Indoor Location Sensing with Invariant Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength Fingerprinting.

PubMed

Husen, Mohd Nizam; Lee, Sukhan

2016-11-11

A method of location fingerprinting based on the Wi-Fi received signal strength (RSS) in an indoor environment is presented. The method aims to overcome the RSS instability due to varying channel disturbances in time by introducing the concept of invariant RSS statistics. The invariant RSS statistics represent here the RSS distributions collected at individual calibration locations under minimal random spatiotemporal disturbances in time. The invariant RSS statistics thus collected serve as the reference pattern classes for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting is carried out at an unknown location by identifying the reference pattern class that maximally supports the spontaneous RSS sensed from individual Wi-Fi sources. A design guideline is also presented as a rule of thumb for estimating the number of Wi-Fi signal sources required to be available for any given number of calibration locations under a certain level of random spatiotemporal disturbances. Experimental results show that the proposed method not only provides 17% higher success rate than conventional ones but also removes the need for recalibration. Furthermore, the resolution is shown finer by 40% with the execution time more than an order of magnitude faster than the conventional methods. These results are also backed up by theoretical analysis.

Robotic Single-Site and Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery in Gynecology: Clinical Outcomes and Cost Analysis of a Matched Case-Control Study.

PubMed

El Hachem, Lena; Andikyan, Vaagn; Mathews, Shyama; Friedman, Kathryn; Poeran, Jashvant; Shieh, Kenneth; Geoghegan, Michael; Gretz, Herbert F

2016-01-01

To assess the clinical outcomes and costs associated with robotic single-site (RSS) surgery compared with those of conventional laparoscopy (CL) in gynecology. Retrospective case-control study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). University-affiliated community hospital. Female patients undergoing RSS or CL gynecologic procedures. Comparison of consecutive RSS gynecologic procedures (cases) undertaken between October 2013 and March 2014 with matched CL procedures (controls) completed during the same time period by the same surgeon. Patient demographic data, operative data, and hospital financial data were abstracted from the electronic charts and financial systems. An incremental cost analysis based on the use of disposable equipment was performed. Total hospital charges were determined for matched RSS cases vs CL cases. RSS surgery was completed in 25 out of 33 attempts; 3 cases were aborted before docking, and 5 were converted to a multisite surgery. There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to laparotomy. The completed cases included 11 adnexal cases and 14 hysterectomies, 3 of which included pelvic lymph node dissection. Compared with the CL group, total operative times were higher in the RSS group; however, there were no significant between-group differences in estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, or complication rates. Disposable equipment cost per case, direct costs, and total hospital charges were evaluated. RSS was associated with an increased disposable cost per case of $248 to $378, depending on the method used for vaginal cuff closure. The average total hospital charges for matched outpatient adnexal surgery were $15,450 for the CL controls and $18,585 for the RSS cases (p < .001), and the average total hospital charges for matched outpatient benign hysterectomy were $14,623 for the CL controls and $21,412 for the RSS cases (p < .001). Although RSS surgery and CL have comparable clinical outcomes in selected patients, RSS surgery remains associated with increased incremental disposable cost per case and total hospital charges. Careful case selection and judicious use of equipment are necessary to maximize cost-effectiveness in RSS gynecologic surgery. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mobile Learning Application Based on RSS Feed Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohanna, Mahmoud; Capus, Laurence

2013-01-01

This paper presents a mobile learning application for a learning course at higher education level. Based on the RSS feed technology, the presented mobile application establishes an in-time communication channel between the instructor and his/her students to keep them up-to-date with all course important dates, instructions and information in…

PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength

PubMed Central

Zhou, Mu; Zhang, Qiao; Xu, Kunjie; Tian, Zengshan; Wang, Yanmeng; He, Wei

2015-01-01

Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN), received signal strength (RSS)-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL) by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR) algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization. PMID:26404274

An Inter-calibrated Passive Microwave Brightness Temperature Data Record and Ocean Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilburn, K. A.; Wentz, F. J.

2014-12-01

Inter-calibration of passive microwave sensors has been the subject of on-going activity at Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) since 1974. RSS has produced a brightness temperature TB data record that spans the last 28 years (1987-2014) from inter-calibrated passive microwave sensors on 14 satellites: AMSR-E, AMSR2, GMI, SSMI F08-F15, SSMIS F16-F18, TMI, WindSat. Accompanying the TB record are a suite of ocean products derived from the TBs that provide a 28-year record of wind speed, water vapor, cloud liquid, and rain rate; and 18 years (1997-2014) of sea surface temperatures, corresponding to the period for which 6 and/or 10 GHz measurements are available. Crucial to the inter-calibration and ocean product retrieval are a highly accurate radiative transfer model RTM. The RSS RTM has been continually refined for over 30 years and is arguably the most accurate model in the 1-100 GHz spectrum. The current generation of TB and ocean products, produced using the latest version of the RTM, is called Version-7. The accuracy of the Version-7 inter-calibration is estimated to be 0.1 K, based on inter-satellite comparisons and validation of the ocean products against in situ measurements. The data record produced by RSS has had a significant scientific impact. Over just the last 14 years (2000-2013) RSS data have been used in 743 peer-reviewed journal articles. This is an average of 4.5 peer-reviewed papers published every month made possible with RSS data. Some of the most important scientific contributions made by RSS data have been to the study of the climate. The AR5 Report "Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis" by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the internationally accepted authority on climate change, references 20 peer-reviewed journal papers from RSS scientists. The report makes direct use of RSS water vapor data, RSS atmospheric temperatures from MSU/AMSU, and 9 other datasets that are derived from RSS data. The RSS TB data record is used to produce the NSIDC Sea Ice, NASA Sea Ice, and NASA GPCP Rain Rate datasets. The RSS ocean products are used to produce the NCDC ERSST, CCMP Winds, NOAA Sea Winds, WHOI OA Flux, OSU Wind Stress, and UWISC Cloud Water datasets. The large number of scientific articles and significant impact on the IPCC report demonstrate the success of RSS inter-calibration methodology.

Refractory septic shock in children: a European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care definition.

PubMed

Morin, Luc; Ray, Samiran; Wilson, Clare; Remy, Solenn; Benissa, Mohamed Rida; Jansen, Nicolaas J G; Javouhey, Etienne; Peters, Mark J; Kneyber, Martin; De Luca, Daniele; Nadel, Simon; Schlapbach, Luregn Jan; Maclaren, Graeme; Tissieres, Pierre

2016-12-01

Although overall paediatric septic shock mortality is decreasing, refractory septic shock (RSS) is still associated with high mortality. A definition for RSS is urgently needed to facilitate earlier identification and treatment. We aim to establish a European society of paediatric and neonatal intensive care (ESPNIC) experts' definition of paediatric RSS. We conducted a two-round Delphi study followed by an observational multicentre retrospective study. One hundred and fourteen paediatric intensivists answered a clinical case-based, two-round Delphi survey, identifying clinical items consistent with RSS. Multivariate analysis of these items in a development single-centre cohort (70 patients, 30 % mortality) facilitated development of RSS definitions based on either a bedside or computed severity score. Both scores were subsequently tested in a validation cohort (six centres, 424 patients, 11.6 % mortality). From the Delphi process, the draft definition included evidence of myocardial dysfunction and high blood lactate levels despite high vasopressor treatment. When assessed in the development population, each item was independently associated with the need for extracorporeal life support (ECLS) or death. Resultant bedside and computed septic shock scores had high discriminative power against the need for ECLS or death, with areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.920 (95 % CI 0.89-0.94), and 0.956 (95 % CI 0.93-0.97), respectively. RSS defined by a bedside score equal to or higher than 2 and a computed score equal to or higher than 3.5 was associated with a significant increase in mortality. This ESPNIC definition of RSS accurately identifies children with the most severe form of septic shock.

ASDC RSS Feeds

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-03-08

... Features ASDC's RSS feed with highlights about Earth Science Data at NASA Langley Research Center ASDC Scheduled ... about maintenance   About RSS What is RSS? RSS (Really Simple Syndication, or Rich Site Summary) ...

Public opinion concerning residential sprinkler systems for 1- and 2-family homes.

PubMed

Frattaroli, Shannon; Pollack, Keshia M; Cook, Phillip J; Salomon, Michele; Omaki, Elise; Gielen, Andrea C

Residential sprinkler systems (RSS) are one intervention to prevent fire injury and death, yet there is no literature documenting why RSS homeowners opt to purchase a sprinkler-equipped home. This manuscript describes homeowners' decisions to purchase homes with residential sprinkler systems (RSS) and their experiences with the technology. It also compares how RSS homeowners and owners of homes without RSS value sprinklers and their levels of support for policies to mandate RSS in new homes. We used a national online web panel to sample owners of 1- and 2-family homes, and descriptive methods to analyze the resulting data. Our final sample included 1,357 homeowners of 1- and 2-family homes without RSS and 976 homeowners with RSS. RSS homeowners were more likely than owners of non-RSS homes to indicate they would buy an RSS home in the future (75 % vs. 30 %), and more often indicated a willingness to pay for sprinklers (70 % vs. 40 %). RSS homeowners also expressed higher levels of support for policies to mandate RSS in all new 1- and 2-family homes (48 % vs. 19 %). The findings offer insight into educational and policy strategies to promote RSS in all new homes, and provide a foundation for future research in this area.

Nonlinear optimization-based device-free localization with outlier link rejection.

PubMed

Xiao, Wendong; Song, Biao; Yu, Xiting; Chen, Peiyuan

2015-04-07

Device-free localization (DFL) is an emerging wireless technique for estimating the location of target that does not have any attached electronic device. It has found extensive use in Smart City applications such as healthcare at home and hospitals, location-based services at smart spaces, city emergency response and infrastructure security. In DFL, wireless devices are used as sensors that can sense the target by transmitting and receiving wireless signals collaboratively. Many DFL systems are implemented based on received signal strength (RSS) measurements and the location of the target is estimated by detecting the changes of the RSS measurements of the wireless links. Due to the uncertainty of the wireless channel, certain links may be seriously polluted and result in erroneous detection. In this paper, we propose a novel nonlinear optimization approach with outlier link rejection (NOOLR) for RSS-based DFL. It consists of three key strategies, including: (1) affected link identification by differential RSS detection; (2) outlier link rejection via geometrical positional relationship among links; (3) target location estimation by formulating and solving a nonlinear optimization problem. Experimental results demonstrate that NOOLR is robust to the fluctuation of the wireless signals with superior localization accuracy compared with the existing Radio Tomographic Imaging (RTI) approach.

The respective roles of polar/nonpolar binary patterns and amino acid composition in protein regular secondary structures explored exhaustively using hydrophobic cluster analysis.

PubMed

Rebehmed, Joseph; Quintus, Flavien; Mornon, Jean-Paul; Callebaut, Isabelle

2016-05-01

Several studies have highlighted the leading role of the sequence periodicity of polar and nonpolar amino acids (binary patterns) in the formation of regular secondary structures (RSS). However, these were based on the analysis of only a few simple cases, with no direct mean to correlate binary patterns with the limits of RSS. Here, HCA-derived hydrophobic clusters (HC) which are conditioned binary patterns whose positions fit well those of RSS, were considered. All the HC types, defined by unique binary patterns, which were commonly observed in three-dimensional (3D) structures of globular domains, were analyzed. The 180 HC types with preferences for either α-helices or β-strands distinctly contain basic binary units typical of these RSS. Therefore a general trend supporting the "binary pattern preference" assumption was observed. HC for which observed RSS are in disagreement with their expected behavior (discordant HC) were also examined. They were separated in HC types with moderate preferences for RSS, having "weak" binary patterns and versatile RSS and HC types with high preferences for RSS, having "strong" binary patterns and then displaying nonpolar amino acids at the protein surface. It was shown that in both cases, discordant HC could be distinguished from concordant ones by well-differentiated amino acid compositions. The obtained results could, thus, help to complement the currently available methods for the accurate prediction of secondary structures in proteins from the only information of a single amino acid sequence. This can be especially useful for characterizing orphan sequences and for assisting protein engineering and design. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sedative effects of oral pregabalin premedication on intravenous sedation using propofol target-controlled infusion.

PubMed

Karube, Noriko; Ito, Shinichi; Sako, Saori; Hirokawa, Jun; Yokoyama, Takeshi

2017-08-01

The sedative effects of pregabalin during perioperative period have not been sufficiently characterized. The aim of this study was to verify the sedative effects of premedication with pregabalin on intravenous sedation (IVS) using propofol and also to assess the influences of this agent on circulation, respiration, and postanesthetic complications. Ten healthy young volunteers underwent 1 h of IVS using propofol, three times per subject, on separate days (first time, no pregabalin; second time, pregabalin 100 mg; third time, pregabalin 200 mg). The target blood concentration (C T ) of propofol was increased in a stepwise fashion based on the bispectral index (BIS) value. Ramsay's sedation score (RSS) was determined at each propofol C T . Propofol C T was analyzed at each sedation level. Circulation and respiration during IVS and complications were also verified. Propofol C T was reduced at BIS values of 60 and 70 in both premedicated groups (100 mg: p = 0.043 and 0.041; 200 mg: p = 0.004 and 0.016, respectively) and at a BIS value of 80 in the pregabalin 200 mg group (p < 0.001). Propofol C T was decreased at RSS 4-6 in the pregabalin 100 mg group (RSS 4: p = 0.047; RSS 5: p = 0.007; RSS 6: p = 0.014), and at RSS 3-6 in the pregabalin 200 mg group (RSS 3-5: p < 0.001; RSS 6: p = 0.002). We conclude that oral premedication with pregabalin reduces the amount of propofol required to obtain an acceptable and adequate sedation level.

Description of Lutimonas halocynthiae sp. nov., isolated from a golden sea squirt (Halocynthia aurantium), reclassification of Aestuariicola saemankumensis as Lutimonas saemankumensis comb. nov. and emended description of the genus Lutimonas.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Ok; Park, Sooyeon; Nam, Bo-Hye; Jung, Yong-Taek; Kim, Dong-Gyun; Bae, Kyung Sook; Yoon, Jung-Hoon

2014-06-01

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, coccoid, ovoid or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated RSS3-C1(T), was isolated from a golden sea squirt (Halocynthia aurantium) collected from the East Sea, South Korea. Strain RSS3-C1(T) was found to grow optimally at 20-25 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain RSS3-C1(T) clustered with the type strains of Lutimonas vermicola and Aestuariicola saemankumensis. Strain RSS3-C1(T) exhibited 98.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to each type strain. Strain RSS3-C1(T) contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and anteiso-C(15 : 0) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain RSS3-C1(T) were phosphatidylethanolamine and two unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain RSS3-C1(T) was 39.2 mol%, and DNA-DNA relatedness to the type strains of and was 21±5.3 and 26±7.5 %, respectively. The differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain RSS3-C1(T) is separated from and . On the basis of the data presented, strain RSS3-C1(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Lutimonas, for which the name Lutimonas halocynthiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RSS3-C1(T) ( = KCTC 32537(T) = CECT 8444(T)). In this study, it is also proposed that Aestuariicola saemankumensis should be reclassified as a member of the genus Lutimonas, as Lutimonas saemankumensis comb. nov. (type strain SMK-142(T) = KCTC 22171(T) = CCUG 55329(T)), and the description of the genus Lutimonas is emended. © 2014 IUMS.

Helical tomotherapy with dynamic running-start-stop delivery compared to conventional tomotherapy delivery

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

Rong, Yi, E-mail: yi.rong@osumc.edu; Chen, Yu; Lu, Weiguo

Purpose: Despite superior target dose uniformity, helical tomotherapy{sup ®} (HT) may involve a trade-off between longitudinal dose conformity and beam-on time (BOT), due to the limitation of only three available jaw sizes with the conventional HT (1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 cm). The recently introduced dynamic running-start-stop (RSS) delivery allows smaller jaw opening at the superior and inferior ends of the target when a sharp penumbra is needed. This study compared the dosimetric performance of RSS delivery with the fixed jaw HT delivery. Methods: Twenty patient cases were selected and deidentified prior to treatment planning, including 16 common clinical cases (brain,more » head and neck (HN), lung, and prostate) and four special cases of whole brain with hippocampus avoidance (WBHA) that require a high degree of dose modulation. HT plans were generated for common clinical cases using the fixed 2.5 cm jaw width (HT2.5) and WBHA cases using 1.0 cm (HT1.0). The jaw widths for RSS were preset with a larger size (RSS5.0 vs HT2.5 and RSS2.5 vs HT1.0). Both delivery techniques were planned based on identical contours, prescriptions, and planning objectives. Dose indices for targets and critical organs were compared using dose-volume histograms, BOT, and monitor units. Results: The average BOT was reduced from 4.8 min with HT2.5 to 2.5 min with RSS5.0. Target dose homogeneity with RSS5.0 was shown comparable to HT2.5 for common clinical sites. Superior normal tissue sparing was observed in RSS5.0 for optic nerves and optic chiasm in brain and HN cases. RSS5.0 demonstrated improved dose sparing for cord and esophagus in lung cases, as well as penile bulb in prostate cases. The mean body dose was comparable for both techniques. For the WBHA cases, the target homogeneity was significantly degraded in RSS2.5 without distinct dose sparing for hippocampus, compared to HT1.0. Conclusions: Compared to the fixed jaw HT delivery, RSS combined with a larger jaw width provides faster treatment delivery and improved cranial-caudal target dose conformity. The target coverage achieved by RSS with a large jaw width is comparable to the fixed jaw HT delivery for common cancer sites, but may deteriorate for cases where complex geometry is present in the middle part of the target.« less

Optimal Reference Strain Structure for Studying Dynamic Responses of Flexible Rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsushima, Natsuki; Su, Weihua; Wolf, Michael G.; Griffin, Edwin D.; Dumoulin, Marie P.

2017-01-01

In the proposed paper, the optimal design of reference strain structures (RSS) will be performed targeting for the accurate observation of the dynamic bending and torsion deformation of a flexible rocket. It will provide the detailed description of the finite-element (FE) model of a notional flexible rocket created in MSC.Patran. The RSS will be attached longitudinally along the side of the rocket and to track the deformation of the thin-walled structure under external loads. An integrated surrogate-based multi-objective optimization approach will be developed to find the optimal design of the RSS using the FE model. The Kriging method will be used to construct the surrogate model. For the data sampling and the performance evaluation, static/transient analyses will be performed with MSC.Natran/Patran. The multi-objective optimization will be solved with NSGA-II to minimize the difference between the strains of the launch vehicle and RSS. Finally, the performance of the optimal RSS will be evaluated by checking its strain-tracking capability in different numerical simulations of the flexible rocket.

Cluster-based adaptive power control protocol using Hidden Markov Model for Wireless Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinutha, C. B.; Nalini, N.; Nagaraja, M.

2017-06-01

This paper presents strategies for an efficient and dynamic transmission power control technique, in order to reduce packet drop and hence energy consumption of power-hungry sensor nodes operated in highly non-linear channel conditions of Wireless Sensor Networks. Besides, we also focus to prolong network lifetime and scalability by designing cluster-based network structure. Specifically we consider weight-based clustering approach wherein, minimum significant node is chosen as Cluster Head (CH) which is computed stemmed from the factors distance, remaining residual battery power and received signal strength (RSS). Further, transmission power control schemes to fit into dynamic channel conditions are meticulously implemented using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) where probability transition matrix is formulated based on the observed RSS measurements. Typically, CH estimates initial transmission power of its cluster members (CMs) from RSS using HMM and broadcast this value to its CMs for initialising their power value. Further, if CH finds that there are variations in link quality and RSS of the CMs, it again re-computes and optimises the transmission power level of the nodes using HMM to avoid packet loss due noise interference. We have demonstrated our simulation results to prove that our technique efficiently controls the power levels of sensing nodes to save significant quantity of energy for different sized network.

Image Classification of Ribbed Smoked Sheet using Learning Vector Quantization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmat, R. F.; Pulungan, A. F.; Faza, S.; Budiarto, R.

2017-01-01

Natural rubber is an important export commodity in Indonesia, which can be a major contributor to national economic development. One type of rubber used as rubber material exports is Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS). The quantity of RSS exports depends on the quality of RSS. RSS rubber quality has been assigned in SNI 06-001-1987 and the International Standards of Quality and Packing for Natural Rubber Grades (The Green Book). The determination of RSS quality is also known as the sorting process. In the rubber factones, the sorting process is still done manually by looking and detecting at the levels of air bubbles on the surface of the rubber sheet by naked eyes so that the result is subjective and not so good. Therefore, a method is required to classify RSS rubber automatically and precisely. We propose some image processing techniques for the pre-processing, zoning method for feature extraction and Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) method for classifying RSS rubber into two grades, namely RSS1 and RSS3. We used 120 RSS images as training dataset and 60 RSS images as testing dataset. The result shows that our proposed method can give 89% of accuracy and the best perform epoch is in the fifteenth epoch.

Motor-Based Treatment with and without Ultrasound Feedback for Residual Speech-Sound Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jonathan L.; Leece, Megan C.; Maas, Edwin

2017-01-01

Background: There is a need to develop effective interventions and to compare the efficacy of different interventions for children with residual speech-sound errors (RSSEs). Rhotics (the r-family of sounds) are frequently in error American English-speaking children with RSSEs and are commonly targeted in treatment. One treatment approach involves…

Tenacibaculum ascidiaceicola sp. nov., isolated from the golden sea squirt Halocynthia aurantium.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Ok; Park, In-Suk; Park, Sooyeon; Nam, Bo-Hye; Park, Ji-Min; Kim, Dong-Gyun; Yoon, Jung-Hoon

2016-03-01

A Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, non-spore-forming bacterial strain motile by gliding, designated RSS1-6T, was isolated from a golden sea squirt Halocynthia aurantium and its taxonomic position was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. Strain RSS1-6T grew optimally at 30-37 °C and in the presence of 1.0-4.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain RSS1-6T fell within the clade comprising species of the genus Tenacibaculum, clustering with the type strains of Tenacibaculum discolor, Tenacibaculum litoreum and Tenacibaculum gallaicum with which it exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 98.5-99.5 %. Strain RSS1-6T contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain RSS1-6T were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified lipids, one unidentified aminophospholipid and one unidentified glycolipid. The DNA G+C content was 32.5 mol% and the mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of T. discolor, T. litoreum and T. gallaicum were 17.3-25.2 %. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain RSS1-6T is separated from other recognized species of the genus Tenacibaculum. On the basis of the data presented, strain RSS1-6T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Tenacibaculum, for which the name Tenacibaculum ascidiaceicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RSS1-6T ( = KCTC 42702T = NBRC 111225T).

An Indoor Positioning Technique Based on a Feed-Forward Artificial Neural Network Using Levenberg-Marquardt Learning Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahlavani, P.; Gholami, A.; Azimi, S.

2017-09-01

This paper presents an indoor positioning technique based on a multi-layer feed-forward (MLFF) artificial neural networks (ANN). Most of the indoor received signal strength (RSS)-based WLAN positioning systems use the fingerprinting technique that can be divided into two phases: the offline (calibration) phase and the online (estimation) phase. In this paper, RSSs were collected for all references points in four directions and two periods of time (Morning and Evening). Hence, RSS readings were sampled at a regular time interval and specific orientation at each reference point. The proposed ANN based model used Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for learning and fitting the network to the training data. This RSS readings in all references points and the known position of these references points was prepared for training phase of the proposed MLFF neural network. Eventually, the average positioning error for this network using 30% check and validation data was computed approximately 2.20 meter.

Adaptive Indoor Positioning Model Based on WLAN-Fingerprinting for Dynamic and Multi-Floor Environments

PubMed Central

Alshami, Iyad Husni; Sahibuddin, Shamsul; Firdaus, Firdaus

2017-01-01

The Global Positioning System demonstrates the significance of Location Based Services but it cannot be used indoors due to the lack of line of sight between satellites and receivers. Indoor Positioning Systems are needed to provide indoor Location Based Services. Wireless LAN fingerprints are one of the best choices for Indoor Positioning Systems because of their low cost, and high accuracy, however they have many drawbacks: creating radio maps is time consuming, the radio maps will become outdated with any environmental change, different mobile devices read the received signal strength (RSS) differently, and peoples’ presence in LOS between access points and mobile device affects the RSS. This research proposes a new Adaptive Indoor Positioning System model (called DIPS) based on: a dynamic radio map generator, RSS certainty technique and peoples’ presence effect integration for dynamic and multi-floor environments. Dynamic in our context refers to the effects of people and device heterogeneity. DIPS can achieve 98% and 92% positioning accuracy for floor and room positioning, and it achieves 1.2 m for point positioning error. RSS certainty enhanced the positioning accuracy for floor and room for different mobile devices by 11% and 9%. Then by considering the peoples’ presence effect, the error is reduced by 0.2 m. In comparison with other works, DIPS achieves better positioning without extra devices. PMID:28783047

Over 20 years of reaction access systems from MDL: a novel reaction substructure search algorithm.

PubMed

Chen, Lingran; Nourse, James G; Christie, Bradley D; Leland, Burton A; Grier, David L

2002-01-01

From REACCS, to MDL ISIS/Host Reaction Gateway, and most recently to MDL Relational Chemistry Server, a new product based on Oracle data cartridge technology, MDL's reaction database management and retrieval systems have undergone great changes. The evolution of the system architecture is briefly discussed. The evolution of MDL reaction substructure search (RSS) algorithms is detailed. This article mainly describes a novel RSS algorithm. This algorithm is based on a depth-first search approach and is able to fully and prospectively use reaction specific information, such as reacting center and atom-atom mapping (AAM) information. The new algorithm has been used in the recently released MDL Relational Chemistry Server and allows the user to precisely find reaction instances in databases while minimizing unrelated hits. Finally, the existing and new RSS algorithms are compared with several examples.

The Cucumber vein yellowing virus silencing suppressor P1b can functionally replace HCPro in Plum pox virus infection in a host-specific manner.

PubMed

Carbonell, Alberto; Dujovny, Gabriela; García, Juan Antonio; Valli, Adrian

2012-02-01

Plant viruses of the genera Potyvirus and Ipomovirus (Potyviridae family) use unrelated RNA silencing suppressors (RSS) to counteract antiviral RNA silencing responses. HCPro is the RSS of Potyvirus spp., and its activity is enhanced by the upstream P1 protein. Distinctively, the ipomovirus Cucumber vein yellowing virus (CVYV) lacks HCPro but contains two P1 copies in tandem (P1aP1b), the second of which functions as RSS. Using chimeras based on the potyvirus Plum pox virus (PPV), we found that P1b can functionally replace HCPro in potyviral infections of Nicotiana plants. Interestingly, P1a, the CVYV protein homologous to potyviral P1, disrupted the silencing suppression activity of P1b and reduced the infection efficiency of PPV in Nicotiana benthamiana. Testing the influence of RSS in host specificity, we found that a P1b-expressing chimera poorly infected PPV's natural host, Prunus persica. Conversely, P1b conferred on PPV chimeras the ability to replicate locally in cucumber, CVYV's natural host. The deleterious effect of P1a on PPV infection is host dependent, because the P1aP1b-expressing PPV chimera accumulated in cucumber to higher levels than PPV expressing P1b alone. These results demonstrate that a potyvirus can use different RSS, and that particular RSS and upstream P1-like proteins contribute to defining the virus host range.

MedlinePlus FAQ: RSS Service

MedlinePlus

... rss.html Question: Do you have a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed for MedlinePlus? To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Answer: MedlinePlus offers a variety of RSS feeds to suit your particular interests. You can subscribe to general interest feeds that ...

Evolution of the Marine Officer Fitness Report: A Multivariate Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

This thesis explores the evaluation behavior of United States Marine Corps (USMC) Reporting Seniors (RSs) from 2010 to 2017. Using fitness report...RSs evaluate the performance of subordinate active component unrestricted officer MROs over time. I estimate logistic regression models of the...lowest. However, these correlations indicating the effects of race matching on FITREP evaluations narrow in significance when performance-based factors

Received Signal Strength Recovery in Green WLAN Indoor Positioning System Using Singular Value Thresholding

PubMed Central

Ma, Lin; Xu, Yubin

2015-01-01

Green WLAN is a promising technique for accessing future indoor Internet services. It is designed not only for high-speed data communication purposes but also for energy efficiency. The basic strategy of green WLAN is that all the access points are not always powered on, but rather work on-demand. Though powering off idle access points does not affect data communication, a serious asymmetric matching problem will arise in a WLAN indoor positioning system due to the fact the received signal strength (RSS) readings from the available access points are different in their offline and online phases. This asymmetry problem will no doubt invalidate the fingerprint algorithm used to estimate the mobile device location. Therefore, in this paper we propose a green WLAN indoor positioning system, which can recover RSS readings and achieve good localization performance based on singular value thresholding (SVT) theory. By solving the nuclear norm minimization problem, SVT recovers not only the radio map, but also online RSS readings from a sparse matrix by sensing only a fraction of the RSS readings. We have implemented the method in our lab and evaluated its performances. The experimental results indicate the proposed system could recover the RSS readings and achieve good localization performance. PMID:25587977

Syndicating Rich Bibliographic Metadata Using MODS and RSS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashton, Andrew

2008-01-01

Many libraries use RSS to syndicate information about their collections to users. A survey of 65 academic libraries revealed their most common use for RSS is to disseminate information about library holdings, such as lists of new acquisitions. Even though typical RSS feeds are ill suited to the task of carrying rich bibliographic metadata, great…

58. RSS Windows Editors: First Impressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swettenham, Steve

2006-01-01

An RSS feed is a list of topics made available from a webpage via a standard XML file format known as RSS, an abbreviation of either Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary (Wikipedia, 2006). The end-user subscribes to their favorite Internet content site via RSS-aware software. Once subscribed, announcements with appropriate links are…

EFFECT OF THE NUMBER OF SPRINT REPETITIONS ON THE VARIATION OF BLOOD LACTATE CONCENTRATION IN REPEATED SPRINT SESSIONS

PubMed Central

Dardouri, W.; Haj-Sassi, R.; Castagna, C.; Chamari, K.; Souissi, N.

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of number of sprint repetitions on the variation of blood lactate concentration (blood [La]) during different repeated-sprint sessions in order to find the appropriate number of sprint repetitions that properly simulates the physiological demands of team sport competitions. Twenty male team-sport players (age, 22.2 ± 2.9 years) performed several repeated-sprint sessions (RSS) consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, or 10 repetitions of 30 m shuttle sprints (2 × 15 m) with 30 s recovery in between. The blood [La] was obtained after 3 min of recovery at the end of each RSS. The present study showed that for RSS of 3 sprints (RSS3) there was a high increase (p<0.001) in blood [La], which reached approximately fivefold resting values (9.4±1.7 mmol · l−1) and then remained unchanged for the RSS of 4 and 5 sprints (9.6±1.4 and 10.5±1.9 mmol · l−1, p=0.96 and 0.26, respectively). After RSS9 and RSS10 blood [La] further significantly increased to 12.6 and 12.7 mmol · l−1, p<0.001, respectively. No significant difference was found between RSS3, RSS4 and RSS5 for the percentage of sprint speed decrement (Sdec) (1.5±1.2; 2.0±1.1 and 2.6±1.4%, respectively). There was also no significant difference between RSS9 and RSS10 for Sdec (3.9±1.3% and 4.5±1.4%, respectively). In conclusion, the repeated-sprint protocol composed of 5 shuttle sprint repetitions is more representative of the blood lactate demands of the team sports game intensity. PMID:24899781

STS-84 Atlantis on Pad 39-A after RSS roll back

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

News media representatives watch and record as the Space Shuttle Atlantis in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39A. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Atlantis and its crew of seven are in final preparations for liftoff on Mission STS-84, the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled at about 4:08 a.m. during an approximately 7-minute launch window. The exact liftoff time will be determined about 90 minutes prior to launch, based on the most current location of Mir.

Collaborative localization in wireless sensor networks via pattern recognition in radio irregularity using omnidirectional antennas.

PubMed

Jiang, Joe-Air; Chuang, Cheng-Long; Lin, Tzu-Shiang; Chen, Chia-Pang; Hung, Chih-Hung; Wang, Jiing-Yi; Liu, Chang-Wang; Lai, Tzu-Yun

2010-01-01

In recent years, various received signal strength (RSS)-based localization estimation approaches for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been proposed. RSS-based localization is regarded as a low-cost solution for many location-aware applications in WSNs. In previous studies, the radiation patterns of all sensor nodes are assumed to be spherical, which is an oversimplification of the radio propagation model in practical applications. In this study, we present an RSS-based cooperative localization method that estimates unknown coordinates of sensor nodes in a network. Arrangement of two external low-cost omnidirectional dipole antennas is developed by using the distance-power gradient model. A modified robust regression is also proposed to determine the relative azimuth and distance between a sensor node and a fixed reference node. In addition, a cooperative localization scheme that incorporates estimations from multiple fixed reference nodes is presented to improve the accuracy of the localization. The proposed method is tested via computer-based analysis and field test. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed low-cost method is a useful solution for localizing sensor nodes in unknown or changing environments.

PubMed Informer: Monitoring MEDLINE/PubMed through E-mail Alerts, SMS, PDA downloads and RSS feeds

PubMed Central

Muin, Michael; Fontelo, Paul; Ackerman, Michael

2005-01-01

Summary PubMed Informer is a Web-based monitoring tool for topics of interest from MEDLINE/PubMed primarily designed for healthcare professionals. Five tracking methods are available: Web access, e-mail, Short Message Service (SMS), PDA downloads and RSS feeds. PubMed Informer delivers focused search updates and specific information to users with varying information-seeking practices. PMID:16779344

Differences in Intention to Use Educational RSS Feeds between Lebanese and British Students: A Multi-Group Analysis Based on the Technology Acceptance Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarhini, Ali; Scott, Michael James; Sharma, Sujeet Kumar; Abbasi, Muhammad Sharif

2015-01-01

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) offers a means for university students to receive timely updates from virtual learning environments. However, despite its utility, only 21% of home students surveyed at a university in Lebanon claim to have ever used the technology. To investigate whether national culture could be an influence on intention to use…

Received signal strength and local terrain profile data for radio network planning and optimization at GSM frequency bands.

PubMed

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Faruk, Nasir

2018-02-01

The behaviour of radio wave signals in a wireless channel depends on the local terrain profile of the propagation environments. In view of this, Received Signal Strength (RSS) of transmitted signals are measured at different points in space for radio network planning and optimization. However, these important data are often not publicly available for wireless channel characterization and propagation model development. In this data article, RSS data of a commercial base station operating at 900 and 1800 MHz were measured along three different routes of Lagos-Badagry Highway, Nigeria. In addition, local terrain profile data of the study area (terrain elevation, clutter height, altitude, and the distance of the mobile station from the base station) are extracted from Digital Terrain Map (DTM) to account for the unique environmental features. Statistical analyses and probability distributions of the RSS data are presented in tables and graphs. Furthermore, the degree of correlations (and the corresponding significance) between the RSS and the local terrain parameters were computed and analyzed for proper interpretations. The data provided in this article will help radio network engineers to: predict signal path loss; estimate radio coverage; efficiently reuse limited frequencies; avoid interferences; optimize handover; and adjust transmitted power level.

IraL Is an RssB Anti-adaptor That Stabilizes RpoS during Logarithmic Phase Growth in Escherichia coli and Shigella

PubMed Central

Hryckowian, Andrew J.; Battesti, Aurelia; Lemke, Justin J.; Meyer, Zachary C.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT RpoS (σS), the general stress response sigma factor, directs the expression of genes under a variety of stressful conditions. Control of the cellular σS concentration is critical for appropriately scaled σS-dependent gene expression. One way to maintain appropriate levels of σS is to regulate its stability. Indeed, σS degradation is catalyzed by the ClpXP protease and the recognition of σS by ClpXP depends on the adaptor protein RssB. Three anti-adaptors (IraD, IraM, and IraP) exist in Escherichia coli K-12; each interacts with RssB and inhibits RssB activity under different stress conditions, thereby stabilizing σS. Unlike K-12, some E. coli isolates, including uropathogenic E. coli strain CFT073, show comparable cellular levels of σS during the logarithmic and stationary growth phases, suggesting that there are differences in the regulation of σS levels among E. coli strains. Here, we describe IraL, an RssB anti-adaptor that stabilizes σS during logarithmic phase growth in CFT073 and other E. coli and Shigella strains. By immunoblot analyses, we show that IraL affects the levels and stability of σS during logarithmic phase growth. By computational and PCR-based analyses, we reveal that iraL is found in many E. coli pathotypes but not in laboratory-adapted strains. Finally, by bacterial two-hybrid and copurification analyses, we demonstrate that IraL interacts with RssB by a mechanism distinct from that used by other characterized anti-adaptors. We introduce a fourth RssB anti-adaptor found in E. coli species and suggest that differences in the regulation of σS levels may contribute to host and niche specificity in pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains. PMID:24865554

Rare Sugar Syrup Containing d-Allulose but Not High-Fructose Corn Syrup Maintains Glucose Tolerance and Insulin Sensitivity Partly via Hepatic Glucokinase Translocation in Wistar Rats.

PubMed

Shintani, Tomoya; Yamada, Takako; Hayashi, Noriko; Iida, Tetsuo; Nagata, Yasuo; Ozaki, Nobuaki; Toyoda, Yukiyasu

2017-04-05

Ingestion of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is associated with the risk of both diabetes and obesity. Rare sugar syrup (RSS) has been developed by alkaline isomerization of HFCS and has anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. However, the influence of RSS on glucose metabolism has not been explored. We investigated whether long-term administration of RSS maintains glucose tolerance and whether the underlying mechanism involves hepatic glucokinase translocation. Wistar rats were administered water, RSS, or HFCS in drinking water for 10 weeks and then evaluated for glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, liver glycogen content, and subcellular distribution of liver glucokinase. RSS significantly suppressed body weight gain and abdominal fat mass (p < 0.05). The glucose tolerance test revealed significantly higher blood glucose levels in the HFCS group compared to the water group, whereas the RSS group had significantly lower blood glucose levels from 90 to 180 min (p < 0.05). At 30, 60, and 90 min, the levels of insulin in the RSS group were significantly lower than those in the water group (p < 0.05). The amount of hepatic glycogen was more than 3 times higher in the RSS group than that in the other groups. After glucose loading, the nuclear export of glucokinase was significantly increased in the RSS group compared to the water group. These results imply that RSS maintains glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, at least partly, by enhancing nuclear export of hepatic glucokinase.

Ascent trajectory dispersion analysis for WTR heads-up space shuttle trajectory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The results of a Space Transportation System ascent trajectory dispersion analysis are discussed. The purpose is to provide critical trajectory parameter values for assessing the Space Shuttle in a heads-up configuration launched from the Western Test Range (STR). This analysis was conducted using a trajectory profile based on a launch from the WTR in December. The analysis consisted of the following steps: (1) nominal trajectories were simulated under the conditions as specified by baseline reference mission guidelines; (2) dispersion trajectories were simulated using predetermined parametric variations; (3) requirements for a system-related composite trajectory were determined by a root-sum-square (RSS) analysis of the positive deviations between values of the aerodynamic heating indicator (AHI) generated by the dispersion and nominal trajectories; (4) using the RSS assessment as a guideline, the system related composite trajectory was simulated by combinations of dispersion parameters which represented major contributors; (5) an assessment of environmental perturbations via a RSS analysis was made by the combination of plus or minus 2 sigma atmospheric density variation and 95% directional design wind dispersions; (6) maximum aerodynamic heating trajectories were simulated by variation of dispersion parameters which would emulate the summation of the system-related RSS and environmental RSS values of AHI. The maximum aerodynamic heating trajectories were simulated consistent with the directional winds used in the environmental analysis.

Heterologous RNA-silencing suppressors from both plant- and animal-infecting viruses support plum pox virus infection.

PubMed

Maliogka, Varvara I; Calvo, María; Carbonell, Alberto; García, Juan Antonio; Valli, Adrian

2012-07-01

HCPro, the RNA-silencing suppressor (RSS) of viruses belonging to the genus Potyvirus in the family Potyviridae, is a multifunctional protein presumably involved in all essential steps of the viral infection cycle. Recent studies have shown that plum pox potyvirus (PPV) HCPro can be replaced successfully by cucumber vein yellowing ipomovirus P1b, a sequence-unrelated RSS from a virus of the same family. In order to gain insight into the requirement of a particular RSS to establish a successful potyviral infection, we tested the ability of different heterologous RSSs from both plant- and animal-infecting viruses to substitute for HCPro. Making use of engineered PPV chimeras, we show that PPV HCPro can be replaced functionally by some, but not all, unrelated RSSs, including the NS1 protein of the mammal-infecting influenza A virus. Interestingly, the capacity of a particular RSS to replace HCPro does not correlate strictly with its RNA silencing-suppression strength. Altogether, our results suggest that not all suppression strategies are equally suitable for efficient escape of PPV from the RNA-silencing machinery. The approach followed here, based on using PPV chimeras in which an under-consideration RSS substitutes for HCPro, could further help to study the function of diverse RSSs in a 'highly sensitive' RNA-silencing context, such as that taking place in plant cells during the process of a viral infection.

Remote science support during MARS2013: testing a map-based system of data processing and utilization for future long-duration planetary missions.

PubMed

Losiak, Anna; Gołębiowska, Izabela; Orgel, Csilla; Moser, Linda; MacArthur, Jane; Boyd, Andrea; Hettrich, Sebastian; Jones, Natalie; Groemer, Gernot

2014-05-01

MARS2013 was an integrated Mars analog field simulation in eastern Morocco performed by the Austrian Space Forum between February 1 and 28, 2013. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the system of data processing and utilization adopted by the Remote Science Support (RSS) team during this mission. The RSS team procedures were designed to optimize operational efficiency of the Flightplan, field crew, and RSS teams during a long-term analog mission with an introduced 10 min time delay in communication between "Mars" and Earth. The RSS workflow was centered on a single-file, easy-to-use, spatially referenced database that included all the basic information about the conditions at the site of study, as well as all previous and planned activities. This database was prepared in Google Earth software. The lessons learned from MARS2013 RSS team operations are as follows: (1) using a spatially referenced database is an efficient way of data processing and data utilization in a long-term analog mission with a large amount of data to be handled, (2) mission planning based on iterations can be efficiently supported by preparing suitability maps, (3) the process of designing cartographical products should start early in the planning stages of a mission and involve representatives of all teams, (4) all team members should be trained in usage of cartographical products, (5) technical problems (e.g., usage of a geological map while wearing a space suit) should be taken into account when planning a work flow for geological exploration, (6) a system that helps the astronauts to efficiently orient themselves in the field should be designed as part of future analog studies.

The Primary Care Electronic Library: RSS feeds using SNOMED-CT indexing for dynamic content delivery.

PubMed

Robinson, Judas; de Lusignan, Simon; Kostkova, Patty; Madge, Bruce; Marsh, A; Biniaris, C

2006-01-01

Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds are a method for disseminating and syndicating the contents of a website using extensible mark-up language (XML). The Primary Care Electronic Library (PCEL) distributes recent additions to the site in the form of an RSS feed. When new resources are added to PCEL, they are manually assigned medical subject headings (MeSH terms), which are then automatically mapped to SNOMED-CT terms using the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus. The library is thus searchable using MeSH or SNOMED-CT. Our syndicate partner wished to have remote access to PCEL coronary heart disease (CHD) information resources based on SNOMED-CT search terms. To pilot the supply of relevant information resources in response to clinically coded requests, using RSS syndication for transmission between web servers. Our syndicate partner provided a list of CHD SNOMED-CT terms to its end-users, a list which was coded according to UMLS specifications. When the end-user requested relevant information resources, this request was relayed from our syndicate partner's web server to the PCEL web server. The relevant resources were retrieved from the PCEL MySQL database. This database is accessed using a server side scripting language (PHP), which enables the production of dynamic RSS feeds on the basis of Source Asserted Identifiers (CODEs) contained in UMLS. Retrieving resources using SNOMED-CT terms using syndication can be used to build a functioning application. The process from request to display of syndicated resources took less than one second. The results of the pilot illustrate that it is possible to exchange data between servers using RSS syndication. This method could be utilised dynamically to supply digital library resources to a clinical system with SNOMED-CT data used as the standard of reference.

CDKN1C mutation affecting the PCNA-binding domain as a cause of familial Russell Silver syndrome.

PubMed

Brioude, F; Oliver-Petit, I; Blaise, A; Praz, F; Rossignol, S; Le Jule, M; Thibaud, N; Faussat, A-M; Tauber, M; Le Bouc, Y; Netchine, I

2013-12-01

Russell Silver syndrome (RSS) leads to prenatal and postnatal growth retardation. About 55% of RSS patients present a loss-of-methylation of the paternal ICR1 domain on chromosome 11p15. CDKN1C is a cell proliferation inhibitor encoded by an imprinted gene in the 11p15 ICR2 domain. CDKN1C mutations lead to Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome (BWS, overgrowth syndrome) and in IMAGe syndrome which associates growth retardation and adrenal insufficiency. We searched for CDKN1C mutations in a cohort of clinically diagnosed RSS patients with no molecular anomaly. The coding sequence and intron-exon boundaries of CDKN1C were analysed in 97 RSS patients. The impact of CDKN1C variants on the cell cycle in vitro were determined by flow cytometry. Stability of CDKN1C was studied by western immunoblotting after inhibition of translation with cycloheximide. We identified the novel c.836G>[G;T] (p.Arg279Leu) mutation in a familial case of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) with RSS phenotype and no evidence of IMAGe. All the RSS patients inherited this mutation from their mothers (consistent with monoallelic expression from the maternal allele of the gene). A mutation of this amino acid (p.Arg279Pro) has been reported in cases of IMAGe. Functional analysis showed that Arg279Leu (RSS) did not affect the cell cycle, whereas the Arg279Pro mutation (IMAGe) led to a gain of function. Arg279Leu (RSS) led to an increased stability which could explain an increased activity of CDKN1C. CDKN1C mutations cause dominant maternally transmitted RSS, completing the molecular mirror with BWS. CDKN1C should be investigated in cases with family history of RSS.

On Target Localization Using Combined RSS and AoA Measurements

PubMed Central

Beko, Marko; Dinis, Rui

2018-01-01

This work revises existing solutions for a problem of target localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), utilizing integrated measurements, namely received signal strength (RSS) and angle of arrival (AoA). The problem of RSS/AoA-based target localization became very popular in the research community recently, owing to its great applicability potential and relatively low implementation cost. Therefore, here, a comprehensive study of the state-of-the-art (SoA) solutions and their detailed analysis is presented. The beginning of this work starts by considering the SoA approaches based on convex relaxation techniques (more computationally complex in general), and it goes through other (less computationally complex) approaches, as well, such as the ones based on the generalized trust region sub-problems framework and linear least squares. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the computational complexity of each solution is reviewed. Furthermore, an extensive set of simulation results is presented. Finally, the main conclusions are summarized, and a set of future aspects and trends that might be interesting for future research in this area is identified. PMID:29671832

Impact of bronchiectasis and trapped air on quality of life and exacerbations in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Tepper, Leonie A; Utens, Elisabeth M W J; Caudri, Daan; Bos, Aukje C; Gonzalez-Graniel, Karla; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; van der Wiel, Els C W; Quittner, Alexandra L; Tiddens, Harm A W M

2013-08-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is primarily characterised by bronchiectasis and trapped air on chest computed tomography (CT). The revised Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire respiratory symptoms scale (CFQ-R RSS) measures health-related quality of life. To validate bronchiectasis, trapped air and CFQ-R RSS as outcome measures, we investigated correlations and predictive values for pulmonary exacerbations. CF patients (aged 6-20 years) underwent CT, CFQ-R RSS and 1-year follow-up. Bronchiectasis and trapped air were scored using the CF-CT scoring system. Correlation coefficients and backward multivariate modelling were used to identify predictors of pulmonary exacerbations. 40 children and 32 adolescents were included. CF-CT bronchiectasis (r = -0.38, p<0.001) and CF-CT trapped air (r = -0.35, p = 0.003) correlated with CFQ-R RSS. Pulmonary exacerbations were associated with: bronchiectasis (rate ratio 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19; p = 0.009), trapped air (rate ratio 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.05; p = 0.034) and CFQ-R RSS (rate ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.98; p = 0.002). The CFQ-R RSS was an independent predictor of pulmonary exacerbations (rate ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.97; p<0.001). Bronchiectasis, trapped air and CFQ-R RSS were associated with pulmonary exacerbations. The CFQ-R RSS was an independent predictor. This study further validated bronchiectasis, trapped air and CFQ-R RSS as outcome measures in CF.

Comparison of Anti-Obesity Effect between Two Types of Syrup Containing Rare Sugars in Wistar Rats.

PubMed

Ochiai, Masaru; Misaki, Kohei; Yamada, Takako; Iida, Tetsuo; Okuma, Kazuhiro; Matsuo, Tatsuhiro

2017-01-01

D-Allulose-containing rare sugar sweeteners have been categorized into two types, rare sugar syrup (RSS), consisting of 4 rare monosaccharides, and modified glucose syrup (MGS), rich in D-allulose, which was previously referred to D-psicose. The anti-obesity effect of RSS and D-allulose has been already clarified, but that of rare monosaccharides other than D-allulose in RSS has not yet been well understood. Here, we investigated and compared the anti-obesity effect of RSS and MGS in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 dietary groups: a high-sucrose control diet group (S), a high-fructose corn syrup diet group (HFCS), an RSS diet group (RSS), and an MGS diet group (MGS). RSS significantly suppressed abdominal adipose tissue weight and total body fat accumulation in comparison to sucrose. On the other hand, MGS reduced body weight gain, but not abdominal fat accumulation, relative to sucrose. The weight of the liver and kidneys was significantly higher in the RSS and MGS groups than in the S and HFCS groups, but serum biochemical parameters and hepatic lipids contents were not significantly different among the groups. The present study shows that two types of D-allulose-containing rare sugar sweeteners can suppress body fat accumulation or weight gain in a different manner and that RSS could be used as more effective sweeteners in place of sucrose and HFCS to maintain healthy body weight.

Robust Statistical Approaches for RSS-Based Floor Detection in Indoor Localization.

PubMed

Razavi, Alireza; Valkama, Mikko; Lohan, Elena Simona

2016-05-31

Floor detection for indoor 3D localization of mobile devices is currently an important challenge in the wireless world. Many approaches currently exist, but usually the robustness of such approaches is not addressed or investigated. The goal of this paper is to show how to robustify the floor estimation when probabilistic approaches with a low number of parameters are employed. Indeed, such an approach would allow a building-independent estimation and a lower computing power at the mobile side. Four robustified algorithms are to be presented: a robust weighted centroid localization method, a robust linear trilateration method, a robust nonlinear trilateration method, and a robust deconvolution method. The proposed approaches use the received signal strengths (RSS) measured by the Mobile Station (MS) from various heard WiFi access points (APs) and provide an estimate of the vertical position of the MS, which can be used for floor detection. We will show that robustification can indeed increase the performance of the RSS-based floor detection algorithms.

An Improved Algorithm to Generate a Wi-Fi Fingerprint Database for Indoor Positioning

PubMed Central

Chen, Lina; Li, Binghao; Zhao, Kai; Rizos, Chris; Zheng, Zhengqi

2013-01-01

The major problem of Wi-Fi fingerprint-based positioning technology is the signal strength fingerprint database creation and maintenance. The significant temporal variation of received signal strength (RSS) is the main factor responsible for the positioning error. A probabilistic approach can be used, but the RSS distribution is required. The Gaussian distribution or an empirically-derived distribution (histogram) is typically used. However, these distributions are either not always correct or require a large amount of data for each reference point. Double peaks of the RSS distribution have been observed in experiments at some reference points. In this paper a new algorithm based on an improved double-peak Gaussian distribution is proposed. Kurtosis testing is used to decide if this new distribution, or the normal Gaussian distribution, should be applied. Test results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the positioning accuracy, as well as reduce the workload of the off-line data training phase. PMID:23966197

An improved algorithm to generate a Wi-Fi fingerprint database for indoor positioning.

PubMed

Chen, Lina; Li, Binghao; Zhao, Kai; Rizos, Chris; Zheng, Zhengqi

2013-08-21

The major problem of Wi-Fi fingerprint-based positioning technology is the signal strength fingerprint database creation and maintenance. The significant temporal variation of received signal strength (RSS) is the main factor responsible for the positioning error. A probabilistic approach can be used, but the RSS distribution is required. The Gaussian distribution or an empirically-derived distribution (histogram) is typically used. However, these distributions are either not always correct or require a large amount of data for each reference point. Double peaks of the RSS distribution have been observed in experiments at some reference points. In this paper a new algorithm based on an improved double-peak Gaussian distribution is proposed. Kurtosis testing is used to decide if this new distribution, or the normal Gaussian distribution, should be applied. Test results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the positioning accuracy, as well as reduce the workload of the off-line data training phase.

Reduction of abdominal fat accumulation in rats by 8-week ingestion of a newly developed sweetener made from high fructose corn syrup.

PubMed

Iida, Tetsuo; Yamada, Takako; Hayashi, Noriko; Okuma, Kazuhiro; Izumori, Ken; Ishii, Reika; Matsuo, Tatsuhiro

2013-06-01

Many studies have shown that ingestion of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may cause an increase in body weight and abdominal fat. We recently developed a new sweetener containing rare sugars (rare sugar syrup; RSS) by slight isomerization of HFCS. Here, the functional effects of RSS on body weight and abdominal fat, and biochemical parameters in Wistar rats were examined. Rats (n=30) were randomly divided into three groups and maintained for 8-weeks on starch, starch+HFCS (50:50), and starch+RSS (50:50) diets. Rats in the Starch and HFCS groups gained significantly more body weight and abdominal fat than the RSS group. Fasting serum insulin in the RSS group was significantly lower than in the Starch and HFCS groups, although serum glucose in the HFCS and RSS groups was significantly lower than that in the Starch group. Thus, the substitution of HFCS with RSS prevents obesity induced by the consumption of HFCS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EPA OIG's RSS Feed

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA OIG's RSS Feed - The EPA OIG offers an XML news feed (RSS) covering all of our publications and news. To use our pre-made feed, click on the link below, copy the URL, then paste it into your prefferred feed reader.

Chemical markup, XML, and the World Wide Web. 5. Applications of chemical metadata in RSS aggregators.

PubMed

Murray-Rust, Peter; Rzepa, Henry S; Williamson, Mark J; Willighagen, Egon L

2004-01-01

Examples of the use of the RSS 1.0 (RDF Site Summary) specification together with CML (Chemical Markup Language) to create a metadata based alerting service termed CMLRSS for molecular content are presented. CMLRSS can be viewed either using generic software or with modular opensource chemical viewers and editors enhanced with CMLRSS modules. We discuss the more automated use of CMLRSS as a component of a World Wide Molecular Matrix of semantically rich chemical information.

Online Variational Bayesian Filtering-Based Mobile Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Zhou, Bingpeng; Chen, Qingchun; Li, Tiffany Jing; Xiao, Pei

2014-01-01

The received signal strength (RSS)-based online tracking for a mobile node in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is investigated in this paper. Firstly, a multi-layer dynamic Bayesian network (MDBN) is introduced to characterize the target mobility with either directional or undirected movement. In particular, it is proposed to employ the Wishart distribution to approximate the time-varying RSS measurement precision's randomness due to the target movement. It is shown that the proposed MDBN offers a more general analysis model via incorporating the underlying statistical information of both the target movement and observations, which can be utilized to improve the online tracking capability by exploiting the Bayesian statistics. Secondly, based on the MDBN model, a mean-field variational Bayesian filtering (VBF) algorithm is developed to realize the online tracking of a mobile target in the presence of nonlinear observations and time-varying RSS precision, wherein the traditional Bayesian filtering scheme cannot be directly employed. Thirdly, a joint optimization between the real-time velocity and its prior expectation is proposed to enable online velocity tracking in the proposed online tacking scheme. Finally, the associated Bayesian Cramer–Rao Lower Bound (BCRLB) analysis and numerical simulations are conducted. Our analysis unveils that, by exploiting the potential state information via the general MDBN model, the proposed VBF algorithm provides a promising solution to the online tracking of a mobile node in WSNs. In addition, it is shown that the final tracking accuracy linearly scales with its expectation when the RSS measurement precision is time-varying. PMID:25393784

The Reactive Sulfur Species Concept: 15 Years On.

PubMed

Giles, Gregory I; Nasim, Muhammad Jawad; Ali, Wesam; Jacob, Claus

2017-05-23

Fifteen years ago, in 2001, the concept of "Reactive Sulfur Species" or RSS was advocated as a working hypothesis. Since then various organic as well as inorganic RSS have attracted considerable interest and stimulated many new and often unexpected avenues in research and product development. During this time, it has become apparent that molecules with sulfur-containing functional groups are not just the passive "victims" of oxidative stress or simple conveyors of signals in cells, but can also be stressors in their own right, with pivotal roles in cellular function and homeostasis. Many "exotic" sulfur-based compounds, often of natural origin, have entered the fray in the context of nutrition, ageing, chemoprevention and therapy. In parallel, the field of inorganic RSS has come to the forefront of research, with short-lived yet metabolically important intermediates, such as various sulfur-nitrogen species and polysulfides (S x 2- ), playing important roles. Between 2003 and 2005 several breath-taking discoveries emerged characterising unusual sulfur redox states in biology, and since then the truly unique role of sulfur-dependent redox systems has become apparent. Following these discoveries, over the last decade a "hunt" and, more recently, mining for such modifications has begun-and still continues-often in conjunction with new, innovative and complex labelling and analytical methods to capture the (entire) sulfur "redoxome". A key distinction for RSS is that, unlike oxygen or nitrogen, sulfur not only forms a plethora of specific reactive species, but sulfur also targets itself, as sulfur containing molecules, i.e., peptides, proteins and enzymes, preferentially react with RSS. Not surprisingly, today this sulfur-centred redox signalling and control inside the living cell is a burning issue, which has moved on from the predominantly thiol/disulfide biochemistry of the past to a complex labyrinth of interacting signalling and control pathways which involve various sulfur oxidation states, sulfur species and reactions. RSS are omnipresent and, in some instances, are even considered as the true bearers of redox control, perhaps being more important than the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) which for decades have dominated the redox field. In other(s) words, in 2017, sulfur redox is "on the rise", and the idea of RSS resonates throughout the Life Sciences. Still, the RSS story isn't over yet. Many RSS are at the heart of "mistaken identities" which urgently require clarification and may even provide the foundations for further scientific revolutions in the years to come. In light of these developments, it is therefore the perfect time to revisit the original hypotheses, to select highlights in the field and to question and eventually update our concept of "Reactive Sulfur Species".

The Reactive Sulfur Species Concept: 15 Years On

PubMed Central

Giles, Gregory I.; Nasim, Muhammad Jawad; Ali, Wesam; Jacob, Claus

2017-01-01

Fifteen years ago, in 2001, the concept of “Reactive Sulfur Species” or RSS was advocated as a working hypothesis. Since then various organic as well as inorganic RSS have attracted considerable interest and stimulated many new and often unexpected avenues in research and product development. During this time, it has become apparent that molecules with sulfur-containing functional groups are not just the passive “victims” of oxidative stress or simple conveyors of signals in cells, but can also be stressors in their own right, with pivotal roles in cellular function and homeostasis. Many “exotic” sulfur-based compounds, often of natural origin, have entered the fray in the context of nutrition, ageing, chemoprevention and therapy. In parallel, the field of inorganic RSS has come to the forefront of research, with short-lived yet metabolically important intermediates, such as various sulfur-nitrogen species and polysulfides (Sx2−), playing important roles. Between 2003 and 2005 several breath-taking discoveries emerged characterising unusual sulfur redox states in biology, and since then the truly unique role of sulfur-dependent redox systems has become apparent. Following these discoveries, over the last decade a “hunt” and, more recently, mining for such modifications has begun—and still continues—often in conjunction with new, innovative and complex labelling and analytical methods to capture the (entire) sulfur “redoxome”. A key distinction for RSS is that, unlike oxygen or nitrogen, sulfur not only forms a plethora of specific reactive species, but sulfur also targets itself, as sulfur containing molecules, i.e., peptides, proteins and enzymes, preferentially react with RSS. Not surprisingly, today this sulfur-centred redox signalling and control inside the living cell is a burning issue, which has moved on from the predominantly thiol/disulfide biochemistry of the past to a complex labyrinth of interacting signalling and control pathways which involve various sulfur oxidation states, sulfur species and reactions. RSS are omnipresent and, in some instances, are even considered as the true bearers of redox control, perhaps being more important than the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) which for decades have dominated the redox field. In other(s) words, in 2017, sulfur redox is “on the rise”, and the idea of RSS resonates throughout the Life Sciences. Still, the RSS story isn’t over yet. Many RSS are at the heart of “mistaken identities” which urgently require clarification and may even provide the foundations for further scientific revolutions in the years to come. In light of these developments, it is therefore the perfect time to revisit the original hypotheses, to select highlights in the field and to question and eventually update our concept of “Reactive Sulfur Species”. PMID:28545257

Monitoring of phytopathogenic Ralstonia solanacearum cells using green fluorescent protein-expressing plasmid derived from bacteriophage phiRSS1.

PubMed

Kawasaki, Takeru; Satsuma, Hideki; Fujie, Makoto; Usami, Shoji; Yamada, Takashi

2007-12-01

A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing plasmid was constructed from a filamentous bacteriophage phiRSS1 that infects the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. This plasmid designated as pRSS12 (4.7 kbp in size) consists of an approximately 2248 bp region of the phiRSS1 RF DNA, including ORF1-ORF3 and the intergenic region (IG), and a Km cassette in addition to the GFP gene. It was easily introduced by electroporation and stably maintained even without selective pressure in strains of R. solanacearum of different races and biovars. Strong green fluorescence emitted from pRSS12-transformed bacterial cells was easily monitored in tomato tissues (stem, petiole, and root) after infection as well as from soil samples. These results suggest that pRSS12 can serve as an easy-to-use GFP-tagging tool for any given strain of R. solanacearum in cytological as well as field studies.

Ranked set sampling: cost and optimal set size.

PubMed

Nahhas, Ramzi W; Wolfe, Douglas A; Chen, Haiying

2002-12-01

McIntyre (1952, Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 3, 385-390) introduced ranked set sampling (RSS) as a method for improving estimation of a population mean in settings where sampling and ranking of units from the population are inexpensive when compared with actual measurement of the units. Two of the major factors in the usefulness of RSS are the set size and the relative costs of the various operations of sampling, ranking, and measurement. In this article, we consider ranking error models and cost models that enable us to assess the effect of different cost structures on the optimal set size for RSS. For reasonable cost structures, we find that the optimal RSS set sizes are generally larger than had been anticipated previously. These results will provide a useful tool for determining whether RSS is likely to lead to an improvement over simple random sampling in a given setting and, if so, what RSS set size is best to use in this case.

Localization Algorithm with On-line Path Loss Estimation and Node Selection

PubMed Central

Bel, Albert; Vicario, José López; Seco-Granados, Gonzalo

2011-01-01

RSS-based localization is considered a low-complexity algorithm with respect to other range techniques such as TOA or AOA. The accuracy of RSS methods depends on the suitability of the propagation models used for the actual propagation conditions. In indoor environments, in particular, it is very difficult to obtain a good propagation model. For that reason, we present a cooperative localization algorithm that dynamically estimates the path loss exponent by using RSS measurements. Since the energy consumption is a key point in sensor networks, we propose a node selection mechanism to limit the number of neighbours of a given node that are used for positioning purposes. Moreover, the selection mechanism is also useful to discard bad links that could negatively affect the performance accuracy. As a result, we derive a practical solution tailored to the strict requirements of sensor networks in terms of complexity, size and cost. We present results based on both computer simulations and real experiments with the Crossbow MICA2 motes showing that the proposed scheme offers a good trade-off in terms of position accuracy and energy efficiency. PMID:22163992

French Multicenter Study Evaluating the Risk of Lymph Node Metastases in Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer: Contribution of a Risk Scoring System.

PubMed

Bendifallah, Sofiane; Canlorbe, Geoffroy; Arsène, Emmanuelle; Collinet, Pierre; Huguet, Florence; Coutant, Charles; Hudry, Delphine; Graesslin, Olivier; Raimond, Emilie; Touboul, Cyril; Daraï, Emile; Ballester, Marcos

2015-08-01

This study was designed to develop a risk scoring system (RSS) for predicting lymph node (LN) metastases in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Data of 457 patients with early-stage EC who received primary surgical treatment between January 2001 and December 2012 were abstracted from a prospective, multicentre database (training set). A risk model based on factors impacting LN metastases was developed. To assess the discrimination of the RSS, both internal by the bootstrap approach and external validation (validation set) were adopted. Overall the LN metastasis rate was 11.8 % (54/457). LN metastases were associated with five variables: age ≥60 years, histological grade 3 and/or type 2, primary tumor diameter ≥1.5 cm, depth of myometrial invasion ≥50 %, and the positive lymphovascular space involvement status. These variables were included in the RSS and assigned scores ranging from 0 to 9. The discrimination of the RSS was 0.81 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.84] in the training set. The area under the curve of the receiver-operating characteristics for predicting LN metastases after internal and external validation was 0.80 (95 % CI 0.77-0.83) and 0.85 (95 % CI 0.81-0.89), respectively. A total score of 6 points corresponded to the optimal threshold of the RSS with a rate of LN metastases of 7.5 % (29/385) and 34.7 % (25/72) for low-risk (≤6 points) and high-risk patients (>6 points), respectively. At this threshold, the diagnostic accuracy was 83 %. This RSS could be useful in clinical practice to determine which patients with early-stage EC should benefit from secondary surgical staging including complete lymphadenectomy.

Exploring the evolutionary diversity and assembly modes of multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complexes: lessons from unicellular organisms.

PubMed

Laporte, Daphné; Huot, Jonathan L; Bader, Gaétan; Enkler, Ludovic; Senger, Bruno; Becker, Hubert Dominique

2014-11-28

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are ubiquitous and ancient enzymes, mostly known for their essential role in generating aminoacylated tRNAs. During the last two decades, many aaRSs have been found to perform additional and equally crucial tasks outside translation. In metazoans, aaRSs have been shown to assemble, together with non-enzymatic assembly proteins called aaRSs-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), into so-called multi-synthetase complexes (MSCs). Metazoan MSCs are dynamic particles able to specifically release some of their constituents in response to a given stimulus. Upon their release from MSCs, aaRSs can reach other subcellular compartments, where they often participate to cellular processes that do not exploit their primary function of synthesizing aminoacyl-tRNAs. The dynamics of MSCs and the expansion of the aaRSs functional repertoire are features that are so far thought to be restricted to higher and multicellular eukaryotes. However, much can be learnt about how MSCs are assembled and function from apparently 'simple' organisms. Here we provide an overview on the diversity of these MSCs, their composition, mode of assembly and the functions that their constituents, namely aaRSs and AIMPs, exert in unicellular organisms. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The STP (Solar-Terrestrial Physics) Semantic Web based on the RSS1.0 and the RDF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, T.; Murata, K. T.; Kimura, E.; Ishikura, S.; Shinohara, I.; Kasaba, Y.; Watari, S.; Matsuoka, D.

2006-12-01

In the Solar-Terrestrial Physics (STP), it is pointed out that circulation and utilization of observation data among researchers are insufficient. To archive interdisciplinary researches, we need to overcome this circulation and utilization problems. Under such a background, authors' group has developed a world-wide database that manages meta-data of satellite and ground-based observation data files. It is noted that retrieving meta-data from the observation data and registering them to database have been carried out by hand so far. Our goal is to establish the STP Semantic Web. The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows a variety of data shared and reused across applications, enterprises, and communities. We also expect that the secondary information related with observations, such as event information and associated news, are also shared over the networks. The most fundamental issue on the establishment is who generates, manages and provides meta-data in the Semantic Web. We developed an automatic meta-data collection system for the observation data using the RSS (RDF Site Summary) 1.0. The RSS1.0 is one of the XML-based markup languages based on the RDF (Resource Description Framework), which is designed for syndicating news and contents of news-like sites. The RSS1.0 is used to describe the STP meta-data, such as data file name, file server address and observation date. To describe the meta-data of the STP beyond RSS1.0 vocabulary, we defined original vocabularies for the STP resources using the RDF Schema. The RDF describes technical terms on the STP along with the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set, which is standard for cross-domain information resource descriptions. Researchers' information on the STP by FOAF, which is known as an RDF/XML vocabulary, creates a machine-readable metadata describing people. Using the RSS1.0 as a meta-data distribution method, the workflow from retrieving meta-data to registering them into the database is automated. This technique is applied for several database systems, such as the DARTS database system and NICT Space Weather Report Service. The DARTS is a science database managed by ISAS/JAXA in Japan. We succeeded in generating and collecting the meta-data automatically for the CDF (Common data Format) data, such as Reimei satellite data, provided by the DARTS. We also create an RDF service for space weather report and real-time global MHD simulation 3D data provided by the NICT. Our Semantic Web system works as follows: The RSS1.0 documents generated on the data sites (ISAS and NICT) are automatically collected by a meta-data collection agent. The RDF documents are registered and the agent extracts meta-data to store them in the Sesame, which is an open source RDF database with support for RDF Schema inferencing and querying. The RDF database provides advanced retrieval processing that has considered property and relation. Finally, the STP Semantic Web provides automatic processing or high level search for the data which are not only for observation data but for space weather news, physical events, technical terms and researches information related to the STP.

Impact of the Surgical Research Methodology Program on surgical residents' research profiles.

PubMed

Farrokhyar, Forough; Amin, Nalin; Dath, Deepak; Bhandari, Mohit; Kelly, Stephan; Kolkin, Ann M; Gill-Pottruff, Catherine; Skot, Martina; Reid, Susan

2014-01-01

To evaluate whether implementing the formal Surgical Research Methodology (SRM) Program in the surgical residency curriculum improved research productivity compared with the preceding informal Research Seminar Series (RSS). The SRM Program replaced the RSS in July 2009. In the SRM Program, the curriculum in Year-1 consisted of 12 teaching sessions on the principles of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, whereas the focus in Year-2 was on the design, conduct, and presentation of a research project. The RSS consisted of 8 research methodology sessions repeated annually for 2 years along with the design, conduct, and presentation of a research project. Research productivity was measured as the number of peer-reviewed publications and the generation of studies with higher levels of evidence. Outcome measures were independently assessed by 2 authors to avoid bias. Student t test and chi-square test were used for the analysis. Frequencies, mean differences with 95% CI, and effect sizes have been reported. In this study, 81 SRM residents were compared with 126 RSS residents. The performance of the SRM residents was superior on all metrics in our evaluation. They were significantly more productive and published more articles than the RSS residents (mean difference = 1.0 [95% CI: 0.5-1.5], p < 0.001) with an effect size of 0.26. The SRM residents presented significantly more projects that were of higher levels of evidence (systematic reviews/meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and prospective cohorts) than the RSS residents (52.5% vs 29%, p = 0.005). In addition, the research performance improved 11.0 grades (95% CI: 8.5%-13.5%, p < 0.001) with an effect size of 0.51 in favor of the SRM Program. Although not all surgeons opt for a career as surgeon-scientist, knowledge of research methodology is crucial to appropriately apply evidence-based findings in clinical practice. The SRM Program has significantly improved the research productivity and performance of the surgical residents from all disciplines. The implementation of a similar research methodology program is highly recommended for the benefit of residents' future careers and ultimately, evidence-based patient care. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BOREAS RSS-7 Landsat TM LAI IMages of the SSA and NSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Chen, Jing; Cihlar, Josef

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Remote Sensing Science (BOREAS RSS-7) team used Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images processed at CCRS to produce images of Leaf Area Index (LAI) for the BOREAS study areas. Two images acquired on 06-Jun and 09-Aug-1991 were used for the SSA, and one image acquired on 09-Jun-1994 was used for the NSA. The LAI images are based on ground measurements and Landsat TM Reduced Simple Ratio (RSR) images. The data are stored in binary image-format files.

Amplify Your Professional Knowledge through RSS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Wendy

2012-01-01

In the championship playoffs of professional learning tools, this author contends that there is a clear-cut victor. Customizable, platform-agnostic, able to circumvent filters--both browser and network-imposed--RSS is the best professional learning tool. Reading sites via RSS has appeal for those who want the raw information. With a well-honed…

Evolution of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases--analysis of unique domain architectures and phylogenetic trees reveals a complex history of horizontal gene transfer events.

PubMed

Wolf, Y I; Aravind, L; Grishin, N V; Koonin, E V

1999-08-01

Phylogenetic analysis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) of all 20 specificities from completely sequenced bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic genomes reveals a complex evolutionary picture. Detailed examination of the domain architecture of aaRSs using sequence profile searches delineated a network of partially conserved domains that is even more elaborate than previously suspected. Several unexpected evolutionary connections were identified, including the apparent origin of the beta-subunit of bacterial GlyRS from the HD superfamily of hydrolases, a domain shared by bacterial AspRS and the B subunit of archaeal glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferases, and another previously undetected domain that is conserved in a subset of ThrRS, guanosine polyphosphate hydrolases and synthetases, and a family of GTPases. Comparison of domain architectures and multiple alignments resulted in the delineation of synapomorphies-shared derived characters, such as extra domains or inserts-for most of the aaRSs specificities. These synapomorphies partition sets of aaRSs with the same specificity into two or more distinct and apparently monophyletic groups. In conjunction with cluster analysis and a modification of the midpoint-rooting procedure, this partitioning was used to infer the likely root position in phylogenetic trees. The topologies of the resulting rooted trees for most of the aaRSs specificities are compatible with the evolutionary "standard model" whereby the earliest radiation event separated bacteria from the common ancestor of archaea and eukaryotes as opposed to the two other possible evolutionary scenarios for the three major divisions of life. For almost all aaRSs specificities, however, this simple scheme is confounded by displacement of some of the bacterial aaRSs by their eukaryotic or, less frequently, archaeal counterparts. Displacement of ancestral eukaryotic aaRS genes by bacterial ones, presumably of mitochondrial origin, was observed for three aaRSs. In contrast, there was no convincing evidence of displacement of archaeal aaRSs by bacterial ones. Displacement of aaRS genes by eukaryotic counterparts is most common among parasitic and symbiotic bacteria, particularly the spirochaetes, in which 10 of the 19 aaRSs seem to have been displaced by the respective eukaryotic genes and two by the archaeal counterpart. Unlike the primary radiation events between the three main divisions of life, that were readily traceable through the phylogenetic analysis of aaRSs, no consistent large-scale bacterial phylogeny could be established. In part, this may be due to additional gene displacement events among bacterial lineages. Argument is presented that, although lineage-specific gene loss might have contributed to the evolution of some of the aaRSs, this is not a viable alternative to horizontal gene transfer as the principal evolutionary phenomenon in this gene class.

Mining for Gold

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigenho, Chris

2009-01-01

In this article, the author introduces the world of RSS (Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary), one of the least used and understood of all the Web 2.0 tools. RSS technology has two parts: (1) feeds; and (2) aggregators. RSS feeds use a special type of HTML known as XML. Each feed is defined with channel tags, which contain specific…

Methylation profiling in individuals with Russell-Silver syndrome.

PubMed

Peñaherrera, Maria S; Weindler, Susanne; Van Allen, Margot I; Yong, Siu-Li; Metzger, Daniel L; McGillivray, Barbara; Boerkoel, Cornelius; Langlois, Sylvie; Robinson, Wendy P

2010-02-01

Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) is a heterogeneous disorder associated with pre- and post-natal growth restriction and relative macrocephaly. Involvement of imprinted genes on both chromosome 7 and 11p15.5 has been reported. To further characterize the role of epimutations in RSS we evaluated the methylation status at both 11p15.5 imprinting control regions (ICRs): ICR1 associated with H19/IGF2 expression and ICR2 (KvDMR1) associated with CDKN1C expression in a series of 35 patients with RSS. We also evaluated methylation at the promoter regions of other imprinted genes involved in growth such as PLAGL1 (6q24), GCE (7q21), and PEG10 (7q21) in this series of 35 patients with RSS. Thirteen of the 35 patient samples, but none of 22 controls, showed methylation levels at ICR1 that were more than 2 SD below the mean for controls. Three RSS patients were highly methylated at the SCGE promoter, all of which were diagnosed with upd(7)mat. To identify further potential global methylation changes in RSS patients, a subset of 22 patients were evaluated at 1505 CpG sites by the Illumina GoldenGate methylation array. Among the few CpG sites displaying a significant difference between RSS patients and controls, was a CpG associated with the H19 promoter. No other sites associated with known imprinted genes were identified as abnormally methylated in RSS patients by this approach. While the association of hypomethylation of the H19/IGF2 ICR1 is clear, the continuous distribution of methylation values among the patients and controls complicates the establishment of clear cut-offs for clinical diagnosis. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Restriction-Site-Specific PCR as a Rapid Test To Detect Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains in Environmental Samples

PubMed Central

Kimura, Richard; Mandrell, Robert E.; Galland, John C.; Hyatt, Doreene; Riley, Lee W.

2000-01-01

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen in industrialized countries. We developed a rapid and simple test for detecting E. coli O157:H7 using a method based on restriction site polymorphisms. Restriction-site-specific PCR (RSS-PCR) involves the amplification of DNA fragments using primers based on specific restriction enzyme recognition sequences, without the use of endonucleases, to generate a set of amplicons that yield “fingerprint” patterns when resolved electrophoretically on an agarose gel. The method was evaluated in a blinded study of E. coli isolates obtained from environmental samples collected at beef cattle feedyards. The 54 isolates were all initially identified by a commonly used polyclonal antibody test as belonging to O157:H7 serotype. They were retested by anti-O157 and anti-H7 monoclonal antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The RSS-PCR method identified all 28 isolates that were shown to be E. coli O157:H7 by the monoclonal antibody ELISA as belonging to the O157:H7 serotype. Of the remaining 26 ELISA-confirmed non-O157:H7 strains, the method classified 25 strains as non-O157:H7. The specificity of the RSS-PCR results correlated better with the monoclonal antibody ELISA than with the polyclonal antibody latex agglutination tests. The RSS-PCR method may be a useful test to distinguish E. coli O157:H7 from a large number of E. coli isolates from environmental samples. PMID:10831431

Emergence and Evolution

PubMed Central

Bullwinkle, Tammy J.

2013-01-01

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are essential components of the protein synthesis machinery responsible for defining the genetic code by pairing the correct amino acids to their cognate tRNAs. The aaRSs are an ancient enzyme family believed to have origins that may predate the last common ancestor and as such they provide insights into the evolution and development of the extant genetic code. Although the aaRSs have long been viewed as a highly conserved group of enzymes, findings within the last couple of decades have started to demonstrate how diverse and versatile these enzymes really are. Beyond their central role in translation, aaRSs and their numerous homologs have evolved a wide array of alternative functions both inside and outside translation. Current understanding of the emergence of the aaRSs, and their subsequent evolution into a functionally diverse enzyme family, are discussed in this chapter. PMID:23478877

An RFID Indoor Positioning Algorithm Based on Bayesian Probability and K-Nearest Neighbor.

PubMed

Xu, He; Ding, Ye; Li, Peng; Wang, Ruchuan; Li, Yizhu

2017-08-05

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is widely used in outdoor environmental positioning. However, GPS cannot support indoor positioning because there is no signal for positioning in an indoor environment. Nowadays, there are many situations which require indoor positioning, such as searching for a book in a library, looking for luggage in an airport, emergence navigation for fire alarms, robot location, etc. Many technologies, such as ultrasonic, sensors, Bluetooth, WiFi, magnetic field, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), etc., are used to perform indoor positioning. Compared with other technologies, RFID used in indoor positioning is more cost and energy efficient. The Traditional RFID indoor positioning algorithm LANDMARC utilizes a Received Signal Strength (RSS) indicator to track objects. However, the RSS value is easily affected by environmental noise and other interference. In this paper, our purpose is to reduce the location fluctuation and error caused by multipath and environmental interference in LANDMARC. We propose a novel indoor positioning algorithm based on Bayesian probability and K -Nearest Neighbor (BKNN). The experimental results show that the Gaussian filter can filter some abnormal RSS values. The proposed BKNN algorithm has the smallest location error compared with the Gaussian-based algorithm, LANDMARC and an improved KNN algorithm. The average error in location estimation is about 15 cm using our method.

Measurement precision of the anaerobic threshold by means of a portable calorimeter.

PubMed

Nogueira, Fernando dos Santos; Pompeu, Fernando Augusto Monteiro Sabóia

2010-09-01

Many methods are used for determining the Anaerobic Threshold (AT) by means of sophisticated ergospirometer. To test the AT variation, detected by mathematical models and visual inspection, when low cost ergospirometer is used and intended for clinical application. Seventy nine apparently healthy subjects were volunteers in this study; from these, 57 men. The VO₂(max) and the ventilatory threshold were determined by indirect, open-circuit calorimetry. The electro-enzymatic method was used for analyzing the lactacidemia and direct determination of the Lactate Threshold (LT). The AT was determined by two mathematical methods (MM(RSS) and MM(slope)), based on the gases exchange, and by the log-log visual method, for determining the LT. Two independent investigators determined the AT through visual inspection of three graphs, considering two methods (AT₋(a)= V-slope, EqV; and AT₋(b) = V-slope, EqV and ExCO₂). The data were analyzed by means of parametric statistics for determining the differences between AT₋(a) versus ExCO₂, MM(RSS) and MM(slope); AT-b versus MM(RSS) and MM(slope); and LT versus AT₋(a), AT₋(b), MM(RSS) and MM(slope). The MM(slope) was the only method that presented a significant difference between the AT₋(a) and AT₋(b) (p=0.001), with CV% >15. LT versus MM(slope) did not present significant difference (p=0.274), however, it was observed a high CV (24%). It was concluded that with the low cost equipment, the MM(RSS) and AT₋(a) methods can be used for determining the TAn. The MM(slope) method did not present satisfactory precision to be employed with this equipment.

Resting state synchrony in long-term abstinent alcoholics: Effects of a current major depressive disorder diagnosis.

PubMed

Fein, George; Camchong, Jazmin; Cardenas, Valerie A; Stenger, Andy

2017-03-01

Alcoholism is characterized by a lack of control over an impulsive and compulsive drive toward excessive alcohol consumption despite significant negative consequences; our previous work demonstrated that successful abstinence is characterized by decreased resting-state synchrony (RSS) as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), within appetitive drive networks and increased RSS in emotion regulation and inhibitory executive control networks. Our hypothesis is that LTAA (Long-Term Abstinent Alcoholics) with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) drank primarily to deal with the negative affect associated with their MDD and not because of a heightened externalizing diathesis (including heightened appetitive drive), and consequently, in achieving and maintaining abstinence, such individuals would not exhibit the RSS adaptations characteristic of pure alcoholics. We studied 69 NSAC (Non Substance Abusing Controls) and 40 LTAA (8 with current MDD, 32 without a current MDD) using resting-state fMRI and seed based connectivity analyses. In the inhibitory executive control network (nucleus accumbens vs. left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), LTAA with a current MDD showed increased synchrony compared to NSAC. In the emotion regulation executive control network (subgenual anterior cingulate cortex vs. right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), LTAA with current MDD did not show increased RSS. In the appetitive drive networks (nucleus accumbens vs, aspects of the caudate nucleus and thalamus), LTAA with a current MDD did not show a reduction of RSS compared to NSAC, but LTAA without a current MDD did. These results suggest different pathways to their alcohol dependence in LTAA with vs. without a current MDD, and different patterns of brain activity in long-term abstinence, suggesting different treatment needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Resting state synchrony in long-term abstinent alcoholics: Effects of a current major depressive disorder diagnosis

PubMed Central

Fein, George; Camchong, Jazmin; Cardenas, Valerie A.; Stenger, Andy

2017-01-01

Alcoholism is characterized by a lack of control over an impulsive and compulsive drive toward excessive alcohol consumption despite significant negative consequences; our previous work demonstrated that successful abstinence is characterized by decreased resting-state synchrony (RSS) as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), within appetitive drive networks and increased RSS in emotion regulation and inhibitory executive control networks. Our hypothesis is that LTAA (Long-Term Abstinent Alcoholics) with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) drank primarily to deal with the negative affect associated with their MDD and not because of a heightened externalizing diathesis (including heightened appetitive drive), and consequently, in achieving and maintaining abstinence, such individuals would not exhibit the RSS adaptations characteristic of pure alcoholics. We studied 69 NSAC (Non Substance Abusing Controls) and 40 LTAA (8 with current MDD, 32 without a current MDD) using resting-state fMRI and seed based connectivity analyses. In the inhibitory executive control network (nucleus accumbens vs. left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), LTAA with a current MDD showed increased synchrony compared to NSAC. In the emotion regulation executive control network (subgenual anterior cingulate cortex vs. right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), LTAA with current MDD did not show increased RSS. In the appetitive drive networks (nucleus accumbens vs, aspects of the caudate nucleus and thalamus), LTAA with a current MDD did not show a reduction of RSS compared to NSAC, but LTAA without a current MDD did. These results suggest different pathways to their alcohol dependence in LTAA with vs. without a current MDD, and different patterns of brain activity in long-term abstinence, suggesting different treatment needs. PMID:28262184

Improving RF Transmit Power and Received Signal Strength in 2.4 GHz ZigBee Based Active RFID System with Embedded Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Po'ad, F. A.; Ismail, W.; Jusoh, J. F.

2017-08-01

This paper describes the experiments and analysis conducted on 2.4 GHz embedded active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based system that has been developed for the purposes of location tracking and monitoring in indoor and outdoor environments. Several experiments are conducted to test the effectiveness and performance of the developed system and two of them is by measuring the Radio Frequency (RF) transmitting power and Received Signal Strength (RSS) to prove that the embedded active RFID tag is capable to generate higher transmit power during data transmission and able to provide better RSS reading compared to standalone RFID tag. Experiments are carried out on two RFID tags which are active RFID tag embedded with GPS and GSM (ER2G); and standalone RFID tag communicating with the same active RFID reader. The developed ER2G contributes 12.26 % transmit power and 6.47 % RSS reading higher than standalone RFID tag. The results conclude that the ER2G gives better performance compared to standalone RFID tag and can be used as guidelines for future design improvements.

Kalman/Map filtering-aided fast normalized cross correlation-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing.

PubMed

Sun, Yongliang; Xu, Yubin; Li, Cheng; Ma, Lin

2013-11-13

A Kalman/map filtering (KMF)-aided fast normalized cross correlation (FNCC)-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing system is proposed in this paper. Compared with conventional neighbor selection algorithms that calculate localization results with received signal strength (RSS) mean samples, the proposed FNCC algorithm makes use of all the on-line RSS samples and reference point RSS variations to achieve higher fingerprinting accuracy. The FNCC computes efficiently while maintaining the same accuracy as the basic normalized cross correlation. Additionally, a KMF is also proposed to process fingerprinting localization results. It employs a new map matching algorithm to nonlinearize the linear location prediction process of Kalman filtering (KF) that takes advantage of spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. With a calibration model integrated into an indoor map, the map matching algorithm corrects unreasonable prediction locations of the KF according to the building interior structure. Thus, more accurate prediction locations are obtained. Using these locations, the KMF considerably improves fingerprinting algorithm performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the FNCC algorithm with reduced computational complexity outperforms other neighbor selection algorithms and the KMF effectively improves location sensing accuracy by using indoor map information and spatial proximities of consecutive localization results.

Kalman/Map Filtering-Aided Fast Normalized Cross Correlation-Based Wi-Fi Fingerprinting Location Sensing

PubMed Central

Sun, Yongliang; Xu, Yubin; Li, Cheng; Ma, Lin

2013-01-01

A Kalman/map filtering (KMF)-aided fast normalized cross correlation (FNCC)-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing system is proposed in this paper. Compared with conventional neighbor selection algorithms that calculate localization results with received signal strength (RSS) mean samples, the proposed FNCC algorithm makes use of all the on-line RSS samples and reference point RSS variations to achieve higher fingerprinting accuracy. The FNCC computes efficiently while maintaining the same accuracy as the basic normalized cross correlation. Additionally, a KMF is also proposed to process fingerprinting localization results. It employs a new map matching algorithm to nonlinearize the linear location prediction process of Kalman filtering (KF) that takes advantage of spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. With a calibration model integrated into an indoor map, the map matching algorithm corrects unreasonable prediction locations of the KF according to the building interior structure. Thus, more accurate prediction locations are obtained. Using these locations, the KMF considerably improves fingerprinting algorithm performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the FNCC algorithm with reduced computational complexity outperforms other neighbor selection algorithms and the KMF effectively improves location sensing accuracy by using indoor map information and spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. PMID:24233027

A dimer of the lymphoid protein RAG1 recognizes the recombination signal sequence and the complex stably incorporates the high mobility group protein HMG2.

PubMed

Rodgers, K K; Villey, I J; Ptaszek, L; Corbett, E; Schatz, D G; Coleman, J E

1999-07-15

RAG1 and RAG2 are the two lymphoid-specific proteins required for the cleavage of DNA sequences known as the recombination signal sequences (RSSs) flanking V, D or J regions of the antigen-binding genes. Previous studies have shown that RAG1 alone is capable of binding to the RSS, whereas RAG2 only binds as a RAG1/RAG2 complex. We have expressed recombinant core RAG1 (amino acids 384-1008) in Escherichia coli and demonstrated catalytic activity when combined with RAG2. This protein was then used to determine its oligomeric forms and the dissociation constant of binding to the RSS. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that up to three oligomeric complexes of core RAG1 form with a single RSS. Core RAG1 was found to exist as a dimer both when free in solution and as the minimal species bound to the RSS. Competition assays show that RAG1 recognizes both the conserved nonamer and heptamer sequences of the RSS. Zinc analysis shows the core to contain two zinc ions. The purified RAG1 protein overexpressed in E.coli exhibited the expected cleavage activity when combined with RAG2 purified from transfected 293T cells. The high mobility group protein HMG2 is stably incorporated into the recombinant RAG1/RSS complex and can increase the affinity of RAG1 for the RSS in the absence of RAG2.

ManA is regulated by RssAB signaling and promotes motility in Serratia marcescens.

PubMed

Soo, Po-Chi; Horng, Yu-Tze; Chang, Yung-Lin; Tsai, Wei-Wen; Jeng, Wen-Yih; Lu, Chia-Chen; Lai, Hsin-Chih

2014-01-01

Serratia marcescens swarms on 0.8% LB agar at 30 °C but not at 37 °C. To understand the molecular mechanism regulating Serratia swarming, transposon mutagenesis was performed to screen for mutants that swarmed at 37 °C. In one mutant, S. marcescens WW100, the transposon was inserted in the upstream region of manA, which encodes mannose-6-phosphate isomerase, a type I phosphomannose isomerase. The transcriptional and translational levels of manA were higher in S. marcescens WW100 than in the wild-type strain. S. marcescens WW100 produced more serrawettin W1 (biosurfactant) than the wild-type, as detected by thin-layer chromatography, to promote surface motility by reducing surface tension. Serratia swarming was previously shown to be negatively regulated by the RssA-RssB two-component system. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that phosphorylated RssB (the response regulator) binds upstream of the transposon insertion site and manA in S. marcescens WW100. Analysis by real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that, compared to the wild-type level, manA mRNA was increased in the rssA deletion mutant. The results indicated that RssA-RssB signaling directly represses the expression of manA and that overexpression of manA increases the production of serrawettin for Serratia swarming at 37 °C. Copyright © 2013 Institut Pasteur. All rights reserved.

BOREAS RSS-3 Reflectance Measured from a Helicopter-Mounted Barnes MMR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Walthall, Charles L.; Loechel, Sara; deColstoun, Eric Brown

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-3 team acquired helicopter-based radiometric measurements of forested sites with a Barnes MMR. The data were collected in 1994 during the three BOREAS IFCs at numerous tower and auxiliary sites in both the NSA and SSA. The 15-degree FOV of the MMR yielded approximately 79-m ground resolution from an altitude of 300 m. The MMR has seven spectral bands that are similar to the Landsat TM bands, ranging from the blue region to the thermal. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

BOREAS RSS-3 Reflectance Measured from a Helicopter-Mounted SE-590

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Walthall, Charles L.; Loechel, Sara

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-3 team collected multiple remotely sensed data sets from the NASA UH-1 helicopter. This data set includes helicopter-based radiometric measurements of forested sites acquired during BOREAS made with an SE-590 processed to reflectance factors. The data used in this analysis were collected in 1994 during the three BOREAS IFCs at numerous tower and auxiliary sites in both the NSA and the SSA. The 15-degree FOV of the SE-590 yielded a ground resolution of approximately 79 m at the 300-m nominal altitude. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

BOREAS RSS-3 Atmospheric Measurements from a Helicopter-Mounted Sunphotometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Walthall, Charles L.; Loechel, Sara; Halthore, Rangasayi

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-3 team collected and processed helicopter-based measurements of atmospheric conditions to estimates of aerosol optical thickness and atmospheric water vapor. The automatic sun-tracking photometer for helicopters was deployed during all three 1994 IFCs at numerous tower and auxiliary sites in both the NSA and the SSA. Six spectral channels (440, 540, 613, 670, 870, and 1030 nm) were chosen to span the visible and NIR wavelengths and to avoid gaseous absorption. One additional channel, 940 nm, was selected to measure the water column abundance above the helicopter platform. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Surf Reports reported to the Hawaiian Forecast Office

Science.gov Websites

CONTROLLED. Surf Reports from Kauai RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR PER REMARKS Kee Haena 130 PM 2-4 RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR PER WIND REMARKS Diamond Head Waikiki 315 PM 2-3 NE 10-15 from Maui RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR WIND REMARKS Kanaha Baldwin Shor 1035 AM 2-3 NE 10-15

Modeling soil evaporation efficiency in a range of soil and atmospheric conditions using a meta-analysis approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merlin, O.; Stefan, V. G.; Amazirh, A.; Chanzy, A.; Ceschia, E.; Er-Raki, S.; Gentine, P.; Tallec, T.; Ezzahar, J.; Bircher, S.; Beringer, J.; Khabba, S.

2016-05-01

A meta-analysis data-driven approach is developed to represent the soil evaporative efficiency (SEE) defined as the ratio of actual to potential soil evaporation. The new model is tested across a bare soil database composed of more than 30 sites around the world, a clay fraction range of 0.02-0.56, a sand fraction range of 0.05-0.92, and about 30,000 acquisition times. SEE is modeled using a soil resistance (rss) formulation based on surface soil moisture (θ) and two resistance parameters rss,ref and θefolding. The data-driven approach aims to express both parameters as a function of observable data including meteorological forcing, cut-off soil moisture value θ1/2 at which SEE=0.5, and first derivative of SEE at θ1/2, named Δθ1/2-1. An analytical relationship between >(rss,ref;θefolding) and >(θ1/2;Δθ1/2-1>) is first built by running a soil energy balance model for two extreme conditions with rss = 0 and rss˜∞ using meteorological forcing solely, and by approaching the middle point from the two (wet and dry) reference points. Two different methods are then investigated to estimate the pair >(θ1/2;Δθ1/2-1>) either from the time series of SEE and θ observations for a given site, or using the soil texture information for all sites. The first method is based on an algorithm specifically designed to accomodate for strongly nonlinear SEE>(θ>) relationships and potentially large random deviations of observed SEE from the mean observed SEE>(θ>). The second method parameterizes θ1/2 as a multi-linear regression of clay and sand percentages, and sets Δθ1/2-1 to a constant mean value for all sites. The new model significantly outperformed the evaporation modules of ISBA (Interaction Sol-Biosphère-Atmosphère), H-TESSEL (Hydrology-Tiled ECMWF Scheme for Surface Exchange over Land), and CLM (Community Land Model). It has potential for integration in various land-surface schemes, and real calibration capabilities using combined thermal and microwave remote sensing data.

Cytorhabdovirus phosphoprotein shows RNA silencing suppressor activity in plants, but not in insect cells.

PubMed

Mann, Krin S; Johnson, Karyn N; Dietzgen, Ralf G

2015-02-01

RNA silencing in plants and insects provides an antiviral defense and as a countermeasure most viruses encode RNA silencing suppressors (RSS). For the family Rhabdoviridae, no detailed functional RSS studies have been reported in plant hosts and insect vectors. In agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves we show for the first time for a cytorhabdovirus, lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV), that one of the nucleocapsid core proteins, phosphoprotein (P) has relatively weak local RSS activity and delays systemic silencing of a GFP reporter. Analysis of GFP small RNAs indicated that the P protein did not prevent siRNA accumulation. To explore RSS activity in insects, we used a Flock House virus replicon system in Drosophila S2 cells. In contrast to the plant host, LNYV P protein did not exhibit RSS activity in the insect cells. Taken together our results suggest that P protein may target plant-specific components of RNA silencing post siRNA biogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complex tissue-specific epigenotypes in Russell-Silver Syndrome associated with 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation.

PubMed

Azzi, Salah; Blaise, Annick; Steunou, Virginie; Harbison, Madeleine D; Salem, Jennifer; Brioude, Frédéric; Rossignol, Sylvie; Habib, Walid Abi; Thibaud, Nathalie; Neves, Cristina Das; Jule, Marilyne Le; Brachet, Cécile; Heinrichs, Claudine; Bouc, Yves Le; Netchine, Irène

2014-10-01

Russell-Silver Syndrome (RSS) is a prenatal and postnatal growth retardation syndrome caused mainly by 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous in RSS patients with 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation. We previously identified a subset of RSS patients with 11p15 ICR1 and multilocus hypomethylation. Here, we examine the relationships between IGF2 expression, 11p15 ICR1 methylation, and multilocus imprinting defects in various cell types from 39 RSS patients with 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation in leukocyte DNA. 11p15 ICR1 hypomethylation was more pronounced in leukocytes than in buccal mucosa cells. Skin fibroblast IGF2 expression was correlated with the degree of ICR1 hypomethylation. Different tissue-specific multilocus methylation defects coexisted in 38% of cases, with some loci hypomethylated and others hypermethylated within the same cell type in some cases. Our new results suggest that tissue-specific epigenotypes may lead to clinical heterogeneity in RSS. © 2014 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Fusion of Location Fingerprinting and Trilateration Based on the Example of Differential Wi-Fi Positioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retscher, G.

2017-09-01

Positioning of mobile users in indoor environments with Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) has become very popular whereby location fingerprinting and trilateration are the most commonly employed methods. In both the received signal strength (RSS) of the surrounding access points (APs) are scanned and used to estimate the user's position. Within the scope of this study the advantageous qualities of both methods are identified and selected to benefit their combination. By a fusion of these technologies a higher performance for Wi-Fi positioning is achievable. For that purpose, a novel approach based on the well-known Differential GPS (DGPS) principle of operation is developed and applied. This approach for user localization and tracking is termed Differential Wi-Fi (DWi-Fi) by analogy with DGPS. From reference stations deployed in the area of interest differential measurement corrections are derived and applied at the mobile user side. Hence, range or coordinate corrections can be estimated from a network of reference station observations as it is done in common CORS GNSS networks. A low-cost realization with Raspberry Pi units is employed for these reference stations. These units serve at the same time as APs broadcasting Wi-Fi signals as well as reference stations scanning the receivable Wi-Fi signals of the surrounding APs. As the RSS measurements are carried out continuously at the reference stations dynamically changing maps of RSS distributions, so-called radio maps, are derived. Similar as in location fingerprinting this radio maps represent the RSS fingerprints at certain locations. From the areal modelling of the correction parameters in combination with the dynamically updated radio maps the location of the user can be estimated in real-time. The novel approach is presented and its performance demonstrated in this paper.

An IMU-Aided Body-Shadowing Error Compensation Method for Indoor Bluetooth Positioning

PubMed Central

Deng, Zhongliang

2018-01-01

Research on indoor positioning technologies has recently become a hotspot because of the huge social and economic potential of indoor location-based services (ILBS). Wireless positioning signals have a considerable attenuation in received signal strength (RSS) when transmitting through human bodies, which would cause significant ranging and positioning errors in RSS-based systems. This paper mainly focuses on the body-shadowing impairment of RSS-based ranging and positioning, and derives a mathematical expression of the relation between the body-shadowing effect and the positioning error. In addition, an inertial measurement unit-aided (IMU-aided) body-shadowing detection strategy is designed, and an error compensation model is established to mitigate the effect of body-shadowing. A Bluetooth positioning algorithm with body-shadowing error compensation (BP-BEC) is then proposed to improve both the positioning accuracy and the robustness in indoor body-shadowing environments. Experiments are conducted in two indoor test beds, and the performance of both the BP-BEC algorithm and the algorithms without body-shadowing error compensation (named no-BEC) is evaluated. The results show that the BP-BEC outperforms the no-BEC by about 60.1% and 73.6% in terms of positioning accuracy and robustness, respectively. Moreover, the execution time of the BP-BEC algorithm is also evaluated, and results show that the convergence speed of the proposed algorithm has an insignificant effect on real-time localization. PMID:29361718

An IMU-Aided Body-Shadowing Error Compensation Method for Indoor Bluetooth Positioning.

PubMed

Deng, Zhongliang; Fu, Xiao; Wang, Hanhua

2018-01-20

Research on indoor positioning technologies has recently become a hotspot because of the huge social and economic potential of indoor location-based services (ILBS). Wireless positioning signals have a considerable attenuation in received signal strength (RSS) when transmitting through human bodies, which would cause significant ranging and positioning errors in RSS-based systems. This paper mainly focuses on the body-shadowing impairment of RSS-based ranging and positioning, and derives a mathematical expression of the relation between the body-shadowing effect and the positioning error. In addition, an inertial measurement unit-aided (IMU-aided) body-shadowing detection strategy is designed, and an error compensation model is established to mitigate the effect of body-shadowing. A Bluetooth positioning algorithm with body-shadowing error compensation (BP-BEC) is then proposed to improve both the positioning accuracy and the robustness in indoor body-shadowing environments. Experiments are conducted in two indoor test beds, and the performance of both the BP-BEC algorithm and the algorithms without body-shadowing error compensation (named no-BEC) is evaluated. The results show that the BP-BEC outperforms the no-BEC by about 60.1% and 73.6% in terms of positioning accuracy and robustness, respectively. Moreover, the execution time of the BP-BEC algorithm is also evaluated, and results show that the convergence speed of the proposed algorithm has an insignificant effect on real-time localization.

Update on CERN Search based on SharePoint 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, E.; Fernandez, S.; Lossent, A.; Posada, I.; Silva, B.; Wagner, A.

2017-10-01

CERN’s enterprise Search solution “CERN Search” provides a central search solution for users and CERN service providers. A total of about 20 million public and protected documents from a wide range of document collections is indexed, including Indico, TWiki, Drupal, SharePoint, JACOW, E-group archives, EDMS, and CERN Web pages. In spring 2015, CERN Search was migrated to a new infrastructure based on SharePoint 2013. In the context of this upgrade, the document pre-processing and indexing process was redesigned and generalised. The new data feeding framework allows to profit from new functionality and it facilitates the long term maintenance of the system.

Use of RSS feeds for the implementation of clinical reminder.

PubMed

Chi, Wen-Chou; Wen, Chia-Hsien; Lin, Chih-Yu; Poon, Sek-Kwong; Huang, Shih-Che

2012-06-01

A computer-based reminder system can help physicians get right information and make right decisions in daily clinical work in time. This study presents a RSS-based Clinical Reminding System (RCRS) designed for reminding clinicians to deal with their varied unfinished clinical works. The RCRS was implemented in a hospital to automatically generate messages for every clinician on the basis of clinical information gathered from the hospital information system (HIS) and send them by RSS feed. In order to allow all physicians to participate in the project, the RCRS was integrated with the Computerized Physician Order Entry (COPE) system to provide messages whenever a clinician logs in the HIS; the connection on screen lets the clinician easily make some response. The system can help clinicians focus on patient care without keeping track of the schedule of clinical chores stored in various systems. Two physicians, also directors from Clinical Informatics Research & Development Center (CIRD) who were appointed as project leaders of the RCRS project who went through the entire development process were chosen as interviewees to obtain a preliminary evaluation of the system. The results show the "Information Content" of this system was suggested to be modified, and "Information Accuracy", "Formats", "Ease of use" and "Timeliness" of the system were appropriate to meet the system design purposes.

A functional analysis of the spacer of V(D)J recombination signal sequences.

PubMed

Lee, Alfred Ian; Fugmann, Sebastian D; Cowell, Lindsay G; Ptaszek, Leon M; Kelsoe, Garnett; Schatz, David G

2003-10-01

During lymphocyte development, V(D)J recombination assembles antigen receptor genes from component V, D, and J gene segments. These gene segments are flanked by a recombination signal sequence (RSS), which serves as the binding site for the recombination machinery. The murine Jbeta2.6 gene segment is a recombinationally inactive pseudogene, but examination of its RSS reveals no obvious reason for its failure to recombine. Mutagenesis of the Jbeta2.6 RSS demonstrates that the sequences of the heptamer, nonamer, and spacer are all important. Strikingly, changes solely in the spacer sequence can result in dramatic differences in the level of recombination. The subsequent analysis of a library of more than 4,000 spacer variants revealed that spacer residues of particular functional importance are correlated with their degree of conservation. Biochemical assays indicate distinct cooperation between the spacer and heptamer/nonamer along each step of the reaction pathway. The results suggest that the spacer serves not only to ensure the appropriate distance between the heptamer and nonamer but also regulates RSS activity by providing additional RAG:RSS interaction surfaces. We conclude that while RSSs are defined by a "digital" requirement for absolutely conserved nucleotides, the quality of RSS function is determined in an "analog" manner by numerous complex interactions between the RAG proteins and the less-well conserved nucleotides in the heptamer, the nonamer, and, importantly, the spacer. Those modulatory effects are accurately predicted by a new computational algorithm for "RSS information content." The interplay between such binary and multiplicative modes of interactions provides a general model for analyzing protein-DNA interactions in various biological systems.

Democratization in Albania: The OSCE, NATO and the European Union

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

html? maca =en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf (accessed 4 March 2010). 263 Manuel Montobbio de Balanzo, Spanish Ambassador to Albania, http://www.dw- world.de/dw...article/0,,5259561,00.html? maca =en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf (accessed 4 March 2010). 264 Reinhard Priebe, The Western Balkan European Perspective, http...world.de/dw/article/0,,5259561,00.html? maca =en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf (accessed 4 March 2010). European Commission Enlargement, Albania – Questions

Determination of Reynolds Shear Stress Level for Hemolysis.

PubMed

Jhun, Choon-Sik; Stauffer, Megan A; Reibson, John D; Yeager, Eric E; Newswanger, Raymond K; Taylor, Joshua O; Manning, Keefe B; Weiss, William J; Rosenberg, Gerson

Reynolds shear stress (RSS) has served as a metric for the effect of turbulence on hemolysis. Forstrom (1969) and Sallam and Hwang (1984) determined the RSS threshold for hemolysis to be 50,000 and 4,000 dyne/cm, respectively, using a turbulent jet. Despite the order of magnitude discrepancy, the threshold by Sallam and Hwang has been frequently cited for hemolytic potential in blood pumps. We recreated a Sallam apparatus (SA) to resolve this discrepancy and provide additional data to be used in developing a more accurate hemolysis model. Hemolysis was measured over a large range of Reynolds numbers (Re) (Re = 1,000-80,000). Washed bovine red blood cells (RBCs) were injected into the free jet of phosphate buffered saline, and hemolysis was quantified using a percent hemolysis, Hp = h (100 - hematocrit [HCT])/Hb, where h (mg/dl) is free hemoglobin and Hb (mg/dl) is total hemoglobin. Reynolds shear stress was calculated using two-dimensional laser Doppler velocimetry. Reynolds shear stress of ≥30,000 dyne/cm corresponding to Re of ≥60,000 appeared to cause hemolysis (p < 0.05). This RSS is an order of magnitude greater than the RSS threshold that Sallam and Hwang suggested, and it is similar to Forstrom's RSS threshold. This study resolved a long-standing uncertainty regarding the critical values of RSS for hemolysis and may provide a foundation for a more accurate hemolysis model.

A Systematic Analysis on mRNA and MicroRNA Expression in Runting and Stunting Chickens

PubMed Central

Xu, Haiping; Xu, Zhenqiang; Ma, Jinge; Li, Bixiao; Lin, Shudai; Nie, Qinghua; Luo, Qingbin; Zhang, Xiquan

2015-01-01

Runting and stunting syndrome (RSS), which is characterized by lower body weight, widely occurs in broilers. Some RSS chickens simply exhibit slow growth without pathological changes. An increasing number of studies indicate that broiler strains differ in susceptibility to infectious diseases, most likely due to their genetic differences. The objective of this study was to detect the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in RSS and normal chickens. By integrating miRNA with mRNA expression profiling, potential molecular mechanisms involved in RSS could be further explored. Twenty-two known miRNAs and 1,159 genes were differentially expressed in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens (P < 0.05). qPCR validation results displayed similar patterns. The differentially expressed genes were primarily involved in energy metabolism pathways. The antisense transcripts were extensively expressed in chicken liver albeit with reduced abundance. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that gga-miR-30b/c directly target CARS through binding to its 3′UTR. The miR-30b/c: CARS regulation mainly occurred in liver. In thigh muscle and the hypothalamus, miR-30b/c are expressed at higher levels in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens from 2 to 6 w of age, and notably significant differences are observed at 4 w of age. PMID:26010155

Natural language processing and advanced information management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoard, James E.

1989-01-01

Integrating diverse information sources and application software in a principled and general manner will require a very capable advanced information management (AIM) system. In particular, such a system will need a comprehensive addressing scheme to locate the material in its docuverse. It will also need a natural language processing (NLP) system of great sophistication. It seems that the NLP system must serve three functions. First, it provides an natural language interface (NLI) for the users. Second, it serves as the core component that understands and makes use of the real-world interpretations (RWIs) contained in the docuverse. Third, it enables the reasoning specialists (RSs) to arrive at conclusions that can be transformed into procedures that will satisfy the users' requests. The best candidate for an intelligent agent that can satisfactorily make use of RSs and transform documents (TDs) appears to be an object oriented data base (OODB). OODBs have, apparently, an inherent capacity to use the large numbers of RSs and TDs that will be required by an AIM system and an inherent capacity to use them in an effective way.

Cryoelectron tomography of radial spokes in cilia and flagella

PubMed Central

Pigino, Gaia; Bui, Khanh Huy; Maheshwari, Aditi; Lupetti, Pietro; Diener, Dennis

2011-01-01

Radial spokes (RSs) are ubiquitous components in the 9 + 2 axoneme thought to be mechanochemical transducers involved in local control of dynein-driven microtubule sliding. They are composed of >23 polypeptides, whose interactions and placement must be deciphered to understand RS function. In this paper, we show the detailed three-dimensional (3D) structure of RS in situ in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella and Tetrahymena thermophila cilia that we obtained using cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET). We clarify similarities and differences between the three spoke species, RS1, RS2, and RS3, in T. thermophila and in C. reinhardtii and show that part of RS3 is conserved in C. reinhardtii, which only has two species of complete RSs. By analyzing C. reinhardtii mutants, we identified the specific location of subsets of RS proteins (RSPs). Our 3D reconstructions show a twofold symmetry, suggesting that fully assembled RSs are produced by dimerization. Based on our cryo-ET data, we propose models of subdomain organization within the RS as well as interactions between RSPs and with other axonemal components. PMID:22065640

Ringed Seal Search for Global Optimization via a Sensitive Search Model.

PubMed

Saadi, Younes; Yanto, Iwan Tri Riyadi; Herawan, Tutut; Balakrishnan, Vimala; Chiroma, Haruna; Risnumawan, Anhar

2016-01-01

The efficiency of a metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization is based on its ability to search and find the global optimum. However, a good search often requires to be balanced between exploration and exploitation of the search space. In this paper, a new metaheuristic algorithm called Ringed Seal Search (RSS) is introduced. It is inspired by the natural behavior of the seal pup. This algorithm mimics the seal pup movement behavior and its ability to search and choose the best lair to escape predators. The scenario starts once the seal mother gives birth to a new pup in a birthing lair that is constructed for this purpose. The seal pup strategy consists of searching and selecting the best lair by performing a random walk to find a new lair. Affected by the sensitive nature of seals against external noise emitted by predators, the random walk of the seal pup takes two different search states, normal state and urgent state. In the normal state, the pup performs an intensive search between closely adjacent lairs; this movement is modeled via a Brownian walk. In an urgent state, the pup leaves the proximity area and performs an extensive search to find a new lair from sparse targets; this movement is modeled via a Levy walk. The switch between these two states is realized by the random noise emitted by predators. The algorithm keeps switching between normal and urgent states until the global optimum is reached. Tests and validations were performed using fifteen benchmark test functions to compare the performance of RSS with other baseline algorithms. The results show that RSS is more efficient than Genetic Algorithm, Particles Swarm Optimization and Cuckoo Search in terms of convergence rate to the global optimum. The RSS shows an improvement in terms of balance between exploration (extensive) and exploitation (intensive) of the search space. The RSS can efficiently mimic seal pups behavior to find best lair and provide a new algorithm to be used in global optimization problems.

High-Quality T2-Weighted 4-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Radiation Therapy Applications

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

Du, Dongsu; Caruthers, Shelton D.; Glide-Hurst, Carri

2015-06-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to improve triggering efficiency of the prospective respiratory amplitude-triggered 4-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4DMRI) method and to develop a 4DMRI imaging protocol that could offer T2 weighting for better tumor visualization, good spatial coverage and spatial resolution, and respiratory motion sampling within a reasonable amount of time for radiation therapy applications. Methods and Materials: The respiratory state splitting (RSS) and multi-shot acquisition (MSA) methods were analytically compared and validated in a simulation study by using the respiratory signals from 10 healthy human subjects. The RSS method was more effective in improving triggering efficiency.more » It was implemented in prospective respiratory amplitude-triggered 4DMRI. 4DMRI image datasets were acquired from 5 healthy human subjects. Liver motion was estimated using the acquired 4DMRI image datasets. Results: The simulation study showed the RSS method was more effective for improving triggering efficiency than the MSA method. The average reductions in 4DMRI acquisition times were 36% and 10% for the RSS and MSA methods, respectively. The human subject study showed that T2-weighted 4DMRI with 10 respiratory states, 60 slices at a spatial resolution of 1.5 × 1.5 × 3.0 mm{sup 3} could be acquired in 9 to 18 minutes, depending on the individual's breath pattern. Based on the acquired 4DMRI image datasets, the ranges of peak-to-peak liver displacements among 5 human subjects were 9.0 to 12.9 mm, 2.5 to 3.9 mm, and 0.5 to 2.3 mm in superior-inferior, anterior-posterior, and left-right directions, respectively. Conclusions: We demonstrated that with the RSS method, it was feasible to acquire high-quality T2-weighted 4DMRI within a reasonable amount of time for radiation therapy applications.« less

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS): History, Ideology and Its Influences on Indian Policy Towards Pakistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

www.ciaonet.org/pbei/csis/sam/sam55/. 32 Pathak, K. K. Of Jaswant Singh, the BJP and the RSS. Mumbai : The Rajaji Foundation, 2010. Accessed 10 August...common holy ground, a common blood and a common culture . It is also noteworthy to mention that Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs were included in this...martin-marty/hindu-fundamentalism _b_5352547.html . 71 Ibid. 72 Pathak, K. K. Of Jaswant Singh, the BJP and the RSS. Mumbai : The Rajaji

FastStats: Osteoporosis

MedlinePlus

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Trans-oligomerization of duplicated aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases maintains genetic code fidelity under stress.

PubMed

Rubio, Miguel Ángel; Napolitano, Mauro; Ochoa de Alda, Jesús A G; Santamaría-Gómez, Javier; Patterson, Carl J; Foster, Andrew W; Bru-Martínez, Roque; Robinson, Nigel J; Luque, Ignacio

2015-11-16

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) play a key role in deciphering the genetic message by producing charged tRNAs and are equipped with proofreading mechanisms to ensure correct pairing of tRNAs with their cognate amino acid. Duplicated aaRSs are very frequent in Nature, with 25,913 cases observed in 26,837 genomes. The oligomeric nature of many aaRSs raises the question of how the functioning and oligomerization of duplicated enzymes is organized. We characterized this issue in a model prokaryotic organism that expresses two different threonyl-tRNA synthetases, responsible for Thr-tRNA(Thr) synthesis: one accurate and constitutively expressed (T1) and another (T2) with impaired proofreading activity that also generates mischarged Ser-tRNA(Thr). Low zinc promotes dissociation of dimeric T1 into monomers deprived of aminoacylation activity and simultaneous induction of T2, which is active for aminoacylation under low zinc. T2 either forms homodimers or heterodimerizes with T1 subunits that provide essential proofreading activity in trans. These findings evidence that in organisms with duplicated genes, cells can orchestrate the assemblage of aaRSs oligomers that meet the necessities of the cell in each situation. We propose that controlled oligomerization of duplicated aaRSs is an adaptive mechanism that can potentially be expanded to the plethora of organisms with duplicated oligomeric aaRSs. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

BAYESIAN LARGE-SCALE MULTIPLE REGRESSION WITH SUMMARY STATISTICS FROM GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES1

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xiang; Stephens, Matthew

2017-01-01

Bayesian methods for large-scale multiple regression provide attractive approaches to the analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). For example, they can estimate heritability of complex traits, allowing for both polygenic and sparse models; and by incorporating external genomic data into the priors, they can increase power and yield new biological insights. However, these methods require access to individual genotypes and phenotypes, which are often not easily available. Here we provide a framework for performing these analyses without individual-level data. Specifically, we introduce a “Regression with Summary Statistics” (RSS) likelihood, which relates the multiple regression coefficients to univariate regression results that are often easily available. The RSS likelihood requires estimates of correlations among covariates (SNPs), which also can be obtained from public databases. We perform Bayesian multiple regression analysis by combining the RSS likelihood with previously proposed prior distributions, sampling posteriors by Markov chain Monte Carlo. In a wide range of simulations RSS performs similarly to analyses using the individual data, both for estimating heritability and detecting associations. We apply RSS to a GWAS of human height that contains 253,288 individuals typed at 1.06 million SNPs, for which analyses of individual-level data are practically impossible. Estimates of heritability (52%) are consistent with, but more precise, than previous results using subsets of these data. We also identify many previously unreported loci that show evidence for association with height in our analyses. Software is available at https://github.com/stephenslab/rss. PMID:29399241

BOREAS RSS-7 Regional LAI and FPAR Images From 10-Day AVHRR-LAC Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Chen, Jing; Cihlar, Josef

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Remote Sensing Science (BOREAS RSS-7) team collected various data sets to develop and validate an algorithm to allow the retrieval of the spatial distribution of Leaf Area Index (LAI) from remotely sensed images. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) level-4c 10-day composite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images produced at CCRS were used to produce images of LAI and the Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) absorbed by plant canopies for the three summer IFCs in 1994 across the BOREAS region. The algorithms were developed based on ground measurements and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images. The data are stored in binary image format files.

CERN welcomes new members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-08-01

Lithuania is on course to become an associate member of CERN, pending final approval by the Lithuanian parliament. Associate membership will allow representatives of the Baltic nation to take part in meetings of the CERN Council, which oversees the Geneva-based physics lab.

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

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Travels with Mullen

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Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

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Predicting Treatment Outcomes and Responder Subsets in Scleroderma-related Interstitial Lung Disease

PubMed Central

Roth, Michael D.; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Clements, Philip J.; Furst, Daniel E.; Tashkin, Donald P.; Goldin, Jonathan G.; Khanna, Dinesh; Kleerup, Eric C.; Li, Ning; Elashoff, David; Elashoff, Robert E.

2014-01-01

Objectives To identify baseline characteristics of patients with Scleroderma-Related Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD) which predict the most favorable response to a 12-month treatment with oral cyclophosphamide (CYC). Methods Regression analyses were retrospectively applied to the Scleroderma Lung Study data in order to identify baseline characteristics that correlated with the absolute change in %-predicted Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and the placebo-adjusted change in %-predicted FVC over time (the CYC treatment effect). Results Completion of the CYC arm of the Scleroderma Lung Study was associated with a placebo-adjusted improvement in %-predicted FVC of 2.11% at 12 months which increased to 4.16% when patients were followed for another 6 months (p=0.014). Multivariate regression analyses identified the maximal severity of reticular infiltrates on baseline high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT), the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS), and Mahler's Baseline Dyspnea Index (BDI) as independent correlates of treatment response. When patients were stratified based on whether 50% or more of any lung zone was involved by reticular infiltrates on HRCT and/or the presence of a mRSS of at least 23, a subgroup emerged with an average CYC treatment effect of 4.73% at 12 months and 9.81% at 18 months (p<0.001). Conversely, there was no treatment effect (−0.58%) in patients with less severe HRCT findings and a lower mRSS. Conclusions A retrospective analysis of the Scleroderma Lung Study identified the severity of reticular infiltrates on baseline HRCT and the baseline mRSS as patient features that might predict responsiveness to CYC therapy. PMID:21547897

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CERN@school: bringing CERN into the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whyntie, T.; Cook, J.; Coupe, A.; Fickling, R. L.; Parker, B.; Shearer, N.

2016-04-01

CERN@school brings technology from CERN into the classroom to aid with the teaching of particle physics. It also aims to inspire the next generation of physicists and engineers by giving participants the opportunity to be part of a national collaboration of students, teachers and academics, analysing data obtained from detectors based on the ground and in space to make new, curiosity-driven discoveries at school. CERN@school is based around the Timepix hybrid silicon pixel detector developed by the Medipix 2 Collaboration, which features a 300 μm thick silicon sensor bump-bonded to a Timepix readout ASIC. This defines a 256-by-256 grid of pixels with a pitch of 55 μm, the data from which can be used to visualise ionising radiation in a very accessible way. Broadly speaking, CERN@school consists of a web portal that allows access to data collected by the Langton Ultimate Cosmic ray Intensity Detector (LUCID) experiment in space and the student-operated Timepix detectors on the ground; a number of Timepix detector kits for ground-based experiments, to be made available to schools for both teaching and research purposes; and educational resources for teachers to use with LUCID data and detector kits in the classroom. By providing access to cutting-edge research equipment, raw data from ground and space-based experiments, CERN@school hopes to provide the foundation for a programme that meets the many of the aims and objectives of CERN and the project's supporting academic and industrial partners. The work presented here provides an update on the status of the programme as supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. This includes recent results from work with the GridPP Collaboration on using grid resources with schools to run GEANT4 simulations of CERN@school experiments.

SU-D-BRB-01: A Comparison of Learning Methods for Knowledge Based Dose Prediction for Coplanar and Non-Coplanar Liver Radiotherapy

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

Tran, A; Ruan, D; Woods, K

Purpose: The predictive power of knowledge based planning (KBP) has considerable potential in the development of automated treatment planning. Here, we examine the predictive capabilities and accuracy of previously reported KBP methods, as well as an artificial neural networks (ANN) method. Furthermore, we compare the predictive accuracy of these methods on coplanar volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and non-coplanar 4π radiotherapy. Methods: 30 liver SBRT patients previously treated using coplanar VMAT were selected for this study. The patients were re-planned using 4π radiotherapy, which involves 20 optimally selected non-coplanar IMRT fields. ANNs were used to incorporate enhanced geometric information including livermore » and PTV size, prescription dose, patient girth, and proximity to beams. The performance of ANN was compared to three methods from statistical voxel dose learning (SVDL), wherein the doses of voxels sharing the same distance to the PTV are approximated by either taking the median of the distribution, non-parametric fitting, or skew-normal fitting. These three methods were shown to be capable of predicting DVH, but only median approximation can predict 3D dose. Prediction methods were tested using leave-one-out cross-validation tests and evaluated using residual sum of squares (RSS) for DVH and 3D dose predictions. Results: DVH prediction using non-parametric fitting had the lowest average RSS with 0.1176(4π) and 0.1633(VMAT), compared to 0.4879(4π) and 1.8744(VMAT) RSS for ANN. 3D dose prediction with median approximation had lower RSS with 12.02(4π) and 29.22(VMAT), compared to 27.95(4π) and 130.9(VMAT) for ANN. Conclusion: Paradoxically, although the ANNs included geometric features in addition to the distances to the PTV, it did not perform better in predicting DVH or 3D dose compared to simpler, faster methods based on the distances alone. The study further confirms that the prediction of 4π non-coplanar plans were more accurate than VMAT. NIH R43CA183390 and R01CA188300.« less

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STS-117 Rotating Service Structure move

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

Workers on Launch Pad 39A get ready to begin the movement of the rotating service structure above them. The RSS has not been rotated for more than a year during the maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15.

Sub-Cellular Localization and Complex Formation by Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Cyanobacteria: Evidence for Interaction of Membrane-Anchored ValRS with ATP Synthase.

PubMed

Santamaría-Gómez, Javier; Ochoa de Alda, Jesús A G; Olmedo-Verd, Elvira; Bru-Martínez, Roque; Luque, Ignacio

2016-01-01

tRNAs are charged with cognate amino acids by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) and subsequently delivered to the ribosome to be used as substrates for gene translation. Whether aminoacyl-tRNAs are channeled to the ribosome by transit within translational complexes that avoid their diffusion in the cytoplasm is a matter of intense investigation in organisms of the three domains of life. In the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, the valyl-tRNA synthetase (ValRS) is anchored to thylakoid membranes by means of the CAAD domain. We have investigated whether in this organism ValRS could act as a hub for the nucleation of a translational complex by attracting other aaRSs to the membranes. Out of the 20 aaRSs, only ValRS was found to localize in thylakoid membranes whereas the other enzymes occupied the soluble portion of the cytoplasm. To investigate the basis for this asymmetric distribution of aaRSs, a global search for proteins interacting with the 20 aaRSs was conducted. The interaction between ValRS and the FoF1 ATP synthase complex here reported is of utmost interest and suggests a functional link between elements of the gene translation and energy production machineries.

Implementation of the Regulatory Authority Information System in Egypt

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

Carson, S.D.; Schetnan, R.; Hasan, A.

2006-07-01

As part of the implementation of a bar-code-based system to track radioactive sealed sources (RSS) in Egypt, the Regulatory Authority Information System Personal Digital Assistant (RAIS PDA) Application was developed to extend the functionality of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) RAIS database by allowing users to download RSS data from the database to a portable PDA equipped with a bar-code scanner. [1, 4] The system allows users in the field to verify radioactive sealed source data, gather radioactive sealed source audit information, and upload that data to the RAIS database. This paper describes the development of the RAIS PDAmore » Application, its features, and how it will be implemented in Egypt. (authors)« less

Ringed Seal Search for Global Optimization via a Sensitive Search Model

PubMed Central

Saadi, Younes; Yanto, Iwan Tri Riyadi; Herawan, Tutut; Balakrishnan, Vimala; Chiroma, Haruna; Risnumawan, Anhar

2016-01-01

The efficiency of a metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization is based on its ability to search and find the global optimum. However, a good search often requires to be balanced between exploration and exploitation of the search space. In this paper, a new metaheuristic algorithm called Ringed Seal Search (RSS) is introduced. It is inspired by the natural behavior of the seal pup. This algorithm mimics the seal pup movement behavior and its ability to search and choose the best lair to escape predators. The scenario starts once the seal mother gives birth to a new pup in a birthing lair that is constructed for this purpose. The seal pup strategy consists of searching and selecting the best lair by performing a random walk to find a new lair. Affected by the sensitive nature of seals against external noise emitted by predators, the random walk of the seal pup takes two different search states, normal state and urgent state. In the normal state, the pup performs an intensive search between closely adjacent lairs; this movement is modeled via a Brownian walk. In an urgent state, the pup leaves the proximity area and performs an extensive search to find a new lair from sparse targets; this movement is modeled via a Levy walk. The switch between these two states is realized by the random noise emitted by predators. The algorithm keeps switching between normal and urgent states until the global optimum is reached. Tests and validations were performed using fifteen benchmark test functions to compare the performance of RSS with other baseline algorithms. The results show that RSS is more efficient than Genetic Algorithm, Particles Swarm Optimization and Cuckoo Search in terms of convergence rate to the global optimum. The RSS shows an improvement in terms of balance between exploration (extensive) and exploitation (intensive) of the search space. The RSS can efficiently mimic seal pups behavior to find best lair and provide a new algorithm to be used in global optimization problems. PMID:26790131

Resting State Synchrony in Long-Term Abstinent Alcoholics

PubMed Central

Camchong, Jazmin; Stenger, Andy; Fein, George

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND Alcohol dependence (ALC) is a disorder with an impulsive and compulsive “drive” towards alcohol consumption and an inability to inhibit alcohol consumption. Neuroimaging studies suggest that these behavioral components correspond to an increased involvement of regions that mediate appetitive drive and reduced involvement of regions that mediate executive control within top-down networks. Little is known, however, about whether these characteristics are present after long periods of abstinence. METHODS Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected to examine resting state synchrony (RSS) differences between 23 long-term abstinent alcoholics (LTAA; 8 females, age: M=48.46, SD=7.10), and 23 non-substance abusing controls (NSAC; 8 females, age: M=47.99, SD=6.70). Using seed-based measures, we examined resting-state synchrony with the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). All participants were assessed with the intra/extradimensional set shift task outside of the scanner to explore the relationship between RSS and cognitive flexibility. RESULTS Compared to NSAC, LTAA showed (a) decreased synchrony of limbic reward regions (e.g., caudate and thalamus) with both the ACC seed and the NAcc seed and (b) increased synchrony of executive control regions (e.g., DLPFC) with both the NAcc seed and the subgenual ACC seed. RSS differences were significantly correlated with task performance. CONCLUSIONS The results are consistent with an interpretation of an ongoing compensatory mechanism in long-term abstinent alcoholics evident during rest, in which decision making networks show reduced synchrony with appetitive drive regions and increased synchrony with inhibitory control regions. In addition, RSS differences were associated with cognitive flexibility. These resting state findings indicate an adaptive mechanism present in long-term abstinence that may facilitate the behavioral control required for to maintain abstinence. PMID:22725701

Expression of geminiviral AC2 RNA silencing suppressor changes sugar and jasmonate responsive gene expression in transgenic tobacco plants

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background RNA-silencing is a conserved gene regulation and surveillance machinery, which in plants, is also used as major defence mechanism against viruses. Various virus-specific dsRNA structures are recognized by the silencing machinery leading to degradation of the viral RNAs or, as in case of begomoviruses, to methylation of their DNA genomes. Viruses produce specific RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) proteins to prevent these host defence mechanisms, and as these interfere with the silencing machinery they also disturb the endogenous silencing reactions. In this paper, we describe how expression of AC2 RSS, derived from African cassava mosaic geminivirus changes transcription profile in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves and in flowers. Results Expression of AC2 RSS in transgenic tobacco plants induced clear phenotypic changes both in leaves and in flowers. Transcriptomes of these plants were strongly altered, with total of 1118 and 251 differentially expressed genes in leaves and flowers, respectively. The three most up-regulated transcript groups were related to stress, cell wall modifications and signalling, whereas the three most down-regulated groups were related to translation, photosynthesis and transcription. It appears that many of the gene expression alterations appeared to be related to enhanced biosynthesis of jasmonate and ethylene, and consequent enhancement of the genes and pathways that are regulated by these hormones, or to the retrograde signalling caused by the reduced photosynthetic activity and sugar metabolism. Comparison of these results to a previous transcriptional profiling of HC-Pro RSS-expressing plants revealed that some of same genes were induced by both RSSs, but their expression levels were typically higher in AC2 than in HC-Pro RSS expressing plants. All in all, a large number of transcript alterations were found to be specific to each of the RSS expressing transgenic plants. Conclusions AC2 RSS in transgenic tobacco plants interferes with the silencing machinery. It causes stress and defence reactions for instance via induction of the jasmonate and ethylene biosynthesis, and by consequent gene expression alteration regulated by these hormones. The changed sugar metabolism may cause significant down-regulation of genes encoding ribosomal proteins, thus reducing the general translation level. PMID:23130567

KSC-07pd0200

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers on Launch Pad 39A get ready to begin the movement of the rotating service structure above them. The RSS has not been rotated for more than a year during the maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

High performance N2O4/amine elements: Blowapart

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawver, B. R.

1977-01-01

The mechanisms controlling hypergolic propellant reactive stream separation (RRS) were studied and used to develop design criteria for injectors free from both steady state RSS and cyclic propellant stream separation. This was accomplished through the analysis of single element injectors using N204/MMH propellants; the injectors were representative of the space shuttle orbit maneuvering engine and space tug applications. A gas phase/surface reaction mechanism which controls RSS was identified. Injector design criteria were developed, which defined a critical chamber pressure for those operating conditions above which RSS occurs. It was found that the amount of interfacial surface area at impingement is controlled by injector hydraulics.

A Smartphone Indoor Localization Algorithm Based on WLAN Location Fingerprinting with Feature Extraction and Clustering.

PubMed

Luo, Junhai; Fu, Liang

2017-06-09

With the development of communication technology, the demand for location-based services is growing rapidly. This paper presents an algorithm for indoor localization based on Received Signal Strength (RSS), which is collected from Access Points (APs). The proposed localization algorithm contains the offline information acquisition phase and online positioning phase. Firstly, the AP selection algorithm is reviewed and improved based on the stability of signals to remove useless AP; secondly, Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) is analyzed and used to remove the data redundancy and maintain useful characteristics for nonlinear feature extraction; thirdly, the Affinity Propagation Clustering (APC) algorithm utilizes RSS values to classify data samples and narrow the positioning range. In the online positioning phase, the classified data will be matched with the testing data to determine the position area, and the Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimate will be employed for precise positioning. Eventually, the proposed algorithm is implemented in a real-world environment for performance evaluation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm improves the accuracy and computational complexity.

Chicken astrovirus as an aetiological agent of runting-stunting syndrome in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung-Il; Linnemann, Erich; Icard, Alan H; Durairaj, Vijay; Mundt, Egbert; Sellers, Holly S

2018-04-01

Despite descriptions of runting-stunting syndrome (RSS) in broiler chickens dating back over 40 years, the aetiology has not yet been described. A novel chicken astrovirus (CkAstV) was isolated in an LMH liver cell line from the intestines of chickens affected with RSS. Clinical RSS is characterized by retarded growth and cystic crypt lesions in the small intestine. In 1-day-old broiler chickens infected with the CkAstV isolate, virus was only detected in the intestinal epithelial cells during the first few days after infection. Notably, the preferred host cells are the crypt epithelial cells following initial replication in the villous epithelial cells, thus implying viral preference for immature intestinal cells. Nevertheless, the CkAstV isolate did not induce remarkable pathological changes, despite the presence of the virus in situ. Serial chicken-to-chicken passages of the virus induced increased virulence, as displayed by decreased weight gain and the presence of cystic lesions in the small intestine reproducing clinical RSS in chickens. The analysis of the full-length genome sequences from the isolated CkAstV and the CkAstV from the bird-to-bird passages showed >99 % similarity. The data obtained in this study suggest that the CkAstV isolate is capable of inducing RSS following serial bird-to-bird passages in broilers and is as an aetiological agent of the disease.

Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deringer, Volker L.; Pickard, Chris J.; Csányi, Gábor

2018-04-01

The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β -rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.

Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron.

PubMed

Deringer, Volker L; Pickard, Chris J; Csányi, Gábor

2018-04-13

The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β-rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.

Syndicated RSS Feeds for Course Information Distribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glotzbach, Ronald J.; Mordkovich, Dorina A.; Radwan, Jaime E.

2008-01-01

Students in higher education today are technologically savvy and expect faculty to use myriad web technologies for course delivery. This includes taking advantage of email, course web sites, and online learning communities. However, expectations now also include RSS, blogs, web-, pod-, and vod-casting, extending the classroom experience to provide…

Rural Sociology at the Crossroads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krannich, Richard S.

2008-01-01

A complex array of socio-historical, demographic, and organizational factors have combined in recent years to threaten both the current status of and future prospects for the discipline of rural sociology, and for the Rural Sociological Society (RSS). This paper examines the somewhat problematic recent trajectories of the RSS as a professional…

Really Simple Syndication (RSS): An Educational Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glotzbach, Ronald J.; Mohler, James L.; Radwan, Jaime E.

2009-01-01

Today's post-secondary students are technologically savvy and they expect faculty to use myriad web technologies for course delivery. This includes taking advantage of email, course web sites, and online learning communities. However, expectations now also include RSS, blogs, web- and pod-casting, extending the classroom experience to provide…

BOREAS RSS-2 Extracted Reflectance Factors Derived from ASAS Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Dabney, P.; Kovalick, W.; Graham, D.; Bur, Michael; Irons, James R.; Tierney, M.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-2 team derived atmospherically corrected bidirectional reflectance factor means from multispectral, multiangle ASAS imagery for small homogeneous areas near several BOREAS sites. The ASAS imagery was acquired from the C-130 aircraft platform in 1994 and 1996. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Protein Translation Enzyme lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Presents a New Target for Drug Development against Causative Agents of Loiasis and Schistosomiasis.

PubMed

Sharma, Arvind; Sharma, Manmohan; Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit

2016-11-01

Helminth parasites are an assemblage of two major phyla of nematodes (also known as roundworms) and platyhelminths (also called flatworms). These parasites are a major human health burden, and infections caused by helminths are considered under neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These infections are typified by limited clinical treatment options and threat of drug resistance. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are vital enzymes that decode genetic information and enable protein translation. The specific inhibition of pathogen aaRSs bores well for development of next generation anti-parasitics. Here, we have identified and annotated aaRSs and accessory proteins from Loa loa (nematode) and Schistosoma mansoni (flatworm) to provide a glimpse of these protein translation enzymes within these parasites. Using purified parasitic lysyl-tRNA synthetases (KRSs), we developed series of assays that address KRS enzymatic activity, oligomeric states, crystal structure and inhibition profiles. We show that L. loa and S. mansoni KRSs are potently inhibited by the fungal metabolite cladosporin. Our co-crystal structure of Loa loa KRS-cladosporin complex reveals key interacting residues and provides a platform for structure-based drug development. This work hence provides a new direction for both novel target discovery and inhibitor development against eukaryotic pathogens that include L. loa and S. mansoni.

Protein Translation Enzyme lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Presents a New Target for Drug Development against Causative Agents of Loiasis and Schistosomiasis

PubMed Central

Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit

2016-01-01

Helminth parasites are an assemblage of two major phyla of nematodes (also known as roundworms) and platyhelminths (also called flatworms). These parasites are a major human health burden, and infections caused by helminths are considered under neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). These infections are typified by limited clinical treatment options and threat of drug resistance. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are vital enzymes that decode genetic information and enable protein translation. The specific inhibition of pathogen aaRSs bores well for development of next generation anti-parasitics. Here, we have identified and annotated aaRSs and accessory proteins from Loa loa (nematode) and Schistosoma mansoni (flatworm) to provide a glimpse of these protein translation enzymes within these parasites. Using purified parasitic lysyl-tRNA synthetases (KRSs), we developed series of assays that address KRS enzymatic activity, oligomeric states, crystal structure and inhibition profiles. We show that L. loa and S. mansoni KRSs are potently inhibited by the fungal metabolite cladosporin. Our co-crystal structure of Loa loa KRS-cladosporin complex reveals key interacting residues and provides a platform for structure-based drug development. This work hence provides a new direction for both novel target discovery and inhibitor development against eukaryotic pathogens that include L. loa and S. mansoni. PMID:27806050

MASTRE trajectory code update to automate flight trajectory design, performance predictions, and vehicle sizing for support of shuttle and shuttle derived vehicles: Programmers manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The information required by a programmer using the Minimum Hamiltonian AScent Trajectory Evaluation (MASTRE) Program is provided. This document enables the programmer to either modify the program or convert the program to computers other than the VAX computer. Documentation for each subroutine or function based on providing the definitions of the variables and a source listing are included. Questions concerning the equations, techniques, or input requirements should be answered by either the Engineering or User's manuals. Three appendices are also included which provide a listing of the Root-Sum-Square (RSS) program, a listing of subroutine names and definitions used in the MASTRE User Friendly Interface Program, and listing of the subroutine names and definitions used in the Mass Properties Program. The RSS Program is used to aid in the performance of dispersion analyses. The RSS program reads a file generated by the MASTRE Program, calculates dispersion parameters, and generates output tables and output plot files. UFI Program provides a screen user interface to aid the user in providing input to the model. The Mass Properties Program defines the mass properties data for the MASTRE program through the use of user interface software.

BOREAS RSS-8 Snow Maps Derived from Landsat TM Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Dorothy; Chang, Alfred T. C.; Foster, James L.; Chien, Janeet Y. L.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Remote Sensing Science (RSS)-8 team utilized Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images to perform mapping of snow extent over the Southern Study Area (SSA). This data set consists of two Landsat TM images that were used to determine the snow-covered pixels over the BOREAS SSA on 18 Jan 1993 and on 06 Feb 1994. The data are stored in binary image format files. The RSS-08 snow map data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Repeated-Sprint Sequences During Female Soccer Matches Using Fixed and Individual Speed Thresholds.

PubMed

Nakamura, Fábio Y; Pereira, Lucas A; Loturco, Irineu; Rosseti, Marcelo; Moura, Felipe A; Bradley, Paul S

2017-07-01

Nakamura, FY, Pereira, LA, Loturco, I, Rosseti, M, Moura, FA, and Bradley, PS. Repeated-sprint sequences during female soccer matches using fixed and individual speed thresholds. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1802-1810, 2017-The main objective of this study was to characterize the occurrence of single sprint and repeated-sprint sequences (RSS) during elite female soccer matches, using fixed (20 km·h) and individually based speed thresholds (>90% of the mean speed from a 20-m sprint test). Eleven elite female soccer players from the same team participated in the study. All players performed a 20-m linear sprint test, and were assessed in up to 10 official matches using Global Positioning System technology. Magnitude-based inferences were used to test for meaningful differences. Results revealed that irrespective of adopting fixed or individual speed thresholds, female players produced only a few RSS during matches (2.3 ± 2.4 sequences using the fixed threshold and 3.3 ± 3.0 sequences using the individually based threshold), with most sequences composing of just 2 sprints. Additionally, central defenders performed fewer sprints (10.2 ± 4.1) than other positions (fullbacks: 28.1 ± 5.5; midfielders: 21.9 ± 10.5; forwards: 31.9 ± 11.1; with the differences being likely to almost certainly associated with effect sizes ranging from 1.65 to 2.72), and sprinting ability declined in the second half. The data do not support the notion that RSS occurs frequently during soccer matches in female players, irrespective of using fixed or individual speed thresholds to define sprint occurrence. However, repeated-sprint ability development cannot be ruled out from soccer training programs because of its association with match-related performance.

Section Editors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groep, D. L.; Bonacorsi, D.

2014-06-01

1. Data Acquisition, Trigger and Controls Niko NeufeldCERNniko.neufeld@cern.ch Tassos BeliasDemokritosbelias@inp.demokritos.gr Andrew NormanFNALanorman@fnal.gov Vivian O'DellFNALodell@fnal.gov 2. Event Processing, Simulation and Analysis Rolf SeusterTRIUMFseuster@cern.ch Florian UhligGSIf.uhlig@gsi.de Lorenzo MonetaCERNLorenzo.Moneta@cern.ch Pete ElmerPrincetonpeter.elmer@cern.ch 3. Distributed Processing and Data Handling Nurcan OzturkU Texas Arlingtonnurcan@uta.edu Stefan RoiserCERNstefan.roiser@cern.ch Robert IllingworthFNAL Davide SalomoniINFN CNAFDavide.Salomoni@cnaf.infn.it Jeff TemplonNikheftemplon@nikhef.nl 4. Data Stores, Data Bases, and Storage Systems David LangeLLNLlange6@llnl.gov Wahid BhimjiU Edinburghwbhimji@staffmail.ed.ac.uk Dario BarberisGenovaDario.Barberis@cern.ch Patrick FuhrmannDESYpatrick.fuhrmann@desy.de Igor MandrichenkoFNALivm@fnal.gov Mark van de SandenSURF SARA sanden@sara.nl 5. Software Engineering, Parallelism & Multi-Core Solveig AlbrandLPSC/IN2P3solveig.albrand@lpsc.in2p3.fr Francesco GiacominiINFN CNAFfrancesco.giacomini@cnaf.infn.it Liz SextonFNALsexton@fnal.gov Benedikt HegnerCERNbenedikt.hegner@cern.ch Simon PattonLBNLSJPatton@lbl.gov Jim KowalkowskiFNAL jbk@fnal.gov 6. Facilities, Infrastructures, Networking and Collaborative Tools Maria GironeCERNMaria.Girone@cern.ch Ian CollierSTFC RALian.collier@stfc.ac.uk Burt HolzmanFNALburt@fnal.gov Brian Bockelman U Nebraskabbockelm@cse.unl.edu Alessandro de SalvoRoma 1Alessandro.DeSalvo@ROMA1.INFN.IT Helge MeinhardCERN Helge.Meinhard@cern.ch Ray PasetesFNAL rayp@fnal.gov Steven GoldfarbU Michigan Steven.Goldfarb@cern.ch

Integrating RSS Feeds of New Books into the Campus Course Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrado, Edward M.; Moulaison, Heather L.

2006-01-01

By integrating RSS feeds of new books into their campus' course management system, the authors, a systems librarian (Corrado) and a cataloging/modern languages librarian (Moulaison) at the The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), simplified initial research and spotlighted the library's collections. Faculty members are flocking to this award-winning…

E-Mail Alerts and RSS Feeds for Distance Learning Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washburn, Allyson; Howell, Scott L.

2008-01-01

This article describes how E-Mail Alerts and RSS feeds can be helpful tools for busy distance education administrators by helping them to efficiently sort through the research and news information that is now available. These tools and their respective filters and aggregators make it possible for busy distance education administrators to stay…

Your Personal Learning Network: Professional Development on Demand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, William I.

2010-01-01

Web 2.0 tools and resources can enhance our efficiency and effectiveness as music educators, supporting personal learning networks for ongoing professional growth and development. This article includes (a) an explanation of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and the use of an RSS reader/aggregator; (b) a discussion of blogs, podcasts, wikis,…

CERN automatic audio-conference service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierra Moral, Rodrigo

2010-04-01

Scientists from all over the world need to collaborate with CERN on a daily basis. They must be able to communicate effectively on their joint projects at any time; as a result telephone conferences have become indispensable and widely used. Managed by 6 operators, CERN already has more than 20000 hours and 5700 audio-conferences per year. However, the traditional telephone based audio-conference system needed to be modernized in three ways. Firstly, to provide the participants with more autonomy in the organization of their conferences; secondly, to eliminate the constraints of manual intervention by operators; and thirdly, to integrate the audio-conferences into a collaborative working framework. The large number, and hence cost, of the conferences prohibited externalization and so the CERN telecommunications team drew up a specification to implement a new system. It was decided to use a new commercial collaborative audio-conference solution based on the SIP protocol. The system was tested as the first European pilot and several improvements (such as billing, security, redundancy...) were implemented based on CERN's recommendations. The new automatic conference system has been operational since the second half of 2006. It is very popular for the users and has doubled the number of conferences in the past two years.

Doppler Radar National Mosaic - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Select to go to the NWS homepage National Weather Service Site Map News select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings

Forecasts - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

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Observations - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

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Warnings/Watches - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

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NOAA's National Hydrologic Assessment

Science.gov Websites

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National Maps - Pacific - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

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Weather Education/Outreach - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

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Careers in Weather - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Select to go to the NWS homepage National Weather Service Site Map News

RSS Made Easy with Engaged Patrons and Yahoo! Pipes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widner, Melissa

2010-01-01

Jasper County Public Library in Indiana had started using EngagedPatrons.org (EP) in 2007. EP is a low-cost technology solution providing online events calendars, RSS feeds, database support, and other web services to connect libraries to their users. It was created in 2006 by Glenn Peterson, who also designs the feature-rich websites for…

Reusable Software Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Timothy E.

1995-01-01

The objective of the Reusable Software System (RSS) is to provide NASA Langley Research Center and its contractor personnel with a reusable software technology through the Internet. The RSS is easily accessible, provides information that is extractable, and the capability to submit information or data for the purpose of scientific research at NASA Langley Research Center within the Atmospheric Science Division.

Mapping Remote and Multidisciplinary Learning Barriers: Lessons from "Challenge-Based Innovation" at CERN

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin

2018-01-01

This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design…

Commissioning of a CERN Production and Analysis Facility Based on xrootd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, Simone; van der Ster, Daniel C.; Di Girolamo, Alessandro; Peters, Andreas J.; Duellmann, Dirk; Coelho Dos Santos, Miguel; Iven, Jan; Bell, Tim

2011-12-01

The CERN facility hosts the Tier-0 of the four LHC experiments, but as part of WLCG it also offers a platform for production activities and user analysis. The CERN CASTOR storage technology has been extensively tested and utilized for LHC data recording and exporting to external sites according to experiments computing model. On the other hand, to accommodate Grid data processing activities and, more importantly, chaotic user analysis, it was realized that additional functionality was needed including a different throttling mechanism for file access. This paper will describe the xroot-based CERN production and analysis facility for the ATLAS experiment and in particular the experiment use case and data access scenario, the xrootd redirector setup on top of the CASTOR storage system, the commissioning of the system and real life experience for data processing and data analysis.

A review of physical security robotics at Sandia National Laboratories

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

Roerig, S.C.

1990-01-01

As an outgrowth of research into physical security technologies, Sandia is investigating the role of robotics in security systems. Robotics may allow more effective utilization of guard forces, especially in scenarios where personnel would be exposed to harmful environments. Robots can provide intrusion detection and assessment functions for failed sensors or transient assets, can test existing fixed site sensors, and can gather additional intelligence and dispense delaying elements. The Robotic Security Vehicle (RSV) program for DOE/OSS is developing a fieldable prototype for an exterior physical security robot based upon a commercial four wheel drive vehicle. The RSV will be capablemore » of driving itself, being driven remotely, or being driven by an onboard operator around a site and will utilize its sensors to alert an operator to unusual conditions. The Remote Security Station (RSS) program for the Defense Nuclear Agency is developing a proof-of-principle robotic system which will be used to evaluate the role, and associated cost, of robotic technologies in exterior security systems. The RSS consists of an independent sensor pod, a mobile sensor platform and a control and display console. Sensor data fusion is used to optimize the system's intrusion detection performance. These programs are complementary, the RSV concentrates on developing autonomous mobility, while the RSS thrust is on mobile sensor employment. 3 figs.« less

Instability and associated roll structure of Marangoni convection in high Prandtl number liquid bridge with large aspect ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, T.; Nishino, K.; Kawamura, H.; Ueno, I.; Matsumoto, S.

2015-02-01

This paper reports the experimental results on the instability and associated roll structures (RSs) of Marangoni convection in liquid bridges formed under the microgravity environment on the International Space Station. The geometry of interest is high aspect ratio (AR = height/diameter ≥ 1.0) liquid bridges of high Prandtl number fluids (Pr = 67 and 207) suspended between coaxial disks heated differentially. The unsteady flow field and associated RSs were revealed with the three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry. It is found that the flow field after the onset of instability exhibits oscillations with azimuthal mode number m = 1 and associated RSs traveling in the axial direction. The RSs travel in the same direction as the surface flow (co-flow direction) for 1.00 ≤ AR ≤ 1.25 while they travel in the opposite direction (counter-flow direction) for AR ≥ 1.50, thus showing the change of traveling directions with AR. This traveling direction for AR ≥ 1.50 is reversed to the co-flow direction when the temperature difference between the disks is increased to the condition far beyond the critical one. This change of traveling directions is accompanied by the increase of the oscillation frequency. The characteristics of the RSs for AR ≥ 1.50, such as the azimuthal mode of oscillation, the dimensionless oscillation frequency, and the traveling direction, are in reasonable agreement with those of the previous sounding rocket experiment for AR = 2.50 and those of the linear stability analysis of an infinite liquid bridge.

Results of an Internet-Based Dual-Frequency Global Differential GPS System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muellerschoen, R.; Bertiger, W.; Lough, M.

2000-01-01

Observables from a global network of 18 GPS receivers are returned in real-time to JPL over the open Internet. 30 - 40 cm RSS global GPS orbits and precise dual-frequency GPS clocks are computed in real-time with JPL's Real Time Gipsy (RTG) software.

A Low Cost Course Information Syndication System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajayi, A. O.; Olajubu, E. A.; Bello, S. A.; Soriyan, H. A.; Obamuyide, A. V.

2011-01-01

This study presents a cost effective, reliable, and convenient mobile web-based system to facilitate the dissemination of course information to students, to support interaction that goes beyond the classroom. The system employed the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology and was developed using Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology.…

Representation of Dormant and Active Microbial Dynamics for Ecosystem Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, G.; Mayes, M. A.; Gu, L.; Schadt, C. W.

2013-12-01

Experimental observations and modeling efforts have shown that dormancy is likely a common strategy for microorganisms to contend with environmental stress. We review the state-of-the-art in modeling approaches for microbial dormancy and discuss the rationales of these models. We proved that the physiological state index model is not appropriate for describing transformation between active and dormant states. Based on the generally accepted assumptions summarized from ten existing models, we postulated a new synthetic microbial physiology component within the Microbial-ENzyme-mediated Decomposition (MEND) model. Both the steady state active fraction (rss) and substrate saturation level (Øss) positively depend on two physiological indices: α and β. The index α = mR /(μG+ mR), where μG and mR represent the maximum specific growth and maintenance rates, respectively, for active microbes. β denotes the ratio of dormant to active maintenance rate. The rss equals to Øss only under the condition of β→0, and they are identical to α. When substrate availability is the only limiting factor, the maximum rss is ca. 0.5 with α≤0.5 and β ≤0.01. This threshold value (0.5) of rss (not dynamic r) can explain the low active microbial fractions observed in undisturbed soils. The applications of the improved model to a 14C-labeled glucose induced respiration dataset and a batch experimental dataset show satisfactory model performance. We found that the exponential growth respiration rates can only be used to determine μG and initial active microbial biomass (Ba0), thus we suggest using respiration data representing both exponential growth and non-accelerating phases to robustly determine other important parameters such as initial total live microbial biomass (B0), initial active fraction (r0), μG, α, and the half-saturation constant (Ks). Similar improved representations of microbial physiology should be incorporated into existing ecosystem models in order to account for the significance of dormancy in microbially-mediated processes.

Automatic meta-data collection of STP observation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikura, S.; Kimura, E.; Murata, K.; Kubo, T.; Shinohara, I.

2006-12-01

For the geo-science and the STP (Solar-Terrestrial Physics) studies, various observations have been done by satellites and ground-based observatories up to now. These data are saved and managed at many organizations, but no common procedure and rule to provide and/or share these data files. Researchers have felt difficulty in searching and analyzing such different types of data distributed over the Internet. To support such cross-over analyses of observation data, we have developed the STARS (Solar-Terrestrial data Analysis and Reference System). The STARS consists of client application (STARS-app), the meta-database (STARS- DB), the portal Web service (STARS-WS) and the download agent Web service (STARS DLAgent-WS). The STARS-DB includes directory information, access permission, protocol information to retrieve data files, hierarchy information of mission/team/data and user information. Users of the STARS are able to download observation data files without knowing locations of the files by using the STARS-DB. We have implemented the Portal-WS to retrieve meta-data from the meta-database. One reason we use the Web service is to overcome a variety of firewall restrictions which is getting stricter in recent years. Now it is difficult for the STARS client application to access to the STARS-DB by sending SQL query to obtain meta- data from the STARS-DB. Using the Web service, we succeeded in placing the STARS-DB behind the Portal- WS and prevent from exposing it on the Internet. The STARS accesses to the Portal-WS by sending the SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) request over HTTP. Meta-data is received as a SOAP Response. The STARS DLAgent-WS provides clients with data files downloaded from data sites. The data files are provided with a variety of protocols (e.g., FTP, HTTP, FTPS and SFTP). These protocols are individually selected at each site. The clients send a SOAP request with download request messages and receive observation data files as a SOAP Response with DIME-Attachment. By introducing the DLAgent-WS, we overcame the problem that the data management policies of each data site are independent. Another important issue to be overcome is how to collect the meta-data of observation data files. So far, STARS-DB managers have added new records to the meta-database and updated them manually. We have had a lot of troubles to maintain the meta-database because observation data are generated every day and the quantity of data files increases explosively. For that purpose, we have attempted to automate collection of the meta-data. In this research, we adopted the RSS 1.0 (RDF Site Summary) as a format to exchange meta-data in the STP fields. The RSS is an RDF vocabulary that provides a multipurpose extensible meta-data description and is suitable for syndication of meta-data. Most of the data in the present study are described in the CDF (Common Data Format), which is a self- describing data format. We have converted meta-information extracted from the CDF data files into RSS files. The program to generate the RSS files is executed on data site server once a day and the RSS files provide information of new data files. The RSS files are collected by RSS collection server once a day and the meta- data are stored in the STARS-DB.

Mission Statement - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and

National Maps - Alaska - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings current Forecast for Alaska is produced by the NWS Anchorage Forecast Office. It is updated daily Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and

Feed Me! Rethinking Traditional Modes of Library Access and Content Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchens, Chad; Clark, Jason

2008-01-01

At their core, XML feeds are content-delivery vehicles. This fact has not always been highlighted in library conversations surrounding RSS and ATOM. The authors have looked to extend the conversation by offering a proof of concept application using RSS as a means to deliver all types of library data: PDFs, docs, images, video--to people where and…

Creation and Validation of the Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale in a Depression Trial

PubMed Central

Miner, Adam S.; Schueller, Stephen M.; Lattie, Emily G.; Mohr, David C.

2015-01-01

The Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale (CB-RSS) is a self-report measure of the use and helpfulness of several cognitive and behavioral skills. Unlike other measures that focus on language specific to terms used in therapy, the CB-RSS was intended to tap the strategies in ways that might be understandable to those who had not undergone therapy. The measure was included in a clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression and completed by 325 participants at baseline and end of treatment (18 weeks). Psychometric properties of the scale were assessed through iterative exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. These analyses identified two subscales, cognitive and behavioral skills, each with high reliability. Validity was addressed by investigating relationships with depression symptoms, positive affect, perceived stress, and coping self-efficacy. End of treatment scores predicted changes in all outcomes, with the largest relationships between baseline CB-RSS scales and coping self-efficacy. These findings suggest that the CB-RSS is a useful tool to measure cognitive and behavioral skills both at baseline (prior to treatment) as well as during the course of treatment. Keywords: Development, Validation, Telehealth PMID:26553147

Creation and validation of the Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale in a depression trial.

PubMed

Miner, Adam S; Schueller, Stephen M; Lattie, Emily G; Mohr, David C

2015-12-30

The Cognitive and Behavioral Response to Stress Scale (CB-RSS) is a self-report measure of the use and helpfulness of several cognitive and behavioral skills. Unlike other measures that focus on language specific to terms used in therapy, the CB-RSS was intended to tap the strategies in ways that might be understandable to those who had not undergone therapy. The measure was included in a clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression and completed by 325 participants at baseline and end of treatment (18 weeks). Psychometric properties of the scale were assessed through iterative exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. These analyses identified two subscales, cognitive and behavioral skills, each with high reliability. Validity was addressed by investigating relationships with depression symptoms, positive affect, perceived stress, and coping self-efficacy. End of treatment scores predicted changes in all outcomes, with the largest relationships between baseline CB-RSS scales and coping self-efficacy. These findings suggest that the CB-RSS is a useful tool to measure cognitive and behavioral skills both at baseline (prior to treatment) as well as during the course of treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing Multiple Wireless Sensor Networks for Large-Scale Radio Tomography

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

with other transceivers over a wireless frequency. A base station transceiver collects the information and processes the information into something...or most other obstructions in between the two links [4]. A base station transceiver is connected to a processing computer to collect the RSS of each... transceivers at four different heights to create a Three-Dimensional (3-D) RTI network. Using shadowing- based RTI, this research demonstrated that RTI

Public Lecture

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

An outreach activity is being organized by the Turkish community at CERN, on 5 June 2010 at CERN Main Auditorium. The activity consists of several talks that will take 1.5h in total. The main goal of the activity will be describing the CERN based activities and experiments as well as stimulating the public's attention to the science related topics. We believe the wide communication of the event has certain advantages especially for the proceeding membership process of Turkey.

Identification and on-line monitoring of reduced sulphur species (RSS) by voltammetry in oxic waters.

PubMed

Superville, Pierre-Jean; Pižeta, Ivanka; Omanović, Dario; Billon, Gabriel

2013-08-15

Based on automatic on-line measurements on the Deûle River that showed daily variation of a peak around -0.56V (vs Ag|AgCl 3M), identification of Reduced Sulphur Species (RSS) in oxic waters was performed applying cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) with the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). Pseudopolarographic studies accompanied with increasing concentrations of copper revealed the presence of elemental sulphur S(0), thioacetamide (TA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as the main sulphur compounds in the Deûle River. In order to resolve these three species, a simple procedure was developed and integrated in an automatic on-line monitoring system. During one week monitoring with hourly measurements, GSH and S(0) exhibited daily cycles whereas no consequential pattern was observed for TA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Innovative Structural Mode Selection Methodology: Application for the X-33 Launch Vehicle Finite Element Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hidalgo, Homero, Jr.

2000-01-01

An innovative methodology for determining structural target mode selection and mode selection based on a specific criterion is presented. An effective approach to single out modes which interact with specific locations on a structure has been developed for the X-33 Launch Vehicle Finite Element Model (FEM). We presented Root-Sum-Square (RSS) displacement method computes resultant modal displacement for each mode at selected degrees of freedom (DOF) and sorts to locate modes with highest values. This method was used to determine modes, which most influenced specific locations/points on the X-33 flight vehicle such as avionics control components, aero-surface control actuators, propellant valve and engine points for use in flight control stability analysis and for flight POGO stability analysis. Additionally, the modal RSS method allows for primary or global target vehicle modes to also be identified in an accurate and efficient manner.

Handheld Synthetic Array Final Report, Part A

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Measurement Unit 4/143 IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers KF Kalman Filter KL Kullback - Leibler LAMBDA Least-squares... testing the algorithms for the LOS AN wireless beamforming. Given a good set of feature points, the ego-motion is sufficiently accurate to... of little value to the overall SLAM and the RSS observables are used instead. While individual RSS measurements are low in information value, the

NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

select the go button to submit request City, St Go Sign-up for Email Alerts RSS Feeds RSS Feeds Warnings prepares the Annual Flood Loss summary for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 Skip Navigation Links weather.gov NOAA logo-Select to go to the NOAA homepage National Oceanic and

High performance N2O4/amine elements: Data dump covering. Task 1: Literature review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, W. S.; Nurick, W. H.

1974-01-01

The phenomenon of reactive stream separation (RSS) in the N2O4/amine earth-storable propellant combinations is reviewed. Early theoretical models of RSS are presented, as are experimental combustion data under simulated rocket conditions. N2O4/amine combustion chemistry data is also provided. More recent work in the development of a comprehensive model is described.

Exhaustive methylation analysis revealed uneven profiles of methylation at IGF2/ICR1/H19 11p15 loci in Russell Silver syndrome.

PubMed

Azzi, Salah; Steunou, Virginie; Tost, Jörg; Rossignol, Sylvie; Thibaud, Nathalie; Das Neves, Cristina; Le Jule, Marilyne; Habib, Walid Abi; Blaise, Annick; Koudou, Yves; Busato, Florence; Le Bouc, Yves; Netchine, Irène

2015-01-01

The structural organisation of the human IGF2/ICR1/H19 11p15 domain is very complex, and the mechanisms underlying its regulation are poorly understood. The Imprinted Center Region 1 (ICR1) contains seven binding sites for the zinc-finger protein CTCF (CBS: CTCF Binding Sites); three additional differentially methylated regions (DMR) are located at the H19 promoter (H19DMR) and two in the IGF2 gene (DMR0 and DMR2), respectively. Loss of imprinting at the IGF2/ICR1/H19 domain results in two growth disorders with opposite phenotypes: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Russell Silver syndrome (RSS). Despite the IGF2/ICR1/H19 locus being widely studied, the extent of hypomethylation across the domain remains not yet addressed in patients with RSS. We assessed a detailed investigation of the methylation status of the 11p15 ICR1 CBS1-7, IGF2DMR0 and H19DMR (H19 promoter) in a population of controls (n=50) and RSS carrying (n=104) or not (n=65) carrying a hypomethylation at the 11p15 ICR1 region. The methylation indexes (MI) were balanced at all regions in the control population and patients with RSS without any as yet identified molecular anomaly. Interestingly, patients with RSS with ICR1 hypomethylation showed uneven profiles of methylation among the CBSs and DMRs. Furthermore, normal MIs at CBS1 and CBS7 were identified in 9% of patients. The hypomethylation does not spread equally throughout the IGF2/ICR1/H19 locus, and some loci could have normal MI, which may lead to underdiagnosis of patients with RSS with ICR1 hypomethylation. The uneven pattern of methylation suggests that some CBSs may play different roles in the tridimensional chromosomal looping regulation of this locus. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Implementation of Bubble CPAP in a Rural Ugandan Neonatal ICU.

PubMed

McAdams, Ryan M; Hedstrom, Anna B; DiBlasi, Robert M; Mant, Jill E; Nyonyintono, James; Otai, Christine D; Lester, Debbie A; Batra, Maneesh

2015-03-01

Respiratory distress is a leading cause of neonatal death in low-income and middle-income countries. CPAP is a simple and effective respiratory support modality used to support neonates with respiratory failure and can be used in low-income and middle-income countries. The goal of this study was to describe implementation of the Silverman-Andersen respiratory severity score (RSS) and bubble CPAP in a rural Ugandan neonatal NICU. We sought to determine whether physicians and nurses in a low-income/middle-income setting would assign similar RSS in neonates after an initial training period and over time. We describe the process of training NICU staff to use the RSS to assist in decision making regarding initiation, titration, and termination of bubble CPAP for neonates with respiratory distress. Characteristics of all neonates with respiratory failure treated with bubble CPAP in a rural Ugandan NICU from January to June 2012 are provided. Nineteen NICU staff members (4 doctors and 15 nurses) received RSS training. After this, the Spearman correlation coefficient for respiratory severity scoring between doctor and nurse was 0.73. Twenty-one infants, all < 3 d of age, were treated with CPAP, with 17 infants starting on the day of birth. The majority of infants (16/21, 76%) were preterm, 10 (48%) were <1,500 g (birthweight), and 13 (62%) were outborn. The most common diagnoses were respiratory distress syndrome (16/21, 76%) and birth asphyxia (5/21, 24%). The average RSS was 7.4 ± 1.3 before starting CPAP, 5.2 ± 2.3 after 2-4 h of CPAP, 4.9 ± 2.7 after 12-24 h of CPAP, and 3.5 ± 1.9 before CPAP was discontinued. Duration of treatment with CPAP averaged 79 ± 43 h. Approximately half (11/21, 52%) of infants treated with CPAP survived to discharge. Implementing bubble CPAP in a low-income/middle-income setting is feasible. The RSS may be a simple and useful tool for monitoring a neonate's respiratory status and for guiding CPAP management. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Earth Science Datacasting v2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bingham, Andrew W.; Deen, Robert G.; Hussey, Kevin J.; Stough, Timothy M.; McCleese, Sean W.; Toole, Nicholas T.

2012-01-01

The Datacasting software, which consists of a server and a client, has been developed as part of the Earth Science (ES) Datacasting project. The goal of ES Datacasting is to provide scientists the ability to automatically and continuously download Earth science data that meets a precise, predefined need, and then to instantaneously visualize it on a local computer. This is achieved by applying the concept of podcasting to deliver science data over the Internet using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) XML feeds. By extending the RSS specification, scientists can filter a feed and only download the files that are required for a particular application (for example, only files that contain information about a particular event, such as a hurricane or flood). The extension also provides the ability for the client to understand the format of the data and visualize the information locally. The server part enables a data provider to create and serve basic Datacasting (RSS-based) feeds. The user can subscribe to any number of feeds, view the information related to each item contained within a feed (including browse pre-made images), manually download files associated with items, and place these files in a local store. The client-server architecture enables users to: a) Subscribe and interpret multiple Datacasting feeds (same look and feel as a typical mail client), b) Maintain a list of all items within each feed, c) Enable filtering on the lists based on different metadata attributes contained within the feed (list will reference only data files of interest), d) Visualize the reference data and associated metadata, e) Download files referenced within the list, and f) Automatically download files as new items become available.

Service management at CERN with Service-Now

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toteva, Z.; Alvarez Alonso, R.; Alvarez Granda, E.; Cheimariou, M.-E.; Fedorko, I.; Hefferman, J.; Lemaitre, S.; Clavo, D. Martin; Martinez Pedreira, P.; Pera Mira, O.

2012-12-01

The Information Technology (IT) and the General Services (GS) departments at CERN have decided to combine their extensive experience in support for IT and non-IT services towards a common goal - to bring the services closer to the end user based on Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practice. The collaborative efforts have so far produced definitions for the incident and the request fulfilment processes which are based on a unique two-dimensional service catalogue that combines both the user and the support team views of all services. After an extensive evaluation of the available industrial solutions, Service-now was selected as the tool to implement the CERN Service-Management processes. The initial release of the tool provided an attractive web portal for the users and successfully implemented two basic ITIL processes; the incident management and the request fulfilment processes. It also integrated with the CERN personnel databases and the LHC GRID ticketing system. Subsequent releases continued to integrate with other third-party tools like the facility management systems of CERN as well as to implement new processes such as change management. Independently from those new development activities it was decided to simplify the request fulfilment process in order to achieve easier acceptance by the CERN user community. We believe that due to the high modularity of the Service-now tool, the parallel design of ITIL processes e.g., event management and non-ITIL processes, e.g., computer centre hardware management, will be easily achieved. This presentation will describe the experience that we have acquired and the techniques that were followed to achieve the CERN customization of the Service-Now tool.

How to create successful Open Hardware projects — About White Rabbits and open fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Bij, E.; Arruat, M.; Cattin, M.; Daniluk, G.; Gonzalez Cobas, J. D.; Gousiou, E.; Lewis, J.; Lipinski, M. M.; Serrano, J.; Stana, T.; Voumard, N.; Wlostowski, T.

2013-12-01

CERN's accelerator control group has embraced ''Open Hardware'' (OH) to facilitate peer review, avoid vendor lock-in and make support tasks scalable. A web-based tool for easing collaborative work was set up and the CERN OH Licence was created. New ADC, TDC, fine delay and carrier cards based on VITA and PCI-SIG standards were designed and drivers for Linux were written. Often industry was paid for developments, while quality and documentation was controlled by CERN. An innovative timing network was also developed with the OH paradigm. Industry now sells and supports these designs that find their way into new fields.

Quantification of hardness, elasticity and viscosity of the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis using a novel sensing device (Vesmeter): a proposal for a new outcome measurement procedure.

PubMed

Kuwahara, Y; Shima, Y; Shirayama, D; Kawai, M; Hagihara, K; Hirano, T; Arimitsu, J; Ogata, A; Tanaka, T; Kawase, I

2008-07-01

No objective method to measure skin involvement in SSc has been established. We developed a novel method using a computer-linked device to simultaneously quantify physical properties of the skin such as hardness, elasticity and viscosity. Skin hardness was calculated by measuring the depth of an indenter pressed onto the skin. The Voigt model was used to calculate skin elasticity, viscosity, visco-elastic ratio and relaxation time by analysing the waveform of skin surface behaviour. The results were compared with the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) obtained at 17 sites on the bodies of 20 SSc patients and 20 healthy controls. A functional assessment questionnaire was administered to determine how skin hardness represents a patient's disability. We also examined intra- and inter-observer variability to determine the reliability of this method. The crude hardness obtained with this device correlated well with the standard hardness specified by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM, r = 0.957). A close relationship between hardness and total mRSS was also observed (r = 0.832). Skin elasticity correlated positively, and relaxation time negatively with mRSS. Functional disability correlated more closely with skin hardness (r = 0.643) than with mRSS (r = 0.517). Intra- and inter-observer variabilities were 7.63 and 19.76%, respectively, which were lower than those reported for mRSS. Increases in hardness and elasticity as well as shortening of relaxation time constitute objective characteristics of skin involvement in SSc. The system devised by us proved to be able to assess skin abnormalities of SSc with high reliability.

Perceived stigma is a critical factor for interictal aggression in people with epilepsy.

PubMed

Seo, Jong-Geun; Kim, Jeong-Min; Park, Sung-Pa

2015-03-01

Aggression in people with epilepsy (PWE) is not well understood. We investigated interictal aggression in PWE and clarified predictors and the interrelationships among them. This was a case-control study. Eligible subjects who consecutively visited the epilepsy clinic completed several questionnaires including the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Revised Stigma Scale (RSS), the Korean version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (K-NDDI-E), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). PWEs had higher overall AQ scores and anger and hostility subscale scores than controls. Patients with uncontrolled epilepsy also had higher physical and verbal aggression subscale scores than controls. Univariate analyses revealed associations between the overall AQ score and job, household income, marriage, antiepileptic drug (AED) load, seizure control, co-administration of psychiatric drugs, the RSS score, the K-NDDI-E score, and the GAD-7 score. Multivariate analyses indicated that the strongest predictor for the overall AQ score was the RSS score (β=0.346, p<0.001), followed by the GAD-7 score (β=0.244, p=0.003), and the K-NDDI-E score (β=0.172, p=0.047). The RSS score exerted a direct effect on the overall AQ score under the influences of the GAD-7 score and the K-NDDI-E score. The GAD-7 score also exerted a direct effect on the overall AQ score, but the K-NDDI-E score only had an indirect effect on the overall AQ score through the RSS score. The degree of interictal aggression is higher in PWE than controls. Perceived stigma is a critical factor for aggression under the influence of depression and anxiety. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A nationwide, cross-sectional survey on unusual sleep postures and sleep-disordered breathing-related symptoms in people with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Kuroda, H; Sawatari, H; Ando, S; Ohkusa, T; Rahmawati, A; Ono, J; Nishizaka, M; Hashiguchi, N; Matsuoka, F; Chishaki, A

2017-07-01

People with Down syndrome (DS) often have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Unusual sleep postures, such as leaning forward and sitting, are observed in people with DS. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of unusual sleep postures and their relationships with SDB-related symptoms (SDB-RSs), such as snoring, witnessed apnoea, nocturnal awakening and excessive daytime sleepiness. A questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and the presence of unusual sleep postures, as well as SDB-RSs, was completed by 1149 parents of people with DS from Japan. Unusual sleep postures were recorded in 483 (42.0%) people with DS. These participants were significantly younger and had a history of low muscle tone more frequently than people without unusual sleep postures. In all ages, the leaning forward posture was more frequent than sitting. People with DS with unusual sleep postures suffered from SDB-RSs. Those who slept in the sitting posture had more frequent SDB-RSs than did those who slept with the leaning forward posture. Snoring, witnessed apnoea and nocturnal awakening were observed in 73.6, 27.2 and 58.2% of participants, respectively. Snoring increased with aging. Witnessed apnoea was more common in males and in those with hypothyroidism than in females and in those without hypothyroidism. Our study shows that there is a close relationship between unusual sleep postures and SDB-RSs. We recommend that all people with DS with unusual sleep postures should be checked for the presence of SDB. © 2017 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multilocus methylation analysis in a large cohort of 11p15-related foetal growth disorders (Russell Silver and Beckwith Wiedemann syndromes) reveals simultaneous loss of methylation at paternal and maternal imprinted loci.

PubMed

Azzi, Salah; Rossignol, Sylvie; Steunou, Virginie; Sas, Theo; Thibaud, Nathalie; Danton, Fabienne; Le Jule, Maryline; Heinrichs, Claudine; Cabrol, Sylvie; Gicquel, Christine; Le Bouc, Yves; Netchine, Irene

2009-12-15

Genomic imprinting plays an important role in mammalian development. Loss of imprinting (LOI) through loss (LOM) or gain (GOM) of methylation is involved in many human disorders and cancers. The imprinted 11p15 region is crucial for the control of foetal growth and LOI at this locus is implicated in two clinically opposite disorders: Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) with foetal overgrowth associated with an enhanced tumour risk and Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) with intrauterine and postnatal growth restriction. So far, only a few studies have assessed multilocus LOM in human imprinting diseases. To investigate multilocus LOI syndrome, we studied the methylation status of five maternally and two paternally methylated loci in a large series (n = 167) of patients with 11p15-related foetal growth disorders. We found that 9.5% of RSS and 24% of BWS patients showed multilocus LOM at regions other than ICR1 and ICR2 11p15, respectively. Moreover, over two third of multilocus LOM RSS patients also had LOM at a second paternally methylated locus, DLK1/GTL2 IG-DMR. No additional clinical features due to LOM of other loci were found suggesting an (epi)dominant effect of the 11p15 LOM on the clinical phenotype for this series of patients. Surprisingly, four patients displayed LOM at both ICR1 and ICR2 11p15. Three of them had a RSS and one a BWS phenotype. Our results show for the first time that multilocus LOM can also concern RSS patients. Moreover, LOM can involve both paternally and maternally methylated loci in the same patient.

Teaching pain recognition through art: the Ramsay-Caravaggio sedation scale.

PubMed

Poropat, Federico; Cozzi, Giorgio; Magnolato, Andrea; Monasta, Lorenzo; Borrometi, Fabio; Krauss, Baruch; Ventura, Alessandro; Barbi, Egidio

2018-01-31

Clinical observation is a key component of medical ability, enabling immediate evaluation of the patient's emotional state and contributing to a clinical clue that leads to final decision making. In medical schools, the art of learning to look can be taught using medical humanities and especially visual arts. By presenting a Ramsay sedation score (RSS) integrated with Caravaggio's paintings during a procedural sedation conference for pediatric residents, we want to test the effectiveness of this approach to improve the quality of learning. In this preliminary study, we presented videos showing sedated pediatric patients in the setting of a procedural sedation lesson to two randomized groups of residents, one attending a lesson on RSS explained through the masterpieces of Caravaggio, the other without artistic support. A week later we tested their learning with ten multi-choice questions focused on theoretical questions about sedation monitoring and ten more questions focused on recognizing the appropriate RSS viewing the videos. The primary outcome was the comparison of the total number of RSS layers properly recognized in both groups. We also evaluated the appreciation of the residents of the use of works of art integrated with the lesson. Eleven students were randomized to each group. Two residents in the standard lesson did not attend the test. The percentage of correct answers on the theoretical part was similar, 82% in the art group and 89% in the other (p > 0.05). No difference was found in the video recognition part of the RSS recognition test. Residents exposed to paintings shown great appreciation for the integration of the lesson with the Caravaggio's masterpieces. Adding artwork to a standard medical conference does not improve the performance of student tests, although this approach has been greatly appreciated by residents.

Characterization of the RNA silencing suppression activity of the Ebola virus VP35 protein in plants and mammalian cells.

PubMed

Zhu, Yali; Cherukuri, Nil Celebi; Jackel, Jamie N; Wu, Zetang; Crary, Monica; Buckley, Kenneth J; Bisaro, David M; Parris, Deborah S

2012-03-01

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a lethal hemorrhagic fever for which there is no approved effective treatment or prevention strategy. EBOV VP35 is a virulence factor that blocks innate antiviral host responses, including the induction of and response to alpha/beta interferon. VP35 is also an RNA silencing suppressor (RSS). By inhibiting microRNA-directed silencing, mammalian virus RSSs have the capacity to alter the cellular environment to benefit replication. A reporter gene containing specific microRNA target sequences was used to demonstrate that prior expression of wild-type VP35 was able to block establishment of microRNA silencing in mammalian cells. In addition, wild-type VP35 C-terminal domain (CTD) protein fusions were shown to bind small interfering RNA (siRNA). Analysis of mutant proteins demonstrated that reporter activity in RSS assays did not correlate with their ability to antagonize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) or bind siRNA. The results suggest that enhanced reporter activity in the presence of VP35 is a composite of nonspecific translational enhancement and silencing suppression. Moreover, most of the specific RSS activity in mammalian cells is RNA binding independent, consistent with VP35's proposed role in sequestering one or more silencing complex proteins. To examine RSS activity in a system without interferon, VP35 was tested in well-characterized plant silencing suppression assays. VP35 was shown to possess potent plant RSS activity, and the activities of mutant proteins correlated strongly, but not exclusively, with RNA binding ability. The results suggest the importance of VP35-protein interactions in blocking silencing in a system (mammalian) that cannot amplify dsRNA.

Improving the clinical management of women with borderline tumours: a recurrence risk scoring system from a French multicentre study.

PubMed

Ouldamer, L; Bendifallah, S; Nikpayam, M; Body, G; Fritel, X; Uzan, C; Morice, P; Daraï, E; Ballester, M

2017-05-01

To develop a risk scoring system (RSS) for predicting recurrence in women with borderline ovarian tumours (BOTs). Cohort study of women with BOTs. French multicentre tertiary care centres. A cohort of 360 women with BOTs who received primary surgical treatment between January 2000 and December 2013. Clinical and pathological factors affecting recurrence in women with BOTs. The development of a model for the prediction of recurrence in women with BOTs. Overall the recurrence rate was 20.0% (72/360). Recurrence was associated with five variables: age < 45 years; preoperative serum tumour marker CA125 > 150 IU/mL; a serous histological subtype; International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage other than IA; and ovarian surgery other than bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO; i.e. cystectomy and unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). These variables were included in the RSS and assigned scores ranging from 0 to 6. The discrimination of the RSS was 0.82 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.79-0.85). A total score of 8 points corresponded to the optimal threshold of the RSS, with a rate of recurrence of 11.8% (35/297) and 58.7% (37/63) for women at low risk (<8 points) and women at high risk (≥8 points), respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 85.0%. This study shows that the risk of BOT recurrence can be accurately predicted so that women at high risk can benefit from adapted surgical treatment. Our RSS permitted women with BOTs at low risk to be distinguished from women with BOTs at high risk of recurrence. © 2017 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

CERN and 60 years of science for peace

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

Heuer, Rolf-Dieter, E-mail: Rolf.Heuer@cern.ch

2015-02-24

This paper presents CERN as it celebrates its 60{sup th} Anniversary since its founding. The presentation first discusses the mission of CERN and its role as an inter-governmental Organization. The paper also reviews aspects of the particle physics research programme, looking at both current and future accelerator-based facilities at the high-energy and intensity frontiers. Finally, the paper considers issues beyond fundamental research, such as capacity-building and the interface between Art and Science.

Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments.

PubMed

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-12-02

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means.

Coordinate-Based Clustering Method for Indoor Fingerprinting Localization in Dense Cluttered Environments

PubMed Central

Liu, Wen; Fu, Xiao; Deng, Zhongliang

2016-01-01

Indoor positioning technologies has boomed recently because of the growing commercial interest in indoor location-based service (ILBS). Due to the absence of satellite signal in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), various technologies have been proposed for indoor applications. Among them, Wi-Fi fingerprinting has been attracting much interest from researchers because of its pervasive deployment, flexibility and robustness to dense cluttered indoor environments. One challenge, however, is the deployment of Access Points (AP), which would bring a significant influence on the system positioning accuracy. This paper concentrates on WLAN based fingerprinting indoor location by analyzing the AP deployment influence, and studying the advantages of coordinate-based clustering compared to traditional RSS-based clustering. A coordinate-based clustering method for indoor fingerprinting location, named Smallest-Enclosing-Circle-based (SEC), is then proposed aiming at reducing the positioning error lying in the AP deployment and improving robustness to dense cluttered environments. All measurements are conducted in indoor public areas, such as the National Center For the Performing Arts (as Test-bed 1) and the XiDan Joy City (Floors 1 and 2, as Test-bed 2), and results show that SEC clustering algorithm can improve system positioning accuracy by about 32.7% for Test-bed 1, 71.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 1 and 73.7% for Test-bed 2 Floor 2 compared with traditional RSS-based clustering algorithms such as K-means. PMID:27918454

Reversible stress softening of collagen based networks from the jumbo squid mantle (Dosidicus gigas).

PubMed

Torres, F G; Troncoso, O P; Rivas, E R; Gomez, C G; Lopez, D

2014-04-01

Dosidicus gigas is the largest and one of the most abundant jumbo squids in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In this paper we have studied the muscle of the mantle of D. gigas (DGM). Morphological, thermal and rheological properties were assessed by means of atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and oscillatory rheometry. This study allowed us to assess the morphological and rheological properties of a collagen based network occurring in nature. The results showed that the DGM network displays a nonlinear effect called reversible stress softening (RSS) that has been previously described for other types of biological structures such as naturally occurring cellulose networks and actin networks. We propose that the RSS could play a key role on the way jumbo squids withstand hydrostatic pressure. The results presented here confirm that this phenomenon occurs in a wider number of materials than previously thought, all of them exhibiting different size scales as well as physical conformation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lightning Mapping With an Array of Fast Antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ting; Wang, Daohong; Takagi, Nobuyuki

2018-04-01

Fast Antenna Lightning Mapping Array (FALMA), a low-frequency lightning mapping system comprising an array of fast antennas, was developed and established in Gifu, Japan, during the summer of 2017. Location results of two hybrid flashes and a cloud-to-ground flash comprising 11 return strokes (RSs) are described in detail in this paper. Results show that concurrent branches of stepped leaders can be readily resolved, and K changes and dart leaders with speeds up to 2.4 × 107 m/s are also well imaged. These results demonstrate that FALMA can reconstruct three-dimensional structures of lightning flashes with great details. Location accuracy of FALMA is estimated by comparing the located striking points of successive RSs in cloud-to-ground flashes. Results show that distances between successive RSs are mainly below 25 m, indicating exceptionally high location accuracy of FALMA.

Canoe: An Autonomous Infrastructure-Free Indoor Navigation System.

PubMed

Dong, Kai; Wu, Wenjia; Ye, Haibo; Yang, Ming; Ling, Zhen; Yu, Wei

2017-04-30

The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated research in indoor navigation systems, a majority of which rely on adequate wireless signals and sources. Nonetheless, deploying such a system requires periodic site-survey, which is time consuming and labor intensive. To address this issue, in this paper we present Canoe , an indoor navigation system that considers shopping mall scenarios. In our system, we do not assume any prior knowledge, such as floor-plan or the shop locations, access point placement or power settings, historical RSS measurements or fingerprints, etc. Instead, Canoe requires only that the shop owners collect and publish RSS values at the entrances of their shops and can direct a consumer to any of these shops by comparing the observed RSS values. The locations of the consumers and the shops are estimated using maximum likelihood estimation. In doing this, the direction of the target shop relative to the current orientation of the consumer can be precisely computed, such that the direction that a consumer should move can be determined. We have conducted extensive simulations using a real-world dataset. Our experiments in a real shopping mall demonstrate that if 50% of the shops publish their RSS values, Canoe can precisely navigate a consumer within 30 s, with an error rate below 9%.

Canoe: An Autonomous Infrastructure-Free Indoor Navigation System

PubMed Central

Dong, Kai; Wu, Wenjia; Ye, Haibo; Yang, Ming; Ling, Zhen; Yu, Wei

2017-01-01

The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated research in indoor navigation systems, a majority of which rely on adequate wireless signals and sources. Nonetheless, deploying such a system requires periodic site-survey, which is time consuming and labor intensive. To address this issue, in this paper we present Canoe, an indoor navigation system that considers shopping mall scenarios. In our system, we do not assume any prior knowledge, such as floor-plan or the shop locations, access point placement or power settings, historical RSS measurements or fingerprints, etc. Instead, Canoe requires only that the shop owners collect and publish RSS values at the entrances of their shops and can direct a consumer to any of these shops by comparing the observed RSS values. The locations of the consumers and the shops are estimated using maximum likelihood estimation. In doing this, the direction of the target shop relative to the current orientation of the consumer can be precisely computed, such that the direction that a consumer should move can be determined. We have conducted extensive simulations using a real-world dataset. Our experiments in a real shopping mall demonstrate that if 50% of the shops publish their RSS values, Canoe can precisely navigate a consumer within 30 s, with an error rate below 9%. PMID:28468291

Prior video game utilization is associated with improved performance on a robotic skills simulator.

PubMed

Harbin, Andrew C; Nadhan, Kumar S; Mooney, James H; Yu, Daohai; Kaplan, Joshua; McGinley-Hence, Nora; Kim, Andrew; Gu, Yiming; Eun, Daniel D

2017-09-01

Laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, two forms of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), have recently experienced a large increase in utilization. Prior studies have shown that video game experience (VGE) may be associated with improved laparoscopic surgery skills; however, similar data supporting a link between VGE and proficiency on a robotic skills simulator (RSS) are lacking. The objective of our study is to determine whether volume or timing of VGE had any impact on RSS performance. Pre-clinical medical students completed a comprehensive questionnaire detailing previous VGE across several time periods. Seventy-five subjects were ultimately evaluated in 11 training exercises on the daVinci Si Skills Simulator. RSS skill was measured by overall score, time to completion, economy of motion, average instrument collision, and improvement in Ring Walk 3 score. Using the nonparametric tests and linear regression, these metrics were analyzed for systematic differences between non-users, light, and heavy video game users based on their volume of use in each of the following four time periods: past 3 months, past year, past 3 years, and high school. Univariate analyses revealed significant differences between heavy and non-users in all five performance metrics. These trends disappeared as the period of VGE went further back. Our study showed a positive association between video game experience and robotic skills simulator performance that is stronger for more recent periods of video game use. The findings may have important implications for the evolution of robotic surgery training.

RF Bearing Estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

are the main design drivers. Techniques based on ultrasonic and infrared signal modalities have short range and require line-of-sight. Clearly, RF...generating a Doppler shifted RF signal . The small frequency change can be measured even on low cost resource constrained nodes using a radio...is already included in the power budget and RF range is superior to most other signals . Radio signal strength (RSS) based approaches are the most

BOREAS RSS-11 Ground Network of Sunphotometer Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markham, Brian L.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Schafer, Joel; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-11 team operated a network of five automated (Cimel) and two hand-held (Miami) solar radiometers from 1994 to 1996 during the BOREAS field campaigns. The data provide aerosol optical depth measurements, size distribution, phase function, and column water vapor amounts over points in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. The data are useful for the correction of remotely sensed aircraft and satellite images. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Optimization and performance of the Robert Stobie Spectrograph Near-InfraRed detector system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosby, Gregory; Indahl, Briana; Eggen, Nathan; Wolf, Marsha; Hooper, Eric; Jaehnig, Kurt; Thielman, Don; Burse, Mahesh

2018-01-01

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we are building and testing the near-infrared (NIR) spectrograph for the Southern African Large Telescope-RSS-NIR. RSS-NIR will be an enclosed cooled integral field spectrograph. The RSS-NIR detector system uses a HAWAII-2RG (H2RG) HgCdTe detector from Teledyne controlled by the SIDECAR ASIC and an Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCCA) ISDEC card. We have successfully characterized and optimized the detector system and report on the optimization steps and performance of the system. We have reduced the CDS read noise to ˜20 e- for 200 kHz operation by optimizing ASIC settings. We show an additional factor of 3 reduction of read noise using Fowler sampling techniques and a factor of 2 reduction using up-the-ramp group sampling techniques. We also provide calculations to quantify the conditions for sky-limited observations using these sampling techniques.

NGA: GNS Home

Science.gov Websites

NGA Home NGA Home NGA Home NGA Banner NGA Banner GNS Survey GNS Survey Label GNS Survey Tooltip Home News What's New? RSS for Headlines What's Coming? GNS Survey GNS Search OGC Viewer Page Text Based names, etc. This page will function properly with most modern browsers. GNS Offered Services GNS SURVEY

Adoption of Library 2.0 Functionalities by Academic Libraries and Users: A Knowledge Management Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yong-Mi; Abbas, June

2010-01-01

This study investigates the adoption of Library 2.0 functionalities by academic libraries and users through a knowledge management perspective. Based on randomly selected 230 academic library Web sites and 184 users, the authors found RSS and blogs are widely adopted by academic libraries while users widely utilized the bookmark function.…

An Extension of RSS-based Model Comparison Tests for Weighted Least Squares

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-22

use the model comparison test statistic to analyze the null hypothesis. Under the null hypothesis, the weighted least squares cost functional is JWLS ...q̂WLSH ) = 10.3040×106. Under the alternative hypothesis, the weighted least squares cost functional is JWLS (q̂WLS) = 8.8394 × 106. Thus the model

Sharing scientific discovery globally: toward a CERN virtual visit service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, S.; Hatzifotiadou, D.; Lapka, M.; Papanestis, A.

2017-10-01

The installation of virtual visit services by the LHC collaborations began shortly after the first high-energy collisions were provided by the CERN accelerator in 2010. The experiments: ATLAS [1], CMS [2], LHCb [3], and ALICE [4] have all joined in this popular and effective method to bring the excitement of scientific exploration and discovery into classrooms and other public venues around the world. Their programmes, which use a combination of video conference, webcast, and video recording to communicate with remote audiences have already reached tens of thousands of viewers, and the demand only continues to grow. Other venues, such as the CERN Control Centre, are also considering similar permanent installations. We present a summary of the development of the various systems in use around CERN today, including the technology deployed and a variety of use cases. We then lay down the arguments for the creation of a CERN-wide service that would support these programmes in a more coherent and effective manner. Potential services include a central booking system and operational management similar to what is currently provided for the common CERN video conference facilities. Certain choices in technology could be made to support programmes based on popular tools including (but not limited to) Skype™ [5], Google Hangouts [6], Facebook Live [7], and Periscope [8]. Successful implementation of the project, which relies on close partnership between the experiments, CERN IT CDA [9], and CERN IR ECO [10], has the potential to reach an even larger, global audience, more effectively than ever before.

OPERA - First Beam Results

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

Nakamura, M.

2008-02-21

OPERA is a long base-line neutrino oscillation experiment to detect tau-neutrino appearance and to prove that the origin of the atmospheric muon neutrino deficit observed by Kamiokande is the neutrino oscillation. A Hybrid emulsion detector, of which weight is about 1.3 kton, has been installed in Gran Sasso laboratory. New muon neutrino beam line, CNGS, has been constructed at CERN to send neutrinos to Gran Sasso, 730 km apart from CERN. In 2006, first neutrinos were sent from CERN to LNGS and were detected by the OPERA detector successfully as planned.

Monitoring growth and movement of Ralstonia solanacearum cells harboring plasmid pRSS12 derived from bacteriophage phiRSS1.

PubMed

Fujie, Makoto; Takamoto, Hirofumi; Kawasaki, Takeru; Fujiwara, Akiko; Yamada, Takashi

2010-02-01

We monitored growth and movement of Ralstonia solanacearum harboring the plasmid pRSS12 in tomato seedlings. The plasmid contains a gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) and is stably maintained in R. solanacearum cells without selection pressure. Bacteria harboring the plasmid can be tracked in planta by visualizing GFP fluorescence. Stems of seedlings were infected with R. solanacearum cells transformed with pRSS12, and bacterial growth and movement, particularly around the vascular bundles, were monitored for more than 7 days. Our results showed that vascular bundles are independent of each other within the stem, and that it takes a long time for R. solanacearum cells to migrate from one vascular bundle to another. For real-time monitoring of bacteria in planta, tomato seedlings were grown on agar medium and bacterial suspension was applied to the root apex. The bacterial invasion process was monitored by fluorescent microscopy. Bacteria invaded taproots within 6 h, and movement of the bacteria was observed until 144 h after inoculation. In susceptible tomato cultivars, strong GFP fluorescence was observed in hypocotyls and lateral roots as well as the taproot. In resistant cultivars, however, GFP fluorescence was rarely observed on lateral roots. Our results show that this monitoring system can be used to assess bacterial pathogenicity efficiently. Copyright (c) 2009 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of anaerobic fungal inoculation on the fermentation characteristics of rice straw silages.

PubMed

Lee, S M; Guan, L L; Eun, J-S; Kim, C-H; Lee, S J; Kim, E T; Lee, S S

2015-03-01

To identify whether the supplement of anaerobic fungi isolates with cellulolytic activities accelerates the silage fermentation. Three fungal isolates with the highest cellulolytic activities among 45 strains of anaerobic fungal stock in our laboratory were selected and used as silage inoculants. The rice straw (RS) was ensiled for 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days with four treatments of anaerobic fungi derived from the control (no fungus), Piromyces M014 (isolated from the rumen of the Korean native goat), Orpinomyces R001 (isolated from the duodenum of Korean native cattle) and Neocallimastix M010 (isolated from the guts of termites), respectively. The silages inoculated with pure strains of fungi showed a higher fungal population (P < 0.05) when compared to the control silage. In situ ruminal DM disappearance of RS silage (RSS) was improved with fungal treatment. SEM observation showed live fungal cells inoculated in RS could survive during the ensiling process. Overall, this study indicated that the inoculation of anaerobic fungi decreased the cell wall content of the RSS and increased in situ dry matter disappearance. The supplementation of anaerobic fungi isolates to RSS as a silage inoculant improves the RSS quality. This is the first study showing the potential application of supplement of anaerobic fungi isolated from the guts may be applied industrially as an alternate feed additive that improves the silage quality. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

The stress hormone cortisol blocks perceptual learning in humans.

PubMed

Dinse, Hubert R; Kattenstroth, J C; Lenz, M; Tegenthoff, M; Wolf, O T

2017-03-01

Cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid (GC) in humans, influences neuronal excitability and plasticity by acting on mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors. Cellular studies demonstrated that elevated GC levels affect neuronal plasticity, for example through a reduction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). At the behavioural level, after treatment with GCs, numerous studies have reported impaired hippocampal function, such as impaired memory retrieval. In contrast, relatively little is known about the impact of GCs on cortical plasticity and perceptual learning in adult humans. Therefore, in this study, we explored the impact of elevated GC levels on human perceptual learning. To this aim, we used a training-independent learning approach, where lasting changes in human perception can be induced by applying passive repetitive sensory stimulation (rss), the timing of which was determined from cellular LTP studies. In our placebo-controlled double-blind study, we used tactile LTP-like stimulation to induce improvements in tactile acuity (spatial two-point discrimination). Our results show that a single administration of hydrocortisone (30mg) completely blocked rss-induced changes in two-point discrimination. In contrast, the placebo group showed the expected rss-induced increase in two-point discrimination of over 14%. Our data demonstrate that high GC levels inhibit rss-induced perceptual learning. We suggest that the suppression of LTP, as previously reported in cellular studies, may explain the perceptual learning impairments observed here. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Academic podcasting: quality media delivery.

PubMed

Tripp, Jacob S; Duvall, Scott L; Cowan, Derek L; Kamauu, Aaron W C

2006-01-01

A video podcast of the CME-approved University of Utah Department of Biomedical Informatics seminar was created in order to address issues with streaming video quality, take advantage of popular web-based syndication methods, and make the files available for convenient, subscription-based download. An RSS feed, which is automatically generated, contains links to the media files and allows viewers to easily subscribe to the weekly seminars in a format that guarantees consistent video quality.

INTEGRATED OPERATIONAL DOSIMETRY SYSTEM AT CERN.

PubMed

Dumont, Gérald; Pedrosa, Fernando Baltasar Dos Santos; Carbonez, Pierre; Forkel-Wirth, Doris; Ninin, Pierre; Fuentes, Eloy Reguero; Roesler, Stefan; Vollaire, Joachim

2017-04-01

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, upgraded its operational dosimetry system in March 2013 to be prepared for the first Long Shutdown of CERN's facilities. The new system allows the immediate and automatic checking and recording of the dosimetry data before and after interventions in radiation areas. To facilitate the analysis of the data in context of CERN's approach to As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA), this new system is interfaced to the Intervention Management Planning and Coordination Tool (IMPACT). IMPACT is a web-based application widely used in all CERN's accelerators and their associated technical infrastructures for the planning, the coordination and the approval of interventions (work permit principle). The coupling of the operational dosimetry database with the IMPACT repository allows a direct and almost immediate comparison of the actual dose with the estimations, in addition to enabling the configuration of alarm levels in the dosemeter in function of the intervention to be performed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A single point mutation in Tomato spotted wilt virus NSs protein is sufficient to overcome Tsw-gene-mediated resistance in pepper.

PubMed

Almási, Asztéria; Nemes, Katalin; Csömör, Zsófia; Tóbiás, István; Palkovics, László; Salánki, Katalin

2017-06-01

The nonstructural protein (NSs) of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was previously identified as an avirulence determinant for Tsw-based resistance on pepper. The NSs of wild-type (WT) and resistance-breaking (RB) TSWV strains isolated in Hungary had only two amino acid substitutions (104, 461). We have analysed the ability of the NSs and their point mutant variants to trigger Tsw-mediated hypersensitive responses and RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) activity in patch assays. We identified a single amino acid change at position 104 (T-A) that was responsible for the necrosis induction or loss, while a significant difference was not detected in the RSS activity of the two parental strains. We have successfully complemented the infection of the WT strain on resistant pepper cultivar with the infectious S RNA transcript of the RB strain and the WT-T104A point mutant. Our work provides direct evidence that a single amino acid change can induce an RB phenotype.

Improving self-esteem in women diagnosed with Turner syndrome: results of a pilot intervention.

PubMed

Chadwick, Paul M; Smyth, Arlene; Liao, Lih-Mei

2014-06-01

To evaluate a brief intervention to improve the self esteem of women diagnosed with Turner syndrome (TS). Prospective observational study. Turner Syndrome Support Society, UK. 30 women aged 18-60 years. A 1-day psychology workshop targeting problems of self-esteem in women diagnosed with TS. The workshop drew on cognitive-behavioral therapy and narrative therapy skills and emphasized increased self-awareness of interpersonal difficulties and improved capacity for self-management. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSS); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); bespoke user experiences questionnaire. All 30 women provided baseline data, 27/30 provided immediate post-intervention data and 22/30 provided follow-up data at 3 months. The intervention improved RSS and HADS scores at 3 months. Generic skills-based psychological interventions have the potential to be adapted to provide brief and low-cost interventions to improve self-esteem and reduce psychological distress in women diagnosed with TS. Copyright © 2014 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HPC in a HEP lab: lessons learned from setting up cost-effective HPC clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husejko, Michal; Agtzidis, Ioannis; Baehler, Pierre; Dul, Tadeusz; Evans, John; Himyr, Nils; Meinhard, Helge

2015-12-01

In this paper we present our findings gathered during the evaluation and testing of Windows Server High-Performance Computing (Windows HPC) in view of potentially using it as a production HPC system for engineering applications. The Windows HPC package, an extension of Microsofts Windows Server product, provides all essential interfaces, utilities and management functionality for creating, operating and monitoring a Windows-based HPC cluster infrastructure. The evaluation and test phase was focused on verifying the functionalities of Windows HPC, its performance, support of commercial tools and the integration with the users work environment. We describe constraints imposed by the way the CERN Data Centre is operated, licensing for engineering tools and scalability and behaviour of the HPC engineering applications used at CERN. We will present an initial set of requirements, which were created based on the above constraints and requests from the CERN engineering user community. We will explain how we have configured Windows HPC clusters to provide job scheduling functionalities required to support the CERN engineering user community, quality of service, user- and project-based priorities, and fair access to limited resources. Finally, we will present several performance tests we carried out to verify Windows HPC performance and scalability.

Prioritizing conservation activities using reserve site selection methods and population viability analysis.

PubMed

Newbold, Stephen C; Siikamäki, Juha

2009-10-01

In recent years a large literature on reserve site selection (RSS) has developed at the interface between ecology, operations research, and environmental economics. Reserve site selection models use numerical optimization techniques to select sites for a network of nature reserves for protecting biodiversity. In this paper, we develop a population viability analysis (PVA) model for salmon and incorporate it into an RSS framework for prioritizing conservation activities in upstream watersheds. We use spawner return data for three closely related salmon stocks in the upper Columbia River basin and estimates of the economic costs of watershed protection from NOAA to illustrate the framework. We compare the relative cost-effectiveness of five alternative watershed prioritization methods, based on various combinations of biological and economic information. Prioritization based on biological benefit-economic cost comparisons and accounting for spatial interdependencies among watersheds substantially outperforms other more heuristic methods. When using this best-performing prioritization method, spending 10% of the cost of protecting all upstream watersheds yields 79% of the biological benefits (increase in stock persistence) from protecting all watersheds, compared to between 20% and 64% for the alternative methods. We also find that prioritization based on either costs or benefits alone can lead to severe reductions in cost-effectiveness.

Adaptive Subframe Partitioning and Efficient Packet Scheduling in OFDMA Cellular System with Fixed Decode-and-Forward Relays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Liping; Ji, Yusheng; Liu, Fuqiang

The integration of multihop relays with orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) cellular infrastructures can meet the growing demands for better coverage and higher throughput. Resource allocation in the OFDMA two-hop relay system is more complex than that in the conventional single-hop OFDMA system. With time division between transmissions from the base station (BS) and those from relay stations (RSs), fixed partitioning of the BS subframe and RS subframes can not adapt to various traffic demands. Moreover, single-hop scheduling algorithms can not be used directly in the two-hop system. Therefore, we propose a semi-distributed algorithm called ASP to adjust the length of every subframe adaptively, and suggest two ways to extend single-hop scheduling algorithms into multihop scenarios: link-based and end-to-end approaches. Simulation results indicate that the ASP algorithm increases system utilization and fairness. The max carrier-to-interference ratio (Max C/I) and proportional fairness (PF) scheduling algorithms extended using the end-to-end approach obtain higher throughput than those using the link-based approach, but at the expense of more overhead for information exchange between the BS and RSs. The resource allocation scheme using ASP and end-to-end PF scheduling achieves a tradeoff between system throughput maximization and fairness.

Enhanced Cumulative Sum Charts for Monitoring Process Dispersion

PubMed Central

Abujiya, Mu’azu Ramat; Riaz, Muhammad; Lee, Muhammad Hisyam

2015-01-01

The cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart is widely used in industry for the detection of small and moderate shifts in process location and dispersion. For efficient monitoring of process variability, we present several CUSUM control charts for monitoring changes in standard deviation of a normal process. The newly developed control charts based on well-structured sampling techniques - extreme ranked set sampling, extreme double ranked set sampling and double extreme ranked set sampling, have significantly enhanced CUSUM chart ability to detect a wide range of shifts in process variability. The relative performances of the proposed CUSUM scale charts are evaluated in terms of the average run length (ARL) and standard deviation of run length, for point shift in variability. Moreover, for overall performance, we implore the use of the average ratio ARL and average extra quadratic loss. A comparison of the proposed CUSUM control charts with the classical CUSUM R chart, the classical CUSUM S chart, the fast initial response (FIR) CUSUM R chart, the FIR CUSUM S chart, the ranked set sampling (RSS) based CUSUM R chart and the RSS based CUSUM S chart, among others, are presented. An illustrative example using real dataset is given to demonstrate the practicability of the application of the proposed schemes. PMID:25901356

A Single RF Emitter-Based Indoor Navigation Method for Autonomous Service Robots.

PubMed

Sherwin, Tyrone; Easte, Mikala; Chen, Andrew Tzer-Yeu; Wang, Kevin I-Kai; Dai, Wenbin

2018-02-14

Location-aware services are one of the key elements of modern intelligent applications. Numerous real-world applications such as factory automation, indoor delivery, and even search and rescue scenarios require autonomous robots to have the ability to navigate in an unknown environment and reach mobile targets with minimal or no prior infrastructure deployment. This research investigates and proposes a novel approach of dynamic target localisation using a single RF emitter, which will be used as the basis of allowing autonomous robots to navigate towards and reach a target. Through the use of multiple directional antennae, Received Signal Strength (RSS) is compared to determine the most probable direction of the targeted emitter, which is combined with the distance estimates to improve the localisation performance. The accuracy of the position estimate is further improved using a particle filter to mitigate the fluctuating nature of real-time RSS data. Based on the direction information, a motion control algorithm is proposed, using Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) and A* path planning to enable navigation through unknown complex environments. A number of navigation scenarios were developed in the context of factory automation applications to demonstrate and evaluate the functionality and performance of the proposed system.

A Single RF Emitter-Based Indoor Navigation Method for Autonomous Service Robots

PubMed Central

Sherwin, Tyrone; Easte, Mikala; Wang, Kevin I-Kai; Dai, Wenbin

2018-01-01

Location-aware services are one of the key elements of modern intelligent applications. Numerous real-world applications such as factory automation, indoor delivery, and even search and rescue scenarios require autonomous robots to have the ability to navigate in an unknown environment and reach mobile targets with minimal or no prior infrastructure deployment. This research investigates and proposes a novel approach of dynamic target localisation using a single RF emitter, which will be used as the basis of allowing autonomous robots to navigate towards and reach a target. Through the use of multiple directional antennae, Received Signal Strength (RSS) is compared to determine the most probable direction of the targeted emitter, which is combined with the distance estimates to improve the localisation performance. The accuracy of the position estimate is further improved using a particle filter to mitigate the fluctuating nature of real-time RSS data. Based on the direction information, a motion control algorithm is proposed, using Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) and A* path planning to enable navigation through unknown complex environments. A number of navigation scenarios were developed in the context of factory automation applications to demonstrate and evaluate the functionality and performance of the proposed system. PMID:29443906

Monitoring Poisson observations using combined applications of Shewhart and EWMA charts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abujiya, Mu'azu Ramat

2017-11-01

The Shewhart and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) charts for nonconformities are the most widely used procedures of choice for monitoring Poisson observations in modern industries. Individually, the Shewhart EWMA charts are only sensitive to large and small shifts, respectively. To enhance the detection abilities of the two schemes in monitoring all kinds of shifts in Poisson count data, this study examines the performance of combined applications of the Shewhart, and EWMA Poisson control charts. Furthermore, the study proposes modifications based on well-structured statistical data collection technique, ranked set sampling (RSS), to detect shifts in the mean of a Poisson process more quickly. The relative performance of the proposed Shewhart-EWMA Poisson location charts is evaluated in terms of the average run length (ARL), standard deviation of the run length (SDRL), median run length (MRL), average ratio ARL (ARARL), average extra quadratic loss (AEQL) and performance comparison index (PCI). Consequently, all the new Poisson control charts based on RSS method are generally more superior than most of the existing schemes for monitoring Poisson processes. The use of these combined Shewhart-EWMA Poisson charts is illustrated with an example to demonstrate the practical implementation of the design procedure.

R2NA: Received Signal Strength (RSS) Ratio-Based Node Authentication for Body Area Network

PubMed Central

Wu, Yang; Wang, Kai; Sun, Yongmei; Ji, Yuefeng

2013-01-01

The body area network (BAN) is an emerging branch of wireless sensor networks for personalized applications. The services in BAN usually have a high requirement on security, especially for the medical diagnosis. One of the fundamental directions to ensure security in BAN is how to provide node authentication. Traditional research using cryptography relies on prior secrets shared among nodes, which leads to high resource cost. In addition, most existing non-cryptographic solutions exploit out-of-band (OOB) channels, but they need the help of additional hardware support or significant modifications to the system software. To avoid the above problems, this paper presents a proximity-based node authentication scheme, which only uses wireless modules equipped on sensors. With only one sensor and one control unit (CU) in BAN, we could detect a unique physical layer characteristic, namely, the difference between the received signal strength (RSS) measured on different devices in BAN. Through the above-mentioned particular difference, we can tell whether the sender is close enough to be legitimate. We validate our scheme through both theoretical analysis and experiments, which are conducted on the real Shimmer nodes. The results demonstrate that our proposed scheme has a good security performance.

BOREAS RSS-2 Level-1B ASAS Image Data: At-Sensor Radiance in BSQ Format

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Dabney, P. W.; Kovalick, W.; Graham, D.; Bur, Michael; Irons, James R.; Tierney, M.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-2 team used the ASAS instrument, mounted on the NASA C-130 aircraft, to create at-sensor radiance images of various sites as a function of spectral wavelength, view geometry (combinations of view zenith angle, view azimuth angle, solar zenith angle, and solar azimuth angle), and altitude. The level-1b ASAS images of the BOREAS study areas were collected from April to September 1994 and March to July 1996.

A respiratory compensating system: design and performance evaluation.

PubMed

Chuang, Ho-Chiao; Huang, Ding-Yang; Tien, Der-Chi; Wu, Ren-Hong; Hsu, Chung-Hsien

2014-05-08

This study proposes a respiratory compensating system which is mounted on the top of the treatment couch for reverse motion, opposite from the direction of the targets (diaphragm and hemostatic clip), in order to offset organ displacement generated by respiratory motion. Traditionally, in the treatment of cancer patients, doctors must increase the field size for radiation therapy of tumors because organs move with respiratory motion, which causes radiation-induced inflammation on the normal tissues (organ at risk (OAR)) while killing cancer cells, and thereby reducing the patient's quality of life. This study uses a strain gauge as a respiratory signal capture device to obtain abdomen respiratory signals, a proposed respiratory simulation system (RSS) and respiratory compensating system to experiment how to offset the organ displacement caused by respiratory movement and compensation effect. This study verifies the effect of the respiratory compensating system in offsetting the target displacement using two methods. The first method uses linac (medical linear accelerator) to irradiate a 300 cGy dose on the EBT film (GAFCHROMIC EBT film). The second method uses a strain gauge to capture the patients' respiratory signals, while using fluoroscopy to observe in vivo targets, such as a diaphragm, to enable the respiratory compensating system to offset the displacements of targets in superior-inferior (SI) direction. Testing results show that the RSS position error is approximately 0.45 ~ 1.42 mm, while the respiratory compensating system position error is approximately 0.48 ~ 1.42 mm. From the EBT film profiles based on different input to the RSS, the results suggest that when the input respiratory signals of RSS are sine wave signals, the average dose (%) in the target area is improved by 1.4% ~ 24.4%, and improved in the 95% isodose area by 15.3% ~ 76.9% after compensation. If the respiratory signals input into the RSS respiratory signals are actual human respiratory signals, the average dose (%) in the target area is improved by 31.8% ~ 67.7%, and improved in the 95% isodose area by 15.3% ~ 86.4% (the above rates of improvements will increase with increasing respiratory motion displacement) after compensation. The experimental results from the second method suggested that about 67.3% ~ 82.5% displacement can be offset. In addition, gamma passing rate after compensation can be improved to 100% only when the displacement of the respiratory motion is within 10 ~ 30 mm. This study proves that the proposed system can contribute to the compensation of organ displacement caused by respiratory motion, enabling physicians to use lower doses and smaller field sizes in the treatment of tumors of cancer patients.

A respiratory compensating system: design and performance evaluation

PubMed Central

Huang, Ding‐Yang; Tien, Der‐Chi; Wu, Ren‐Hong; Hsu, Chung‐Hsien

2014-01-01

This study proposes a respiratory compensating system which is mounted on the top of the treatment couch for reverse motion, opposite from the direction of the targets (diaphragm and hemostatic clip), in order to offset organ displacement generated by respiratory motion. Traditionally, in the treatment of cancer patients, doctors must increase the field size for radiation therapy of tumors because organs move with respiratory motion, which causes radiation‐induced inflammation on the normal tissues (organ at risk (OAR)) while killing cancer cells, and thereby reducing the patient's quality of life. This study uses a strain gauge as a respiratory signal capture device to obtain abdomen respiratory signals, a proposed respiratory simulation system (RSS) and respiratory compensating system to experiment how to offset the organ displacement caused by respiratory movement and compensation effect. This study verifies the effect of the respiratory compensating system in offsetting the target displacement using two methods. The first method uses linac (medical linear accelerator) to irradiate a 300 cGy dose on the EBT film (GAFCHROMIC EBT film). The second method uses a strain gauge to capture the patients' respiratory signals, while using fluoroscopy to observe in vivo targets, such as a diaphragm, to enable the respiratory compensating system to offset the displacements of targets in superior‐inferior (SI) direction. Testing results show that the RSS position error is approximately 0.45 ~ 1.42 mm, while the respiratory compensating system position error is approximately 0.48 ~ 1.42 mm. From the EBT film profiles based on different input to the RSS, the results suggest that when the input respiratory signals of RSS are sine wave signals, the average dose (%) in the target area is improved by 1.4% ~ 24.4%, and improved in the 95% isodose area by 15.3% ~ 76.9% after compensation. If the respiratory signals input into the RSS respiratory signals are actual human respiratory signals, the average dose (%) in the target area is improved by 31.8% ~ 67.7%, and improved in the 95% isodose area by 15.3% ~ 86.4% (the above rates of improvements will increase with increasing respiratory motion displacement) after compensation. The experimental results from the second method suggested that about 67.3% ~ 82.5% displacement can be offset. In addition, gamma passing rate after compensation can be improved to 100% only when the displacement of the respiratory motion is within 10 ~ 30 mm. This study proves that the proposed system can contribute to the compensation of organ displacement caused by respiratory motion, enabling physicians to use lower doses and smaller field sizes in the treatment of tumors of cancer patients. PACS number: 87.19. Wx; 87.55. Km PMID:24892345

KSC-07pd3576

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left of the pad is rolled back. Rollback was complete at 8:44 p.m. EST. The RSS provides protected access to the orbiter for crew entry and servicing of payloads at the pad. Rollback of the pad's RSS is one of the milestones in preparation for the launch of mission STS-122, scheduled for 4:31 p.m. EST on Dec. 6. Beneath the shuttle is the mobile launcher platform which supports the shuttle until liftoff. Atlantis will carry the Columbus Laboratory, the European Space Agency's largest contribution to the construction of the International Space Station. It will support scientific and technological research in a microgravity environment. Permanently attached to Node 2 of the space station, the laboratory will carry out experiments in materials science, fluid physics and biosciences, as well as perform a number of technological applications. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3580

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left of the pad is rolled back. Rollback was complete at 8:44 p.m. EST. The RSS provides protected access to the orbiter for crew entry and servicing of payloads at the pad. Rollback of the pad's RSS is one of the milestones in preparation for the launch of mission STS-122, scheduled for 4:31 p.m. EST on Dec. 6. Beneath the shuttle is the mobile launcher platform which supports the shuttle until liftoff. Atlantis will carry the Columbus Laboratory, the European Space Agency's largest contribution to the construction of the International Space Station. It will support scientific and technological research in a microgravity environment. Permanently attached to Node 2 of the space station, the laboratory will carry out experiments in materials science, fluid physics and biosciences, as well as perform a number of technological applications. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Promoting recovery in an evolving policy context: What do we know and what do we need to know about recovery support services?

PubMed Central

Laudet, Alexandre B.; Humphreys, Keith

2013-01-01

As both a concept and a movement, “recovery” is increasingly guiding substance use disorder (SUD) services and policy. One sign of this change is the emergence of recovery support services that attempt to help addicted individuals using a comprehensive continuing care model. This paper reviews the policy environment surrounding recovery support services, the needs to which they should respond, and the status of current recovery support models. We conclude that recovery support services (RSS) should be further assessed for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, that greater efforts must be made to develop the RSS delivery workforce, and that RSS should capitalize on ongoing efforts to create a comprehensive, integrated and patient-centered health care system. As the SUD treatment system undergoes its most important transformation in at least 40 years, recovery research and the lived experience of recovery from addiction should be central to reform. PMID:23506781

Occlusal Characteristics of Individuals with Growth Hormone Deficiency, Idiopathic Short Stature, and Russell-Silver Syndrome.

PubMed

Hodge, Natalia; Evans, Carla A; Simmons, Kirt E; Fadavi, Shahrbanoo; Viana, Grace

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the occlusal characteristics of individuals with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), idiopathic short stature (ISS), and Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS), and compare them to the means of a normal population. Data about the stage of dentition, diastema, maxillary transverse deficiency, overjet, overbite, molar classification, and maxillary and mandibular crowding were obtained from orthodontic screening notes and standardized clinical exams of children with growth disorders seen at screening events. The prevalence of these occlusal characteristics was calculated and compared to the pooled mean of a normal population as determined by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey studies. Twenty RSS subjects and 16 subjects with GHD or ISS were studied. The RSS cohort presented statistically significant greater mean overbite as well as mandibular and maxillary crowding compared to the general population. Descriptive statistics were performed for the GHD and ISS group. Occlusal abnormalities are prevalent in children with growth disorders.

Characterization of an RNA silencing suppressor encoded by maize yellow dwarf virus-RMV2.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Zhao, Xia; Dong, Qing; Zhou, Benguo; Gao, Zhengliang

2018-05-11

Maize yellow dwarf virus-RMV2 (MYDV-RMV2) causes dwarfing and yellowing symptoms on leaves in field-grown maize plants in Anhui province in China. Herein, we evaluated the RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) activity of the P0 protein from MYDV-RMV2 by co-infiltration assays using wild-type and GFP-transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana (line 16C). The P0 of MYDV-RMV2 exhibited RSS activity and inhibited RNA silencing both locally and systemically. MYDV-RMV2 P0 acts as an F-box-like motif, and mutations to Ala at positions 67, 68, and 81 in the F-box-like motif (67LPxx81P) abolished the RSS activity of P0. However, MYDV-RMV2 P0 failed to interact with AGO1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. Expressing P0 induced developmental defects. P0 was targeted to both the nuclei and cytoplasm of plant cells. These findings expand our knowledge of the role of polerovirus P0 proteins in RNA silencing.

DataBase on Demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaspar Aparicio, R.; Gomez, D.; Coterillo Coz, I.; Wojcik, D.

2012-12-01

At CERN a number of key database applications are running on user-managed MySQL database services. The database on demand project was born out of an idea to provide the CERN user community with an environment to develop and run database services outside of the actual centralised Oracle based database services. The Database on Demand (DBoD) empowers the user to perform certain actions that had been traditionally done by database administrators, DBA's, providing an enterprise platform for database applications. It also allows the CERN user community to run different database engines, e.g. presently open community version of MySQL and single instance Oracle database server. This article describes a technology approach to face this challenge, a service level agreement, the SLA that the project provides, and an evolution of possible scenarios.

Investigation of a New Handover Approach in LTE and WiMAX

PubMed Central

Hindia, Mohammad Nour; Reza, Ahmed Wasif; Noordin, Kamarul Ariffin

2014-01-01

Nowadays, one of the most important challenges in heterogeneous networks is the connection consistency between the mobile station and the base stations. Furthermore, along the roaming process between the mobile station and the base station, the system performance degrades significantly due to the interferences from neighboring base stations, handovers to inaccurate base station and inappropriate technology selection. In this paper, several algorithms are proposed to improve mobile station performance and seamless mobility across the long-term evolution (LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technologies, along with a minimum number of redundant handovers. Firstly, the enhanced global positioning system (GPS) and the novel received signal strength (RSS) prediction approaches are suggested to predict the target base station accurately. Then, the multiple criteria with two thresholds algorithm is proposed to prioritize the selection between LTE and WiMAX as the target technology. In addition, this study also covers the intercell and cochannel interference reduction by adjusting the frequency reuse ratio 3 (FRR3) to work with LTE and WiMAX. The obtained results demonstrate high next base station prediction efficiency and high accuracy for both horizontal and vertical handovers. Moreover, the received signal strength is kept at levels higher than the threshold, while maintaining low connection cost and delay within acceptable levels. In order to highlight the combination of the proposed algorithms' performance, it is compared with the existing RSS and multiple criteria handover decision algorithms. PMID:25379524

Investigation of a new handover approach in LTE and WiMAX.

PubMed

Hindia, Mohammad Nour; Reza, Ahmed Wasif; Noordin, Kamarul Ariffin

2014-01-01

Nowadays, one of the most important challenges in heterogeneous networks is the connection consistency between the mobile station and the base stations. Furthermore, along the roaming process between the mobile station and the base station, the system performance degrades significantly due to the interferences from neighboring base stations, handovers to inaccurate base station and inappropriate technology selection. In this paper, several algorithms are proposed to improve mobile station performance and seamless mobility across the long-term evolution (LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technologies, along with a minimum number of redundant handovers. Firstly, the enhanced global positioning system (GPS) and the novel received signal strength (RSS) prediction approaches are suggested to predict the target base station accurately. Then, the multiple criteria with two thresholds algorithm is proposed to prioritize the selection between LTE and WiMAX as the target technology. In addition, this study also covers the intercell and cochannel interference reduction by adjusting the frequency reuse ratio 3 (FRR3) to work with LTE and WiMAX. The obtained results demonstrate high next base station prediction efficiency and high accuracy for both horizontal and vertical handovers. Moreover, the received signal strength is kept at levels higher than the threshold, while maintaining low connection cost and delay within acceptable levels. In order to highlight the combination of the proposed algorithms' performance, it is compared with the existing RSS and multiple criteria handover decision algorithms.

Datacasting V3.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bingham, Andrew W.; McCleese, Sean W.; Deen, Robert G.; Chung, Nga T.; Stough, Timothy M.

2013-01-01

Datacasting V3.0 provides an RSSbased feed mechanism for publishing the availability of Earth science data records in real time. It also provides a utility for subscribing to these feeds and sifting through all the items in an automatic manner to identify and download the data records that are required for a specific application. Datacasting is a method by which multiple data providers can publish the availability of new Earth science data and users download those files that meet a predefined need; for example, to only download data files related to a specific earthquake or region on the globe. Datacasting is a server-client architecture. The server-side software is used by data providers to create and publish the metadata about recently available data according to the Datacasting RSS (Really Simple Syndication) specification. The client software subscribes to the Datacasting RSS and other RSS-based feeds. By configuring filters associated with feeds, data consumers can use the client to identify and automatically download files that meet a specific need. On the client side, a Datacasting feed reader monitors the server for new feeds. The feed reader will be tuned by the user, via a graphical user interface (GUI), to examine the content of the feeds and initiate a data pull after some criteria are satisfied. The criteria might be, for example, to download sea surface temperature data for a particular region that has cloud cover less than 50% and during daylight hours. After the granule is downloaded to the client, the user will have the ability to visualize the data in the GUI. Based on the popular concept of podcasting, which gives listeners the capability to download only those MP3 files that match their preference, Earth science Datacasting will give users a method to download only the Earth science data files that are required for a particular application.

Weighing of risk factors for penetrating keratoplasty graft failure: application of Risk Score System.

PubMed

Tourkmani, Abdo Karim; Sánchez-Huerta, Valeria; De Wit, Guillermo; Martínez, Jaime D; Mingo, David; Mahillo-Fernández, Ignacio; Jiménez-Alfaro, Ignacio

2017-01-01

To analyze the relationship between the score obtained in the Risk Score System (RSS) proposed by Hicks et al with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) graft failure at 1y postoperatively and among each factor in the RSS with the risk of PKP graft failure using univariate and multivariate analysis. The retrospective cohort study had 152 PKPs from 152 patients. Eighteen cases were excluded from our study due to primary failure (10 cases), incomplete medical notes (5 cases) and follow-up less than 1y (3 cases). We included 134 PKPs from 134 patients stratified by preoperative risk score. Spearman coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the score obtained and risk of failure at 1y. Univariate and multivariate analysis were calculated for the impact of every single risk factor included in the RSS over graft failure at 1y. Spearman coefficient showed statistically significant correlation between the score in the RSS and graft failure ( P <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no statistically significant relationship ( P >0.05) between diagnosis and lens status with graft failure. The relationship between the other risk factors studied and graft failure was significant ( P <0.05), although the results for previous grafts and graft failure was unreliable. None of our patients had previous blood transfusion, thus, it had no impact. After the application of multivariate analysis techniques, some risk factors do not show the expected impact over graft failure at 1y.

Weighing of risk factors for penetrating keratoplasty graft failure: application of Risk Score System

PubMed Central

Tourkmani, Abdo Karim; Sánchez-Huerta, Valeria; De Wit, Guillermo; Martínez, Jaime D.; Mingo, David; Mahillo-Fernández, Ignacio; Jiménez-Alfaro, Ignacio

2017-01-01

AIM To analyze the relationship between the score obtained in the Risk Score System (RSS) proposed by Hicks et al with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) graft failure at 1y postoperatively and among each factor in the RSS with the risk of PKP graft failure using univariate and multivariate analysis. METHODS The retrospective cohort study had 152 PKPs from 152 patients. Eighteen cases were excluded from our study due to primary failure (10 cases), incomplete medical notes (5 cases) and follow-up less than 1y (3 cases). We included 134 PKPs from 134 patients stratified by preoperative risk score. Spearman coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the score obtained and risk of failure at 1y. Univariate and multivariate analysis were calculated for the impact of every single risk factor included in the RSS over graft failure at 1y. RESULTS Spearman coefficient showed statistically significant correlation between the score in the RSS and graft failure (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no statistically significant relationship (P>0.05) between diagnosis and lens status with graft failure. The relationship between the other risk factors studied and graft failure was significant (P<0.05), although the results for previous grafts and graft failure was unreliable. None of our patients had previous blood transfusion, thus, it had no impact. CONCLUSION After the application of multivariate analysis techniques, some risk factors do not show the expected impact over graft failure at 1y. PMID:28393027

Normative data on angular vestibulo-ocular responses in the yaw axis measured using the video head impulse test.

PubMed

Matiño-Soler, Eusebi; Esteller-More, Eduard; Martin-Sanchez, Juan-Carlos; Martinez-Sanchez, Jose-M; Perez-Fernandez, Nicolas

2015-03-01

To analyze vestibulo-ocular responses using the video head impulse test in the yaw axis. Prospective. Tertiary and university hospital. Two hundred twelve healthy subjects with no history of vestibular or neurologic impairment. Video head impulse test in the lateral semicircular canal plane. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and appearance of refixation saccades (RSs) considering sex, age, and head impulse velocity and direction. Mean gain was 1.06 ± 0.07, and there were no differences between sexes. For all the impulses (n = 9,654; 4,947 rightward and 4,707 leftward), VOR gain decreased as head impulse velocity increased. When gain was evaluated by age and head velocity, it was steady until age 70 years for higher-velocity impulses and until age 90 years for lower-velocity head impulses. RSs were detected in 52 subjects, occurring after impulses to both sides of the head in 22 of these subjects. The number of subjects with RSs was significantly higher after age 71 years, and velocity was correlated, not with age, but with head impulse velocity. VOR gain was stable until age 90 years and thereafter dropped. However, this decrease occurred progressively in younger subjects as head impulse velocity increased, with VOR gain for faster head impulses decreasing significantly in subjects older than 70 years. This finding, in addition to the appearance of RSs, can be explained by the effect of aging on the deterioration of the vestibular system in the semicircular canals.

Gene expression changes reflect clinical response in a placebo-controlled randomized trial of abatacept in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

PubMed

Chakravarty, Eliza F; Martyanov, Viktor; Fiorentino, David; Wood, Tammara A; Haddon, David James; Jarrell, Justin Ansel; Utz, Paul J; Genovese, Mark C; Whitfield, Michael L; Chung, Lorinda

2015-06-13

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. We sought to assess the clinical and molecular effects associated with response to intravenous abatacept in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic. Adult diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis patients were randomized in a 2:1 double-blinded fashion to receive abatacept or placebo over 24 weeks. Primary outcomes were safety and the change in modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) at week 24 compared with baseline. Improvers were defined as patients with a decrease in mRSS of ≥30% post-treatment compared to baseline. Skin biopsies were obtained for differential gene expression and pathway enrichment analyses and intrinsic gene expression subset assignment. Ten subjects were randomized to abatacept (n = 7) or placebo (n = 3). Disease duration from first non-Raynaud's symptom was significantly longer (8.8 ± 3.8 years vs. 2.4 ± 1.6 years, p = 0.004) and median mRSS was higher (30 vs. 22, p = 0.05) in the placebo compared to abatacept group. Adverse events were similar in the two groups. Five out of seven patients (71%) randomized to abatacept and one out of three patients (33%) randomized to placebo experienced ≥30% improvement in skin score. Subjects receiving abatacept showed a trend toward improvement in mRSS at week 24 (-8.6 ± 7.5, p = 0.0625) while those in the placebo group did not (-2.3 ± 15, p = 0.75). After adjusting for disease duration, mRSS significantly improved in the abatacept compared with the placebo group (abatacept vs. placebo mRSS decrease estimate -9.8, 95% confidence interval -16.7 to -3.0, p = 0.0114). In the abatacept group, the patients in the inflammatory intrinsic subset showed a trend toward greater improvement in skin score at 24 weeks compared with the patients in the normal-like intrinsic subset (-13.5 ± 3.1 vs. -4.5 ± 6.4, p = 0.067). Abatacept resulted in decreased CD28 co-stimulatory gene expression in improvers consistent with its mechanism of action. Improvers mapped to the inflammatory intrinsic subset and showed decreased gene expression in inflammatory pathways, while non-improver and placebos showed stable or reverse gene expression over 24 weeks. Clinical improvement following abatacept therapy was associated with modulation of inflammatory pathways in skin. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00442611. Registered 1 March 2007.

Web 2.0 as Catalyst: Virtually Reaching Out to Users and Connecting Them to Library Resources and Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiao, Norah

2008-01-01

This article is based on services to library users in the area of chemistry at the Science and Engineering (S&E) Library of the University of Southern California (USC), to which I applied various new technologies as outreach approaches. Various Web 2.0 technologies such as a blog, tags, YouTube, RSS feeds, Instant Messaging, online…

STS-117 Rotating Service Structure move

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A has moved for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15.

STS-117 Rotating Service Structure move

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A is being moved for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15.

LHC@Home: a BOINC-based volunteer computing infrastructure for physics studies at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barranco, Javier; Cai, Yunhai; Cameron, David; Crouch, Matthew; Maria, Riccardo De; Field, Laurence; Giovannozzi, Massimo; Hermes, Pascal; Høimyr, Nils; Kaltchev, Dobrin; Karastathis, Nikos; Luzzi, Cinzia; Maclean, Ewen; McIntosh, Eric; Mereghetti, Alessio; Molson, James; Nosochkov, Yuri; Pieloni, Tatiana; Reid, Ivan D.; Rivkin, Lenny; Segal, Ben; Sjobak, Kyrre; Skands, Peter; Tambasco, Claudia; Veken, Frederik Van der; Zacharov, Igor

2017-12-01

The LHC@Home BOINC project has provided computing capacity for numerical simulations to researchers at CERN since 2004, and has since 2011 been expanded with a wider range of applications. The traditional CERN accelerator physics simulation code SixTrack enjoys continuing volunteers support, and thanks to virtualisation a number of applications from the LHC experiment collaborations and particle theory groups have joined the consolidated LHC@Home BOINC project. This paper addresses the challenges related to traditional and virtualized applications in the BOINC environment, and how volunteer computing has been integrated into the overall computing strategy of the laboratory through the consolidated LHC@Home service. Thanks to the computing power provided by volunteers joining LHC@Home, numerous accelerator beam physics studies have been carried out, yielding an improved understanding of charged particle dynamics in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its future upgrades. The main results are highlighted in this paper.

EFQPSK Versus CERN: A Comparative Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borah, Deva K.; Horan, Stephen

2001-01-01

This report presents a comparative study on Enhanced Feher's Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (EFQPSK) and Constrained Envelope Root Nyquist (CERN) techniques. These two techniques have been developed in recent times to provide high spectral and power efficiencies under nonlinear amplifier environment. The purpose of this study is to gain insights into these techniques and to help system planners and designers with an appropriate set of guidelines for using these techniques. The comparative study presented in this report relies on effective simulation models and procedures. Therefore, a significant part of this report is devoted to understanding the mathematical and simulation models of the techniques and their set-up procedures. In particular, mathematical models of EFQPSK and CERN, effects of the sampling rate in discrete time signal representation, and modeling of nonlinear amplifiers and predistorters have been considered in detail. The results of this study show that both EFQPSK and CERN signals provide spectrally efficient communications compared to filtered conventional linear modulation techniques when a nonlinear power amplifier is used. However, there are important differences. The spectral efficiency of CERN signals, with a small amount of input backoff, is significantly better than that of EFQPSK signals if the nonlinear amplifier is an ideal clipper. However, to achieve such spectral efficiencies with a practical nonlinear amplifier, CERN processing requires a predistorter which effectively translates the amplifier's characteristics close to those of an ideal clipper. Thus, the spectral performance of CERN signals strongly depends on the predistorter. EFQPSK signals, on the other hand, do not need such predistorters since their spectra are almost unaffected by the nonlinear amplifier, Ibis report discusses several receiver structures for EFQPSK signals. It is observed that optimal receiver structures can be realized for both coded and uncoded EFQPSK signals with not too much increase in computational complexity. When a nonlinear amplifier is used, the bit error rate (BER) performance of the CERN signals with a matched filter receiver is found to be more than one decibel (dB) worse compared to the bit error performance of EFQPSK signals. Although channel coding is found to provide BER performance improvement for both EFQPSK and CERN signals, the performance of EFQPSK signals remains better than that of CERN. Optimal receiver structures for CERN signals with nonlinear equalization is left as a possible future work. Based on the numerical results, it is concluded that, in nonlinear channels, CERN processing leads towards better bandwidth efficiency with a compromise in power efficiency. Hence for bandwidth efficient communications needs, CERN is a good solution provided effective adaptive predistorters can be realized. On the other hand, EFQPSK signals provide a good power efficient solution with a compromise in band width efficiency.

Chemical Probes for Molecular Imaging and Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide and Reactive Sulfur Species in Biological Systems

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous species produced by both bacteria and higher eukaryotic organisms, including mammalian vertebrates, has attracted attention in recent years for its contributions to human health and disease. H2S has been proposed as a cytoprotectant and gasotransmitter in many tissue types, including mediating vascular tone in blood vessels as well as neuromodulation in the brain. The molecular mechanisms dictating how H2S affects cellular signaling and other physiological events remain insufficiently understood. Furthermore, the involvement of H2S in metal-binding interactions and formation of related RSS such as sulfane sulfur may contribute to other distinct signaling pathways. Owing to its widespread biological roles and unique chemical properties, H2S is an appealing target for chemical biology approaches to elucidate its production, trafficking, and downstream function. In this context, reaction-based fluorescent probes offer a versatile set of screening tools to visualize H2S pools in living systems. Three main strategies used in molecular probe development for H2S detection include azide and nitro group reduction, nucleophilic attack, and CuS precipitation. Each of these approaches exploit the strong nucleophilicity and reducing potency of H2S to achieve selectivity over other biothiols. In addition, a variety of methods have been developed for the detection of other reactive sulfur species (RSS), including sulfite and bisulfite, as well as sulfane sulfur species and related modifications such as S-nitrosothiols. Access to this growing chemical toolbox of new molecular probes for H2S and related RSS sets the stage for applying these developing technologies to probe reactive sulfur biology in living systems. PMID:25474627

Viral RNAi suppressor reversibly binds siRNA to outcompete Dicer and RISC via multiple-turnover

PubMed Central

Rawlings, Renata A.; Krishnan, Vishalakshi; Walter, Nils G.

2011-01-01

RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved gene regulatory mechanism employed by most eukaryotes as a key component of their innate immune response against viruses and retrotransposons. During viral infection, the RNase III-type endonuclease Dicer cleaves viral double-stranded RNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), 21–24 nucleotides in length, and helps load them into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to guide cleavage of complementary viral RNA. As a countermeasure, many viruses have evolved viral RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) proteins that tightly, and presumably quantitatively, bind siRNAs to thwart RNAi-mediated degradation. Viral RSS proteins also act across kingdoms as potential immunosuppressors in gene therapeutic applications. Here we report fluorescence quenching and electrophoretic mobility shift assays that probe siRNA binding by the dimeric RSS p19 from Carnation Italian Ringspot Virus (CIRV), as well as by human Dicer and RISC assembly complexes. We find that the siRNA:p19 interaction is readily reversible, characterized by rapid binding ((1.69 ± 0.07)×108 M−1s−1) and marked dissociation (koff = 0.062 ± 0.002 s−1). We also observe that p19 efficiently competes with recombinant Dicer and inhibits formation of RISC-related assembly complexes found in human cell extract. Computational modeling based on these results provides evidence for the transient formation of a ternary complex between siRNA, human Dicer, and p19. An expanded model of RNA silencing indicates that multiple-turnover by reversible binding of siRNAs potentiates the efficiency of the suppressor protein. Our predictive model is expected to be applicable to the dosing of p19 as a silencing suppressor in viral gene therapy. PMID:21354178

Viral RNAi suppressor reversibly binds siRNA to outcompete Dicer and RISC via multiple turnover.

PubMed

Rawlings, Renata A; Krishnan, Vishalakshi; Walter, Nils G

2011-04-29

RNA interference is a conserved gene regulatory mechanism employed by most eukaryotes as a key component of their innate immune response to viruses and retrotransposons. During viral infection, the RNase-III-type endonuclease Dicer cleaves viral double-stranded RNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) 21-24 nucleotides in length and helps load them into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to guide the cleavage of complementary viral RNA. As a countermeasure, many viruses have evolved viral RNA silencing suppressors (RSS) that tightly, and presumably quantitatively, bind siRNAs to thwart RNA-interference-mediated degradation. Viral RSS proteins also act across kingdoms as potential immunosuppressors in gene therapeutic applications. Here we report fluorescence quenching and electrophoretic mobility shift assays that probe siRNA binding by the dimeric RSS p19 from Carnation Italian Ringspot Virus, as well as by human Dicer and RISC assembly complexes. We find that the siRNA:p19 interaction is readily reversible, characterized by rapid binding [(1.69 ± 0.07) × 10(8) M(-)(1) s(-1)] and marked dissociation (k(off)=0.062 ± 0.002 s(-1)). We also observe that p19 efficiently competes with recombinant Dicer and inhibits the formation of RISC-related assembly complexes found in human cell extract. Computational modeling based on these results provides evidence for the transient formation of a ternary complex between siRNA, human Dicer, and p19. An expanded model of RNA silencing indicates that multiple turnover by reversible binding of siRNAs potentiates the efficiency of the suppressor protein. Our predictive model is expected to be applicable to the dosing of p19 as a silencing suppressor in viral gene therapy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bispectral Index monitoring in cancer patients undergoing palliative sedation: a preliminary report.

PubMed

Monreal-Carrillo, Edith; Allende-Pérez, Silvia; Hui, David; García-Salamanca, Maria-Fernanda; Bruera, Eduardo; Verástegui, Emma

2017-10-01

Continuous palliative sedation (PS) is currently titrated based on clinical observation; however, it is often unclear if patients are still aware of their suffering. The aim of this prospective study is to characterize the level of consciousness in patients undergoing PS using Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring. We enrolled consecutive patients with refractory symptoms requiring PS. We documented the level of sedation using Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) and BIS at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h during the first day of PS and examined their degree of association. Intravenous midazolam or propofol was titrated according to the sedation level. Twenty patients on PS were recruited and had BIS continuous monitoring. Delirium was the most frequent reason for PS (n = 15, 75%). The median time of sedation was 24.5 h (interquartile range 6-46). The average time to achieve the desired sedation level was 6 h, and dose titration was required in 80% of the cases. At baseline, 14 (70%) patients were considered to be awake according to RSS (i.e., 1-3) and 19 (95%) were awake according to BIS (i.e., >60%). This proportion decreased to 31 and 56% at 4 h, 27% and 53 at 6 h, and 22 and 33% at 24 h. RS and BIS had moderate correlation (rho = -0.58 to -0.65); however, a small proportion of patients were found to be awake by BIS (i.e., ≥60%) despite clinical observation (i.e., RSS 4-6) indicating otherwise. The BIS is a noninvasive, bedside, real-time continuous monitoring method that may facilitate the objective assessment of level of consciousness and dose titration in patients undergoing PS.

[Primary health care in Ecuador: services provided by the Ministry of Health and Rural Social security Services].

PubMed

Robertson, R L; Castro, C E; Gómez, L C; Gwynne, G; Tinajero Baca, C L; Zschock, D K

1991-10-01

The present study will examine three common premises in the field of international public health: that the primary care services offered by agencies of the Ministries of Health (MH) are less costly than those offered by Social Security institutions, that the former services are inferior to the latter, and that funds are distributed more equitably by the MH centers among their various recipient populations. The 1986 study compared the costs, quality, and equity of the services in 15 primary care centers in Ecuador--eight Ministry of Health centers and seven rural Social Security (RSS) centers--examining budgetary data from 1985 and obtaining information through a questionnaire and interviews with the personnel at those centers. Average costs were calculated by standardized accounting techniques, and it was confirmed that for several important services, especially medical consultations, these costs were much lower in the Ministry centers than in the Social Security centers. However, no differences in the cost of dental care were detected. The evaluation of quality, based on an analysis of the production structure and process, did not yield uniform results. On the one hand, the distribution of personnel and the allocation of funds for drugs and other supplies indicated that the RSS agencies provided better quality services. On the other hand, a questionnaire revealed that the MH health workers' knowledge of various principles of primary care was superior to that of the RSS workers. Upon comparing the per capita budget of the two types of entities, it was confirmed that the Ministry of Health had more equitable per capita coverage than rural Social Security. The implications of these findings for Ecuador and other developing countries are discussed and several recommendations made.

Selective Weighted Least Squares Method for Fourier Transform Infrared Quantitative Analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Li, Yan; Wei, Haoyun; Chen, Xia

2017-06-01

Classical least squares (CLS) regression is a popular multivariate statistical method used frequently for quantitative analysis using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry. Classical least squares provides the best unbiased estimator for uncorrelated residual errors with zero mean and equal variance. However, the noise in FT-IR spectra, which accounts for a large portion of the residual errors, is heteroscedastic. Thus, if this noise with zero mean dominates in the residual errors, the weighted least squares (WLS) regression method described in this paper is a better estimator than CLS. However, if bias errors, such as the residual baseline error, are significant, WLS may perform worse than CLS. In this paper, we compare the effect of noise and bias error in using CLS and WLS in quantitative analysis. Results indicated that for wavenumbers with low absorbance, the bias error significantly affected the error, such that the performance of CLS is better than that of WLS. However, for wavenumbers with high absorbance, the noise significantly affected the error, and WLS proves to be better than CLS. Thus, we propose a selective weighted least squares (SWLS) regression that processes data with different wavenumbers using either CLS or WLS based on a selection criterion, i.e., lower or higher than an absorbance threshold. The effects of various factors on the optimal threshold value (OTV) for SWLS have been studied through numerical simulations. These studies reported that: (1) the concentration and the analyte type had minimal effect on OTV; and (2) the major factor that influences OTV is the ratio between the bias error and the standard deviation of the noise. The last part of this paper is dedicated to quantitative analysis of methane gas spectra, and methane/toluene mixtures gas spectra as measured using FT-IR spectrometry and CLS, WLS, and SWLS. The standard error of prediction (SEP), bias of prediction (bias), and the residual sum of squares of the errors (RSS) from the three quantitative analyses were compared. In methane gas analysis, SWLS yielded the lowest SEP and RSS among the three methods. In methane/toluene mixture gas analysis, a modification of the SWLS has been presented to tackle the bias error from other components. The SWLS without modification presents the lowest SEP in all cases but not bias and RSS. The modification of SWLS reduced the bias, which showed a lower RSS than CLS, especially for small components.

TOWARDS A NOVEL MODULAR ARCHITECTURE FOR CERN RADIATION MONITORING.

PubMed

Boukabache, Hamza; Pangallo, Michel; Ducos, Gael; Cardines, Nicola; Bellotta, Antonio; Toner, Ciarán; Perrin, Daniel; Forkel-Wirth, Doris

2017-04-01

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has the legal obligation to protect the public and the people working on its premises from any unjustified exposure to ionising radiation. In this context, radiation monitoring is one of the main concerns of the Radiation Protection Group. After 30 y of reliable service, the ARea CONtroller (ARCON) system is approaching the end of its lifecycle, which raises the need for new, more efficient radiation monitors with a high level of modularity to ensure better maintainability. Based on these two main principles, new detectors are currently being developed that will be capable of measuring very low dose rates down to 50 nSv h-1, whilst being able to measure radiation over an extensive range of 8 decades without any auto scaling. To reach these performances, CERN Radiation MOnitoring Electronics (CROME), the new generation of CERN radiation monitors, is based on the versatile architecture that includes new read-out electronics developed by the Instrumentation and Logistics section of the CERN Radiation Protection Group as well as a reconfigurable system on chip capable of performing complex processing calculations. Beside the capabilities of CROME to continuously measure the ambient dose rate, the system generates radiation alarms, provides interlock signals, drives alarm display units through a fieldbus and provides long-term, permanent and reliable data logging. The measurement tests performed during the first phase of the development show very promising results that pave the way to the second phase: the certification. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

TOWARDS A NOVEL MODULAR ARCHITECTURE FOR CERN RADIATION MONITORING

PubMed Central

Boukabache, Hamza; Pangallo, Michel; Ducos, Gael; Cardines, Nicola; Bellotta, Antonio; Toner, Ciarán; Perrin, Daniel; Forkel-Wirth, Doris

2017-01-01

Abstract The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has the legal obligation to protect the public and the people working on its premises from any unjustified exposure to ionising radiation. In this context, radiation monitoring is one of the main concerns of the Radiation Protection Group. After 30 y of reliable service, the ARea CONtroller (ARCON) system is approaching the end of its lifecycle, which raises the need for new, more efficient radiation monitors with a high level of modularity to ensure better maintainability. Based on these two main principles, new detectors are currently being developed that will be capable of measuring very low dose rates down to 50 nSv h−1, whilst being able to measure radiation over an extensive range of 8 decades without any auto scaling. To reach these performances, CERN Radiation MOnitoring Electronics (CROME), the new generation of CERN radiation monitors, is based on the versatile architecture that includes new read-out electronics developed by the Instrumentation and Logistics section of the CERN Radiation Protection Group as well as a reconfigurable system on chip capable of performing complex processing calculations. Beside the capabilities of CROME to continuously measure the ambient dose rate, the system generates radiation alarms, provides interlock signals, drives alarm display units through a fieldbus and provides long-term, permanent and reliable data logging. The measurement tests performed during the first phase of the development show very promising results that pave the way to the second phase: the certification. PMID:27909154

Absorption coefficients of silicon: A theoretical treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chin-Yi

2018-05-01

A theoretical model with explicit formulas for calculating the optical absorption and gain coefficients of silicon is presented. It incorporates direct and indirect interband transitions and considers the effects of occupied/unoccupied carrier states. The indirect interband transition is calculated from the second-order time-independent perturbation theory of quantum mechanics by incorporating all eight possible routes of absorption or emission of photons and phonons. Absorption coefficients of silicon are calculated from these formulas. The agreements and discrepancies among the calculated results, the Rajkanan-Singh-Shewchun (RSS) formula, and Green's data are investigated and discussed. For example, the RSS formula tends to overestimate the contributions of indirect transitions for cases with high photon energy. The results show that the state occupied/unoccupied effect is almost negligible for silicon absorption coefficients up to the onset of the optical gain condition where the energy separation of Quasi-Femi levels between electrons and holes is larger than the band-gap energy. The usefulness of using the physics-based formulas, rather than semi-empirical fitting ones, for absorption coefficients in theoretical studies of photovoltaic devices is also discussed.

PILA: Sub-Meter Localization Using CSI from Commodity Wi-Fi Devices

PubMed Central

Tian, Zengshan; Li, Ze; Zhou, Mu; Jin, Yue; Wu, Zipeng

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present a new indoor localization approach by employing the Angle-of-arrival (AOA) and Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements in Wi-Fi network. To achieve this goal, we first collect the Channel State Information (CSI) by using the commodity Wi-Fi devices with our designed three antennas to estimate the AOA of Wi-Fi signal. Second, we propose a direct path identification algorithm to obtain the direct signal path for the sake of reducing the interference of multipath effect on the AOA estimation. Third, we construct a new objective function to solve the localization problem by integrating the AOA and RSS information. Although the localization problem is non-convex, we use the Second-order Cone Programming (SOCP) relaxation approach to transform it into a convex problem. Finally, the effectiveness of our approach is verified based on the prototype implementation by using the commodity Wi-Fi devices. The experimental results show that our approach can achieve the median error 0.7 m in the actual indoor environment. PMID:27735879

PILA: Sub-Meter Localization Using CSI from Commodity Wi-Fi Devices.

PubMed

Tian, Zengshan; Li, Ze; Zhou, Mu; Jin, Yue; Wu, Zipeng

2016-10-10

The aim of this paper is to present a new indoor localization approach by employing the Angle-of-arrival (AOA) and Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements in Wi-Fi network. To achieve this goal, we first collect the Channel State Information (CSI) by using the commodity Wi-Fi devices with our designed three antennas to estimate the AOA of Wi-Fi signal. Second, we propose a direct path identification algorithm to obtain the direct signal path for the sake of reducing the interference of multipath effect on the AOA estimation. Third, we construct a new objective function to solve the localization problem by integrating the AOA and RSS information. Although the localization problem is non-convex, we use the Second-order Cone Programming (SOCP) relaxation approach to transform it into a convex problem. Finally, the effectiveness of our approach is verified based on the prototype implementation by using the commodity Wi-Fi devices. The experimental results show that our approach can achieve the median error 0.7 m in the actual indoor environment.

Extensible Probabilistic Repository Technology (XPRT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-01

projects, such as, Centaurus , Evidence Data Base (EDB), etc., others were fabricated, such as INS and FED, while others contain data from the open...Google Web Report Unlimited SOAP API News BBC News Unlimited WEB RSS 1.0 Centaurus Person Demographics 204,402 people from 240 countries...objects of the domain ontology map to the various simulated data-sources. For example, the PersonDemographics are stored in the Centaurus database, while

Fusing Bluetooth Beacon Data with Wi-Fi Radiomaps for Improved Indoor Localization

PubMed Central

Kanaris, Loizos; Kokkinis, Akis; Liotta, Antonio; Stavrou, Stavros

2017-01-01

Indoor user localization and tracking are instrumental to a broad range of services and applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) and particularly in Body Sensor Networks (BSN) and Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) scenarios. Due to the widespread availability of IEEE 802.11, many localization platforms have been proposed, based on the Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength (RSS) indicator, using algorithms such as K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE). In this paper, we introduce a hybrid method that combines the simplicity (and low cost) of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the popular 802.11 infrastructure, to improve the accuracy of indoor localization platforms. Building on KNN, we propose a new positioning algorithm (dubbed i-KNN) which is able to filter the initial fingerprint dataset (i.e., the radiomap), after considering the proximity of RSS fingerprints with respect to the BLE devices. In this way, i-KNN provides an optimised small subset of possible user locations, based on which it finally estimates the user position. The proposed methodology achieves fast positioning estimation due to the utilization of a fragment of the initial fingerprint dataset, while at the same time improves positioning accuracy by minimizing any calculation errors. PMID:28394268

Fusing Bluetooth Beacon Data with Wi-Fi Radiomaps for Improved Indoor Localization.

PubMed

Kanaris, Loizos; Kokkinis, Akis; Liotta, Antonio; Stavrou, Stavros

2017-04-10

Indoor user localization and tracking are instrumental to a broad range of services and applications in the Internet of Things (IoT) and particularly in Body Sensor Networks (BSN) and Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) scenarios. Due to the widespread availability of IEEE 802.11, many localization platforms have been proposed, based on the Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength (RSS) indicator, using algorithms such as K -Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE). In this paper, we introduce a hybrid method that combines the simplicity (and low cost) of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the popular 802.11 infrastructure, to improve the accuracy of indoor localization platforms. Building on KNN, we propose a new positioning algorithm (dubbed i-KNN) which is able to filter the initial fingerprint dataset (i.e., the radiomap), after considering the proximity of RSS fingerprints with respect to the BLE devices. In this way, i-KNN provides an optimised small subset of possible user locations, based on which it finally estimates the user position. The proposed methodology achieves fast positioning estimation due to the utilization of a fragment of the initial fingerprint dataset, while at the same time improves positioning accuracy by minimizing any calculation errors.

Hope and spirituality among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis: a correlational study1

PubMed Central

Ottaviani, Ana Carolina; Souza, Érica Nestor; Drago, Natália de Camargo; de Mendiondo, Marisa Silvana Zazzetta; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost; Orlandi, Fabiana de Souza

2014-01-01

Objective to analyze the relationship between the hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. Method this is a cross-sectional, correlational study. The sample was composed of 127 patients of a Renal Replacement Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews guided by the following instruments: participant characterization, Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Pinto Pais-Ribeiro Spirituality Scale (PP-RSS). Results the average HHI score was 38.06 (±4.32) while the average PP-RSS score was 3.67 (±0.62) for "beliefs" and 3.21 (±0.53) for "hope/optimism". Spearman's coefficient indicated there was a moderate positive correlation between the HHI and PP-RSS dimensions of "beliefs" (r=0.430; p<0.001) and "hope/optimism" (r=0.376; p<0.001). Conclusion Since a relationship between the sense of hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease was found, these constructs should be taken into account at the time health professionals deliver care to help patients coping with the disease and treatment. PMID:26107832

Structural analysis of malaria-parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase provides a platform for drug development.

PubMed

Khan, Sameena; Garg, Ankur; Camacho, Noelia; Van Rooyen, Jason; Kumar Pole, Anil; Belrhali, Hassan; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluis; Sharma, Vinay; Sharma, Amit

2013-05-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are essential enzymes that transmit information from the genetic code to proteins in cells and are targets for antipathogen drug development. Elucidation of the crystal structure of cytoplasmic lysyl-tRNA synthetase from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (PfLysRS) has allowed direct comparison with human LysRS. The authors' data suggest that PfLysRS is dimeric in solution, whereas the human counterpart can also adopt tetrameric forms. It is shown for the first time that PfLysRS is capable of synthesizing the signalling molecule Ap4a (diadenosine tetraphosphate) using ATP as a substrate. The PfLysRS crystal structure is in the apo form, such that binding to ATP will require rotameric changes in four conserved residues. Differences in the active-site regions of parasite and human LysRSs suggest the possibility of exploiting PfLysRS for selective inhibition. These investigations on PfLysRS further validate malarial LysRSs as attractive antimalarial targets and provide new structural space for the development of inhibitors that target pathogen LysRSs selectively.

Evolutionary Limitation and Opportunities for Developing tRNA Synthetase Inhibitors with 5-Binding-Mode Classification

PubMed Central

Fang, Pengfei; Guo, Min

2015-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are enzymes that catalyze the transfer of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs as building blocks for translation. Each of the aaRS families plays a pivotal role in protein biosynthesis and is indispensable for cell growth and survival. In addition, aaRSs in higher species have evolved important non-translational functions. These translational and non-translational functions of aaRS are attractive for developing antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic agents and for treating other human diseases. The interplay between amino acids, tRNA, ATP, EF-Tu and non-canonical binding partners, had shaped each family with distinct pattern of key sites for regulation, with characters varying among species across the path of evolution. These sporadic variations in the aaRSs offer great opportunity to target these essential enzymes for therapy. Up to this day, growing numbers of aaRS inhibitors have been discovered and developed. Here, we summarize the latest developments and structural studies of aaRS inhibitors, and classify them with distinct binding modes into five categories. PMID:26670257

STS-90 Columbia RSS rollback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

With the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) rolled back, at left, the Space Shuttle Columbia is nearly ready for launch of STS-90. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). The scheduled launch of Columbia on Apr. 16 from Launch Pad 39B was postponed 24 hours due to difficulty with network signal processor No. 2 on the orbiter. This device formats data and voice communications between the ground and the Space Shuttle. The unit, which is located in the orbiter's mid-deck, will be removed and replaced. Prior to launch, one of the final steps will be to load the external tank with approximately 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for fueling the orbiters three main engines. Tanking had not yet begun when the launch scheduled for Apr. 16 was scrubbed. STS-90 is slated to be the launch of Neurolab, a nearly 17-day mission to examine the effects of spaceflight on the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and sensory organs in the human body.

Wall Pressure Unsteadiness and Side Loads in Overexpanded Rocket Nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baars, Woutijn J.; Tinney, Charles E.; Ruf, Joseph H.; Brown, Andrew M.; McDaniels, David M.

2012-01-01

Surveys of both the static and dynamic wall pressure signatures on the interior surface of a sub-scale, cold-flow and thrust optimized parabolic nozzle are conducted during fixed nozzle pressure ratios corresponding to FSS and RSS states. The motive is to develop a better understanding for the sources of off-axis loads during the transient start-up of overexpanded rocket nozzles. During FSS state, pressure spectra reveal frequency content resembling SWTBLI. Presumably, when the internal flow is in RSS state, separation bubbles are trapped by shocks and expansion waves; interactions between the separated flow regions and the waves produce asymmetric pressure distributions. An analysis of the azimuthal modes reveals how the breathing mode encompasses most of the resolved energy and that the side load inducing mode is coherent with the response moment measured by strain gauges mounted upstream of the nozzle on a flexible tube. Finally, the unsteady pressure is locally more energetic during RSS, albeit direct measurements of the response moments indicate higher side load activity when in FSS state. It is postulated that these discrepancies are attributed to cancellation effects between annular separation bubbles.

Inheritance of induction radiation sensitivity of space flight environments and γ-radiation on rice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, J.; Wang, J.; Wei, L.; Li, Z.; Sun, Y.

There are many factors affecting living things during space flight, such as microgravity, cosmic radiation, etc. A large number of plant mutants have been obtained after space flight on satellite in China in the last decade and some commercial crop varieties were released. However, little consideration has so far been given to the genetic mechanisms underlying sensitivity of plant seeds to space flight environments. To reveal the genetic mechanisms associated with induction radiation sensitivity (IRS), a set of 226 recombination inbred lines (RILs) derived from Lemont (japonica)/ Teqing (indica) F13, were analyzed using 164 well-distributed DNA markers and assayed for the traits related to IRS including rate of survival seedling (RSS), seedling height (SH), seed setting rate (SSR) and total physiological damage (TPD) in replicated trials after space flight on Chinese Shenzhou IV Spacecraft andγ -radiation treatment (35000 rad) on the ground in 2002. Seedling growth of Lemont was accelerated after space flight with the SH of 116.2% of ground control while growth suppression was happened for Teqing with the SH of 85.7% of ground control. γ -radiation treatment resulted in significant decrease in all tested traits for the two parents, indicating space flight and γ -radiation treatment had different biological effects on the two parents. Significant differences were detected among the RILs for their responses to space flight environments and γ -radiation, reflected as the difference in the four tested traits. Space flight resulted in stimulation on growth for 57.1% lines whileγ -radiation had suppression on growth for most lines. Seventeen putative main-effect QTLs was identified for the four traits related to IRS under space flight and γ -radiation, which totally explained significant portions of the total trait variation (4.4% for RSS, 27.2% for SH, 4% for SSR and 15.8% for TPD for space flight; 10.4% for RSS, 15.1% for SH, 8.2% for SSR and 6.1% for TPD forγ -radiation). Same QTLs affecting some of the four tested traits after space flight andγ -radiation treatment were identified, suggesting that space flight environments andγ -radiation partially shared the same genetic mechanisms for mutation. Forty-nine epistatic pairs affecting the four traits was detected and totally explained significant portions of the phenotypic variation (49.7% for RSS, 49.8% for SH, 14.3% for SSR and 40.2% for TPD for space flight; 30.5% for RSS, 18.1% for SH, 34.3% for SSR, 31.9% for TPD forγ -radiation). It indicated that IRS is a very complicated trait and epistasis may play an important role in underlying its genetic mechanism. Based on these results, the genetic basis of IRS and its application in plant mutation breeding was discussed.

An alternative model to distribute VO software to WLCG sites based on CernVM-FS: a prototype at PIC Tier1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanciotti, E.; Merino, G.; Bria, A.; Blomer, J.

2011-12-01

In a distributed computing model as WLCG the software of experiment specific application software has to be efficiently distributed to any site of the Grid. Application software is currently installed in a shared area of the site visible for all Worker Nodes (WNs) of the site through some protocol (NFS, AFS or other). The software is installed at the site by jobs which run on a privileged node of the computing farm where the shared area is mounted in write mode. This model presents several drawbacks which cause a non-negligible rate of job failure. An alternative model for software distribution based on the CERN Virtual Machine File System (CernVM-FS) has been tried at PIC, the Spanish Tierl site of WLCG. The test bed used and the results are presented in this paper.

Deployment and Operational Experiences with CernVM-FS at the GridKa Tier-1 Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alef, Manfred; Jäger, Axel; Petzold and, Andreas; Verstege, Bernhard

2012-12-01

In 2012 the GridKa Tier-1 computing center hosts 130 kHS06 computing resources and 14PB disk and 17PB tape space. These resources are shared between the four LHC VOs and a number of national and international VOs from high energy physics and other sciences. CernVM-FS has been deployed at GridKa to supplement the existing NFS-based system to access VO software on the worker nodes. It provides a solution tailored to the requirement of the LHC VOs. We will focus on the first operational experiences and the monitoring of CernVM-FS on the worker nodes and the squid caches.

KSC-07pd0202

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A is being moved for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

STS-117 Rotating Service Structure move

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A has been fully opened for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0204

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A has been fully opened for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0203

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A has moved for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0201

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-01-30

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A is being moved for the first time in more than a year due to maintenance and upgrades on the pad. Some of the work included sandblasting the structure to remove rust and repainting. In addition, the RSS was jacked up and a new upper-bearing race assembly installed where the RSS pivots against the fixed service structure and a half-inch steel plate added. Pad 39A is being made ready for its first launch in four years, the upcoming STS-117 on March 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Assessment of sedation level for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography - a prospective validation study.

PubMed

Jokelainen, Jarno; Mustonen, Harri; Kylänpää, Leena; Udd, Marianne; Lindström, Outi; Pöyhiä, Reino

2018-03-01

There is no consensus on how to assess the depth of sedation for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This study was carried out in order to evaluate different methods of assessment of depth of sedation: bispectral index (BiS), modified Richmond Agitation/Sedation Scale (mRASS), modified Ramsay Sedation Scale (mRSS) and modified Observer Assessment of Alertness and Sedation (mOAAS) and their applicability to clinical practice. Two hundred patients were recruited. Sedation was given by standard clinical practice using propofol sedation or patient controlled sedation. Sedation was assessed on all patients using the above-mentioned methods. BiS was considered the reference point for sedation scales. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to determine the consistency of different scales in respect to each other and prediction probability and Spearman's correlation coefficients of sedation scales were calculated to show the relationship between sedation scales and BiS. All scales showed high reliability with overall Cronbach's alpha 0.943. Dropping scales suggested better consistency between mOAAS, mRSS and mRASS than with BiS. Spearman's correlation and prediction probability showed similar results with all tested scales: mOAAS (0.695, 0.739), mRSS (0.673, 0.735), mRASS (0.683, 0.738), p < .01 for all scales. All tested methods were found to be reliable in the assessment of the depth of sedation when compared with each other. However, mRASS, mRSS and mOAAS require the patient to respond to verbal or tactile stimulus, which may impair execution of ERCP, whereas BiS information is collected directly from electroencephalogram and thus may be preferable in clinical setting.

Patterns and predictors of skin score change in early diffuse systemic sclerosis from the European Scleroderma Observational Study

PubMed Central

Herrick, Ariane L; Peytrignet, Sebastien; Lunt, Mark; Pan, Xiaoyan; Hesselstrand, Roger; Mouthon, Luc; Silman, Alan J; Dinsdale, Graham; Brown, Edith; Czirják, László; Distler, Jörg H W; Distler, Oliver; Fligelstone, Kim; Gregory, William J; Ochiel, Rachel; Vonk, Madelon C; Ancuţa, Codrina; Ong, Voon H; Farge, Dominique; Hudson, Marie; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Balbir-Gurman, Alexandra; Midtvedt, Øyvind; Jobanputra, Paresh; Jordan, Alison C; Stevens, Wendy; Moinzadeh, Pia; Hall, Frances C; Agard, Christian; Anderson, Marina E; Diot, Elisabeth; Madhok, Rajan; Akil, Mohammed; Buch, Maya H; Chung, Lorinda; Damjanov, Nemanja S; Gunawardena, Harsha; Lanyon, Peter; Ahmad, Yasmeen; Chakravarty, Kuntal; Jacobsen, Søren; MacGregor, Alexander J; McHugh, Neil; Müller-Ladner, Ulf; Riemekasten, Gabriela; Becker, Michael; Roddy, Janet; Carreira, Patricia E; Fauchais, Anne Laure; Hachulla, Eric; Hamilton, Jennifer; İnanç, Murat; McLaren, John S; van Laar, Jacob M; Pathare, Sanjay; Proudman, Susanna M; Rudin, Anna; Sahhar, Joanne; Coppere, Brigitte; Serratrice, Christine; Sheeran, Tom; Veale, Douglas J; Grange, Claire; Trad, Georges-Selim; Denton, Christopher P

2018-01-01

Objectives Our aim was to use the opportunity provided by the European Scleroderma Observational Study to (1) identify and describe those patients with early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) with progressive skin thickness, and (2) derive prediction models for progression over 12 months, to inform future randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods The modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) was recorded every 3 months in 326 patients. ‘Progressors’ were defined as those experiencing a 5-unit and 25% increase in mRSS score over 12 months (±3 months). Logistic models were fitted to predict progression and, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, were compared on the basis of the area under curve (AUC), accuracy and positive predictive value (PPV). Results 66 patients (22.5%) progressed, 227 (77.5%) did not (33 could not have their status assessed due to insufficient data). Progressors had shorter disease duration (median 8.1 vs 12.6 months, P=0.001) and lower mRSS (median 19 vs 21 units, P=0.030) than non-progressors. Skin score was highest, and peaked earliest, in the anti-RNA polymerase III (Pol3+) subgroup (n=50). A first predictive model (including mRSS, duration of skin thickening and their interaction) had an accuracy of 60.9%, AUC of 0.666 and PPV of 33.8%. By adding a variable for Pol3 positivity, the model reached an accuracy of 71%, AUC of 0.711 and PPV of 41%. Conclusions Two prediction models for progressive skin thickening were derived, for use both in clinical practice and for cohort enrichment in RCTs. These models will inform recruitment into the many clinical trials of dcSSc projected for the coming years. Trial registration number NCT02339441. PMID:29306872

Loss of cAMP/CRP regulation confers extreme high hydrostatic pressure resistance in Escherichia coli O157:H7.

PubMed

Vanlint, Dietrich; Pype, Brecht J Y; Rutten, Nele; Vanoirbeek, Kristof G A; Michiels, Chris W; Aertsen, Abram

2013-08-16

Application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) constitutes a valuable non-thermal pasteurization process in modern food conservation. Triggered by our interest in the rapid adaptive evolution towards HHP resistance in the food-borne pathogen E. coli O157:H7 (strain ATCC 43888) that was demonstrated earlier, we used genetic screening to identify specific loci in which a loss-of-function mutation would be sufficient to markedly increase HHP survival. As such, individual loss of RssB (anti RpoS-factor), CRP (catabolite response protein) and CyaA (adenylate cyclase) were each found to confer significant HHP resistance in the 300MPa range (i.e. >1,000-fold), and this phenotype invariably coincided with increased resistance against heat as well. In contrast to loss of RssB, however, loss of CRP or CyaA also conferred significantly increased resistance to 600MPa (i.e. >10,000-fold), suggesting cAMP/CRP homeostasis to affect extreme HHP resistance independently of increased RpoS activity. Surprisingly, none of the rapidly emerging HHP-resistant mutants of ATCC 43888 that were isolated previously did incur any mutations in rssB, crp or cyaA, indicating that a number of other loci can guide the rapid emergence of HHP resistance in E. coli O157:H7 as well. The inability of spontaneous rssB, crp or cyaA mutants to emerge during selective enrichment under HHP selection likely stems from their decreased competitive fitness during growth. Overall, this study is the first to shed light on the possible genetic strategies supporting the acquisition of HHP resistance in E. coli O157:H7. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Decade of Cassini Radio Science Observations of the Saturn System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, R.; Armstrong, J.; Flasar, M.; Iess, L.; Kliore, A.; Marouf, E.; McGhee, C.; Nagy, A.; Rappaport, N.; Schinder, P.; Tortora, P.; Anabtawi, A.; Asmar, S.; Barbinis, E.; Fleischmann, D.; Kahan, D.

2014-04-01

The Cassini Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) on board the Cassini spacecraft has returned a wealth ofinformation about the Saturn system during its first decade of observations. The instrumentation is quite versatile, operating in up to three wavelengths simultaneously (S, X, and Ka bands), and tied to a very stable frequency standard either on board or uplinked to the spacecraft from a maser-controlled transmitter as part of the Deep Space Network. Over the course of the mission so far, dozens of occultations by Saturn's rings have been observed, revealing the detailed structure and scattering properties of the rings at sub-km resolution. A companion set of atmospheric occultations by Saturn and Titan have provided detailed vertical profiles of the temperature of the neutral atmosphere and the electron density of the ionosphere, spanning a range of latitudes and a significant fraction of a Saturn season. Operatin in a bistatic mode, the RSS instrument has transmitted signals to the surface of Titan at the specular point such that the reflected signal is received on the earth, revealing the dielectric properties of Titan's surface. Finally, exquisitely accurate measurements of the gravitationally induced Dopper shift of the RSS transmitted signal have provided measurements of the gravitations fields and probes of the internal structure of several of Saturn's major satellites, most notably indicating the presence of sub-surface oceans on both Titan and Enceladus. During the upcoming three-year finale of the Cassini mission, highlights of the remaining RSS science objectives include high- SNR measurements of the rings at their most favorable geometry of the entire Cassini orbital tour, and a set of close orbital fly-bys of Saturn itself, enabling the determination of the planet's gravitational field to an accuracy comparable to that expected for the Juno mission to Jupiter.

Cassini RSS occultation observations of density waves in Saturn's rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGhee, C. A.; French, R. G.; Marouf, E. A.; Rappaport, N. J.; Schinder, P. J.; Anabtawi, A.; Asmar, S.; Barbinis, E.; Fleischman, D.; Goltz, G.; Johnston, D.; Rochblatt, D.

2005-08-01

On May 3, 2005, the first of a series of eight nearly diametric occultations by Saturn's rings and atmosphere took place, observed by the Cassini Radio Science (RSS) team. Simultaneous high SNR measurements at the Deep Space Network (DSN) at S, X, and Ka bands (λ = 13, 3.6, and 0.9 cm) have provided a remarkably detailed look at the radial structure and particle scattering behavior of the rings. By virtue of the relatively large ring opening angle (B=-23.6o), the slant path optical depth of the rings was much lower than during the Voyager epoch (B=5.9o), making it possible to detect many density waves and other ring features in the Cassini RSS data that were lost in the noise in the Voyager RSS experiment. Ultimately, diffraction correction of the ring optical depth profiles will yield radial resolution as small as tens of meters for the highest SNR data. At Ka band, the Fresnel scale is only 1--1.5 km, and thus even without diffraction correction, the ring profiles show a stunning array of density waves. The A ring is replete with dozens of Pandora and Prometheus inner Lindblad resonance features, and the Janus 2:1 density wave in the B ring is revealed with exceptional clarity for the first time at radio wavelengths. Weaker waves are abundant as well, and multiple occultation chords sample a variety of wave phases. We estimate the surface mass density of the rings from linear density wave models of the weaker waves. For stronger waves, non-linear models are required, providing more accurate estimates of the wave dispersion relation, the ring surface mass density, and the angular momentum exchange between the rings and satellite. We thank the DSN staff for their superb support of these complex observations.

The beam test of muon detector parameters for the SHiP experiment at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likhacheva, V. L.; Kudenko, Yu. G.; Mefodiev, A. V.; Mineev, O. V.; Khotyantsev, A. N.

2018-01-01

Scintillation detectors based on extruded plastics have been tested in a 10 GeV/c beam at CERN. The scintillation signal readout was provided using optical wavelength shifting fibers Y11 Kuraray and Hamamatsu MPPC micropixel avalanche photodiodes. The light yield was scanned along and across the detectors. Time resolution was found by fitting the MPPC digitized pulse rise and other methods.

User and group storage management the CMS CERN T2 centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerminara, G.; Franzoni, G.; Pfeiffer, A.

2015-12-01

A wide range of detector commissioning, calibration and data analysis tasks is carried out by CMS using dedicated storage resources available at the CMS CERN Tier-2 centre. Relying on the functionalities of the EOS disk-only storage technology, the optimal exploitation of the CMS user/group resources has required the introduction of policies for data access management, data protection, cleanup campaigns based on access pattern, and long term tape archival. The resource management has been organised around the definition of working groups and the delegation to an identified responsible of each group composition. In this paper we illustrate the user/group storage management, and the development and operational experience at the CMS CERN Tier-2 centre in the 2012-2015 period.

Self-service for software development projects and HPC activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husejko, M.; Høimyr, N.; Gonzalez, A.; Koloventzos, G.; Asbury, D.; Trzcinska, A.; Agtzidis, I.; Botrel, G.; Otto, J.

2014-05-01

This contribution describes how CERN has implemented several essential tools for agile software development processes, ranging from version control (Git) to issue tracking (Jira) and documentation (Wikis). Running such services in a large organisation like CERN requires many administrative actions both by users and service providers, such as creating software projects, managing access rights, users and groups, and performing tool-specific customisation. Dealing with these requests manually would be a time-consuming task. Another area of our CERN computing services that has required dedicated manual support has been clusters for specific user communities with special needs. Our aim is to move all our services to a layered approach, with server infrastructure running on the internal cloud computing infrastructure at CERN. This contribution illustrates how we plan to optimise the management of our of services by means of an end-user facing platform acting as a portal into all the related services for software projects, inspired by popular portals for open-source developments such as Sourceforge, GitHub and others. Furthermore, the contribution will discuss recent activities with tests and evaluations of High Performance Computing (HPC) applications on different hardware and software stacks, and plans to offer a dynamically scalable HPC service at CERN, based on affordable hardware.

Research on website construction based on website group platform of Chengdu sport institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zunyu

2018-04-01

This paper describes the necessity of website construction based on the website group of Chengdu sport institute, and discusses the technical features of the website group, Based on the website group platform architecture, the key technologies such as Web Service, AJAX, RSS and other key technologies are used to realize the construction of the website. Based on the website group platform architecture of the site, it effectively solves the information isolated island between the sites, and realizes the information sharing and resource integration. It is also more convenient that site and other sites have composed of site group integrated operation and maintenance.

Fuzzy Logic-based Intelligent Scheme for Enhancing QoS of Vertical Handover Decision in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzali, F.; Ghazali, O.; Omar, M. H.

2017-08-01

The design of next generation networks in various technologies under the “Anywhere, Anytime” paradigm offers seamless connectivity across different coverage. A conventional algorithm such as RSSThreshold algorithm, that only uses the received strength signal (RSS) as a metric, will decrease handover performance regarding handover latency, delay, packet loss, and handover failure probability. Moreover, the RSS-based algorithm is only suitable for horizontal handover decision to examine the quality of service (QoS) compared to the vertical handover decision in advanced technologies. In the next generation network, vertical handover can be started based on the user’s convenience or choice rather than connectivity reasons. This study proposes a vertical handover decision algorithm that uses a Fuzzy Logic (FL) algorithm, to increase QoS performance in heterogeneous vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANET). The study uses network simulator 2.29 (NS 2.29) along with the mobility traffic network and generator to implement simulation scenarios and topologies. This helps the simulation to achieve a realistic VANET mobility scenario. The required analysis on the performance of QoS in the vertical handover can thus be conducted. The proposed Fuzzy Logic algorithm shows improvement over the conventional algorithm (RSSThreshold) in the average percentage of handover QoS whereby it achieves 20%, 21% and 13% improvement on handover latency, delay, and packet loss respectively. This is achieved through triggering a process in layer two and three that enhances the handover performance.

Indoor Localization Using Wi-Fi Based Fingerprinting and Trilateration Techiques for Lbs Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, S.; Sohn, G.

2012-06-01

The past few years have seen wide spread adoption of outdoor positioning services, mainly GPS, being incorporated into everyday devices such as smartphones and tablets. While outdoor positioning has been well received by the public, its indoor counterpart has been mostly limited to private use due to its higher costs and complexity for setting up the proper environment. The objective of this research is to provide an affordable mean for indoor localization using wireless local area network (WLAN) Wi-Fi technology. We combined two different Wi-Fi approaches to locate a user. The first method involves the use of matching the pre-recorded received signal strength (RSS) from nearby access points (AP), to the data transmitted from the user on the fly. This is commonly known as "fingerprint matching". The second approach is a distance-based trilateration approach using three known AP coordinates detected on the user's device to derive the position. The combination of the two steps enhances the accuracy of the user position in an indoor environment allowing location-based services (LBS) such as mobile augmented reality (MAR) to be deployed more effectively in the indoor environment. The mapping of the RSS map can also prove useful to IT planning personnel for covering locations with no Wi-Fi coverage (ie. dead spots). The experiments presented in this research helps provide a foundation for the integration of indoor with outdoor positioning to create a seamless transition experience for users.

A novel video recommendation system based on efficient retrieval of human actions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramezani, Mohsen; Yaghmaee, Farzin

2016-09-01

In recent years, fast growth of online video sharing eventuated new issues such as helping users to find their requirements in an efficient way. Hence, Recommender Systems (RSs) are used to find the users' most favorite items. Finding these items relies on items or users similarities. Though, many factors like sparsity and cold start user impress the recommendation quality. In some systems, attached tags are used for searching items (e.g. videos) as personalized recommendation. Different views, incomplete and inaccurate tags etc. can weaken the performance of these systems. Considering the advancement of computer vision techniques can help improving RSs. To this end, content based search can be used for finding items (here, videos are considered). In such systems, a video is taken from the user to find and recommend a list of most similar videos to the query one. Due to relating most videos to humans, we present a novel low complex scalable method to recommend videos based on the model of included action. This method has recourse to human action retrieval approaches. For modeling human actions, some interest points are extracted from each action and their motion information are used to compute the action representation. Moreover, a fuzzy dissimilarity measure is presented to compare videos for ranking them. The experimental results on HMDB, UCFYT, UCF sport and KTH datasets illustrated that, in most cases, the proposed method can reach better results than most used methods.

KSC-02pd0391

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-03

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With the Rotating Service Structure rolled back, Space Shuttle Atlantis stands ready for launch on mission STS-110. The Orbiter Access Arm extends from the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) to the crew compartment hatch, through which the STS-110 crew will enter Atlantis. The RSS provides protected access to the orbiter for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. The structure has access platforms at five levels to provide access to the payload bay. The FSS provides access to the orbiter and the RSS. . Mission STS-110 is scheduled to launch April 4 on its 11-day mission to the International Space Station

Persistence characterization and data calibration scheme for the RSS-NIR H2RG detector on SALT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosby, Gregory; Eggen, Nathan; Wolf, Marsha; Jaehnig, Kurt; Kotulla, Ralf

2016-07-01

The University of Wisconsin Madison is building a NIR spectrograph (RSS-NIR) for the Southern African Large Telescope. The detector system uses a H2RG HdCdTe 1.7 μm cutoff array. We performed tests to measure and characterize the persistence of the detector to inform strategies to mitigate this effect. These tests use up-the- ramp group samples to get finer time resolution of the release of persistence. We share these test results. We also present preliminary results of the dependence of persistence on detector temperature. We conclude with an outline and assessment of a persistence calibration scheme.

BOREAS RSS-4 1994 Southern Study Area Jack Pine LAI and FPAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Plummer, Stephen

2000-01-01

The RSS-4 team collected several data sets related to leaf, plant, and stand physical, optical, and chemical properties. This data set contains leaf area indices and FPAR measurements that were taken at the three conifer sites in the BOREAS SSA during August 1993 and at the jack pine tower flux and a subset of auxiliary sites during July and August 1994. The measurements were made with LAI-2000 and Ceptometer instruments. The measurements were taken for the purpose of model parameterization and to test empirical relationships that were hypothesized between biophysical parameters and remotely sensed data. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Advanced Pedestrian Positioning System to Smartphones and Smartwatches.

PubMed

Correa, Alejandro; Munoz Diaz, Estefania; Bousdar Ahmed, Dina; Morell, Antoni; Lopez Vicario, Jose

2016-11-11

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of pedestrian navigation systems for satellite-denied scenarios. The popularization of smartphones and smartwatches is an interesting opportunity for reducing the infrastructure cost of the positioning systems. Nowadays, smartphones include inertial sensors that can be used in pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR) algorithms for the estimation of the user's position. Both smartphones and smartwatches include WiFi capabilities allowing the computation of the received signal strength (RSS). We develop a new method for the combination of RSS measurements from two different receivers using a Gaussian mixture model. We also analyze the implication of using a WiFi network designed for communication purposes in an indoor positioning system when the designer cannot control the network configuration. In this work, we design a hybrid positioning system that combines inertial measurements, from low-cost inertial sensors embedded in a smartphone, with RSS measurements through an extended Kalman filter. The system has been validated in a real scenario, and results show that our system improves the positioning accuracy of the PDR system thanks to the use of two WiFi receivers. The designed system obtains an accuracy up to 1.4 m in a scenario of 6000 m 2 .

KSC-00pp1736

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is close to the payload changeout room on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) at left. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports payload delivery at the pad. At right is Space Shuttle Endeavour with its orange external tank and one solid rocket booster showing behind it. When the RSS is closed around Endeavour, the P6 truss will be moved into the orbiter’s payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

KSC00pp1736

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is close to the payload changeout room on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) at left. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports payload delivery at the pad. At right is Space Shuttle Endeavour with its orange external tank and one solid rocket booster showing behind it. When the RSS is closed around Endeavour, the P6 truss will be moved into the orbiter’s payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

The influence of the perceived consequences of refusing to share injection equipment among injection drug users: Balancing competing risks

PubMed Central

Wagner, Karla D.; Lankenau, Stephen E.; Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Richardson, Jean L.; Chou, Chih-Ping; Unger, Jennifer B.

2011-01-01

Injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for HIV and other bloodborne pathogens through receptive syringe sharing (RSS) and receptive paraphernalia sharing (RPS). Research into the influence of the perceived risk of HIV infection on injection risk behavior has yielded mixed findings. One explanation may be that consequences other than HIV infection are considered when IDUs are faced with decisions about whether or not to share equipment. We investigated the perceived consequences of refusing to share injection equipment among 187 IDUs recruited from a large syringe exchange program in Los Angeles, California, assessed their influence on RSS and RPS, and evaluated gender differences. Two sub-scales of perceived consequences were identified: structural/external consequences and social/internal consequences. In multiple linear regression, the perceived social/internal consequences of refusing to share were associated with both RSS and RPS, after controlling for other psychosocial constructs and demographic variables. Few statistically significant gender differences emerged. Assessing the consequences of refusing to share injection equipment may help explain persistent injection risk behavior, and may provide promising targets for comprehensive intervention efforts designed to address both individual and structural risk factors. PMID:21498004

BOREAS RSS-16 Level-3b DC-8 AIRSAR SY Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Saatchi, Sasan; Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Strub, Richard; Irani, Fred

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-16 team used satellite and aircraft SAR data in conjunction with various ground measurements to determine the moisture regime of the boreal forest. RSS-16 assisted with the acquisition and ordering of NASA JPL AIRSAR data collected from the NASA DC-8 aircraft. The NASA JPL AIRSAR is a side-looking imaging radar system that utilizes the SAR principle to obtain high-resolution images that represent the radar backscatter of the imaged surface at different frequencies and polarizations. The information contained in each pixel of the AIRSAR data represents the radar backscatter for all possible combinations of horizontal and vertical transmit and receive polarizations (i.e., HH, HV, VH, and VV). Geographically, the data cover portions of the BOREAS SSA and NSA. Temporally, the data were acquired from 12-Aug-1993 to 31-Jul-1995. The level-3b AIRSAR SY data are the JPL synoptic product and contain 3 of the 12 total frequency and polarization combinations that are possible. The data are stored in binary image format files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

BOREAS RSS-14 Level-1 GOES-8 Visible, IR and Water Vapor Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Faysash, David; Cooper, Harry J.; Smith, Eric A.; Newcomer, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-14 team collected and processed several GOES-7 and GOES-8 image data sets that covered the BOREAS study region. The level-1 BOREAS GOES-8 images are raw data values collected by RSS-14 personnel at FSU and delivered to BORIS. The data cover 14-Jul-1995 to 21-Sep-1995 and 01-Jan-1996 to 03-Oct-1996. The data start out containing three 8-bit spectral bands and end up containing five 10-bit spectral bands. No major problems with the data have been identified. The data are contained in binary image format files. Due to the large size of the images, the level-1 GOES-8 data are not contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory listing file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of what data were collected. The level-1 GOES-8 image data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). See sections 15 and 16 for more information. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

BOREAS RSS-14 Level 1a GOES-7 Visible, IR, and Water Vapor Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Faysash, David; Cooper, Harry J.; Smith, Eric A.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-14 team collected and processed GOES-7 and -8 images of the BOREAS region as part of its effort to characterize the incoming, reflected, and emitted radiation at regional scales. The level-1a BOREAS GOES-7 image data were collected by RSS-14 personnel at FSU and processed to level-1a products by BORIS personnel. The data cover the period of 01-Jan-1994 through 08-Jul-1995 with partial to complete coverage on the majority of the days. The data include three bands with eightbit pixel values. No major problems with the data have been identified. Due to the large size of the images, the level-1a GOES-7 data are not contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory listing file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of what data were collected. The level-1a GOES-7 image data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). See sections 15 and 16 for more information. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

BOREAS RSS-14 Level-1 GOES-7 Visible, IR and Water Vapor Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Faysash, David; Cooper, Harry J.; Smith, Eric A.; Newcomer, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-14 team collected and processed GOES-7 and -8 images of the BOREAS region as part of its effort to characterize the incoming, reflected, and emitted radiation at regional scales. The level-1 BOREAS GOES-7 image data were collected by RSS-14 personnel at FSU and delivered to BORIS. The data cover the period of 01-Jan-1994 through 08-Jul-1995, with partial to complete coverage on the majority of the days. The data include three bands with eight-bit pixel values. No major problems with the data have been identified. Due to the large size of the images, the level-1 GOES-7 data are not contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory listing file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of what data were collected. The level-1 GOES-7 image data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). See sections 15 and 16 for more information. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Pregnancy rate and birth rate of calves from a large-scale IVF program using reverse-sorted semen in Bos indicus, Bos indicus-taurus, and Bos taurus cattle.

PubMed

Morotti, F; Sanches, B V; Pontes, J H F; Basso, A C; Siqueira, E R; Lisboa, L A; Seneda, M M

2014-03-15

Obtaining sexed sperm from previously frozen doses (reverse-sorted semen [RSS]) provides an important advantage because of the possibility of using the semen of bulls with desired genetic attributes that have died or have become infertile but from whom frozen semen is available. We report the efficiency of RSS on the pregnancy rate and birth rate of calves in a large-scale program using ovum pick-up and in vitro embryo production (IVEP) from Bos indicus, Bos indicus-taurus, and Bos taurus cattle. From 645 ovum pick-up procedures (Holstein, Gir, and Nelore), 9438 viable oocytes were recovered. A dose of frozen semen (Holstein, Nelore, Brahman, Gir, and Braford) was thawed, and the sperm were sex-sorted and cooled for use in IVF. Additionally, IVF with sperm from three Holstein bulls with freeze-thawed, sex-sorted (RSS) or sex-sorted, freeze-thawed (control) was tested. A total of 2729 embryos were produced, exhibiting a mean blastocyst rate of 29%. Heifers and cows selected for adequate body condition, estrus, and health received 2404 embryos, and 60 days later, a 41% average pregnancy rate was observed. A total of 966 calves were born, and 910 were of a predetermined sex, with an average of 94% accuracy in determining the sex. Despite the lower blastocyst rate with freeze-thawed, sex-sorted semen compared with sex-sorted semen, (P < 0.05), the pregnancy rate (bull I, 45% vs. 40%; II, 35% vs. 50%; and III, 47% vs. 48% for RSS and control, respectively; P > 0.05) and sex-sorted efficiency (bull I, 93% vs. 98%; II, 96% vs. 94%; and III, 96% vs. 97% for RSS and control, respectively; P > 0.05) were similar for each of the three bulls regardless of the sperm type used in the IVF. The sexing of previously frozen semen, associated with IVEP, produces viable embryos with a pregnancy rate of up to 40%, and calves of the desired sex are born even if the paternal bull has acquired some infertility, died, or is located a long distance from the sexing laboratory. Furthermore, these data show the feasibility of the process even when used in a large-scale IVEP program. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ALICE inner tracking system readout electronics prototype testing with the CERN "Giga Bit Transceiver''

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

Schambach, Joachim; Rossewij, M. J.; Sielewicz, K. M.

The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major detector upgrade for the LHC Run 3, which includes the construction of a new silicon pixel based Inner Tracking System (ITS). The ITS readout system consists of 192 readout boards to control the sensors and their power system, receive triggers, and deliver sensor data to the DAQ. To prototype various aspects of this readout system, an FPGA based carrier board and an associated FMC daughter card containing the CERN Gigabit Transceiver (GBT) chipset have been developed. Furthermore, this contribution describes laboratory and radiation testing results with this prototype board set.

ALICE inner tracking system readout electronics prototype testing with the CERN "Giga Bit Transceiver''

DOE PAGES

Schambach, Joachim; Rossewij, M. J.; Sielewicz, K. M.; ...

2016-12-28

The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major detector upgrade for the LHC Run 3, which includes the construction of a new silicon pixel based Inner Tracking System (ITS). The ITS readout system consists of 192 readout boards to control the sensors and their power system, receive triggers, and deliver sensor data to the DAQ. To prototype various aspects of this readout system, an FPGA based carrier board and an associated FMC daughter card containing the CERN Gigabit Transceiver (GBT) chipset have been developed. Furthermore, this contribution describes laboratory and radiation testing results with this prototype board set.

ALICE inner tracking system readout electronics prototype testing with the CERN ``Giga Bit Transceiver''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schambach, J.; Rossewij, M. J.; Sielewicz, K. M.; Aglieri Rinella, G.; Bonora, M.; Ferencei, J.; Giubilato, P.; Vanat, T.

2016-12-01

The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major detector upgrade for the LHC Run 3, which includes the construction of a new silicon pixel based Inner Tracking System (ITS). The ITS readout system consists of 192 readout boards to control the sensors and their power system, receive triggers, and deliver sensor data to the DAQ. To prototype various aspects of this readout system, an FPGA based carrier board and an associated FMC daughter card containing the CERN Gigabit Transceiver (GBT) chipset have been developed. This contribution describes laboratory and radiation testing results with this prototype board set.

New directions in the CernVM file system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blomer, Jakob; Buncic, Predrag; Ganis, Gerardo; Hardi, Nikola; Meusel, Rene; Popescu, Radu

2017-10-01

The CernVM File System today is commonly used to host and distribute application software stacks. In addition to this core task, recent developments expand the scope of the file system into two new areas. Firstly, CernVM-FS emerges as a good match for container engines to distribute the container image contents. Compared to native container image distribution (e.g. through the “Docker registry”), CernVM-FS massively reduces the network traffic for image distribution. This has been shown, for instance, by a prototype integration of CernVM-FS into Mesos developed by Mesosphere, Inc. We present a path for a smooth integration of CernVM-FS and Docker. Secondly, CernVM-FS recently raised new interest as an option for the distribution of experiment conditions data. Here, the focus is on improved versioning capabilities of CernVM-FS that allows to link the conditions data of a run period to the state of a CernVM-FS repository. Lastly, CernVM-FS has been extended to provide a name space for physics data for the LIGO and CMS collaborations. Searching through a data namespace is often done by a central, experiment specific database service. A name space on CernVM-FS can particularly benefit from an existing, scalable infrastructure and from the POSIX file system interface.

Identifying Factors That Predict Promotion Time to E-4 and Re-Enlistment Eligibility for U.S. Marine Corps Field Radio Operators

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Primary Military Occupational Specialty PRO Proficiency Q-Q Quantile - Quantile RSS Residual Sum of Squares SI Shop Information T&R Training and...construct multivariate linear regression models to estimate Marines’ Computed Tier Score and time to achieve E-4 based on their individual personal...Science (GS) score, ASVAB Mathematics Knowledge (MK) score, ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension (PC) score, weight , and whether a Marine receives a weight

Mercury- Distributed Metadata Management, Data Discovery and Access System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palanisamy, Giri; Wilson, Bruce E.; Devarakonda, Ranjeet; Green, James M.

2007-12-01

Mercury is a federated metadata harvesting, search and retrieval tool based on both open source and ORNL- developed software. It was originally developed for NASA, and the Mercury development consortium now includes funding from NASA, USGS, and DOE. Mercury supports various metadata standards including XML, Z39.50, FGDC, Dublin-Core, Darwin-Core, EML, and ISO-19115 (under development). Mercury provides a single portal to information contained in disparate data management systems. It collects metadata and key data from contributing project servers distributed around the world and builds a centralized index. The Mercury search interfaces then allow the users to perform simple, fielded, spatial and temporal searches across these metadata sources. This centralized repository of metadata with distributed data sources provides extremely fast search results to the user, while allowing data providers to advertise the availability of their data and maintain complete control and ownership of that data. Mercury supports various projects including: ORNL DAAC, NBII, DADDI, LBA, NARSTO, CDIAC, OCEAN, I3N, IAI, ESIP and ARM. The new Mercury system is based on a Service Oriented Architecture and supports various services such as Thesaurus Service, Gazetteer Web Service and UDDI Directory Services. This system also provides various search services including: RSS, Geo-RSS, OpenSearch, Web Services and Portlets. Other features include: Filtering and dynamic sorting of search results, book-markable search results, save, retrieve, and modify search criteria.

KSC00pp1730

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister waits at the base of the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) with the P6 integrated truss segment inside. The canister will be lifted up to the payload changeout room (PCR) where the P6 will be removed for transfer to Space Shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports payload delivery at the pad and subsequent vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

KSC-00pp1730

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister waits at the base of the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) with the P6 integrated truss segment inside. The canister will be lifted up to the payload changeout room (PCR) where the P6 will be removed for transfer to Space Shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports payload delivery at the pad and subsequent vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

Body-freedom flutter of a 1/2-scale forward-swept-wing model, an experimental and analytical study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chipman, R.; Rauch, F.; Rimer, M.; Muniz, B.

1984-01-01

The aeroelastic phenomenon known as body-freedom flutter (BFF), a dynamic instability involving aircraft-pitch and wing-bending motions which, though rarely experienced on conventional vehicles, is characteristic of forward swept wing (FSW) aircraft was investigated. Testing was conducted in the Langley transonic dynamics tunnel on a flying, cable-mounted, 1/2-scale model of a FSW configuration with and without relaxed static stability (RSS). The BFF instability boundaries were found to occur at significantly lower airspeeds than those associated with aeroelastic wing divergence on the same model. For those cases with RSS, a canard-based stability augmentation system (SAS) was incorporated in the model. This SAS was designed using aerodynamic data measured during a preliminary tunnel test in which the model was attached to a force balance. Data from the subsequent flutter test indicated that BFF speed was not dependent on open-loop static margin but, rather, on the equivalent closed-loop dynamics provided by the SAS. Servo-aeroelastic stability analyses of the flying model were performed using a computer code known as SEAL and predicted the onset of BFF reasonably well.

Reynolds Shear Stress for Textile Prosthetic Heart Valves in Relation to Fabric Design

PubMed Central

Bark, David L.; Koupei, Atieh Yousefi; Forleo, Marcio; Vaesken, Antoine; Heim, Frederic; Dasi, Lakshmi P.

2016-01-01

The most widely implanted prosthetic heart valves are either mechanical or bioprosthetic. While the former suffers from thrombotic risks, the latter suffers from a lack of durability. Textile valves, alternatively, can be designed with durability and to exhibit hemodynamics similar to the native valve, lowering the risk for thrombosis. Deviations from native valve hemodynamics can result in an increased Reynolds Shear Stress (RSS), which has the potential to instigate hemolysis or shear-induced thrombosis. This study is aimed at characterizing flow in multiple textile valve designs with an aim of developing a low profile valve. Valves were created using a shaping process based on heating a textile membrane and placed within a left heart simulator. Turbulence and bulk hemodynamics were assessed through particle imaging velocimetry (PIV), along with flow and pressure measurements. Overall, RSS was reduced for low profile valves relative to high profile valves, but was otherwise similar among low profile valves. However, leakage was found in 3 of the 4 low profile valve designs driving the fabric design for low profile valves. Through textile design, low profile valves can be created with favorable hemodynamics. PMID:26919564

Plasmodium falciparum mitochondria import tRNAs along with an active phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase.

PubMed

Sharma, Arvind; Sharma, Amit

2015-02-01

The Plasmodium falciparum protein translation enzymes aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are an emergent family of drug targets. The aaRS ensemble catalyses transfer of amino acids to cognate tRNAs, thus providing charged tRNAs for ribosomal consumption. P. falciparum proteome expression relies on a total of 36 aaRSs for the three translationally independent compartments of cytoplasm, apicoplast and mitochondria. In the present study, we show that, of this set of 36, a single genomic copy of mitochondrial phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (mFRS) is targeted to the parasite mitochondria, and that the mFRS gene is exclusive to malaria parasites within the apicomplexan phyla. Our protein cellular localization studies based on immunofluorescence data show that, along with mFRS, P. falciparum harbours two more phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (FRS) assemblies that are localized to its apicoplast and cytoplasm. The 'extra' mFRS is found in mitochondria of all asexual blood stage parasites and is competent in aminoacylation. We show further that the parasite mitochondria import tRNAs from the cytoplasmic tRNA pool. Hence drug targeting of FRSs presents a unique opportunity to potentially stall protein production in all three parasite translational compartments.

Resonance scattering spectra of micrococcus lysodeikticus and its application to assay of lysozyme activity.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhi-Liang; Huang, Guo-Xia

2007-02-01

Several methods, including turbidimetric and colorimetric methods, have been reported for the detection of lysozyme activity. However, there is no report about the resonance scattering spectral (RSS) assay, which is based on the catalytic effect of lysozyme on the hydrolysis of micrococcus lysodeikticus (ML) and its resonance scattering effect. ML has 5 resonance scattering peaks at 360 400, 420, 470, and 520 nm with the strongest one at 470 nm. The concentration of ML in the range of 2.0x10(6)-9.3x10(8) cells/ml is proportional to the RS intensity at 470 nm (I(470 nm)). A new catalytic RSS method has been proposed for 0.24-40.0 U/ml (or 0.012-2.0 mug/ml) lysozyme activity, with a detection limit (3sigma) of 0.014 U/ml (or 0.0007 microg/ml). Saliva samples were assayed by this method, and it is in agreement with the results of turbidimetric method. The slope, intercept and the correlation coefficient of the regression analysis of the 2 assays were 0.9665, -87.50, and 0.9973, respectively. The assay has high sensitivity and simplicity.

Big data analytics as a service infrastructure: challenges, desired properties and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-Márquez, Manuel

2015-12-01

CERN's accelerator complex generates a very large amount of data. A large volumen of heterogeneous data is constantly generated from control equipment and monitoring agents. These data must be stored and analysed. Over the decades, CERN's researching and engineering teams have applied different approaches, techniques and technologies for this purpose. This situation has minimised the necessary collaboration and, more relevantly, the cross data analytics over different domains. These two factors are essential to unlock hidden insights and correlations between the underlying processes, which enable better and more efficient daily-based accelerator operations and more informed decisions. The proposed Big Data Analytics as a Service Infrastructure aims to: (1) integrate the existing developments; (2) centralise and standardise the complex data analytics needs for CERN's research and engineering community; (3) deliver real-time, batch data analytics and information discovery capabilities; and (4) provide transparent access and Extract, Transform and Load (ETL), mechanisms to the various and mission-critical existing data repositories. This paper presents the desired objectives and properties resulting from the analysis of CERN's data analytics requirements; the main challenges: technological, collaborative and educational and; potential solutions.

Diffractive Higgs boson production at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

PubMed

Enberg, R; Ingelman, G; Kissavos, A; Tîmneanu, N

2002-08-19

Improved possibilities to find the Higgs boson in diffractive events, having less hadronic activity, depend on whether the cross section is large enough. Based on the soft color interaction models that successfully describe diffractive hard scattering at DESY HERA and the Fermilab Tevatron, we find that only a few diffractive Higgs events may be produced at the Tevatron, but we predict a substantial rate at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

Integrating new Storage Technologies into EOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Andreas J.; van der Ster, Dan C.; Rocha, Joaquim; Lensing, Paul

2015-12-01

The EOS[1] storage software was designed to cover CERN disk-only storage use cases in the medium-term trading scalability against latency. To cover and prepare for long-term requirements the CERN IT data and storage services group (DSS) is actively conducting R&D and open source contributions to experiment with a next generation storage software based on CEPH[3] and ethernet enabled disk drives. CEPH provides a scale-out object storage system RADOS and additionally various optional high-level services like S3 gateway, RADOS block devices and a POSIX compliant file system CephFS. The acquisition of CEPH by Redhat underlines the promising role of CEPH as the open source storage platform of the future. CERN IT is running a CEPH service in the context of OpenStack on a moderate scale of 1 PB replicated storage. Building a 100+PB storage system based on CEPH will require software and hardware tuning. It is of capital importance to demonstrate the feasibility and possibly iron out bottlenecks and blocking issues beforehand. The main idea behind this R&D is to leverage and contribute to existing building blocks in the CEPH storage stack and implement a few CERN specific requirements in a thin, customisable storage layer. A second research topic is the integration of ethernet enabled disks. This paper introduces various ongoing open source developments, their status and applicability.

Local Chromatin Features Including PU.1 and IKAROS Binding and H3K4 Methylation Shape the Repertoire of Immunoglobulin Kappa Genes Chosen for V(D)J Recombination.

PubMed

Matheson, Louise S; Bolland, Daniel J; Chovanec, Peter; Krueger, Felix; Andrews, Simon; Koohy, Hashem; Corcoran, Anne E

2017-01-01

V(D)J recombination is essential for the generation of diverse antigen receptor (AgR) repertoires. In B cells, immunoglobulin kappa ( Igκ ) light chain recombination follows immunoglobulin heavy chain ( Igh ) recombination. We recently developed the DNA-based VDJ-seq assay for the unbiased quantitation of Igh VH and DH repertoires. Integration of VDJ-seq data with genome-wide datasets revealed that two chromatin states at the recombination signal sequence (RSS) of VH genes are highly predictive of recombination in mouse pro-B cells. It is unknown whether local chromatin states contribute to Vκ gene choice during Igκ recombination. Here we adapt VDJ-seq to profile the Igκ VκJκ repertoire and present a comprehensive readout in mouse pre-B cells, revealing highly variable Vκ gene usage. Integration with genome-wide datasets for histone modifications, DNase hypersensitivity, transcription factor binding and germline transcription identified PU.1 binding at the RSS, which was unimportant for Igh , as highly predictive of whether a Vκ gene will recombine or not, suggesting that it plays a binary, all-or-nothing role, priming genes for recombination. Thereafter, the frequency with which these genes recombine was shaped both by the presence and level of enrichment of several other chromatin features, including H3K4 methylation and IKAROS binding. Moreover, in contrast to the Igh locus, the chromatin landscape of the promoter, as well as of the RSS, contributes to Vκ gene recombination. Thus, multiple facets of local chromatin features explain much of the variation in Vκ gene usage. Together, these findings reveal shared and divergent roles for epigenetic features and transcription factors in AgR V(D)J recombination and provide avenues for further investigation of chromatin signatures that may underpin V(D)J-mediated chromosomal translocations.

Local Chromatin Features Including PU.1 and IKAROS Binding and H3K4 Methylation Shape the Repertoire of Immunoglobulin Kappa Genes Chosen for V(D)J Recombination

PubMed Central

Matheson, Louise S.; Bolland, Daniel J.; Chovanec, Peter; Krueger, Felix; Andrews, Simon; Koohy, Hashem; Corcoran, Anne E.

2017-01-01

V(D)J recombination is essential for the generation of diverse antigen receptor (AgR) repertoires. In B cells, immunoglobulin kappa (Igκ) light chain recombination follows immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) recombination. We recently developed the DNA-based VDJ-seq assay for the unbiased quantitation of Igh VH and DH repertoires. Integration of VDJ-seq data with genome-wide datasets revealed that two chromatin states at the recombination signal sequence (RSS) of VH genes are highly predictive of recombination in mouse pro-B cells. It is unknown whether local chromatin states contribute to Vκ gene choice during Igκ recombination. Here we adapt VDJ-seq to profile the Igκ VκJκ repertoire and present a comprehensive readout in mouse pre-B cells, revealing highly variable Vκ gene usage. Integration with genome-wide datasets for histone modifications, DNase hypersensitivity, transcription factor binding and germline transcription identified PU.1 binding at the RSS, which was unimportant for Igh, as highly predictive of whether a Vκ gene will recombine or not, suggesting that it plays a binary, all-or-nothing role, priming genes for recombination. Thereafter, the frequency with which these genes recombine was shaped both by the presence and level of enrichment of several other chromatin features, including H3K4 methylation and IKAROS binding. Moreover, in contrast to the Igh locus, the chromatin landscape of the promoter, as well as of the RSS, contributes to Vκ gene recombination. Thus, multiple facets of local chromatin features explain much of the variation in Vκ gene usage. Together, these findings reveal shared and divergent roles for epigenetic features and transcription factors in AgR V(D)J recombination and provide avenues for further investigation of chromatin signatures that may underpin V(D)J-mediated chromosomal translocations. PMID:29204143

Status and Roadmap of CernVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berzano, D.; Blomer, J.; Buncic, P.; Charalampidis, I.; Ganis, G.; Meusel, R.

2015-12-01

Cloud resources nowadays contribute an essential share of resources for computing in high-energy physics. Such resources can be either provided by private or public IaaS clouds (e.g. OpenStack, Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine) or by volunteers computers (e.g. LHC@Home 2.0). In any case, experiments need to prepare a virtual machine image that provides the execution environment for the physics application at hand. The CernVM virtual machine since version 3 is a minimal and versatile virtual machine image capable of booting different operating systems. The virtual machine image is less than 20 megabyte in size. The actual operating system is delivered on demand by the CernVM File System. CernVM 3 has matured from a prototype to a production environment. It is used, for instance, to run LHC applications in the cloud, to tune event generators using a network of volunteer computers, and as a container for the historic Scientific Linux 5 and Scientific Linux 4 based software environments in the course of long-term data preservation efforts of the ALICE, CMS, and ALEPH experiments. We present experience and lessons learned from the use of CernVM at scale. We also provide an outlook on the upcoming developments. These developments include adding support for Scientific Linux 7, the use of container virtualization, such as provided by Docker, and the streamlining of virtual machine contextualization towards the cloud-init industry standard.

BOREAS RSS-20 POLDER Radiance Images From the NASA C-130

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leroy, M.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

These Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Remote Sensing Science (RSS)-20 data are a subset of images collected by the Polarization and Directionality of Earth's Reflectance (POLDER) instrument over tower sites in the BOREAS study areas during the intensive field campaigns (IFCs) in 1994. The POLDER images presented here from the NASA ARC C-130 aircraft are made available for illustration purposes only. The data are stored in binary image-format files. The POLDER radiance images are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

BOREAS RSS-7 LAI, Gap Fraction, and FPAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Chen, Jing

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-7 team collected various data sets to develop and validate an algorithm to allow the retrieval of the spatial distribution of Leaf Area Index (LAI) from remotely sensed images. Ground measurements of LAI and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) absorbed by the plant canopy were made using the LAI-2000 and TRAC optical instruments during focused periods from 09-Aug-1993 to 19-Sep-1994. The measurements were intensive at the NSA and SSA tower sites, but were made just once or twice at auxiliary sites. The final processed LAI and FPAR data set is contained in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Cosimulation of embedded system using RTOS software simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shihao; Duan, Zhigang; Liu, Mingye

2003-09-01

Embedded system design often employs co-simulation to verify system's function; one efficient verification tool of software is Instruction Set Simulator (ISS). As a full functional model of target CPU, ISS interprets instruction of embedded software step by step, which usually is time-consuming since it simulates at low-level. Hence ISS often becomes the bottleneck of co-simulation in a complicated system. In this paper, a new software verification tools, the RTOS software simulator (RSS) was presented. The mechanism of its operation was described in a full details. In RSS method, RTOS API is extended and hardware simulator driver is adopted to deal with data-exchange and synchronism between the two simulators.

KSC-2010-4941

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4942

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crews are dismantling the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4946

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crews are dismantling the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4944

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crews are dismantling the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4943

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4945

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-4987

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crews continue dismantling the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

STS-27 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, at KSC Launch Complex (LC) pad 39B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

STS-27 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, sits atop the mobile launcher platform at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) pad 39B. Profile of OV-104 mounted on external tank and flanked by solid rocket boosters (SRBs) is obscured by a flock of seagulls in the foreground. The fixed service structure (FSS) with rotating service structure (RSS) retracted appears in the background. Water resevoir is visible at the base of the launch pad concrete structure.

Miscarriage - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... Management of Miscarriage Aftercare Instructions - English ... updates Subscribe to RSS Follow us Disclaimers Copyright Privacy Accessibility Quality Guidelines Viewers & Players MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs For ...

CERN's Common Unix and X Terminal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cass, Tony

The Desktop Infrastructure Group of CERN's Computing and Networks Division has developed a Common Unix and X Terminal Environment to ease the migration to Unix based Interactive Computing. The CUTE architecture relies on a distributed filesystem—currently Trans arc's AFS—to enable essentially interchangeable client work-stations to access both "home directory" and program files transparently. Additionally, we provide a suite of programs to configure workstations for CUTE and to ensure continued compatibility. This paper describes the different components and the development of the CUTE architecture.

Rapid, noninvasive quantitation of skin disease in systemic sclerosis using optical coherence elastography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Yong; Liu, Chih-Hao; Lei, Ling; Singh, Manmohan; Li, Jiasong; Hicks, M. John; Larin, Kirill V.; Mohan, Chandra

2016-04-01

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease that results in excessive accumulation of collagen in the skin and internal organs. Overall, SSc has a rare morbidity (276 cases per million adults in the United States), but has a 10-year survival rate of 55%. Currently, the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) is assessed by palpation on 17 sites on the body. However, the mRSS assessed score is subjective and may be influenced by the experience of the rheumatologists. In addition, the inherent elasticity of skin may bias the mRSS assessment in the early stage of SSc, such as oedematous. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a rapidly emerging technique, which can assess mechanical contrast in tissues with micrometer spatial resolution. In this work, the OCE technique is applied to assess the mechanical properties of skin in both control and bleomycin (BLM) induced SSc-like disease noninvasively. Young's modulus of the BLM-SSc skin was found be significantly higher than that of normal skin, in both the in vivo and in vitro studies (p<0.05). Thus, OCE is able to differentiate healthy and fibrotic skin using mechanical contrast. It is a promising new technology for quantifying skin involvement in SSc in a rapid, unbiased, and noninvasive manner.

Hydrogen Sulfide and Reactive Sulfur Species Impact Proteome S-Sulfhydration and Global Virulence Regulation in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Peng, Hui; Zhang, Yixiang; Palmer, Lauren D; Kehl-Fie, Thomas E; Skaar, Eric P; Trinidad, Jonathan C; Giedroc, David P

2017-10-13

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is thought to protect bacteria from oxidative stress, but a comprehensive understanding of its function in bacteria is largely unexplored. In this study, we show that the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) harbors significant effector molecules of H 2 S signaling, reactive sulfur species (RSS), as low molecular weight persulfides of bacillithiol, coenzyme A, and cysteine, and significant inorganic polysulfide species. We find that proteome S-sulfhydration, a post-translational modification (PTM) in H 2 S signaling, is widespread in S. aureus. RSS levels modulate the expression of secreted virulence factors and the cytotoxicity of the secretome, consistent with an S-sulfhydration-dependent inhibition of DNA binding by MgrA, a global virulence regulator. Two previously uncharacterized thioredoxin-like proteins, denoted TrxP and TrxQ, are S-sulfhydrated in sulfide-stressed cells and are capable of reducing protein hydrodisulfides, suggesting that this PTM is potentially regulatory in S. aureus. In conclusion, our results reveal that S. aureus harbors a pool of proteome- and metabolite-derived RSS capable of impacting protein activities and gene regulation and that H 2 S signaling can be sensed by global regulators to affect the expression of virulence factors.

BOREAS RSS-16 AIRSAR CM Images: Integrated Processor Version 6.1 Level-3b

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Saatchi, Susan; Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Strub, Richard; Irani, Fred

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-16 team used satellite and aircraft SAR data in conjunction with various ground measurements to determine the moisture regime of the boreal forest. RSS-16 assisted with the acquisition and ordering of NASA JPL AIRSAR data collected from the NASA DC-8 aircraft. The NASA JPL AIRSAR is a side-looking imaging radar system that utilizes the SAR principle to obtain high resolution images that represent the radar backscatter of the imaged surface at different frequencies and polarizations. The information contained in each pixel of the AIRSAR data represents the radar backscatter for all possible combinations of horizontal and vertical transmit and receive polarizations (i.e., HH, HV, VH, and VV). Geographically, the data cover portions of the BOREAS SSA and NSA. Temporally, the data were acquired from 12-Aug-1993 to 31-Jul-1995. The level-3b AIRSAR CM data are in compressed Stokes matrix format, which has 10 bytes per pixel. From this data format, it is possible to synthesize a number of different radar backscatter measurements. The data are stored in binary image-format files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Advanced Pedestrian Positioning System to Smartphones and Smartwatches

PubMed Central

Correa, Alejandro; Munoz Diaz, Estefania; Bousdar Ahmed, Dina; Morell, Antoni; Lopez Vicario, Jose

2016-01-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of pedestrian navigation systems for satellite-denied scenarios. The popularization of smartphones and smartwatches is an interesting opportunity for reducing the infrastructure cost of the positioning systems. Nowadays, smartphones include inertial sensors that can be used in pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR) algorithms for the estimation of the user’s position. Both smartphones and smartwatches include WiFi capabilities allowing the computation of the received signal strength (RSS). We develop a new method for the combination of RSS measurements from two different receivers using a Gaussian mixture model. We also analyze the implication of using a WiFi network designed for communication purposes in an indoor positioning system when the designer cannot control the network configuration. In this work, we design a hybrid positioning system that combines inertial measurements, from low-cost inertial sensors embedded in a smartphone, with RSS measurements through an extended Kalman filter. The system has been validated in a real scenario, and results show that our system improves the positioning accuracy of the PDR system thanks to the use of two WiFi receivers. The designed system obtains an accuracy up to 1.4 m in a scenario of 6000 m2. PMID:27845715

Identification of Lethal Mutations in Yeast Threonyl-tRNA Synthetase Revealing Critical Residues in Its Human Homolog*

PubMed Central

Ruan, Zhi-Rong; Fang, Zhi-Peng; Ye, Qing; Lei, Hui-Yan; Eriani, Gilbert; Zhou, Xiao-Long; Wang, En-Duo

2015-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a group of ancient enzymes catalyzing aminoacylation and editing reactions for protein biosynthesis. Increasing evidence suggests that these critical enzymes are often associated with mammalian disorders. Therefore, complete determination of the enzymes functions is essential for informed diagnosis and treatment. Here, we show that a yeast knock-out strain for the threonyl-tRNA synthetase (ThrRS) gene is an excellent platform for such an investigation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae ThrRS has a unique modular structure containing four structural domains and a eukaryote-specific N-terminal extension. Using randomly mutated libraries of the ThrRS gene (thrS) and a genetic screen, a set of loss-of-function mutants were identified. The mutations affected the synthetic and editing activities and influenced the dimer interface. The results also highlighted the role of the N-terminal extension for enzymatic activity and protein stability. To gain insights into the pathological mechanisms induced by mutated aaRSs, we systematically introduced the loss-of-function mutations into the human cytoplasmic ThrRS gene. All mutations induced similar detrimental effects, showing that the yeast model could be used to study pathology-associated point mutations in mammalian aaRSs. PMID:25416776

Wi-Fi location fingerprinting using an intelligent checkpoint sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retscher, Günther; Hofer, Hannes

2017-09-01

For Wi-Fi positioning location fingerprinting is very common but has the disadvantage that it is very labour consuming for the establishment of a database (DB) with received signal strength (RSS) scans measured on a large number of known reference points (RPs). To overcome this drawback a novel approach is developed which uses a logical sequence of intelligent checkpoints (iCPs) instead of RPs distributed in a regular grid. The iCPs are the selected RPs which have to be passed along the way for navigation from a start point A to the destination B. They are twofold intelligent because of the fact that they depend on their meaningful selection and because of their logical sequence in their correct order. Thus, always the following iCP is known due to a vector graph allocation in the DB and only a small limited number of iCPs needs to be tested when matching the current RSS scans. This reduces the required processing time significantly. It is proven that the iCP approach achieves a higher success rate than conventional approaches. In average correct matching results of 90.0% were achieved using a joint DB including RSS scans of all employed smartphones. An even higher success rate is achieved if the same mobile device is used in both the training and positioning phase.

Biological Hydropersulfides and Related Polysulfides: A New Concept and Perspective in Redox Biology.

PubMed

Fukuto, Jon M; Ignarro, Louis J; Nagy, Peter; Wink, David A; Kevil, Christopher G; Feelisch, Martin; Cortese-Krott, Miriam M; Bianco, Christopher L; Kumagai, Yoshito; Hobbs, Adrian J; Lin, Joseph; Ida, Tomoaki; Akaike, Takaaki

2018-05-12

The chemical biology of thiols (RSH, e.g., cysteine and cysteine containing proteins/peptides) has been a topic of extreme interest for many decades due to their reported roles in protein structure/folding, redox signaling, metal ligation, cellular protection and enzymology. While many of the studies on thiol/sulfur biochemistry have focused on thiols, relatively ignored have been hydropersulfides (RSSH) and higher order polysulfur species (RSS n H, RSS n R, n > 1). Recent and provocative work has alluded to the prevalence and likely physiological importance of RSSH and related RSS n H. RSSH of cysteine (Cys-SSH) has been found to be prevalent in mammalian systems along with Cys-SSH-containing proteins. The RSSH functionality has not been examined to the extent of other biologically relevant sulfur derivatives (e.g., sulfenic acids, disulfides, etc.), whose roles in cell signaling are strongly indicated. The recent finding of Cys-SSH biosynthesis and translational incorporation into proteins is an unequivocal indication of its fundamental importance and necessitates a more profound look into the physiology of RSSH. In this Review, we discuss the currently reported chemical biology of RSSH (and related species) as a prelude to discussing their possible physiological roles. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Membrane anchoring of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases by convergent acquisition of a novel protein domain.

PubMed

Olmedo-Verd, Elvira; Santamaría-Gómez, Javier; Ochoa de Alda, Jesús A G; Ribas de Pouplana, Lluis; Luque, Ignacio

2011-11-25

Four distinct aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) found in some cyanobacterial species contain a novel protein domain that bears two putative transmembrane helices. This CAAD domain is present in glutamyl-, isoleucyl-, leucyl-, and valyl-tRNA synthetases, the latter of which has probably recruited the domain more than once during evolution. Deleting the CAAD domain from the valyl-tRNA synthetase of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 did not significantly modify the catalytic properties of this enzyme, suggesting that it does not participate in its canonical tRNA-charging function. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the function of the CAAD domain is structural, mediating the membrane anchorage of the enzyme, although membrane localization of aaRSs has not previously been described in any living organism. Synthetases containing the CAAD domain were localized in the intracytoplasmic thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria and were largely absent from the plasma membrane. The CAAD domain was necessary and apparently sufficient for protein targeting to membranes. Moreover, localization of aaRSs in thylakoids was important under nitrogen limiting conditions. In Anabaena, a multicellular filamentous cyanobacterium often used as a model for prokaryotic cell differentiation, valyl-tRNA synthetase underwent subcellular relocation at the cell poles during heterocyst differentiation, a process also dependent on the CAAD domain.

Wolfgang Kummer at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schopper, Herwig

Wolfgang Kummer was not only a great theorist but also a man with a noble spirit and extensive education, based on a fascinating long-term Austrian cultural tradition. As an experimentalist I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to evaluate his contributions to theoretical physics - this will certainly be done by more competent scientists. Nevertheless I admired him for not only being attached to fundamental and abstract problems like quantum field theory, quantum gravity or black holes, but for his interest in down to earth questions like electron-proton scattering or the toponium mass. I got to know Wolfgang Kummer very well and appreciate his human qualities during his long attachment to CERN, in particular when he served as president of the CERN Council, the highest decision taking authority of this international research centre, from 1985 to 1987 falling into my term as Director-General…

Database on Demand: insight how to build your own DBaaS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaspar Aparicio, Ruben; Coterillo Coz, Ignacio

2015-12-01

At CERN, a number of key database applications are running on user-managed MySQL, PostgreSQL and Oracle database services. The Database on Demand (DBoD) project was born out of an idea to provide CERN user community with an environment to develop and run database services as a complement to the central Oracle based database service. The Database on Demand empowers the user to perform certain actions that had been traditionally done by database administrators, providing an enterprise platform for database applications. It also allows the CERN user community to run different database engines, e.g. presently three major RDBMS (relational database management system) vendors are offered. In this article we show the actual status of the service after almost three years of operations, some insight of our new redesign software engineering and near future evolution.

Patterns and predictors of skin score change in early diffuse systemic sclerosis from the European Scleroderma Observational Study.

PubMed

Herrick, Ariane L; Peytrignet, Sebastien; Lunt, Mark; Pan, Xiaoyan; Hesselstrand, Roger; Mouthon, Luc; Silman, Alan J; Dinsdale, Graham; Brown, Edith; Czirják, László; Distler, Jörg H W; Distler, Oliver; Fligelstone, Kim; Gregory, William J; Ochiel, Rachel; Vonk, Madelon C; Ancuţa, Codrina; Ong, Voon H; Farge, Dominique; Hudson, Marie; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Balbir-Gurman, Alexandra; Midtvedt, Øyvind; Jobanputra, Paresh; Jordan, Alison C; Stevens, Wendy; Moinzadeh, Pia; Hall, Frances C; Agard, Christian; Anderson, Marina E; Diot, Elisabeth; Madhok, Rajan; Akil, Mohammed; Buch, Maya H; Chung, Lorinda; Damjanov, Nemanja S; Gunawardena, Harsha; Lanyon, Peter; Ahmad, Yasmeen; Chakravarty, Kuntal; Jacobsen, Søren; MacGregor, Alexander J; McHugh, Neil; Müller-Ladner, Ulf; Riemekasten, Gabriela; Becker, Michael; Roddy, Janet; Carreira, Patricia E; Fauchais, Anne Laure; Hachulla, Eric; Hamilton, Jennifer; İnanç, Murat; McLaren, John S; van Laar, Jacob M; Pathare, Sanjay; Proudman, Susanna M; Rudin, Anna; Sahhar, Joanne; Coppere, Brigitte; Serratrice, Christine; Sheeran, Tom; Veale, Douglas J; Grange, Claire; Trad, Georges-Selim; Denton, Christopher P

2018-04-01

Our aim was to use the opportunity provided by the European Scleroderma Observational Study to (1) identify and describe those patients with early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) with progressive skin thickness, and (2) derive prediction models for progression over 12 months, to inform future randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) was recorded every 3 months in 326 patients. 'Progressors' were defined as those experiencing a 5-unit and 25% increase in mRSS score over 12 months (±3 months). Logistic models were fitted to predict progression and, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, were compared on the basis of the area under curve (AUC), accuracy and positive predictive value (PPV). 66 patients (22.5%) progressed, 227 (77.5%) did not (33 could not have their status assessed due to insufficient data). Progressors had shorter disease duration (median 8.1 vs 12.6 months, P=0.001) and lower mRSS (median 19 vs 21 units, P=0.030) than non-progressors. Skin score was highest, and peaked earliest, in the anti-RNA polymerase III (Pol3+) subgroup (n=50). A first predictive model (including mRSS, duration of skin thickening and their interaction) had an accuracy of 60.9%, AUC of 0.666 and PPV of 33.8%. By adding a variable for Pol3 positivity, the model reached an accuracy of 71%, AUC of 0.711 and PPV of 41%. Two prediction models for progressive skin thickening were derived, for use both in clinical practice and for cohort enrichment in RCTs. These models will inform recruitment into the many clinical trials of dcSSc projected for the coming years. NCT02339441. © 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.

Temporal dissolution of potentially toxic elements from silver smelting slag by synthetic environmental solutions.

PubMed

Ash, Christopher; Borůvka, Luboš; Tejnecký, Václav; Šebek, Ondřej; Nikodem, Antonín; Drábek, Ondřej

2013-11-15

Waste slag which is created during precious metal smelting contains high levels of potentially toxic elements (PTE) which can be mobilised from unconfined deposits into the local environment. This paper examines the extractability of selected PTE (Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn) from slag samples by synthetic solutions designed to replicate those in the environment. Extracting agents were used to replicate potential leaching scenarios which are analogous to natural chemical weathering. Slag was submersed in a rainwater simulation solution (RSS), weak citric acid solution (representing rhizosphere secretions) and control solutions (deionised water) for a one month period with solution analyses made at intervals of 1, 24, 168 and 720 h. In 1 mM citric acid, dissolution of Cd and Zn showed little change with time, although for Zn the initial dissolution was considerable. Lead in citric acid was characterized by overall poor extractability. Mn solubility increased until an equilibrium state occurred within 24 h. The solubility of studied metals in citric acid can be characterized by a short time to equilibrium. RSS proved to be an effective solvent that, unlike citric acid solution, extracted increasing concentrations of Cd, Mn and Zn with time. Solubility of Pb in RSS was again very low. When taken as a proportion of a single 2 M HNO3 extraction which was applied to slag samples, Cd was the element most readily leached into RSS and control samples. In both studied solvents, slag heterogeneity is prominent in the case of Cd and Zn solubility. Contact time with solvent appears to be an important variable for the release of PTE from slag into solution. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the environmental chemical dissolution of PTE from slag, which causes their enrichment in surrounding soils and surface waters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CERN and high energy physics, the grand picture

ScienceCinema

Heuer, Rolf-Dieter

2018-05-24

The lecture will touch on several topics, to illustrate the role of CERN in the present and future of high-energy physics: how does CERN work? What is the role of the scientific community, of bodies like Council and SPC, and of international cooperation, in the definition of CERN's scientific programme? What are the plans for the future of the LHC and of the non-LHC physics programme? What is the role of R&D; and technology transfer at CERN?

AIDSinfo

MedlinePlus

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Commissioning the CERN IT Agile Infrastructure with experiment workloads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medrano Llamas, Ramón; Harald Barreiro Megino, Fernando; Kucharczyk, Katarzyna; Kamil Denis, Marek; Cinquilli, Mattia

2014-06-01

In order to ease the management of their infrastructure, most of the WLCG sites are adopting cloud based strategies. In the case of CERN, the Tier 0 of the WLCG, is completely restructuring the resource and configuration management of their computing center under the codename Agile Infrastructure. Its goal is to manage 15,000 Virtual Machines by means of an OpenStack middleware in order to unify all the resources in CERN's two datacenters: the one placed in Meyrin and the new on in Wigner, Hungary. During the commissioning of this infrastructure, CERN IT is offering an attractive amount of computing resources to the experiments (800 cores for ATLAS and CMS) through a private cloud interface. ATLAS and CMS have joined forces to exploit them by running stress tests and simulation workloads since November 2012. This work will describe the experience of the first deployments of the current experiment workloads on the CERN private cloud testbed. The paper is organized as follows: the first section will explain the integration of the experiment workload management systems (WMS) with the cloud resources. The second section will revisit the performance and stress testing performed with HammerCloud in order to evaluate and compare the suitability for the experiment workloads. The third section will go deeper into the dynamic provisioning techniques, such as the use of the cloud APIs directly by the WMS. The paper finishes with a review of the conclusions and the challenges ahead.

Uav Positioning and Collision Avoidance Based on RSS Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiero, A.; Fissore, F.; Guarnieri, A.; Pirotti, F.; Vettore, A.

2015-08-01

In recent years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are attracting more and more attention in both the research and industrial communities: indeed, the possibility to use them in a wide range of remote sensing applications makes them a very flexible and attractive solution in both civil and commercial cases (e.g. precision agriculture, security and control, monitoring of sites, exploration of areas difficult to reach). Most of the existing UAV positioning systems rely on the use of the GPS signal. Despite this can be a satisfactory solution in open environments where the GPS signal is available, there are several operating conditions of interest where it is unavailable or unreliable (e.g. close to high buildings, or mountains, in indoor environments). Consequently, a different approach has to be adopted in these cases. This paper considers the use ofWiFi measurements in order to obtain position estimations of the device of interest. More specifically, to limit the costs for the devices involved in the positioning operations, an approach based on radio signal strengths (RSS) measurements is considered. Thanks to the use of a Kalman filter, the proposed approach takes advantage of the temporal dynamic of the device of interest in order to improve the positioning results initially provided by means of maximum likelihood estimations. The considered UAVs are assumed to be provided with communication devices, which can allow them to communicate with each other in order to improve their cooperation abilities. In particular, the collision avoidance problem is examined in this work.

Advantages of early diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy in the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers.

PubMed

Sanz-Corbalán, Irene; Lázaro-Martínez, José Luis; García-Morales, Esther; Molines-Barroso, Raúl; Álvaro-Afonso, Francisco; García-Álvarez, Yolanda

2017-12-26

to evaluate the utility of the sudomotor function test (SFT) as a clinical tool in the Risk Stratification System of diabetic patients and to demonstrate the earlier detection of the risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) compared to the standard clinical tests. prospective follow-up study on 263 patients enrolled consecutively over 3.5 years. Diabetic patients without active DFU were classified according to the International Working Group Risk Stratification System (RSS) and categorized according to the results of the Semmes-Wenstein Monofilament (SWM) and biothesiometer measurements or the SFT. The main outcome evaluated was the development of DFU. median follow-up was 42 [38-44] months. Sixty patients (22.8%) developed DFU after a median of 6.2 [3-17] months. Ten patients that were included in the no-risk group (group 0) based on the SWM and biothesiometer results developed DFU. Thus the sensitivity of this approach was 83.33% and the specificity was 50.47%. Based on the SFT results, all patients that developed DFU were included in the correct risk group. This approach had 100% sensitivity and 31.53% specificity. Regarding the diagnostic accuracy of the two Methods, the respective AUC values were 0.776 (95% CI 0.702-0.849) and 0.816 (95% CI 0.757-0.874). SFT improved RSS in diabetic patients in a specialized diabetic foot unit. SFT categorized patients correctly according to the risk of developing DFU. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photographic Combustion Characterization of LOX/Hydrocarbon Type Propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Judd, D. C.

1980-01-01

The advantages and limitations of using high speed photography to identify potential combustion anomalies (pops, fuel freezing, reactive stream separation (RSS), carbon formation) were demonstrated. Combustion evaluation criteria were developed for evaluating, characterizing, and screening promising low cost propellant combination(s) and injector element(s) for long life, reusable engine systems. Carbon formation and RSS mechanisms and trends were identified by using high speed color photography at speeds up to 6000 frames/sec. Single element injectors were tested with LOX/RP-1, LOX/Propane, LOX/Methane and LOX/Ammonia propellants. Tests were conducted using seven separate injector elements. Five different conventionally machined elements were tested: OFO Triplet; Rectangular Unlike Doublet (RUD); Unlike Doublet (UD); Like on Lke Doublet (LOL-EDM); and Slit Triplet.

KSC-2010-4984

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this image shows the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B as it is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2010-4988

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this long range view shows the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B as it is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2010-4986

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this image shows the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B as it is being dismantled. Sand, reinforcing steel and large wooden mats were put down under the RSS to protect the structure's concrete from falling debris during deconstruction. Starting in 2009, the structure at the pad was no longer needed for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, so it is being restructured for future use. The new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The new lightning protection system, consisting of three lightning towers and a wire catenary system will remain. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Dissemination of CERN's Technology Transfer: Added Value from Regional Transfer Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofer, Franz

2005-01-01

Technologies developed at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, are disseminated via a network of external technology transfer officers. Each of CERN's 20 member states has appointed at least one technology transfer officer to help establish links with CERN. This network has been in place since 2001 and early experiences indicate…

Spatial prediction of landslides using a hybrid machine learning approach based on Random Subspace and Classification and Regression Trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Binh Thai; Prakash, Indra; Tien Bui, Dieu

2018-02-01

A hybrid machine learning approach of Random Subspace (RSS) and Classification And Regression Trees (CART) is proposed to develop a model named RSSCART for spatial prediction of landslides. This model is a combination of the RSS method which is known as an efficient ensemble technique and the CART which is a state of the art classifier. The Luc Yen district of Yen Bai province, a prominent landslide prone area of Viet Nam, was selected for the model development. Performance of the RSSCART model was evaluated through the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, statistical analysis methods, and the Chi Square test. Results were compared with other benchmark landslide models namely Support Vector Machines (SVM), single CART, Naïve Bayes Trees (NBT), and Logistic Regression (LR). In the development of model, ten important landslide affecting factors related with geomorphology, geology and geo-environment were considered namely slope angles, elevation, slope aspect, curvature, lithology, distance to faults, distance to rivers, distance to roads, and rainfall. Performance of the RSSCART model (AUC = 0.841) is the best compared with other popular landslide models namely SVM (0.835), single CART (0.822), NBT (0.821), and LR (0.723). These results indicate that performance of the RSSCART is a promising method for spatial landslide prediction.

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Scaling the CERN OpenStack cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, T.; Bompastor, B.; Bukowiec, S.; Castro Leon, J.; Denis, M. K.; van Eldik, J.; Fermin Lobo, M.; Fernandez Alvarez, L.; Fernandez Rodriguez, D.; Marino, A.; Moreira, B.; Noel, B.; Oulevey, T.; Takase, W.; Wiebalck, A.; Zilli, S.

2015-12-01

CERN has been running a production OpenStack cloud since July 2013 to support physics computing and infrastructure services for the site. In the past year, CERN Cloud Infrastructure has seen a constant increase in nodes, virtual machines, users and projects. This paper will present what has been done in order to make the CERN cloud infrastructure scale out.

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Experience in running relational databases on clustered storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaspar Aparicio, Ruben; Potocky, Miroslav

2015-12-01

For past eight years, CERN IT Database group has based its backend storage on NAS (Network-Attached Storage) architecture, providing database access via NFS (Network File System) protocol. In last two and half years, our storage has evolved from a scale-up architecture to a scale-out one. This paper describes our setup and a set of functionalities providing key features to other services like Database on Demand [1] or CERN Oracle backup and recovery service. It also outlines possible trend of evolution that, storage for databases could follow.

The LHC timeline: a personal recollection (1980-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiani, Luciano; Bonolis, Luisa

2017-12-01

The objective of this interview is to study the history of the Large Hadron Collider in the LEP tunnel at CERN, from first ideas to the discovery of the Brout-Englert-Higgs boson, seen from the point of view of a member of CERN scientific committees, of the CERN Council and a former Director General of CERN in the years of machine construction.

Programming Post-Translational Control over the Metabolic Labeling of Cellular Proteins with a Noncanonical Amino Acid.

PubMed

Thomas, Emily E; Pandey, Naresh; Knudsen, Sarah; Ball, Zachary T; Silberg, Jonathan J

2017-08-18

Transcriptional control can be used to program cells to label proteins with noncanonical amino acids by regulating the expression of orthogonal aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). However, we cannot yet program cells to control labeling in response to aaRS and ligand binding. To identify aaRSs whose activities can be regulated by interactions with ligands, we used a combinatorial approach to discover fragmented variants of Escherichia coli methionyl tRNA synthetase (MetRS) that require fusion to associating proteins for maximal activity. We found that these split proteins could be leveraged to create ligand-dependent MetRS using two approaches. When a pair of MetRS fragments was fused to FKBP12 and the FKBP-rapamycin binding domain (FRB) of mTOR and mutations were introduced that direct substrate specificity toward azidonorleucine (Anl), Anl metabolic labeling was significantly enhanced in growth medium containing rapamycin, which stabilizes the FKBP12-FRB complex. In addition, fusion of MetRS fragments to the termini of the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor yielded proteins whose Anl metabolic labeling was significantly enhanced when 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-HT) was added to the growth medium. These findings suggest that split MetRS can be fused to a range of ligand-binding proteins to create aaRSs whose metabolic labeling activities depend upon post-translational interactions with ligands.

Methods for Kinetic and Thermodynamic Analysis of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

PubMed Central

Francklyn, Christopher S.; First, Eric A.; Perona, John J.; Hou, Ya-Ming

2008-01-01

The accuracy of protein synthesis relies on the ability of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) to discriminate among true and near cognate substrates. To date, analysis of aaRSs function, including identification of residues of aaRS participating in amino acid and tRNA discrimination, has largely relied on the steady state kinetic pyrophosphate exchange and aminoacylation assays. Pre-steady state kinetic studies investigating a more limited set of aaRS systems have also been undertaken to assess the energetic contributions of individual enzyme-substrate interactions, particularly in the adenylation half reaction. More recently, a renewed interest in the use of rapid kinetics approaches for aaRSs has led to their application to several new aaRS systems, resulting in the identification of mechanistic differences that distinguish the two structurally distinct aaRS classes. Here, we review the techniques for thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of aaRS function. Following a brief survey of methods for the preparation of materials and for steady state kinetic analysis, this review will describe pre-steady state kinetic methods employing rapid quench and stopped-flow fluorescence for analysis of the activation and aminoacyl transfer reactions. Application of these methods to any aaRS system allows the investigator to derive detailed kinetic mechanisms for the activation and aminoacyl transfer reactions, permitting issues of substrate specificity, stereochemical mechanism, and inhibitor interaction to be addressed in a rigorous and quantitative fashion. PMID:18241792

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Medical Encyclopedia: MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus

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Knee joint replacement - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Arenaviridae

MedlinePlus

... these human pathogenic viruses were Guanarito detected in Venezuela in 1989, Sabia in Brazil in 1993, Chapare ... Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs Funding LEGAL Policies Privacy FOIA No Fear Act OIG 1600 Clifton ...

Endometrial Hyperplasia

MedlinePlus

... this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, posted on the Internet, or transmitted, in ... Students For Patients About Us Contact Us Copyright Information Privacy Statement RSS Advertising Opportunities Careers at ACOG ...

rss.html

MedlinePlus

... Spectrum Disorder Baby Health Checkup Bedwetting Birth Weight Bullying Cancer in Children Chickenpox Child Abuse Child Behavior ... Family Issues Adoption Advance Directives Alzheimer's Caregivers Bereavement Bullying Caregivers Child Abuse Disabilities Divorce Domestic Violence Elder ...

Grief

MedlinePlus

... quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause grieving. Everyone feels grief in ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Fatigue

MedlinePlus

... possible. For example, take a vacation or resolve relationship problems. Take a multivitamin. Talk to your provider ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Tonometry

MedlinePlus

... Tanaka G. Intraocular pressure: measurement, regulation, and flow relationships. In: Tasman W, Jaeger EA, eds. Duane's Foundations ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

CDC Vital Signs: Opioid Painkiller Prescribing

MedlinePlus

... Healthcare-associated Infections Healthy Living HIV / AIDS Injury, Violence & Safety Motor Vehicle Safety Obesity Prescription Drug Overdoses Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Digital Media Tools About Vital Signs Subscribe to RSS Feed ...

Peak flow meter use - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Anterior cruciate ligament repair - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Bladder and urethral repair - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Coronary artery balloon angioplasty - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Metered dose inhaler use - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Animal bite - first aid - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Methanol test

MedlinePlus

... Safety and Health. Emergency Response Safety and Health Database. Methanol: systemic agent. Updated May 28, 2015. www. ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Protein C

MedlinePlus

... Normal Results Normal values are 60% to 150% inhibition. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different ... Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow us ...

Protein S

MedlinePlus

... Normal Results Normal values are 60% to 150% inhibition. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different ... Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow us ...

Chronic Pelvic Pain

MedlinePlus

... this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, posted on the Internet, or transmitted, in ... Students For Patients About Us Contact Us Copyright Information Privacy Statement RSS Advertising Opportunities Careers at ACOG ...

Heart transplant

MedlinePlus

... Tests of your kidney and liver Tests to evaluate your heart, such as EKG , echocardiogram , and cardiac ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Voiding cystourethrogram

MedlinePlus

... infection. It is also used to diagnose and evaluate: Difficulty emptying the bladder Birth defects with the ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Semen analysis

MedlinePlus

... is one of the first tests done to evaluate a man's fertility. It can help determine if ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Interstitial keratitis

MedlinePlus

... closely by ophthalmologist and a medical specialist with knowledge of the underlying disease. A person with the ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Responsible drinking

MedlinePlus

... not letting alcohol control your life or your relationships. Tips of Drinking Responsibly The tips in this ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

CDC Vital Signs: Preventing Repeat Teen Births

MedlinePlus

... Healthcare-associated Infections Healthy Living HIV / AIDS Injury, Violence & Safety Motor Vehicle Safety Obesity Prescription Drug Overdoses Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Digital Media Tools About Vital Signs Subscribe to RSS Feed ...

Zika Virus: Protecting Pregnant Women and Babies

MedlinePlus

... Healthcare-associated Infections Healthy Living HIV / AIDS Injury, Violence & Safety Motor Vehicle Safety Obesity Prescription Drug Overdoses Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Digital Media Tools About Vital Signs Subscribe to RSS Feed ...

Percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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QM2017: Status and Key open Questions in Ultra-Relativistic Heavy-Ion Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schukraft, Jurgen

2017-11-01

Almost exactly 3 decades ago, in the fall of 1986, the era of experimental ultra-relativistic E / m ≫ 1) heavy ion physics started simultaneously at the SPS at CERN and the AGS at Brookhaven with first beams of light Oxygen ions at fixed target energies of 200 GeV/A and 14.6 GeV/A, respectively. The event was announced by CERN [CERN's subatomic particle accelerators: Set up world-record in energy and break new ground for physics (CERN-PR-86-11-EN) (1986) 4 p, issued on 29 September 1986. URL (http://cds.cern.ch/record/855571)

Indoor Pedestrian Localization Using iBeacon and Improved Kalman Filter.

PubMed

Sung, Kwangjae; Lee, Dong Kyu 'Roy'; Kim, Hwangnam

2018-05-26

The reliable and accurate indoor pedestrian positioning is one of the biggest challenges for location-based systems and applications. Most pedestrian positioning systems have drift error and large bias due to low-cost inertial sensors and random motions of human being, as well as unpredictable and time-varying radio-frequency (RF) signals used for position determination. To solve this problem, many indoor positioning approaches that integrate the user's motion estimated by dead reckoning (DR) method and the location data obtained by RSS fingerprinting through Bayesian filter, such as the Kalman filter (KF), unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and particle filter (PF), have recently been proposed to achieve higher positioning accuracy in indoor environments. Among Bayesian filtering methods, PF is the most popular integrating approach and can provide the best localization performance. However, since PF uses a large number of particles for the high performance, it can lead to considerable computational cost. This paper presents an indoor positioning system implemented on a smartphone, which uses simple dead reckoning (DR), RSS fingerprinting using iBeacon and machine learning scheme, and improved KF. The core of the system is the enhanced KF called a sigma-point Kalman particle filter (SKPF), which localize the user leveraging both the unscented transform of UKF and the weighting method of PF. The SKPF algorithm proposed in this study is used to provide the enhanced positioning accuracy by fusing positional data obtained from both DR and fingerprinting with uncertainty. The SKPF algorithm can achieve better positioning accuracy than KF and UKF and comparable performance compared to PF, and it can provide higher computational efficiency compared with PF. iBeacon in our positioning system is used for energy-efficient localization and RSS fingerprinting. We aim to design the localization scheme that can realize the high positioning accuracy, computational efficiency, and energy efficiency through the SKPF and iBeacon indoors. Empirical experiments in real environments show that the use of the SKPF algorithm and iBeacon in our indoor localization scheme can achieve very satisfactory performance in terms of localization accuracy, computational cost, and energy efficiency.

Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis

MedlinePlus

... this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, posted on the Internet, or transmitted, in ... Students For Patients About Us Contact Us Copyright Information Privacy Statement RSS Advertising Opportunities Careers at ACOG ...

Researchers Realize Major Breakthrough in Understanding Endometriosis

MedlinePlus

... a rarely studied and poorly understood disease that affects many, many women.” Health Terms: Women's Health RELATED LINKS RSS LISTSERV YOUTUBE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ NIH...T URNING D ISCOVERY I ...

Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlooks

Science.gov Websites

Current Watches Meso. Discussions Conv. Outlooks Tstm. Outlooks Fire Wx Outlooks XML logo RSS Feeds E-Mail : Retrieve Outlooks Weather Topics: Watches, Mesoscale Discussions, Outlooks, Fire Weather, All Products

Shared decision making

MedlinePlus

... and your provider communicate openly and build a relationship of trust. Alternative Names Patient-centered care References ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Seasonal Affective Disorder

MedlinePlus

... than any non-seasonal depressions. Symptoms of Major Depression Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every ... Bethesda, MD 20892-9663 Follow Us Facebook Twitter YouTube Google Plus NIMH Newsletter NIMH RSS Feed NIMH ...

CDC Vital Signs: New Hope for Stopping HIV

MedlinePlus

... Healthcare-associated Infections Healthy Living HIV / AIDS Injury, Violence & Safety Motor Vehicle Safety Obesity Prescription Drug Overdoses Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Digital Media Tools About Vital Signs Subscribe to RSS Feed ...

Sunwise

MedlinePlus

... DC 20008-2326 202-833-2933 Contact Us | Jobs | About Us | Search | Donate Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest RSS Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Nondiscrimination Statement | EOE/AA/M/F/D/V | Copyright © 2018 NEEF.

Leptospirosis and Pets

MedlinePlus

... appropriate action to take will depend on the nature of contact with your pet. Normal daily activities ... YouTube Instagram Listen Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs Funding LEGAL Policies Privacy FOIA No Fear Act ...

Big Bang Day: The Making of CERN (Episode 1)

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

None

2009-10-06

A two-part history of the CERN project. Quentin Cooper explores the fifty-year history of CERN, the European particle physics laboratory in Switzerland. The institution was created to bring scientists together after WW2 .......

Big Bang Day: The Making of CERN (Episode 1)

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

A two-part history of the CERN project. Quentin Cooper explores the fifty-year history of CERN, the European particle physics laboratory in Switzerland. The institution was created to bring scientists together after WW2 .......

The evolution of the ISOLDE control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonsson, O. C.; Catherall, R.; Deloose, I.; Drumm, P.; Evensen, A. H. M.; Gase, K.; Focker, G. J.; Fowler, A.; Kugler, E.; Lettry, J.; Olesen, G.; Ravn, H. L.; Isolde Collaboration

The ISOLDE on-line mass separator facility is operating on a Personal Computer based control system since spring 1992. Front End Computers accessing the hardware are controlled from consoles running Microsoft Windows ™ through a Novell NetWare4 ™ local area network. The control system is transparently integrated in the CERN wide office network and makes heavy use of the CERN standard office application programs to control and to document the running of the ISOLDE isotope separators. This paper recalls the architecture of the control system, shows its recent developments and gives some examples of its graphical user interface.

The evolution of the ISOLDE control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonsson, O. C.; Catherall, R.; Deloose, I.; Evensen, A. H. M.; Gase, K.; Focker, G. J.; Fowler, A.; Kugler, E.; Lettry, J.; Olesen, G.; Ravn, H. L.; Drumm, P.

1996-04-01

The ISOLDE on-line mass separator facility is operating on a Personal Computer based control system since spring 1992. Front End Computers accessing the hardware are controlled from consoles running Microsoft Windows® through a Novell NetWare4® local area network. The control system is transparently integrated in the CERN wide office network and makes heavy use of the CERN standard office application programs to control and to document the running of the ISOLDE isotope separators. This paper recalls the architecture of the control system, shows its recent developments and gives some examples of its graphical user interface.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization.

PubMed

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

A Robust Indoor Autonomous Positioning System Using Particle Filter Based on ISM Band Wireless Communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Takeshi; Kawamoto, Mitsuru; Sashima, Akio; Suzuki, Keiji; Kurumatani, Koichi

In the field of the ubiquitous computing, positioning systems which can provide users' location information have paid attention as an important technical element which can be applied to various services, for example, indoor navigation services, evacuation services, market research services, guidance services, and so on. A lot of researchers have proposed various outdoor and indoor positioning systems. In this paper, we deal with indoor positioning systems. Many conventional indoor positioning systems use expensive infrastructures, because the propagated times of radio waves are used to measure users' positions with high accuracy. In this paper, we propose an indoor autonomous positioning system using radio signal strengths (RSSs) based on ISM band communications. In order to estimate users' positions, the proposed system utilizes a particle filter that is one of the Monte Carlo methods. Because the RSS information is used in the proposed system, the equipments configuring the system are not expensive compared with the conventional indoor positioning systems and it can be installed easily. Moreover, because the particle filter is used to estimate user's position, even if the RSS fluctuates due to, for example, multi-paths, the system can carry out position estimation robustly. We install the proposed system in one floor of a building and carry out some experiments in order to verify the validity of the proposed system. As a result, we confirmed that the average of the estimation errors of the proposed system was about 1.8 m, where the result is enough accuracy for achieving the services mentioned above.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

PubMed Central

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique. PMID:29278405

Pain and your emotions

MedlinePlus

... emotions can worsen your back pain. Mind-body Relationship The mind and body work together, they cannot ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Heart and vascular services

MedlinePlus

... using x-rays and injected contrast dye to evaluate blood vessels) Angioplasty (using a small balloon to ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan

MedlinePlus

... take a ventilation and perfusion scan and then evaluate it with a chest x-ray. All parts ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Storm Prediction Center Storm Reports

Science.gov Websites

Current Watches Meso. Discussions Conv. Outlooks Tstm. Outlooks Fire Wx Outlooks XML logo RSS Feeds E-Mail , Mesoscale Discussions, Outlooks, Fire Weather, All Products, Contact Us NOAA / National Weather Service

Normal growth and development

MedlinePlus

... they do not eat a good breakfast. The relationship between breakfast and improved learning has been clearly ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

OCD Treatment Options

MedlinePlus

... or educational DVD. Follow Us Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Advertisement Find A Therapist Search our directory of ADAA mental health professional members who specialize in anxiety, depression and co-occurring disorders. Understand the Facts Anxiety ...

CDC Vital Signs: More People Walk to Better Health

MedlinePlus

... Healthcare-associated Infections Healthy Living HIV / AIDS Injury, Violence & Safety Motor Vehicle Safety Obesity Prescription Drug Overdoses Teen Pregnancy Tobacco Digital Media Tools About Vital Signs Subscribe to RSS Feed ...

Screen time and children

MedlinePlus

... is considered unhealthy screen time. Current Screen Time Guidelines Children under age 2 should have no screen ... RSS Follow us Disclaimers Copyright Privacy Accessibility Quality Guidelines Viewers & Players MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs For Developers ...

Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions

MedlinePlus

... reported pertussis cases. Pertussis is naturally cyclic in nature, with peaks in disease every 3 to 5 ... YouTube Instagram Listen Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs Funding LEGAL Policies Privacy FOIA No Fear Act ...

CPR - child 1 to 8 years old - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Choking first aid - infant under 1 year - slideshow

MedlinePlus

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Integration of XRootD into the cloud infrastructure for ALICE data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kompaniets, Mikhail; Shadura, Oksana; Svirin, Pavlo; Yurchenko, Volodymyr; Zarochentsev, Andrey

2015-12-01

Cloud technologies allow easy load balancing between different tasks and projects. From the viewpoint of the data analysis in the ALICE experiment, cloud allows to deploy software using Cern Virtual Machine (CernVM) and CernVM File System (CVMFS), to run different (including outdated) versions of software for long term data preservation and to dynamically allocate resources for different computing activities, e.g. grid site, ALICE Analysis Facility (AAF) and possible usage for local projects or other LHC experiments. We present a cloud solution for Tier-3 sites based on OpenStack and Ceph distributed storage with an integrated XRootD based storage element (SE). One of the key features of the solution is based on idea that Ceph has been used as a backend for Cinder Block Storage service for OpenStack, and in the same time as a storage backend for XRootD, with redundancy and availability of data preserved by Ceph settings. For faster and easier OpenStack deployment was applied the Packstack solution, which is based on the Puppet configuration management system. Ceph installation and configuration operations are structured and converted to Puppet manifests describing node configurations and integrated into Packstack. This solution can be easily deployed, maintained and used even in small groups with limited computing resources and small organizations, which usually have lack of IT support. The proposed infrastructure has been tested on two different clouds (SPbSU & BITP) and integrates successfully with the ALICE data analysis model.

Disk storage at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascetti, L.; Cano, E.; Chan, B.; Espinal, X.; Fiorot, A.; González Labrador, H.; Iven, J.; Lamanna, M.; Lo Presti, G.; Mościcki, JT; Peters, AJ; Ponce, S.; Rousseau, H.; van der Ster, D.

2015-12-01

CERN IT DSS operates the main storage resources for data taking and physics analysis mainly via three system: AFS, CASTOR and EOS. The total usable space available on disk for users is about 100 PB (with relative ratios 1:20:120). EOS actively uses the two CERN Tier0 centres (Meyrin and Wigner) with 50:50 ratio. IT DSS also provide sizeable on-demand resources for IT services most notably OpenStack and NFS-based clients: this is provided by a Ceph infrastructure (3 PB) and few proprietary servers (NetApp). We will describe our operational experience and recent changes to these systems with special emphasis to the present usages for LHC data taking, the convergence to commodity hardware (nodes with 200-TB each with optional SSD) shared across all services. We also describe our experience in coupling commodity and home-grown solution (e.g. CERNBox integration in EOS, Ceph disk pools for AFS, CASTOR and NFS) and finally the future evolution of these systems for WLCG and beyond.

Using an incentive spirometer

MedlinePlus

... postoperative pulmonary complications in upper abdominal surgery. Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2014;(2):CD006058. PMID: 24510642 www. ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause

MedlinePlus

... this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, posted on the Internet, or transmitted, in ... Students For Patients About Us Contact Us Copyright Information Privacy Statement RSS Advertising Opportunities Careers at ACOG ...

Rumination disorder

MedlinePlus

... MedlinePlus GO GO About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Health Topics Drugs & Supplements Videos & Tools Español ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

MedlinePlus Videos and Cool Tools

... before cancer How you respond to treatment Seeking Information About Your Prognosis Is a Personal Decision When ... Twitter Instagram YouTube Google+ LinkedIn GovDelivery RSS CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us LiveHelp Online Chat MORE INFORMATION About ...

Sandia National Laboratories: Employee Locator

Science.gov Websites

Programs Research Working With Sandia News Careers Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr RSS Employee Locator . Please note that email addresses are not available. Name submit clear Examples: (1) RIVERS (2) rivers, k

Palliative care - fear and anxiety

MedlinePlus

... about your illness Problems with family or friend relationships Spiritual concerns Signs and symptoms that your anxiety ... ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow ...

Anxiety Disorders: Support Groups

MedlinePlus

... overall treatment regimen. Follow Us Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Advertisement Find A Therapist Search our directory of ADAA mental health professional members who specialize in anxiety, depression and co-occurring disorders. Understand the Facts Anxiety ...

Screening for Specific Phobias

MedlinePlus

... Print this form Follow Us Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Advertisement Find A Therapist Search our directory of ADAA mental health professional members who specialize in anxiety, depression and co-occurring disorders. Understand the Facts Anxiety ...

Treatment of ME/CFS in Children

MedlinePlus

... a little better, do too much once again). Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Adjusting to any chronic illness ... Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP) Email Recommend Tweet YouTube Instagram Listen Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs ...

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Treatment

MedlinePlus

... practitioner, might help with pain for some patients. Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Adjusting to a chronic, debilitating ... Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP) Email Recommend Tweet YouTube Instagram Listen Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs ...

Oral Cancer Prevention

MedlinePlus

... Cancer.gov on the Managing Cancer Care page. Contact Us More information about contacting us or receiving ... Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Google+ LinkedIn GovDelivery RSS CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us LiveHelp Online Chat MORE INFORMATION ...

Email Updates

MedlinePlus

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Personal Health Records - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... Seattle and King County Spanish (español) Expand Section Personal Health Records: MedlinePlus Health Topic - English ... Subscribe to RSS Follow us Disclaimers Copyright Privacy Accessibility Quality Guidelines Viewers & Players MedlinePlus Connect for ...

For Developers

MedlinePlus

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Choking first aid - adult or child over 1 year - slideshow

MedlinePlus

... Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Get email updates Subscribe to RSS Follow us Disclaimers Copyright ...

Reported Cases of HPS (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome)

MedlinePlus

... Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Panama and Uruguay and Venezuela. Large outbreaks have been rare and have usually ... Watch RSS ABOUT About CDC Jobs Funding LEGAL Policies Privacy FOIA No Fear Act OIG 1600 Clifton ...

KSC-2013-3236

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As seen on Google Maps, the Rotating Service Structure at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center housed space shuttle payloads temporarily so they could be loaded inside the 60-foot-long cargo bay of a shuttle before launch. The RSS, as the structure was known, was hinged to the Fixed Service Structure on one side and rolled on a rail on the other. As its name suggests, the enclosed facility would rotate into place around the shuttle as it stood at the launch pad. Once in place, the RSS protected the shuttle and its cargo. Google precisely mapped the space center and some of its historical facilities for the company's map page. The work allows Internet users to see inside buildings at Kennedy as they were used during the space shuttle era. Photo credit: Google/Wendy Wang

BOREAS RSS-20 POLDER C-130 Measurements of Surface BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leroy, Marc; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Remote Sensing Science (RSS)-20 data set contains measurements of surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) made by the polarization and Directionality of Earth reflectances (POLDER) instrument over several surface types (pine, spruce, fen) of the BOREAS southern study area (SSA) during the 1994 intensive field campaigns (IFCs). Single-point BRDF values were acquired either from the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) C-130 aircraft or from a NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) helicopter. A related data set collected from the helicopter platform is available as is POLDER imagery acquired from the C-130. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884) or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

BOREAS RSS-17 Dielectric Constant Profile Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); McDonald, Kyle C.; Zimmerman, Reiner; Way, JoBea

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-17 team acquired and analyzed imaging radar data from the ESA's ERS-1 over a complete annual cycle at the BOREAS sites in Canada in 1994 to detect shifts in radar backscatter related to varying environmental conditions. This data set consists of dielectric constant profile measurements from selected trees at various BOREAS flux tower sites. The relative dielectric constant was measured at C-band (frequency = 5 GHz) as a function of depth into the trunk of three trees at each site, Measurements were made during April 1994 with an Applied Microwave Corporation field PDP fitted with a 0.358-cm (0.141-inch) diameter coaxial probe tip. The data are available in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

BOREAS RSS-12 Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Lobitz, Brad; Spanner, Michael; Wrigley, Robert

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-12 team collected both ground and airborne sunphotometer measurements for use in characterizing the aerosol optical properties of the atmosphere during the BOREAS data collection activities. These measurements are to be used to: 1) measure the magnitude and variability of the aerosol optical depth in both time and space; 2) determine the optical properties of the boreal aerosols; and 3) atmospherically correct remotely sensed data acquired during BOREAS. This data set contains airborne tracking sunphotometer data that were acquired from the C-130 aircraft during its flights over the BOREAS study areas. The data cover selected days and times from May to September 1994. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

KSC-07pd0349

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-02-12

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister on its transporter sits beneath the payload changeout room on the rotating service structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39A. The canister contains the S3/S4 integrated truss for mission STS-117 to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Once inside the PCR, the S3/S4 arrays will be transferred into Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay after the vehicle has rolled out to the pad. The changeout room is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports cargo delivery to the pad and subsequent vertical installation into the orbiter payload bay. The Atlantis crew will install the new truss segment, retract a set of solar arrays and unfold a new set on the starboard side of the station. Launch is targeted for March 15. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0348

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-02-12

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister on its transporter arrives on Launch Pad 39A, stopping beneath the payload changeout room on the rotating service structure (RSS). The canister contains the S3/S4 integrated truss for mission STS-117 to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Once inside the PCR, the S3/S4 arrays will be transferred into Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay after the vehicle has rolled out to the pad. The changeout room is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the RSS that supports cargo delivery to the pad and subsequent vertical installation into the orbiter payload bay.The Atlantis crew will install the new truss segment, retract a set of solar arrays and unfold a new set on the starboard side of the station. Launch is targeted for March 15. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC00pp0369

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted off the payload transporter toward the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). The PCR is an environmentally controlled facility supporting cargo delivery to the pad and vertical installation in the orbiter cargo bay. At right of the RSS is the Fixed Service Structure. The primary payloads on mission STS-101, the module and ICC contain internal logistics and resupply cargo for restoring full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. The payloads will be transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 17, 2000

KSC-00pp0368

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted up the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) toward the Payload Changeout Room, an environmentally controlled facility supporting cargo delivery to the pad and vertical installation in the orbiter cargo bay. At right of the RSS is the Fixed Service Structure, topped by the 80-foot-tall fiberglass lightning mast. The primary payload on mission STS-101, the module and ICC contain internal logistics and resupply cargo for restoring full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. The payloads will be transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 17, 2000

KSC00pp0368

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted up the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) toward the Payload Changeout Room, an environmentally controlled facility supporting cargo delivery to the pad and vertical installation in the orbiter cargo bay. At right of the RSS is the Fixed Service Structure, topped by the 80-foot-tall fiberglass lightning mast. The primary payload on mission STS-101, the module and ICC contain internal logistics and resupply cargo for restoring full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. The payloads will be transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 17, 2000

KSC-00pp0369

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted off the payload transporter toward the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). The PCR is an environmentally controlled facility supporting cargo delivery to the pad and vertical installation in the orbiter cargo bay. At right of the RSS is the Fixed Service Structure. The primary payloads on mission STS-101, the module and ICC contain internal logistics and resupply cargo for restoring full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. The payloads will be transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 17, 2000

Demonstration of relaxed static stability on a commercial transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rising, J. J.; Davis, W. J.; Willey, C. S.; Cokeley, R. C.

1984-01-01

Increasing jet aircraft fuel costs from 25 percent to nearly 60 percent of the aircraft direct operating costs have led to a heavy emphasis on the development of transport aircraft with significantly improved aerodynamic performance. The application of the concept of relaxed static stability (RSS) and the utilization of an active control stability augmentation system make it possible to design an aircraft with reduced aerodynamic trim drag due to a farther-aft cg balance. Reduced aerodynamic parasite drag and lower structural weight due to a smaller horizontal tail surface can also be obtained. The application of RSS has been studied under a NASA-sponsored program to determine ways of improving the energy efficiency in current and future transport aircraft. Attention is given to a near-term pitch active control system, an advanced pitch active control system, and an operational overview.

A Violaxanthin Deepoxidase Interacts with a Viral Suppressor of RNA Silencing to Inhibit Virus Amplification1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Chen, Ling; Yan, Zhaoling; Cheng, Yuqin; Jiao, Zhiyuan; Sun, Biao

2017-01-01

RNA silencing plays a critical role against viral infection. To counteract this antiviral silencing, viruses have evolved various RNA silencing suppressors. Meanwhile, plants have evolved counter-counter defense strategies against RNA silencing suppression (RSS). In this study, the violaxanthin deepoxidase protein of maize (Zea mays), ZmVDE, was shown to interact specifically with the helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro; a viral RNA silencing suppressor) of Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) via its mature protein region by yeast two-hybrid assay, which was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation in Nicotiana benthamiana cells. It was demonstrated that amino acids 101 to 460 in HC-Pro and the amino acid glutamine-292 in ZmVDE mature protein were essential for this interaction. The mRNA levels of ZmVDE were down-regulated 75% to 65% at an early stage of SCMV infection. Interestingly, ZmVDE, which normally localized in the chloroplasts and cytoplasm, could relocalize to HC-Pro-containing aggregate bodies in the presence of HC-Pro alone or SCMV infection. In addition, ZmVDE could attenuate the RSS activity of HC-Pro in a specific protein interaction-dependent manner. Subsequently, transient silencing of the ZmVDE gene facilitated SCMV RNA and coat protein accumulation. Taken together, our results suggest that ZmVDE interacts with SCMV HC-Pro and attenuates its RSS activity, contributing to decreased SCMV accumulation. This study demonstrates that a host factor can be involved in secondary defense responses against viral infection in monocot plants. PMID:29021224

Taiwan's second remote sensing satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chern, Jeng-Shing; Ling, Jer; Weng, Shui-Lin

2008-12-01

FORMOSAT-2 is Taiwan's first remote sensing satellite (RSS). It was launched on 20 May 2004 with five-year mission life and a very unique mission orbit at 891 km altitude. This orbit gives FORMOSAT-2 the daily revisit feature and the capability of imaging the Arctic and Antarctic regions due to the high enough altitude. For more than three years, FORMOSAT-2 has performed outstanding jobs and its global effectiveness is evidenced in many fields such as public education in Taiwan, Earth science and ecological niche research, preservation of the world heritages, contribution to the International Charter: space and major disasters, observation of suspected North Korea and Iranian nuclear facilities, and scientific observation of the atmospheric transient luminous events (TLEs). In order to continue the provision of earth observation images from space, the National Space Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan started to work on the second RSS from 2005. This second RSS will also be Taiwan's first indigenous satellite. Both the bus platform and remote sensing instrument (RSI) shall be designed and manufactured by NSPO and the Instrument Technology Research Center (ITRC) under the supervision of the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL). Its onboard computer (OBC) shall use Taiwan's indigenous LEON-3 central processing unit (CPU). In order to achieve cost effective design, the commercial off the shelf (COTS) components shall be widely used. NSPO shall impose the up-screening/qualification and validation/verification processes to ensure their normal functions for proper operations in the severe space environments.

Atmospheric pressure loading parameters from very long baseline interferometry observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macmillan, D. S.; Gipson, John M.

1994-01-01

Atmospheric mass loading produces a primarily vertical displacement of the Earth's crust. This displacement is correlated with surface pressure and is large enough to be detected by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) measurements. Using the measured surface pressure at VLBI stations, we have estimated the atmospheric loading term for each station location directly from VLBI data acquired from 1979 to 1992. Our estimates of the vertical sensitivity to change in pressure range from 0 to -0.6 mm/mbar depending on the station. These estimates agree with inverted barometer model calculations (Manabe et al., 1991; vanDam and Herring, 1994) of the vertical displacement sensitivity computed by convolving actual pressure distributions with loading Green's functions. The pressure sensitivity tends to be smaller for stations near the coast, which is consistent with the inverted barometer hypothesis. Applying this estimated pressure loading correction in standard VLBI geodetic analysis improves the repeatability of estimated lengths of 25 out of 37 baselines that were measured at least 50 times. In a root-sum-square (rss) sense, the improvement generally increases with baseline length at a rate of about 0.3 to 0.6 ppb depending on whether the baseline stations are close to the coast. For the 5998-km baseline from Westford, Massachusetts, to Wettzell, Germany, the rss improvement is about 3.6 mm out of 11.0 mm. The average rss reduction of the vertical scatter for inland stations ranges from 2.7 to 5.4 mm.

Adaptation of Candida albicans to Reactive Sulfur Species

PubMed Central

Chebaro, Yasmin; Lorenz, Michael; Fa, Alice; Zheng, Rui; Gustin, Michael

2017-01-01

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that is highly resistant to different oxidative stresses. How reactive sulfur species (RSS) such as sulfite regulate gene expression and the role of the transcription factor Zcf2 and the sulfite exporter Ssu1 in such responses are not known. Here, we show that C. albicans specifically adapts to sulfite stress and that Zcf2 is required for that response as well as induction of genes predicted to remove sulfite from cells and to increase the intracellular amount of a subset of nitrogen metabolites. Analysis of mutants in the sulfate assimilation pathway show that sulfite conversion to sulfide accounts for part of sulfite toxicity and that Zcf2-dependent expression of the SSU1 sulfite exporter is induced by both sulfite and sulfide. Mutations in the SSU1 promoter that selectively inhibit induction by the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) nitrite, a previously reported activator of SSU1, support a model for C. albicans in which Cta4-dependent RNS induction and Zcf2-dependent RSS induction are mediated by parallel pathways, different from S. cerevisiae in which the transcription factor Fzf1 mediates responses to both RNS and RSS. Lastly, we found that endogenous sulfite production leads to an increase in resistance to exogenously added sulfite. These results demonstrate that C. albicans has a unique response to sulfite that differs from the general oxidative stress response, and that adaptation to internal and external sulfite is largely mediated by one transcription factor and one effector gene. PMID:28235888

Using New Media to Reach Broad Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, P. L.

2008-06-01

The International Year of Astronomy New Media Working Group (IYA NMWG) has a singular mission: To flood the Internet with ways to learn about astronomy, interact with astronomers and astronomy content, and socially network with astronomy. Within each of these areas, we seek to build lasting programs and partnerships that will continue beyond 2009. Our weapon of choice is New Media. It is often easiest to define New Media by what it is not. Television, radio, print and their online redistribution of content are not New Media. Many forms of New Media start as user provided content and content infrastructures that answer that individual's creative whim in a way that is adopted by a broader audience. Classic examples include Blogs and Podcasts. This media is typically distributed through content specific websites and RSS feeds, which allow syndication. RSS aggregators (iTunes has audio and video aggregation abilities) allow subscribers to have content delivered to their computers automatically when they connect to the Internet. RSS technology is also being used in such creative ways as allowing automatically updating Google-maps that show the location of someone with an intelligent GPS system, and in sharing 100 word microblogs from anyone (Twitters) through a single feed. In this poster, we outline how the IYA NMWG plans to use New Media to reach target primary audiences of astronomy enthusiasts, image lovers, and amateur astronomers, as well as secondary audiences, including: science fiction fans, online gamers, and skeptics.

Radiation protection challenges in the management of radioactive waste from high-energy accelerators.

PubMed

Ulrici, Luisa; Algoet, Yvon; Bruno, Luca; Magistris, Matteo

2015-04-01

The European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) has operated high-energy accelerators for fundamental physics research for nearly 60 y. The side-product of this activity is the radioactive waste, which is mainly generated as a result of preventive and corrective maintenance, upgrading activities and the dismantling of experiments or accelerator facilities. Prior to treatment and disposal, it is common practice to temporarily store radioactive waste on CERN's premises and it is a legal requirement that these storage facilities are safe and secure. Waste treatment typically includes sorting, segregation, volume and size reduction and packaging, which will depend on the type of component, its chemical composition, residual activity and possible surface contamination. At CERN, these activities are performed in a dedicated waste treatment centre under the supervision of the Radiation Protection Group. This paper gives an overview of the radiation protection challenges in the conception of a temporary storage and treatment centre for radioactive waste in an accelerator facility, based on the experience gained at CERN. The CERN approach consists of the classification of waste items into 'families' with similar radiological and physical-chemical properties. This classification allows the use of specific, family-dependent techniques for radiological characterisation and treatment, which are simultaneously efficient and compliant with best practices in radiation protection. The storage was planned on the basis of radiological and other possible hazards such as toxicity, pollution and fire load. Examples are given of technical choices for the treatment and radiological characterisation of selected waste families, which could be of interest to other accelerator facilities. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Metrological analysis of a virtual flowmeter-based transducer for cryogenic helium

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

Arpaia, P., E-mail: pasquale.arpaia@unina.it; Technology Department, European Organization for Nuclear Research; Girone, M., E-mail: mario.girone@cern.ch

2015-12-15

The metrological performance of a virtual flowmeter-based transducer for monitoring helium under cryogenic conditions is assessed. At this aim, an uncertainty model of the transducer, mainly based on a valve model, exploiting finite-element approach, and a virtual flowmeter model, based on the Sereg-Schlumberger method, are presented. The models are validated experimentally on a case study for helium monitoring in cryogenic systems at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The impact of uncertainty sources on the transducer metrological performance is assessed by a sensitivity analysis, based on statistical experiment design and analysis of variance. In this way, the uncertainty sourcesmore » most influencing metrological performance of the transducer are singled out over the input range as a whole, at varying operating and setting conditions. This analysis turns out to be important for CERN cryogenics operation because the metrological design of the transducer is validated, and its components and working conditions with critical specifications for future improvements are identified.« less

Experience from the 1st Year running a Massive High Quality Videoconferencing Service for the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Joao; Baron, Thomas; Bompastor, Bruno

2014-06-01

In the last few years, we have witnessed an explosion of visual collaboration initiatives in the industry. Several advances in video services and also in their underlying infrastructure are currently improving the way people collaborate globally. These advances are creating new usage paradigms: any device in any network can be used to collaborate, in most cases with an overall high quality. To keep apace with this technology progression, the CERN IT Department launched a service based on the Vidyo product. This new service architecture introduces Adaptive Video Layering, which dynamically optimizes the video for each endpoint by leveraging the H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC)-based compression technology. It combines intelligent AV routing techniques with the flexibility of H.264 SVC video compression, in order to achieve resilient video collaboration over the Internet, 3G and WiFi. We present an overview of the results that have been achieved after this major change. In particular, the first year of operation of the CERN Vidyo service will be described in terms of performance and scale: The service became part of the daily activity of the LHC collaborations, reaching a monthly usage of more than 3200 meetings with a peak of 750 simultaneous connections. We also present some key features such as the integration with CERN Indico. LHC users can now join a Vidyo meeting either from their personal computer or a CERN videoconference room simply from an Indico event page, with the ease of a single click. The roadmap for future improvements, service extensions and core infrastructure tendencies such as cloud based services and virtualization of system components will also be discussed. Vidyo's strengths allowed us to build a universal service (it is accessible from PCs, but also videoconference rooms, traditional phones, tablets and smartphones), developed with 3 key ideas in mind: ease of use, full integration and high quality.

Performance and advantages of a soft-core based parallel architecture for energy peak detection in the calorimeter Level 0 trigger for the NA62 experiment at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammendola, R.; Barbanera, M.; Bizzarri, M.; Bonaiuto, V.; Ceccucci, A.; Checcucci, B.; De Simone, N.; Fantechi, R.; Federici, L.; Fucci, A.; Lupi, M.; Paoluzzi, G.; Papi, A.; Piccini, M.; Ryjov, V.; Salamon, A.; Salina, G.; Sargeni, F.; Venditti, S.

2017-03-01

The NA62 experiment at CERN SPS has started its data-taking. Its aim is to measure the branching ratio of the ultra-rare decay K+ → π+ν ν̅ . In this context, rejecting the background is a crucial topic. One of the main background to the measurement is represented by the K+ → π+π0 decay. In the 1-8.5 mrad decay region this background is rejected by the calorimetric trigger processor (Cal-L0). In this work we present the performance of a soft-core based parallel architecture built on FPGAs for the energy peak reconstruction as an alternative to an implementation completely founded on VHDL language.

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

campbell, myron

To create a research and study abroad program that would allow U.S. undergraduate students access to the world-leading research facilities at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the World Health Organization, various operations of the United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva.The proposal is based on the unique opportunities currently existing in Geneva. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is now operational at CERN, data are being collected, and research results are already beginning to emerge. At the same time, a related reduction of activity at U.S. facilities devoted to particle physics is expected. In addition, the U.S.more » higher-education community has an ever-increasing focus on international organizations dealing with world health pandemics, arms control and human rights, a nexus also centered in Geneva.« less

Mapping remote and multidisciplinary learning barriers: lessons from challenge-based innovation at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin

2018-01-01

This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design activities, educational background and remote vs. co-located collaboration. The analysis is based on a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire (N = 37). Our analysis found significant ranking differences between remote and co-located activities. This questions whether the remote factor might be a barrier for the originally intended learning goals. Further a correlation between analytical and converging design phases was identified. Hence, future facilitators are suggested to help students in the transition from one design phase to the next rather than only teaching methods in the individual design phases. Finally, we discuss how educators address the identified learning barriers when designing future courses including multidisciplinary or remote collaboration.

Histocompatibility antigen test

MedlinePlus

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Stress and your heart

MedlinePlus

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