chemotaxis, collagen matrix production, and angiogenic potential, when subjected to culture with media containing PRGF, MH, Manuka honey, and a combination of PRGF and MH. Results. All three cell types demonstrated increases in cellular activity in the presence of PRGF, with further increases in activity seen in the presence of PRGF+MH. hDFs proved to be the most positively responsive cells, as they experienced enhanced proliferation, collagen matrix production, and migration into an in vitro wound healing model with the PRGF+MH-supplemented media. Conclusion. This preliminary in vitro study is the first to evaluate the combination of PRGF and Manuka honey, two products with the potential to increase regeneration individually, as a combined product to enhance dermal regeneration.

A Preliminary Study on the Potential of Manuka Honey and Platelet-Rich Plasma in Wound Healing

PubMed Central

Sell, Scott A.; Wolfe, Patricia S.; Spence, Andrew J.; Rodriguez, Isaac A.; McCool, Jennifer M.; Petrella, Rebecca L.; Garg, Koyal; Ericksen, Jeffery J.; Bowlin, Gary L.

2012-01-01

Aim. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro response of cells critical to the wound healing process in culture media supplemented with a lyophilized preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF) and Manuka honey. Materials and Methods. This study utilized cell culture media supplemented with PRGF, as well as whole Manuka honey and the medical-grade Medihoney (MH), a Manuka honey product. The response of human fibroblasts (hDF), macrophages, and endothelial cells (hPMEC) was evaluated, with respect to cell proliferation, chemotaxis, collagen matrix production, and angiogenic potential, when subjected to culture with media containing PRGF, MH, Manuka honey, and a combination of PRGF and MH. Results. All three cell types demonstrated increases in cellular activity in the presence of PRGF, with further increases in activity seen in the presence of PRGF+MH. hDFs proved to be the most positively responsive cells, as they experienced enhanced proliferation, collagen matrix production, and migration into an in vitro wound healing model with the PRGF+MH-supplemented media. Conclusion. This preliminary in vitro study is the first to evaluate the combination of PRGF and Manuka honey, two products with the potential to increase regeneration individually, as a combined product to enhance dermal regeneration. PMID:23304152

Delivering integrated HAZUS-MH flood loss analyses and flood inundation maps over the Web

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hearn,, Paul P.; Longenecker, Herbert E.; Aguinaldo, John J.; Rahav, Ami N.

2013-01-01

Catastrophic flooding is responsible for more loss of life and damages to property than any other natural hazard. Recently developed flood inundation mapping technologies make it possible to view the extent and depth of flooding on the land surface over the Internet; however, by themselves these technologies are unable to provide estimates of losses to property and infrastructure. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA's) HAZUS-MH software is extensively used to conduct flood loss analyses in the United States, providing a nationwide database of population and infrastructure at risk. Unfortunately, HAZUS-MH requires a dedicated Geographic Information System (GIS) workstation and a trained operator, and analyses are not adapted for convenient delivery over the Web. This article describes a cooperative effort by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and FEMA to make HAZUS-MH output GIS and Web compatible and to integrate these data with digital flood inundation maps in USGS’s newly developed Inundation Mapping Web Portal. By running the computationally intensive HAZUS-MH flood analyses offline and converting the output to a Web-GIS compatible format, detailed estimates of flood losses can now be delivered to anyone with Internet access, thus dramatically increasing the availability of these forecasts to local emergency planners and first responders.

Global absenteeism and presenteeism in mental health patients referred through primary care.

PubMed

Bailey, S Kathleen; Haggarty, John; Kelly, Sara

2015-01-01

Disability from mental health (MH) symptoms impairs workers' functioning. Most of what is known about the MH of workers relates to their experiences after intervention or work absence. To profile the clinical symptoms, self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism and treatment response of workers with MH symptoms at the point of accessing MH care and compare the characteristics of patients referred with or without problems related to work. Analysis of 11 years of patient data collected in a Shared Mental Health Care (SMHC) clinic referred within a primary care setting in Ontario, Canada. Multiple regression with MH disorders was used to predict absenteeism and presenteeism. Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed using the 12-item self-administered version of the WHO-DAS 2. Symptom profiles were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Some psychiatric disorders (depression, somatization, anxiety) contributed more to predicting absenteeism and presenteeism than others. Patients referred with work-related problems differed from the general SMHC population in terms of sex and type and number of symptoms. Treatment response was good in both groups after a mean of three treatment visits. Patients with work-related mental health complaints formed a distinct clinical group that benefitted equally from the intervention(s) provided by SMHC.

INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING VERSUS INVERTED FLAP TECHNIQUE FOR TREATMENT OF FULL-THICKNESS MACULAR HOLES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN A LARGE SERIES OF PATIENTS.

PubMed

Rizzo, Stanislao; Tartaro, Ruggero; Barca, Francesco; Caporossi, Tomaso; Bacherini, Daniela; Giansanti, Fabrizio

2017-12-08

The inverted flap (IF) technique has recently been introduced in macular hole (MH) surgery. The IF technique has shown an increase of the success rate in the case of large MHs and in MHs associated with high myopia. This study reports the anatomical and functional results in a large series of patients affected by MH treated using pars plana vitrectomy and gas tamponade combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling or IF. This is a retrospective, consecutive, nonrandomized comparative study of patients affected by idiopathic or myopic MH treated using small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (25- or 23-gauge) between January 2011 and May 2016. The patients were divided into two groups according to the ILM removal technique (complete removal vs. IF). A subgroup analysis was performed according to the MH diameter (MH < 400 µm and MH ≥ 400 µm), axial length (AL < 26 mm and AL ≥ 26 mm), and the presence of chorioretinal atrophy in the macular area (present or absent). We included 620 eyes of 570 patients affected by an MH, 300 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy and ILM peeling and 320 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy and IF. Overall, 84.94% of the patients had complete anatomical success characterized by MH closure after the operation. In particular, among the patients who underwent only ILM peeling the closure rate was 78.75%; among the patients who underwent the IF technique, it was 91.93% (P = 0.001); and among the patients affected by full-thickness MH ≥400 µm, success was achieved in 95.6% of the cases in the IF group and in 78.6% in the ILM peeling group (P = 0.001); among the patients with an axial length ≥26 mm, success was achieved in 88.4% of the cases in the IF group and in 38.9% in the ILM peeling group (P = 0.001). Average preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.77 (SD = 0.32) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/118 Snellen) in the peeling group and 0.74 (SD = 0.33) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/110 Snellen) in the IF group (P = 0.31). Mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.52 (SD = 0.42) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/66 Snellen) in the peeling group and 0.43 (SD = 0.31) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/53 Snellen) in the IF group (P = 0.003). Vitrectomy associated with the inverted ILM flap technique seems to be effective surgery for idiopathic and myopic large MHs, improving both functional and anatomical outcomes.

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity. RAND's Drug Policy Research Center.

PubMed

Reuter, Peter; Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo; Caulkins, Jonathan P

2011-02-01

In September 1989, amid an emotional and ideological debate regarding problematic drug use in the United States and the 'war on drugs', RAND's Drug Policy Research Center (DPRC) was created through private foundation funds. The purpose of this new research center was to provide objective empirical analysis on which to base sound drug policy. Twenty years later, RAND's DPRC continues its work, drawing on a broad range of analytical expertise to evaluate, compare and assess the effectiveness of a similarly broad range of drug policies. More than 60 affiliated researchers in the United States and Europe make up the Center, which attempts to provide objective empirical analyses to better inform drug policies within the United States and abroad. This paper provides a look back at the creation, evolution and growth of the Center. It then describes how the Center operates today and how it has maintained its clear identity and focus by drawing on the analytical capabilities of a talented group of researchers from a broad range of academic disciplines. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Economic Effects of Legislations and Policies to Expand Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits in Health Insurance Plans: A Community Guide Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Jacob, Verughese; Qu, Shuli; Chattopadhyay, Sajal; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Knopf, John A.; Goetzel, Ron Z.; Finnie, Ramona; Thota, Anilkrishna B.

2015-01-01

Background Health insurance plans have historically limited the benefits for mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) services compared to benefits for physical health services. In recent years, legislative and policy initiatives in the U.S. have been taken to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits and achieve parity with physical health benefits. The relevance of these legislations for international audiences is also explored, particularly for the European context. Aims of the Study This paper reviews the evidence of costs and economic benefits of legislative or policy interventions to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits in the U.S. The objectives are to assess the economic value of the interventions by comparing societal cost to societal benefits, and to determine impact on costs to insurance plans resulting from expansion of these benefits. Methods The search for economic evidence covered literature published from January 1950 to March 2011 and included evaluations of federal and state laws or rules that expanded MH/SA benefits as well as voluntary actions by large employers. Two economists screened and abstracted the economic evidence of MH/SA benefits legislation based on standard economic and actuarial concepts and methods. Results The economic review included 12 studies: eleven provided evidence on cost impact to health plans, and one estimated the effect on suicides. There was insufficient evidence to determine if the intervention was cost-effective or cost-saving. However, the evidence indicates that MH/SA benefits expansion did not lead to any substantial increase in costs to insurance plans, measured as a percentage of insurance premiums. Discussion and Limitations This review is unable to determine the overall economic value of policies that expand MH/SA insurance benefits due to lack of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit studies, predominantly due to the lack of evaluations of morbidity and mortality outcomes. This may be remedied in time when long-term MH/SA patient-level data becomes available to researchers. A limitation of this review is that legislations considered here have been superseded by recent legislations that have stronger and broader impacts on MH/SA benefits within private and public insurance: Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). Implications for Future Research Economic assessments over the long term such as cost per QALY saved and cost-benefit will be feasible as more data becomes available from plans that implemented recent expansions of MH/SA benefits. Results from these evaluations will allow a better estimate of the economic impact of the interventions from a societal perspective. Future research should also evaluate the more downstream effects on business decisions about labor, such as effects on hiring, retention, and the offer of health benefits as part of an employee compensation package. Finally, the economic effect of the far reaching ACA of 2010 on mental health and substance abuse prevalence and care is also a subject of future research. PMID:25862203

An Empirical Bayes Approach to Mantel-Haenszel DIF Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwick, Rebecca; Thayer, Dorothy T.; Lewis, Charles

1999-01-01

Developed an empirical Bayes enhancement to Mantel-Haenszel (MH) analysis of differential item functioning (DIF) in which it is assumed that the MH statistics are normally distributed and that the prior distribution of underlying DIF parameters is also normal. (Author/SLD)

Do On-site Mental Health Professionals Change Pediatricians’ Responses to Children’s Mental Health Problems?

PubMed Central

Horwitz, Sarah McCue; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Kerker, Bonnie D.; Szilagyi, Moira; Garner, Andrew S.; O’Connor, Karen G.; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Green, Cori M.; Foy, Jane M.; Stein, Ruth E.K.

2016-01-01

Objective The objectives were to: assess the availability of on-site mental health professionals (MHP) in primary care; examine practice/pediatrician characteristics associated with on-site MHPs; and determine whether presence of on-site MHPs is related to pediatricians’ co-managing or more frequently identifying, treat/managing or referring MH problems. Methods Analyses included AAP members who participated in an AAP Periodic Survey in 2013 and who practiced general pediatrics (N=321). Measures included socio-demographics, practice characteristics, questions on about on-site MHPs, co-management of MH problems and pediatricians’ behaviors in response to 5 prevalent MH problems. Weighted univariate, bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Results Thirty-five percent reported on-site MHPs. Practice characteristics (medical schools/universities/HMOs, <100 visits/week, <80% of patients privately insured), and interactions of practice location (urban) with visits and patient insurance, were associated with on-site MHPs. There was no overall association between co-location and co-management or whether pediatricians usually identified, treat/managed or referred 5 common child MH problems. Among the subset of pediatricians who reported co-managing there was an association with co-management when the on-site MHP was a child psychiatrist, SA counselor, or social worker. Conclusions On-site MHPs are more frequent in settings where low-income children are served and where pediatricians train. Pediatricians who co-manage MH problems are more likely to do so when the on-site MHP is a child psychiatrist, SA counselor, or social worker. Overall, on-site MHPs were not associated with co-management or increased likelihood of pediatricians identifying, treating/managing, or referring children with 5 common child MH problems. PMID:27064141

Pediatric malignant hyperthermia: risk factors, morbidity, and mortality identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Kids' Inpatient Database.

PubMed

Salazar, Jose H; Yang, Jingyan; Shen, Liang; Abdullah, Fizan; Kim, Tae W

2014-12-01

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal metabolic disorder. Due to its rarity, limited evidence exists about risk factors, morbidity, and mortality especially in children. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the Kid's Inpatient Database (KID), admissions with the ICD-9 code for MH (995.86) were extracted for patients 0-17 years of age. Demographic characteristics were analyzed. Logistic regression was performed to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with mortality. A subset of patients with a surgical ICD-9 code in the KID was studied to calculate the prevalence of MH in the dataset. A total of 310 pediatric admissions were seen in 13 nonoverlapping years of data. Patients had a mortality of 2.9%. Male sex was predominant (64.8%), and 40.5% of the admissions were treated at centers not identified as children's hospitals. The most common associated diagnosis was rhabdomyolysis, which was present in 26 cases. Regression with the outcome of mortality did not yield significant differences between demographic factors, age, sex race, or hospital type, pediatric vs nonpediatric. Within a surgical subset of 530,449 admissions, MH was coded in 55, giving a rate of 1.04 cases per 10,000 cases. This study is the first to combine two large databases to study MH in the pediatric population. The analysis provides an insight into the risk factors, comorbidities, mortality, and prevalence of MH in the United States population. Until more methodologically rigorous, large-scale studies are done, the use of databases will continue to be the optimal method to study rare diseases. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epiretinal Proliferation Associated with Macular Hole and Intraoperative Perifoveal Crown Phenomenon.

PubMed

Son, Gisung; Lee, Ji Shin; Lee, Suchan; Sohn, Joonhong

2016-12-01

To discuss the unique morphology and origin of epiretinal proliferation associated with macular hole (EPMH) occasionally observed in full-thickness macular hole (FT-MH) or lamellar hole (LH) and to introduce the perifoveal crown phenomenon encountered when removing this unusual proliferative tissue. Sixteen patients showing EPMH in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography were selected from 212 patients diagnosed with MH, LH, FT-MH, impending MH, macular pseudohole, or epiretinal membrane between January 2013 and December 2014. Of the 212 patients included for clinical analysis, 33, 23, 11, 7, and 190 exhibited LH, FT-MH, impending MH, macular pseudohole, and epiretinal membrane, respectively. We reviewed visual acuity, macular morphology, and clinical course. Surgical specimens were analyzed histologically. EPMH presented as an amorphous proliferation starting from the defective inner/outer segment (IS/OS) junction covering the inner macula surface. Among the 16 patients with EPMH, 11 underwent vitrectomy, and all exhibited the intraoperative perifoveal crown phenomenon. EPMH tissue was sampled in three patients, one of whom had more tissue removed than intended and showed delayed recovery in visual acuity. Despite hole closure, IS/OS junction integrity was not successfully restored in four of 11 patients. Five patients were followed-up without surgical intervention. Visual acuity slightly decreased in three patients and did not change in one patient, while the remaining patient was lost during follow-up. Among the three perifoveal crown tissues obtained, two were successfully analyzed histologically. Neither tissue showed positivity to synaptophysin or S-100 protein, but one showed positivity to cytokeratin protein immunohistochemical staining. EPMH exhibited a distinct but common configuration in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography. An epithelial proliferation origin is plausible based on its configuration and histological analysis. Perifoveal crown phenomenon was observed when removing EPMH during vitrectomy.

Mental health service use by cleanup workers in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

PubMed

Lowe, Sarah R; Kwok, Richard K; Payne, Julianne; Engel, Lawrence S; Galea, Sandro; Sandler, Dale P

2015-04-01

High rates of mental health (MH) problems have been documented among disaster relief workers. However, few workers utilize MH services, and predictors of service use among this group remain unexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between predisposing, illness-related, and enabling factors from Andersen's behavioral model of treatment-seeking and patterns of service use among participants who completed at least one full day of cleanup work after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and participated in home visits for the NIEHS GuLF STUDY (N = 8931). Workers reported on MH symptoms and whether they had used counseling or medication for MH problems since the oil spill. Hierarchical logistic regression models explored associations between predictors and counseling and medication use in the full sample, and type of use (counseling only, medication only, both) among participants who used either service. Analyses were replicated for subsamples of participants with and without symptom inventory scores suggestive of probable post-disaster mental illness. Having a pre-spill MH diagnosis, pre-spill service use, more severe post-spill MH symptoms, and healthcare coverage were positively associated with counseling and medication use in the full sample. Among participants who used either service, non-Hispanic Black race, pre-spill counseling, lower depression, and not identifying a personal doctor or healthcare provider were predictive of counseling only, whereas older age, female gender and pre-spill medication were predictive of medication only. The results were generally consistent among participants with and without probable post-disaster mental illness. The results suggest variability in which factors within Andersen's behavioral model are predictive of different patterns of service use among disaster relief workers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of non-fovea-sparing ILM peeling for symptomatic myopic foveoschisis with and without macular hole.

PubMed

Al-Badawi, Amer Hamad; Abdelhakim, Mohamad Amr Salah Eddin; Macky, Tamer Ahmed; Mortada, Hassan Aly

2018-04-30

To study anatomical and visual outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with non-fovea-sparing (entire) internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in eyes with myopic foveoschisis (MF). Prospective interventional case series of eyes undergoing PPV with entire ILM peeling for symptomatic MF. Preoperative spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD - OCT) epiretinal membrane, anomalous posterior vitreous detachment, vitreoschisis and postoperative changes in SD-OCT central foveal thickness (CFT), ellipsoid zone defect, foveal detachment (FD), macular hole (MH) diameter (if present) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). This study included 21 eyes (21 patients) with mean age 60.4±13.1, 15 females (71.4%). All patients achieved complete postoperative reattachment by SD-OCT (no FD) 6 months post vitrectomy, with no iatrogenic intraoperative or postoperative MH, and with significant improvement in final BCVA from 1.6±0.30 to1.0±0.2 logMAR, and in CFT from 918.2±311.4 to182.3±33.1 µm. Patients were subdivided into subgroup A: 11 eyes without MH; and subgroup B: 10 eyes with MH, the latter had significant improvement in MH diameter (p=0.005). Preoperative BCVA was a significant risk factor for visual gain, while preoperative FD and CFT were significant for CFT change. Vitrectomy with non-fovea-sparing (entire) ILM peeling resulted in a significant functional and anatomical improvement in eyes with MF with/without MH with no reported complications. Results are comparable to fovea-sparing ILM peeling. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Do On-Site Mental Health Professionals Change Pediatricians' Responses to Children's Mental Health Problems?

PubMed

McCue Horwitz, Sarah; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Kerker, Bonnie D; Szilagyi, Moira; Garner, Andrew S; O'Connor, Karen G; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; Green, Cori M; Foy, Jane M; Stein, Ruth E K

2016-01-01

To assess the availability of on-site mental health professionals (MHPs) in primary care; to examine practice/pediatrician characteristics associated with on-site MHPs; and to determine whether the presence of on-site MHPs is related to pediatricians' comanaging or more frequently identifying, treating/managing, or referring mental health (MH) problems. Analyses included American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) members who participated in an AAP Periodic Survey in 2013 and who practiced general pediatrics (n = 321). Measures included sociodemographics, practice characteristics, questions about on-site MHPs, comanagement of MH problems, and pediatricians' behaviors in response to 5 prevalent MH problems. Weighted univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were performed. Thirty-five percent reported on-site MHPs. Practice characteristics (medical schools, universities, health maintenance organizations, <100 visits per week, <80% of patients privately insured) and interactions of practice location (urban) with visits and patient insurance were associated with on-site MHPs. There was no overall association between colocation and comanagement, or whether pediatricians usually identified, treated/managed, or referred 5 common child MH problems. Among the subset of pediatricians who reported comanaging, there was an association with comanagement when the on-site MHP was a child psychiatrist, substance abuse counselor, or social worker. On-site MHPs are more frequent in settings where low-income children are served and where pediatricians train. Pediatricians who comanage MH problems are more likely to do so when the on-site MHP is a child psychiatrist, substance abuse counselor, or social worker. Overall, on-site MHPs were not associated with comanagement or increased likelihood of pediatricians identifying, treating/managing, or referring children with 5 common child MH problems. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of [m+h]+ formation in atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry: identification of propionitrile in acetonitrile with high mass accuracy measurement and tandem mass spectrometry and evidence for its involvement in the protonation phenomenon.

PubMed

Kamel, Amin; Jeanville, Patrick; Colizza, Kevin; J-Rivera, Lauren Elizabeth

2008-11-01

The role of propionitrile in the production of [M+H]+ under atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) was investigated. In dopant-assisted APPI using acetone and anisole, protonated acetone and anisole radical cations were the most prominent ions observed. In dopant-free or direct APPI in acetonitrile, however, a major ion in acetonitrile was detected and identified as propionitrile, using high accuracy mass measurement and collision induced dissociation studies. Vaporizing ca. 10(-5) M althiazide and bendroflumethazide under direct APPI in acetonitrile produced their corresponding protonated species [M+H]+. In addition to protonated acetonitrile, its dimers, and acetonitrile/water clusters, protonated propionitrile, propionitrile dimer, and propionitrile/water clusters were also observed. The role of propionitrile, an impurity in acetonitrile and/or a possible product of ion-molecule reaction, in the production of [M+H]+ of althiazide and bendroflumethazide was further investigated in the absence of dopant using propionitrile-d5. The formation of [M+D]+ species was observed, suggesting a possible role of propionitrile in the protonation process. Additionally, an increase in the [M+H]+ signal of althiazide and bendroflumethazide was observed as a function of propionitrile concentration in acetonitrile. Theoretical data from the literature supported the assumption that one possible mechanism, among others, for the formation of [M+H]+ could be attributed to photo-initiated isomerization of propionitrile. The most stable isomers of propionitrile, based on their calculated ionization energy (IE) and relative energy (DeltaE), were assumed to undergo proton transfer to the analytes, and mechanisms were proposed.

The importance of associations with saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi among fully mycoheterotrophic orchids is currently under-estimated: novel evidence from sub-tropical Asia.

PubMed

Lee, Yung-I; Yang, Chih-Kai; Gebauer, Gerhard

2015-09-01

Most fully mycoheterotrophic (MH) orchids investigated to date are mycorrhizal with fungi that simultaneously form ectomycorrhizas with forest trees. Only a few MH orchids are currently known to be mycorrhizal with saprotrophic, mostly wood-decomposing, fungi instead of ectomycorrhizal fungi. This study provides evidence that the importance of associations between MH orchids and saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi is currently under-estimated. Using microscopic techniques and molecular approaches, mycorrhizal fungi were localized and identified for seven MH orchid species from four genera and two subfamilies, Vanilloideae and Epidendroideae, growing in four humid and warm sub-tropical forests in Taiwan. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope natural abundances of MH orchids and autotrophic reference plants were used in order to elucidate the nutritional resources utilized by the orchids. Six out of the seven MH orchid species were mycorrhizal with either wood- or litter-decaying saprotrophic fungi. Only one orchid species was associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Stable isotope abundance patterns showed significant distinctions between orchids mycorrhizal with the three groups of fungal hosts. Mycoheterotrophic orchids utilizing saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi as a carbon and nutrient source are clearly more frequent than hitherto assumed. On the basis of this kind of nutrition, orchids can thrive in deeply shaded, light-limiting forest understoreys even without support from ectomycorrhizal fungi. Sub-tropical East Asia appears to be a hotspot for orchids mycorrhizal with saprotrophic non-Rhizoctonia fungi. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Improvements in physical function and pain sustained for up to 10 years after knee or hip arthroplasty irrespective of mental health status before surgery.

PubMed

Geeske Peeters, G M E E; Rainbird, Sophia; Lorimer, Michelle; Dobson, Annette J; Mishra, Gita D; Graves, Stephen E

2017-04-01

Background and purpose - There are concerns that mental health (MH) may influence outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). We examined effects of poor MH before surgery on long-term outcomes of osteoarthritis-related TKA or THA in women. Patients and methods - The data were from 9,737 middle-aged participants (47-52 years) and 9,292 older participants (73-78 years) in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health who completed surveys between 1998 and 2013. Dates of arthroplasties were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedics Association National Joint Replacement Registry. Participants without procedures were matched with participants with procedures. Trajectories of the Short-Form 36 scores for physical functioning, bodily pain, social functioning, and mental health based on mixed modeling were plotted for participants with and without surgery (stratified according to mental health, separately for TKA and THA, and for middle-aged and older participants). Results - In middle-aged women with poor and good MH, TKA improved physical function and reduced bodily pain, with improvements sustained up to 10 years after surgery. TKA contributed to restoration of social function in women with good MH, but this was less clear in women with poor MH. In both MH groups, mental health appeared to be unaffected by TKA. Similar patterns were observed after THA, and in older women. Interpretation - Recovery of physical and social function and reductions in pain were sustained for up to 10 years after surgery. Improvements in physical function and pain were also observed in women with poor mental health. Thus, in our view poor mental health should not be a contraindication for arthroplasty.

Mental Health Service Use by Cleanup Workers in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

PubMed Central

Lowe, Sarah R.; Kwok, Richard K.; Payne, Julianne; Engel, Lawrence S.; Galea, Sandro; Sandler, Dale P.

2015-01-01

High rates of mental health (MH) problems have been documented among disaster relief workers. However, few workers utilize MH services, and predictors of service use among this group remain unexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between predisposing, illness-related, and enabling factors from Andersen’s behavioral model of treatment-seeking and patterns of service use among participants who completed at least one full day of cleanup work after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and participated in home visits for the NIEHS GuLF STUDY (N = 8,931). Workers reported on MH symptoms and whether they had used counseling or medication for MH problems since the oil spill. Hierarchical logistic regression models explored associations between predictors and counseling and medication use in the full sample, and type of use (counseling only, medication only, both) among participants who used either service. Analyses were replicated for subsamples of participants with and without symptom inventory scores suggestive of probable post-disaster mental illness. Having a pre-spill MH diagnosis, pre-spill service use, more severe post-spill MH symptoms, and healthcare coverage were positively associated with counseling and medication use in the full sample. Among participants who used either service, non-Hispanic Black race, pre-spill counseling, lower depression, and not identifying a personal doctor or healthcare provider were predictive of counseling only, whereas older age, female gender and pre-spill medication were predictive of medication only. The results were generally consistent among participants with and without probable post-disaster mental illness. The results suggest variability in which factors within Andersen’s behavioral model are predictive of different patterns of service use among disaster relief workers. PMID:25697635

Lepidocrocite to Maghemite to Hematite: A way to have Magnetic and Hematitic Martian Soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Richard V.; Golden, D. C.; Shelfer, Tad D.; Lauer, H. V., Jr.

1997-01-01

We examined decomposition products of lepidocrocite, which were produced by heating the phase in air at temperatures up to 525 C for 3 and 300 hr, by XRD, TEM, magnetic methods, and reflectance spectroscopy (visible and near-IR). Single-crystal lepidocrocite particles dehydroxilated to polycrystalline particles of disordered maghemite which subsequently transformed to polycrystalline particles of hematite. Essentially pure maghemite was obtained at 265 and 223 C for the 3 and 300 hr heating experiments, respectively. Its saturation magnetization (J(sub s)) and mass specific susceptibility are approximately 50 A(sq m)/kg and approximately 40 cubic micrometers/kg, respectively. Because hematite is spectrally dominant, spectrally-hematitic samples (i.e., characterized bv a minimum near 860 nm and a maximum near 750 nm) could also be strongly magnetic (J(sub s) up to approximately 30 A(sq m)/kg) from the masked maghemite component. TEM analyses showed that individual particles are polycrystalline with respect to both maghemite and hematite. The spectrally-hematitic and magnetic Mh+Hm particles can satisfy the spectral and magnetic constraints for Martian surface materials over a wide range of values of Mh/(Mh+Hm) and as either pure oxide powders or (within limits) as components of multiphase particles. These experiments are consistent with lepidocrocite as the precursor of Mh+Hm assemblages on Mars, but other phases (e.g., magnetite) that decompose to Mh and Hm are also possible precursors. Simulations done with a copy of the Mars Pathfinder Magnet Array showed that spectrally hematitic Mh+Hm powders having J(sub s) equal to 20.6 A(sq m)/kg adhered to all five magnets.

Predictors of mental health in female teachers.

PubMed

Seibt, Reingard; Spitzer, Silvia; Druschke, Diana; Scheuch, Klaus; Hinz, Andreas

2013-12-01

Teaching profession is characterised by an above-average rate of psychosomatic and mental health impairment due to work-related stress. The aim of the study was to identify predictors of mental health in female teachers. A sample of 630 female teachers (average age 47 ± 7 years) participated in a screening diagnostic inventory. Mental health was surveyed with the General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12. The following parameters were measured: specific work conditions (teacher-specific occupational history), scales of the Effort-Reward-Imbalance (ERI) Questionnaire as well as cardiovascular risk factors, physical complaints (BFB) and personal factors such as inability to recover (FABA), sense of coherence (SOC) and health behaviour. First, mentally fit (MH(+)) and mentally impaired teachers (MH(-)) were differentiated based on the GHQ-12 sum score (MH(+): < 5; MH(-): ≥ 5); 18% of the teachers showed evidence of mental impairment. There were no differences concerning work-related and cardiovascular risk factors as well as health behaviour between MH(+) and MH(-). Binary logistic regressions identified 4 predictors that showed a significant effect on mental health. The effort-reward-ratio proved to be the most relevant predictor, while physical complaints as well as inability to recover and sense of coherence were identified as advanced predictors (explanation of variance: 23%). Contrary to the expectations, classic work-related factors can hardly contribute to the explanation of mental health. Additionally, cardiovascular risk factors and health behaviour have no relevant influence. However, effort-reward-ratio, physical complaints and personal factors are of considerable influence on mental health in teachers. These relevant predictors should become a part of preventive arrangements for the conservation of teachers' health in the future.

Air Force Personnel Research: Recommendations for Improved Alignment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Satisfaction in organizational Research,” in David A . Buchanan and Alan Bryman , eds., The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Research Methods, Los Angeles...ElEctronic copiEs of rAnD rEsEArch ArE proviDED for pErsonAl usE; posting to A nonrAnD wEbsitE is prohibitED. this publicAtion is AvAilAblE for...linking or frEE DownloAD At www.rand.org C O R P O R A T I O N Air Force Personnel Research Recommendations for Improved Alignment Carra S. Sims, Chaitra

Asian Security in the 1980s: Problems and Policies for a Time of Transition,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

A7416 RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CAF/54AO7R ASIAN SECURITY INM THE 198CS: PROBLEMS AND POLICIES FOR A TIME O-ETC(U) WCASF NOV 79 R H SOLOMON N0A903-77-C...O115 UN LAFED RAND/R-2692-IA NL14 mEEEmmEEEE -EEiiEEmiEEEE iinnninnnnnnlinn Illlliilillllu,. -EEEEag/Ilh/lI -EiilllllEilE Asian Security in the 1980s...INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS R-2492-ISA November 1979 ".80 CO ) L j ... -- The research described in this report was sponsored by the Department of

GC-MS based metabolomics study of stems and roots of Ephedra sinica.

PubMed

Lv, Mengying; Sun, Jianbo; Wang, Min; Huang, Wanqiu; Fan, Hongyan; Xu, Fengguo; Zhang, Zunjian

2015-10-10

Therapeutic effects of herbal medicines differ greatly due to the use of different anatomical parts or processing methods in traditional Chinese medicine, and Ephedra sinica (ES) is just a case in point. To better understand different traditional uses of the stems (known as Mahuang, MH) and roots (known as Mahuanggen, MHG) of ES, their therapeutic material basis should be investigated. In this study, ephedrine alkaloids were profiled simultaneously with primary metabolites using GC-MS based metabolomics. Ephedrine (E) has been reported to be the major bioactive constituent in MH for the treatment of asthma. The results showed that compared with MH, MHG contained much lower levels of five ephedrine alkaloids, which may well explain that MHG has not been used as an antiasthmatic. Additionally, these pharmacologically important ephedrine alkaloids exhibited strong positive correlation with five primary metabolites. In conclusion, this study facilitates better understanding of different traditional uses of MH and MHG. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the differences between Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene climates in southern South America simulated by PMIP3 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, Ana Laura; Silvestri, Gabriel E.; Tonello, Marcela S.

2018-04-01

Differences between climate conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Mid-Holocene (MH) in southern South America inferred from the state-of-the-art PMIP3 paleoclimatic simulations are described for the first time in this paper. The aim is to expose characteristics of past climate changes occurred without human influence. In this context, numerical simulations are an indispensable tool for inferring changes in near-surface air temperature and precipitation in regions where proxy information is scarce or absent. The analyzed PMIP3 models describe MH temperatures significantly warmer than those of LGM with magnitudes of change depending on the season and the specific geographic region. In addition, models indicate that seasonal mean precipitation during MH increased with respect to LGM values in wide southern continental areas to the east of the Andes Cordillera whereas seasonal precipitation developed in areas to the west of Patagonian Andes reduced from LGM to MH.

Double and Triple Si-H-M Bridge Bonds: Matrix Infrared Spectra and Theoretical Calculations for Reaction Products of Silane with Ti, Zr, and Hf Atoms.

PubMed

Xu, Bing; Shi, Peipei; Huang, Tengfei; Wang, Xuefeng; Andrews, Lester

2017-05-25

Infrared spectra of matrix isolated dibridged Si(μ-H) 2 MH 2 and tribridged Si(μ-H) 3 MH molecules (M = Zr and Hf) were observed following the laser-ablated metal atom reactions with SiH 4 during condensation in excess argon and neon, but only the latter species was observed with titanium. Assignments of the major vibrational modes, which included terminal MH, MH 2 and hydrogen bridge Si-H-M stretching modes, were confirmed by the appropriate SiD 4 isotopic shifts and density functional vibrational frequency calculations (B3LYP and BPW91). The Si-H-M hydrogen bridge bond is calculated as weak covalent interaction and compared with the C-H···M agostic interaction in terms of electron localization function (ELF) analysis and noncovalent interaction index (NCI) calculations. Furthermore, the different products of Ti, Zr, and Hf reactions with SiH 4 are discussed in detail.

Renormalization of the Higgs sector in the triplet model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Mayumi; Kanemura, Shinya; Kikuchi, Mariko; Yagyu, Kei

2012-08-01

We study radiative corrections to the mass spectrum and the triple Higgs boson coupling in the model with an additional Y = 1 triplet field. In this model, the vacuum expectation value for the triplet field is strongly constrained from the electroweak precision data, under which characteristic mass spectrum appear at the tree level; i.e., mH++2 - mH+2 ≃ mH+2 - mA2 and mA2 ≃ mH2, where the CP-even (H), the CP-odd (A) and the doubly-charged (H±±) as well as the singly-charged (H±) Higgs bosons are the triplet-like. We evaluate how the tree-level formulae are modified at the one-loop level. The hhh coupling for the standard model-like Higgs boson (h) is also calculated at the one-loop level. One-loop corrections to these quantities can be large enough for identification of the model by future precision data at the LHC or the International Linear Collider.

Microhomology-mediated end joining induces hypermutagenesis at breakpoint junctions

PubMed Central

Li, Fuyang; Villarreal, Diana; Shim, Jae Hoon; Myung, Kyungjae; Shim, Eun Yong; Lee, Sang Eun

2017-01-01

Microhomology (MH) flanking a DNA double-strand break (DSB) drives chromosomal rearrangements but its role in mutagenesis has not yet been analyzed. Here we determined the mutation frequency of a URA3 reporter gene placed at multiple locations distal to a DSB, which is flanked by different sizes (15-, 18-, or 203-bp) of direct repeat sequences for efficient repair in budding yeast. Induction of a DSB accumulates mutations in the reporter gene situated up to 14-kb distal to the 15-bp MH, but more modestly to those carrying 18- and 203-bp or no homology. Increased mutagenesis in MH-mediated end joining (MMEJ) appears coupled to its slower repair kinetics and the extensive resection occurring at flanking DNA. Chromosomal translocations via MMEJ also elevate mutagenesis of the flanking DNA sequences 7.1 kb distal to the breakpoint junction as compared to those without MH. The results suggest that MMEJ could destabilize genomes by triggering structural alterations and increasing mutation burden. PMID:28419093

Mechanical Homogenization Increases Bacterial Homogeneity in Sputum

PubMed Central

Stokell, Joshua R.; Khan, Ammad

2014-01-01

Sputum obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is highly viscous and often heterogeneous in bacterial distribution. Adding dithiothreitol (DTT) is the standard method for liquefaction prior to processing sputum for molecular detection assays. To determine if DTT treatment homogenizes the bacterial distribution within sputum, we measured the difference in mean total bacterial abundance and abundance of Burkholderia multivorans between aliquots of DTT-treated sputum samples with and without a mechanical homogenization (MH) step using a high-speed dispersing element. Additionally, we measured the effect of MH on bacterial abundance. We found a significant difference between the mean bacterial abundances in aliquots that were subjected to only DTT treatment and those of the aliquots which included an MH step (all bacteria, P = 0.04; B. multivorans, P = 0.05). There was no significant effect of MH on bacterial abundance in sputum. Although our results are from a single CF patient, they indicate that mechanical homogenization increases the homogeneity of bacteria in sputum. PMID:24759710

Comparative experimental study of gas evolution and gas consumption reactions in sealed Ni-Cd and Ni-MH cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Chuansin; Yu, Jingxian; Zhang, Jixiao

The behavior of the sealed Ni-Cd and Ni-MH systems are compared experimentally with regard to their ability to consume gaseous products generated during the overcharge stage of these systems. It was found that the Ni-Cd system could only consume oxygen, while the Ni-MH system possesses the additional ability to adsorb hydrogen and to catalyze the recombination reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The internal pressure within both sealed Ni-Cd cells and sealed Ni-MH cells can be kept well under control during the charge/overcharge processes if the rate of overcharge is not too high and if there is sufficient surplus of charging capacity at the negative electrodes. However, the internal pressure can rise to dangerously high levels if the rate of overcharge is too high or there is a deficiency of the charging capacity at the negative electrodes. The various factors that may affect the surplus of charging capacity of the negative electrodes are also discussed.

A modeling study of methane hydrate decomposition in contact with the external surface of zeolites.

PubMed

Smirnov, Konstantin S

2017-08-30

The behavior of methane hydrate (MH) enclosed between the (010) surfaces of the silicalite-1 zeolite was studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations at temperatures of 150 and 250 K. Calculations reveal that the interaction with the hydrophilic surface OH groups destabilizes the clathrate structure of hydrate. While MH mostly conserves the structure in the simulation at the low temperature, thermal motion at the high temperature breaks the fragilized cages of H-bonded water molecules, thus leading to the release of methane. The dissociation proceeds in a layer-by-layer manner starting from the outer parts of the MH slab until complete hydrate decomposition. The released CH 4 molecules are absorbed by the microporous solid, whereas water is retained at the surfaces of hydrophobic silicalite and forms a meniscus in the interlayer space. Methane uptake reaches 70% of the silicalite sorption capacity. The energy necessary for the endothermic MH dissociation is supplied by the exothermic methane absorption by the zeolite.

The prevalence of ureaplasma urealyticum, mycoplasma hominis, chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infections, and the rubella status of patients undergoing an initial infertility evaluation

PubMed Central

Imudia, Anthony N.; Detti, Laura; Puscheck, Elizabeth E.; Yelian, Frank D.

2008-01-01

Purpose To determine the prevalence of positive test for Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections, and their corresponding Rubella status when undergoing workup for infertility. Methods Retrospective chart review to determine infection status for UU, MH, CT, and NG as determined by cervical swab, as well as the serum Rubella antibody titer. Results A total of 46 patients of the patients reviewed were positive for UU (20.1%), three patients were positive for MH (1.3%), five patients were positive for CT (2.2%) and one patient was positive for NG (0.4%). Rubella immunity was confirmed in 90.3% of patients. Conclusion Approximately one quarter of women presenting to an infertility clinic seeking to conceive were found to have a positive test for UU, MH, CT or NG infection. Additionally, almost 10% of the patients were Rubella non-immune at the time of presentation for infertility evaluation. PMID:18202910

M-H characteristics and demagnetization resistance of samarium-cobalt permanent magnets to 300 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedra, J. M.

1992-01-01

The influence of temperature on the M-H demagnetization characteristics of permanent magnets is important information for the full utilization of the capabilities of samarium-cobalt magnets at high temperatures in demagnetization-resistant permanent magnet devices. In high temperature space power converters, such as free-piston Stirling engine driven linear alternators, magnet demagnetization can occur as long-term consequence of thermal agitation of domains and of metallurgical change, and also as an immediate consequence of too large an applied field. Investigated here is the short-term demagnetization resistance to applied fields derived from basic M-H data. These quasistatic demagnetization data were obtained for commercial, high-intrinsic-coercivity, Sm2Co17-type magnets from 5 sources, in the temperature range 23 to 300 C. An electromagnet driven, electronic hysteresigraph was used to test the 1-cm cubic samples. The observed variation of the 2nd quadrant M-H characteristics was a typical rapid loss of M-coercivity and a relatively lesser loss of remanence with increasing temperature.

The application of consequence models in risk assessment: A regulator`s view

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

Nussey, C.; Carter, D.A.; Cassidy, K.

1995-12-31

Quantified risk assessment (QRA) is a technique for aiding decision making. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uses QRA in the Major Hazards (MH) area to formulate advice to Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) on the siting of MH installations and the development of land in the vicinity of existing MH installations. The region around UK MH sites within which LPAs are required to consult HSE on land-use planning matters (i.e. the Consultation Distance (CD)) is increasingly being redefined by adopting a risk based approach. The authors are now in the process of conducting or updated site specific QRAs tomore » redefine CDs. This process enables them to identify risk reduction measures and discuss them with companies, taking into consideration the ALARP--as low as is reasonably practicable--philosophy. The paper outlines the basis of the QRAs and the role of consequence assessment models and procedures in this process, and illustrates by examples the setting of CDs and the application of the ALARP philosophy.« less

Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network

PubMed Central

Griffith, Kereen T.; Larriviere, Jack C.; Feher, Laura C.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Oster, David A.; Tirpak, John M.; Woodrey, Mark S.; Collini, Renee C.; Baustian, Joseph J.; Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Cherry, Julia A.; Conrad, Jeremy R.; Cormier, Nicole; Coronado-Molina, Carlos A.; Donoghue, Joseph F.; Graham, Sean A.; Harper, Jennifer W.; Hester, Mark W.; Howard, Rebecca J.; Krauss, Ken W.; Kroes, Daniel E.; Lane, Robert R.; McKee, Karen L.; Mendelssohn, Irving A.; Middleton, Beth A.; Moon, Jena A.; Piazza, Sarai C.; Rankin, Nicole M.; Sklar, Fred H.; Steyer, Greg D.; Swanson, Kathleen M.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Vervaeke, William C.; Willis, Jonathan M.; Wilson, K. Van

2017-01-01

Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach is being used globally to quantify the relative contributions of processes affecting wetland elevation change. Historically, SET-MH measurements have been obtained at local scales to address site-specific research questions. However, in the face of accelerated sea-level rise, there is an increasing need for elevation change network data that can be incorporated into regional ecological models and vulnerability assessments. In particular, there is a need for long-term, high-temporal resolution data that are strategically distributed across ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients. Here, we quantify the distribution of SET-MH stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast (USA) across political boundaries (states), wetland habitats, and ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients (i.e., gradients in temperature, precipitation, elevation, and relative sea-level rise). Our analyses identify areas with high SET-MH station densities as well as areas with notable gaps. Salt marshes, intermediate elevations, and colder areas with high rainfall have a high number of stations, while salt flat ecosystems, certain elevation zones, the mangrove-marsh ecotone, and hypersaline coastal areas with low rainfall have fewer stations. Due to rapid rates of wetland loss and relative sea-level rise, the state of Louisiana has the most extensive SET-MH station network in the region, and we provide several recent examples where data from Louisiana’s network have been used to assess and compare wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our findings represent the first attempt to examine spatial gaps in SET-MH coverage across abiotic gradients. Our analyses can be used to transform a broadly disseminated and unplanned collection of SET-MH stations into a coordinated and strategic regional network. This regional network would provide data for predicting and preparing for the responses of coastal wetlands to accelerated sea-level rise and other aspects of global change. PMID:28902904

Influence of psychiatric morbidity and sociodemographic determinants on use of service in a catchment area in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Andrade, Laura Helena; Viana, Maria Carmen; Tófoli, Luis Fernando Farah; Wang, Yuan-Pang

2008-01-01

Recent population-based studies in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries brought evidence of the growing burden of mental illness in this region. The objective of this study is to examine determinants of health service utilization by individuals with psychiatric disorders in a defined area in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were derived from São Paulo Catchment Area Study (SP-ECA), a cross-sectional household prevalence survey, based on a representative adult sample (N=1,464) living in two defined boroughs. The psychiatric diagnosis was assessed through the CIDI 1.1 interview, yielding ICD-10 diagnoses. The past-month use of health services--for general medical (GM) care and mental health (MH) care sectors--was investigated in their relationship with sociodemographic features, insurance coverage, GM conditions, and psychiatric morbidity. Nearly one-third (32.2%) of the total sample used health services in the last month: 29.0% attended GM care and 7.8% used MH care. Logistic regression models showed that being female, older than 60 years, having private insurance coverage, and presence of psychiatric morbidity increased the level GM care seeking in the total sample. For those with 12-month psychiatric disorders, the determinants for GM sector use were female gender, age 45-59 years old, and private insurance coverage, whereas separated, divorced, or widowed women had the highest odds (OR 9.9; 95% CI: 2.7-36.5) for using MH service. Low-income people were less likely to seek MH services. The major contribution of this article is to underscore the impact of MH on health care systems, in a LAC country where service use information is scarce. The main finding is that inequalities in the access to MH care occurred, with low-income people having less likelihood of receiving treatment for their mental disorder. Access to health service in this catchment area reflected the great degree of deregulation and lack of integration. Additional efforts should address the barriers to the utilization of MH services in Brazil, including social inequities in the access to care.

Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osland, Michael J.; Griffith, Kereen T.; Larriviere, Jack C.; Feher, Laura C.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Oster, David A.; Tirpak, John M.; Woodrey, Mark S.; Collini, Renee C.; Baustian, Joseph J.; Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Cherry, Julia A; Conrad, Jeremy R.; Cormier, Nicole; Coronado-Molina, Carlos A.; Donoghue, Joseph F.; Graham, Sean A.; Harper, Jennifer W.; Hester, Mark W.; Howard, Rebecca J.; Krauss, Ken W.; Kroes, Daniel; Lane, Robert R.; Mckee, Karen L.; Mendelssohn, Irving A.; Middleton, Beth A.; Moon, Jena A.; Piazza, Sarai; Rankin, Nicole M.; Sklar, Fred H.; Steyer, Gregory D.; Swanson, Kathleen M.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Vervaeke, William; Willis, Jonathan M; Van Wilson, K.

2017-01-01

Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach is being used globally to quantify the relative contributions of processes affecting wetland elevation change. Historically, SET-MH measurements have been obtained at local scales to address site-specific research questions. However, in the face of accelerated sea-level rise, there is an increasing need for elevation change network data that can be incorporated into regional ecological models and vulnerability assessments. In particular, there is a need for long-term, high-temporal resolution data that are strategically distributed across ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients. Here, we quantify the distribution of SET-MH stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast (USA) across political boundaries (states), wetland habitats, and ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients (i.e., gradients in temperature, precipitation, elevation, and relative sea-level rise). Our analyses identify areas with high SET-MH station densities as well as areas with notable gaps. Salt marshes, intermediate elevations, and colder areas with high rainfall have a high number of stations, while salt flat ecosystems, certain elevation zones, the mangrove-marsh ecotone, and hypersaline coastal areas with low rainfall have fewer stations. Due to rapid rates of wetland loss and relative sea-level rise, the state of Louisiana has the most extensive SET-MH station network in the region, and we provide several recent examples where data from Louisiana’s network have been used to assess and compare wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our findings represent the first attempt to examine spatial gaps in SET-MH coverage across abiotic gradients. Our analyses can be used to transform a broadly disseminated and unplanned collection of SET-MH stations into a coordinated and strategic regional network. This regional network would provide data for predicting and preparing for the responses of coastal wetlands to accelerated sea-level rise and other aspects of global change.

Economic analysis and budget impact of clostridial collagenase ointment compared with medicinal honey for treatment of pressure ulcers in the US.

PubMed

Mearns, Elizabeth S; Liang, Michael; Limone, Brendan L; Gilligan, Adrienne M; Miller, Jeffrey D; Schaum, Kathleen D; Waycaster, Curtis R

2017-01-01

Pressure ulcer (PU) treatment poses significant clinical and economic challenges to health-care systems. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of enzymatic debridement with clostridial collagenase ointment (CCO) compared with autolytic debridement with medicinal honey (MH) for PU treatment from a US payer/Medicare perspective in the hospital outpatient department setting. A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model was developed using a 1-week cycle length across a 1-year time horizon. The three health states were inflammation/senescence, granulation/proliferation (ie, patients achieving 100% granulation), and epithelialization. Data sources included the US Wound Registry, Medicare fee schedules, and other published clinical and cost studies about PU treatment. In the base case analysis over a 1-year time horizon, CCO was the economically dominant strategy (ie, simultaneously conferring greater benefit at less cost). Patients treated with CCO experienced 22.7 quality-adjusted life weeks (QALWs) at a cost of $6,161 over 1 year, whereas MH patients experienced 21.9 QALWs at a cost of $7,149. Patients treated with CCO achieved 11.5 granulation weeks and 6.0 epithelization weeks compared with 10.6 and 4.4 weeks for MH, respectively. The number of clinic visits was 40.1 for CCO vs 43.4 for MH, and the number of debridements was 12.3 for CCO compared with 17.6 for MH. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses determined CCO dominant in 72% of 10,000 iterations and cost-effective in 91%, assuming a benchmark willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/quality-adjusted life year ($962/QALW). The budget impact analysis showed that for every 1% of patients shifted from MH to CCO, a cost savings of $9,883 over 1 year for a cohort of 1,000 patients was observed by the payer. The results of these economic analyses suggest that CCO is a cost-effective, economically dominant alternative to MH in the treatment of patients with PUs in the hospital outpatient department setting.

Assessing coastal wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast: Gaps and opportunities for developing a coordinated regional sampling network.

PubMed

Osland, Michael J; Griffith, Kereen T; Larriviere, Jack C; Feher, Laura C; Cahoon, Donald R; Enwright, Nicholas M; Oster, David A; Tirpak, John M; Woodrey, Mark S; Collini, Renee C; Baustian, Joseph J; Breithaupt, Joshua L; Cherry, Julia A; Conrad, Jeremy R; Cormier, Nicole; Coronado-Molina, Carlos A; Donoghue, Joseph F; Graham, Sean A; Harper, Jennifer W; Hester, Mark W; Howard, Rebecca J; Krauss, Ken W; Kroes, Daniel E; Lane, Robert R; McKee, Karen L; Mendelssohn, Irving A; Middleton, Beth A; Moon, Jena A; Piazza, Sarai C; Rankin, Nicole M; Sklar, Fred H; Steyer, Greg D; Swanson, Kathleen M; Swarzenski, Christopher M; Vervaeke, William C; Willis, Jonathan M; Wilson, K Van

2017-01-01

Coastal wetland responses to sea-level rise are greatly influenced by biogeomorphic processes that affect wetland surface elevation. Small changes in elevation relative to sea level can lead to comparatively large changes in ecosystem structure, function, and stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach is being used globally to quantify the relative contributions of processes affecting wetland elevation change. Historically, SET-MH measurements have been obtained at local scales to address site-specific research questions. However, in the face of accelerated sea-level rise, there is an increasing need for elevation change network data that can be incorporated into regional ecological models and vulnerability assessments. In particular, there is a need for long-term, high-temporal resolution data that are strategically distributed across ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients. Here, we quantify the distribution of SET-MH stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast (USA) across political boundaries (states), wetland habitats, and ecologically-relevant abiotic gradients (i.e., gradients in temperature, precipitation, elevation, and relative sea-level rise). Our analyses identify areas with high SET-MH station densities as well as areas with notable gaps. Salt marshes, intermediate elevations, and colder areas with high rainfall have a high number of stations, while salt flat ecosystems, certain elevation zones, the mangrove-marsh ecotone, and hypersaline coastal areas with low rainfall have fewer stations. Due to rapid rates of wetland loss and relative sea-level rise, the state of Louisiana has the most extensive SET-MH station network in the region, and we provide several recent examples where data from Louisiana's network have been used to assess and compare wetland vulnerability to sea-level rise. Our findings represent the first attempt to examine spatial gaps in SET-MH coverage across abiotic gradients. Our analyses can be used to transform a broadly disseminated and unplanned collection of SET-MH stations into a coordinated and strategic regional network. This regional network would provide data for predicting and preparing for the responses of coastal wetlands to accelerated sea-level rise and other aspects of global change.

Did Equity of Reproductive and Maternal Health Service Coverage Increase during the MDG Era? An Analysis of Trends and Determinants across 74 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

PubMed Central

Sharma, Suneeta

2015-01-01

Introduction Despite widespread gains toward the 5th Millennium Development Goal (MDG), pro-rich inequalities in reproductive health (RH) and maternal health (MH) are pervasive throughout the world. As countries enter the post-MDG era and strive toward UHC, it will be important to monitor the extent to which countries are achieving equity of RH and MH service coverage. This study explores how equity of service coverage differs across countries, and explores what policy factors are associated with a country’s progress, or lack thereof, toward more equitable RH and MH service coverage. Methods We used RH and MH service coverage data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 74 countries to examine trends in equity between countries and over time from 1990 to 2014. We examined trends in both relative and absolute equity, and measured relative equity using a concentration index of coverage data grouped by wealth quintile. Through multivariate analysis we examined the relative importance of policy factors, such as political commitment to health, governance, and the level of prepayment, in determining countries’ progress toward greater equity in RH and MH service coverage. Results Relative equity for the coverage of RH and MH services has continually increased across all countries over the past quarter century; however, inequities in coverage persist, in some countries more than others. Multivariate analysis shows that higher education and greater political commitment (measured as the share of government spending allocated to health) were significantly associated with higher equity of service coverage. Neither country income, i.e., GDP per capita, nor better governance were significantly associated with equity. Conclusion Equity in RH and MH service coverage has improved but varies considerably across countries and over time. Even among the subset of countries that are close to achieving the MDGs, progress made on equity varies considerably across countries. Enduring disparities in access and outcomes underpin mounting support for targeted reforms within the broader context of universal health coverage (UHC). PMID:26331846

Light charged Higgs boson scenario in 3-Higgs doublet models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akeroyd, A. G.; Moretti, Stefano; Yagyu, Kei; Yildirim, Emine

2017-08-01

The constraints from the measurements of the B → Xsγ decay rate on the parameter space of 3-Higgs Doublet Models (3HDMs), where all the doublets have nonzero vacuum expectation values, are studied at the next-to-leading order in QCD. In order to naturally avoid the presence of flavour changing neutral currents at the tree level, we impose two softly-broken discrete Z2 symmetries. This gives rise to five independent types of 3HDMs that differ in their Yukawa couplings. We show that in all these 3HDMs (including the case of type-II-like Yukawa interactions) both masses of the two charged Higgs bosons mH1± and mH2± can be smaller than the top mass mt while complying with the constraints from B → Xsγ. As an interesting phenomenological consequence, the branching ratios of the charged Higgs bosons decay into the cb final states can be as large as 80% when their masses are taken to be below mt in two of the five 3HDMs (named as Type-Y and Type-Z). This light charged Higgs boson scenario provides a hallmark 3HDM signature that cannot be realised in Z2 symmetric 2-Higgs doublet models. We find that in the Type-Y and Type-Z 3HDMs the scenario with 90GeV < mH1±, mH2± < mt is ruled out by the direct searches at the LHC, but in the Type-Y 3HDM 80GeV < mH1± < 90GeV and 90GeV < mH2± < mt is allowed by B → Xsγ and direct searches at LEP2, Tevatron and LHC due to the reduced sensitivity of these searches to the degenerate case mH1±≈ mW±. The cases where only one or both charged Higgs bosons are above the top quark mass are also naturally allowed in the both Type-Y and Type-Z 3HDMs.

A review of one year of British Armed Forces mental health hospital admissions.

PubMed

Finnegan, A; Finnegan, S; Gamble, D

2007-03-01

The paper provides a review of one year of military Mental Health (MH) hospital admissions. This includes an exploration into demographic trends, differences in clinical opinion and how information gained is used to improve the service and ensure appropriate, cost effective care in the optimum environment. The sample group is entitled military MH hospital admissions from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006. Data was collected on questionnaires with SPSS used for the management and analysis of the quantitative data, with the information exposed to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. There were 344 admissions. The paper contains a detailed review of a number of variables. Depression was the most common diagnosis resulting in 112 (33%) hospital admissions and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder accounted for 23 (7%). There were statistically significant differences that may be attributable to gender with more women admitted with depression and more men with alcohol related disorders. The average length of stay was 21 days, with 48% of patients discharged within 3 weeks. 45% of all returns included significant events reporting that highlighted written evidence of good and poor practice. This study is part of an extensive monitoring programme of military MH hospital admissions. Depression is the most common MH problem leading to hospital admission. The results indicate that Service-personnel have access to a highly responsive service that provides brief assessment and treatment within a safe therapeutic environment. 45% of returns included significant event information that resulted in policy changes, leading to improved patient care and a better interface with the NHS. Bench-marking, both internally between military Departments of Community Mental Health and externally have improved visibility and self awareness leading to better GP induction programmes, PHC educational seminars and the establishment of MH web-pages. The Armed Forces need an effective MH service that is accessible, readily available, non-stigmatised and which positively advocates a duty of care. The results highlight the importance of further studies regarding depression to ensure that the Armed Forces are in a better position to maximise the use of MH resources.

Long Term Performance Retention Test Using High Power COTS NiCd and NiMH Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dan; Darcy, Eric; Strangways, Brad; Nelson, Tim

2003-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the tests and results for performance retention of high powered commercial off the shelf (COTS) NiCd, and NiMH cells. Electromechanical actuators for space flight requires short duration high power batteries. The concern is that NiCd battery designs demonstrate an unfavorable power degradation after long periods of inactivity. Cycling can recover some of the decay, but this reduces the readiness that these batteries must have. Two 5-cell SubC stick test batteries ere chosen using NiCd and NiMH were tested and then the differences for charge maintenance were compared.

[Investigation on antibacterial activity of Forsythia suspense Vahl in vitro with Mueller-Hinton agar].

PubMed

Li, Z X; Wang, X H; Zhao, J H; Yang, J F; Wang, X

2000-12-01

To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Forsythia suspensa in vitro with different media. MIC determination of Forsythia suspensa against Staphylococci was performed by the agar dilution method. MIC90 of decoction of Forsythia suspensa against Staphylococcus epidermidis in M-H agar was 1:640, but in nutrient agar 1:40, the antibacterial activity with M-H agar being 16 fold higher than nutrient agar. The M-H agar should be recommended to replace nutrient agar as medium in the antibacterial experiment of Traditional Chinese medicine, and it is better to use multipoint inoculating device in the sensitivity test.

A theoretical study of the positive and dipositive ions of M(NH3)n and M(H2O)n for M = Mg, Ca, or Sr

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Sodupe, Mariona; Partridge, Harry

1992-01-01

The structure and binding energies are determined for many of the M(H2O)n(+) and M(H2O)n(2+) species, for n = 1-3 and M = Mg, Ca, or Sr. The trends are explained in terms of metal sp or sd-sigma hybridization and core polarization. The M(NH3)n(+) systems, with M = Mg or Sr, are also studied. For the positive ions, the low-lying excited states are also studied and compared with experiment. The calculations suggest an alternative interpretation of the SrNH3(+) spectrum.

High-temperature characteristics of advanced Ni-MH batteries using nickel electrodes containing CaF 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuezeng; Gong, Zhixin; Zhao, Shumei; Geng, Mingming; Wang, Yan; Northwood, Derek O.

The high-temperature charge acceptance of Ni-MH batteries has been improved through the addition of calcium fluoride to the pasted nickel hydroxide electrode made using spherical Co(OH) 2-coated nickel hydroxide powder. The charge acceptance of the Ni-MH battery at 60 °C is over 95% at 1 C charge/discharge rates. The charge acceptance at 60 °C remains at over 90% through 10 cycles. The use of Co(OH) 2-coated Ni(OH) 2 plus a CaF 2 addition to the positive electrode also significantly improved the high-temperature stability in terms of reduced gas evolution.

Adaptive Metropolis Sampling with Product Distributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolpert, David H.; Lee, Chiu Fan

2005-01-01

The Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm is a way to sample a provided target distribution pi(z). It works by repeatedly sampling a separate proposal distribution T(x,x') to generate a random walk {x(t)}. We consider a modification of the MH algorithm in which T is dynamically updated during the walk. The update at time t uses the {x(t' less than t)} to estimate the product distribution that has the least Kullback-Leibler distance to pi. That estimate is the information-theoretically optimal mean-field approximation to pi. We demonstrate through computer experiments that our algorithm produces samples that are superior to those of the conventional MH algorithm.

Retinal thickness after vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling for macular hole and epiretinal membrane

PubMed Central

Kumagai, Kazuyuki; Ogino, Nobuchika; Furukawa, Mariko; Hangai, Masanori; Kazama, Shigeyasu; Nishigaki, Shirou; Larson, Eric

2012-01-01

Purpose To determine the retinal thickness (RT), after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, for an idiopathic macular hole (MH) or an epiretinal membrane (ERM). Also, to investigate the effect of a dissociated optic nerve fiber layer (DONFL) appearance on RT. Methods A non-randomized, retrospective chart review was performed for 159 patients who had successful closure of a MH, with (n = 148), or without (n = 11), ILM peeling. Also studied were 117 patients who had successful removal of an ERM, with (n = 104), or without (n = 13), ILM peeling. The RT of the nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study areas was measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). In the MH-with-ILM peeling and ERM-with-ILM peeling groups, the RT of the operated eyes was compared to the corresponding areas of normal fellow eyes. The inner temporal/inner nasal ratio (TNR) was used to assess the effect of ILM peeling on RT. The effects of DONFL appearance on RT were evaluated in only the MH-with-ILM peeling group. Results In the MH-with-ILM peeling group, the central, inner nasal, and outer nasal areas of the retina of operated eyes were significantly thicker than the corresponding areas of normal fellow eyes. In addition, the inner temporal, outer temporal, and inner superior retina was significantly thinner than in the corresponding areas of normal fellow eyes. Similar findings were observed regardless of the presence of a DONFL appearance. In the ERM-with-ILM peeling group, the retina of operated eyes was significantly thicker in all areas, except the inner and outer temporal areas. In the MH-with-ILM peeling group, the TNR was 0.86 in operated eyes, and 0.96 in fellow eyes (P < 0.001). In the ERM-with-ILM peeling group, the TNR was 0.84 in operated eyes, and 0.95 in fellow eyes (P < 0.001). TNR in operated eyes of the MH-without-ILM peeling group was 0.98, which was significantly greater than that of the MH-with-ILM peeling group (P < 0.001). TNR in the operated eyes of the ERM-without-ILM peeling group was 0.98, which was significantly greater than that of ERM-with-ILM peeling group (P < 0.001). Conclusion The thinning of the temporal retina and thickening of the nasal retina after ILM peeling does not appear to be disease-specific. In addition, changes in RT after ILM peeling are not related to the presence of a DONFL appearance. PMID:22654493

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: impact on mental health services demand and provider availability.

PubMed

Pearlman, Shoshannah A

2013-01-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will greatly increase the demand for mental health (MH) services, as 62.5 million Americans from relatively high-need populations will be newly eligible for MH benefits. Consequently, the supply of MH care provider services is expected to proportionately decrease by 18% to 21% in 2014. ACA funding does not demonstrate the ability to increase turnout of psychiatrists sufficiently to meet the need. Available data indicate that the numbers of advanced practice psychiatric nurses (APPNs) continue to increase at a much greater rate, but information from either a clinical perspective or a market perspective is complicated by the weak distinctions that are made between nurse practitioners (NPs) and other nonphysician care professionals. The following recommendations are made: (a) some of the ACA funding for research into efficient and effective care delivery systems should be allocated to acquiring data on APPNs in leadership roles or clinical settings in which they are ultimately responsible for management of MH care, as differentiated from settings in which they provide support for psychiatrists; and (b) since the available data indicate nurse practitioners achieve good outcomes and are more economically viable than psychiatrists, placement of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners in community settings should be recognized as a realistic solution to the shortfall of MH services.

Not forgetting severe mental disorders in humanitarian emergencies: a descriptive study from the Philippines.

PubMed

Weintraub, Ana Cecilia Andrade de Moraes; Garcia, Mariana Gaspar; Birri, Elisa; Severy, Nathalie; Ferir, Marie-Christine; Ali, Engy; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Nadera, Dinah Palmera; Van Ommeren, Mark

2016-09-01

Severe mental disorders are often neglected following a disaster. Based on Médecins Sans Frontières' (MSF) experience of providing mental health (MH) care after the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, we describe the monthly volume of MH activities and beneficiaries; characteristics of people seeking MH care; profile and outcomes of people with severe mental disorders; prescription of psychotropic medication; and factors facilitating the identification and management of individuals with severe mental disorders. A retrospective review of programme data was carried out. In total, 172 persons sought MH care. Numbers peaked three months into MSF's intervention and decreased thereafter. Of 134 (78%) people with complete data, 37 (28%) had a severe mental disorder, often characterised by psychotic symptoms (n=24, 64%) and usually unrelated to the typhoon (n=32, 86%). Four people (11%) were discharged after successful treatment, two (5%) moved out of the area, 20 (54%) were referred for follow-up on cessation of MSF activities and 10 (27%) were lost-to-follow-up. Psychotropic treatment was prescribed for 33 (75%) people with mental disorders and for 11 with non-severe mental disorders. This study illustrates how actors can play an important role in providing MH care for people with severe mental disorders in the aftermath of a disaster. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Advances in mobile mental health: opportunities and implications for the spectrum of e-mental health services

PubMed Central

Chan, Steven; Hwang, Tiffany; Wong, Alice; Bauer, Amy M.

2017-01-01

Mobile health (mHealth), telemedicine and other technology-based services facilitate mental health service delivery and may be considered part of an e-mental health (eMH) spectrum of care. Web- and Internet-based resources provide a great opportunity for the public, patients, healthcare providers and others to improve wellness, practice prevention and reduce suffering from illnesses. Mobile apps offer portability for access anytime/anywhere, are inexpensive versus traditional desktop computers, and have additional features (e.g., context-aware interventions and sensors with real-time feedback. This paper discusses mobile mental health (mMH) options, as part of a broader framework of eMH options. The evidence-based literature shows that many people have an openness to technology as a way to help themselves, change behaviors and engage additional clinical services. Studies show that traditional video-based synchronous telepsychiatry (TP) is as good as in-person service, but mHealth outcomes have been rarely, directly compared to in-person and other eMH care options. Similarly, technology options added to in-person care or combined with others have not been evaluated nor linked with specific goals and desired outcomes. Skills and competencies for clinicians are needed for mHealth, social media and other new technologies in the eMH spectrum, in addition to research by randomized trials and study of health service delivery models with an emphasis on effectiveness. PMID:28894744

Interface Between Cosmetic and Migraine Surgery.

PubMed

Gfrerer, Lisa; Guyuron, Bahman

2017-10-01

This article describes connections between migraine surgery and cosmetic surgery including technical overlap, benefits for patients, and why every plastic surgeon may consider screening cosmetic surgery patients for migraine headache (MH). Contemporary migraine surgery began by an observation made following forehead rejuvenation, and the connection has continued. The prevalence of MH among females in the USA is 26%, and females account for 91% of cosmetic surgery procedures and 81-91% of migraine surgery procedures, which suggests substantial overlap between both patient populations. At the same time, recent reports show an overall increase in cosmetic facial procedures. Surgical techniques between some of the most commonly performed facial surgeries and migraine surgery overlap, creating opportunity for consolidation. In particular, forehead lift, blepharoplasty, septo-rhinoplasty, and rhytidectomy can easily be part of the migraine surgery, depending on the migraine trigger sites. Patients could benefit from simultaneous improvement in MH symptoms and rejuvenation of the face. Simple tools such as the Migraine Headache Index could be used to screen cosmetic surgery patients for MH. Similarity between patient populations, demand for both facial and MH procedures, and technical overlap suggest great incentive for plastic surgeons to combine both. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Influence of the Culture Medium in Dose-Response Effect of the Chlorhexidine on Streptococcus mutans Biofilms

PubMed Central

de Queiroz, Vanessa Salvadego; Ccahuana-Vásquez, Renzo Alberto; Tedesco, Alcides Fabiano; Lyra, Luzia; Cury, Jaime Aparecido; Schreiber, Angélica Zaninelli

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of culture medium on dose-response effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) on Streptococcus mutans UA159 biofilm and validate the use of the cation-adjusted-Müller-Hinton broth (MH) for the evaluation of antibacterial activity. Ultrafiltered Tryptone-Yeast Extract Broth (UTYEB) was compared against MH and MH with blood supplementation (MHS). For each medium, six groups (n = 4) were assessed: two negative control groups (baseline 48 and 120 h) and four experimental groups (0.0001, 0.001, 0.012, and 0.12% CHX). S. mutans biofilm grew on glass slides of each media containing 1% sucrose. After 48 h of growth, biofilms of baseline 48 h were collected and the other groups were treated for 1 min, twice a day, for 3 days, with their respective treatments. The media were changed daily and pH was measured. After 120 h, biofilms were collected and dry weight and viable microorganisms were determined. Results showed CHX dose-response effect being observed in all media for all the variables. However, MH and MHS showed higher sensitivity than UTYEB (p < 0.05). We can conclude that the culture medium does influence dose-response effect of CHX on Streptococcus mutans biofilm and that MH can be used for antibacterial activity. PMID:27293967

Gender differences in health-related quality of life in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

PubMed

Gijsberts, Crystel M; Agostoni, Pierfrancesco; Hoefer, Imo E; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Nathoe, Hendrik; Appelman, Yolande E; de Kleijn, Dominique P V; den Ruijter, Hester M

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reflects the general well-being of individuals. In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), HRQOL is compromised. Female patients with CAD have been reported to have lower HRQOL. In this study, we investigate gender differences in HRQOL and in associations of patient characteristics with HRQOL in patients with coronary angiography (CAG). We cross-sectionally analysed patients from the Utrecht Coronary Biobank undergoing CAG. All patients filled in an HRQOL questionnaire (RAND-36 and EuroQoL) on inclusion. RAND-36 and EuroQoL HRQOL measures were compared between the genders across indications for CAG, CAD severity and treatment of CAD. RAND-36 HRQOL measures were compared with the general Dutch population. Additionally, we assessed interactions of gender with patient characteristics in their association with HRQOL (EuroQoL). We included 1421 patients (1020 men and 401 women) with a mean age of 65 in our analysis. Women reported lower HRQOL measures than men (mean EuroQoL self-rated health grade 6.84±1.49 in men, 6.46±1.40 in women, p<0.001). The reduction in RAND-36 HRQOL as compared with the general Dutch population was larger in women than in men. From regression analysis, we found that diabetes, a history of cardiovascular disease and symptoms of shortness of breath determined HRQOL (EuroQoL) more strongly in men than in women. Women reported lower HRQOL than men throughout all indications for CAG and regardless of CAD severity or treatment. As compared with the general population, the reduction in HRQOL was more extreme in women than in men. Evident gender differences were found in determinants of HRQOL in patients undergoing CAG, which deserve attention in future research. NCT02304744 (clinicaltrials.gov).

Health-related quality of life 6 months after burns among hospitalized patients: Predictive importance of mental disorders and burn severity.

PubMed

Palmu, Raimo; Partonen, Timo; Suominen, Kirsi; Saarni, Samuli I; Vuola, Jyrki; Isometsä, Erkki

2015-06-01

Major burns are likely to have a strong impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We investigated the level of and predictors for quality of life at 6 months after acute burn. Consecutive acute adult burn patients (n=107) admitted to the Helsinki Burn Centre were examined with a structured diagnostic interview (SCID) at baseline, and 92 patients (86%) were re-examined at 6 months after injury. During follow-up 55% (51/92) suffered from at least one mental disorder. The mean %TBSA was 9. TBSA of men did not differ from that of women. Three validated instruments (RAND-36, EQ-5, 15D) were used to evaluate the quality of life at 6 months. All the measures (RAND-36, EQ-5, 15D) consistently indicated mostly normal HRQoL at 6 months after burn. In the multivariate linear regression model, %TBSA predicted HRQoL in one dimension (role limitations caused by physical health problems, p=0.039) of RAND-36. In contrast, mental disorders overall and particularly major depressive disorder (MDD) during follow-up (p-values of 0.001-0.002) predicted poor HRQoL in all dimensions of RAND-36. HRQoL of women was worse than that of men. Self-perceived HRQoL among acute burn patients at 6 months after injury seems to be mostly as good as in general population studies in Finland. The high standard of acute treatment and the inclusion of small burns (%TBSA<5) in the cohort may partly explain the weak effect of burn itself on HRQoL. Mental disorders strongly predicted HRQoL at 6 months. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Mental Health, Vocational Rehabilitation Interagency Functioning, and Outcome of Psychiatrically Disabled Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dellario, Donald J.

1985-01-01

Conducted structured interviews of seven selected Mental Health (MH) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) dyads to assess interagency functioning, and compared results to selected interagency performance indicators. Results suggested that improved MH-VR linkages can increase the probability of successful rehabilitation outcomes for psychiatrically…

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing (original drawing, #MH 10460086, dated ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing (original drawing, #MH 104-600-86, dated October 31, 1995, and drawn by W. Robinson, is located in the Mountain Home Air Force Base Civil Engineering archives). - Mountain Home Air Force Base, Base Chapel, 350 Willow Street, Cantonment Area, Mountain Home, Elmore County, ID

MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopter (MH-60R)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-23

1087 Contract Number: N00019-11-C-0077 Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Award Date: September 27, 2011 Definitization Date: September 27...02871- 1087 Contract Number: N00019-13-C-0012 Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Award Date: December 20, 2012 Definitization Date: December 20

Severe hyperthyroidism: aetiology, clinical features and treatment outcome.

PubMed

Iglesias, P; Dévora, O; García, J; Tajada, P; García-Arévalo, C; Díez, J J

2010-04-01

Severe hyperthyroidism (SH) is a serious medical disorder that can compromise life. There have not been systematic studies in which SH has been evaluated in detail. Here, our aims were: (1) to analyse both clinical and analytical features and outcome in patients with SH and (2) to compare these data with those found in more usual forms of hyperthyroidism. Patients and methods All patients diagnosed of SH (free thyroxine, FT4 > 100 pmol/l, NR: 11-23) seen in our endocrinology clinic in the last 15 years were studied and compared with a sample of patients with mild (mH; FT4, 23-50 pmol/l) and moderate (MH; FT4, 51-100 pmol/l) hyperthyroidism. Aetiology, clinical analytical and imaging data at diagnosis, therapeutic response and outcome were registered. Results A total of 107 patients with overt hyperthyroidism (81 females, mean age +/- SD 46.9 +/- 16.1 years) were evaluated. We studied a historic group with SH (n = 21; 14 females, 40.9 +/- 17.2 years) and, as a comparator group, we analyszed the data of 86 hyperthyroid patients (67 females, 48.4 +/- 15.5.6 years, NS) comparable in age and gender. The comparator group was classified in MH (n = 37, 26 females, 47.2 +/- 16.6 years) and mH (n = 49, 41 females, 49.4 +/- 14.8 years). In comparison with mH group, SH patients were significantly (P < 0.05) younger and showed a greater proportion of first episode of thyroid hyperfunction (P < 0.05). Graves' disease was the main aetiology in the three groups, but patients with SH showed the highest titre of TSH-receptor antibodies (TRAb) (P < 0.001). Heart rate and size of goitre were higher in SH group than in mH and MH groups (P < 0.01). Atrial fibrillation was more frequently reported in SH group than in MH and mH groups (15.8%vs. 5.4% and 0%, respectively, P < 0.05). from logistic regression analysis showed that younger age [OR 0.958 (95% CI, 0.923-0.995), P = 0.026], presence of asthenia [OR 4.35 (1.48-12.78), P = 0.008] and higher heart rate [OR 1.03 (1.01-1.06), P = 0.013] were independent clinical variables associated to SH. SH patients showed similar biochemical parameters in comparison with mH group, except for increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P < 0.01) and calcium (P < 0.05) levels, and decreased serum cholesterol (P < 0.05) and albumin (P < 0.05) concentrations. Logistic regression analysis showed that only AST [OR 1.07 (1.02-1.11), P = 0.005] was an independent biochemical variable associated to SH. No differences in the type of therapy, cure rate and time in achieving cure were found in SH subjects in relation to patients with milder forms of hyperthyroidism. FT4 was the only independent predictor of cure [OR 0.98 (CI 95%, 0.97-0.99), P < 0.05]. Graves' disease is the most common aetiology in patients with SH. This type of hyperthyroidism is usually de novo and is accompanied by more clinical signs, symptoms, and analytical derangements, as well as higher titres of TRAb at diagnosis than milder forms of hyperthyroidism. The present data are not able to show differences in treatment modality, time to achieve cure, and remission rate among patients with mild, moderate and severe hyperthyroidism.

Availability of Youth Services in U.S. Mental Health Treatment Facilities

PubMed Central

Cummings, Janet R.; Case, Brady G.; Ji, Xu; Marcus, Steven C.

2015-01-01

Despite concern about access to mental health (MH) services for youth, little is known about the specialty treatment infrastructure serving this population. We used national data to examine which types of MH treatment facilities (hospital- and community-based) were most likely to offer youth services and which types of communities were most likely to have this infrastructure. Larger (p<0.001) and privately owned (p<0.001) facilities were more likely to offer youth services. Rural counties, counties in which a majority of residents were nonwhite, and/or counties with a higher percentage of uninsured residents were less likely to have a community-based MH treatment facility that served youth (p<0.001). PMID:26467795

Kinetics of Hydrogen Diffusion in LaNi(sub 5-x)Sn(sub x) Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratnakumar, B. V.; Hightower, A.; Witham, C.; Bowman, R. C.; Fultz, B.

1996-01-01

Solid-state diffusion of hydrogen in metal hydride (MH) alloys is recognized as the rate determining step in the discharge of MH alloys in alkaline Ni-MH rechargeable cells. In our pursuit of new ternary solutes in LaNi(sub 5) for extended cycle lifetimes, we have observed noticeable improvement in the cycle life with small substitutions of Sn and Ge for Ni. Furthermore, these substituents also facilitate enhanced charge transfer kinetics for hydriding-dehydriding process. In this paper, we report our studies on the kinetics of hydrogen diffusion in LaNi(sub 5-x) Sn(sub x) alloys by electrochemical pulse techniques, chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry.

The ISTSS/Rand guidelines on mental health training of primary healthcare providers for trauma-exposed populations in conflict-affected countries.

PubMed

Eisenman, David; Weine, Stevan; Green, Bonnie; de Jong, Joop; Rayburn, Nadine; Ventevogel, Peter; Keller, Allen; Agani, Ferid

2006-02-01

Mental health care for trauma-exposed populations in conflict-affected developing countries often is provided by primary healthcare providers (PHPs), including doctors, nurses, and lay health workers. The Task Force on International Trauma Training, through an initiative sponsored by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the RAND Corporation, has developed evidence- and consensus-based guidelines for the mental health training of PHPs in conflict-affected developing countries. This article presents the Guidelines, which provide a conceptual framework and specific principles for improving the quality of mental health training for PHPs working with trauma-exposed populations.

Should Medical Care be Free? Cost Sharing and Health Financing Policy,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

CopyrIght 0 192 UT Rand Corporation B~~, 4 -1- Debate over the wisdom of having patients pay for some or all of their medical care services has...AD-Al 22 889 SHOULD MEDICAL CARE 4E FREE? COST SHARINd AND HEALTH I// FINANCING POL ICy(U) RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CAEHUE U 2R P6 UNCL7ASSIFIED F/G A...5 NL 7 *EE1Eh h I L mllll lll IL III2 lilt ig 1 .0 1.25 LA 6= MICIROCPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART, NATIONAL BUREAU OF SIANDAROS-1963-A r-l SHOULD MEDICAL

A cost benefit analysis of an enhanced seat belt enforcement program in South Africa.

PubMed

Harris, G T; Olukoga, I A

2005-04-01

To examine whether a program to increase the wearing of seat belts in a South African urban area would be worthwhile in societal terms. A cost benefit analysis of a one year enhanced seat belt enforcement program in eThekwini (Durban) Municipality. Data were drawn from two main sources--a 1998 study of the cost of road crashes in South Africa and, given the absence of other data, a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of various types of interventions to reduce road crash casualties in the United States--and were analyzed using cost benefit analysis. A program designed to enforce greater wearing of seat belts, estimated to cost 2 million rand in one year, could be reasonably expected to increase seat belt usage rates by 16 percentage points and reduce fatalities and injuries by 9.5%. This would result in saved social costs of 13.6 million rand in the following year or a net present value of 11.6 million rand. There would also be favorable consequences for municipal finances. Investment in a program to increase seat belt wearing rates is highly profitable in societal terms.

Stakeholder Perspectives on a Culture of Health: Key Findings.

PubMed

Acosta, Joie D; Whitley, Margaret D; May, Linnea Warren; Dubowitz, Tamara; Williams, Malcolm V; Chandra, Anita

2017-06-01

Since 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has embarked on a pioneering effort to advance a Culture of Health. The Culture of Health action framework is founded on a vision in which "everyone in our diverse society leads healthier lives now and for generations to come." To put the Culture of Health vision into action, RWJF asked RAND Health to support the development of an action framework and measurement strategy. This article summarizes the stakeholder engagement efforts that RAND used to inform this work. It draws on a series of interviews and focus groups that RAND researchers conducted with stakeholders both within and outside the United States. It should be of interest to RWJF, as well as to those individuals and organizations interested in advancing the Culture of Health action framework. Given that RWJF is focused on using the Culture of Health action framework and measures to catalyze national dialogue about content and investments to improve population health and well-being, the study should be beneficial to a range of national, state, and local leaders across a variety of sectors that contribute to health as described by the Culture of Health action framework.

Making democracy safe for oil. Oilmen and the Islamic East

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

Rand, C.T.

1975-01-01

Here is a devastating expose of what, according to Mr. Rand, is the most powerful conglomerate of wealth in America: the oil industry. Mr. Rand, a Persian and Arabic expert as well as a former oil industry employee who has lived in the Middle East, combines research with knowledge acquired firsthand. His analysis shows that the oil crisis, far from being a recent phenomenon, was years in developing. For the first time we learn just how energy is provided for--or withheld from--the public. Armed with facts, figures, and case histories, Rand divulges the full story behind Aramco, SoCal, Exxon, andmore » the other oil producers. He uncovers the political ramifications of ''oil diplomacy'' in both the Arab world and in America, revealing the Executive Branch's reluctance to intervene as well as Congress's inability to do so. And he discusses what we can expect in the future, including suggestions about how we might cope with the problem. ''Making Democracy Safe for Oil,'' startling, timely, is a critique no one can afford to ignore, for the explosive situation continues to affect each one of us directly. (From book jacket)« less

RandSpg: An open-source program for generating atomistic crystal structures with specific spacegroups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avery, Patrick; Zurek, Eva

2017-04-01

A new algorithm, RANDSPG, that can be used to generate trial crystal structures with specific space groups and compositions is described. The program has been designed for systems where the atoms are independent of one another, and it is therefore primarily suited towards inorganic systems. The structures that are generated adhere to user-defined constraints such as: the lattice shape and size, stoichiometry, set of space groups to be generated, and factors that influence the minimum interatomic separations. In addition, the user can optionally specify if the most general Wyckoff position is to be occupied or constrain select atoms to specific Wyckoff positions. Extensive testing indicates that the algorithm is efficient and reliable. The library is lightweight, portable, dependency-free and is published under a license recognized by the Open Source Initiative. A web interface for the algorithm is publicly accessible at http://xtalopt.openmolecules.net/randSpg/randSpg.html. RANDSPG has also been interfaced with the XTALOPT evolutionary algorithm for crystal structure prediction, and it is illustrated that the use of symmetric lattices in the first generation of randomly created individuals decreases the number of structures that need to be optimized to find the global energy minimum.

Self-Esteem of Gifted, Normal, and Mild Mentally Handicapped Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Lian-Hwang

1990-01-01

Administered Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) Form B to elementary school students (N=450) identified as gifted, normal, and mild mentally handicapped (MiMH). Results indicated that both the gifted and normal children had significantly higher self-esteem than did the MiMH children, but there were no differences between gifted and normal…

TARDEC Brief to OnPoint Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-28

in Aberdeen, MD with Lithium - ion battery packs. - The vehicle will undergo many tests using a 15kW-hr battery pack. 30 Other Battery Related...battery, operation requires that the battery be maintained in a heated condition. NiMH - NiMH is the first fall back position after the Lithium Ion battery chemistry

Commercial NiMH Cells in LEO Cycling: Thermal Vacuum Life Test Performed for the Floating Potential Probe (FPP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Darcy, Eric; Strangways, Brad

2003-01-01

Contents include the following: 1. Introduction: What is the (Floating Potential Probe) FPP? Why was NiMH battery selected? Haw well would crimped seal cell performed in long term vacuum exposure? 2. Verification tests: Battery description. Test methods. Results. Main findings. FPP status.

Extended Mixed-Efects Item Response Models with the MH-RM Algorithm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalmers, R. Philip

2015-01-01

A mixed-effects item response theory (IRT) model is presented as a logical extension of the generalized linear mixed-effects modeling approach to formulating explanatory IRT models. Fixed and random coefficients in the extended model are estimated using a Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) stochastic imputation algorithm to accommodate for…

High-Dimensional Exploratory Item Factor Analysis by a Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Li

2010-01-01

A Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) algorithm for high-dimensional maximum marginal likelihood exploratory item factor analysis is proposed. The sequence of estimates from the MH-RM algorithm converges with probability one to the maximum likelihood solution. Details on the computer implementation of this algorithm are provided. The…

Improved performances of β-Ni(OH)2@reduced-graphene-oxide in Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.

PubMed

Li, Baojun; Cao, Huaqiang; Shao, Jin; Zheng, He; Lu, Yuexiang; Yin, Jiefu; Qu, Meizhen

2011-03-21

Incorporation of reduced graphene oxide into β-Ni(OH)(2) presents high performances with specific discharge capacity of 283 mA hg(-1) after 50 cycles in Ni-MH batteries, and 507 mA hg(-1) after 30 cycles in Li ion batteries.

Process for treating ab5 nickel-metal hydride battery scrap

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

Lyman, J.W.; Palmer, G.R.

1994-12-31

A process for treating an AB5 Ni-MH battery to recover purified positive and negative electrode components of the battery is disclosed. An AB5 Ni-MH battery is placed in a mineral acid leach solution to cause the positive and negative electrode components of the battery to separate.

Hearing Abilities of Down Syndrome and Other Mentally Handicapped Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcell, Michael M.; And Others

This study explored the hearing capabilities of Down Syndrome (DS) adolescents and young adults relative to a matched sample of non-DS trainable mentally handicapped (MH) individuals, and examined the relationship between hearing ability and performance on several cognitive tasks. Samples of 26 DS and 26 MH individuals were matched on intelligence…

Mixing, ergodicity and slow relaxation phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, I. V. L.; Vainstein, M. H.; Lapas, L. C.; Batista, A. A.; Oliveira, F. A.

2006-11-01

Investigations on diffusion in systems with memory [I.V.L. Costa, R. Morgado, M.V.B.T. Lima, F.A. Oliveira, Europhys. Lett. 63 (2003) 173] have established a hierarchical connection between mixing, ergodicity, and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT). This hierarchy means that ergodicity is a necessary condition for the validity of the FDT, and mixing is a necessary condition for ergodicity. In this work, we compare those results with recent investigations using the Lee recurrence relations method [M.H. Lee, Phys. Rev. B 26 (1982) 2547; M.H. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 250601; M.H. Lee, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 (2006) 4651]. Lee shows that ergodicity is violated in the dynamics of the electron gas [M.H. Lee, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 (2006) 4651]. This reinforces both works and implies that the results of [I.V.L. Costa, R. Morgado, M.V.B.T. Lima, F.A. Oliveira, Europhys. Lett. 63 (2003) 173] are more general than the framework in which they were obtained. Some applications to slow relaxation phenomena are discussed.

Organizational correlates of implementation of colocation of mental health and primary care in the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

Guerrero, Erick G; Heslin, Kevin C; Chang, Evelyn; Fenwick, Karissa; Yano, Elizabeth

2015-07-01

This study explored the role of organizational factors in the ability of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinics to implement colocated mental health care in primary care settings (PC-MH). The study used data from the VHA Clinical Practice Organizational Survey collected in 2007 from 225 clinic administrators across the United States. Clinic degree of implementation of PC-MH was the dependent variable, whereas independent variables included policies and procedures, organizational context, and leaders' perceptions of barriers to change. Pearson bivariate correlations and multivariable linear regression were used to test hypotheses. Results show that depression care training for primary care providers and clinics' flexibility and participation were both positively correlated with implementation of PC-MH. However, after accounting for other factors, regressions show that only training primary care providers in depression care was marginally associated with degree of implementation of PC-MH (p = 0.051). Given the importance of this topic for implementing integrated care as part of health care reform, these null findings underscore the need to improve theory and testing of more proximal measures of colocation in future work.

Organizational Correlates of Implementation of Colocation of Mental Health and Primary Care in the Veterans Health Administration

PubMed Central

Guerrero, Erick G.; Heslin, Kevin C.; Chang, Evelyn; Fenwick, Karissa; Yano, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This study explored the role of organizational factors in the ability of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinics to implement colocated mental health care in primary care settings (PC-MH). The study used data from the VHA Clinical Practice Organizational Survey collected in 2007 from 225 clinic administrators across the United States. Clinic degree of implementation of PC-MH was the dependent variable, whereas independent variables included policies and procedures, organizational context, and leaders’ perceptions of barriers to change. Pearson bivariate correlations and multivariable linear regression were used to test hypotheses. Results show that depression care training for primary care providers and clinics’ flexibility and participation were both positively correlated with implementation of PC-MH. However, after accounting for other factors, regressions show that only training primary care providers in depression care was marginally associated with degree of implementation of PC-MH (p = 0.051). Given the importance of this topic for implementing integrated care as part of health care reform, these null findings underscore the need to improve theory and testing of more proximal measures of colocation in future work. PMID:25096986

Nanoparticle-based hyperthermia distinctly impacts production of ROS, expression of Ki-67, TOP2A, and TPX2, and induction of apoptosis in pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Ludwig, Robert; Teran, Francisco J; Teichgraeber, Ulf; Hilger, Ingrid

2017-01-01

So far, the therapeutic outcome of hyperthermia has shown heterogeneous responses depending on how thermal stress is applied. We studied whether extrinsic heating (EH, hot air) and intrinsic heating (magnetic heating [MH] mediated by nanoparticles) induce distinct effects on pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells). The impact of MH (100 µg magnetic nanoparticles [MNP]/mL; H=23.9 kA/m; f=410 kHz) was always superior to that of EH. The thermal effects were confirmed by the following observations: 1) decreased number of vital cells, 2) altered expression of pro-caspases, and 3) production of reactive oxygen species, and 4) altered mRNA expression of Ki-67, TOP2A, and TPX2. The MH treatment of tumor xenografts significantly ( P ≤0.05) reduced tumor volumes. This means that different therapeutic outcomes of hyperthermia are related to the different responses cells exert to thermal stress. In particular, intratumoral MH is a valuable tool for the treatment of pancreatic cancers.

Nanoparticle-based hyperthermia distinctly impacts production of ROS, expression of Ki-67, TOP2A, and TPX2, and induction of apoptosis in pancreatic cancer

PubMed Central

Ludwig, Robert; Teran, Francisco J; Teichgraeber, Ulf; Hilger, Ingrid

2017-01-01

So far, the therapeutic outcome of hyperthermia has shown heterogeneous responses depending on how thermal stress is applied. We studied whether extrinsic heating (EH, hot air) and intrinsic heating (magnetic heating [MH] mediated by nanoparticles) induce distinct effects on pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells). The impact of MH (100 µg magnetic nanoparticles [MNP]/mL; H=23.9 kA/m; f=410 kHz) was always superior to that of EH. The thermal effects were confirmed by the following observations: 1) decreased number of vital cells, 2) altered expression of pro-caspases, and 3) production of reactive oxygen species, and 4) altered mRNA expression of Ki-67, TOP2A, and TPX2. The MH treatment of tumor xenografts significantly (P≤0.05) reduced tumor volumes. This means that different therapeutic outcomes of hyperthermia are related to the different responses cells exert to thermal stress. In particular, intratumoral MH is a valuable tool for the treatment of pancreatic cancers. PMID:28223795

Atlantic salmon eggs favour sperm in competition that have similar major histocompatibility alleles.

PubMed

Yeates, Sarah E; Einum, Sigurd; Fleming, Ian A; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Stet, René J M; Hindar, Kjetil; Holt, William V; Van Look, Katrien J W; Gage, Matthew J G

2009-02-07

Polyandry and post-copulatory sexual selection provide opportunities for the evolution of female differential sperm selection. Here, we examined the influence of variation in major histocompatibility (MH) class I allelic composition upon sperm competition dynamics in Atlantic salmon. We ran in vitro fertilization competitions that mimicked the gametic microenvironment, and replicated a paired-male experimental design that allowed us to compare differences in sperm competition success among males when their sperm compete for eggs from females that were genetically either similar or dissimilar at the MH class I locus. Concurrently, we measured variation in spermatozoal traits that are known to influence relative fertilization success under these conditions. Contrary to the findings demonstrating mechanisms that promote MH complex heterozygosity, our results showed that males won significantly greater relative fertilization success when competing for eggs from genetically similar females at the MH class I. This result also showed covariation with the known influences of sperm velocity on relative fertilization success. We discuss these unexpected findings in relation to sperm-egg recognition and hybridization avoidance mechanisms based upon immunogenetic variation.

Regulation of the discharge reservoir of negative electrodes in Ni-MH batteries by using Ni(OH) x (x = 2.10) and γ-CoOOH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shangguan, Enbo; Chang, Zhaorong; Tang, Hongwei; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Wang, Haijiang

In this paper, a novel strategy to regulate the discharge reservoir of negative electrodes in Ni-MH batteries is introduced by using Ni(OH) x (x = 2.10) and γ-CoOOH. The electrochemical measurements of these batteries demonstrate that the use of Ni(OH) x (x = 2.10) and γ-CoOOH can not only successfully regulate the discharge reservoir of negative electrodes in Ni-MH batteries to an adequate quantity, but also effectively improve the electrochemical performance of the batteries. Compared with normal batteries, the in-house prepared batteries with a lower discharge reservoir exhibit an enhanced discharge capacity, improved high-rate discharge ability, higher discharge potential plateau and superior cycle stability. The effect of Ni(OH) x (x = 2.10) and γ-CoOOH on the electrochemical performance of nickel electrode is also investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results suggest that the new method is simple and effective for cost reduction of Ni-MH batteries with improved electrochemical performance.