Grumman and SDI-related technology

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

Lewis, B.

1985-01-01

The application of Grumman Corporation's aerospace and nuclear fusion technology to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program has taken place in at least five major areas. These include infrared boost surveillance and tracking to detect intercontinental ballistic missiles just after launch, space-based radar, neutral particle beam platforms, nuclear electric power and propulsion units in space, and battle management systems. The author summarizes developments in each of these areas to illustrate how Grumman has responded to the request that the scientific and industrial communities pursue innovative, high-risk concepts involving materials, structures, space power, space physics, and kinetic energy weapon concepts. 3more » figures.« less

Vibro-Acoustic FE Analyses of the Saab 2000 Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Inge S.

1992-01-01

A finite element model of the Saab 2000 fuselage structure and interior cavity has been created in order to compute the noise level in the passenger cabin due to propeller noise. Areas covered in viewgraph format include the following: coupled acoustic/structural noise; data base creation; frequency response analysis; model validation; and planned analyses.

Using SDI-12 with ST microelectronics MCU's

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

Saari, Alexandra; Hinzey, Shawn Adrian; Frigo, Janette Rose

2015-09-03

ST Microelectronics microcontrollers and processors are readily available, capable and economical processors. Unfortunately they lack a broad user base like similar offerings from Texas Instrument, Atmel, or Microchip. All of these devices could be useful in economical devices for remote sensing applications used with environmental sensing. With the increased need for environmental studies, and limited budgets, flexibility in hardware is very important. To that end, and in an effort to increase open support of ST devices, I am sharing my teams' experience in interfacing a common environmental sensor communication protocol (SDI-12) with ST devices.

Soviet SDI Rhetoric: The "Evil Empire" Vision of Mikhail Gorbachev.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Colleen E.

The symbolic presence of Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) has been and continues to be the pivot point in all summitry rhetoric between the American President and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. To examine some of the rhetorical choices made by Gorbachev to dramatize his vision of why Ronald Reagan refuses to…

Impaired long-term memory retention and working memory in sdy mutant mice with a deletion in Dtnbp1, a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia.

PubMed

Takao, Keizo; Toyama, Keiko; Nakanishi, Kazuo; Hattori, Satoko; Takamura, Hironori; Takeda, Masatoshi; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi; Hashimoto, Ryota

2008-10-22

Schizophrenia is a complex genetic disorder caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. The dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1: dysbindin-1) gene is a major susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Genetic variations in DTNBP1 are associated with cognitive functions, general cognitive ability and memory function, and clinical features of patients with schizophrenia including negative symptoms and cognitive decline. Since reduced expression of dysbindin-1 has been observed in postmortem brains of patients with schizophrenia, the sandy (sdy) mouse, which has a deletion in the Dtnbp1 gene and expresses no dysbindin-1 protein, could be an animal model of schizophrenia. To address this issue, we have carried out a comprehensive behavioral analysis of the sdy mouse in this study. In a rotarod test, sdy mice did not exhibit motor learning whilst the wild type mice did. In a Barnes circular maze test both sdy mice and wild type mice learned to selectively locate the escape hole during the course of the training period and in the probe trial conducted 24 hours after last training. However, sdy mice did not locate the correct hole in the retention probe tests 7 days after the last training trial, whereas wild type mice did, indicating impaired long-term memory retention. A T-maze forced alternation task, a task of working memory, revealed no effect of training in sdy mice despite the obvious effect of training in wild type mice, suggesting a working memory deficit. Sdy mouse showed impaired long-term memory retention and working memory. Since genetic variation in DTNBP1 is associated with both schizophrenia and memory function, and memory function is compromised in patients with schizophrenia, the sdy mouse may represent a useful animal model to investigate the mechanisms of memory dysfunction in the disorder.

Impaired long-term memory retention and working memory in sdy mutant mice with a deletion in Dtnbp1, a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Takao, Keizo; Toyama, Keiko; Nakanishi, Kazuo; Hattori, Satoko; Takamura, Hironori; Takeda, Masatoshi; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi; Hashimoto, Ryota

2008-01-01

Background Schizophrenia is a complex genetic disorder caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. The dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1: dysbindin-1) gene is a major susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Genetic variations in DTNBP1 are associated with cognitive functions, general cognitive ability and memory function, and clinical features of patients with schizophrenia including negative symptoms and cognitive decline. Since reduced expression of dysbindin-1 has been observed in postmortem brains of patients with schizophrenia, the sandy (sdy) mouse, which has a deletion in the Dtnbp1 gene and expresses no dysbindin-1 protein, could be an animal model of schizophrenia. To address this issue, we have carried out a comprehensive behavioral analysis of the sdy mouse in this study. Results In a rotarod test, sdy mice did not exhibit motor learning whilst the wild type mice did. In a Barnes circular maze test both sdy mice and wild type mice learned to selectively locate the escape hole during the course of the training period and in the probe trial conducted 24 hours after last training. However, sdy mice did not locate the correct hole in the retention probe tests 7 days after the last training trial, whereas wild type mice did, indicating impaired long-term memory retention. A T-maze forced alternation task, a task of working memory, revealed no effect of training in sdy mice despite the obvious effect of training in wild type mice, suggesting a working memory deficit. Conclusion Sdy mouse showed impaired long-term memory retention and working memory. Since genetic variation in DTNBP1 is associated with both schizophrenia and memory function, and memory function is compromised in patients with schizophrenia, the sdy mouse may represent a useful animal model to investigate the mechanisms of memory dysfunction in the disorder. PMID:18945333

Disseminating sexually transmitted infections diagnostics information: the SDI web publication review series.

PubMed

Kuypers, J; Tam, M R; Holmes, K K; Peeling, R W

2006-12-01

The World Health Organization Sexually Transmitted Diseases Diagnostics Initiative (SDI) website publication review seeks to provide health care providers in all geographic and economic settings with timely, critical, and concise information concerning new developments in laboratory and field diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Since 2003, the website (www.who.int/std_diagnostics/literature_reviews) has disseminated information in the form of annotated abstracts and commentaries on articles covering studies of STI laboratory-based and rapid assays that are commercially available or under development. Articles identified through searches of PubMed, specific journals, and by referrals from Editorial Board members are selected for inclusion if they meet pre-specified criteria. The objectives, methods, results, and conclusions for each article are summarised and board members are invited to prepare commentaries addressing study design and applicability of findings to end users. Currently, 91 STI diagnostics experts from 17 countries on six continents serve on the Editorial Board. Twelve quarterly issues have been posted that include summaries of 214 original and 17 review articles published from January 2002 through March 2005, with expert commentaries on 153 articles. Interest in the site has increased every year. In 2005, over 36 700 unique visitors from more than 100 countries viewed over 75,000 pages of information. The SDI Publication Review series has the potential to contribute to SDI's goal of improving care for patients with STI by increasing knowledge and awareness of STI diagnostics. Given the proliferation of internet-based STI testing services, this website may be broadened to meet the needs of a wider range of users.

SDI-based business processes: A territorial analysis web information system in Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Béjar, Rubén; Latre, Miguel Á.; Lopez-Pellicer, Francisco J.; Nogueras-Iso, Javier; Zarazaga-Soria, F. J.; Muro-Medrano, Pedro R.

2012-09-01

Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) provide access to geospatial data and operations through interoperable Web services. These data and operations can be chained to set up specialized geospatial business processes, and these processes can give support to different applications. End users can benefit from these applications, while experts can integrate the Web services in their own business processes and developments. This paper presents an SDI-based territorial analysis Web information system for Spain, which gives access to land cover, topography and elevation data, as well as to a number of interoperable geospatial operations by means of a Web Processing Service (WPS). Several examples illustrate how different territorial analysis business processes are supported. The system has been established by the Spanish National SDI (Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales de España, IDEE) both as an experimental platform for geoscientists and geoinformation system developers, and as a mechanism to contribute to the Spanish citizens knowledge about their territory.

SDI increases water use efficiency of grain crops in the Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the semi-arid Southern High Plains, nearly all irrigation water is derived from the declining High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer. As well capacities likewise decline, one tactic for continued irrigation is to install subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems with zones sized to accommodate the limited...

Evaluation of the impact of quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA on long-term persistence and fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in weaned calves.

PubMed

Sharma, V K; Bearson, S M D

2013-04-01

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) colonization of bovine intestine is mediated through the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded type III secretion system and secreted virulence proteins that promote colonization of the recto-anal junction (RAJ) of the large intestine of cattle. The quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA, a homolog of LuxR, has been shown in vitro to repress LEE strongly when overexpressed from a multi-copy recombinant plasmid or when its activity is enhanced by the binding of N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs), the quorum sensing signals that are detected by SdiA. Since LEE has been shown to be essential for colonization and persistence of O157 in bovine intestine, we examined whether a mutation in sdiA, which normally represses LEE in vitro, would also exert negative effect on colonization and long-term persistence of O157 in weaned calves. Ten-week old weaned calves (n = 4/group) were inoculated orally with 10(10) cfu of either the wild-type or sdiA mutant strain. Initial fecal shedding of the sdiA mutant and the wild-type strain were similar in magnitude and declined during the first 2 weeks post-inoculation. The sdiA mutant was detected in feces of only one of the four calves at low levels (≥10(2) cfu/g feces) from days 19 - 27 post-inoculation, whereas, the fecal shedding of the wild-type strain persisted at approximately 4-logs in all four calves from days 19 - 27. We also confirmed that SdiA represses ler, which encodes a positive transcriptional regulator of LEE, in response to AHLs, and reduces adherence of O157 to HEp-2 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that although in vitro the sdiA gene represses LEE and LEE-mediated adherence to cultured cells, the presence of sdiA is necessary for colonization of bovine large intestine that in turn promotes persistent fecal shedding of O157 by these animals. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Social Development in Hong Kong: Development Issues Identified by Social Development Index (SDI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chua, Hoi-wai; Wong, Anthony K. W.; Shek, Daniel T. L.

2010-01-01

Surviving the aftermaths of the Asian Financial Crisis and SARS in 2003, Hong Kong's economy has re-gained its momentum and its economic growth has been quite remarkable too in recent few years. Nevertheless, as reflected by the Social Development Index (SDI), economic growth in Hong Kong does not seem to have benefited the people of the city at…

SERVIR's Contributions and Benefits to Belize thru Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irwin, Daniel E.

2006-01-01

Dan Irwin, the SERVIR Project Manager is being honored with the privilege of delivering the opening remarks at Belize s second celebration of GIS Day, a weeklong event to be held at the University of Belize's campus in the nation s capital, Belmopan. The request has been extended by the GIS Day Planning Committee which operates under the auspices of Belize s Ministry of Natural Resources & the Environment, which is the focal ministry for SERVIR. In the 20-30 min. allotted for the opening remarks, the SERVIR Project Manager will expound on how SERVIR, operating under the auspices of NASA s Ecological Forecasting Program, contributes to spatial data infrastructure (SDI) development in Belize. NASA s contributions to the region - particularly work under the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor - will be highlighted. Continuing, the remarks will discuss SERVIR s role in Belize s steadily expanding SDI, particularly in the context of delivering integrated decision support products via web-based infrastructure. The remarks will close with a call to the parties assembled to work together in the application of Earth Observation Systems technologies for the benefit of Belizean society as a whole. NASA s strong presence in Belize s GIS Day celebrations will be highlighted as sustained goodwill of the American people - in partial fulfillment of goals set forth under the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

An open-source wireless sensor stack: from Arduino to SDI-12 to Water One Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, S.; Damiano, S. G.; Smith, K. M.; Olexy, J.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Mayorga, E.; Aufdenkampe, A. K.

2013-12-01

Implementing a large-scale streaming environmental sensor network has previously been limited by the high cost of the datalogging and data communication infrastructure. The Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (CRB-CZO) is overcoming the obstacles to large near-real-time data collection networks by using Arduino, an open source electronics platform, in combination with XBee ZigBee wireless radio modules. These extremely low-cost and easy-to-use open source electronics are at the heart of the new DIY movement and have provided solutions to countless projects by over half a million users worldwide. However, their use in environmental sensing is in its infancy. At present a primary limitation to widespread deployment of open-source electronics for environmental sensing is the lack of a simple, open-source software stack to manage streaming data from heterogeneous sensor networks. Here we present a functioning prototype software stack that receives sensor data over a self-meshing ZigBee wireless network from over a hundred sensors, stores the data locally and serves it on demand as a CUAHSI Water One Flow (WOF) web service. We highlight a few new, innovative components, including: (1) a versatile open data logger design based the Arduino electronics platform and ZigBee radios; (2) a software library implementing SDI-12 communication protocol between any Arduino platform and SDI12-enabled sensors without the need for additional hardware (https://github.com/StroudCenter/Arduino-SDI-12); and (3) 'midStream', a light-weight set of Python code that receives streaming sensor data, appends it with metadata on the fly by querying a relational database structured on an early version of the Observations Data Model version 2.0 (ODM2), and uses the WOFpy library to serve the data as WaterML via SOAP and REST web services.

A sulphur deficiency-induced gene, sdi1, involved in the utilization of stored sulphate pools under sulphur-limiting conditions has potential as a diagnostic indicator of sulphur nutritional status.

PubMed

Howarth, Jonathan R; Parmar, Saroj; Barraclough, Peter B; Hawkesford, Malcolm J

2009-02-01

A sulphate deficiency-induced gene, sdi1, has been identified by cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis utilizing field-grown, nutrient-deficient wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Hereward). The expression of sdi1 was specifically induced in leaf and root tissues in response to sulphate deficiency, but was not induced by nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or magnesium deficiency. Expression was also shown to increase in plant tissues as the external sulphate concentration in hydroponically grown plants was reduced from 1.0 to 0.0 mm. On this basis, sdi1 gene expression has potential as a sensitive indicator of sulphur nutritional status in wheat. Genome-walking techniques were used to clone the 2.7-kb region upstream of sdi1 from genomic DNA, revealing several cis-element motifs previously identified as being associated with sulphur responses in plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana gene most highly homologous to sdi1 is At5g48850, which was also demonstrated to be induced by sulphur deficiency, an observation confirmed by the analysis of microarray data available in the public domain. The expression of Atsdi1 was induced more rapidly than previously characterized sulphur-responsive genes in the period immediately following the transfer of plants to sulphur-deficient medium. Atsdi1 T-DNA 'knockout' mutants were shown to maintain higher tissue sulphate concentrations than wild-type plants under sulphur-limiting conditions, indicating a role in the utilization of stored sulphate under sulphur-deficient conditions. The structural features of the sdi1 gene and its application in the genetic determination of the sulphur nutritional status of wheat crops are discussed.

Reagan's Political Imagery on Arms Control and SDI: Content Analysis in Political Science Using Washington PressText.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garson, G. David

While President Reagan and Secretary of State Shultz shared the same policy goals, content analysis shows substantial differences with regard to arms control and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), not only between Reagan and Shultz, but also among Reagan's roles as a political leader, as chief executive, and as statesman to the world…

The scientists' opposition to SDI: How political views affect technical analysis

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

Tait, G.E.

1989-01-01

This study examines the scientists' opposition to President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (1983-1989) with a focus on the relationship between the scientists' political and strategic opposition to ballistic missile defenses (BMD) and their technical doubts about BMD technologies. The study begins with a review of the scientists' increased influence in United State's national security decision making because of the development of atomic weapons. The study then examines the scientists' role in developing and promoting a theory of arms control based upon mutual societal vulnerability. Because of this theory, a large segment of the American scientific community came to believe thatmore » the development of ballistic missile defenses would destabilize the strategic balance and therefore took the lead in arguing against BMD deployments. These background chapters conclude with an analysis of the scientists' involvement in the political campaign to stop the proposed Sentinel and Safeguard Anti-Ballistic Missile defense. The study then turns to the contemporary scientific opposition to BMD deployments and the SDI research program. After examining the polls and petitions that identify the scientists opposed to SDI, the study analyzes the tactics that three scientists use in their political effort to prevent BMD deployments. Next, an examination of the political and strategic assumptions behind the scientists' opposition to BMD reveals that a belief in the arms control process and deterrence by punishment, especially Assured Destruction deterrence, with a fear of an action-reaction arms race inspires much of the contemporary opposition to BMD. Finally, the scientists' technical doubts about BMD technologies are analyzed through the prism of peer critique. These critiques show that the scientists opposed to BMD deployments us pessimistic and unrealistic assumptions to skew their technical analysis of BMD technologies.« less

Loss of p21{sup Sdi1} expression in senescent cells after DNA damage accompanied with increase of miR-93 expression and reduced p53 interaction with p21{sup Sdi1} gene promoter

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

Choi, Ok Ran; Lim, In Kyoung, E-mail: iklim@ajou.ac.kr

2011-04-08

Highlights: {yields} Reduced p21 expression in senescent cells treated with DNA damaging agents. {yields} Increase of [{sup 3}H]thymidine and BrdU incorporations in DNA damaged-senescent cells. {yields} Upregulation of miR-93 expression in senescent cells in response to DSB. {yields} Failure of p53 binding to p21 promoter in senescent cells in response to DSB. {yields} Molecular mechanism of increased cancer development in aged than young individuals. -- Abstract: To answer what is a critical event for higher incidence of tumor development in old than young individuals, primary culture of human diploid fibroblasts were employed and DNA damage was induced by doxorubicin ormore » X-ray irradiation. Response to the damage was different between young and old cells; loss of p21{sup sdi1} expression in spite of p53{sup S15} activation in old cells along with [{sup 3}H]thymidine and BrdU incorporation, but not in young cells. The phenomenon was confirmed by other tissue fibroblasts obtained from different donor ages. Induction of miR-93 expression and reduced p53 binding to p21 gene promoter account for loss of p21{sup sdi1} expression in senescent cells after DNA damage, suggesting a mechanism of in vivo carcinogenesis in aged tissue without repair arrest.« less

SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI). VOLUME II, IMPLEMENTATION MANUAL. FINAL REPORT. ARMY TECHNICAL LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT STUDIES (ATLIS), REPORT NO. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BIVONA, WILLIAM A.

A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING AND OPERATING A REPLICA OF A PROTOTYPE SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI) SYSTEM TESTED AT U.S. ARMY NATICK LABORATORIES, AND REPORTED IN LI 000 273, IS GIVEN IN THIS MANUAL. INFORMATION IS SUPPLIED WHICH IS USEFUL IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION. THE APPLICATION OF SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR…

Thrust and parry of the SIOP (single integrated operational plan) and sdi (strategic defense initiative). Research report

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

Zank, G.D.

1989-05-01

The relationship between strategic offensive capabilities (reflected in the SIOP) and emerging strategic defensive capabilities (reflected by SDI) is not being adequately addressed. A summary of the existing nuclear war planning process is provided, and an analagous defensive process is postulated. Parallels and differences between the two processes are discussed. Potential areas for information exchange and cooperation are identified to enhance deterrence and improve war fighting potential. Operational, technical and political issues requiring resolution are raised and recommendations to resolve these issues are made.

Evaluation of an S.D.I. System Based on "Nuclear Science Abstracts" and the Performance of Matching by Words in Titles Compared With Indexing Terms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olive, G.; And Others

A selective dissemination of information service based on computer scanning of Nuclear Science Abstracts tapes has operated at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, England since October, 1968. The performance of the mechanized SDI service has been compared with that of the pre-existing current awareness service which is based on…

Defence SDI - A Useful Current Awareness System (Dissemination Selective de L’Information sur la Defense: Un Systeme Pratique D’Information Permanente).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION SERVICES L EFENCE SDI - A USEFUL CURRENT AWARENESS SYSTEM (Dissemination Selective de L’Information, Sur la Defense: Un...Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. CAUTION This information is furnished with the express understanding that proprietary and patent rights will be...may add his knowledge of information exchange agreements and Canadian projects covered by these agreements. These exchange agreements are important

Development of a current collection loss management system for SDI homopolar power supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. W.

1991-04-01

High speed, high power density current collection systems have been identified as an enabling technology required to construct homopolar power supplies to meet SDI missions. This work is part of a three-year effort directed towards the analysis, experimental verification, and prototype construction of a current collection system designed to operate continuously at 2 kA/sq cm, at a rubbing speed of 200 m/s, and with acceptable losses in a space environment. To date, no system has achieved these conditions simultaneously. This is the final report covering the three year period of performance on DOE contract AC03-86SF-16518. Major areas covered include design, construction and operation of a cryogenically cooled brush test rig, design and construction of a high speed brush test rig, optimization study for homopolar machines, loss analysis of the current collection system, and an application study which defines the air-core homopolar construction necessary to achieve the goal of 80 kW/kg generator power density.

SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI). VOLUME I, PILOT TEST AT U.S. ARMY NATICK LABORATORIES. FINAL REPORT. ARMY TECHNICAL LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT STUDIES (ATLIS), REPORT NO. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BIVONA, WILLIAM A.

THIS VOLUME PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A NINE-MONTH TEST OF A PROTOTYPE SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI) SYSTEM DEVELOPED FOR THE ARMY TECHNICAL LIBRARIES. DURING THE PILOT TEST ONE THOUSAND DOCUMENTS WERE CATALOGED, INDEXED, AND DISSEMINATED TO TWENTY-FIVE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PERSONNEL. MATCHING OF THE INTEREST PROFILES OF THESE…

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 requires quorum sensing transcriptional regulators QseA and SdiA for colonization and persistence in the bovine intestinal tract

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

QseA and SdiA are two of several transcriptional regulators that regulate virulence gene expression of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 via quorum sensing (QS). QseA regulates the expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE). LEE encodes for a type III secretion (T3S) sys...

Development of a current collection loss management system for SDI homopolar power supplies

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

Brown, D.W.

1989-01-01

High speed, high power density current collection systems have been identified as an enabling technology required to construct homopolar power supplies to meet SDI missions. This work is part of a three-year effort directed towards the analysis, experimental verification, and prototype construction of a current collection system designed to operate continuously at 2 kA/cm{sup 2}, at a rubbing speed of 200 m/s, and with acceptable losses in a space environment. To data, no system has achieved these conditions simultaneously. This is the annual report covering the second year period of performance on DOE contract DE-AC03-86SF16518. Major areas covered include design,more » construction and operation of a cryogenically cooled brush test rig, design and construction of a high speed brush test rig, optimization study for homopolar machines, loss analysis of the current collection system, and an application study which defines the air-core homopolar construction necessary to achieve the goal of 80--90 kW/kg generator power density. 17 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Evaluation of the impact of quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA on long-term persistence and fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in weaned calves

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quorum sensing transcriptional regulator SdiA has been shown to enhance the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) in the acidic compartment of bovine rumen in response to N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by the rumen bacteria. Bacteria that survive the rumen environment subsequentl...

OneGeology Web Services and Portal as a global geological SDI - latest standards and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, Tim; Tellez-Arenas, Agnes

2014-05-01

The global coverage of OneGeology Web Services (www.onegeology.org and portal.onegeology.org) achieved since 2007 from the 120 participating geological surveys will be reviewed and issues arising discussed. Recent enhancements to the OneGeology Web Services capabilities will be covered including new up to 5 star service accreditation scheme utilising the ISO/OGC Web Mapping Service standard version 1.3, core ISO 19115 metadata additions and Version 2.0 Web Feature Services (WFS) serving the new IUGS-CGI GeoSciML V3.2 geological web data exchange language standard (http://www.geosciml.org/) with its associated 30+ IUGS-CGI available vocabularies (http://resource.geosciml.org/ and http://srvgeosciml.brgm.fr/eXist2010/brgm/client.html). Use of the CGI simpelithology and timescale dictionaries now allow those who wish to do so to offer data harmonisation to query their GeoSciML 3.2 based Web Feature Services and their GeoSciML_Portrayal V2.0.1 (http://www.geosciml.org/) Web Map Services in the OneGeology portal (http://portal.onegeology.org). Contributing to OneGeology involves offering to serve ideally 1:1000,000 scale geological data (in practice any scale now is warmly welcomed) as an OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standard based WMS (Web Mapping Service) service from an available WWW server. This may either be hosted within the Geological Survey or a neighbouring, regional or elsewhere institution that offers to serve that data for them i.e. offers to help technically by providing the web serving IT infrastructure as a 'buddy'. OneGeology is a standards focussed Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and works to ensure that these standards work together and it is now possible for European Geological Surveys to register their INSPIRE web services within the OneGeology SDI (e.g. see http://www.geosciml.org/geosciml/3.2/documentation/cookbook/INSPIRE_GeoSciML_Cookbook%20_1.0.pdf). The Onegeology portal (http://portal.onegeology.org) is the first port of call for anyone

The SdiA-Regulated Gene srgE Encodes a Type III Secreted Effector

PubMed Central

Habyarimana, Fabien; Sabag-Daigle, Anice

2014-01-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a food-borne pathogen that causes severe gastroenteritis. The ability of Salmonella to cause disease depends on two type III secretion systems (T3SSs) encoded in two distinct Salmonella pathogenicity islands, 1 and 2 (SPI1 and SPI2, respectively). S. Typhimurium encodes a solo LuxR homolog, SdiA, which can detect the acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by other bacteria and upregulate the rck operon and the srgE gene. SrgE is predicted to encode a protein of 488 residues with a coiled-coil domain between residues 345 and 382. In silico studies have provided conflicting predictions as to whether SrgE is a T3SS substrate. Therefore, in this work, we tested the hypothesis that SrgE is a T3SS effector by two methods, a β-lactamase activity assay and a split green fluorescent protein (GFP) complementation assay. SrgE with β-lactamase fused to residue 40, 100, 150, or 300 was indeed expressed and translocated into host cells, but SrgE with β-lactamase fused to residue 400 or 488 was not expressed, suggesting interference by the coiled-coil domain. Similarly, SrgE with GFP S11 fused to residue 300, but not to residue 488, was expressed and translocated into host cells. With both systems, translocation into host cells was dependent upon SPI2. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that srgE is found only within Salmonella enterica subspecies. It is found sporadically within both typhoidal and nontyphoidal serovars, although the SrgE protein sequences found within typhoidal serovars tend to cluster separately from those found in nontyphoidal serovars, suggesting functional diversification. PMID:24727228

Delayed expression of hpS2 and prolonged expression of CIP1/WAF1/SDI1 in human tumour cells irradiated with X-rays, fission neutrons or 1 GeV/nucleon Fe ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balcer-Kubiczek, E. K.; Zhang, X. F.; Harrison, G. H.; Zhou, X. J.; Vigneulle, R. M.; Ove, R.; McCready, W. A.; Xu, J. F.

1999-01-01

PURPOSE: Differences in gene expression underlie the phenotypic differences between irradiated and unirradiated cells. The goal was to identify late-transcribed genes following irradiations differing in quality, and to determine the RBE of 1 GeV/n Fe ions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clonogenic assay was used to determine the RBE of Fe ions. Differential hybridization to cDNA target clones was used to detect differences in expression of corresponding genes in mRNA samples isolated from MCF7 cells irradiated with iso-survival doses of Fe ions (0 or 2.5 Gy) or fission neutrons (0 or 1.2 Gy) 7 days earlier. Northern analysis was used to confirm differential expression of cDNA-specific mRNA and to examine expression kinetics up to 2 weeks after irradiation. RESULTS: Fe ion RBE values were between 2.2 and 2.6 in the lines examined. Two of 17 differentially expressed cDNA clones were characterized. hpS2 mRNA was elevated from 1 to 14 days after irradiation, whereas CIP1/WAF1/SDI1 remained elevated from 3 h to 14 days after irradiation. Induction of hpS2 mRNA by irradiation was independent of p53, whereas induction of CIP1/WAF1/SDI1 was observed only in wild-type p53 lines. CONCLUSIONS: A set of coordinately regulated genes, some of which are independent of p53, is associated with change in gene expression during the first 2 weeks post-irradiation.

Developing a Web-based system by integrating VGI and SDI for real estate management and marketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salajegheh, J.; Hakimpour, F.; Esmaeily, A.

2014-10-01

Property importance of various aspects, especially the impact on various sectors of the economy and the country's macroeconomic is clear. Because of the real, multi-dimensional and heterogeneous nature of housing as a commodity, the lack of an integrated system includes comprehensive information of property, the lack of awareness of some actors in this field about comprehensive information about property and the lack of clear and comprehensive rules and regulations for the trading and pricing, several problems arise for the people involved in this field. In this research implementation of a crowd-sourced Web-based real estate support system is desired. Creating a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) in this system for collecting, updating and integrating all official data about property is also desired in this study. In this system a Web2.0 broker and technologies such as Web services and service composition has been used. This work aims to provide comprehensive and diverse information about property from different sources. For this purpose five-level real estate support system architecture is used. PostgreSql DBMS is used to implement the desired system. Geoserver software is also used as map server and reference implementation of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards. And Apache server is used to run web pages and user interfaces. Integration introduced methods and technologies provide a proper environment for various users to use the system and share their information. This goal is only achieved by cooperation between all involved organizations in real estate with implementation their required infrastructures in interoperability Web services format.

Uptake and biodegradation of the antimicrobial sulfadimidine by the species Tripolium pannonicum acting as biofilter and its further biodegradation by anaerobic digestion and concomitant biogas production.

PubMed

Turcios, Ariel E; Weichgrebe, Dirk; Papenbrock, Jutta

2016-11-01

This project analyses the uptake and biodegradation of the antimicrobial sulfadimidine (SDI) from the culture medium and up to the anaerobic digestion. Tripolium pannonicum was grown under hydroponic conditions with different concentrations of SDI (0, 5 and 10mg·L(-1)) and the fresh biomass, containing different amounts of SDI taken up, was used as substrate for biogas production. SDI was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI LC-MS). Based on the findings, T. pannonicum is able to uptake SDI. The more SDI is in the culture medium, the higher the SDI content in the plant tissue. According to this study, it is possible to produce high yields of biogas using biomass of T. pannonicum containing SDI and at the same time biodegradation of SDI is carried out. The highest specific biogas yield is obtained using shoots as substrate of the plants cultivated at 5mg·L(-1) SDI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

p21{sup WAF1/Cip1/Sdi1} knockout mice respond to doxorubicin with reduced cardiotoxicity

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

Terrand, Jerome; Xu, Beibei; Morrissy, Steve

2011-11-15

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an antineoplastic agent that can cause cardiomyopathy in humans and experimental animals. As an inducer of reactive oxygen species and a DNA damaging agent, Dox causes elevated expression of p21{sup WAF1/Cip1/Sdi1} (p21) gene. Elevated levels of p21 mRNA and p21 protein have been detected in the myocardium of mice following Dox treatment. With chronic treatment of Dox, wild type (WT) animals develop cardiomyopathy evidenced by elongated nuclei, mitochondrial swelling, myofilamental disarray, reduced cardiac output, reduced ejection fraction, reduced left ventricular contractility, and elevated expression of ANF gene. In contrast, p21 knockout (p21KO) mice did not show significantmore » changes in the same parameters in response to Dox treatment. In an effort to understand the mechanism of the resistance against Dox induced cardiomyopathy, we measured levels of antioxidant enzymes and found that p21KO mice did not contain elevated basal or inducible levels of glutathione peroxidase and catalase. Measurements of 6 circulating cytokines indicated elevation of IL-6, IL-12, IFN{gamma} and TNF{alpha} in Dox treated WT mice but not p21KO mice. Dox induced elevation of IL-6 mRNA was detected in the myocardium of WT mice but not p21KO mice. While the mechanism of the resistance against Dox induced cardiomyopathy remains unclear, lack of inflammatory response may contribute to the observed cardiac protection in p21KO mice. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Doxorubicin induces p21 elevation in the myocardium. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Doxorubicin causes dilated cardiomyopathy in wild type mice. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p21 Knockout mice are resistant against doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lack of inflammatory response correlates with the resistance in p21 knockout mice.« less

75 FR 51696 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 340A (SAAB/SF340A) and SAAB 340B...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-23

... inspecting the fuselage surface for corrosion and cracking behind the external adapter plate of the antennae... external adapter plate of the antennae during inspection. Similar cracking was found on two additional... antennae of certain damage-tolerant structure, which could result in reduced structural integrity and...

76 FR 3564 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 340A (SAAB/SF340A) and SAAB 340B...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

... the antennae installation, and repair if necessary. The first supplemental NPRM resulted from a report of a crack found behind the external adapter plate of the antennae during inspection. Similar... detect and correct corrosion and cracking behind the external adapter plate of the antennae of certain...

75 FR 2829 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 340A (SAAB/SF340A) and SAAB 340B...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-19

... surface for corrosion and cracking behind the external adapter plate of the antennae installation, and... plate of the antennae during inspection. Similar cracking was found on two additional airplanes, and... cracking behind the external adapter plate of the antennae of certain safe-life structure, which could...

Oncogenic functions of tumour suppressor p21(Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1): association with cell senescence and tumour-promoting activities of stromal fibroblasts.

PubMed

Roninson, Igor B

2002-05-08

p21(Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1) is best known as a broad-specificity inhibitor of cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes, but p21 also interacts with many other regulators of transcription or signal transduction. p21 induction, which is mediated by p53 and by p53-independent mechanisms, is essential for the onset of cell cycle arrest in damage response and cell senescence. The effects of p21 knockout in mice and its expression patterns in human cancer are consistent with a role for p21 as both a tumour suppressor and an oncogene. Several functions of p21 are likely to promote carcinogenesis and tumour progression. These include endoreduplication and abnormal mitosis that develop in tumour cells after release from p21-induced growth arrest, the ability of p21 to inhibit apoptosis through several different mechanisms, and its ability to stimulate transcription of secreted factors with mitogenic and anti-apoptotic activities. The latter effects of p21 show close resemblance to paracrine activities of senescent cells and to tumour-promoting functions of stromal fibroblasts. Therapeutic strategies targeting the oncogenic consequences of p21 expression may provide a new approach to chemoprevention and treatment of cancer.

Tracking solutes and water from subsurface drip irrigation application of coalbed methane-produced waters, Powder River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engle, M.A.; Bern, C.R.; Healy, R.W.; Sams, J.I.; Zupancic, J.W.; Schroeder, K.T.

2011-01-01

One method to beneficially use water produced from coalbed methane (CBM) extraction is subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) of croplands. In SDI systems, treated CBMwater (injectate) is supplied to the soil at depth, with the purpose of preventing the buildup of detrimental salts near the surface. The technology is expanding within the Powder River Basin, but little research has been published on its environmental impacts. This article reports on initial results from tracking water and solutes from the injected CBM-produced waters at an SDI system in Johnson County, Wyoming. In the first year of SDI operation, soil moisture significantly increased in the SDI areas, but well water levels increased only modestly, suggesting that most of the water added was stored in the vadose zone or lost to evapotranspiration. The injectate has lower concentrations of most inorganic constituents relative to ambient groundwater at the site but exhibits a high sodium adsorption ratio. Changes in groundwater chemistry during the same period of SDI operation were small; the increase in groundwater-specific conductance relative to pre-SDI conditions was observed in a single well. Conversely, groundwater samples collected beneath another SDI field showed decreased concentrations of several constituents since the SDI operation.Groundwater-specific conductance at the 12 other wells showed no significant changes. Major controls on and compositional variability of groundwater, surface water, and soil water chemistry are discussed in detail. Findings from this research provide an understanding of water and salt dynamics associated with SDI systems using CBM-produced water. Copyright ??2011. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences. All rights reserved.

Fuzzy Logic as a Tool to Compare Reliability of Torsion Bar System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-17

A paper by Arati Dexit, Harpreet Singh and Kassem Saab presents a possible scenario of simulating reliability using Fuzzy Logic.[4] This...29, Issue: 3 [2]. Weibell.com: “ Overview of System Reliability” [3]. Arati MDixit, Harpreet Singh, and Kassem Saab Department of Electrical

Reineke’s stand density index: a quantitative and non-unitless measure of stand density

Treesearch

Curtis L. VanderSchaaf

2013-01-01

When used as a measure of relative density, Reineke’s stand density index (SDI) can be made unitless by relating the current SDI to a standard density but when used as a quantitative measure of stand density SDI is not unitless. Reineke’s SDI relates the current stand density to an equivalent number of trees per unit area in a stand with a quadratic mean diameter (Dq)...

Long-term organ damage accrual and safety in patients with SLE treated with belimumab plus standard of care.

PubMed

Bruce, I N; Urowitz, M; van Vollenhoven, R; Aranow, C; Fettiplace, J; Oldham, M; Wilson, B; Molta, C; Roth, D; Gordon, D

2016-06-01

To examine long-term organ damage and safety following treatment with belimumab plus standard of care (SoC) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Pooled data were examined from two ongoing open-label studies that enrolled patients who completed BLISS-52 or BLISS-76. Patients received belimumab every four weeks plus SoC. SLICC Damage Index (SDI) values were assessed every 48 weeks (study years) following belimumab initiation (baseline). The primary endpoint was change in SDI from baseline at study years 5-6. Incidences of adverse events (AEs) were reported for the entire study period. The modified intent-to-treat (MITT) population comprised 998 patients. At baseline, 940 (94.2%) were female, mean (SD) age was 38.7 (11.49) years, and disease duration was 6.7 (6.24) years. The mean (SD) SELENA-SLEDAI and SDI scores were 8.2 (4.18) and 0.7 (1.19), respectively; 411 (41.2%) patients had organ damage (SDI = 1: 235 (23.5%); SDI ≥ 2: 176 (17.6%)) prior to belimumab. A total of 427 (42.8%) patients withdrew overall; the most common reasons were patient request (16.8%) and AEs (8.5%).The mean (SD) change in SDI was +0.2 (0.48) at study years 5-6 (n = 403); 343 (85.1%) patients had no change from baseline in SDI score (SDI +1: 46 (11.4%), SDI +2: 13 (3.2%), SDI +3: 1 (0.2%)). Of patients without organ damage at baseline, 211/241 (87.6%) had no change in SDI and the mean change (SD) in SDI was +0.2 (0.44). Of patients with organ damage at baseline, 132/162 (81.5%) had no change in SDI and the mean (SD) change in SDI was +0.2 (0.53). The probability of not having a worsening in SDI score was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.91) and 0.75 (0.67, 0.81) in those without and with baseline damage, respectively (post hoc analysis).Drug-related AEs were reported for 433 (43.4%) patients; infections/infestations (282, 28.3%) and gastrointestinal disorders (139, 13.9%) were the most common. Patients with SLE treated with long-term belimumab plus SoC had a low incidence

76 FR 13072 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... important to the structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer. Corrosion damage in these areas, if not... structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer. Corrosion damage in these areas, if not detected and... convoluted tubing on the harness, applying corrosion prevention compound to the inspected area, making sure...

75 FR 77796 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-14

... of the horizontal stabilizer. Corrosion damage in these areas, if not detected and corrected, can... of the horizontal stabilizer. Corrosion damage in these areas, if not detected and corrected, can... convoluted tubing on the harness, applying corrosion prevention compound to the inspected area, making sure...

76 FR 53301 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

....S. registry. We also estimate that it will take about 12 work-hours per product to comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Based on these figures, we... 01, dated September 3, 2009. (j) Within 30 days after accomplishing the inspection required by...

76 FR 41665 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... a detailed inspection of the bolts for uniform or fretting corrosion; a detailed inspection of the actuator mounting bracket and shock struts for damage, cracks, and signs of corrosion; and doing corrective actions if necessary. Corrective actions include removing corrosion, replacing affected bolts with new...

76 FR 19719 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-08

... fretting corrosion; a detailed inspection of the actuator mounting bracket and shock struts for damage, cracks, and signs of corrosion; and doing corrective actions if necessary. Corrective actions include removing corrosion, replacing affected bolts with new bolts, tightening loose nuts, repairing, and...

Effect of air injection under subsurface drip irrigation on yield and water use efficiency of corn in a sandy clay loam soil

PubMed Central

Abuarab, Mohamed; Mostafa, Ehab; Ibrahim, Mohamed

2012-01-01

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) can substantially reduce the amount of irrigation water needed for corn production. However, corn yields need to be improved to offset the initial cost of drip installation. Air-injection is at least potentially applicable to the (SDI) system. However, the vertical stream of emitted air moving above the emitter outlet directly toward the surface creates a chimney effect, which should be avoided, and to ensure that there are adequate oxygen for root respiration. A field study was conducted in 2010 and 2011, to evaluate the effect of air-injection into the irrigation stream in SDI on the performance of corn. Experimental treatments were drip irrigation (DI), SDI, and SDI with air injection. The leaf area per plant with air injected was 1.477 and 1.0045 times greater in the aerated treatment than in DI and SDI, respectively. Grain filling was faster, and terminated earlier under air-injected drip system, than in DI. Root distribution, stem diameter, plant height and number of grains per plant were noticed to be higher under air injection than DI and SDI. Air injection had the highest water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in both growing seasons; with values of 1.442 and 1.096 in 2010 and 1.463 and 1.112 in 2011 for WUE and IWUE respectively. In comparison with DI and SDI, the air injection treatment achieved a significantly higher productivity through the two seasons. Yield increases due to air injection were 37.78% and 12.27% greater in 2010 and 38.46% and 12.5% in 2011 compared to the DI and SDI treatments, respectively. Data from this study indicate that corn yield can be improved under SDI if the drip water is aerated. PMID:25685457

Person-Job-Match (PJM) Beyond the More is Better Paradigm

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

6 Attracting the RIGHT Applicants...The SDI+ -- A Strategic Solution Attracting the RIGHT Applicants The SDI+ vision is a multi-phase strategic solution. The proposed SDI...much impact in AFSCs with physically demanding training, the impact on academics for in-service personnel may be significant. Consider a scenario

Disorders of interstitial cells of Cajal in a neonate with segmental dilatation of the intestine.

PubMed

Okada, Tadao; Sasaki, Fumiaki; Honda, Shohei; Cho, Kazutosi; Matsuno, Yoshihiro; Itoh, Tomoo; Kubota, Kanako C; Todo, Satoru

2010-06-01

Localized myopathy of the muscular layers may be an important factor contributing to segmental dilatation of the intestine (SDI). Only one report has described SDI of the jejunum in a neonate showing no abnormality of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). The present report describes the very rare case of a neonatal girl with segmental dilatation of the distal duodenum and proximal jejunum with irregular arrangements of Auerbach's plexus and ICC and the successful surgical treatment of SDI. We review the literature on this type of relationship between abnormality of ICC and SDI and discuss the clinical features of this complication. Furthermore, the possible neuropathic cause of SDI complicated with disorders of ICC was explored in this report. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drip irrigation research update at NPRL

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drip irrigation research has been conducted since 1998 at NPRL. Systems include deep subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI), surface drip irrigation (SDI), and shallow subsurface drip irrigation (S3DI). Results have shown that SDI and S3DI are more economical to install than SSDI. SDI systems have more r...

76 FR 22007 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model 340A (SAAB/SF340A) and SAAB 340B...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

... and cracking behind the external adapter plate of the antennae installation, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report of a crack found behind the external adapter plate of the antennae... external adapter plate of the antennae of certain damage-tolerant structure, which could result in reduced...

Developing a Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure for Evaluating Landing Sites and Performing Surface Operations for the Mars 2020 Lander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fergason, R. L.; Laura, J.; Hare, T. M.; Otero, R.; Edgar, L. A.

2017-12-01

A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is a robust framework for data and data products, metadata, data access mechanisms, standards, policy, and a user community that helps to define and standardize the data necessary to meet some specified goal. The primary objective of an SDI is to improve communication, to enhance data access, and to aid in identifying gaps in knowledge. We are developing an SDI that describes the foundational data sets and accuracy requirements to evaluate landing site safety, facilitate the successful operation of Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), and assist in the operation of the rover once it has successfully landed on Mars. Thru current development efforts, an implicit SDI exists for the Mars 2020 mission. An explicit SDI will allow us to identify any potential gaps in knowledge, facilitate communication between the different institutions involved in landing site evaluation and TRN development, and help ensure a smooth transition from landing to surface operations. This SDI is currently relevant to the Mars 2020 rover mission, but can also serve as a means to document current requirements for foundational data products and standards for future landed missions to Mars and other planetary bodies. To generate a Mars 2020-specific SDI, we must first document and rationalize data set and accuracy requirements for evaluating landing sites, performing surface operations, and inventorying Mars 2020 mission needs in terms of an SDI framework. This step will allow us to 1) evaluate and define what is needed for the acquisition of data and the generation and validation of data products, 2) articulate the accuracy and co-registration requirements, and 3) identify needs for data access (and eventual archiving). This SDI document will serve as a means to communicate the existing foundational products, standards that were followed in producing these products, and where and how these products can be accessed by the planetary community. This SDI will also

Variable-focus microscopy and UV surface dissolution imaging as complementary techniques in intrinsic dissolution rate determination.

PubMed

Ward, Adam; Walton, Karl; Box, Karl; Østergaard, Jesper; Gillie, Lisa J; Conway, Barbara R; Asare-Addo, Kofi

2017-09-15

This work reports a novel approach to the assessment of the surface properties of compacts used in Surface Dissolution Imaging (SDI). SDI is useful for determining intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR), an important parameter in early stage drug development. Surface topography, post-compaction and post-SDI run, have been measured using a non-contact, optical, three-dimensional microscope based on focus variation, the Alicona Infinite Focus Microscope, with the aim of correlating the IDRs to the surface properties. Ibuprofen (IBU) was used as a model poorly-soluble drug. DSC and XRD were used to monitor possible polymorphic changes that may have occurred post-compaction and post-SDI run. IBUs IDR decreased from 0.033mg/min/cm 2 to 0.022mg/min/cm 2 from 10 to 20min, respectively, during the experiment. XRD and DSC showed no form changes during the SDI run. The surface topography images showed that a distinct imprint was embossed on the surfaces of some compacts which could affect IDRs. Surface parameter values were associated with the SDI experiments which showed strong correlations with the IDR values. The variable-focus microscope can be used as a complimentary tool in the determination of IDR values from the SDI. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stand density index in uneven-aged ponderosa pine stands

Treesearch

C.W. Woodall; C.E. Fiedler; K.S. Milner

2003-01-01

Stand density index (SDI) was developed to quantify relative stand density in even-aged stands. Application of SDI in uneven-aged stands has been described mathematically but not justified biologically. Diameter-class trends in SDI and sapwood area across 14 uneven-aged ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) stands in eastern...

Determining maximum stand density index in mixed species stands for strategic-scale stocking assessments

Treesearch

Chris W. Woodall; Patrick D. Miles; John S. Vissage

2005-01-01

Stand density index (SDI), although developed for use in even-aged monocultures, has been used for assessing stand density in large-scale forest inventories containing diverse tree species and size distributions. To improve application of SDI in unevenaged, mixed species stands present in large-scale forest inventories, trends in maximum SDI across diameter classes...

Cotton, tomato, corn, and onion production with subsurface drip irrigation – a review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The usage of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has increased by 89% in the USA during the last ten years according to USDA NASS estimates and over 93% of the SDI land area is located in just ten states. Combining public entity and private industry perceptions of SDI in these ten states, the major cro...

The relative density of forests in the United States

Treesearch

Christopher W. Woodall; Charles H. Perry; Patrick D. Miles

2006-01-01

A relative stand density assessment technique, using the mean specific gravity of all trees in a stand to predict its maximum stand density index (SDI) and subsequently its relative stand density (current SDI divided by maximum SDI), was used to estimate the relative density of forests across the United States using a national-scale forest inventory. Live tree biomass...

76 FR 62656 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model 340A (SAAB/SF340A) and SAAB 340B Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... MLG's separation bolt harness for broken wires and corroded connectors, and any applicable corrective... unsafe condition as: In 2003, a number of reports had been received concerning broken wires and corroded... expected results; therefore, an improved separation bolt harness having part number (P/N) 7292520-691 has...

Design for Connecting Spatial Data Infrastructures with Sensor Web (sensdi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, D.; M., M.

2016-06-01

Integrating Sensor Web With Spatial Data Infrastructures (SENSDI) aims to extend SDIs with sensor web enablement, converging geospatial and built infrastructure, and implement test cases with sensor data and SDI. It is about research to harness the sensed environment by utilizing domain specific sensor data to create a generalized sensor webframework. The challenges being semantic enablement for Spatial Data Infrastructures, and connecting the interfaces of SDI with interfaces of Sensor Web. The proposed research plan is to Identify sensor data sources, Setup an open source SDI, Match the APIs and functions between Sensor Web and SDI, and Case studies like hazard applications, urban applications etc. We take up co-operative development of SDI best practices to enable a new realm of a location enabled and semantically enriched World Wide Web - the "Geospatial Web" or "Geosemantic Web" by setting up one to one correspondence between WMS, WFS, WCS, Metadata and 'Sensor Observation Service' (SOS); 'Sensor Planning Service' (SPS); 'Sensor Alert Service' (SAS); a service that facilitates asynchronous message interchange between users and services, and between two OGC-SWE services, called the 'Web Notification Service' (WNS). Hence in conclusion, it is of importance to geospatial studies to integrate SDI with Sensor Web. The integration can be done through merging the common OGC interfaces of SDI and Sensor Web. Multi-usability studies to validate integration has to be undertaken as future research.

Laboratory evaluation of the Design Analysis Associates DAA H-3613i radar water-level sensor—Results of temperature, distance, and SDI-12 tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carnley, Mark V.

2016-09-30

The Design Analysis Associates (DAA) DAA H-3613i radar water-level sensor (DAA H-3613i), manufactured by Xylem Incorporated, was evaluated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) for conformance to manufacturer’s accuracy specifications for measuring a distance throughout the sensor’s operating temperature range, for measuring distances from 3 to 15 feet at ambient temperatures, and for compliance with the SDI-12 serial-to-digital interface at 1200-baud communication standard. The DAA H-3613i is a noncontact water-level sensor that uses pulsed radar to measure the distance between the radar and the water surface from 0.75 to 131 feet over a temperature range of −40 to 60 degrees Celsius (°C). Manufacturer accuracy specifications that were evaluated, the test procedures that followed, and the results obtained are described in this report. The sensor’s accuracy specification of ± 0.01 feet (± 3 millimeters) meets USGS requirements for a primary water-stage sensor used in the operation of a streamgage. The sensor met the manufacturer’s stated accuracy specifications for water-level measurements during temperature testing at a distance of 8 feet from the target over its temperature-compensated operating range of −40 to 60 °C, except at 60 °C. At 60 °C, about half the measurements exceeded the manufacturer’s accuracy specification by not more than 0.005 feet.The sensor met the manufacturer’s stated accuracy specifications for water-level measurements during distance-accuracy testing at the tested distances from 3 to 15 feet above the water surface at the HIF.

The stock-flow model of spatial data infrastructure development refined by fuzzy logic.

PubMed

Abdolmajidi, Ehsan; Harrie, Lars; Mansourian, Ali

2016-01-01

The system dynamics technique has been demonstrated to be a proper method by which to model and simulate the development of spatial data infrastructures (SDI). An SDI is a collaborative effort to manage and share spatial data at different political and administrative levels. It is comprised of various dynamically interacting quantitative and qualitative (linguistic) variables. To incorporate linguistic variables and their joint effects in an SDI-development model more effectively, we suggest employing fuzzy logic. Not all fuzzy models are able to model the dynamic behavior of SDIs properly. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate different fuzzy models and their suitability for modeling SDIs. To that end, two inference and two defuzzification methods were used for the fuzzification of the joint effect of two variables in an existing SDI model. The results show that the Average-Average inference and Center of Area defuzzification can better model the dynamics of SDI development.

Automating usability of ATLAS Distributed Computing resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tupputi, S. A.; Di Girolamo, A.; Kouba, T.; Schovancová, J.; Atlas Collaboration

2014-06-01

The automation of ATLAS Distributed Computing (ADC) operations is essential to reduce manpower costs and allow performance-enhancing actions, which improve the reliability of the system. In this perspective a crucial case is the automatic handling of outages of ATLAS computing sites storage resources, which are continuously exploited at the edge of their capabilities. It is challenging to adopt unambiguous decision criteria for storage resources of non-homogeneous types, sizes and roles. The recently developed Storage Area Automatic Blacklisting (SAAB) tool has provided a suitable solution, by employing an inference algorithm which processes history of storage monitoring tests outcome. SAAB accomplishes both the tasks of providing global monitoring as well as automatic operations on single sites. The implementation of the SAAB tool has been the first step in a comprehensive review of the storage areas monitoring and central management at all levels. Such review has involved the reordering and optimization of SAM tests deployment and the inclusion of SAAB results in the ATLAS Site Status Board with both dedicated metrics and views. The resulting structure allows monitoring the storage resources status with fine time-granularity and automatic actions to be taken in foreseen cases, like automatic outage handling and notifications to sites. Hence, the human actions are restricted to reporting and following up problems, where and when needed. In this work we show SAAB working principles and features. We present also the decrease of human interactions achieved within the ATLAS Computing Operation team. The automation results in a prompt reaction to failures, which leads to the optimization of resource exploitation.

Summary of inorganic compositional data for groundwater, soil-water, and surface-water samples collected at the Headgate Draw subsurface drip irrigation site, Johnson County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geboy, Nicholas J.; Engle, Mark A.; Schroeder, Karl T.; Zupancic, John W.

2011-01-01

As part of a 5-year project on the impact of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) application of coalbed-methane (CBM) produced waters, water samples were collected from the Headgate Draw SDI site in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA. This research is part of a larger study to understand short- and long-term impacts on both soil and water quality from the beneficial use of CBM waters to grow forage crops through use of SDI. This document provides a summary of the context, sampling methodology, and quality assurance and quality control documentation of samples collected prior to and over the first year of SDI operation at the site (May 2008-October 2009). This report contains an associated database containing inorganic compositional data, water-quality criteria parameters, and calculated geochemical parameters for samples of groundwater, soil water, surface water, treated CBM waters, and as-received CBM waters collected at the Headgate Draw SDI site.

Management of Limited Vertical Bone Height in the Posterior Mandible: Short Dental Implants Versus Nerve Lateralization With Standard Length Implants.

PubMed

Dursun, Erhan; Keceli, Huseyin Gencay; Uysal, Serdar; Güngör, Hamiyet; Muhtarogullari, Mehmet; Tözüm, Tolga Fikret

2016-05-01

Inferior alveolar nerve lateralization (IANL) and short dental implants (SDI) are 2 viable implant-based treatment approaches in the presence of atrophied posterior mandible. Despite the risks of dysfunction, infection, and pathologic fractures in IANL, it becomes possible to place standard implants. The purpose of this study was to compare SDI and IANL approaches from clinical and radiographic aspects. Fifteen subjects having unilateral atrophic mandibles were allocated to SDI and IANL treatment groups. Following surgical procedures, early postoperative complications, implant survival, and periimplant clinical and radiographic parameters including probing pocket depth, attachment level, keratinized tissue amount, vertical tissue recession, and marginal bone loss were recorded at baseline and 1-year after prosthetic rehabilitation. In both groups, no implant was lost. Except usual postoperative complications, 2 patients had transient paraesthesia after IANL. According to time-dependent evaluation, both groups showed significant increase in probing pocket depth and attachment level at 1-year follow-up compared with baseline (P < 0.05). Except a slight but significant increase in mesial surface of SDI group (P < 0.05), no remarkable time-dependent change was identified in vertical tissue recession. Keratinized tissue amount did not exhibit any inter- or intragroup difference during whole study period. Marginal bone loss did not show any difference between IANL and SDI groups at follow-up. SDI placement or standard length implant placement with IANL can be considered promising alternatives in the treatment of atrophic mandibular posterior regions. However, SDI may be preferred in terms of lower complication risk.

The relationship between poor sleep and inhibitory functions indicated by event-related potentials.

PubMed

Breimhorst, Markus; Falkenstein, Michael; Marks, Anke; Griefahn, Barbara

2008-06-01

The present study focused on the relationship between normal variations of sleep and inhibitory functions as reflected in event-related potentials. For this reason one night of 21 healthy participants was analysed. After waking up all participants completed a visual Go/Nogo task. On the basis of a sleep disturbance index (SDI) the participants were separated into 8 SDI-good and 13 SDI-poor sleepers using a cluster analysis. The results showed that Nogo-N2 amplitude was smaller and Nogo-P3 latency longer in SDI-poor sleepers. Moreover, Go-P3 amplitude was smaller in SDI-poor sleepers. Performance parameters were not influenced by poor sleep. We concluded that poor sleep specifically affects the intensity of pre-motor inhibitory processes (Nogo-N2 amplitude), the speed to inhibit a motor response (Nogo-P3 latency) and the intensity of task-relevant information processing (Go-P3 amplitude). In further studies, it should be explored under which conditions such subliminal deficits also become relevant for overt behaviour.

Master-slave interferometry for parallel spectral domain interferometry sensing and versatile 3D optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Podoleanu, Adrian Gh; Bradu, Adrian

2013-08-12

Conventional spectral domain interferometry (SDI) methods suffer from the need of data linearization. When applied to optical coherence tomography (OCT), conventional SDI methods are limited in their 3D capability, as they cannot deliver direct en-face cuts. Here we introduce a novel SDI method, which eliminates these disadvantages. We denote this method as Master - Slave Interferometry (MSI), because a signal is acquired by a slave interferometer for an optical path difference (OPD) value determined by a master interferometer. The MSI method radically changes the main building block of an SDI sensor and of a spectral domain OCT set-up. The serially provided signal in conventional technology is replaced by multiple signals, a signal for each OPD point in the object investigated. This opens novel avenues in parallel sensing and in parallelization of signal processing in 3D-OCT, with applications in high- resolution medical imaging and microscopy investigation of biosamples. Eliminating the need of linearization leads to lower cost OCT systems and opens potential avenues in increasing the speed of production of en-face OCT images in comparison with conventional SDI.

Sex modulates approach systems and impulsivity in substance dependence.

PubMed

Perry, Robert I; Krmpotich, Theodore; Thompson, Laetitia L; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan K; Banich, Marie T; Tanabe, Jody

2013-11-01

Personality traits such as pathological engagement in approach behaviors, high levels of impulsivity and heightened negative affect are consistently observed in substance dependent individuals (SDI). The clinical course of addiction has been shown to differ between sexes. For example, women increase their rates of consumption of some drugs of abuse more quickly than men. Despite the potential influence of personality and sex on features of addiction, few studies have investigated the interaction of these factors in substance dependence. Fifty-one SDI (26 males, 25 females) and 66 controls (41 males, 25 females) completed the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) Scales, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X). Data were analyzed with 2×2 ANCOVAs testing for main effects of group, sex and group by sex interactions, adjusting for education level. Significant group by sex interactions were observed for BAS scores [F(1,116)=7.03, p<.01] and Barratt Motor Impulsiveness [F(1,116)=6.11, p<.02] with female SDI showing the highest approach tendencies and impulsivity followed by male SDI, male controls, and finally female controls. SDI scored higher on negative affect [F(1,116)=25.23, p<.001] than controls. Behavioral Inhibition System scores were higher in women than men [F(1,116)=14.03, p<.001]. Higher BAS and motor impulsivity in SDI women relative to SDI men and control women suggest that personality traits that have been previously associated with drug use may be modulated by sex. These factors may contribute to differences in the disease course observed in male compared to female drug users. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Assessed Lupus Damage Index Questionnaire (LDIQ)

PubMed Central

Costenbader, Karen H.; Khamashta, Munther; Ruiz-Garcia, Silvia; Perez-Rodriguez, Maria Teresa; Petri, Michelle; Elliott, Jennifer; Manzi, Susan; Karlson, Elizabeth W.; Turner-Stokes, Tabitha; Bermas, Bonnie; Coblyn, Jonathan; Massarotti, Elena; Schur, Peter; Fraser, Patricia; Navarro, Iris; Hanly, John G.; Shaver, Timothy S.; Katz, Robert S.; Chakravarty, Eliza; Fortin, Paul R.; Sanchez, Martha L.; Liu, Jigna; Michaud, Kaleb; Alarcón, Graciela S.; Wolfe, Frederick

2010-01-01

Purpose The SLICC Damage Index (SDI) is a validated instrument for assessing organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Trained physicians must complete it, limiting utility where this is impossible. Methods We developed and pilot-tested a self-assessed organ damage instrument, the Lupus Damage Index Questionnaire (LDIQ), in 37 SLE subjects and 7 physicians. After refinement, 569 English-speaking SLE subjects and 14 rheumatologists from 11 international SLE clinics participated in validation. Subjects and physicians completed instruments separately. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, Spearman correlations and agreement, using the SDI as gold standard. 605 SLE participants in the community-based National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) study completed the LDIQ and we assessed correlations with outcome and disability measures. Results Mean LDIQ score was 3.3 (0-16) and mean SDI score was 1.5 (0-9). LDIQ had a moderately high correlation with SDI (Spearman r=0.50, p<0.001). Specificities of individual LDIQ items were >80%, except for neuropathy. Sensitivities were variable and lowest for damage with <1% prevalence. Agreement between SDI and LDIQ was > 85% for all but neuropathy, reduced renal function, deforming arthritis and alopecia. In the NDB, LDIQ correlated well with comorbidity index (r=0.45), SF-36 physical component scale (0.43), Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (0.40), disability (0.37) and SLE Activity Questionnaire score (0.37). Conclusions The LDIQ’s metric properties are good compared to the SDI. It has construct validity and correlations with health assessments similar to the SDI. The LDIQ should allow expansion of SLE research. Its ultimate value will be determined in longitudinal studies. PMID:20391512

Many Scientists Welcome the Reluctance of Congress to Back Large Increases for "Star Wars" Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordes, Colleen

1987-01-01

Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program has inspired heated debate on campuses, and many scientists have pledged not to accept federal money for SDI research, for a variety of political, economic, and scientific reasons. (MSE)

Arms control and The President's Strategic Defense Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bon, J. J.

1985-04-01

The President's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) provides the hope for eliminating the threat from ballistic missiles. This study evaluates the impact of SDI on existing and future arms control agreements. Because new or modified space-related treaties are a probable result of the SDI, this study concludes that the best single strategy for arms control negotiations is to preserve overall US interests and maintain open technological options vice severely limiting any space technology that might some day become part of a space-based defensive system.

Development and initial validation of the Localized Scleroderma Skin Damage Index and Physician Global Assessment of disease Damage: a proof-of-concept study

PubMed Central

Vilaiyuk, Soamarat; Torok, Kathryn S.; Medsger, Thomas A.

2010-01-01

Objective. To develop and assess the psychometric properties of the Localized Scleroderma (LS) Skin Damage Index (LoSDI) and Physician Global Assessment of disease Damage (PGA-D). Methods. Damage was defined as irreversible/persistent changes (>6 months) due to previous active disease/complications of therapy. Eight rheumatologists assessed the importance of 17 variables in formulating the PGA-D/LoSDI. LS patients were evaluated by two rheumatologists using both tools to assess their psychometric properties. LoSDI was calculated by summing three scores for cutaneous features of damage [dermal atrophy (DAT), subcutaneous atrophy (SAT) and dyspigmentation (DP)] measured at 18 anatomic sites. Patient GA of disease severity (PtGA-S), Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and PGA-D were recorded at the time of each examination. Results. Thirty LS patients (112 lesions) and nine patient-visit pairs (18 lesions) were included for inter- and intra-rater reliability study. LoSDI and its domains DAT, SAT, DP and PGA-D demonstrated excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability (reliability coefficients 0.86–0.99 and 0.74–0.96, respectively). LoSDI correlated moderately with PGA-D and poorly with PtGA-S and CDLQI. PGA-D correlated moderately with PtGA-S, but poorly with CDLQI. Conclusions. To complete the LS Cutaneous Assessment Tool (LoSCAT), we developed and evaluated the psychometric properties of the LoSDI and PGA-D in addition to the LS Skin Severity Index (LoSSI). These instruments will facilitate evaluation of LS patients for individual patient management and clinical trials. LoSDI and PGA-D demonstrated excellent reliability and high validity. LoSCAT provides an improved understanding of LS natural history. Further study in a larger group of patients is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. PMID:20008472

Top-Down Network Effective Connectivity in Abstinent Substance Dependent Individuals

PubMed Central

Regner, Michael F.; Saenz, Naomi; Maharajh, Keeran; Yamamoto, Dorothy J.; Mohl, Brianne; Wylie, Korey; Tregellas, Jason; Tanabe, Jody

2016-01-01

Objective We hypothesized that compared to healthy controls, long-term abstinent substance dependent individuals (SDI) will differ in their effective connectivity between large-scale brain networks and demonstrate increased directional information from executive control to interoception-, reward-, and habit-related networks. In addition, using graph theory to compare network efficiencies we predicted decreased small-worldness in SDI compared to controls. Methods 50 SDI and 50 controls of similar sex and age completed psychological surveys and resting state fMRI. fMRI results were analyzed using group independent component analysis; 14 networks-of-interest (NOI) were selected using template matching to a canonical set of resting state networks. The number, direction, and strength of connections between NOI were analyzed with Granger Causality. Within-group thresholds were p<0.005 using a bootstrap permutation. Between group thresholds were p<0.05, FDR-corrected for multiple comparisons. NOI were correlated with behavioral measures, and group-level graph theory measures were compared. Results Compared to controls, SDI showed significantly greater Granger causal connectivity from right executive control network (RECN) to dorsal default mode network (dDMN) and from dDMN to basal ganglia network (BGN). RECN was negatively correlated with impulsivity, behavioral approach, and negative affect; dDMN was positively correlated with impulsivity. Among the 14 NOI, SDI showed greater bidirectional connectivity; controls showed more unidirectional connectivity. SDI demonstrated greater global efficiency and lower local efficiency. Conclusions Increased effective connectivity in long-term abstinent drug users may reflect improved cognitive control over habit and reward processes. Higher global and lower local efficiency across all networks in SDI compared to controls may reflect connectivity changes associated with drug dependence or remission and requires future, longitudinal

Advanced power sources for space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gavin, Joseph G., Jr.; Burkes, Tommy R.; English, Robert E.; Grant, Nicholas J.; Kulcinski, Gerald L.; Mullin, Jerome P.; Peddicord, K. Lee; Purvis, Carolyn K.; Sarjeant, W. James; Vandevender, J. Pace

1989-01-01

Approaches to satisfying the power requirements of space-based Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) missions are studied. The power requirements for non-SDI military space missions and for civil space missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are also considered. The more demanding SDI power requirements appear to encompass many, if not all, of the power requirements for those missions. Study results indicate that practical fulfillment of SDI requirements will necessitate substantial advances in the state of the art of power technology. SDI goals include the capability to operate space-based beam weapons, sometimes referred to as directed-energy weapons. Such weapons pose unprecedented power requirements, both during preparation for battle and during battle conditions. The power regimes for these two sets of applications are referred to as alert mode and burst mode, respectively. Alert-mode power requirements are presently stated to range from about 100 kW to a few megawatts for cumulative durations of about a year or more. Burst-mode power requirements are roughly estimated to range from tens to hundreds of megawatts for durations of a few hundred to a few thousand seconds. There are two likely energy sources, chemical and nuclear, for powering SDI directed-energy weapons during the alert and burst modes. The choice between chemical and nuclear space power systems depends in large part on the total duration during which power must be provided. Complete study findings, conclusions, and eight recommendations are reported.

HRV-derived data similarity and distribution index based on ensemble neural network for measuring depth of anaesthesia.

PubMed

Liu, Quan; Ma, Li; Chiu, Ren-Chun; Fan, Shou-Zen; Abbod, Maysam F; Shieh, Jiann-Shing

2017-01-01

Evaluation of depth of anaesthesia (DoA) is critical in clinical surgery. Indices derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) are currently widely used to quantify DoA. However, there are known to be inaccurate under certain conditions; therefore, experienced anaesthesiologists rely on the monitoring of vital signs such as body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure to control the procedure. Because of the lack of an ideal approach for quantifying level of consciousness, studies have been conducted to develop improved methods of measuring DoA. In this study, a short-term index known as the similarity and distribution index (SDI) is proposed. The SDI is generated using heart rate variability (HRV) in the time domain and is based on observations of data distribution differences between two consecutive 32 s HRV data segments. A comparison between SDI results and expert assessments of consciousness level revealed that the SDI has strong correlation with anaesthetic depth. To optimise the effect, artificial neural network (ANN) models were constructed to fit the SDI, and ANN blind cross-validation was conducted to overcome random errors and overfitting problems. An ensemble ANN was then employed and was discovered to provide favourable DoA assessment in comparison with commonly used Bispectral Index. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of this method of DoA assessment, and the results imply that it is feasible and meaningful to use the SDI to measure DoA with the additional use of other measurement methods, if appropriate.

Southern Indian Ocean SST as a modulator for the progression of Indian summer monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahi, Namendra Kumar; Rai, Shailendra; Mishra, Nishant

2018-01-01

This study explores the possibility of southern Indian Ocean (SIO) sea surface temperature (SST) as a modulator for the early phase of Indian summer monsoon and its possible physical mechanism. A dipole-like structure is obtained from the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis which is similar to an Indian Ocean subtropical dipole (IOSD) found earlier. A subtropical dipole index (SDI) is defined based on the SST anomaly over the positive and negative poles. The regression map of rainfall over India in the month of June corresponding to the SDI during 1983-2013 shows negative patterns along the Western Ghats and Central India. However, the regression pattern is insignificant during 1952-1982. The multiple linear regression models and partial correlation analysis also indicate that the SDI acts as a dominant factor to influence the rainfall over India in the month of June during 1983-2013. The similar result is also obtained with the help of composite rainfall over the land points of India in the month of June for positive (negative) SDI events. It is also observed that the positive (negative) SDI delays (early) the onset dates of Indian monsoon over Kerala during the time domain of our study. The study is further extended to identify the physical mechanism of this impact, and it is found that the heating (cooling) in the region covering SDI changes the circulation pattern in the SIO and hence impacts the progression of monsoon in India.

An optimization model to design and manage subsurface drip irrigation system for alfalfa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandelous, M.; Kamai, T.; Vrugt, J. A.; Simunek, J.; Hanson, B.; Hopmans, J. W.

2010-12-01

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is one of the most efficient and cost-effective methods for watering alfalfa plants. Lateral installation depth and distance, emitter discharge, and irrigation time and frequency of SDI, in addition to soil and climatic conditions affect alfalfa’s root water uptake and yield. Here we use a multi-objective optimization approach to find optimal SDI strategies. Our approach uses the AMALGAM evolutionary search method, in combination with the HYDRUS-2D unsaturated flow model to maximize water uptake by alfalfa’s plant roots, and minimize loss of irrigation and drainage water to the atmosphere or groundwater. We use a variety of different objective functions to analyze SDI. These criteria include the lateral installation depth and distance, the lateral discharge, irrigation duration, and irrigation frequency. Our framework includes explicit recognition of the soil moisture status during the simulation period to make sure that the top soil is dry for harvesting during the growing season. Initial results show a wide spectrum of optimized SDI strategies for different root distributions, soil textures and climate conditions. The developed tool should be useful in helping farmers optimize their irrigation strategy and design.

78 FR 33010 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

... the probability of a negative effect on the handling quality during stall, which could result in... the probability of a negative effect on the handling quality during stall. For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one- time inspection of the stick pusher rigging and, depending on...

77 FR 11791 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-28

... installation wiring. For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one- time [detailed] inspection... installation, and if corrosion is found repairing each affected harness braid or replacing each affected component and/or wiring harness. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct corrosion of critical system...

77 FR 29855 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

... electronic installation wiring. For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one- time... corrosion of the electrical and electronics installation, and if corrosion is found repairing each affected harness braid or replacing each affected component and/or wiring harness. We are issuing this AD to detect...

77 FR 73279 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

... AD was prompted by reports of stall events during icing conditions where the natural stall warning (buffet) was not identified. This AD requires replacing the stall warning computer (SWC) with a new SWC, which provides an artificial stall [[Page 73280

77 FR 26158 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

... of hydraulic accumulator failure. This AD requires replacing certain hydraulic accumulators with stainless steel hydraulic accumulators, and structural modifications in the nose landing gear bay. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of hydraulic accumulators, which may result in damage to the airplane...

77 FR 38470 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

..., performing a detailed inspection for individual play between the elevator pushrod assembly and degradation of... R20990 elevator pushrod assemblies [for individual play between the elevator pushrod assembly and... between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among...

77 FR 19565 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... affect about 162 products of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it would take about 1 work-hours per... work-hours and require parts costing $1,588 for a cost of $2,183 per product. We have no way of... the accumulation of 30,000 flight hours or more, but less total flight hours or within 6 than 30,000...

77 FR 60073 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

...; and 4. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of... delegated agent). (i) Reporting Submit a report of the findings (both positive and negative) of the... AD to detect and correct any chafing on the bottom panel of the center cabin, which could affect the...

78 FR 1731 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under... a report of the findings (both positive and negative) of the inspection required by paragraph (g) of..., which could affect the structural integrity of the affected wing-to-fuselage connection. DATES: This AD...

78 FR 49982 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-16

...) Replacement Except as provided by paragraph (k) of this AD: Using the hour reading on the A/C compressor hour... accordance with paragraph (k)(1) of this AD until the conditions listed in paragraphs (j)(1)(i) through (j)(1... ducts to gain access to the drive motor. (4) Disconnect power leads from motor terminals (1/4-28). Tag...

p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 Prevents Apoptosis as Well as Stimulates Growth in Cells Transformed or Immortalized by Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1-Encoded Tax

PubMed Central

Kawata, Sanae; Ariumi, Yasuo; Shimotohno, Kunitada

2003-01-01

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax regulates the expression of virally encoded genes, as well as various endogenous host genes in trans. Tax-mediated regulation of gene expression is important for the immortalization of normal human T lymphocytes and the transformation of fibroblast cells, such as Rat-1 cells. Tax has the ability to transactivate p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1, resulting in high expression levels in HTLV-1-immortalized cells. Since p21 expression is suppressed due to methylation of the promoter region in Rat-l cell line, p21 may not be critical for the transformation of this cell line by Tax. To further understand the role of p21 for the proliferation of Tax-transformed Rat-1 cells, we examined the effect of ectopic expression of p21 in these cells. Here, we observed that p21 expression enhanced the transformation of this cell line via at least two mechanisms: (i) the enhancement of NF-κB activation and/or CREB signaling and (ii) the excitation of antiapoptotic machinery. To analyze the role of p21 that is overexpressed in HTLV-1-immortalized lymphocytes, p21 expression was suppressed by using an antisense oligonucleotide specific for p21 mRNA; these cells then became sensitive to apoptotic induction. These results suggest that p21 plays an important role in the proliferation of Tax-expressing cells through the regulation of at least two independent mechanisms. PMID:12805427

Retinal network adaptation to bright light requires tyrosinase.

PubMed

Page-McCaw, Patrick S; Chung, S Clare; Muto, Akira; Roeser, Tobias; Staub, Wendy; Finger-Baier, Karin C; Korenbrot, Juan I; Baier, Herwig

2004-12-01

The visual system adjusts its sensitivity to a wide range of light intensities. We report here that mutation of the zebrafish sdy gene, which encodes tyrosinase, slows down the onset of adaptation to bright light. When fish larvae were challenged with periods of darkness during the day, the sdy mutants required nearly an hour to recover optokinetic behavior after return to bright light, whereas wild types recovered within minutes. This behavioral deficit was phenocopied in fully pigmented fish by inhibiting tyrosinase and thus does not depend on the absence of melanin pigment in sdy. Electroretinograms showed that the dark-adapted retinal network recovers sensitivity to a pulse of light more slowly in sdy mutants than in wild types. This failure is localized in the retinal neural network, postsynaptic to photoreceptors. We propose that retinal pigment epithelium (which normally expresses tyrosinase) secretes a modulatory factor, possibly L-DOPA, which regulates light adaptation in the retinal circuitry.

Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs): Improving the Scientific Environmental Data Management and Visualization with ArcGIS Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, S. R.; Hogeweg, M.; Rose, B.; Turner, A.

2017-12-01

The requirement for quality, authoritatively sourced data can often be challenging when working with scientific data. In addition, the lack of standard mechanism to discover, access, and use such data can be cumbersome. This results in slow research, poor dissemination and missed opportunities for research to positively impact policy and knowledge. There is widespread recognition that authoritative datasets are maintained by multiple organizations following various standards, and addressing these challenges will involve multiple stakeholders as well. The bottom line is that organizations need a mechanism to efficiently create, share, catalog, and discover data, and the ability to apply these to create an authoritative information products and applications is powerful and provides value. In real-world applications, individual organizations develop, modify, finalize, and support foundational data for distributed users across the system and thus require an efficient method of data management. For this, the SDI (Spatial Data Infrastructure) framework can be applied for GIS users to facilitate efficient and powerful decision making based on strong visualization and analytics. Working with research institutions, governments, and organizations across the world, we have developed a Hub framework for data and analysis sharing that is driven by outcome-centric goals which apply common methodologies and standards. SDI are an operational capability that should be equitably accessible to policy-makers, analysts, departments and public communities. These SDI need to align with operational workflows and support social communications and collaboration. The Hub framework integrates data across agencies, projects and organizations to support interoperability and drive coordination. We will present and share how Esri has been supporting the development of local, state, and national SDIs for many years and show some use cases for applications of planetary SDI. We will also share what

Arms Control and the Strategic Defense Initiative: Three Perspectives. Occasional Paper 36.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hough, Jerry F.; And Others

Three perspectives on President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which is intended to defend U.S. targets from a Soviet nuclear attack, are presented in separate sections. In the first section, "Soviet Interpretation and Response," Jerry F. Hough examines possible reasons for Soviet preoccupation with SDI. He discusses…

Reagan and the Nuclear Freeze: "Stars Wars" as a Rhetorical Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjork, Rebecca S.

1988-01-01

Analyzes the interaction between nuclear freeze activists and proponents of a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Argues that SDI strengthens Reagan's rhetorical position concerning nuclear weapons policy because it reduces the argumentative ground of the freeze movement by envisioning a defensive weapons system that would nullify nuclear weapons.…

The major origin of seedless grapes is associated with a missense mutation in the MADS-box gene VviAGL11.

PubMed

Royo, Carolina; Torres-Pérez, Rafael; Mauri, Nuria; Diestro, Nieves; Cabezas, José Antonio; Marchal, Cécile; Lacombe, Thierry; Ibáñez, Javier; Tornel, Manuel; Carreño, Juan; Martínez-Zapater, José M; Carbonell-Bejerano, Pablo

2018-05-31

Seedlessness is greatly prized by consumers of fresh grapes. While stenospermocarpic seed abortion determined by the SEED DEVELOPMENT INHIBITOR (SDI) locus is the usual source of seedlessness in commercial grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivars, the underlying sdi mutation remains unknown. Here, we undertook an integrative approach to identify the causal mutation. Quantitative genetics and fine mapping in two 'Crimson Seedless' (CS)-derived F1 mapping populations confirmed the major effect of the SDI locus and delimited the sdi mutation to a 323-kb region on chromosome 18. RNA-seq comparing seed traces of seedless and seeds of seeded F1 individuals identified processes triggered during sdi-determined seed abortion, including activation of salicylic acid-dependent defenses. The RNA-seq dataset was investigated for candidate genes and, while no evidence for causal cis-acting regulatory mutations was detected, deleterious nucleotide changes in coding sequences of the seedless haplotype were predicted in two genes within the sdi fine mapping interval. Targeted re-sequencing of the two genes in a collection of 124 grapevine cultivars showed that only the point variation causing the Arg197Leu substitution in the seed morphogenesis regulator gene AGAMOUS-LIKE 11 (VviAGL11) was fully linked with stenospermocarpy. The concurrent post-zygotic variation identified for this missense polymorphism and seedlessness phenotype in seeded somatic variants of the original stenospermocarpic cultivar supports a causal effect. We postulate that seed abortion caused by this amino acid substitution in VviAGL11 is the major cause of seedlessness in cultivated grapevine. This information can be exploited to boost seedless grape breeding. {copyright, serif} 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

A Spatial Data Infrastructure to Share Earth and Space Science Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nativi, S.; Mazzetti, P.; Bigagli, L.; Cuomo, V.

2006-05-01

Spatial Data Infrastructure:SDI (also known as Geospatial Data Infrastructure) is fundamentally a mechanism to facilitate the sharing and exchange of geospatial data. SDI is a scheme necessary for the effective collection, management, access, delivery and utilization of geospatial data; it is important for: objective decision making and sound land based policy, support economic development and encourage socially and environmentally sustainable development. As far as data model and semantics are concerned, a valuable and effective SDI should be able to cross the boundaries between the Geographic Information System/Science (GIS) and Earth and Space Science (ESS) communities. Hence, SDI should be able to discover, access and share information and data produced and managed by both GIS and ESS communities, in an integrated way. In other terms, SDI must be built on a conceptual and technological framework which abstracts the nature and structure of shared dataset: feature-based data or Imagery, Gridded and Coverage Data (IGCD). ISO TC211 and the Open Geospatial Consortium provided important artifacts to build up this framework. In particular, the OGC Web Services (OWS) initiatives and several Interoperability Experiment (e.g. the GALEON IE) are extremely useful for this purpose. We present a SDI solution which is able to manage both GIS and ESS datasets. It is based on OWS and other well-accepted or promising technologies, such as: UNIDATA netCDF and CDM, ncML and ncML-GML. Moreover, it uses a specific technology to implement a distributed and federated system of catalogues: the GI-Cat. This technology performs data model mediation and protocol adaptation tasks. It is used to work out a metadata clearinghouse service, implementing a common (federal) catalogue model which is based on the ISO 19115 core metadata for geo-dataset. Nevertheless, other well- accepted or standard catalogue data models can be easily implemented as common view (e.g. OGC CS-W, the next coming

Proceedings, Annual Meeting, Western Canada Chapter, American Society for Information Science (Third, Banff School of Fine Arts, October 3,4,5, 1971).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calgary Univ. (Alberta).

The proceedings contain papers given by the members of the chapter who come from both the University and Business environments. Some operational indexing, bibliographic, SDI and Retrospective Search Systems which include CAN/SDI, Compendex, TEXT-PAC, SIS II & III, KWOC and FAMULUS are discussed. Also included are papers on two projects…

Worldwide Report, Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-28

NACHRICHTEN , 18 Oct 85) 39 Presummit Polish Reporting on SDI Issues (Warsaw RZECZPOSPOLITA, 19-20 Oct 85; Warsaw ZYCIE WARSZAWY, 15 Oct 85) 42...28 February 1986 SDI AND SPACE ARMS MEETING REVEALS SOME SUPPORT FOR EUREKA LINK TO MILITARY Puesseldbrf VDI NACHRICHTEN in German 18 Oct 85 p 10

Irrigation strategies using subsurface drip irrigation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is practiced on approximately 60,000 ha in the Texas High Plains region of the USA. Adoption of SDI continues to increase in the region. This has been attributed to record drought in Texas and the US Southwest in recent years, declining irrigation well yields, and ev...

An EAL domain protein and cyclic AMP contribute to the interaction between the two quorum sensing systems in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Zhou, Xianxuan; Meng, Xiaoming; Sun, Baolin

2008-09-01

Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial cell-cell communication process by which bacteria communicate using extracellular signals called autoinducers. Two QS systems have been identified in Escherichia coli K-12, including an intact QS system 2 that is stimulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complex and a partial QS system 1 that consists of SdiA (suppressor of cell division inhibitor) responding to signals generated by other microbial species. The relationship between QS system 1 and system 2 in E. coli, however, remains obscure. Here, we show that an EAL domain protein, encoded by ydiV, and cAMP are involved in the interaction between the two QS systems in E. coli. Expression of sdiA and ydiV is inhibited by glucose. SdiA binds to the ydiV promoter region in a dose-dependent, but nonspecific, manner; extracellular autoinducer 1 from other species stimulates ydiV expression in an sdiA-dependent manner. Furthermore, we discovered that the double sdiA-ydiV mutation, but not the single mutation, causes a 2-fold decrease in intracellular cAMP concentration that leads to the inhibition of QS system 2. These results indicate that signaling pathways that respond to important environmental cues, such as autoinducers and glucose, are linked together for their control in E. coli.

The Use of ERIC Tapes in Scandinavia, Searching With Thesaurus Terms in Natural Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tell, Bjorn V.; And Others

Since February 1971 the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, has been running the ERIC data base mainly for SDI purposes. The implementation of the data base into the generalized search system, ABACUS, is described. One hundred and fifty-eight users received SDI service at present, 99 from governmental and educational institutions, 23 from…

Role of Three-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in the Quantification of Myocardial Iron Overload in Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major.

PubMed

Li, Shu-Juan; Hwang, Yu-Yan; Ha, Shau-Yin; Chan, Godfrey C F; Mok, Amanda S P; Wong, Sophia J; Cheung, Yiu-Fai

2016-09-01

The new three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) may enable comprehensive quantification of global left ventricular (LV) myocardial mechanics. Twenty-four patients aged 29.3 ± 5.2 years and 22 controls were studied. 3DSTE was performed to assess LV 3D global strain, twist and torsion, ejection fraction, and systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI). The LV SDI was calculated as % of SD of times-to-peak strain of 16 segments/RR interval. The global performance index (GPI) was calculated as (global 3D strain·torsion)/SDI. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to determine the capability of 3DSTE parameters to discriminate between patients with (cardiac magnetic resonance T2* <20 ms) and those without myocardial iron overload. Compared with controls, patients had significantly lower LV global 3D strain (P < 0.001), twist (P = 0.01), torsion (P = 0.04), and ejection fraction (P < 0.001) and greater SDI (P < 0.001). The GPI was lower in patients than controls (P < 0.001). T2* value correlated positively with global 3D strain (r = 0.74, P < 0.001) and GPI (r = 0.63, P = 0.001), and negatively with SDI (r = -0.44, P = 0.03). The AUCs of GPI, global 3D strain, ejection fraction, torsion, and 1/SDI were 0.94, 0.90, 0.87, 0.82, and 0.70, respectively. The GPI cutoff of 2.7°/cm had a sensitivity of 94.9% and a specificity of 88.9% of differentiating patients with from those without myocardial iron overload. The LV composite index of strain, torsion, and dyssynchrony derived from 3DSTE enables sensitive detection of myocardial iron overload in patients with thalassemia. © 2016, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decision-making and addiction (part II): myopia for the future or hypersensitivity to reward?

PubMed

Bechara, Antoine; Dolan, Sara; Hindes, Andrea

2002-01-01

On a decision-making instrument known as the "gambling task" (GT), a subgroup of substance dependent individuals (SDI) opted for choices that yield high immediate gains in spite of higher future losses. This resembles the behavior of patients with ventromedial (VM) prefrontal cortex lesions. In this study, we addressed the possibility that hypersensitivity to reward may account for the "myopia" for the future in this subgroup of SDI. We used a variant version of the GT, in which the good decks yielded high immediate punishment but higher delayed reward. The bad decks yielded low immediate punishment and lower delayed reward. We measured the skin conductance response (SCR) of subjects after receiving reward (reward SCR) and during their pondering from which deck to choose (anticipatory SCR). A subgroup of SDI who was not impaired on the original GT performed normally on the variant GT. The subgroup of SDI who was impaired on the original GT showed two levels of performance on the variant GT. One subgroup (36% of the sample) performed poorly on the variant GT, and showed similar behavioral and physiological impairments to VM patients. The other subgroup of SDI (64% of the sample) performed normally on the variant task, but had abnormally large physiological responses to reward, i.e. large SCR after receiving reward (reward SCR) and large SCR in anticipation of outcomes that yield large reward. Thus, the combined cognitive and physiological approach of assessing decision-making characterizes three sub-populations of SDI. One sub-population is without impairments that can be detected by any measure of the GT paradigm. Another sub-population is similar to VM patients in that they are insensitive to the future, both positive and negative. A third sub-population is hypersensitive to reward, so that the presence or the prospect of receiving, reward dominates their behavior.

Student Papers on Strategic Defense Initiative.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

Initiative" NATO’s Sixteen Nations, November 1984, p. 18. 6. Europe, p. 45. 7. Macha Levinson, "Why Europe Fears SDI," International Defense Review...34Europe is Reluctant to Reach for the Stars." The Economist, 16 February 1985, pp. 45-46. Levinson, Macha . "Why Europe Fears SDI." International

Quality changes of pomegranate arils throughout shelf life affected by deficit irrigation and pre-processing storage.

PubMed

Peña-Estévez, María E; Artés-Hernández, Francisco; Artés, Francisco; Aguayo, Encarna; Martínez-Hernández, Ginés Benito; Galindo, Alejandro; Gómez, Perla A

2016-10-15

This study investigated the influence of sustained deficit irrigation (SDI, 78% less water supply than the reference evapotranspiration, ET0) compared to a control (100% ET0) on the physicochemical and sensory qualities and health-promoting compounds of pomegranate arils stored for 14days at 5°C. Prior to processing, the fruits were stored for 0, 30, 60 or 90days at 5°C. The effect of the pre-processing storage duration was also examined. Physicochemical and sensory qualities were kept during the storage period. Arils from SDI fruit had lower punicalagin-α and ellagic acid losses than the control (13% vs 50%). However, the anthocyanin content decreased during the shelf-life (72%) regardless of the treatment. The ascorbic acid slight decreased. Arils from SDI experienced glucose/fructose ratio loss (19%) lower than that of the control (35%). In general, arils from SDI showed better quality and health attributes during the shelf-life than did the control samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Mark, H.

A development history and development status evaluation is presented for weapons technologies capable of serving as defenses against nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. The decisive turning-point in this history was the March 23, 1983 announcement by President Reagan of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Due to President Reagan's emphasis on population protection, 'global' defense systems have tended to dominate SDI design efforts. The most important SDI technical achievements to date encompass (1) miniature homig devices, (2) the upgrade of the Patriot SAM for missile-interception capabilities, (3) light exoatmospheric projectiles, such as 'Brilliant Pebbles', (4) successful laser-communications experiments, and (5) the warhead/decoy-discriminating Firepondmore » lidar system. 7 refs.« less

New Method for Determining the Relative Stand Density of Forest Inventory Plots

Treesearch

Christopher W. Woodall; Patrick D. Miles

2006-01-01

Determining the relative density of Forest Inventory and Analysis plots is complicated by the various species and tree size combinations in the Nation?s forested ecosystems. Stand density index (SDI), although developed for use in even-aged monocultures, has been used for stand density assessment in largescale forest inventories. To improve application of SDI in uneven...

Negative reinforcement learning is affected in substance dependence.

PubMed

Thompson, Laetitia L; Claus, Eric D; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan K; Banich, Marie T; Crowley, Thomas; Krmpotich, Theodore; Miller, David; Tanabe, Jody

2012-06-01

Negative reinforcement results in behavior to escape or avoid an aversive outcome. Withdrawal symptoms are purported to be negative reinforcers in perpetuating substance dependence, but little is known about negative reinforcement learning in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine reinforcement learning in substance dependent individuals (SDI), with an emphasis on assessing negative reinforcement learning. We modified the Iowa Gambling Task to separately assess positive and negative reinforcement. We hypothesized that SDI would show differences in negative reinforcement learning compared to controls and we investigated whether learning differed as a function of the relative magnitude or frequency of the reinforcer. Thirty subjects dependent on psychostimulants were compared with 28 community controls on a decision making task that manipulated outcome frequencies and magnitudes and required an action to avoid a negative outcome. SDI did not learn to avoid negative outcomes to the same degree as controls. This difference was driven by the magnitude, not the frequency, of negative feedback. In contrast, approach behaviors in response to positive reinforcement were similar in both groups. Our findings are consistent with a specific deficit in negative reinforcement learning in SDI. SDI were relatively insensitive to the magnitude, not frequency, of loss. If this generalizes to drug-related stimuli, it suggests that repeated episodes of withdrawal may drive relapse more than the severity of a single episode. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

a Bottom-Up Geosptial Data Update Mechanism for Spatial Data Infrastructure Updating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, W.; Zhu, X.; Liu, Y.

2012-08-01

Currently, the top-down spatial data update mechanism has made a big progress and it is wildly applied in many SDI (spatial data infrastructure). However, this mechanism still has some issues. For example, the update schedule is limited by the professional department's project, usually which is too long for the end-user; the data form collection to public cost too much time and energy for professional department; the details of geospatial information does not provide sufficient attribute, etc. Thus, how to deal with the problems has become the effective shortcut. Emerging Internet technology, 3S technique and geographic information knowledge which is popular in the public promote the booming development of geoscience in volunteered geospatial information. Volunteered geospatial information is the current "hotspot", which attracts many researchers to study its data quality and credibility, accuracy, sustainability, social benefit, application and so on. In addition to this, a few scholars also pay attention to the value of VGI to support the SDI updating. And on that basis, this paper presents a bottom-up update mechanism form VGI to SDI, which includes the processes of match homonymous elements between VGI and SDI vector data , change data detection, SDI spatial database update and new data product publication to end-users. Then, the proposed updating cycle is deeply discussed about the feasibility of which can detect the changed elements in time and shorten the update period, provide more accurate geometry and attribute data for spatial data infrastructure and support update propagation.

From Data to Semantic Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Floridi, Luciano

2003-06-01

There is no consensus yet on the definition of semantic information. This paper contributes to the current debate by criticising and revising the Standard Definition of semantic Information (SDI) as meaningful data, in favour of the Dretske-Grice approach: meaningful and well-formed data constitute semantic information only if they also qualify as contingently truthful. After a brief introduction, SDI is criticised for providing necessary but insufficient conditions for the definition of semantic information. SDI is incorrect because truth-values do not supervene on semantic information, and misinformation (that is, false semantic information) is not a type of semantic information, but pseudo-information, that is not semantic information at all. This is shown by arguing that none of the reasons for interpreting misinformation as a type of semantic information is convincing, whilst there are compelling reasons to treat it as pseudo-information. As a consequence, SDI is revised to include a necessary truth-condition. The last section summarises the main results of the paper and indicates the important implications of the revised definition for the analysis of the deflationary theories of truth, the standard definition of knowledge and the classic, quantitative theory of semantic information.

Prediction of surface distress using neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamdi, Hadiwardoyo, Sigit P.; Correia, A. Gomes; Pereira, Paulo; Cortez, Paulo

2017-06-01

Road infrastructures contribute to a healthy economy throughout a sustainable distribution of goods and services. A road network requires appropriately programmed maintenance treatments in order to keep roads assets in good condition, providing maximum safety for road users under a cost-effective approach. Surface Distress is the key element to identify road condition and may be generated by many different factors. In this paper, a new approach is aimed to predict Surface Distress Index (SDI) values following a data-driven approach. Later this model will be accordingly applied by using data obtained from the Integrated Road Management System (IRMS) database. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are used to predict SDI index using input variables related to the surface of distress, i.e., crack area and width, pothole, rutting, patching and depression. The achieved results show that ANN is able to predict SDI with high correlation factor (R2 = 0.996%). Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was applied to the ANN model, revealing the influence of the most relevant input parameters for SDI prediction, namely rutting (59.8%), crack width (29.9%) and crack area (5.0%), patching (3.0%), pothole (1.7%) and depression (0.3%).

Strategic defense initiative: critical issues

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

Nuckolls, J.H.

The objectives of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) as outlined by President Reagan are discussed. The principal objective for SDI is as a defense against ballistic missiles. Soviet objections and a summary of US-USSR dialogue on the subject are reviewed. Most US studies have been critical of SDI. Four critical issues are addressed in depth: are defense weapons technologically feasible which have high economic leverage relative to offensive ballistic missiles; would the defense feasibility and leverage be degraded or enhanced in the technological race between weapons innovation and countermeasures; could stability be achieved during and after the transition to themore » defense dominated world envisioned by SDI proponents; would the deployment of high leverage defensive weapons increase or decrease the security of NATO Europe, and the probability of major conventional or nuclear wars. The issue of SDI may lead to a paradox that contains the seeds of catastrophe. The author concludes by warning that nuclear disarmament may eliminate the highly successful deterrent mechanism for avoiding another major world war. In a world made safe for major conventional wars by the apparent ''elimination'' of nuclear weapons, the leaders in a conventional World War III - involving unimaginable suffering, hatred, terror, and death - would be strongly motivated to introduce nuclear weapons in the crucial decisive battles. Even if diplomacy could ''eliminate'' nuclear weapons, man's knowledge of nuclear weapons can never be eliminated. The paradox is the attempt to eliminate nuclear weapons may maximize the probability of their use. (DMC)« less

SLICE/MARC-O: Description of Services. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Libraries, Oklahoma City.

Following the discussions of: what is SLICE, what is MARC, what is MARC-O, and what is SLICE/MARC-O are descriptions of the five services offered by SLICE/MARC-O. These services are: (1) cataloging data search and print, (2) MARC record and search and copy, (3) standard S.D.I. current awareness, (4) custom S.D.I. current awareness and (5) SLICE…

A novel cardiac MR chamber volume model for mechanical dyssynchrony assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Ting; Fung, Maggie; Stainsby, Jeffrey A.; Hood, Maureen N.; Ho, Vincent B.

2009-02-01

A novel cardiac chamber volume model is proposed for the assessment of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony. The tool is potentially useful for assessment of regional cardiac function and identification of mechanical dyssynchrony on MRI. Dyssynchrony results typically from a contraction delay between one or more individual left ventricular segments, which in turn leads to inefficient ventricular function and ultimately heart failure. Cardiac resynchronization therapy has emerged as an electrical treatment of choice for heart failure patients with dyssynchrony. Prior MRI techniques have relied on assessments of actual cardiac wall changes either using standard cine MR images or specialized pulse sequences. In this abstract, we detail a semi-automated method that evaluates dyssynchrony based on segmental volumetric analysis of the left ventricular (LV) chamber as illustrated on standard cine MR images. Twelve sectors each were chosen for the basal and mid-ventricular slices and 8 sectors were chosen for apical slices for a total of 32 sectors. For each slice (i.e. basal, mid and apical), a systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) was measured. SDI, a parameter used for 3D echocardiographic analysis of dyssynchrony, was defined as the corrected standard deviation of the time at which minimal volume is reached in each sector. The SDI measurement of a healthy volunteer was 3.54%. In a patient with acute myocardial infarction, the SDI measurements 10.98%, 16.57% and 1.41% for basal, mid-ventricular and apical LV slices, respectively. Based on published 3D echocardiogram reference threshold values, the patient's SDI corresponds to moderate basal dysfunction, severe mid-ventricular dysfunction, and normal apical LV function, which were confirmed on echocardiography. The LV chamber segmental volume analysis model and SDI is feasible using standard cine MR data and may provide more reliable assessment of patients with dyssynchrony especially if the LV myocardium is thin or if

The detection of problem analytes in a single proficiency test challenge in the absence of the Health Care Financing Administration rule violations.

PubMed

Cembrowski, G S; Hackney, J R; Carey, N

1993-04-01

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988 (CLIA 88) has dramatically changed proficiency testing (PT) practices having mandated (1) satisfactory PT for certain analytes as a condition of laboratory operation, (2) fixed PT limits for many of these "regulated" analytes, and (3) an increased number of PT specimens (n = 5) for each testing cycle. For many of these analytes, the fixed limits are much broader than the previously employed Standard Deviation Index (SDI) criteria. Paradoxically, there may be less incentive to identify and evaluate analytically significant outliers to improve the analytical process. Previously described "control rules" to evaluate these PT results are unworkable as they consider only two or three results. We used Monte Carlo simulations of Kodak Ektachem analyzers participating in PT to determine optimal control rules for the identification of PT results that are inconsistent with those from other laboratories using the same methods. The analysis of three representative analytes, potassium, creatine kinase, and iron was simulated with varying intrainstrument and interinstrument standard deviations (si and sg, respectively) obtained from the College of American Pathologists (Northfield, Ill) Quality Assurance Services data and Proficiency Test data, respectively. Analytical errors were simulated in each of the analytes and evaluated in terms of multiples of the interlaboratory SDI. Simple control rules for detecting systematic and random error were evaluated with power function graphs, graphs of probability of error detected vs magnitude of error. Based on the simulation results, we recommend screening all analytes for the occurrence of two or more observations exceeding the same +/- 1 SDI limit. For any analyte satisfying this condition, the mean of the observations should be calculated. For analytes with sg/si ratios between 1.0 and 1.5, a significant systematic error is signaled by the mean exceeding 1.0 SDI. Significant random error

Technology Applications Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

And when business produce spinoffs. Publications in- is looking for technological inno- clude the SDI High Technology Up- vations, the Strategic ...SDI ~ES Strategic { Defense W J. Initiative - Applications Report ------ ---- ul MthV, DISTR’hM-f1o-N SiTAI Approveed0. public release; 19980309...301AUST19 Accession Number: 3992 Publication Date: Aug 01. 1992 Title: Technology Applications Report 1992 Corporate Author Or Publisher: Strategic

The Fundamental Issues Study within the British BMD Review

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-02-01

also be considered. Nevertheless, how formidable a challenge is posed by the ascent release of submunitions is acknowledged by Richard Garwin on the...Arguably, the crunch came in February 1987 when Richard Perle, visiting London as US Assistant Secretary for Defense, extolled a strong SDI as the...resignation of Richard Perle. That year was also to see the departure from political office in the Pentagon of four other SDI stalwarts: Frank

The Self-Description Inventory+, Part 1: Factor Structure and Convergent Validity Analyses

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

measures 12 scales of personality. The current report examines the possibility of replacing the EQ with a Five Factor Model ( FFM ) measure of...Checklist. Our results show that the SDI + has scales that are intercorrelated in a manner consistent with the FFM (Experiment 1), a factor structure...met the criteria showing it to be an FFM instrument, we will conduct concurrent validity research to determine if the SDI+ has greater predictive

The Utility of Selection for Military and Civilian Jobs

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-01

parsimonious use of information; the relative ease in making threshold (break-even) judgments compared to estimating actual SDy values higher than a... threshold value, even though judges are unlikely to agree on the exact point estimate for the SDy parameter; and greater understanding of how even small...ability, spatial ability, introversion , anxiety) considered to vary or differ across individuals. A construct (sometimes called a latent variable) is not

Narrow- (3.0 mm) Versus Standard-Diameter (4.0 and 4.5 mm) Implants for Splinted Partial Fixed Restoration of Posterior Mandibular and Maxillary Jaws: A 5-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Pieri, Francesco; Forlivesi, Caterina; Caselli, Ernesto; Corinaldesi, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Evidence concerning predictability of narrow-diameter implants (NDIs) (<3.3 mm) to restore partially edentulous posterior maxillary and mandibular areas is limited. The aim of this study is to compare the 5-year outcomes of NDIs (3.0 mm) and standard-diameter implants (SDIs) (4.0 to 4.5 mm) supporting fixed partial dentures (FPDs) in posterior mandibular and maxillary jaws. All patients treated with at least two adjacent NDIs or SDIs according to available bone thickness and with a minimum follow-up of 5 years after placement were invited to undergo a clinical and radiologic examination. Outcome measures were implant and FPD failures, biologic and prosthetic complications, and marginal bone loss. A total of 107 out of 127 patients attended the examination: 49 (113 implants) of the NDI group, and 58 (126 implants) of the SDI group. Two NDIs failed in one patient versus four SDIs in four patients (P = 0.37). One FPD failed in the NDI group versus two FPDs in the SDI group (P >0.99). Nine biologic complications occurred in the NDI group and twelve in the SDI group (P = 0.81). Twelve prosthetic complications occurred in the NDI group and only two in the SDI group (P = 0.001). Peri-implant marginal bone loss at 5 years was 0.95 ± 0.84 mm for the NDI group and 1.2 ± 0.86 mm for the SDI group (P = 0.06). Five-year data indicate that FPD treatment in posterior mandibular and maxillary jaws with NDIs was as reliable as with SDIs, although NDIs showed a higher risk of prosthetic complications.

Correlation between the Modified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 and the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Sato, J O; Corrente, J E; Saad-Magalhães, C

2016-11-01

Objective The objective of this study was to assess Modified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (ECLAM) disease activity correlation in addition to their respective correlation to Pediatric Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index (Ped-SDI), in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). Methods The activity indices were scored retrospectively and summarized by adjusted means during follow-up. The Ped-SDI was scored during the last visit for those with more than six months follow-up. Pearson correlation between the Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM, as well as Spearman correlations between the Modified SLEDAI-2K, ECLAM, and Ped-SDI were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated for both activity indices discriminating damage measured by Ped-SDI. Results Thirty-seven patients with mean age at diagnosis 11 ± 2.9 years and mean follow-up time 3.2 ± 2.4 years were studied. The Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM adjusted means were highly correlated ( r = 0.78, p < 0.001). Similarly, Spearman correlation between the activity indices was also high ( r s  > 0.7, p < 0.001), but Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM correlation with Ped-SDI was only moderate. ROC analysis discriminant performance for both activity indices resulted in area under curve (AUC) of 0.74 and 0.73 for Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM, respectively. Conclusion The high correlation found between the Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM adjusted means indicated that both tools can be equally useful for longitudinal estimates of JSLE activity.

New hydrologic instrumentation in the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Latkovich, V.J.; Shope, W.G.; ,

1991-01-01

New water-level sensing and recording instrumentation is being used by the U.S. Geological Survey for monitoring water levels, stream velocities, and water-quality characteristics. Several of these instruments are briefly described. The Basic Data Recorder (BDR) is an electronic data logger, that interfaces to sensor systems through a serial-digital interface standard (SDI-12), which was proposed by the data-logger industry; the Incremental Shaft Encoder is an intelligent water-level sensor, which interfaces to the BDR through the SDI-12; the Pressure Sensor is an intelligent, nonsubmersible pressure sensor, which interfaces to the BDR through the SDI-12 and monitors water levels from 0 to 50 feet; the Ultrasonic Velocity Meter is an intelligent, water-velocity sensor, which interfaces to the BDR through the SDI-12 and measures the velocity across a stream up to 500 feet in width; the Collapsible Hand Sampler can be collapsed for insertion through holes in the ice and opened under the ice to collect a water sample; the Lighweight Ice Auger, weighing only 32 pounds, can auger 6- and 8-inch holes through approximately 3.5 feet of ice; and the Ice Chisel has a specially hardened steel blade and 6-foot long, hickory D-handle.

Worldwide Report, Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-25

Chemical Weapons Proposal to FRG (East Berlin ADN International Service, 13, 16 Sep 85) 36 36 36 NUCLEAR-FREE-ZONE PROPOSALS Fiji ...Christians Urged To Ban Nuclear Warships (Suva THE FIJI TIMES, 24 Aug 85) 38 NUCLEAR TESTING 39 JPRS-TAO85-035 25 September 1985 SDI AND SPACE...in the world, the analyst writes in conclusion. (APN, August 20. In full .) CSO: 5200/1395 JPRS-TAO85-035 25 September 1985 SDI AND SPACE

Geophysical and Geochemical Characterization of Subsurface Drip Irrigation Sites, Powder River Basin, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, B. L.; Bern, C. R.; Sams, J. I., III; Veloski, G.; Minsley, B. J.; Smith, B. D.

2010-12-01

Coalbed natural gas (CBNG) production in the Powder River Basin (PRB) in northeastern Wyoming has increased rapidly since 1997. CBNG production involves the extraction of large amounts of water containing >2000 mg/L total dissolved solids, dominantly sodium bicarbonate. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is a beneficial disposal method of produced waters, provided that waters and associated salts are managed properly. We are studying how water and solute distributions change in soils with progressive irrigation at two PRB sites using a combination of geophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical analyses. Perennial crops are grown at both sites, drip tapes are located at 92 cm depth, and water is applied year-round. The first SDI site is located at the confluence of Crazy Woman Creek and the Powder River. Baseline ground-based and helicopter-borne frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys were completed in 2007 and 2008, respectively, prior to the installation of the SDI system. Since installation, additional ground-based EMI, resistivity, and downhole geophysical log surveys have been completed along with soil geochemical and mineralogical analyses. Determining baseline physical, chemical, and electrical soil characteristics at this study site is an important step in linking the EMI measurements to the soil characteristics they are intended to assess. EMI surveys indicate that soil conductivity has generally increased with irrigation, but lateral migration of water away from the irrigated blocks is minimal. Median downhole electrical conductivity was positively correlated with soil mass wetness but not correlated with soil mineralogy. Soil-water extract results indicate existing salts are chemically heterogeneous throughout the site and in depth. The observed EMI conductivity variations are therefore primarily attributed to water content changes and secondarily to soil texture. The second SDI site, located northeast of Sheridan, WY, has been operating

Extravasation into brain and subsequent spread beyond the ischemic core of a magnetic resonance contrast agent following a step-down infusion protocol in acute cerebral ischemia.

PubMed

Nagaraja, Tavarekere N; Keenan, Kelly A; Aryal, Madhava P; Ewing, James R; Gopinath, Saarang; Nadig, Varun S; Shashikumar, Sukruth; Knight, Robert A

2014-01-01

Limiting expansion of the ischemic core lesion by reinstating blood flow and protecting the penumbral cells is a priority in acute stroke treatment. However, at present, methods are not available for effective drug delivery to the ischemic penumbra. To address these issues this study compared the extravasation and subsequent interstitial spread of a magnetic resonance contrast agent (MRCA) beyond the ischemic core into the surrounding brain in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion for bolus injection and step-down infusion (SDI) protocols. Male Wistar rats underwent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 3 h followed by reperfusion. Perfusion-diffusion mismatched regions indicating the extent of spread were identified by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) deficits by arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging and the extent of the ischemic core by mapping the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water with diffusion-weighted imaging. Vascular injury was assessed via MRCA, gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) penetration, by Look-Locker T1-weighted MR imaging after either a bolus injection (n = 8) or SDI (n = 6). Spatial and temporal expansion of the MRCA front during a 25 min imaging period was measured from images obtained at 2.5 min intervals. The mean ADC lesion was 20 ± 7% of the hemispheric area whereas the CBF deficit area was 60 ± 16%, with the difference between the areas suggesting the possible presence of a penumbra. The bolus injection led to MRCA enhancement with an area that initially spread into the ischemic core and then diminished over time. The SDI produced a gradual increase in the area of MRCA enhancement that slowly enlarged to occupy the core, eventually expanded beyond it into the surrounding tissue and then plateaued. The integrated area from SDI extravasation was significantly larger than that for the bolus (p = 0.03). The total number of pixels covered by the SDI at its maximum was

Assessment of flooding impacts in terms of sustainability in Mainland China.

PubMed

Ni, Jinren; Sun, Liying; Li, Tianhong; Huang, Zheng; Borthwick, Alistair G L

2010-10-01

An understanding of flood impact in terms of sustainability is vital for long-term disaster risk reduction. This paper utilizes two important concepts: conventional insurance related flood risk for short-term damage by specific flood events, and long-term flood impact on sustainability. The Insurance Related Flood Risk index, IRFR, is defined as the product of the Flood Hazard Index (FHI) and Vulnerability. The Long-term Flood Impact on Sustainability index, LFIS, is the ratio of the flood hazard index to the Sustainable Development Index (SDI). Using a rapid assessment approach, quantitative assessments of IRFR and LFIS are carried out for 2339 counties and cities in mainland China. Each index is graded from 'very low' to 'very high' according to the eigenvalue magnitude of cluster centroids. By combining grades of FHI and SDI, mainland China is then classified into four zones in order to identify regional variations in the potential linkage between flood hazard and sustainability. Zone I regions, where FHI is graded 'very low' or 'low' and SDI is 'medium' to 'very high', are mainly located in western China. Zone II regions, where FHI and SDI are 'medium' or 'high', occur in the rapidly developing areas of central and eastern China. Zone III regions, where FHI and SDI are 'very low' or 'low', correspond to the resource-based areas of western and north-central China. Zone IV regions, where FHI is 'medium' to 'very high' and SDI is 'very low' to 'low', occur in ecologically fragile areas of south-western China. The paper also examines the distributions of IRFR and LFIS throughout mainland China. Although 57% of the counties and cities have low IRFR values, 64% have high LFIS values. The modal values of LFIS are ordered as Zone I

[French version of screening questionnaire for high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome in adolescent: Autism Spectrum Quotient, Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient. Protocol and questionnaire translation].

PubMed

Sonié, Sandrine; Kassai, Behrouz; Pirat, Elodie; Masson, Sandrine; Bain, Paul; Robinson, Janine; Reboul, Anne; Wicker, Bruno; Chevallier, Coralie; Beaude-Chervet, Véronique; Deleage, Marie-Hélène; Charvet, Dorothée; Barthélémy, Catherine; Rochet, Thierry; Tatou, Mohamed; Arnaud, Valérie; Manificat, Sabine

2011-04-01

No tools are currently available in France, for the detection of autism without mental retardation (high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome here referred as TED SDI). Use of screening tests by first-line clinicians would allow better detection of children who are likely to display such difficulties and to improve patients' care. In England, 3 questionnaires have been evaluated: Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Empathy Quotient (EQ), and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). This is the translation and evaluation of 3 questionnaires in France for TED SDI and control adolescents. The translation of the questionnaires into French required two simultaneous translations, two back-translations and two consensus meetings. This is a cross-sectional study comparing scores obtained with the three AQ, EQ and SQ questionnaires. These questionnaires were completed by the parents of four groups of adolescents 11-18 years: 100 TED SDI adolescents (50 with IQ ≥ 85 and 50 with 70≤IQ<85), 50 adolescents with another psychiatric disorder (TP) and 200 control adolescents (T). 580 questionnaires have been sent to 40 recruiting centres. By the 28th of February, 2010, 277 completed questionnaires were received completed (TED SDI: 70 (70%); TP: 25 (50%) et T: 182 (91%)). In the control group, 92 girls (mean 14.4±1.7 years) and 66 boys (14.5±1.7 years) were recruited. In the TED SDI group, 4 girls (14.3±2.4 years) and 42 boys (14.5±1.7 years) were recruited. One girl (81) and 6 boys (72.2±7.7) have an IQ between 70 and 85, and 3 girls (95.3±4.2) and 36 boys (102.9±12) have an IQ higher than 85. In the TP group, 9 girls (15.9±1.7 years) and 4 boys (15.8±1.9 years) were recruited. The aim of this study is to make the AQ, EQ and SQ questionnaires available in French for French speaking clinicians. This study will allow a rigorous evaluation of the usefulness of the AQ questionnaire in the screening of TED SDI in adolescents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Application of near-surface geophysics as part of a hydrologic study of a subsurface drip irrigation system along the Powder River floodplain near Arvada, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sams, James I.; Veloski, Garret; Smith, Bruce D.; Minsley, Burke J.; Engle, Mark A.; Lipinski, Brian A.; Hammack, Richard W.; Zupancic, John W.

2014-01-01

Rapid development of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) production in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming has occurred since 1997. National attention related to CBNG development has focused on produced water management, which is the single largest cost for on-shore domestic producers. Low-cost treatment technologies allow operators to reduce their disposal costs, provide treated water for beneficial use, and stimulate oil and gas production by small operators. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are one potential treatment option that allows for increased CBNG production by providing a beneficial use for the produced water in farmland irrigation.Water management practices in the development of CBNG in Wyoming have been aided by integrated geophysical, geochemical, and hydrologic studies of both the disposal and utilization of water. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have utilized multi-frequency airborne, ground, and borehole electromagnetic (EM) and ground resistivity methods to characterize the near-surface hydrogeology in areas of produced water disposal. These surveys provide near-surface EM data that can be compared with results of previous surveys to monitor changes in soils and local hydrology over time as the produced water is discharged through SDI.The focus of this investigation is the Headgate Draw SDI site, situated adjacent to the Powder River near the confluence of a major tributary, Crazy Woman Creek, in Johnson County, Wyoming. The SDI system was installed during the summer of 2008 and began operation in October of 2008. Ground, borehole, and helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) conductivity surveys were conducted at the site prior to the installation of the SDI system. After the installation of the subsurface drip irrigation system, ground EM surveys have been performed quarterly (weather permitting). The geophysical surveys map the heterogeneity of the near

NATO 2000: The Role of the Spanish Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

the air space and how this control will be in Spanish strategic areas in the year 2000. The final con - clusions are the significant role of the...like an um- bilical cord which joins Europe with America. If Europe is con - sidered as a possible theater of operations, Spain must be a friend...announced the Strategic Defense Initi- ative (SDI) in 1983. SDI provoked in Europe, disquiet and con - fusion, especially in France and England. The

On the use of IT investment assessment methods in the area of spatial data infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwirowicz-Rutkowska, Agnieszka

2016-06-01

One of the important issues concerning development of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) is the carrying out of economic and financial analysis. It is essential to determine expenses and also assess effects resulting from the development and use of infrastructures. Costs and benefits assessment could be associated with assessment of the infrastructure effectiveness and efficiency as well as the infrastructure value, understood as the infrastructure impact on economic aspects of an organisational performance, both of an organisation which realises an SDI project and all users of the infrastructure. The aim of this paper is an overview of various assessment methods of investment as well as an analysis of different types of costs and benefits used for information technology (IT) projects. Based on the literature, the analysis of the examples of the use of these methods in the area of spatial data infrastructures is also presented. Furthermore, the issues of SDI projects and investments are outlined. The results of the analysis indicate usefulness of the financial methods from different fields of management in the area of SDI building, development and use. The author proposes, in addition to the financial methods, the adaptation of the various techniques used for IT investments and their development, taking into consideration the SDI specificity for the purpose of assessment of different types of costs and benefits and integration of financial aspects with non-financial ones. Among the challenges are identification and quantification of costs and benefits, as well as establishing measures which would fit the characteristics of the SDI project and artefacts resulting from the project realisation. Moreover, aspects of subjectivity and variability in time should be taken into account as the consequences of definite goals and policies as well as business context of organisation undertaking the project or using its artefacts and also investors.

Effect of soil properties on Hydraulic characteristics under subsurface drip irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Wangtao; Li, Gang

2018-02-01

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is a technique that has a high potential in application because of its high efficiency in water-saving. The hydraulic characteristics of SDI sub-unit pipe network can be affected by soil physical properties as the emitters are buried in soils. The related research, however, is not fully explored. The laboratory tests were carried out in the present study to determine the effects of hydraulic factors including operating pressure, initial soil water content, and bulk density on flow rate and its sensitivity to each hydraulic factor for two types of SDI emitters (PLASSIM emitter and Heping emitter). For this purpose, three soils with contrasting textures (i.e., light sand, silt loam, and light clay) were repacked with two soil bulk density (1.25 and1.40 g cm-3) with two initial soil water content (12% and 18%) in plexiglass columns with 40 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height. Drip emitters were buried at depth of 20 cm to measure the flow rates under seven operating pressures (60, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, and 370 kPa). We found that the operating pressure was the dominating factor of flow rate of the SDI emitter, and flow rate increased with the increase of operating pressure. The initial soil water content and bulk density also affected the flow rate, and their effects were the most notable in the light sand soil. The sensitivity of flow rate to each hydraulic factor was dependent on soil texture, and followed a descending order of light sand>silt loam>light clay for both types of emitters. Further, the sensitivity of flow rate to each hydraulic factor decreased with the increase of operating pressure, initial soil water content, and bulk density. This study may be used to guide the soil specific-design of SDI emitters for optimal water use and management.

Behavioral approach and orbitofrontal cortical activity during decision-making in substance dependence.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Dorothy J; Banich, Marie T; Regner, Michael F; Sakai, Joseph T; Tanabe, Jody

2017-11-01

Behavioral approach, defined as behavior directed toward a reward or novel stimulus, when elevated, may increase one's vulnerability to substance use disorder. Behavioral approach has been associated with relatively greater left compared to right frontal activity; behavioral inhibition may be associated with relatively greater right compared to left frontal brain activity. We hypothesized that substance dependent individuals (SDI) would have higher behavioral approach than controls and greater prefrontal cortical activity during decision-making involving reward. We hypothesized that behavioral approach would correlate with left frontal activity during decision-making and that the correlation would be stronger in SDI than controls. 31 SDI and 21 controls completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales and performed a decision-making task during fMRI. Orbitofrontal (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal activity were correlated with BIS and BAS scores. Compared to controls, SDI had higher BAS Fun Seeking scores (p<0.001) and worse decision-making performance (p=0.004). BAS Fun Seeking correlated with left OFC activity during decision-making across group (r=0.444, p<0.003). The correlation did not differ by group. There was no correlation between BIS and right frontal activity. Left OFC may play a role in reward-related decision-making in substance use disorder especially in individuals with high behavioral approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public-private collaboration in spatial data infrastructure: Overview of exposure, acceptance and sharing platform in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, Raha binti; Bakar, Muhamad Shahbani Abu; Mahamud, Ku Ruhana Ku

2017-10-01

While Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) has been established in Malaysia, the full potential can be further realized. To a large degree, geospatial industry users are hopeful that they can easily get access to the system and start utilizing the data. Some users expect SDI to provide them with readily available data without the necessary steps of requesting the data from the data providers as well as the steps for them to process and to prepare the data for their use. Some further argued that the usability of the system can be improved if appropriate combination between data sharing and focused application is found within the services. In order to address the current challenges and to enhance the effectiveness of the SDI in Malaysia, there is possibility of establishing a collaborative business venture between public and private entities; thus can help addressing the issues and expectations. In this paper, we discussed the possibility of collaboration between these two entities. Interviews with seven entities are held to collect information on the exposure, acceptance and sharing of platform. The outcomes indicate that though the growth of GIS technology and the high level of technology acceptance provides a solid based for utilizing the geospatial data, the absence of concrete policy on data sharing, a quality geospatial data, an authority for coordinator agency, leaves a vacuum for the successful implementation of the SDI initiative.

The Lyman-α Solar Telescope (LST) for the ASO-S mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hui

The Lyman-α (Lyα) Solar Telescope (LST) is one of the payloads for the proposed Space-Borne Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO-S). LST consists of a Solar Disk Imager (SDI) with a field-of-view (FOV) of 1.2 R⊙ (R⊙ = solar radius), a Solar Corona Imager (SCI) with an FOV of 1.1 - 2.5 R⊙, and a full-disk White-light Solar Telescope (WST) with the same FOV as the SDI, which also serves as the guiding telescope. The SCI is designed to work in the Lyα (121.6 nm) waveband and white-light (for polarization brightness observation), while the SDI will work in the Lyα waveband only. The WST works in both visible (for guide) and ultraviolet (for science) broadband. The LST will observe the Sun from disk-center up to 2.5 R⊙ for both solar flares and coronal mass ejections with high tempo-spatial resolution

Acquisition and Analysis of Information Relative to the Industrial Behavior of the Major National and International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-04-01

This report summarizes data collected from 1978 to 1980 relating to the following motor vehicle companies: General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, American Motors, International Harvester, BL, Fiat, Peugeot, Renault, Saab, Volvo, Daimler-Benz, Volkswagen, BM...

The Data and Services Analysis of Chinese Nsdi Based on Backx Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Xue, M.; Luo, C.; Wang, X.; van Loenen, B.

2018-04-01

The data and services analysis are indispensable for the refined development of SDI. This paper, taking Chinese NSDI as a study case, analyzed the data and services advantages and shortcomings of Chinese NSDI and developed a recommendable data and services framework which could improve the Chinese NSDI better services for public and private sectors from known, attainable and usable aspects by using Backx model. And the recommendation framework can also be referenced by other national and local SDI for its better services and applications.

Extravasation into brain and subsequent spread beyond the ischemic core of a magnetic resonance contrast agent following a step-down infusion protocol in acute cerebral ischemia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Limiting expansion of the ischemic core lesion by reinstating blood flow and protecting the penumbral cells is a priority in acute stroke treatment. However, at present, methods are not available for effective drug delivery to the ischemic penumbra. To address these issues this study compared the extravasation and subsequent interstitial spread of a magnetic resonance contrast agent (MRCA) beyond the ischemic core into the surrounding brain in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion for bolus injection and step-down infusion (SDI) protocols. Methods Male Wistar rats underwent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 3 h followed by reperfusion. Perfusion-diffusion mismatched regions indicating the extent of spread were identified by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) deficits by arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging and the extent of the ischemic core by mapping the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water with diffusion-weighted imaging. Vascular injury was assessed via MRCA, gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) penetration, by Look-Locker T1-weighted MR imaging after either a bolus injection (n = 8) or SDI (n = 6). Spatial and temporal expansion of the MRCA front during a 25 min imaging period was measured from images obtained at 2.5 min intervals. Results The mean ADC lesion was 20 ± 7% of the hemispheric area whereas the CBF deficit area was 60 ± 16%, with the difference between the areas suggesting the possible presence of a penumbra. The bolus injection led to MRCA enhancement with an area that initially spread into the ischemic core and then diminished over time. The SDI produced a gradual increase in the area of MRCA enhancement that slowly enlarged to occupy the core, eventually expanded beyond it into the surrounding tissue and then plateaued. The integrated area from SDI extravasation was significantly larger than that for the bolus (p = 0.03). The total number of pixels covered by the

Detection et caracterisation de naines brunes et exoplanetes avec un filtre accordable pour applications dans l'espace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingraham, Patrick Jon

This thesis determines the capability of detecting faint companions in the presence of speckle noise when performing space-based high-contrast imaging through spectral differential imagery (SDI) using a low-order Fabry-Perot etalon as a tunable filter. The performance of such a tunable filter is illustrated through the Tunable Filter Imager (TFI), an instrument designed for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Using a TFI prototype etalon and a custom designed test bed, the etalon's ability to perform speckle-suppression through SDI is demonstrated experimentally. Improvements in contrast vary with separation, ranging from a factor of ˜10 at working angles greater than 11 lambda/D and increasing up to a factor of ˜60 at 5 lambda/D. These measurements are consistent with a Fresnel optical propagation model which shows the speckle suppression capability is limited by the test bed and not the etalon. This result demonstrates that a tunable filter is an attractive option to perform high-contrast imaging through SDI. To explore the capability of space-based SDI using an etalon, we perform an end-to-end Fresnel propagation of JWST and TFI. Using this simulation, a contrast improvement ranging from a factor of ˜7 to ˜100 is predicted, depending on the instrument's configuration. The performance of roll-subtraction is simulated and compared to that of SDI. The SDI capability of the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), the science instrument module to replace TFI in the JWST Fine Guidance Sensor is also determined. Using low resolution, multi-band (0.85-2.4 microm) multi-object spectroscopy, 104 objects towards the central region of the Orion Nebular Cluster have been assigned spectral types including 7 new brown dwarfs, and 4 new planetary mass candidates. These objects are useful for determining the substellar initial mass function and for testing evolutionary and atmospheric models of young stellar and substellar objects. Using the measured H

Emotion, Decision-Making and Substance Dependence: A Somatic-Marker Model of Addiction

PubMed Central

Verdejo-García, A; Pérez-García, M; Bechara, A

2006-01-01

Similar to patients with orbitofrontal cortex lesions, substance dependent individuals (SDI) show signs of impairments in decision-making, characterised by a tendency to choose the immediate reward at the expense of severe negative future consequences. The somatic-marker hypothesis proposes that decision-making depends in many important ways on neural substrates that regulate homeostasis, emotion and feeling. According to this model, there should be a link between abnormalities in experiencing emotions in SDI, and their severe impairments in decision-making in real-life. Growing evidence from neuroscientific studies suggests that core aspects of substance addiction may be explained in terms of abnormal emotional guidance of decision-making. Behavioural studies have revealed emotional processing and decision-making deficits in SDI. Combined neuropsychological and physiological assessment has demonstrated that the poorer decision-making of SDI is associated with altered reactions to reward and punishing events. Imaging studies have shown that impaired decision-making in addiction is associated with abnormal functioning of a distributed neural network critical for the processing of emotional information, including the ventromedial cortex, the amygdala, the striatum, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the insular/somato-sensory cortices, as well as non-specific neurotransmitter systems that modulate activities of neural processes involved in decision-making. The aim of this paper is to review this growing evidence, and to examine the extent of which these studies support a somatic-marker model of addiction. PMID:18615136

The importance of the one carbon cycle nutritional support in human male fertility: a preliminary clinical report.

PubMed

Dattilo, Maurizio; Cornet, Dominique; Amar, Edouard; Cohen, Marc; Menezo, Yves

2014-07-29

Sperm chromatin structure is often impaired; mainly due to oxidative damage. Antioxidant treatments do not consistently produce fertility improvements and, when given at high doses, they might block essential oxidative processes such as chromatin compaction. This study was intended to assess the effect on male sub-fertility of a pure one carbon cycle nutritional support without strong antioxidants. Male partners of couples resistant to at least 2 assisted reproductive technology (ART) attempts, with no evidence of organic causes of infertility and with either DNA fragmentation index (DFI) measured by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) or nuclear decondensation index (SDI) measured by aniline blue staining exceeding 20%, were invited to take part in a trial of a nutritional support in preparation for a further ART attempt. The treatment consisted of a combination of B vitamins, zinc, a proprietary opuntia fig extract and small amounts of N-acetyl-cysteine and Vitamin E (Condensyl™), all effectors of the one carbon cycle. 84 patients were enrolled, they took 1 or 2 Condensyl™ tablets per day for 2 to 12 months. Positive response rates were 64.3% for SDI, 71.4% for DFI and 47.6% for both SDI and DFI. Eighteen couples (21%) experienced a spontaneous pregnancy before the planned ART cycle, all ended with a live birth. The remaining 66 couples underwent a new ART attempt (4 IUI; 18 IVF; 44 ICSI) resulting in 22 further clinical pregnancies and 15 live births. The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and the live birth rate (LBR) were 47.6% and 39.3% respectively. The full responders, i.e. the 40 patients achieving an improvement of both SDI and DFI, reported a CPR of 70% and a LBR of 57.5% (p<0.001). Nutritional support of the one carbon cycle without strong antioxidants improves both the SDI and the DFI in ART resistant male partners and results in high pregnancy rates suggesting a positive effect on their fertility potential.

A new spiral dental implant: a tool for oral rehabilitation of difficult cases.

PubMed

Balan, I; Calcaterra, R; Lauritano, D; Grecchi, E; Carinci, F

2017-01-01

Spiral dental implant (SDI) is an implant with a conical internal helix that confers the characteristic of self-drilling, self-tapping, and self-bone condensing. These proprieties offer better control during insertion of SDI giving a high primary stabilization, even in poor quality bone. A shorter diameter of SDI results in reduced drilling during insertion and consequently less trauma and minimal bone loss. To address the research purpose, the investigators designed a retrospective cohort study. The study population was composed of 25 patients, 11 males and 14 females that have been treated by Dr. Balan with 187 SDI positioned in mandible and into maxilla bone. The implants were placed during the years 2013 to 2014 in Dr. Balan clinic. All patients underwent the same surgical protocol. Several variables are investigated: demographic (age and gender), anatomic (upper/lower jaws and tooth site), implant (length and diameter and type) variables, edentulism (partial or total), and comorbid status of health (i.e.: hypothyroidism, parodontitis, hypertension, diabetes, presence of cancer, heart disease, hepatitis and rheumatologic disease). Pearson Chi-Square test was used to investigate variables and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically it has been shown that females have a higher possibility of unsuccessful respect of male, with a "p value" of 0.014. Another important impact factor for success of implant insertion has been represented by concomitants pathologies: cancer represents the most negative high factor risk with a percentage of unsuccessful of 50%, followed by heart disease (15%), and diabetes (3.7%). SDIs are reliable tools for difficult cases of oral rehabilitation. They have a higher success and survival rate, which means stable results over time. No differences were detected among SDI lengths, implant/crown ratio. In addition, the insertion of SDIs in banked bone can be performed without adverse effects. Finally, flapless and

Integration of tools for the Design and Assessment of High-Performance, Highly Reliable Computing Systems (DAHPHRS), phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheper, C.; Baker, R.; Frank, G.; Yalamanchili, S.; Gray, G.

1992-01-01

Systems for Space Defense Initiative (SDI) space applications typically require both high performance and very high reliability. These requirements present the systems engineer evaluating such systems with the extremely difficult problem of conducting performance and reliability trade-offs over large design spaces. A controlled development process supported by appropriate automated tools must be used to assure that the system will meet design objectives. This report describes an investigation of methods, tools, and techniques necessary to support performance and reliability modeling for SDI systems development. Models of the JPL Hypercubes, the Encore Multimax, and the C.S. Draper Lab Fault-Tolerant Parallel Processor (FTPP) parallel-computing architectures using candidate SDI weapons-to-target assignment algorithms as workloads were built and analyzed as a means of identifying the necessary system models, how the models interact, and what experiments and analyses should be performed. As a result of this effort, weaknesses in the existing methods and tools were revealed and capabilities that will be required for both individual tools and an integrated toolset were identified.

Utilization of optical tracking to validate a software-driven isocentric approach to robotic couch movements for proton radiotherapy.

PubMed

Hsi, Wen C; Law, Aaron; Schreuder, Andreas N; Zeidan, Omar A

2014-08-01

An optical tracking and positioning system (OTPS) was developed to validate the software-driven isocentric (SDI) approach to control the six-degrees-of-freedom movement of a robotic couch. The SDI approach to movements rotating around a predefined isocenter, referred to as a GeoIso, instead of a mechanical pivot point was developed by the robot automation industry. With robotic couch-sag corrections for weight load in a traditional SDI approach, movements could be accurately executed for a GeoIso located within a 500 mm cubic volume on the couch for treatments. The accuracy of SDI movement was investigated using the OTPS. The GeoIso was assumed to align with the proton beam isocenter (RadIso) for gantry at the reference angle. However, the misalignment between GeoIso and RadIso was quantitatively investigated by measuring the displacements at various couch angles for a target placed at the RadIso at an initial couch angle. When circular target displacements occur on a plane, a relative isocenter shift (RIS) correction could be applied in the SDI movement to minimize target displacements. Target displacements at a fixed gantry angle without and with RIS correction were measured for 12 robotic couches. Target displacements for various gantry angles were performed on three couches in gantry rooms to study the gantry-induced RadIso shift. The RIS correction can also be applied for the RadIso shift. A new SDI approach incorporating the RIS correction with the couch sag is described in this study. In parallel, the accuracy of SDI translation movements for various weight loads of patients on the couch was investigated during positioning of patients for proton prostate treatments. For a fixed gantry angle, measured target displacements without RIS correction for couch rotations in the horizontal plane varied from 4 to 20 mm. However, measured displacements perpendicular to couch rotation plane were about 2 mm for all couches. Extracted misalignments of GeoIso and RadIso in

77 FR 47697 - General Motors, LLC, Receipt of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

...; and \\3\\ Cadillac SRX and Saab 9-4X vehicles have a push button start/stop switch. (3) The crank power... ride in the back seat.'' In addition, the label on the vehicle's sun visor warns against placing a rear...

High prolactin levels are independently associated with damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Ugarte-Gil, M F; Gamboa-Cárdenas, R V; Zevallos, F; Medina, M; Cucho-Venegas, J M; Perich-Campos, R A; Alfaro-Lozano, J L; Rodriguez-Bellido, Z; Alarcón, G S; Pastor-Asurza, C A

2014-09-01

to determine whether prolactin levels are independently associated with disease damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. these cross-sectional analyses were conducted in SLE patient members of the Almenara Lupus Cohort who were seen between January 2012 and June 2013. Disease damage was ascertained with the System Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index (SDI). Prolactin was measured in ng/ml. The association between prolactin levels and the SDI (total and its domains) was evaluated using Spearman's correlation. Subsequently, adjusted Poisson regression models were performed to evaluate these associations. 160 patients were included. 147 (91.9%) were female; their median age at diagnosis was 33.4 (interquartile range (IQR): 26.0-44.3) years; their disease duration was 5.5 (IQR: 2.6-9.7) years. The median prolactin value was 16.8 (IQR: 11.8-24.5) ng/ml. After adjusting for confounders in the Poisson regression model the estimated rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each 10 ng/ml increment of prolactin were 1.13 (95% CI 1.60-1.20, p<0.001) for the total SDI score, 1.15 (1.03-1.28, p=0.003) for the renal domain and 1.41 (1.11-1.79, p=0.003) for the cardiac/peripheral vascular domains. there was a positive association between prolactin levels and the SDI (overall and its renal and cardiac/peripheral vascular domains), independently of other well-known risk factors. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

The association of warthin tumor with salivary ductal inclusions in intra and periparotid lymph nodes.

PubMed

Cope, W; Naugler, C; Taylor, S M; Trites, J; Hart, R D; Bullock, M J

2014-03-01

A predominant theory of the much debated histogenesis of Warthin tumor (WT) is that it arises from heterotopic salivary ductal inclusions (SDI) in parotid lymph nodes (LN). If this were the case, we might expect to see an increased number of SDI in the lymph nodes of patients with WT compared to controls. To test this, we compared the prevalence of SDI in patients with WT versus those with pleomorphic adenoma (PA). Cases of WT and PA were retrieved from the case files of the Department of Pathology at the QEII Health Science Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada. We then compared the prevalence of SDI in parotid LN between patients diagnosed with WT versus PA. 46 WT and 52 PA met our inclusion criteria. WT was significantly associated with an older age at surgery (62.5 years vs 50.2 years, p = 0.001). 71.7 % of WT and 32.7 % of PA had inclusions in any LN. The presence of inclusion is a significant predictor for WT versus PA (p = 0.019). Where smoking status was available, 92.5 % of WT patients were smokers/ex-smokers, versus. 55.1 % of PA (p = 0.034 for current smokers). Among PA, 44 % of smokers had inclusions compared with 22.7 % of non-smokers. SDIs are more frequent in parotid LN from patients with WT than PA. The high proportion of smokers among WT patients is consistent with prior studies. The results support the hypothesis that WT arises from SDIs. Individuals with more SDIs may be predisposed to WT.

Changes and Relationships of Climatic and Hydrological Droughts in the Jialing River Basin, China.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiaofan; Zhao, Na; Sun, Huaiwei; Ye, Lei; Zhai, Jianqing

2015-01-01

The comprehensive assessment of climatic and hydrological droughts in terms of their temporal and spatial evolutions is very important for water resources management and social development in the basin scale. To study the spatial and temporal changes of climatic and hydrological droughts and the relationships between them, the SPEI and SDI are adopted to assess the changes and the correlations of climatic and hydrological droughts by selecting the Jialing River basin, China as the research area. The SPEI and SDI at different time scales are assessed both at the entire Jialing River basin and at the regional levels of the three sub basins. The results show that the SPEI and SDI are very suitable for assessing the changes and relationships of climatic and hydrological droughts in large basins. Based on the assessment, for the Jialing River basin, climatic and hydrological droughts have the increasing tendency during recent several decades, and the increasing trend of climatic droughts is significant or extremely significant in the western and northern basin, while hydrological drought has a less significant increasing trend. Additionally, climatic and hydrological droughts tend to increase in the next few years. The results also show that on short time scales, climatic droughts have one or two months lag impact on hydrological droughts in the north-west area of the basin, and have one month lag impact in south-east area of the basin. The assessment of climatic and hydrological droughts based on the SPEI and SDI could be very useful for water resources management and climate change adaptation at large basin scale.

Changes and Relationships of Climatic and Hydrological Droughts in the Jialing River Basin, China

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xiaofan; Zhao, Na; Sun, Huaiwei; Ye, Lei; Zhai, Jianqing

2015-01-01

The comprehensive assessment of climatic and hydrological droughts in terms of their temporal and spatial evolutions is very important for water resources management and social development in the basin scale. To study the spatial and temporal changes of climatic and hydrological droughts and the relationships between them, the SPEI and SDI are adopted to assess the changes and the correlations of climatic and hydrological droughts by selecting the Jialing River basin, China as the research area. The SPEI and SDI at different time scales are assessed both at the entire Jialing River basin and at the regional levels of the three sub basins. The results show that the SPEI and SDI are very suitable for assessing the changes and relationships of climatic and hydrological droughts in large basins. Based on the assessment, for the Jialing River basin, climatic and hydrological droughts have the increasing tendency during recent several decades, and the increasing trend of climatic droughts is significant or extremely significant in the western and northern basin, while hydrological drought has a less significant increasing trend. Additionally, climatic and hydrological droughts tend to increase in the next few years. The results also show that on short time scales, climatic droughts have one or two months lag impact on hydrological droughts in the north-west area of the basin, and have one month lag impact in south-east area of the basin. The assessment of climatic and hydrological droughts based on the SPEI and SDI could be very useful for water resources management and climate change adaptation at large basin scale. PMID:26544070

SDI satellite autonomy using AI and Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiala, Harvey E.

1990-01-01

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the programming language Ada to help a satellite recover from selected failures that could lead to mission failure are described. An unmanned satellite will have a separate AI subsystem running in parallel with the normal satellite subsystems. A satellite monitoring subsystem (SMS), under the control of a blackboard system, will continuously monitor selected satellite subsystems to become alert to any actual or potential problems. In the case of loss of communications with the earth or the home base, the satellite will go into a survival mode to reestablish communications with the earth. The use of an AI subsystem in this manner would have avoided the tragic loss of the two recent Soviet probes that were sent to investigate the planet Mars and its moons. The blackboard system works in conjunction with an SMS and a reconfiguration control subsystem (RCS). It can be shown to be an effective way for one central control subsystem to monitor and coordinate the activities and loads of many interacting subsystems that may or may not contain redundant and/or fault-tolerant elements. The blackboard system will be coded in Ada using tools such as the ABLE development system and the Ada Production system.

Clementine. Mining new uses for SDI technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rustan, Pedro L.

1994-01-01

Using ballistic missile defense technologies for NASA science missions can dramatically reduce program costs and development time. Described is the Clementine spacecraft scheduled for launch to flight-qualify advanced lightweight technologies. The 500-lb spacecraft, which uses lightweight components and minimal redundancy, was built by the Naval Research Laboratory in less than two years.

Applications of Submillimeter Wave Technology for SDI,

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-21

equivalent to the center frequency (in GHz) divided by 2. If we allow a 13 dB "rule of thumb" signal-to- noise ratio (S/N) to account for such items as...suited for low - noise heterodyne mixing. This has led to the rapid development of SIS mixers for use in low - noise millimeter wave receivers for radio...JPL is building a 630 GHz SIS receiver13 for astrophysical remote-sensing applications. Preliminary measurements show its noise temperature to be a

Short guide to SDI profiling at ORNL

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

Pomerance, H.S.

1976-06-01

ORNL has machine-searchable data bases that correspond to printed indexes and abstracts. This guide describes the peculiarities of those several data bases and the conventions of the ORNL search system so that users can write their own queries or search profiles and can interpret the part of the output that is encoded.

User-driven generation of standard data services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz, Laura; Granell, Carlos; Gould, Michael; Huerta, Joaquín.

2010-05-01

Geospatial Information systems are experiencing the shift from monolithic to distributed environments (Bernard, 2003). Current research trends for discover and access of geospatial resources, in these distributed environments, are being addressed by deployment of interconnected Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) nodes at different scales to build a global spatial information infrastructure (Masser et al., 2008; Rajabifard et al., 2002). One of the challenges for implementing these global and multiscale SDIs is to agree with common standards in consideration with heterogeneity of various stakeholders [Masser 2005]. In Europe, the European Commission took the INSPIRE initiative to monitor the development of European SDIs. INSPIRE Directive addresses the need for web services to discover, view, transform, invoke, and download geospatial resources, which enable various stakeholders to share resources in an interoperable manner [INSPIRE 2007]. Such web services require technical specifications for the interoperability and harmonization of their SDIs [INSPIRE 2007]. Moreover, interoperability is ensured by a number of specification efforts, in the geo domain most prominently by ISO/TC 211 and the OpenGIS Consortium (OGC) (Bernard, 2003). Other research challenges regarding SDI are on one hand how to handle complexity by users in charge of maintaining SDIs as they grow, and on the other hand the fact the SDI maintenance and evolution should be guided (Bejar et al, 2009). So there is a motivation to improve the complex deployment mechanisms in SDI since there is a need of expertise and time to deploy resources and integrate them by means of standard services. In this context we present an architecture following the INSPIRE technical guidelines and therefore based on SDI principles. This architecture supports distributed applications and provides components to assist users in deploying and updating SDI resources. Therefore mechanisms and components for the automatic

Utilization of optical tracking to validate a software-driven isocentric approach to robotic couch movements for proton radiotherapy

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

Hsi, Wen C., E-mail: Wen.Hsi@Mclaren.org, E-mail: Wenchien.hsi@sphic.org.cn; Zeidan, Omar A., E-mail: omar.zeidan@orlandohealth.com; Law, Aaron

Purpose: An optical tracking and positioning system (OTPS) was developed to validate the software-driven isocentric (SDI) approach to control the six-degrees-of-freedom movement of a robotic couch. Methods: The SDI approach to movements rotating around a predefined isocenter, referred to as a GeoIso, instead of a mechanical pivot point was developed by the robot automation industry. With robotic couch-sag corrections for weight load in a traditional SDI approach, movements could be accurately executed for a GeoIso located within a 500 mm cubic volume on the couch for treatments. The accuracy of SDI movement was investigated using the OTPS. The GeoIso wasmore » assumed to align with the proton beam isocenter (RadIso) for gantry at the reference angle. However, the misalignment between GeoIso and RadIso was quantitatively investigated by measuring the displacements at various couch angles for a target placed at the RadIso at an initial couch angle. When circular target displacements occur on a plane, a relative isocenter shift (RIS) correction could be applied in the SDI movement to minimize target displacements. Target displacements at a fixed gantry angle without and with RIS correction were measured for 12 robotic couches. Target displacements for various gantry angles were performed on three couches in gantry rooms to study the gantry-induced RadIso shift. The RIS correction can also be applied for the RadIso shift. A new SDI approach incorporating the RIS correction with the couch sag is described in this study. In parallel, the accuracy of SDI translation movements for various weight loads of patients on the couch was investigated during positioning of patients for proton prostate treatments. Results: For a fixed gantry angle, measured target displacements without RIS correction for couch rotations in the horizontal plane varied from 4 to 20 mm. However, measured displacements perpendicular to couch rotation plane were about 2 mm for all couches. Extracted

A new spiral dental implant: a tool for oral rehabilitation of difficult cases

PubMed Central

BALAN, I.; CALCATERRA, R.; LAURITANO, D.; GRECCHI, E.; CARINCI, F.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Spiral dental implant (SDI) is an implant with a conical internal helix that confers the characteristic of self-drilling, self-tapping, and self-bone condensing. These proprieties offer better control during insertion of SDI giving a high primary stabilization, even in poor quality bone. A shorter diameter of SDI results in reduced drilling during insertion and consequently less trauma and minimal bone loss. To address the research purpose, the investigators designed a retrospective cohort study. The study population was composed of 25 patients, 11 males and 14 females that have been treated by Dr. Balan with 187 SDI positioned in mandible and into maxilla bone. The implants were placed during the years 2013 to 2014 in Dr. Balan clinic. All patients underwent the same surgical protocol. Several variables are investigated: demographic (age and gender), anatomic (upper/lower jaws and tooth site), implant (length and diameter and type) variables, edentulism (partial or total), and comorbid status of health (i.e.: hypothyroidism, parodontitis, hypertension, diabetes, presence of cancer, heart disease, hepatitis and rheumatologic disease). Pearson Chi-Square test was used to investigate variables and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically it has been shown that females have a higher possibility of unsuccessful respect of male, with a “p value” of 0.014. Another important impact factor for success of implant insertion has been represented by concomitants pathologies: cancer represents the most negative high factor risk with a percentage of unsuccessful of 50%, followed by heart disease (15%), and diabetes (3.7%). SDIs are reliable tools for difficult cases of oral rehabilitation. They have a higher success and survival rate, which means stable results over time. No differences were detected among SDI lengths, implant/crown ratio. In addition, the insertion of SDIs in banked bone can be performed without adverse effects. Finally

Influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum on risk avoidance in addiction: a mediation analysis.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Dorothy J; Woo, Choong-Wan; Wager, Tor D; Regner, Michael F; Tanabe, Jody

2015-04-01

Alterations in frontal and striatal function are hypothesized to underlie risky decision making in drug users, but how these regions interact to affect behavior is incompletely understood. We used mediation analysis to investigate how prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum together influence risk avoidance in abstinent drug users. Thirty-seven abstinent substance-dependent individuals (SDI) and 43 controls underwent fMRI while performing a decision-making task involving risk and reward. Analyses of a priori regions-of-interest tested whether activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ventral striatum (VST) explained group differences in risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis was conducted to identify brain regions influencing the negative VST-risk avoidance relationship. Right DLPFC (RDLPFC) positively mediated the group-risk avoidance relationship (p < 0.05); RDLPFC activity was higher in SDI and predicted higher risk avoidance across groups, controlling for SDI vs. Conversely, VST activity negatively influenced risk avoidance (p < 0.05); it was higher in SDI, and predicted lower risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis revealed that, across group, RDLPFC and left temporal-parietal junction positively (p ≤ 0.001) while right thalamus and left middle frontal gyrus negatively (p < 0.005) mediated the VST activity-risk avoidance relationship. RDLPFC activity mediated less risky decision making while VST mediated more risky decision making across drug users and controls. These results suggest a dual pathway underlying decision making, which, if imbalanced, may adversely influence choices involving risk. Modeling contributions of multiple brain systems to behavior through mediation analysis could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of behavior and suggest neuromodulatory treatments for addiction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do we overestimate left ventricular ejection fraction by two-dimensional echocardiography in patients with left bundle branch block?

PubMed

Cabuk, Ali K; Cabuk, Gizem; Sayin, Ahmet; Karamanlioglu, Murat; Kilicaslan, Barış; Ekmekci, Cenk; Solmaz, Hatice; Aslanturk, Omer F; Ozdogan, Oner

2018-02-01

Left bundle branch block (LBBB) causes a dyssynchronized contraction of left ventricle. This is a kind of regional wall-motion abnormality and measuring left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography could be less reliable in this particular condition. Our aim was to evaluate the role of dyssynchrony index (SDI), measured by three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography, in assessment of LVEF and left ventricular volumes accurately in patients with LBBB. In this case-control study, we included 52 of 64 enrolled participants (twelve participants with poor image quality were excluded) with LBBB and normal LVEF or nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular volumes were assessed by 2D (modified Simpson's rule) and 3D (four beats full volume analysis) echocardiography and the impact of SDI on results were evaluated. In patients with SDI ≥6%, LVEF measurements were significantly different (46.00% [29.50-52.50] vs 37.60% [24.70-45.15], P < .001) between 2D and 3D echocardiography, respectively. In patients with SDI < 6%, there were no significant differences between two modalities in terms of LVEF measurements (54.50% [49.00-59.00] vs 54.25% [40.00-58.25], P = .193). LV diastolic volumes were not significantly different while systolic volumes were underestimated by 2D echocardiography, and this finding was more pronounced when SDI ≥ 6%. In patients with LBBB and high SDI (≥6%), LVEF values were overestimated and systolic volumes were underestimated by 2D echocardiography compared to 3D echocardiography. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum on risk avoidance in addiction: a mediation analysis*

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Dorothy J.; Woo, Choong-Wan; Wager, Tor D.; Regner, Michael F.; Tanabe, Jody

2015-01-01

Background Alterations in frontal and striatal function are hypothesized to underlie risky decision-making in drug users, but how these regions interact to affect behavior is incompletely understood. We used mediation analysis to investigate how prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum together influence risk avoidance in abstinent drug users. Method Thirty-seven abstinent substance-dependent individuals (SDI) and 43 controls underwent fMRI while performing a decision-making task involving risk and reward. Analyses of a priori regions-of-interest tested whether activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ventral striatum (VST) explained group differences in risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis was conducted to identify brain regions influencing the negative VST-risk avoidance relationship. Results Right DLPFC (RDLPFC) positively mediated the group-risk avoidance relationship (p < 0.05); RDLPFC activity was higher in SDI and predicted higher risk avoidance across groups, controlling for SDI vs. controls. Conversely, VST activity negatively influenced risk avoidance (p < 0.05); it was higher in SDI, and predicted lower risk avoidance. Whole-brain analysis revealed that, across group, RDLPFC and left temporal-parietal junction positively (p ≤ 0.001) while right thalamus and left middle frontal gyrus negatively (p < 0.005) mediated the VST activity-risk avoidance relationship. Conclusion RDLPFC activity mediated less risky decision-making while VST mediated more risky decision-making across drug users and controls. These results suggest a dual pathway underlying decision-making, which, if imbalanced, may adversely influence choices involving risk. Modeling contributions of multiple brain systems to behavior through mediation analysis could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of behavior and suggest neuromodulatory treatments for addiction. PMID:25736619

First light of the CHARIS high-contrast integral-field spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groff, Tyler; Chilcote, Jeffrey; Brandt, Timothy; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Galvin, Michael; Loomis, Craig; Rizzo, Maxime; Knapp, Gillian; Guyon, Olivier; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Lozi, Julien; Currie, Thayne; Takato, Naruhisa; Hayashi, Masahiko

2017-09-01

One of the leading direct Imaging techniques, particularly in ground-based imaging, uses a coronagraphic system and integral field spectrograph (IFS). The Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (CHARIS) is an IFS that has been built for the Subaru telescope. CHARIS has been delivered to the observatory and now sits behind the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) system. CHARIS has `high' and `low' resolution operating modes. The high-resolution mode is used to characterize targets in J, H, and K bands at R70. The low-resolution prism is meant for discovery and spans J+H+K bands (1.15-2.37 microns) with a spectral resolution of R18. This discovery mode has already proven better than 15-sigma detections of HR8799c,d,e when combining ADI+SDI. Using SDI alone, planets c and d have been detected in a single 24 second image. The CHARIS team is optimizing instrument performance and refining ADI+SDI recombination to maximize our contrast detection limit. In addition to the new observing modes, CHARIS has demonstrated a design with high robustness to spectral crosstalk. CHARIS has completed commissioning and is open for science observations.

The current state of the creation and modernization of national geodetic and cartographic resources in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doskocz, Adam

2016-01-01

All official data are currently integrated and harmonized in a spatial reference system. This paper outlines a national geodetic and cartographic resources in Poland. The national geodetic and cartographic resources are an important part of the spatial information infrastructure in the European Community. They also provide reference data for other resources of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), including: main and detailed geodetic control networks, base maps, land and buildings registries, geodetic registries of utilities and topographic maps. This paper presents methods of producing digital map data and technical standards for field surveys, and in addition paper also presents some aspects of building Global and Regional SDI.

Global, regional, and national levels of maternal mortality, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Summary Background In transitioning from the Millennium Development Goal to the Sustainable Development Goal era, it is imperative to comprehensively assess progress toward reducing maternal mortality to identify areas of success, remaining challenges, and frame policy discussions. We aimed to quantify maternal mortality throughout the world by underlying cause and age from 1990 to 2015. Methods We estimated maternal mortality at the global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2015 for ages 10–54 years by systematically compiling and processing all available data sources from 186 of 195 countries and territories, 11 of which were analysed at the subnational level. We quantified eight underlying causes of maternal death and four timing categories, improving estimation methods since GBD 2013 for adult all-cause mortality, HIV-related maternal mortality, and late maternal death. Secondary analyses then allowed systematic examination of drivers of trends, including the relation between maternal mortality and coverage of specific reproductive health-care services as well as assessment of observed versus expected maternal mortality as a function of Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary indicator derived from measures of income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Findings Only ten countries achieved MDG 5, but 122 of 195 countries have already met SDG 3.1. Geographical disparities widened between 1990 and 2015 and, in 2015, 24 countries still had a maternal mortality ratio greater than 400. The proportion of all maternal deaths occurring in the bottom two SDI quintiles, where haemorrhage is the dominant cause of maternal death, increased from roughly 68% in 1990 to more than 80% in 2015. The middle SDI quintile improved the most from 1990 to 2015, but also has the most complicated causal profile. Maternal mortality in the highest SDI quintile is mostly due to other direct maternal disorders, indirect maternal disorders, and abortion, ectopic

Collaborative Multimedia Learning: Influence of a Social Regulatory Support on Learning Performance and on Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acuña, Santiago Roger; López-Aymes, Gabriela

2016-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of a support aimed at favoring the social regulatory processes in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment, specifically in a comprehension task of a multimedia text about Psychology of Communication. This support, named RIDE (Saab, van Joolingen, & van Hout-Wolters, 2007; 2012), consists…

Inequity in access to dental care services explains current socioeconomic disparities in oral health: the Swedish National Surveys of Public Health 2004-2005.

PubMed

Wamala, Sarah; Merlo, Juan; Boström, Gunnel

2006-12-01

To analyse the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on access to dental care services and on oral health. Design, setting and outcomes: Cross-sectional data from the Swedish National Surveys of Public Health 2004 and 2005. Outcomes were poor oral health (self-rated oral health and symptoms of periodontal disease) and lack of access to dental care services. A socioeconomic disadvantage index (SDI) was developed, consisting of social welfare beneficiary, being unemployed, financial crisis and lack of cash reserves. Swedish population-based sample of 17 362 men and 20 037 women. Every instance of increasing levels of socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with worsened oral health but, simultaneously, with decreased utilisation of dental care services. After adjusting for age, men with a mild SDI compared with those with no SDI had 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5 to 3.0) times the odds for self-rated poor oral health, whereas odds related to severe SDI were 6.8 (95% CI 6.2 to 7.5). The corresponding values among women were 2.3 (95% CI 2.1 to 2.5) and 6.8 (95% CI 6.3 to 7.5). Nevertheless, people with severe socioeconomic disparities were 7-9 times as likely to refrain from seeking the required dental treatment. These associations persisted even after controlling for living alone, education, occupational status and lifestyle factors. Lifestyle factors explained only 29% of the socioeconomic differences in poor oral health among men and women, whereas lack of access to dental care services explained about 60%. The results of the multilevel regression analysis indicated no additional effect of the administrative boundaries of counties or of municipalities in Sweden. Results call for urgent public health interventions to increase equitable access to dental care services.

Challenges in sharing of geospatial data by data custodians in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kay, Sissiel E.

2018-05-01

As most development planning and rendering of public services happens at a place or in a space, geospatial data is required. This geospatial data is best managed through a spatial data infrastructure, which has as a key objective to share geospatial data. The collection and maintenance of geospatial data is expensive and time consuming and so the principle of "collect once - use many times" should apply. It is best to obtain the geospatial data from the authoritative source - the appointed data custodian. In South Africa the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) is the means to achieve the requirement for geospatial data sharing. This requires geospatial data sharing to take place between the data custodian and the user. All data custodians are expected to comply with the Spatial Data Infrastructure Act (SDI Act) in terms of geo-spatial data sharing. Currently data custodians are experiencing challenges with regard to the sharing of geospatial data. This research is based on the current ten data themes selected by the Committee for Spatial Information and the organisations identified as the data custodians for these ten data themes. The objectives are to determine whether the identified data custodians comply with the SDI Act with respect to geospatial data sharing, and if not what are the reasons for this. Through an international comparative assessment it then determines if the compliance with the SDI Act is not too onerous on the data custodians. The research concludes that there are challenges with geospatial data sharing in South Africa and that the data custodians only partially comply with the SDI Act in terms of geospatial data sharing. However, it is shown that the South African legislation is not too onerous on the data custodians.

Differences in sensory reweighting due to loss of visual and proprioceptive cues in postural stability support among sleep-deprived cadet pilots.

PubMed

Cheng, Shan; Ma, Jin; Sun, Jicheng; Wang, Jian; Xiao, Xiao; Wang, Yihan; Hu, Wendong

2018-04-26

Sleep deprivation is known to diminish postural control. We investigated whether sleep deprivation affects sensory reweighting for postural control due to loss of visual and proprioceptive cues. Two cohorts of cadet pilots were deprived of sleep for 40 h. Variabilty in force-platform center of pressure was analyzed based on the whole path length (WPL); circumference area (CA); mean of displacement along x and y axes and corresponding standard deviations (SDx, SDy); and frequency of body-sway intensity, all of which were recorded while the cadets stood with eyes open (NEO), eyes closed (NEC), and eyes closed on a foam platform base (FEC) A sleepiness index (SUBI) based on principal component analysis of selected Cohort 1 data (n = 37) was used to compare Cohort 2 data (n = 29) with scores for the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Balance began to deteriorate at 16 h for NEO and at 28 h for NEC and FEC (p < 0.05). At 40 h, WPL, CA, and SDy of COP for NEO indicated balance deteriorated further while WPL and SDy for NEC and WPL, CA, SDx, and SDy for FEC indicated balance incrementally improved. Frequency bias of body-sway differed between NEO, NEC, and FEC. In Cohort 2, the SUBI correlated significantly with SSS (p < 0.05), but not with PSQI. Effects of sleep deprivation were mitigated over time, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms influenced sensory reweighting for NEC and FEC between 28 and 40 h of sleep deprivation, but not for NEO. Frequency bias of body-sway suggested that sensory reweighting in the absence of visual cues differed from that in the absence of both visual and proprioceptive cues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serum uric acid levels contribute to new renal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Reátegui-Sokolova, C; Ugarte-Gil, Manuel F; Gamboa-Cárdenas, Rocío V; Zevallos, Francisco; Cucho-Venegas, Jorge M; Alfaro-Lozano, José L; Medina, Mariela; Rodriguez-Bellido, Zoila; Pastor-Asurza, Cesar A; Alarcón, Graciela S; Perich-Campos, Risto A

2017-04-01

This study aims to determine whether uric acid levels contribute to new renal damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. This prospective study was conducted in consecutive patients seen since 2012. Patients had a baseline visit and follow-up visits every 6 months. Patients with ≥2 visits were included; those with end-stage renal disease (regardless of dialysis or transplantation) were excluded. Renal damage was ascertained using the SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI). Univariable and multivariable Cox-regression models were performed to determine the risk of new renal damage. Uric acid was included as a continuous and dichotomous (per receiving operating characteristic curve) variable. Multivariable models were adjusted for age at diagnosis, disease duration, socioeconomic status, SLEDAI, SDI, serum creatinine, baseline use of prednisone, antimalarials, and immunosuppressive drugs. One hundred and eighty-six patients were evaluated; their mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 36.8 (13.7) years; nearly all patients were mestizo. Disease duration was 7.7 (6.8) years. Follow-up time was 2.3 (1.1) years. The SLEDAI was 5.2 (4.3) and the SDI 0.8 (1.1). Uric acid levels were 4.5 (1.3) mg/dl. During follow-up, 16 (8.6%) patients developed at least one new point in the renal domain of the SDI. In multivariable analyses, uric acid levels (continuous and dichotomous) at baseline predicted the development of new renal damage (HR 3.21 (1.39-7.42), p 0.006; HR 18.28 (2.80-119.48), p 0.002; respectively). Higher uric acid levels contribute to the development of new renal damage in SLE patients independent of other well-known risk factors for such occurrence.

Irrigation effects on soil attributes and grapevine performance in a 'Godello' vineyard of NW Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fandiño, María; Trigo-Córdoba, Emiliano; Martínez, Emma M.; Bouzas-Cid, Yolanda; Rey, Benjamín J.; Cancela, Javier J.; Mirás-Avalos, Jose M.

2014-05-01

Irrigation systems are increasingly being used in Galician vineyards. However, a lack of information about irrigation management can cause a bad use of these systems and, consequently, reductions in berry quality and loss of water resources. In this context, experiences with Galician cultivars may provide useful information. A field experiment was carried out over two seasons (2012-2013) on Vitis vinifera (L.) cv. 'Godello' in order to assess the effects of irrigation on soil attributes, grapevine performance and berry composition. The field site was a commercial vineyard located in A Rúa (Ourense-NW Spain). Rain-fed vines (R) were compared with two irrigation systems: surface drip irrigation (DI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). Physical and chemical characteristics of soil were analyzed after installing irrigation systems at the beginning of each season, in order to assess the effects that irrigation might have on soil attributes. Soil water content, leaf and stem water potentials and stomatal conductance were periodically measured over the two seasons. Yield components including number of clusters, yield per plant and cluster average weight were taken. Soluble solids, pH, total acidity and amino acids contents were measured on the grapes at harvest. Pruning weight was also recorded. Soil attributes did not significantly vary due to the irrigation treatments. Stem water potentials were significantly lower for R plants on certain dates through the season, whereas stomatal conductance was similar for the three treatments in 2013, while in 2012 SDI plants showed greater stomatal conductance values. SDI plants yielded more than those R due to both a greater number of clusters per plant and to heavier clusters. Pruning weight was significantly higher in SI plants. Berry composition was similar for the three treatments except for the amino acids content, which was higher under SDI conditions. These results may be helpful for a sustainable management of irrigation

Increase globe artichoke cropping sustainability using sub-surface drip-irrigation systems in a Mediterranean coastal area for reducing groundwater withdrawal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantino, Alberto; Marchina, Chiara; Bonari, Enrico; Fabbrizzi, Alessandro; Rossetto, Rudy

2017-04-01

During the last decades in coastal areas of the Mediterranean basin, human growth posed severe stresses on freshwater resources due to increasing demand by agricultural, industrial and civil activities, in particular on groundwater. This in turn led to worsening of water quality, loss/reduction of wetlands, up to soil salinization and abandonment of agricultural areas. Within the EU LIFE REWAT project a number of demonstration measures will take place in the lower Cornia valley (Livorno, Italy), both structural (pilot) and non-structural (education, dissemination and capacity building), aiming at achieving sustainable and participated water management. In particular, the five demonstration actions are related to: (1) set up of a managed aquifer recharge facility, (2) restoration of a Cornia river reach, (3) water saving in the civil water supply sector, (4) water saving in agriculture, (5) reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes. Thus, the REWAT project general objective is to develop a new model of governance for sustainable development of the lower Cornia valley based on the water asset at its core. As per water use in agriculture, the lower Cornia valley is well known for the horticultural production. In this regard, globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus L. (Fiori)) crops, a perennial cool-season vegetable, cover a surface of about 600 ha. In order to increase stability and productivity of the crop, about 2000 - 4000 m3 ha-1 yr-1 of irrigation water is required. Recent studies demonstrated that yield of different crops increases using Sub-surface Drip-Irrigation (SDI) system under high frequency irrigation management enhancing water use efficiency. In the SDI systems, the irrigation water is delivered to the plant root zone, below the soil surface by buried plastic tubes containing embedded emitters located at regular spacing. Within the LIFE REWAT, the specific objectives of the pilot on irrigation efficiency is to (i) demonstrate the

40 CFR 86.1706-99 - National LEV program in effect.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National LEV program in effect. 86.1706-99 Section 86.1706-99 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Cars Inc. Saab Cars USA, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Volkswagen of...

40 CFR 86.1706-99 - National LEV program in effect.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false National LEV program in effect. 86.1706-99 Section 86.1706-99 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Cars Inc. Saab Cars USA, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Volkswagen of...

40 CFR 86.1706-99 - National LEV program in effect.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false National LEV program in effect. 86.1706-99 Section 86.1706-99 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Cars Inc. Saab Cars USA, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Volkswagen of...

40 CFR 86.1706-99 - National LEV program in effect.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false National LEV program in effect. 86.1706-99 Section 86.1706-99 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Cars Inc. Saab Cars USA, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Volkswagen of...

Quality changes of fresh-cut pomegranate arils during shelf life as affected by deficit irrigation and postharvest vapour treatments.

PubMed

Peña-Estévez, María E; Gómez, Perla A; Artés, Francisco; Aguayo, Encarna; Martínez-Hernández, Ginés Benito; Otón, Mariano; Galindo, Alejandro; Artés-Hernández, Francisco

2015-08-30

The effect of two sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) strategies, compared to a control, on postharvest physicochemical, microbial, sensory quality attributes and anthocyanin content of fresh-cut pomegranates arils throughout 18 days at 5 °C was studied. Furthermore, the effect of vapour treatments (4, 7 and 10 s) compared to a conventional sanitizing treatment with NaClO on such quality parameters in combination with the preharvest treatments was also studied. According to sensory analyses, the shelf life of arils from control and SDI-irrigated fruit was established in 14 and 18 days at 5 °C, respectively, showing 4 and 7 s vapour treatment time the best sensory quality. No significant change was observed in physicochemical quality attributes, across all treatments during storage, while low microbial loads were registered (<3 log CFU g(-1)) after shelf life. Postharvest treatments that had least effect on anthocyanin content on processing day were 7 and 10 s. Vapour treatments of 7-10 s applied to pomegranate arils led to an extended shelf life up to 18 days at 5 °C with better results in SDI-irrigated samples with a water saving of 6-11%. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

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

Boris, J.P.; Picone, J.M.; Lambrakos, S.G.

The Surveillance, Correlation, and Tracking (SCAT) problem is the computation-limited kernel of future battle-management systems currently being developed, for example, under the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). This report shows how high-performance SCAT can be performed in this decade. Estimates suggest that an increase by a factor of at least one thousand in computational capacity will be necessary to track 10/sup 5/ SDI objects in real time. This large improvement is needed because standard algorithms for data organization in important segments of the SCAT problem scale as N/sup 2/ and N/sup 3/, where N is the number of perceived objects. Itmore » is shown that the required speed-up factor can now be achieved because of two new developments: 1) a heterogeneous element supercomputer system based on available parallel-processing technology can account for over one order of magnitude performance improvement today over existing supercomputers; and 2) algorithmic innovations development recently by the NRL Laboratory for Computational Physics will account for another two orders of magnitude improvement. Based on these advances, a comprehensive, high-performance kernel for a simulator/system to perform the SCAT portion of SDI battle management is described.« less

Simulation of Soil Wetting Patterns in Drip and Subsurface Irrigation. Effects in Design and Irrigation Management Variables.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Sinobas, L.; Gil-Rodríguez, M.; Sánchez, R.; Losada, A.; Castañón, G.; Juana, L.; Laguna, F. V.; Benítez, J.

2010-05-01

Conventional drip irrigation is considered one of the most efficient irrigation systems. Alternatively to traditional surface drip irrigation systems (DI), laterals are deployed underneath the soil surface, as in subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), leading to a higher potential efficiency, which is of especial interest in places where water is a limited source. The design and management of DI and SDI systems involve selection of an appropriate combination of emitter discharge rate and spacing between emitters and the inlet pressure and irrigation time for any given set of soil, crop, and climatic conditions, as well as understanding the wetted zone pattern around the emitter. Likewise, water distribution is affected by soil hydraulic properties, initial water content, emitter discharge, irrigation frequency, evapotranspiration and root characteristics. However, complexity arousing of soil water properties and soil profile characteristics means that these are often not properly considered in the design and management of those systems. A better understanding of the infiltration process around the discharge point source should contribute to increase water use efficiency and thus to reduce the risk of environmental impact of irrigation. In this regard, numerical models have been proved to be a powerful tool to analyze the evolution of the wetting pattern during the distribution and redistribution processes, in order to explore irrigation management strategies, to set up the duration of irrigation, and finally to optimize water use efficiency. Also, irrigation design variables such as emitter spacing and discharge could also be assessed. In this study the suitability of the HYDRUS-2D to simulate infiltration process around an emitter during irrigation of a loamy soil with drip and SDI laterals has been addressed. The model was then applied in order to evaluate the main dimensions of the wetted soil volume surrounding the emitter during irrigation. Irrigation uniformity

Child and Adolescent Health From 1990 to 2015

PubMed Central

Kyu, Hmwe Hmwe; Zoeckler, Leo; Olsen, Helen Elizabeth; Thomas, Katie; Pinho, Christine; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Dandona, Lalit; Ferrari, Alize; Ghiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde; Hay, Simon I.; Kinfu, Yohannes; Liang, Xiaofeng; Lopez, Alan; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Mokdad, Ali H.; Naghavi, Mohsen; Patton, George C.; Salomon, Joshua; Sartorius, Benn; Topor-Madry, Roman; Vollset, Stein Emil; Werdecker, Andrea; Whiteford, Harvey A.; Abate, Kalkidan Hasen; Abbas, Kaja; Damtew, Solomon Abrha; Ahmed, Muktar Beshir; Akseer, Nadia; Al-Raddadi, Rajaa; Alemayohu, Mulubirhan Assefa; Altirkawi, Khalid; Abajobir, Amanuel Alemu; Amare, Azmeraw T.; Antonio, Carl A. T.; Arnlov, Johan; Artaman, Al; Asayesh, Hamid; Avokpaho, Euripide Frinel G. Arthur; Awasthi, Ashish; Ayala Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina; Bacha, Umar; Betsu, Balem Demtsu; Barac, Aleksandra; Bärnighausen, Till Winfried; Baye, Estifanos; Bedi, Neeraj; Bensenor, Isabela M.; Berhane, Adugnaw; Bernabe, Eduardo; Bernal, Oscar Alberto; Beyene, Addisu Shunu; Biadgilign, Sibhatu; Bikbov, Boris; Boyce, Cheryl Anne; Brazinova, Alexandra; Hailu, Gessessew Bugssa; Carter, Austin; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos A.; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Charlson, Fiona J.; Chitheer, Abdulaal A.; Choi, Jee-Young Jasmine; Ciobanu, Liliana G.; Crump, John; Dandona, Rakhi; Dellavalle, Robert P.; Deribew, Amare; deVeber, Gabrielle; Dicker, Daniel; Ding, Eric L.; Dubey, Manisha; Endries, Amanuel Yesuf; Erskine, Holly E.; Faraon, Emerito Jose Aquino; Faro, Andre; Farzadfar, Farshad; Fernandes, Joao C.; Fijabi, Daniel Obadare; Fitzmaurice, Christina; Fleming, Thomas D.; Flor, Luisa Sorio; Foreman, Kyle J.; Franklin, Richard C.; Fraser, Maya S.; Frostad, Joseph J.; Fullman, Nancy; Gebregergs, Gebremedhin Berhe; Gebru, Alemseged Aregay; Geleijnse, Johanna M.; Gibney, Katherine B.; Gidey Yihdego, Mahari; Ginawi, Ibrahim Abdelmageem Mohamed; Gishu, Melkamu Dedefo; Gizachew, Tessema Assefa; Glaser, Elizabeth; Gold, Audra L.; Goldberg, Ellen; Gona, Philimon; Goto, Atsushi; Gugnani, Harish Chander; Jiang, Guohong; Gupta, Rajeev; Tesfay, Fisaha Haile; Hankey, Graeme J.; Havmoeller, Rasmus; Hijar, Martha; Horino, Masako; Hosgood, H. Dean; Hu, Guoqing; Jacobsen, Kathryn H.; Jakovljevic, Mihajlo B.; Jayaraman, Sudha P.; Jha, Vivekanand; Jibat, Tariku; Johnson, Catherine O.; Jonas, Jost; Kasaeian, Amir; Kawakami, Norito; Keiyoro, Peter N.; Khalil, Ibrahim; Khang, Young-Ho; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Ahmad Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A.; Kieling, Christian; Kim, Daniel; Kissoon, Niranjan; Knibbs, Luke D.; Koyanagi, Ai; Krohn, Kristopher J.; Kuate Defo, Barthelemy; Kucuk Bicer, Burcu; Kulikoff, Rachel; Kumar, G. Anil; Lal, Dharmesh Kumar; Lam, Hilton Y.; Larson, Heidi J.; Larsson, Anders; Laryea, Dennis Odai; Leung, Janni; Lim, Stephen S.; Lo, Loon-Tzian; Lo, Warren D.; Looker, Katharine J.; Lotufo, Paulo A.; Magdy Abd El Razek, Hassan; Malekzadeh, Reza; Markos Shifti, Desalegn; Mazidi, Mohsen; Meaney, Peter A.; Meles, Kidanu Gebremariam; Memiah, Peter; Mendoza, Walter; Abera Mengistie, Mubarek; Mengistu, Gebremichael Welday; Mensah, George A.; Miller, Ted R.; Mock, Charles; Mohammadi, Alireza; Mohammed, Shafiu; Monasta, Lorenzo; Mueller, Ulrich; Nagata, Chie; Naheed, Aliya; Nguyen, Grant; Nguyen, Quyen Le; Nsoesie, Elaine; Oh, In-Hwan; Okoro, Anselm; Olusanya, Jacob Olusegun; Olusanya, Bolajoko O.; Ortiz, Alberto; Paudel, Deepak; Pereira, David M.; Perico, Norberto; Petzold, Max; Phillips, Michael Robert; Polanczyk, Guilherme V.; Pourmalek, Farshad; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rafay, Anwar; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa; Rahman, Mahfuzar; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Ram, Usha; Rankin, Zane; Remuzzi, Giuseppe; Renzaho, Andre M. N.; Roba, Hirbo Shore; Rojas-Rueda, David; Ronfani, Luca; Sagar, Rajesh; Sanabria, Juan Ramon; Kedir Mohammed, Muktar Sano; Santos, Itamar S.; Satpathy, Maheswar; Sawhney, Monika; Schöttker, Ben; Schwebel, David C.; Scott, James G.; Sepanlou, Sadaf G.; Shaheen, Amira; Shaikh, Masood Ali; She, June; Shiri, Rahman; Shiue, Ivy; Sigfusdottir, Inga Dora; Singh, Jasvinder; Silpakit, Naris; Smith, Alison; Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar; Stanaway, Jeffrey D.; Stein, Dan J.; Steiner, Caitlyn; Sufiyan, Muawiyyah Babale; Swaminathan, Soumya; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tabb, Karen M.; Tadese, Fentaw; Tavakkoli, Mohammad; Taye, Bineyam; Teeple, Stephanie; Tegegne, Teketo Kassaw; Temam Shifa, Girma; Terkawi, Abdullah Sulieman; Thomas, Bernadette; Thomson, Alan J.; Tobe-Gai, Ruoyan; Tonelli, Marcello; Tran, Bach Xuan; Troeger, Christopher; Ukwaja, Kingsley N.; Uthman, Olalekan; Vasankari, Tommi; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Vlassov, Vasiliy Victorovich; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Weintraub, Robert; Gebrehiwot, Solomon Weldemariam; Westerman, Ronny; Williams, Hywel C.; Wolfe, Charles D. A.; Woodbrook, Rachel; Yano, Yuichiro; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Yoon, Seok-Jun; Younis, Mustafa Z.; Yu, Chuanhua; Zaki, Maysaa El Sayed; Zegeye, Elias Asfaw; Zuhlke, Liesl Joanna; Murray, Christopher J. L.; Vos, Theo

2017-01-01

Importance Comprehensive and timely monitoring of disease burden in all age groups, including children and adolescents, is essential for improving population health. Objective To quantify and describe levels and trends of mortality and nonfatal health outcomes among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2015 to provide a framework for policy discussion. Evidence Review Cause-specific mortality and nonfatal health outcomes were analyzed for 195 countries and territories by age group, sex, and year from 1990 to 2015 using standardized approaches for data processing and statistical modeling, with subsequent analysis of the findings to describe levels and trends across geography and time among children and adolescents 19 years or younger. A composite indicator of income, education, and fertility was developed (Socio-demographic Index [SDI]) for each geographic unit and year, which evaluates the historical association between SDI and health loss. Findings Global child and adolescent mortality decreased from 14.18 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 14.09 million to 14.28 million) deaths in 1990 to 7.26 million (95% UI, 7.14 million to 7.39 million) deaths in 2015, but progress has been unevenly distributed. Countries with a lower SDI had a larger proportion of mortality burden (75%) in 2015 than was the case in 1990 (61%). Most deaths in 2015 occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Global trends were driven by reductions in mortality owing to infectious, nutritional, and neonatal disorders, which in the aggregate led to a relative increase in the importance of noncommunicable diseases and injuries in explaining global disease burden. The absolute burden of disability in children and adolescents increased 4.3% (95% UI, 3.1%-5.6%) from 1990 to 2015, with much of the increase owing to population growth and improved survival for children and adolescents to older ages. Other than infectious conditions, many top causes of disability are associated with long

Child and Adolescent Health From 1990 to 2015: Findings From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 Study.

PubMed

Kassebaum, Nicholas; Kyu, Hmwe Hmwe; Zoeckler, Leo; Olsen, Helen Elizabeth; Thomas, Katie; Pinho, Christine; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Dandona, Lalit; Ferrari, Alize; Ghiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde; Hay, Simon I; Kinfu, Yohannes; Liang, Xiaofeng; Lopez, Alan; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Mokdad, Ali H; Naghavi, Mohsen; Patton, George C; Salomon, Joshua; Sartorius, Benn; Topor-Madry, Roman; Vollset, Stein Emil; Werdecker, Andrea; Whiteford, Harvey A; Abate, Kalkidan Hasen; Abbas, Kaja; Damtew, Solomon Abrha; Ahmed, Muktar Beshir; Akseer, Nadia; Al-Raddadi, Rajaa; Alemayohu, Mulubirhan Assefa; Altirkawi, Khalid; Abajobir, Amanuel Alemu; Amare, Azmeraw T; Antonio, Carl A T; Arnlov, Johan; Artaman, Al; Asayesh, Hamid; Avokpaho, Euripide Frinel G Arthur; Awasthi, Ashish; Ayala Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina; Bacha, Umar; Betsu, Balem Demtsu; Barac, Aleksandra; Bärnighausen, Till Winfried; Baye, Estifanos; Bedi, Neeraj; Bensenor, Isabela M; Berhane, Adugnaw; Bernabe, Eduardo; Bernal, Oscar Alberto; Beyene, Addisu Shunu; Biadgilign, Sibhatu; Bikbov, Boris; Boyce, Cheryl Anne; Brazinova, Alexandra; Hailu, Gessessew Bugssa; Carter, Austin; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos A; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Charlson, Fiona J; Chitheer, Abdulaal A; Choi, Jee-Young Jasmine; Ciobanu, Liliana G; Crump, John; Dandona, Rakhi; Dellavalle, Robert P; Deribew, Amare; deVeber, Gabrielle; Dicker, Daniel; Ding, Eric L; Dubey, Manisha; Endries, Amanuel Yesuf; Erskine, Holly E; Faraon, Emerito Jose Aquino; Faro, Andre; Farzadfar, Farshad; Fernandes, Joao C; Fijabi, Daniel Obadare; Fitzmaurice, Christina; Fleming, Thomas D; Flor, Luisa Sorio; Foreman, Kyle J; Franklin, Richard C; Fraser, Maya S; Frostad, Joseph J; Fullman, Nancy; Gebregergs, Gebremedhin Berhe; Gebru, Alemseged Aregay; Geleijnse, Johanna M; Gibney, Katherine B; Gidey Yihdego, Mahari; Ginawi, Ibrahim Abdelmageem Mohamed; Gishu, Melkamu Dedefo; Gizachew, Tessema Assefa; Glaser, Elizabeth; Gold, Audra L; Goldberg, Ellen; Gona, Philimon; Goto, Atsushi; Gugnani, Harish Chander; Jiang, Guohong; Gupta, Rajeev; Tesfay, Fisaha Haile; Hankey, Graeme J; Havmoeller, Rasmus; Hijar, Martha; Horino, Masako; Hosgood, H Dean; Hu, Guoqing; Jacobsen, Kathryn H; Jakovljevic, Mihajlo B; Jayaraman, Sudha P; Jha, Vivekanand; Jibat, Tariku; Johnson, Catherine O; Jonas, Jost; Kasaeian, Amir; Kawakami, Norito; Keiyoro, Peter N; Khalil, Ibrahim; Khang, Young-Ho; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Ahmad Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A; Kieling, Christian; Kim, Daniel; Kissoon, Niranjan; Knibbs, Luke D; Koyanagi, Ai; Krohn, Kristopher J; Kuate Defo, Barthelemy; Kucuk Bicer, Burcu; Kulikoff, Rachel; Kumar, G Anil; Lal, Dharmesh Kumar; Lam, Hilton Y; Larson, Heidi J; Larsson, Anders; Laryea, Dennis Odai; Leung, Janni; Lim, Stephen S; Lo, Loon-Tzian; Lo, Warren D; Looker, Katharine J; Lotufo, Paulo A; Magdy Abd El Razek, Hassan; Malekzadeh, Reza; Markos Shifti, Desalegn; Mazidi, Mohsen; Meaney, Peter A; Meles, Kidanu Gebremariam; Memiah, Peter; Mendoza, Walter; Abera Mengistie, Mubarek; Mengistu, Gebremichael Welday; Mensah, George A; Miller, Ted R; Mock, Charles; Mohammadi, Alireza; Mohammed, Shafiu; Monasta, Lorenzo; Mueller, Ulrich; Nagata, Chie; Naheed, Aliya; Nguyen, Grant; Nguyen, Quyen Le; Nsoesie, Elaine; Oh, In-Hwan; Okoro, Anselm; Olusanya, Jacob Olusegun; Olusanya, Bolajoko O; Ortiz, Alberto; Paudel, Deepak; Pereira, David M; Perico, Norberto; Petzold, Max; Phillips, Michael Robert; Polanczyk, Guilherme V; Pourmalek, Farshad; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rafay, Anwar; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa; Rahman, Mahfuzar; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Ram, Usha; Rankin, Zane; Remuzzi, Giuseppe; Renzaho, Andre M N; Roba, Hirbo Shore; Rojas-Rueda, David; Ronfani, Luca; Sagar, Rajesh; Sanabria, Juan Ramon; Kedir Mohammed, Muktar Sano; Santos, Itamar S; Satpathy, Maheswar; Sawhney, Monika; Schöttker, Ben; Schwebel, David C; Scott, James G; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Shaheen, Amira; Shaikh, Masood Ali; She, June; Shiri, Rahman; Shiue, Ivy; Sigfusdottir, Inga Dora; Singh, Jasvinder; Silpakit, Naris; Smith, Alison; Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar; Stanaway, Jeffrey D; Stein, Dan J; Steiner, Caitlyn; Sufiyan, Muawiyyah Babale; Swaminathan, Soumya; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tabb, Karen M; Tadese, Fentaw; Tavakkoli, Mohammad; Taye, Bineyam; Teeple, Stephanie; Tegegne, Teketo Kassaw; Temam Shifa, Girma; Terkawi, Abdullah Sulieman; Thomas, Bernadette; Thomson, Alan J; Tobe-Gai, Ruoyan; Tonelli, Marcello; Tran, Bach Xuan; Troeger, Christopher; Ukwaja, Kingsley N; Uthman, Olalekan; Vasankari, Tommi; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Vlassov, Vasiliy Victorovich; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Weintraub, Robert; Gebrehiwot, Solomon Weldemariam; Westerman, Ronny; Williams, Hywel C; Wolfe, Charles D A; Woodbrook, Rachel; Yano, Yuichiro; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Yoon, Seok-Jun; Younis, Mustafa Z; Yu, Chuanhua; Zaki, Maysaa El Sayed; Zegeye, Elias Asfaw; Zuhlke, Liesl Joanna; Murray, Christopher J L; Vos, Theo

2017-06-01

Comprehensive and timely monitoring of disease burden in all age groups, including children and adolescents, is essential for improving population health. To quantify and describe levels and trends of mortality and nonfatal health outcomes among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2015 to provide a framework for policy discussion. Cause-specific mortality and nonfatal health outcomes were analyzed for 195 countries and territories by age group, sex, and year from 1990 to 2015 using standardized approaches for data processing and statistical modeling, with subsequent analysis of the findings to describe levels and trends across geography and time among children and adolescents 19 years or younger. A composite indicator of income, education, and fertility was developed (Socio-demographic Index [SDI]) for each geographic unit and year, which evaluates the historical association between SDI and health loss. Global child and adolescent mortality decreased from 14.18 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 14.09 million to 14.28 million) deaths in 1990 to 7.26 million (95% UI, 7.14 million to 7.39 million) deaths in 2015, but progress has been unevenly distributed. Countries with a lower SDI had a larger proportion of mortality burden (75%) in 2015 than was the case in 1990 (61%). Most deaths in 2015 occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Global trends were driven by reductions in mortality owing to infectious, nutritional, and neonatal disorders, which in the aggregate led to a relative increase in the importance of noncommunicable diseases and injuries in explaining global disease burden. The absolute burden of disability in children and adolescents increased 4.3% (95% UI, 3.1%-5.6%) from 1990 to 2015, with much of the increase owing to population growth and improved survival for children and adolescents to older ages. Other than infectious conditions, many top causes of disability are associated with long-term sequelae of conditions present at birth (eg

Evaluating rice cultivars using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nearly 2.6 million acres of rice in the USA are produced using a flooded paddy system. However due to depletion of ground water, climate patterns that have resulted in reduced precipitation, and increasing competition with urban areas for water resources, the future of rice production in parts of th...

Exploratory study on Marine SDI implementation in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarmidi, Zakri; Mohd Shariff, Abdul Rashid; Rodzi Mahmud, Ahmad; Zaiton Ibrahim, Zelina; Halim Hamzah, Abdul

2016-06-01

This paper discusses the explanatory study of the implementation of spatial data sharing between Malaysia's marine organisations. The survey method was selected with questionnaire as an instrument for data collection and analysis. The aim of the questionnaire was to determine the critical factors in enabling marine spatial data sharing in Malaysia, and the relationship between these indicators. A questionnaire was sent to 48 marine and coastal organisations in Malaysia, with 84.4% of respondents answering the questionnaire. The respondents selected were people who involved directly with GIS application in the organisations. The results show there are three main issues in implementing spatial data sharing; (1) GIS planning and implementation in the organisation, (2) spatial data sharing knowledge and implementation in the organisation and (3) collaboration to enable spatial data sharing within and between organisations. To improve GIS implementation, spatial data sharing implementation and collaboration in enabling spatial data sharing, a conceptual collaboration model was proposed with components of marine GIS strategic planning, spatial data sharing strategies and collaboration strategy.

Providing Geographic Datasets as Linked Data in Sdi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hietanen, E.; Lehto, L.; Latvala, P.

2016-06-01

In this study, a prototype service to provide data from Web Feature Service (WFS) as linked data is implemented. At first, persistent and unique Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) are created to all spatial objects in the dataset. The objects are available from those URIs in Resource Description Framework (RDF) data format. Next, a Web Ontology Language (OWL) ontology is created to describe the dataset information content using the Open Geospatial Consortium's (OGC) GeoSPARQL vocabulary. The existing data model is modified in order to take into account the linked data principles. The implemented service produces an HTTP response dynamically. The data for the response is first fetched from existing WFS. Then the Geographic Markup Language (GML) format output of the WFS is transformed on-the-fly to the RDF format. Content Negotiation is used to serve the data in different RDF serialization formats. This solution facilitates the use of a dataset in different applications without replicating the whole dataset. In addition, individual spatial objects in the dataset can be referred with URIs. Furthermore, the needed information content of the objects can be easily extracted from the RDF serializations available from those URIs. A solution for linking data objects to the dataset URI is also introduced by using the Vocabulary of Interlinked Datasets (VoID). The dataset is divided to the subsets and each subset is given its persistent and unique URI. This enables the whole dataset to be explored with a web browser and all individual objects to be indexed by search engines.

SDI Software Technology Program Plan Version 1.5

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

computer generation of auditory communication of meaningful speech. Most speech synthesizers are based on mathematical models of the human vocal tract, but...oral/ auditory and multimodal communications. Although such state-of-the-art interaction technology has not fully matured, user experience has...superior I pattern matching capabilities and the subliminal intuitive deduction capability. The error performance of humans can be helped by careful

SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) Software Technology Program Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

station control, and defense. c. Simulation Display Generator ( SDG ) [Patterson 83] I0 SDG supports the creation, display, modification, storage, and...34 Proceedings Trends and Applications 1981, IEEE, (May 28, 1981). [Parnas 86] Parnas, D.L., "When can Software be Trustworthy?" Keynote Address to Compass 󈨚

SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) Technology, Survivability and Software.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

simple, aluminum -covered balloons weighing 1 kg or less, or they might be some- what more sophisticated decoys shaped like "A booster body, at 300...levels than that needed for melting aluminum or causing structural weakness (500 to 1,000 J/g). Relying on this indirect kill assessment would... aluminum , has an impulse in the 260-to-265-s range. This can be increased to 280 s by substituting beryllium for the alumi- num. Manufacturers of solid

Why send humans to Mars?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sagan, Carl

1991-01-01

The proposed Space Exploration Initiative (SDI) to launch a manned flight to Mars is examined in the current light of growing constraints in costs and other human requirements. Sharing the huge costs of such a program among a group of nations might become low enough for the project to be feasible. Robotic missions, equipped with enhanced artificial intelligence, appear to be capable of satisfying mission requirements at 10 percent or less, of the cost of a manned flight. Various additional pros and cons are discussed regarding both SDI generally and a Mars mission. It is suggested that R&D projects be pursued that can be better justified and can also contribute to human mission to Mars if eventually a decision to go is made.

The Evaluation of Small Arms Effectiveness Criteria. Volume 2: Appendixes

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-01

Island and Burma in World War 11. Of the 208 casualties (WIA and KIA ), 93 were reportedly hit by rifle bullets and 115 by machine gun bullets; 68... motot and an endless cable. The carrier can be fitted with up to three SAAB raising and lowering mechanisms. Carrier speed can be varied up to 9 ft

A response surface methodology based damage identification technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, S. E.; Perera, R.

2009-06-01

Response surface methodology (RSM) is a combination of statistical and mathematical techniques to represent the relationship between the inputs and outputs of a physical system by explicit functions. This methodology has been widely employed in many applications such as design optimization, response prediction and model validation. But so far the literature related to its application in structural damage identification (SDI) is scarce. Therefore this study attempts to present a systematic SDI procedure comprising four sequential steps of feature selection, parameter screening, primary response surface (RS) modeling and updating, and reference-state RS modeling with SDI realization using the factorial design (FD) and the central composite design (CCD). The last two steps imply the implementation of inverse problems by model updating in which the RS models substitute the FE models. The proposed method was verified against a numerical beam, a tested reinforced concrete (RC) frame and an experimental full-scale bridge with the modal frequency being the output responses. It was found that the proposed RSM-based method performs well in predicting the damage of both numerical and experimental structures having single and multiple damage scenarios. The screening capacity of the FD can provide quantitative estimation of the significance levels of updating parameters. Meanwhile, the second-order polynomial model established by the CCD provides adequate accuracy in expressing the dynamic behavior of a physical system.

Cross-sex genetic correlation does not extend to sexual size dimorphism in spiders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turk, Eva; Kuntner, Matjaž; Kralj-Fišer, Simona

2018-02-01

Males and females are often subjected to different selection pressures for homologous traits, resulting in sex-specific optima. Because organismal attributes usually share their genetic architectures, sex-specific selection may lead to intralocus sexual conflict. Evolution of sexual dimorphism may resolve this conflict, depending on the degree of cross-sex genetic correlation ( r MF) and the strength of sex-specific selection. In theory, high r MF implies that sexes largely share the genetic base for a given trait and are consequently sexually monomorphic, while low r MF indicates a sex-specific genetic base and sexual dimorphism. Here, we broadly test this hypothesis on three spider species with varying degrees of female-biased sexual size dimorphism, Larinioides sclopetarius (sexual dimorphism index, SDI = 0.85), Nuctenea umbratica (SDI = 0.60), and Zygiella x-notata (SDI = 0.46). We assess r MF via same-sex and opposite-sex heritability estimates. We find moderate body mass heritability but no obvious patterns in sex-specific heritability. Against the prediction, the degree of sexual size dimorphism is unrelated to the relative strength of same-sex versus opposite-sex heritability. Our results do not support the hypothesis that sexual size dimorphism is negatively associated with r MF. We conclude that sex-specific genetic architecture may not be necessary for the evolution of a sexually dimorphic trait.

Aerobic exercise training delays cardiac dysfunction and improves autonomic control of circulation in diabetic rats undergoing myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Bruno; Jorge, Luciana; Mostarda, Cristiano T; Rosa, Kaleizu T; Medeiros, Alessandra; Malfitano, Christiane; de Souza, Alcione L; Viegas, Katia Aparecida da Silva; Lacchini, Silvia; Curi, Rui; Brum, Patricia C; De Angelis, Kátia; Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia

2012-09-01

Exercise training (ET) has been used as a nonpharmacological strategy for treatment of diabetes and myocardial infarction (MI) separately. We evaluated the effects ET on functional and molecular left ventricular (LV) parameters as well as on autonomic function and mortality in diabetics after MI. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C), sedentary-diabetic infarcted (SDI), and trained-diabetic infarcted (TDI) groups. MI was induced after 15 days of streptozotocin-diabetes induction. Seven days after MI, the trained group underwent ET protocol (90 days, 50-70% maximal oxygen consumption-VO(2)max). LV function was evaluated noninvasively and invasively; baroreflex sensitivity, pulse interval variability, cardiac output, tissue blood flows, VEGF mRNA and protein, HIF1-α mRNA, and Ca(2+) handling proteins were measured. MI area was reduced in TDI (21 ± 4%) compared with SDI (38 ± 4%). ET induced improvement in cardiac function, hemodynamics, and tissue blood flows. These changes were probable consequences of a better expression of Ca(2+) handling proteins, increased VEGF mRNA and protein expression as well as improvement in autonomic function, that resulted in reduction of mortality in TDI (33%) compared with SDI (68%) animals. ET reduced cardiac and peripheral dysfunction and preserved autonomic control in diabetic infarcted rats. Consequently, these changes resulted in improved VO(2)max and survival after MI. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detailed mass size distributions of atmospheric aerosol species in the Negev desert, Israel, during ARACHNE-96

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maenhaut, Willy; Ptasinski, Jacek; Cafmeyer, Jan

1999-04-01

As part of the 1996 summer intensive of the Aerosol, RAdiation and CHemistry Experiment (ARACHNE-96), the mass size distribution of various airborne particulate elements was studied at a remote site in the Negev Desert, Israel. Aerosol collections were made with 8-stage PIXE International cascade impactors (PCIs) and 12-stage small deposit area low pressure impactors (SDIs) and the samples were analyzed by PIXE for about 20 elements. The mineral elements (Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe) exhibited a unimodal size distribution which peaked at about 6 μm, but the contribution of particles larger than 10 μm was clearly more pronounced during the day than during night. Sulphur and Br had a tendency to exhibit two modes in the submicrometer size range, with diameters at about 0.3 and 0.6 μm, respectively. The elements V and Ni, which are indicators of residual fuel burning, showed essentially one fine mode (at 0.3 μm) in addition to a coarse mode which represented the mineral dust contribution. Overall, good agreement was observed between the mass size distributions from the PCI and SDI devices. The PCI was superior to the SDI for studying the size distribution in the coarse size range, but the SDI was clearly superior for unravelling the various modes in the submicrometer size range.

Exploring the Application of Volunteered Geographic Information to Catchment Management: a Survey Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paudyal, D. R.; McDougall, K.; Apan, A.

2012-07-01

The participation and engagement of grass-root level community groups and citizens for natural resource management has a long history. With recent developments in ICT tools and spatial technology, these groups are seeking a new opportunity to manage natural resource data. There are lot of spatial information collected/generated by landcare groups, land holders and other community groups at the grass-root level through their volunteer initiatives. State government organisations are also interested in gaining access to this spatial data/information and engaging these groups to collect spatial information under their mapping programs. The aim of this paper is to explore the possible utilisation of volunteered geographic information (VGI) for catchment management activities. This research paper discusses the importance of spatial information and spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for catchment management and the emergence of VGI. A conceptual framework has been developed to illustrate how these emerging spatial information applications and various community volunteer activities can contribute to a more inclusive spatial data infrastructure (SDI) development at local level. A survey of 56 regional NRM bodies in Australia was utilised to explore the current community-driven volunteer initiatives for NRM activities and the potential of utilisation of VGI initiatives for NRM decision making process. This research paper concludes that VGI activities have great potential to contribute to SDI development at the community level to achieve better natural resource management (NRM) outcomes.

31 CFR 203.8 - Application of part and procedural instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AND THE TREASURY TAX AND LOAN PROGRAM General Information § 203.8 Application of part and procedural... account balance, SDI account balance, or a TIO account balance under this part. By accepting or...

Does life history shape sexual size dimorphism in anurans? A comparative analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is likely constrained by life history. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we examined correlations between SSD among anurans and their life history traits, including egg size, clutch size, mating combat, and parental care behaviour. We used sexual dimorphism index (SDI = Body-sizefemale /Body-sizemale –1) as the measurement for SSD. Body size, life history and phylogenetic data were collected from published literature. Data were analysed at two levels: all anuran species and within individual families. Results Female-biased SSD is the predominant form in anurans. SSD decreases along with the body size increase, following the prediction of Rensch’s rule, but the magnitude of decrease is very small. More importantly, female body size is positively correlated with both fecundity related traits, egg size and clutch size, and SDI is also positively correlated with clutch size, suggesting fecundity advantage may have driven the evolution of female body size and consequently leads to the evolution of female-biased SSD. Furthermore, the presence of parental care, male parental care in particular, is negatively correlated with SDI, indicating that species with parental care tend to have a smaller SDI. A negative correlation between clutch size and parental care further suggests that parental care likely reduces the fecundity selection pressure on female body size. On the other hand, there is a general lack of significant correlation between SDI and the presence of male combat behaviour, which is surprising and contradictory to previous studies. Conclusions We find clear evidence to support the ‘fecundity advantage hypothesis’ and the ‘parental care hypothesis’ in shaping SSD in anurans. Nevertheless, the relationships of both parental care and combat behaviour to the evolution of SSD are complex in anurans and the extreme diversity of life history traits may have masked some potential interesting

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases for 10 Causes, 1990 to 2015.

PubMed

Roth, Gregory A; Johnson, Catherine; Abajobir, Amanuel; Abd-Allah, Foad; Abera, Semaw Ferede; Abyu, Gebre; Ahmed, Muktar; Aksut, Baran; Alam, Tahiya; Alam, Khurshid; Alla, François; Alvis-Guzman, Nelson; Amrock, Stephen; Ansari, Hossein; Ärnlöv, Johan; Asayesh, Hamid; Atey, Tesfay Mehari; Avila-Burgos, Leticia; Awasthi, Ashish; Banerjee, Amitava; Barac, Aleksandra; Bärnighausen, Till; Barregard, Lars; Bedi, Neeraj; Belay Ketema, Ezra; Bennett, Derrick; Berhe, Gebremedhin; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Bitew, Shimelash; Carapetis, Jonathan; Carrero, Juan Jesus; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos Andres; Castillo-Rivas, Jacqueline; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Choi, Jee-Young; Christensen, Hanne; Cirillo, Massimo; Cooper, Leslie; Criqui, Michael; Cundiff, David; Damasceno, Albertino; Dandona, Lalit; Dandona, Rakhi; Davletov, Kairat; Dharmaratne, Samath; Dorairaj, Prabhakaran; Dubey, Manisha; Ehrenkranz, Rebecca; El Sayed Zaki, Maysaa; Faraon, Emerito Jose A; Esteghamati, Alireza; Farid, Talha; Farvid, Maryam; Feigin, Valery; Ding, Eric L; Fowkes, Gerry; Gebrehiwot, Tsegaye; Gillum, Richard; Gold, Audra; Gona, Philimon; Gupta, Rajeev; Habtewold, Tesfa Dejenie; Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Hailu, Tesfaye; Hailu, Gessessew Bugssa; Hankey, Graeme; Hassen, Hamid Yimam; Abate, Kalkidan Hassen; Havmoeller, Rasmus; Hay, Simon I; Horino, Masako; Hotez, Peter J; Jacobsen, Kathryn; James, Spencer; Javanbakht, Mehdi; Jeemon, Panniyammakal; John, Denny; Jonas, Jost; Kalkonde, Yogeshwar; Karimkhani, Chante; Kasaeian, Amir; Khader, Yousef; Khan, Abdur; Khang, Young-Ho; Khera, Sahil; Khoja, Abdullah T; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kim, Daniel; Kolte, Dhaval; Kosen, Soewarta; Krohn, Kristopher J; Kumar, G Anil; Kwan, Gene F; Lal, Dharmesh Kumar; Larsson, Anders; Linn, Shai; Lopez, Alan; Lotufo, Paulo A; El Razek, Hassan Magdy Abd; Malekzadeh, Reza; Mazidi, Mohsen; Meier, Toni; Meles, Kidanu Gebremariam; Mensah, George; Meretoja, Atte; Mezgebe, Haftay; Miller, Ted; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Mohammed, Shafiu; Moran, Andrew E; Musa, Kamarul Imran; Narula, Jagat; Neal, Bruce; Ngalesoni, Frida; Nguyen, Grant; Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf; Owolabi, Mayowa; Patton, George; Pedro, João; Qato, Dima; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rahimi, Kazem; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Rawaf, Salman; Ribeiro, Antônio; Safiri, Saeid; Salomon, Joshua A; Santos, Itamar; Santric Milicevic, Milena; Sartorius, Benn; Schutte, Aletta; Sepanlou, Sadaf; Shaikh, Masood Ali; Shin, Min-Jeong; Shishehbor, Mehdi; Shore, Hirbo; Silva, Diego Augusto Santos; Sobngwi, Eugene; Stranges, Saverio; Swaminathan, Soumya; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tadele Atnafu, Niguse; Tesfay, Fisaha; Thakur, J S; Thrift, Amanda; Topor-Madry, Roman; Truelsen, Thomas; Tyrovolas, Stefanos; Ukwaja, Kingsley Nnanna; Uthman, Olalekan; Vasankari, Tommi; Vlassov, Vasiliy; Vollset, Stein Emil; Wakayo, Tolassa; Watkins, David; Weintraub, Robert; Werdecker, Andrea; Westerman, Ronny; Wiysonge, Charles Shey; Wolfe, Charles; Workicho, Abdulhalik; Xu, Gelin; Yano, Yuichiro; Yip, Paul; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Younis, Mustafa; Yu, Chuanhua; Vos, Theo; Naghavi, Mohsen; Murray, Christopher

2017-07-04

The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains unclear in many regions of the world. The GBD (Global Burden of Disease) 2015 study integrated data on disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality to produce consistent, up-to-date estimates for cardiovascular burden. CVD mortality was estimated from vital registration and verbal autopsy data. CVD prevalence was estimated using modeling software and data from health surveys, prospective cohorts, health system administrative data, and registries. Years lived with disability (YLD) were estimated by multiplying prevalence by disability weights. Years of life lost (YLL) were estimated by multiplying age-specific CVD deaths by a reference life expectancy. A sociodemographic index (SDI) was created for each location based on income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. In 2015, there were an estimated 422.7 million cases of CVD (95% uncertainty interval: 415.53 to 427.87 million cases) and 17.92 million CVD deaths (95% uncertainty interval: 17.59 to 18.28 million CVD deaths). Declines in the age-standardized CVD death rate occurred between 1990 and 2015 in all high-income and some middle-income countries. Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of CVD health lost globally, as well as in each world region, followed by stroke. As SDI increased beyond 0.25, the highest CVD mortality shifted from women to men. CVD mortality decreased sharply for both sexes in countries with an SDI >0.75. CVDs remain a major cause of health loss for all regions of the world. Sociodemographic change over the past 25 years has been associated with dramatic declines in CVD in regions with very high SDI, but only a gradual decrease or no change in most regions. Future updates of the GBD study can be used to guide policymakers who are focused on reducing the overall burden of noncommunicable disease and achieving specific global health targets for CVD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

The Impact of Varying Statutory Arrangements on Spatial Data Sharing and Access in Regional NRM Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paudyal, D. R.; McDougall, K.; Apan, A.

2014-12-01

Spatial information plays an important role in many social, environmental and economic decisions and increasingly acknowledged as a national resource essential for wider societal and environmental benefits. Natural Resource Management is one area where spatial information can be used for improved planning and decision making processes. In Australia, state government organisations are the custodians of spatial information necessary for natural resource management and regional NRM bodies are responsible to regional delivery of NRM activities. The access and sharing of spatial information between government agencies and regional NRM bodies is therefore as an important issue for improving natural resource management outcomes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current status of spatial information access, sharing and use with varying statutory arrangements and its impacts on spatial data infrastructure (SDI) development in catchment management sector in Australia. Further, it critically examined whether any trends and significant variations exist due to different institutional arrangements (statutory versus non-statutory) or not. A survey method was used to collect primary data from 56 regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies responsible for catchment management in Australia. Descriptive statistics method was used to show the similarities and differences between statutory and non-statutory arrangements. The key factors which influence sharing and access to spatial information are also explored. The results show the current statutory and administrative arrangements and regional focus for natural resource management is reasonable from a spatial information management perspective and provides an opportunity for building SDI at the catchment scale. However, effective institutional arrangements should align catchment SDI development activities with sub-national and national SDI development activities to address catchment management issues. We found minor

An efficient and reliable DNA-based sex identification method for archaeological Pacific salmonid (Oncorhynchus spp.) remains.

PubMed

Royle, Thomas C A; Sakhrani, Dionne; Speller, Camilla F; Butler, Virginia L; Devlin, Robert H; Cannon, Aubrey; Yang, Dongya Y

2018-01-01

Pacific salmonid (Oncorhynchus spp.) remains are routinely recovered from archaeological sites in northwestern North America but typically lack sexually dimorphic features, precluding the sex identification of these remains through morphological approaches. Consequently, little is known about the deep history of the sex-selective salmonid fishing strategies practiced by some of the region's Indigenous peoples. Here, we present a DNA-based method for the sex identification of archaeological Pacific salmonid remains that integrates two PCR assays that each co-amplify fragments of the sexually dimorphic on the Y chromosome (sdY) gene and an internal positive control (Clock1a or D-loop). The first assay co-amplifies a 95 bp fragment of sdY and a 108 bp fragment of the autosomal Clock1a gene, whereas the second assay co-amplifies the same sdY fragment and a 249 bp fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop region. This method's reliability, sensitivity, and efficiency, were evaluated by applying it to 72 modern Pacific salmonids from five species and 75 archaeological remains from six Pacific salmonids. The sex identities assigned to each of the modern samples were concordant with their known phenotypic sex, highlighting the method's reliability. Applications of the method to dilutions of modern DNA samples indicate it can correctly identify the sex of samples with as little as ~39 pg of total genomic DNA. The successful sex identification of 70 of the 75 (93%) archaeological samples further demonstrates the method's sensitivity. The method's reliance on two co-amplifications that preferentially amplify sdY helps validate the sex identities assigned to samples and reduce erroneous identifications caused by allelic dropout and contamination. Furthermore, by sequencing the D-loop fragment used as a positive control, species-level and sex identifications can be simultaneously assigned to samples. Overall, our results indicate the DNA-based method reported in this study is a

Changes in leaf water relations, gas exchange, growth and flowering quality in potted geranium plants irrigated with different water regimes.

PubMed

Sánchez-Blanco, Ma Jesús; Alvarez, Sara; Navarro, Alejandra; Bañón, Sebastián

2009-03-15

Geranium plants are an important part of urban green areas but suffer from drought, especially when grown in containers with a limited volume of medium. In this experiment, we examined the response of potted geraniums to different irrigation levels. Geranium (Pelargoniumxhortorum L.) seedlings were grown in a growth chamber and exposed to three irrigation treatments, whereby the plants were irrigated to container capacity (control), 60% of the control (moderate deficit irrigation, MDI), or 40% of the control (severe deficit irrigation, SDI). Deficit irrigation was maintained for 2 months, and then all the plants were exposed to a recovery period of 112 month. Exposure to drought induced a decrease in shoot dry weight and leaf area and an increase in the root/shoot ratio. Height and plant width were significantly inhibited by the SDI, while flower color parameters were not affected by deficit treatment. The number of wilting and yellow leaves increased, coinciding with the increase in the number of inflorescences and open flowers. Deficit irrigation led to a leaf water potential of about -0.8MPa at midday, which could have caused an important decrease in stomatal conductance, affecting the photosynthetic rate (Pn). Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fvm) values of 0.80 in all treatments throughout the experiment demonstrate the lack of drought-induced damage to PSII photochemistry. Pressure-volume analysis revealed low osmotic adjustment values of 0.2MPa in the SDI treatment, accompanied by increases in the bulk tissue elastic modulus (epsilon, wall rigidity) and resulting in turgor loss at lower leaf water potential values (-1.38MPa compared with -1.0MPa for the control). Leaf water potential values throughout the experiment below those for Psitlp were not found at any sampling time. By the end of the recovery period, the leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis had recovered. We infer from these results that moderate deficit irrigation in geranium

MAPSIT and a Roadmap for Lunar and Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, J.; Archinal, B.; Beyer, R.; DellaGiustina, D.; Fassett, C.; Gaddis, L.; Hagerty, J.; Hare, T.; Laura, J.; Lawrence, S. J.; Mazarico, E.; Naß, A.; Patthoff, A.; Skinner, J.; Sutton, S.; Thomson, B. J.; Williams, D.

2017-10-01

We describe MAPSIT, and the development of a roadmap for lunar and planetary SDI, based on previous relevant documents and community input, and consider how to best advance lunar science, exploration, and commercial development.

Applications of the Strategic Defense Initiative's compact accelerators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montanarelli, Nick; Lynch, Ted

1991-01-01

The Strategic Defense Initiative's (SDI) investment in particle accelerator technology for its directed energy weapons program has produced breakthroughs in the size and power of new accelerators. These accelerators, in turn, have produced spinoffs in several areas: the radio frequency quadrupole linear accelerator (RFQ linac) was recently incorporated into the design of a cancer therapy unit at the Loma Linda University Medical Center, an SDI-sponsored compact induction linear accelerator may replace Cobalt-60 radiation and hazardous ethylene-oxide as a method for sterilizing medical products, and other SDIO-funded accelerators may be used to produce the radioactive isotopes oxygen-15, nitrogen-13, carbon-11, and fluorine-18 for positron emission tomography (PET). Other applications of these accelerators include bomb detection, non-destructive inspection, decomposing toxic substances in contaminated ground water, and eliminating nuclear waste.

Assessing suicide risk among callers to crisis hotlines: a confirmatory factor analysis.

PubMed

Witte, Tracy K; Gould, Madelyn S; Munfakh, Jimmie Lou Harris; Kleinman, Marjorie; Joiner, Thomas E; Kalafat, John

2010-09-01

Our goal was to investigate the factor structure of a risk assessment tool utilized by suicide hotlines and to determine the predictive validity of the obtained factors in predicting subsequent suicidal behavior. We conducted an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), an EFA in a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA/CFA) framework, and a CFA on independent subsamples derived from a total sample of 1,085. Similar to previous studies, we found consistent evidence for a two-factor solution, with one factor representing a more pernicious form of suicide risk (i.e., Resolved Plans and Preparations; RPP) and one factor representing milder suicidal ideation (i.e., Suicidal Desire and Ideation; SDI). The RPP factor trended toward being more predictive of suicidal ideation at follow-up than the SDI factor. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing the performance of surface and subsurface drip systems on irrigation water use efficiency of citrus orchards in Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amparo Martinez-Gimeno, Maria; Provenzano, Giuseppe; Bonet, Luis; Intrigliolo, Diego S.; Badal, Eduardo; Ballestrer, Carlos

2017-04-01

In Mediterranean countries, water scarcity represents a real environmental concern at present and, according to the current climate change models predictions, the problem will be amplified in the future. In order to deal with this issue, application of strategies aimed to optimize the water resources in agriculture and to increase water use efficiency have become essential. On the one hand, it is important the election of the appropriate irrigation system for each particular case. On the other hand, identify the best management options for that specific irrigation system is crucial to optimize the available water resources without affecting yield. When using water saving strategies, however, it is a must to monitor the soil and/or crop water status in order to know the level of stress reached by the plants and to avoid levels that could lead to detrimental effects on yield. Stem water potential, ψstem, expressing the instantaneous condition of crop water stress, is considered a robust indicator of crop water status. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of a surface (DI) and subsurface (SDI) drip irrigation system in a citrus orchard with 7 (DI7, SDI7) or 14 emitters (DI14, SDI14) per plant, in terms of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and possible amount of water saving. The experiment was carried out in 2014 and 2015 in Alberique, Spain, (39˚ 7'31" N, 0˚ 33'17" W), in a commercial orchard (Citrus clementina, Hort. ex Tan. 'Arrufatina') in which four different treatments with three replications (12 sub-plots) were prepared according to a complete randomized block design. Irrigation doses and timing were scheduled based on the estimated maximum crop evapotranspiration corrected according to measurements of ψstem and soil water content, and weather forecasts. In order to limit the maximum crop water stress, the thresholds of ψstem were assumed in the range between -0.8 and -1.0 MPa from January to June and between -1.0 and -1

Smoking prevalence and attributable disease burden in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2017-05-13

The scale-up of tobacco control, especially after the adoption of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, is a major public health success story. Nonetheless, smoking remains a leading risk for early death and disability worldwide, and therefore continues to require sustained political commitment. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) offers a robust platform through which global, regional, and national progress toward achieving smoking-related targets can be assessed. We synthesised 2818 data sources with spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and produced estimates of daily smoking prevalence by sex, age group, and year for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We analysed 38 risk-outcome pairs to generate estimates of smoking-attributable mortality and disease burden, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). We then performed a cohort analysis of smoking prevalence by birth-year cohort to better understand temporal age patterns in smoking. We also did a decomposition analysis, in which we parsed out changes in all-cause smoking-attributable DALYs due to changes in population growth, population ageing, smoking prevalence, and risk-deleted DALY rates. Finally, we explored results by level of development using the Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Worldwide, the age-standardised prevalence of daily smoking was 25·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 24·2-25·7) for men and 5·4% (5·1-5·7) for women, representing 28·4% (25·8-31·1) and 34·4% (29·4-38·6) reductions, respectively, since 1990. A greater percentage of countries and territories achieved significant annualised rates of decline in smoking prevalence from 1990 to 2005 than in between 2005 and 2015; however, only four countries had significant annualised increases in smoking prevalence between 2005 and 2015 (Congo [Brazzaville] and Azerbaijan for men and Kuwait and Timor-Leste for women). In 2015, 11·5% of global deaths (6·4 million [95

31 CFR 203.6 - Obligations of TT&L depositaries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TREASURY TAX AND LOAN PROGRAM General Information § 203.6 Obligations of TT&L depositaries. A TT&L depositary must: (a) Administer a TIP main account balance, SDI account balance, or TIO account balance, as...

Meadow-stream processes and aquatic invertebrate community structure [chapter 6

Treesearch

Chris A. Jannusch; Sudeep Chandra; Tom Dudley; Jeanne C. Chambers; Wendy Trowbridge

2011-01-01

Riparian areas make up less than 1 percent of the total area of the Great Basin, yet they provide many critical ecosystem services, and they support a disproportionately large percentage of the regional biodiversity (Hubbard 1977; Saab and Groves 1992). Jenson and Platts (1990) estimate that over 50 percent of the riparian areas in the Great Basin are in poor...

A new forest fire paradigm: The need for high-severity fires

Treesearch

Monica L. Bond; Rodney B. Siegel; Richard L. Hutto; Victoria A. Saab; Stephen A. Shunk

2012-01-01

Bond, Monica L.; Siegel, Rodney B.; Hutto, Richard L.; Saab, Victoria A.; Shunk, Stephen A. 2012. A new forest fire paradigm: The need for high-severity fires. The Wildlife Professional. Winter 2012: 46-49. During the 2012 fire season from June through August, wildfires in the drought-stricken western and central United States burned more than 3.6 million acres of...

31 CFR 203.5 - Designation of financial institutions as TT&L depositaries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PAYMENT OF FEDERAL TAXES AND THE TREASURY TAX AND LOAN PROGRAM General Information § 203.5 Designation of... authorized to maintain a TT&L account, TIP main account balance, SDI account balance, or TIO account balance...

SAAB Tackling the Black, Brown Male Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pluviose, David

2007-01-01

Increasingly, dropping out of high school is a one-way ticket to prison for Black men. Recent research conducted by sociologists Becky Pettit and Bruce Western indicates that 3 percent of Whites and 20 percent of Blacks born between 1965 and 1969 had served time in prison by their early thirties. The crisis among Black and Hispanic men mobilized…

Comparative Analysis of the Shared Sex-Determination Region (SDR) among Salmonid Fishes.

PubMed

Faber-Hammond, Joshua J; Phillips, Ruth B; Brown, Kim H

2015-06-25

Salmonids present an excellent model for studying evolution of young sex-chromosomes. Within the genus, Oncorhynchus, at least six independent sex-chromosome pairs have evolved, many unique to individual species. This variation results from the movement of the sex-determining gene, sdY, throughout the salmonid genome. While sdY is known to define sexual differentiation in salmonids, the mechanism of its movement throughout the genome has remained elusive due to high frequencies of repetitive elements, rDNA sequences, and transposons surrounding the sex-determining regions (SDR). Despite these difficulties, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library clones from both rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon containing the sdY region have been reported. Here, we report the sequences for these BACs as well as the extended sequence for the known SDR in Chinook gained through genome walking methods. Comparative analysis allowed us to study the overlapping SDRs from three unique salmonid Y chromosomes to define the specific content, size, and variation present between the species. We found approximately 4.1 kb of orthologous sequence common to all three species, which contains the genetic content necessary for masculinization. The regions contain transposable elements that may be responsible for the translocations of the SDR throughout salmonid genomes and we examine potential mechanistic roles of each one. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Protocol independent transmission method in software defined optical network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuze; Li, Hui; Hou, Yanfang; Qiu, Yajun; Ji, Yuefeng

2016-10-01

With the development of big data and cloud computing technology, the traditional software-defined network is facing new challenges (e.i., ubiquitous accessibility, higher bandwidth, more flexible management and greater security). Using a proprietary protocol or encoding format is a way to improve information security. However, the flow, which carried by proprietary protocol or code, cannot go through the traditional IP network. In addition, ultra- high-definition video transmission service once again become a hot spot. Traditionally, in the IP network, the Serial Digital Interface (SDI) signal must be compressed. This approach offers additional advantages but also bring some disadvantages such as signal degradation and high latency. To some extent, HD-SDI can also be regard as a proprietary protocol, which need transparent transmission such as optical channel. However, traditional optical networks cannot support flexible traffics . In response to aforementioned challenges for future network, one immediate solution would be to use NFV technology to abstract the network infrastructure and provide an all-optical switching topology graph for the SDN control plane. This paper proposes a new service-based software defined optical network architecture, including an infrastructure layer, a virtualization layer, a service abstract layer and an application layer. We then dwell on the corresponding service providing method in order to implement the protocol-independent transport. Finally, we experimentally evaluate that proposed service providing method can be applied to transmit the HD-SDI signal in the software-defined optical network.

Evidence-Based Practice: Video-Discharge Instructions in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

PubMed

Wood, Elyssa B; Harrison, Gina; Trickey, Amber; Friesen, Mary Ann; Stinson, Sarah; Rovelli, Erin; McReynolds, Serena; Presgrave, Kristina

2017-07-01

While a high quality discharge from a Pediatric Emergency Department helps caregivers feel informed and prepared to care for their sick child at home, poor adherence to discharge instructions leads to unnecessary return visits, negative health outcomes, and decreased patient satisfaction. Nurses at the Inova Loudoun Pediatric ED utilized the Johns Hopkins Model of Evidence Based Practice to answer the following question: Among caregivers who have children discharged from the ED, does the addition of video discharge instructions (VDI) to standard written/verbal discharge instructions (SDI) result in improved knowledge about the child's diagnosis, treatment, illness duration, and when to seek further medical care? A multidisciplinary team reviewed available evidence and created VDI for three common pediatric diagnoses: gastroenteritis, bronchiolitis, and fever. Knowledge assessments were collected before and after delivery of discharge instructions to caregivers for both the SDI and VDI groups. Analysis found that the VDI group achieved significantly higher scores on the post test survey (P < .001) than the SDI group, particularly regarding treatment and when to seek further medical care. After integrating the best evidence with clinical expertise and an effective VDI intervention, the team incorporated VDI into the discharge process. VDI offer nurses an efficient, standardized method of providing enhanced discharge instructions in the ED. Future projects will examine whether VDI are effective for additional diagnoses and among caregivers for whom English is not the primary language. Copyright © 2017 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The contribution of antiphospholipid antibodies to organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Taraborelli, M; Leuenberger, L; Lazzaroni, M G; Martinazzi, N; Zhang, W; Franceschini, F; Salmon, J; Tincani, A; Erkan, D

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of clinically significant antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) to organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients with disease duration of less than 10 years and at least 5 years of follow-up were identified from two SLE registries. A clinically significant antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profile was defined as: positive lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin IgG/M ≥ 40 G phospholipid units (GPL)/M phospholipid units (MPL), and/or anti-β2-glycoprotein-I IgG/M ≥ 99th percentile on two or more occasions, at least 12 weeks apart. Organ damage was assessed by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI). Univariate and multivariate analysis compared SLE patients with and without SDI increase during a 15-year follow-up. Among 262 SLE patients, 33% had a clinically significant aPL profile, which was associated with an increased risk of organ damage accrual during a 5-year follow-up in univariate analysis, and during a 15-year follow-up in the multivariate analysis adjusting for age, gender, race, disease duration at registry entry, and time. In the multivariate analysis, older age at diagnosis and male gender were also associated with SDI increase at each time point. A clinically significant aPL profile is associated with an increased risk of organ damage accrual during a 15-year follow-up in SLE patients. © The Author(s) 2016.

AGARD Index of Publications 1983-1985

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

a high performance high speed General Aviation propeller the advent of the highly loaded program...distribution data at high speed and CLmax data at low speed are NS3-3036# Saab-.;cania, Linkoping (Sweden). described. A flight wing pressure survey which...also well with predictions based on wind tunnel data. flight at high speed and wind tunnel measurements on a half Reynolds Number and transition

Designing a Successful Acupuncture Treatment Program for Gulf War Illness

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Deployment psychology . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 2 Saab PG, et al. ENRICHD Investigators.(2009). The impact of cognitive ...1) Joe Chang Lic Ac, an acupuncturist with experience working in military settings; (2) Marc Goldstein MD, a physician at the VA in Boston MA who...War Illness (GWI) is a complex illness with multiple symptoms, including fatigue, sleep and mood disturbances, cognitive dysfunction and

Air Force Flight Screening: Evolutionary Changes, 1917-2003

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

US), FFA (Switzerland), Siai Marchetti (Italy), SAAB (Sweden), Slingsby (United Kingdom), Glassair (US), Piper (US), American General (US), and...Jumper, USAF/CC, [Academy Flight Screening program], 10 Apr 03, 3) BBP , 557 FTS/CC, “USAF 66 As the...Academy Flight Screening (AFS) Program,” 4 Feb 03, 4) BBP , 557 FTS/CC, “AFS Funding,” 22 Jan 03, 5) Position Paper, 557 FTS/CC

Big Ideas in Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction, High-Leverage Practices, Explicit Instruction, and Intensive Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riccomini, Paul J.; Morano, Stephanie; Hughes, Charles A.

2017-01-01

It is understandable that misuse of the terms "specially designed instruction" (SDI), "high-leverage practices" (HLPs), "explicit instruction" (EI), and "intensive instruction"(II) has bred confusion among professionals, and this confusion may lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings in the field.…

Philosophical Scrutiny of the Strategic Defense Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonsheck, Jonathan

1986-01-01

Analyzes three Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposals, and argues that only the least technologically feasible variant (the AstroAtmosOceanDome conception) can be judged morally superior to old-fashioned "we'll kill you if you kill us" deterrence ideas. (JDH)

A GeoNode-Based Multiscale Platform For Management, Visualization And Integration Of DInSAR Data With Different Geospatial Information Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buonanno, Sabatino; Fusco, Adele; Zeni, Giovanni; Manunta, Michele; Lanari, Riccardo

2017-04-01

This work describes the implementation of an efficient system for managing, viewing, analyzing and updating remotely sensed data, with special reference to Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) data. The DInSAR products measure Earth surface deformation both in space and time, producing deformation maps and time series[1,2]. The use of these data in research or operational contexts requires tools that have to handle temporal and spatial variability with high efficiency. For this aim we present an implementation based on Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for data integration, management and interchange, by using standard protocols[3]. SDI tools provide access to static datasets that operate only with spatial variability . In this paper we use the open source project GeoNode as framework to extend SDI infrastructure functionalities to ingest very efficiently DInSAR deformation maps and deformation time series. GeoNode allows to realize comprehensive and distributed infrastructure, following the standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. - OGC, for remote sensing data management, analysis and integration [4,5]. In the current paper we explain the methodology used for manage the data complexity and data integration using the opens source project GeoNode. The solution presented in this work for the ingestion of DinSAR products is a very promising starting point for future developments of the OGC compliant implementation of a semi-automatic remote sensing data processing chain . [1] Berardino, P., Fornaro, G., Lanari, R., & Sansosti, E. (2002). A new Algorithm for Surface Deformation Monitoring based on Small Baseline Differential SAR Interferograms. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 40, 11, pp. 2375-2383. [2] Lanari R., F. Casu, M. Manzo, G. Zeni,, P. Berardino, M. Manunta and A. Pepe (2007), An overview of the Small Baseline Subset Algorithm: a DInSAR Technique for Surface Deformation Analysis, P. Appl. Geophys., 164

Plasma levels of osteopontin identify patients at risk for organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction Osteopontin (OPN) has been implicated as a mediator of Th17 regulation via type I interferon (IFN) receptor signaling and in macrophage activity at sites of tissue repair. This study assessed whether increased circulating plasma OPN (cOPN) precedes development of organ damage in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) and compared it to circulating plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (cNGAL), a predictor of increased SLE disease activity. Methods cOPN and cNGAL were measured in prospectively followed pSLE (n = 42) and adult SLE (aSLE; n = 23) patients and age-matched controls. Time-adjusted cumulative disease activity and disease damage were respectively assessed using adjusted-mean SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (AMS) and SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI). Results Compared to controls, elevated cOPN and cNGAL were observed in pSLE and aSLE. cNGAL preceded worsening SLEDAI by 3-6 months (P = 0.04), but was not associated with increased 6-month AMS. High baseline cOPN, which was associated with high IFNalpha activity and expression of autoantibodies to nucleic acids, positively correlated with 6-month AMS (r = 0.51 and 0.52, P = 0.001 and 0.01 in pSLE and aSLE, respectively) and was associated with SDI increase at 12 months in pSLE (P = 0.001). Risk factors for change in SDI in pSLE were cOPN (OR 7.5, 95% CI [2.9-20], P = 0.03), but not cNGAL, cumulative prednisone, disease duration, immunosuppression use, gender or ancestry using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The area under the curve (AUC) when generating the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) of baseline cOPN sensitivity and specificity for the indication of SLE patients with an increase of SDI over a 12 month period is 0.543 (95% CI 0.347-0.738; positive predictive value 95% and negative predictive value 38%). Conclusion High circulating OPN levels preceded increased cumulative disease activity and organ damage in SLE patients, especially in pSLE, and its

The selective digital integrator: A new device for modulated polarization spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrancic, Aljosa

1998-12-01

A new device, a selective digital integrator (SDI), for the acquisition of modulated polarization spectroscopy (MPS) signals is described. Special attention is given to the accurate measurement of very small (AC component of interest <10-3 x DC component), rapidly modulated (~50 kHz) signals at or below noise levels. Various data acquisition methods and problems associated with the collection of modulated signals are discussed. The SDI solves most of these problems and has the following advantages: it provides the average-time resolved profile of a modulated signal; it eliminates errors if the modulation is not sinusoidal; it enables separate measurements of the various phases of the signal modulation cycle; it permits simultaneous measurement of absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and linear dichroism (LD) spectra; it facilitates 3-D absorbance measurements; it has a wide gain-switching-free dynamic range (10 orders of magnitude or more); it offers a constant S/N ratio mode of operation; it eliminates the need for photomultiplier voltage feedback, and it has faster scanning speeds. The time-resolution, selectivity, wide dynamic range, and low-overhead on-the-fly data processing are useful for other modulated spectroscopy (MS) and non-MS experiments such as pulse height distribution and time-resolved pulse counting measurements. The advantages of the MPS-SDI method are tested on the first Rydberg electronic transitions of (+)-3- methylcyclopentanone. The experimental results validate the predicted SDI capabilities. However, they also point to two difficulties that had not been noted previously: the presence of LD in a gaseous sample and a pressure- dependence of the relative peak heights of the CD spectrum. Models for these anomalies are proposed. The presence of the oscillatory LD (but not an LD background) is explained with a sample cell model based on the observed polarization-dependent time-resolved profiles of transmitted light intensity. To obtain expressions

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT "FIELD MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN SOIL" STRATEGIC DIAGNOSTICS INC. ENSYS PETRO TEST SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The EnSys Petro Test System developed by Strategic Diagnostics Inc. (SDI), was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program in June 2000 at the Navy Base Ventura County site in Port Hueneme, California. The...

Flex-Fuel Two-Stroke Snowmobile: Development of a Flex-Fuel, Two-Stroke, Direct-Injection Snowmobile for Use in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge and National Parks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

The University of Idaho's entry into the 2009 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge (CSC) was a semi-direct-injection (SDI) two-stroke powered REV-XP snowmobile modified to use flex fuel. The flex fuel engine produces stock engine power on any blend of etha...

Evaluation of membrane bioreactor for advanced treatment of industrial wastewater and reverse osmosis pretreatment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The evaluation of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for pretreatment of reverse osmosis (RO) in order to reuse and reclamation of industrial town wastewater treatment plant was investigated in this study. Performance of MBR effluent through water quality in term of parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total coliform (TC) were measured. Also Silt density index (SDI) was used as indicator for RO feed water. The results of this study demonstrated that MBR produce a high quality permeate water. Approximately 75%, 98%, 74% and 99.9% removal of COD, TSS, TN and TC were recorded, respectively. Also SDI of the permeate effluent from membrane was below 3 for most of the times. It means that pilot yield a high quality treated effluent from the membrane module which can be used as RO feed water. PMID:24355199

An improved method for polarimetric image restoration in interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratley, Luke; Johnston-Hollitt, Melanie

2016-11-01

Interferometric radio astronomy data require the effects of limited coverage in the Fourier plane to be accounted for via a deconvolution process. For the last 40 years this process, known as `cleaning', has been performed almost exclusively on all Stokes parameters individually as if they were independent scalar images. However, here we demonstrate for the case of the linear polarization P, this approach fails to properly account for the complex vector nature resulting in a process which is dependent on the axes under which the deconvolution is performed. We present here an improved method, `Generalized Complex CLEAN', which properly accounts for the complex vector nature of polarized emission and is invariant under rotations of the deconvolution axes. We use two Australia Telescope Compact Array data sets to test standard and complex CLEAN versions of the Högbom and SDI (Steer-Dwedney-Ito) CLEAN algorithms. We show that in general the complex CLEAN version of each algorithm produces more accurate clean components with fewer spurious detections and lower computation cost due to reduced iterations than the current methods. In particular, we find that the complex SDI CLEAN produces the best results for diffuse polarized sources as compared with standard CLEAN algorithms and other complex CLEAN algorithms. Given the move to wide-field, high-resolution polarimetric imaging with future telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array, we suggest that Generalized Complex CLEAN should be adopted as the deconvolution method for all future polarimetric surveys and in particular that the complex version of an SDI CLEAN should be used.

Open Source Hardware for DIY Environmental Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aufdenkampe, A. K.; Hicks, S. D.; Damiano, S. G.; Montgomery, D. S.

2014-12-01

The Arduino open source electronics platform has been very popular within the DIY (Do It Yourself) community for several years, and it is now providing environmental science researchers with an inexpensive alternative to commercial data logging and transmission hardware. Here we present the designs for our latest series of custom Arduino-based dataloggers, which include wireless communication options like self-meshing radio networks and cellular phone modules. The main Arduino board uses a custom interface board to connect to various research-grade sensors to take readings of turbidity, dissolved oxygen, water depth and conductivity, soil moisture, solar radiation, and other parameters. Sensors with SDI-12 communications can be directly interfaced to the logger using our open Arduino-SDI-12 software library (https://github.com/StroudCenter/Arduino-SDI-12). Different deployment options are shown, like rugged enclosures to house the loggers and rigs for mounting the sensors in both fresh water and marine environments. After the data has been collected and transmitted by the logger, the data is received by a mySQL-PHP stack running on a web server that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Once there, the data can be visualized on web pages or served though REST requests and Water One Flow (WOF) services. Since one of the main benefits of using open source hardware is the easy collaboration between users, we are introducing a new web platform for discussion and sharing of ideas and plans for hardware and software designs used with DIY environmental sensors and data loggers.

Segmental dilatation of the intestine.

PubMed

Ben Brahim, Mohamed; Belghith, Mohsen; Mekki, Mongi; Jouini, Riadh; Sahnoun, Lassaad; Maazoun, Kaies; Krichene, Imed; Golli, Mondher; Monastiri, Kamel; Nouri, Abdellatif

2006-06-01

The aim of this work is to discuss the pathogenesis of the segmental dilatation of the intestine (SDI) and to review its clinical presentation and the ways to confirm the diagnosis. Eight cases of pathologically proven SDI from 1987 to 2003 were reviewed and discussed. There were 7 newborns and a 1-year-old boy. Our patients are 5 boys and 3 girls. In all cases, the diagnosis was not suspected before surgery. Two patients presented with a low neonatal bowel obstruction. Six patients were operated for omphalocele, which was the most frequent associated malformation. The SDI involved the ileum in all patients. The treatment consisted on a resection of the dilated segment with an end-to-end anastomosis. Histological examination demonstrated the presence of ganglion cells in all cases. The muscular layer was hypertrophied in two cases and very thin in one case. A heterotopic gastric mucosa was observed in one case. No anomalies were observed in 5 cases. The postoperative course was uneventful in 6 cases with a mean follow-up of 5 years. Segmental intestinal dilatation is an exceptional pathology with an unknown etiology and a misleading clinical presentation. Several theories were proposed to explain this malformation; however, most authors are rather inclined to an embryological theory incriminating an extrinsic intrauterine intestinal compression. Most cases are neonatal discoveries. The clinical polymorphism and the lack of specificity of radiological investigations explain the difficulties to have a preoperative diagnosis. However, this difficulty is compensated by the favorable evolution after the resection of the dilated segment.

Applying an Avian Index of Biological Integrity to Assess and Monitor Arid and Semi-arid Riparian Ecosystems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Fausch et al . 1984; Miller et al . 1988; O’Connell et al . 2000; Bryce et al . 2002 ; Bryce 2006; Lussier et al . 2006). Once...the IHD assessed (Karr and Chu 1999; Bryce et al . 2002 ; Bryce 2006). From this assessment, usually a small subset of the biological metrics (e.g., 6...grazing, water impoundments and diversions, and other human land-use practices (Saab et al . 1995; Rich 2002 ;

An Instructional Manual for the US Air Force New Harvest Eagle Field Feeding System

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

Continue, on revorao aide if necesaary and Identity by block number) FIELD FEEDING SYSTEIV AIR FORCE PORTABLE EQUIPMENT HEATERS (WATER) FOOD ...The-Job Training Program for Food Service Workers is included as is a set of general guidelines for food service managers. This manual describes the...of Westboro, MA. Mr. Ernest Saab and associates of the Aero-Mechanical Engineering Laboratory (NLABS). Mr. John Perry and associates of the Food

A Retrospective and Prospective View of Information Retrieval and Artificial Intelligence in the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garfield, Eugene

2001-01-01

Traces the development of information retrieval/services and suggests that the creation of large digital libraries seems inevitable. Examines possibilities for increasing electronic access and the role of artificial intelligence. Highlights include: searching full text; sending full texts; selective dissemination of information (SDI) profiling and…

Sustainable development education, practice, and research: an indigenous model of sustainable development at the College of Menominee Nation, Keshena, WI, USA

Treesearch

Michael J. Dockry; Katherine Hall; William Van Lopik; Christopher M. Caldwell

2015-01-01

The College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute's theoretical model (SDI model) conceptualizes sustainable development as the process of maintaining the balance and reconciling the inherent tensions among six dimensions of sustainability: land and sovereignty; natural environment #including human beings); institutions; technology; economy; and...

Development of Resource Sharing Networks. Study No. 6. Towards an Australian Industry Information Newwork.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Library of Australia, Canberra.

This report describes recent progress towards the provision of SDI services, current awareness bulletins, and retrospective search facilities to the potential users in Australian industry. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of periodical literature, reports, and patent literature. A list of information bulletins available from the…

The Strategic Design Inquiry: A Formal Methodology For Approaching, Designing, Integrating, And Articulating National Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

15 Figure 4: Example cognitive map ... map , aligning planning efforts throughout the government. Even after strategy implementation, SDI calls for continuing, iterative learning and...the design before total commitment to it. Capturing this analysis on a cognitive map allows strategists to articulate a design to government

Corn yield and economic return with nitrogen applied through drip tubing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A two year project was established to determine corn (Zea mays, L) yield response to subsurface (SSDI) and surface (SDI) drip irrigation systems at various nitrogen fertilizer rates. Nitrogen was applied through the drip system at two nitrogen levels in three split applications. Supplemental dry N ...

Sensing water from subsurface drip irrigation laterals: In situ sensors, weighing lysimeters and COSMOS under vegetated and bare conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Characterization of soil water dynamics in the root zone under subsurface drip irrigated (SDI) is complicated by the three dimensional nature of water fluxes from drip emitters plus the fluxes, if any, of water from precipitation. In addition, soil water sensing systems may differ in their operating...

The evaluation system of city's smart growth success rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yifan

2018-04-01

"Smart growth" is to pursue the best integrated perform+-ance of the Economically prosperous, socially Equitable, and Environmentally Sustainable(3E). Firstly, we establish the smart growth evaluation system(SGI) and the sustainable development evaluation system(SDI). Based on the ten principles and the definition of three E's of sustainability. B y using the Z-score method and the principal component analysis method, we evaluate and quantify indexes synthetically. Then we define the success of smart growth as the ratio of the SDI to the SGI composite score growth rate (SSG). After that we select two cities — Canberra and Durres as the objects of our model in view of the model. Based on the development plans and key data of these two cities, we can figure out the success of smart growth. And according to our model, we adjust some of the growth indicators for both cities. Then observe the results before and after adjustment, and finally verify the accuracy of the model.

Practice and play as determinants of self-determined motivation in youth soccer players.

PubMed

Hendry, David T; Crocker, Peter R E; Hodges, Nicola J

2014-01-01

Based upon predictions derived from the Developmental Model of Sports Participation, we tested whether hours in domain-specific play (self-led activities) and practice (coach-led activities) during childhood (~5-12 year) in an elite group of youth soccer players from the UK (N = 144) were related to motivation. Independent analysis of three different age groups (Under 13, 15 and 17 year) did not show relations between play and practice activities during childhood and global measures of motivation. However, secondary analysis showed that when controlling for years in soccer, years in the UK Academy system were negatively related to global indices of self-determined motivation (SDI) and positively related to controlled motivation for the oldest players. Despite predictions, there was no evidence that play during childhood was positively related to more SDI. Prospective research is recommended to enable more robust conclusions about the role of early developmental practice activities, especially early specialisation in a high-performance system, on both skill and psychosocial development.

The Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope for the ASO-S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hui

2015-08-01

The Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST) is one of the payloads for the proposed Space-Borne Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO-S). LST consists of a Solar Disk Imager (SDI) with a field-of-view (FOV) of 1.2 Rsun, a Solar Corona Imager (SCI) with an FOV of 1.1 - 2.5 Rsun, and a full-disk White-light Solar Telescope (WST) with an FOV of 1.2 Rsun, which also serves as the guiding telescope. The SCI is designed to work at the Lyman-alpha waveband and white-light, while the SDI will work at the Lyman-alpha waveband only. The WST works both in visible (for guide) and ultraviolet (for science) white-light. The LST will observe the Sun from disk-center up to 2.5 solar radii for both solar flares and coronal mass ejections. In this presentation, I will give an introduction to LST, including scientific objectives, science requirement, instrument design and current status.

GéoSAS: A modular and interoperable Open Source Spatial Data Infrastructure for research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bera, R.; Squividant, H.; Le Henaff, G.; Pichelin, P.; Ruiz, L.; Launay, J.; Vanhouteghem, J.; Aurousseau, P.; Cudennec, C.

2015-05-01

To-date, the commonest way to deal with geographical information and processes still appears to consume local resources, i.e. locally stored data processed on a local desktop or server. The maturity and subsequent growing use of OGC standards to exchange data on the World Wide Web, enhanced in Europe by the INSPIRE Directive, is bound to change the way people (and among them research scientists, especially in environmental sciences) make use of, and manage, spatial data. A clever use of OGC standards can help scientists to better store, share and use data, in particular for modelling. We propose a framework for online processing by making an intensive use of OGC standards. We illustrate it using the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) GéoSAS which is the SDI set up for researchers' needs in our department. It is based on the existing open source, modular and interoperable Spatial Data Architecture geOrchestra.

Proposal for a Web Encoding Service (wes) for Spatial Data Transactio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siew, C. B.; Peters, S.; Rahman, A. A.

2015-10-01

Web services utilizations in Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) have been well established and standardized by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Similar web services for 3D SDI are also being established in recent years, with extended capabilities to handle 3D spatial data. The increasing popularity of using City Geographic Markup Language (CityGML) for 3D city modelling applications leads to the needs for large spatial data handling for data delivery. This paper revisits the available web services in OGC Web Services (OWS), and propose the background concepts and requirements for encoding spatial data via Web Encoding Service (WES). Furthermore, the paper discusses the data flow of the encoder within web service, e.g. possible integration with Web Processing Service (WPS) or Web 3D Services (W3DS). The integration with available web service could be extended to other available web services for efficient handling of spatial data, especially 3D spatial data.

Towards a Quantitative Performance Measurement Framework to Assess the Impact of Geographic Information Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandenbroucke, D.; Van Orshoven, J.; Vancauwenberghe, G.

2012-12-01

Over the last decennia, the use of Geographic Information (GI) has gained importance, in public as well as in private sector. But even if many spatial data and related information exist, data sets are scattered over many organizations and departments. In practice it remains difficult to find the spatial data sets needed, and to access, obtain and prepare them for using in applications. Therefore Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) haven been developed to enhance the access, the use and sharing of GI. SDIs consist of a set of technological and non-technological components to reach this goal. Since the nineties many SDI initiatives saw light. Ultimately, all these initiatives aim to enhance the flow of spatial data between organizations (users as well as producers) involved in intra- and inter-organizational and even cross-country business processes. However, the flow of information and its re-use in different business processes requires technical and semantic interoperability: the first should guarantee that system components can interoperate and use the data, while the second should guarantee that data content is understood by all users in the same way. GI-standards within the SDI are necessary to make this happen. However, it is not known if this is realized in practice. Therefore the objective of the research is to develop a quantitative framework to assess the impact of GI-standards on the performance of business processes. For that purpose, indicators are defined and tested in several cases throughout Europe. The proposed research will build upon previous work carried out in the SPATIALIST project. It analyzed the impact of different technological and non-technological factors on the SDI-performance of business processes (Dessers et al., 2011). The current research aims to apply quantitative performance measurement techniques - which are frequently used to measure performance of production processes (Anupindi et al., 2005). Key to reach the research objectives

Why did Poland Choose the F-16

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

study then outlines the financial construct of the three bids, to include economic issues and pressures from the U.S., French, and Swedish governments...multipliers) 1 EADS Construcciones Aeronáuticas (Spain) Delivery of C295M transport aircraft for Polish Air Force 28 Aug 2001 $212.04M 2 GEIE Eurptorp...cooperation in, among others, ship construction , and steel industry, as well as assistance in road management and maintenance.”79 The Swedish (Saab

Science, Space, and Scholarship: University Research and the Strategic Defense Initiative. ASHE 1987 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Randall D.

Issues concerning the federal role in financing research and development (R&D) and the impact of these policies on academic research are examined. Specific concerns are whether the Reagan Administration is militarizing research and implications of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program. National Science Foundation data are examined,…

Helping Students to Think Like Scientists in Socratic Dialogue-Inducing Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hake, Richard

2012-01-01

Socratic dialogue-inducing (SDI) labs are based on Arnold Arons' half-century of ethnographic research, listening carefully to students' responses to probing Socratic questions on physics, science, and ways of thinking, and culminating in his landmark "Teaching Introductory Physics." They utilize "interactive engagement" methods and are designed,…

The Current Soviet Peace Program in its Larger Context

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

budget but witholds money for MX production (December). 1983 - President Reagan announces SDI plans (March). - U.S. Catholic bishops call for nuclear...30. LTC John Langdon Strategic Institute Branch HQMC (PL-6) Arlingon Annex 2022 Washington, DC 20380 5S 31. Ronald S. Lauder DASD (Europeani’NATO

Strategic Defense Initiative: Splendid Defense or Pipe Dream? Headline Series No. 275.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Scott; Grier, Peter

This pamphlet presents a discussion of the various components of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) including the problem of pulling together various new technologies into an effective defensive system and the politics of the so-called "star wars" system. An important part of the defense initiative is the…

Guide for the Establishment and Evaluation of Services for Selective Dissemination of Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poncelet, J.

This guide describes the components of a selective dissemination of information (SDI) service which is designed to give developing countries access to international sources of bibliographic information and provides guidelines for the establishment and evaluation of this type of service. It defines the main features of a computerized documentation…

Preliminary Validity and Reliability of Scores on the "Self-Determination Inventory": Student Report Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shogren, Karrie A.; Wehmeyer, Michael L.; Little, Todd D.; Forber-Pratt, Anjali J.; Palmer, Susan B.; Seo, Hyojeong

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe preliminary psychometric characteristics of a student self-report measure of self-determination, the "Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report" version (SDI-SR), designed for youth with and without disabilities. We administered the draft assessment to 311 youth and examined item functioning…

Clinical and serologic factors associated with lupus pleuritis.

PubMed

Mittoo, Shikha; Gelber, Allan C; Hitchon, Carol A; Silverman, Earl D; Pope, Janet E; Fortin, Paul R; Pineau, Christian; Smith, C Douglas; Arbillaga, Hector; Gladman, Dafna D; Urowitz, Murray B; Zummer, Michel; Clarke, Ann E; Bernatsky, Sasha; Hudson, Marie; Tucker, Lori B; Petty, Ross E; Peschken, Christine A

2010-04-01

Pleuritis is a common manifestation and independent predictor of mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We examined the prevalence of pleuritis and factors associated with pleuritis in a multicenter Canadian SLE cohort. We studied consecutive adults satisfying the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SLE who had a completed Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SDI) score, at least 1 evaluable extractable nuclear antigen assay, and either a SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) or a SLE Activity Measure score. Pleuritis was defined as having pleuritis by satisfying the ACR criteria or the SLEDAI. Factors related to pleuritis were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. In our cohort of 876 patients, 91% were women, 65% Caucasian, mean age (+/- SD) was 46.8 +/- 13.5 years, and disease duration at study entry was 12.1 +/- 9.9 years; the prevalence of pleuritis was 34% (n = 296). Notably, greater disease duration (p = 0.002), higher SDI score (p SDI score, concomitant seropositivity for RNP and Sm were related to a nearly 2-fold greater prevalence of pleuritis (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.31-2.82). Pleuritis occurred in one-third of this Canadian cohort. Concomitant Sm and RNP seropositivity, greater cumulative damage, longer disease duration, and younger age at SLE disease onset were related to a higher rate of SLE pleural disease.

Predictors of cardiovascular damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: data from LUMINA (LXVIII), a multiethnic US cohort.

PubMed

Pons-Estel, Guillermo J; González, Luis A; Zhang, Jie; Burgos, Paula I; Reveille, John D; Vilá, Luis M; Alarcón, Graciela S

2009-07-01

To determine the features predictive of atherosclerotic cardiovascular damage in patients with SLE. SLE LUMINA (LUpus in MInorities: NAture vs nurture) patients (n = 637), aged >or=16 years, disease duration SDI) cardiovascular domain: angina or coronary artery by pass surgery, myocardial infarction and/or congestive heart failure; factors associated with its occurrence were examined by univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Forty-three (6.8%) of 637 patients developed cardiovascular damage over a mean +/- S.D. total disease duration of 6.6 +/- 3.6 years. Nearly 90% of the patients were women with a mean +/- s.d. age of 36.5 (12.6) years; all ethnic groups were represented. By multivariable analyses, after adjusting for the cardiovascular manifestations present, age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% CI 1.03, 1.09], male gender (OR = 3.57; 95% CI 1.35, 9.09) SDI at baseline (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.09, 1.50) and CRP levels [highest tertile (OR = 2.63; 95% CI 1.17, 5.91)] were associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular damage, whereas the number of years of education was negatively associated with such outcome (OR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.74, 0.94). Our data suggest that atherosclerotic cardiovascular damage in SLE is multifactorial; traditional (age, gender) and disease-related factors (CRP levels, SDI at baseline) appear to be important contributors to such an occurrence. Tight control of the inflammatory process must be achieved to prevent it.

Validation of the Lupus Nephritis Clinical Indices in Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Mina, Rina; Abulaban, Khalid; Klein-Gitelman, Marisa; Eberhard, Anne; Ardoin, Stacy; Singer, Nora; Onel, Karen; Tucker, Lori; O’Neil, Kathleen; Wright, Tracey; Brooks, Elizabeth; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Jung, Lawrence; Imundo, Lisa; Rovin, Brad; Witte, David; Ying, Jun; Brunner, Hermine I.

2015-01-01

Objective To validate clinical indices of lupus nephritis (LN) activity and damage when used in children against the criterion standard of kidney biopsy findings. Methods In 83 children requiring kidney biopsy the SLE Disease Activity Index Renal Domain (SLEDAI-R); British Isles Lupus Assessment Group index Renal Domain (BILAG-R), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Renal Activity (SLICC-RAS) and Damage Index Renal Domain (SDI-R) were measured. Fixed effect and logistic models were done to predict International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) class; low/moderate vs. high LN-activity [NIH Activity Index (NIH-AI) score: ≤ 10 vs. > 10; Tubulointerstitial Activity Index (TIAI) score: ≤ 5 vs. > 5) or the absence vs. presence of LN chronicity [NIH Chronicity Index (NIH-CI) score: 0 vs. ≥ 1]. Results There were 10, 50 and 23 patients with class I/II, III/IV and V, respectively. Scores of the clinical indices did not differentiate among patients by ISN/RPS class. The SLEDAI-R and SLICC-RAS but not the BILAG-R differed with LN-activity status defined by NIH-AI scores, while only the SLEDAI-R scores differed between LN-activity status based on TIAI scores. The sensitivity and specificity of the SDI-R to capture LN chronicity was 23.5% and 91.7%, respectively. Despite designed to measure LN-activity, SLICC-RAS and SLEDAI-R scores significantly differed with LN chronicity status. Conclusion Current clinical indices of LN fail to discriminate ISN/RPS Class in children. Despite its shortcomings, the SLEDAI-R appears to best for measuring LN activity in a clinical setting. The SDI-R is a poor correlate of LN chronicity. PMID:26213987

Prevalence of Anguillicoloides crassus and growth variation in migrant yellow-phase American eels of the upper Potomac River drainage.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Jennifer L; Welsh, Stuart A

2012-11-08

Prevalence of the non-native swim bladder nematode Anguillicoloides crassus has recently increased in American eels from estuaries of the North American Atlantic coast, but little is known about parasite prevalence or conditions of previous infection in upstream migrant eels within upper watersheds. This study is the first to confirm presence of A. crassus in the upper Potomac River watershed. We estimated A. crassus prevalence during 3 time periods: September to October 2006 (5/143 eels, 3.5%), August to October 2007 (0/49 eels), and June 2008 (0/50 eels). All eels were sampled from the Millville Dam eel ladder on the lower Shenandoah River, a Potomac River tributary located approximately 285 km upstream of Chesapeake Bay, USA. Of the 5 infected eels, parasite intensity was 1 for each eel, and mean intensity was also 1.0. A swim bladder degenerative index (SDI) was calculated for the 50 eels from the final sampling period, and 38% of those eels (19 of 50) showed signs of previous infection by A. crassus. We also aged 42 of the 50 eels (mean ± SE = 6.7 ± 0.29 yr, range 4 to 11 yr) from the final sampling period. Based on the range of possible SDI scores (0 to 6), severity of previously infected swim bladders was moderate (SDI = 1 or 2). Previously infected eels, however, had a lower length-at-age than that of uninfected eels. Female yellow-phase eels in upper watersheds develop into large highly fecund silver-phase adults; hence, a parasite-induced effect on growth of yellow-phase eels could ultimately reduce reproductive potential.

The CHARIS High-Contrast Integral-Field Spectrograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Groff, Tyler D.; Chilcote, Jeffrey; Brandt, Timothy; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Galvin, Michael; Loomis, Craig; Rizzo, Maxime; Knapp, Gillian; Guyon, Olivier; Jovanovic, Nemanja;

Improving Satellite Retrieved Infrared Sea Surface Temperatures in Aerosol-Contaminated Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, B.; Minnett, P. J.; Szczodrak, G.; Kilpatrick, K. A.

2017-12-01

Infrared satellite observations of sea surface temperature (SST) have become essential for many applications in meteorology, climatology, and oceanography. Applications often require high accuracy SST data: for climate research and monitoring an absolute uncertainty of 0.1K and stability of better than 0.04K per decade are required. Tropospheric aerosol concentrations increase infrared signal attenuation and prevent the retrieval of accurate satellite SST. We compare satellite-derived skin SST with measurements from the Marine-Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (M-AERI) deployed on ships during the Aerosols and Ocean Science Expeditions (AEROSE) and with quality-controlled drifter temperatures. After match-up with in-situ SST and filtering of cloud contaminated data, the results indicate that SST retrieved from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites have negative (cool) biases compared to shipboard radiometric measurements. There is also a pronounced negative bias in the Saharan outflow area that can introduce SST errors >1 K at aerosol optical depths > 0.5. In this study, we present a new method to derive night-time Saharan Dust Index (SDI) algorithms based on simulated brightness temperatures at infrared wavelengths of 3.9, 10.8 and 12.0 μm, derived using RTTOV. We derived correction coefficients for Aqua MODIS measurements by regression of the SST errors against the SDI. The biases and standard deviations are reduced by 0.25K and 0.19K after the SDI correction. The goal of this study is to understand better the characteristics and physical mechanisms of aerosol effects on satellite retrieved infrared SST, as well as to derive empirical formulae for improved accuracies in aerosol-contaminated regions.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in a multiethnic cohort (LUMINA): XXIX. Elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate is associated with disease activity and damage accrual.

PubMed

Vilá, Luis M; Alarcón, Graciela S; McGwin, Gerald; Bastian, Holly M; Fessler, Barri J; Reveille, John D

2005-11-01

To determine if different categories of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) elevation are associated with disease activity and/or damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We studied 2317 study visits in 553 SLE patients (> or = 4 American College of Rheumatology criteria, < or = 5 years' disease duration at enrollment) from a multiethnic (Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian) longitudinal study of outcome. A study visit was done every 6 months for the first year and annually thereafter. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was measured using the Westergren method; results were expressed in 4 categories: < 25 (normal), 25-50 (mild elevation), 51-75 (moderate elevation), and > 75 (marked elevation) mm/h. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were measured at enrollment with the Crithidia luciliae assay. Disease activity was assessed with the Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM) and the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA). Because ESR is one of the measures evaluated in the SLAM, it was excluded from the total SLAM score. Disease damage was assessed with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index (SDI). The relationship between the SLAM (total and PGA) and SDI scores (at baseline and for all visits) and anti-dsDNA antibodies (at enrollment) with ESR was examined by univariable and generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression analyses. Ethnicity, age, and sex were entered in all regression models. The cohort consisted of 89.7% women with mean age 36.8 (SD 12.6) years and disease duration 4.6 (SD 3.2) years. GEE analyses showed that increasing levels of ESR and anti-dsDNA antibody positivity were independently associated with SLAM and PGA scores, at enrollment and for all visits. Overall, the associations of ESR with SLAM and PGA scores were stronger than for the presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies. At baseline, there was no relationship of ESR elevation or anti-dsDNA positivity with SDI scores. However, when all visits were studied, moderate and

An eleven-year record of mass balance of Brewster Glacier, New Zealand, determined using a geostatistical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullen, N. J.; Anderson, B.; Sirguey, P. J.; Stumm, D.; Mackintosh, A.; Conway, J. P.; Horgan, H. J.; Dadic, R.; Fitzsimons, S.; Lorrey, A.

2016-12-01

Recognizing the scarcity of glacier mass balance data in the Southern Hemisphere, a mass balance measurement program was started at Brewster Glacier in 2004. Evolution of the measurement regime over the 11 years of data recorded means there are differences in the spatial density of data obtained. To ensure the temporal integrity of the dataset a new, geostatistical approach has been developed to calculate mass balance. Spatial co-variance between elevation and snow depth has enabled a digital elevation model to be used in a co-kriging approach to develop a snow depth index (SDI). By capturing the observed spatial variability in snow depth, the SDI is a more reliable predictor than elevation and is used to adjust each year of measurements consistently despite variability in sampling spatial density. The SDI also resolves the spatial structure of summer balance better than elevation. Co-kriging is used again to spatially interpolate a derived mean summer balance index using SDI as a co-variate, which yields a spatial predictor for summer balance. A similar approach is also used to create a predictor for annual balance, which allows us to revisit years where summer balance was not obtained. The average glacier-wide surface winter, summer and annual mass balances over the period 2005-2015 are 2484, -2586, and -102 mm w.e., respectively, with changes in summer balance explaining most of the variability in annual balance. On the whole, there is good agreement between our ELA and AAR values and those derived from the end-of-summer snowline (EOSS) program, though discrepancies in some years cannot be fully accounted for. A mass balance map of Brewster Glacier in an equilibrium state, which by definition has a glacier-wide mass balance equal to zero (a balanced-budget), is used to calculate values of ELA (1923 ±25 m) and AAR (0.40) representative of the observational period. The relationships between mass balance and ELA/AAR are explored, demonstrating they are mostly

The chronic damage in systemic lupus erythematosus is driven by flares, glucocorticoids and antiphospholipid antibodies: results from a monocentric cohort.

PubMed

Conti, F; Ceccarelli, F; Perricone, C; Leccese, I; Massaro, L; Pacucci, V A; Truglia, S; Miranda, F; Spinelli, F R; Alessandri, C; Valesini, G

2016-06-01

Literature data suggest a significantly higher mortality in patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developing chronic damage. Therefore, damage prevention is a major goal in the management of SLE patients. In the present study, we assessed damage by means of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index (SDI), in a large cohort of SLE patients. Additionally, we aimed at evaluating its association with demographic and clinical features as well as with disease activity and laboratory findings. We enrolled consecutive patients affected by SLE diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1997 revised criteria. Chronic damage was determined by SDI calculated at the last examination in all patients with at least six months of follow-up. Disease activity was assessed by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K); flare was defined as an increase of SLEDAI-2K ≥ 4 compared with the previous visit. We evaluated 349 SLE patients (M/F 25/324, mean age ± SD 42.7 ± 12.4 years, mean disease duration ± SD 164.9 ± 105.2 months). Among the enrolled patients, 125 (35.8%) showed a SDI ≥ 1 (mean SDI ± SD 1.7 ± 0.9, range 0-5). The musculo-skeletal was the most frequently involved organ/system in SDI score (41/349 patients, 11.7%), with deforming/erosive arthritis in 21/349 (6.0%). The presence of chronic damage was associated with age (P < 0.001), disease duration (P < 0.001), number of flares (P = 0.02) and with the use of glucocorticoids (P = 0.02). The logistic regression analysis revealed the association between neuropsychiatric damage and antiphospholipid syndrome (P = 0.01, OR = 3.9) and between the presence of cardiovascular damage and anti-β2GPI antibodies (P = 0.01, OR 6.2). In the present study chronic damage was identified in about one third of SLE patients. The

31 CFR 203.4 - Financial institution eligibility for designation as a TT&L depositary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PAYMENT OF FEDERAL TAXES AND THE TREASURY TAX AND LOAN PROGRAM General Information § 203.4 Financial... secure TT&L account balances, a TIP main account balance, an SDI account balance, or a no account balance... Federal tax deposits through PATAX, a financial institution must possess under its charter either general...

SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION--REVIEW OF SELECTED SYSTEMS AND A DESIGN FOR ARMY TECHNICAL LIBRARIES. FINAL REPORT. ARMY TECHNICAL LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT STUDIES (ATLIS), REPORT NO. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BIVONA, WILLIAM A.

THIS REPORT PRESENTS AN ANALYSIS OF OVER EIGHTEEN SMALL, INTERMEDIATE, AND LARGE SCALE SYSTEMS FOR THE SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION (SDI). SYSTEMS ARE COMPARED AND ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO DESIGN CRITERIA AND THE FOLLOWING NINE SYSTEM PARAMETERS--(1) INFORMATION INPUT, (2) METHODS OF INDEXING AND ABSTRACTING, (3) USER INTEREST PROFILE…

Evaluation of the Effects of SDIA, a LUXR Homologue, on Adherence and Motility of Escherichia coli O157:H7

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quorum-sensing (QS) signaling pathways are important regulatory networks for controlling the expression of genes promoting adherence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 to epithelial cells. A recent study has shown that EHEC O157:H7 encodes a luxR homologue, called sdiA¸ which upon...

Successful Learning Strategies for the Emerging Adolescent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Kathleen A.

1986-01-01

Focusing on individual learning styles as a major component of intentional teaching, this discussion points out advantages for teachers who provide options based on students' learning styles in the classroom. Particular attention is given to the model of Style Differentiated Instruction (SDI) which developed from the research on styles, higher…

Congress and SDIO, 1983-1989.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-31

Dellums offered an amendment that would have reduced the amount to $1.1 billion. Two other amendments to reduce the SDI authorization—one by Rep. Nicholas ...Senate, Committee on Armed Services, Hearings: National Security Strategy of the United States. 100:1, Jan. 12, 1987, Steno . transcript, p. 112, copy in

The "Make or Buy" Decision: Five Main Points to Consider

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archer, Mary Ann E.

1978-01-01

Five points which should be considered when making decisions about whether to purchase magnetic tapes for in-hours searching by batch processing, purchase terminals and contract with on-line vendors, or contract with information brokers for retrospective searching or SDI are availability of information in the most useful form, hardware and…

A Review of Gas-Cooled Reactor Concepts for SDI Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

710 program .) Wire- Core Reactor (proposed by Rockwell). The wire- core reactor utilizes thin fuel wires woven between spacer wires to form an open...reactor is based on results of developmental studies of nuclear rocket propulsion systems. The reactor core is made up of annular fuel assemblies of...XE Addendum to Volume II. NERVA Fuel Development , Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory, TNR-230, July 15’ 1972. J I8- Rover Program Reactor Tests

"Star Wars" on Campus: Scientists Debate the Wisdom of SDI.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenblatt, Jean

1987-01-01

President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative is opposed by many university scientists, but government officials have no problem placing research contracts. Specific arrangements and personal opinions are cited, and the text of the Star Wars Petition signed by 6,500 faculty and graduate student scientists is included. (MSE)

Embedded CLIPS for SDI BM/C3 simulation and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gossage, Brett; Nanney, Van

1990-01-01

Nichols Research Corporation is developing the BM/C3 Requirements Analysis Tool (BRAT) for the U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command. BRAT uses embedded CLIPS/Ada to model the decision making processes used by the human commander of a defense system. Embedding CLlPS/Ada in BRAT allows the user to explore the role of the human in Command and Control (C2) and the use of expert systems for automated C2. BRAT models assert facts about the current state of the system, the simulated scenario, and threat information into CLIPS/Ada. A user-defined rule set describes the decision criteria for the commander. We have extended CLIPS/Ada with user-defined functions that allow the firing of a rule to invoke a system action such as weapons release or a change in strategy. The use of embedded CLIPS/Ada will provide a powerful modeling tool for our customer at minimal cost.

77 FR 19687 - Notice of Inventory Completion: California Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

.... At an unknown date in the 1970s, a cremated human bone representing, at minimum, one individual was... 1970s, a cremated human bone representing, at minimum, one individual was removed from site CA-SDI- 1116... seed; 1 green fused shale biface tip; 1 burnt wonderstone flake; 2 burned worked faunal bone fragments...

77 FR 19702 - Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: California Department of Parks and Recreation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... the appropriate tribes, has determined that the cultural items meet the definition of unassociated... Department of Parks and Recreation that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 U.S.C... San Diego Museum of Man. One artifact from site CA-SDI-913, a ceramic bow pipe, is in the possession...

Pavement Condition Assessment Using IRI from Roadroid and Surface Distress Index Method on National Road in Sumenep Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arianto, T.; Suprapto, M.; Syafi’i

2018-03-01

The pavement condition will decrease due to the influence of traffic and environment, so that the maintenance effort is needed to maintain the road condition during the service period. In order to carry out road maintenance activities right on target, there needs to be a plan based on accurate pavement condition data. Road roughness is the most commonly used condition parameter in evaluating pavement conditions objectively because road roughness data is relatively easy to obtain, well correlated with vehicle operating costs and the most relevant parameter in road functional performance measurement. The Roadroid is an Android-based application that measures road roughness by using vibration sensors on a smartphone so it is possible to get an International Roughness Index (IRI) value as an indicator of pavement conditions more easily and efficiently. Besides based on road roughness, pavement condition evaluation can also be done visually by using Surface Distress Index (SDI) method that uses the total crack area parameters, average crack width, total number of potholes and the average depth of rutting. This study attempts to assess the condition of Jenderal Sudirman-Kalianget road by combining IRI Roadroid value and SDI value which will be used as the basis to determine the required road maintenance. This road segment is one of the national strategic road connecting the center of Sumenep regency with the Kalianget harbor. Based on IRI measurement and SDI calculation, the pavement condition of Jenderal Sudirman-Kalianget road can be described 4.2 kilometers (37.17%) were good and 2.3 kilometers (20.35%) were fair that need routine maintenance. While 2.1 kilometers (18.58%) were bad and 2.7 kilometers (23.89%) were poor that need periodical maintenance and reconstruction.

Predictors of post-partum damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from LUMINA, a multiethnic US cohort (XXXVIII).

PubMed

Andrade, R M; McGwin, G; Alarcón, G S; Sanchez, M L; Bertoli, A M; Fernández, M; Fessler, B J; Apte, M; Arango, A M; Bastian, H M; Vilá, L M; Reveille, J D

2006-11-01

To determine the impact of pregnancy on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) outcome. SLE patients, age >or=16 yrs, disease duration SDI]. Differences in these variables between the visit immediately prior to, and the first visit after, pregnancy and their relationship with pregnancy outcome were examined. Damage accrual due to pregnancy exposure was examined by a case-crossover design. Sixty-three SLE women from all ethnic groups were included. The mean (S.D.) age and disease duration at pregnancy outcome were 27.6 (6.5) yrs and 18.3 (22.5) months, respectively. Adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred in 76.2% women. The SLAM-R and SDI scores were statistically different after pregnancy (P = 0.050 and P < 0.001, respectively); the SDI score was independent of pregnancy outcome but strongly associated with pregnancy duration (P = 0.006), disease activity (P = 0.001), damage prior to pregnancy (P < 0.001) and total disease duration (P = 0.039) by multivariable analyses. Exposure to pregnancy itself did not impact on damage accrual in the case-crossover analyses of 142 patients (17 pregnancy exposures) (OR = 1.25; 95% CI 0.336-4.655; P = 0.480). Pregnancy duration, total disease duration, disease activity and damage immediately prior to pregnancy decisively impact on damage accrual after pregnancy in patients with SLE.

Evolution of disease burden over five years in a multicenter inception systemic lupus erythematosus cohort.

PubMed

Urowitz, M B; Gladman, D D; Ibañez, D; Fortin, P R; Bae, S C; Gordon, C; Clarke, A; Bernatsky, S; Hanly, J G; Isenberg, D; Rahman, A; Sanchez-Guerrero, J; Wallace, D J; Ginzler, E; Alarcón, G S; Merrill, J T; Bruce, I N; Sturfelt, G; Nived, O; Steinsson, K; Khamashta, M; Petri, M; Manzi, S; Ramsey-Goldman, R; Dooley, M A; van Vollenhoven, R F; Ramos, M; Stoll, T; Zoma, A; Kalunian, K; Aranow, C

2012-01-01

We describe disease activity, damage, and the accrual of key autoantibodies in an inception systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) International Research Network, comprising 27 centers from 11 countries, has followed an inception cohort of SLE patients yearly according to a standardized protocol. Of these patients, 298 were followed for a minimum of 5 years and constitute the study population. Disease activity was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and damage was assessed using the SLICC/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). Antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-DNA, and anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) levels and lupus anticoagulant were assessed yearly. Descriptive statistics were generated and repeated-measures general linear models were used to evaluate SLEDAI-2K and SDI over time between whites and nonwhites. Of the 298 patients, 87% were women, 55% were white, 12% were African American, 14% were Asian, 16% were Hispanic, and 2% were categorized as "other." At enrollment, the mean age was 35.3 years, the mean SLEDAI-2K score was 5.9, and the mean disease duration was 5.5 months. Mean SLEDAI-2K scores decreased in the first year and then remained low. SLEDAI-2K scores were significantly lower at each year in whites compared to nonwhites. Mean SDI scores increased progressively over 5 years; there was no significant difference between whites and nonwhites. As expected, ANA positivity was high and anti-DNA positivity was relatively low at enrollment, and both increased over 5 years. Although lupus anticoagulant increased slightly over 5 years, aCL positivity did not. Disease activity in newly diagnosed patients decreases over their first 5 years, while damage increases. Antibody positivity ran variable courses over this period. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Validation of the Lupus Nephritis Clinical Indices in Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Mina, Rina; Abulaban, Khalid; Klein-Gitelman, Marisa S; Eberhard, Barbara A; Ardoin, Stacy P; Singer, Nora; Onel, Karen; Tucker, Lori; O'neil, Kathleen; Wright, Tracey; Brooks, Elizabeth; Rouster-Stevens, Kelly; Jung, Lawrence; Imundo, Lisa; Rovin, Brad; Witte, David; Ying, Jun; Brunner, Hermine I

2016-02-01

To validate clinical indices of lupus nephritis activity and damage when used in children against the criterion standard of kidney biopsy findings. In 83 children requiring kidney biopsy, the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index renal domain (SLEDAI-R), British Isles Lupus Assessment Group index renal domain (BILAG-R), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) renal activity score (SLICC-RAS), and SLICC Damage Index renal domain (SDI-R) were measured. Fixed effects and logistic models were calculated to predict International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) class; low-to-moderate versus high lupus nephritis activity (National Institutes of Health [NIH] activity index [AI]) score: ≤10 versus >10; tubulointerstitial activity index (TIAI) score: ≤5 versus >5; or the absence versus presence of lupus nephritis chronicity (NIH chronicity index) score: 0 versus ≥1. There were 10, 50, and 23 patients with ISN/RPS class I/II, III/IV, and V, respectively. Scores of the clinical indices did not differentiate among patients by ISN/RPS class. The SLEDAI-R and SLICC-RAS but not the BILAG-R differed with lupus nephritis activity status defined by NIH-AI scores, while only the SLEDAI-R scores differed between lupus nephritis activity status based on TIAI scores. The sensitivity and specificity of the SDI-R to capture lupus nephritis chronicity was 23.5% and 91.7%, respectively. Despite being designed to measure lupus nephritis activity, SLICC-RAS and SLEDAI-R scores significantly differed with lupus nephritis chronicity status. Current clinical indices of lupus nephritis fail to discriminate ISN/RPS class in children. Despite its shortcomings, the SLEDAI-R appears best for measuring lupus nephritis activity in a clinical setting. The SDI-R is a poor correlate of lupus nephritis chronicity. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Differential effects on apoptosis induction in hepatocyte lines by stable expression of hepatitis B virus X protein

PubMed Central

Fiedler, Nicola; Quant, Ellen; Fink, Ludger; Sun, Jianguang; Schuster, Ralph; Gerlich, Wolfram H; Schaefer, Stephan

2006-01-01

AIM: Hepatitis B virus protein X (HBx) has been shown to be weakly oncogenic in vitro. The transforming activities of HBx have been linked with the inhibition of several functions of the tumor suppressor p53. We have studied whether HBx may have different effects on p53 depending on the cell type. METHODS: We used the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and the immortalized murine hepatocyte line AML12 and analyzed stably transfected clones which expressed physiological amounts of HBx. P53 was induced by UV irradiation. RESULTS: The p53 induction by UV irradiation was unaffected by stable expression of HBx. However, the expression of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p21waf/cip/sdi which gets activated by p53 was affected in the HBx transformed cell line AML12-HBx9, but not in HepG2. In AML-HBx9 cells, p21waf/cip/sdi-protein expression and p21waf/cip/sdi transcription were deregulated. Furthermore, the process of apoptosis was affected in opposite ways in the two cell lines investigated. While stable expression of HBx enhanced apoptosis induced by UV irradiation in HepG2-cells, apoptosis was decreased in HBx transformed AML12-HBx9. P53 repressed transcription from the HBV enhancer I, when expressed from expression vectors or after induction of endogenous p53 by UV irradiation. Repression by endogenous p53 was partially reversible by stably expressed HBx in both cell lines. CONCLUSION: Stable expression of HBx leads to deregulation of apoptosis induced by UV irradiation depending on the cell line used. In an immortalized hepatocyte line HBx acted anti-apoptotic whereas expression in a carcinoma derived hepatocyte line HBx enhanced apoptosis. PMID:16937438

Deep subsurface drip irrigation using coal-bed sodic water: part I. water and solute movement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bern, Carleton R.; Breit, George N.; Healy, Richard W.; Zupancic, John W.; Hammack, Richard

2013-01-01

Water co-produced with coal-bed methane (CBM) in the semi-arid Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana commonly has relatively low salinity and high sodium adsorption ratios that can degrade soil permeability where used for irrigation. Nevertheless, a desire to derive beneficial use from the water and a need to dispose of large volumes of it have motivated the design of a deep subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system capable of utilizing that water. Drip tubing is buried 92 cm deep and irrigates at a relatively constant rate year-round, while evapotranspiration by the alfalfa and grass crops grown is seasonal. We use field data from two sites and computer simulations of unsaturated flow to understand water and solute movements in the SDI fields. Combined irrigation and precipitation exceed potential evapotranspiration by 300-480 mm annually. Initially, excess water contributes to increased storage in the unsaturated zone, and then drainage causes cyclical rises in the water table beneath the fields. Native chloride and nitrate below 200 cm depth are leached by the drainage. Some CBM water moves upward from the drip tubing, drawn by drier conditions above. Chloride from CBM water accumulates there as root uptake removes the water. Year over year accumulations indicated by computer simulations illustrate that infiltration of precipitation water from the surface only partially leaches such accumulations away. Field data show that 7% and 27% of added chloride has accumulated above the drip tubing in an alfalfa and grass field, respectively, following 6 years of irrigation. Maximum chloride concentrations in the alfalfa field are around 45 cm depth but reach the surface in parts of the grass field, illustrating differences driven by crop physiology. Deep SDI offers a means of utilizing marginal quality irrigation waters and managing the accumulation of their associated solutes in the crop rooting zone.

Deep subsurface drip irrigation using coal-bed sodic water: part II. geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bern, Carleton R.; Breit, George N.; Healy, Richard W.; Zupancic, John W.

2013-01-01

Waters with low salinity and high sodium adsorption ratios (SARs) present a challenge to irrigation because they degrade soil structure and infiltration capacity. In the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, such low salinity (electrical conductivity, EC 2.1 mS cm-1) and high-SAR (54) waters are co-produced with coal-bed methane and some are used for subsurface drip irrigation(SDI). The SDI system studied mixes sulfuric acid with irrigation water and applies water year-round via drip tubing buried 92 cm deep. After six years of irrigation, SAR values between 0 and 30 cm depth (0.5-1.2) are only slightly increased over non-irrigated soils (0.1-0.5). Only 8-15% of added Na has accumulated above the drip tubing. Sodicity has increased in soil surrounding the drip tubing, and geochemical simulations show that two pathways can generate sodic conditions. In soil between 45-cm depth and the drip tubing, Na from the irrigation water accumulates as evapotranspiration concentrates solutes. SAR values >12, measured by 1:1 water-soil extracts, are caused by concentration of solutes by factors up to 13. Low-EC (-1) is caused by rain and snowmelt flushing the soil and displacing ions in soil solution. Soil below the drip tubing experiences lower solute concentration factors (1-1.65) due to excess irrigation water and also contains relatively abundant native gypsum (2.4 ± 1.7 wt.%). Geochemical simulations show gypsum dissolution decreases soil-water SAR to 14 and decreasing EC in soil water to 3.2 mS cm-1. Increased sodicity in the subsurface, rather than the surface, indicates that deep SDI can be a viable means of irrigating with sodic waters.

Loss of dysbindin-1, a risk gene for schizophrenia, leads to impaired group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor function in mice

PubMed Central

Bhardwaj, Sanjeev K.; Ryan, Richard T.; Wong, Tak Pan; Srivastava, Lalit K.

2015-01-01

The expression of dysbindin-1, a protein coded by the risk gene dtnbp1, is reduced in the brains of schizophrenia patients. Evidence indicates a role of dysbindin-1 in dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmission. Glutamatergic transmission and plasticity at excitatory synapses is critically regulated by G-protein coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) family members, that have been implicated in schizophrenia. Here, we report a role of dysbindin-1 in hippocampal group 1 mGluR (mGluRI) function in mice. In hippocampal synaptoneurosomal preparations from sandy (sdy) mice, that have a loss of function mutation in dysbindin-1 gene, we observed a striking reduction in mGluRI agonist [(S)-3, 5-dihydroxyphenylglycine] (DHPG)-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). This mGluR-ERK1/2 deficit occurred in the absence of significant changes in protein levels of the two members of the mGluRI family (i.e., mGluR1 and mGluR5) or in another mGluRI signaling pathway, i.e., protein kinase C (PKC). Aberrant mGluRI-ERK1/2 signaling affected hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the sdy mutants as DHPG-induced long-term depression (LTD) at CA1 excitatory synapses was significantly reduced. Behavioral data suggest that the mGluRI hypofunction may underlie some of the cognitive abnormalities described in sdy mice as the administration of CDPPB (3-cyano-N-(1, 3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl benzamide), a positive allosteric modulator of mGluR5, rescued short-term object recognition and spatial learning and memory deficits in these mice. Taken together, our data suggest a novel role of dysbindin-1 in regulating mGluRI functions. PMID:25859193

Decrease in Plasma Cyclophilin A Concentration at 1 Month after Myocardial Infarction Predicts Better Left Ventricular Performance and Synchronicity at 6 Months: A Pilot Study in Patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

PubMed Central

Huang, Ching-Hui; Chang, Chia-Chu; Kuo, Chen-Ling; Huang, Ching-Shan; Lin, Chih-Sheng; Liu, Chin-San

2015-01-01

Background: Cyclophilin A (CyPA) concentration increases in acute coronary syndrome. In an animal model of acute myocardial infarction, administration of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor was associated with lower left ventricular (LV) CyPA concentration and improved LV performance. This study investigated the relationships between changes in plasma CyPA concentrations and LV remodeling in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and Results: We enrolled 55 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for acute STEMI. Plasma CyPA, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations were measured at baseline and at one-month follow-up. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and at one-, three-, and six-month follow-up. Patients with a decrease in baseline CyPA concentration at one-month follow-up (n = 28) had a significant increase in LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (from 60.2 ± 11.5% to 64.6 ± 9.9%, p < 0. 001) and preserved LV synchrony at six months. Patients without a decrease in CyPA concentration at one month (n = 27) did not show improvement in LVEF and had a significantly increased systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) (from 1.170 ± 0.510% to 1.637 ± 1.299%, p = 0.042) at six months. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant association between one-month CyPA concentration and six-month LVEF. The one-month MMP-2 concentration was positively correlated with one-month CyPA concentration and LV SDI. Conclusions: Decreased CyPA concentration at one-month follow-up after STEMI was associated with better LVEF and SDI at six months. Changes in CyPA, therefore, may be a prognosticator of patient outcome. PMID:25552928

Predictors of cardiovascular damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: data from LUMINA (LXVIII), a multiethnic US cohort

PubMed Central

Pons-Estel, Guillermo J.; González, Luis A.; Zhang, Jie; Burgos, Paula I.; Reveille, John D.; Vilá, Luis M.

2009-01-01

Objective. To determine the features predictive of atherosclerotic cardiovascular damage in patients with SLE. Methods. SLE LUMINA (LUpus in MInorities: NAture vs nurture) patients (n = 637), aged ⩾16 years, disease duration ⩽5 years at baseline (T0), of African–American, Hispanic and Caucasian ethnicity were studied. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular damage was defined by the following items of the SLICC Damage Index (SDI) cardiovascular domain: angina or coronary artery by pass surgery, myocardial infarction and/or congestive heart failure; factors associated with its occurrence were examined by univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Results. Forty-three (6.8%) of 637 patients developed cardiovascular damage over a mean ± s.d. total disease duration of 6.6 ± 3.6 years. Nearly 90% of the patients were women with a mean ± s.d. age of 36.5 (12.6) years; all ethnic groups were represented. By multivariable analyses, after adjusting for the cardiovascular manifestations present, age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% CI 1.03, 1.09], male gender (OR = 3.57; 95% CI 1.35, 9.09) SDI at baseline (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.09, 1.50) and CRP levels [highest tertile (OR = 2.63; 95% CI 1.17, 5.91)] were associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular damage, whereas the number of years of education was negatively associated with such outcome (OR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.74, 0.94). Conclusions. Our data suggest that atherosclerotic cardiovascular damage in SLE is multifactorial; traditional (age, gender) and disease-related factors (CRP levels, SDI at baseline) appear to be important contributors to such an occurrence. Tight control of the inflammatory process must be achieved to prevent it. PMID:19454606

Are self-thinning contraints needed in a tree-specific mortality model.

Treesearch

Robert A. Monserud; Thomas Ledermann; Hubert Sterba

2005-01-01

Can a tree-specific mortality model elicit expected forest stand density dynamics without imposing stand-level constraints such as Reineke's maximum stand density index (SDI,) or the -312 power law of self-thinning? We examine this emergent properties question using the Austrian stand simulator PROGNAUS. This simulator was chosen specifically because it does not...

Influence of deficit irrigation strategies on fatty acid and tocopherol concentration of almond (Prunus dulcis).

PubMed

Zhu, Ying; Taylor, Cathy; Sommer, Karl; Wilkinson, Kerry; Wirthensohn, Michelle

2015-04-15

The effects of deficit irrigation on almond fatty acid and tocopherol levels were studied in a field trial. Mature almond trees were subjected to three levels of deficit irrigation (85%, 70% and 55% of potential crop evapotranspiration (ETo), as well as control (100% ETo) and over-irrigation (120% ETo) treatments. Two deficit irrigation strategies were employed: regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI). Moderate deficit irrigation (85% RDI and 85% SDI) had no detrimental impact on almond kernel lipid content, but severe and extreme deficiencies (70% and 55%) influenced lipid content. Unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents fluctuated under these treatments, the oleic/linoleic ratio increased under moderate water deficiency, but decreased under severe and extreme water deficiency. Almond tocopherols concentration was relatively stable under deficit irrigation. The variation between years indicated climate has an effect on almond fruit development. In conclusion it is feasible to irrigate almond trees using less water than the normal requirement, without significant loss of kernel quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MPGD for breast cancer prevention: a high resolution and low dose radiation medical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, R. M.; Cerquera, E. A.; Mañana, G.

2012-07-01

Early detection of small calcifications in mammograms is considered the best preventive tool of breast cancer. However, existing digital mammography with relatively low radiation skin exposure has limited accessibility and insufficient spatial resolution for small calcification detection. Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGD) and associated technologies, increasingly provide new information useful to generate images of microscopic structures and make more accessible cutting edge technology for medical imaging and many other applications. In this work we foresee and develop an application for the new information provided by a MPGD camera in the form of highly controlled images with high dynamical resolution. We present a new Super Detail Image (S-DI) that efficiently profits of this new information provided by the MPGD camera to obtain very high spatial resolution images. Therefore, the method presented in this work shows that the MPGD camera with SD-I, can produce mammograms with the necessary spatial resolution to detect microcalcifications. It would substantially increase efficiency and accessibility of screening mammography to highly improve breast cancer prevention.

Changes in the Salmonella enterica Enteritidis phenotypes in presence of acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals.

PubMed

Campos-Galvão, Maria Emilene Martino; Ribon, Andrea Oliveira Barros; Araújo, Elza Fernandes; Vanetti, Maria Cristina Dantas

2016-05-01

Quorum sensing is used by bacteria to coordinate gene expression in response to population density and involves the production, detection and response to extracellular signaling molecules known as autoinducers (AIs). Salmonella does not synthesize the AI-1, acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) common to gram-negative bacteria; however, it has a receptor for AI-1, the SdiA protein. The effect of SdiA in modulating phenotypes of Salmonella has not been elucidated. In this report, we provide evidence that the AIs-1 affect Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis behavior by enhancing the biofilm formation and expression of virulence genes under anaerobic conditions. Biofilm formation by Salmonella was detected by the crystal violet method and by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of AHLs, particularly C12-HSL, increased biofilm formation and promoted expression of biofilm formation genes (lpfA, fimF, fliF, glgC) and virulence genes (hilA, invA, invF). Our results demonstrated that AHLs produced by other organisms played an important role in virulence phenotypes of Salmonella Enteritidis. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Reineke's Stand Density Index: Where are we and where do we go from here?

Treesearch

John D. Shaw

2006-01-01

In recent years there has been renewed interest in Reineke's Stand Density Index (SDI). Although originally described as a measurement of relative density in single-species, even-aged stands, it has since been generalized for use in uneven-aged stands and its use in multi-species stands is an active area of investigation. Some investigators use a strict definition...

A new type of density-management diagram for slash pine plantations

Treesearch

Curtis L. VanderSchaaf

2006-01-01

Many Density-Management Diagrams (DMD) have been developed for conifer species throughout the world based on stand density index (SDI). The diagrams often plot the logarithm of average tree size (volume, weight, or quadratic mean diameter) over the logarithm of trees per unit area. A new type of DMD is presented for slash pine (Pinus elliottii var elliottii)...

Whither Ballistic Missile Defense?

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-30

Conference on Technical Marketing 2000: Opportunities and Strategies for a Changing World) I intend to discuss the prospects for SDI in a changing...Technical Marketing 2000: Opportunities and Strategies for a Changing World) Descriptors, Keywords: Cooper Speech Ballistic Missile Defense...WHITHER BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE? BY AMBASSADOR HENRY F. COOPER NOVEMBER 30,1992 TECHNICAL MARKETING SOCIETY OF AMERICA WASHINGTON, DC

JPRS Report, Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-28

century asked its main question without mali- cious intent: whose fault is it? The co-author of this question, Alexander Herzen, was one of the first to...118160004n Moscow MIROVAYA EKONOM1KA I MEZHDUNARODNYYE OTNOSHEN1YA in Russian No ll,Nov88pp 137-139 [A. Savelyev review headlined "The SDI Program

Development of a stand density index equation for slash pine stands

Treesearch

Paul F. Doruska

2002-01-01

Stand density index (SDI) is commonly used as the basis for density management guides for even-aged forest stands. Many tree species follow the same self-thinning trajectory, allowing for the use of stand density index in such guides. Slash pine (Pinus elliottii Englem.) has been shown to depart from the self-thinning trajectory exhibited by other...

Promise or Peril: The Strategic Defense Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brzezinski, Zbigniew, Ed.; And Others

The major policy debate touched off by President Reagan's March 1983 speech announcing the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was the reopening of one that had begun 35 years before. Then and now the ultimate question is what kind of strategic posture is most likely to contribute to mutual strategic stability? The answer is central to national…

Soviet Concepts of Ballistic Missile Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

manned space operations, ABM Treaty, SDI 19 Abstract (continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number The purpose of this thesis is to...THE EARLY YEARS OF SOVIET BMD ................................................ 6 B. SOVIET BMD AND THE ABM TREATY OF 1972...10 C. SOVIET BMD SINCE THE ABM TREATY .......................................... 14 III. BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE IN SOVIET MILITARY THOUGHT

FTM-West Model Results for Selected Fuel Treatment Scenarios

Treesearch

Andrew D. Kramp; Peter J. Ince

2006-01-01

This paper evaluated potential forest product market impacts in the U.S. West of increases in the supply of wood from thinnings to reduce fire hazard. Evaluations are done using the Fuel Treatment Market-West model for a set of hypothetical fuel treatment scenarios, which include stand-density-index (SDI) and thin-from-below (TFB) treatment regimes at alternative...

Stocking levels and underlying assumptions for uneven-aged Ponderosa Pine stands.

Treesearch

P.H. Cochran

1992-01-01

Potential Problems With Q-Values Many ponderosa pine stands have a limited number of size classes, and it may be desirable to carry very large trees through several cutting cycles. Large numbers of trees below commercial size are not needed to provide adequate numbers of future replacement trees. Under these conditions, application of stand density index (SDI) can have...

Battery Charge Affects the Stability of Light Intensity from Light-emitting Diode Light-curing Units.

PubMed

Tongtaksin, A; Leevailoj, C

This study investigated the influence of battery charge levels on the stability of light-emitting diode (LED) curing-light intensity by measuring the intensity from fully charged through fully discharged batteries. The microhardness of resin composites polymerized by the light-curing units at various battery charge levels was measured. The light intensities of seven fully charged battery LED light-curing units-1) LY-A180, 2) Bluephase, 3) Woodpecker, 4) Demi Plus, 5) Saab II, 6) Elipar S10, and 7) MiniLED-were measured with a radiometer (Kerr) after every 10 uses (20 seconds per use) until the battery was discharged. Ten 2-mm-thick cylindrical specimens of A3 shade nanofilled resin composite (PREMISE, Kerr) were prepared per LED light-curing unit group. Each specimen was irradiated by the fully charged light-curing unit for 20 seconds. The LED light-curing units were then used until the battery charge fell to 50%. Specimens were prepared again as described above. This was repeated again when the light-curing units' battery charge fell to 25% and when the light intensity had decreased to 400 mW/cm 2 . The top/bottom surface Knoop hardness ratios of the specimens were determined. The microhardness data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance with Tukey test at a significance level of 0.05. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine significant correlations between surface hardness and light intensity. We found that the light intensities of the Bluephase, Demi Plus, and Elipar S10 units were stable. The intensity of the MiniLED unit decreased slightly; however, it remained above 400 mW/cm 2 . In contrast, the intensities of the LY-A180, Woodpecker, and Saab II units decreased below 400 mW/cm 2 . There was also a significant decrease in the surface microhardnesses of the resin composite specimens treated with MiniLED, LY-A180, Woodpecker, and Saab II. In conclusion, the light intensity of several LED light-curing units decreased as the battery was

A tree-by-tree measure of site utilization for grand fir related to stand density index

Treesearch

Albert R. Stage

1968-01-01

The usefulness of stand density index (SDI) has been limited by lack of a way to partition its nonlinear expression into additive components to describe the relative stocking of a stand by species or quality classes. In this paper, a linear equation is derived to permit such a partition. A closely related expression for grand fir stocking is given that retains the...

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, International Affairs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-08

SDI, Japan evidently is counting on joining in the advertised technical and technological innovations that are supposedly anticipated in the course...specific results of this program are irreconcilably far from the illusory advantages advertised by the United States before they joined it: England...functioning of bourgeois democracy, alien in spirit to traditional ideological institutions and behavioral stereotypes ), we should come to the conclusion

High-Performance Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells Based on a Selenium-Containing Polymer Donor and a Twisted Perylene Bisimide Acceptor

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

Liu, Tao; Meng, Dong; Cai, Yunhao

2016-04-23

A novel polymer donor (PBDTS-Se) is designed to match with a non-fullerene acceptor (SdiPBI-S). The corresponding solar cells show a high efficiency of 8.22%, which result from synergetic improvements of light harvesting, charge carrier transport and collection, and morphology. The results indicate that rational design of novel donor materials is important for non-fullerene organic solar cells.

Consistent definition and application of Reineke's Stand Density Index in silviculture and stand projection

Treesearch

John D. Shaw; James N. Long

2010-01-01

Reineke’s Stand Density Index (SDI) has been available to silviculturists for over 75 years, but application of this stand metric has been inconsistent. Originally described as a measurement of relative density in single-species, even-aged stands, it has since been generalized for use in uneven-aged stands and mixed-species stands. However, methods used to establish...

Acoustic design criteria in a general system for structural optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brama, Torsten

1990-01-01

Passenger comfort is of great importance in most transport vehicles. For instance, in the new generation of regional turboprop aircraft, a low noise level is vital to be competitive on the market. The possibilities to predict noise levels analytically has improved rapidly in recent years. This will make it possible to take acoustic design criteria into account in early project stages. The development of the ASKA FE-system to include also acoustic analysis has been carried out at Saab Aircraft Division and the Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden in a joint project. New finite elements have been developed to model the free fluid, porous damping materials, and the interaction between the fluid and structural degrees of freedom. The FE approach to the acoustic analysis is best suited for lower frequencies up to a few hundred Hz. For accurate analysis of interior cabin noise, large 3-D FE-models are built, but 2-D models are also considered to be useful for parametric studies and optimization. The interest is here focused on the introduction of an acoustic design criteria in the general structural optimization system OPTSYS available at the Saab Aircraft Division. The first implementation addresses a somewhat limited class of problems. The problems solved are formulated: Minimize the structural weight by modifying the dimensions of the structure while keeping the noise level in the cavity and other structural design criteria within specified limits.

Upgrades to the Probabilistic NAS Platform Air Traffic Simulation Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, George; Boisvert, Benjamin

2013-01-01

This document is the final report for the project entitled "Upgrades to the Probabilistic NAS Platform Air Traffic Simulation Software." This report consists of 17 sections which document the results of the several subtasks of this effort. The Probabilistic NAS Platform (PNP) is an air operations simulation platform developed and maintained by the Saab Sensis Corporation. The improvements made to the PNP simulation include the following: an airborne distributed separation assurance capability, a required time of arrival assignment and conformance capability, and a tactical and strategic weather avoidance capability.

Intelligent Method for Diagnosing Structural Faults of Rotating Machinery Using Ant Colony Optimization

PubMed Central

Li, Ke; Chen, Peng

2011-01-01

Structural faults, such as unbalance, misalignment and looseness, etc., often occur in the shafts of rotating machinery. These faults may cause serious machine accidents and lead to great production losses. This paper proposes an intelligent method for diagnosing structural faults of rotating machinery using ant colony optimization (ACO) and relative ratio symptom parameters (RRSPs) in order to detect faults and distinguish fault types at an early stage. New symptom parameters called “relative ratio symptom parameters” are defined for reflecting the features of vibration signals measured in each state. Synthetic detection index (SDI) using statistical theory has also been defined to evaluate the applicability of the RRSPs. The SDI can be used to indicate the fitness of a RRSP for ACO. Lastly, this paper also compares the proposed method with the conventional neural networks (NN) method. Practical examples of fault diagnosis for a centrifugal fan are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The verification results show that the structural faults often occurring in the centrifugal fan, such as unbalance, misalignment and looseness states are effectively identified by the proposed method, while these faults are difficult to detect using conventional neural networks. PMID:22163833

Intelligent method for diagnosing structural faults of rotating machinery using ant colony optimization.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Chen, Peng

2011-01-01

Structural faults, such as unbalance, misalignment and looseness, etc., often occur in the shafts of rotating machinery. These faults may cause serious machine accidents and lead to great production losses. This paper proposes an intelligent method for diagnosing structural faults of rotating machinery using ant colony optimization (ACO) and relative ratio symptom parameters (RRSPs) in order to detect faults and distinguish fault types at an early stage. New symptom parameters called "relative ratio symptom parameters" are defined for reflecting the features of vibration signals measured in each state. Synthetic detection index (SDI) using statistical theory has also been defined to evaluate the applicability of the RRSPs. The SDI can be used to indicate the fitness of a RRSP for ACO. Lastly, this paper also compares the proposed method with the conventional neural networks (NN) method. Practical examples of fault diagnosis for a centrifugal fan are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The verification results show that the structural faults often occurring in the centrifugal fan, such as unbalance, misalignment and looseness states are effectively identified by the proposed method, while these faults are difficult to detect using conventional neural networks.

HCPCF-based in-line fiber Fabry-Perot refractometer and high sensitivity signal processing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaohui; Jiang, Mingshun; Sui, Qingmei; Geng, Xiangyi; Song, Furong

2017-12-01

An in-line fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based on the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) for refractive index (RI) measurement is proposed in this paper. The FPI is formed by splicing both ends of a short section of the HCPCF to single mode fibers (SMFs) and cleaving the SMF pigtail to a proper length. The RI response of the sensor is analyzed theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. The results show that the FPI sensor has linear response to external RI and good repeatability. The sensitivity calculated from the maximum fringe contrast is -136 dB/RIU. A new spectrum differential integration (SDI) method for signal processing is also presented in this study. In this method, the RI is obtained from the integrated intensity of the absolute difference between the interference spectrum and its smoothed spectrum. The results show that the sensitivity obtained from the integrated intensity is about -1.34×105 dB/RIU. Compared with the maximum fringe contrast method, the new SDI method can provide the higher sensitivity, better linearity, improved reliability, and accuracy, and it's also convenient for automatic and fast signal processing in real-time monitoring of RI.

Making Temporal Search More Central in Spatial Data Infrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corti, P.; Lewis, B.

2017-10-01

A temporally enabled Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is a framework of geospatial data, metadata, users, and tools intended to provide an efficient and flexible way to use spatial information which includes the historical dimension. One of the key software components of an SDI is the catalogue service which is needed to discover, query, and manage the metadata. A search engine is a software system capable of supporting fast and reliable search, which may use any means necessary to get users to the resources they need quickly and efficiently. These techniques may include features such as full text search, natural language processing, weighted results, temporal search based on enrichment, visualization of patterns in distributions of results in time and space using temporal and spatial faceting, and many others. In this paper we will focus on the temporal aspects of search which include temporal enrichment using a time miner - a software engine able to search for date components within a larger block of text, the storage of time ranges in the search engine, handling historical dates, and the use of temporal histograms in the user interface to display the temporal distribution of search results.

Influence of fluorescent dye on physical-mechanical properties of luting cements for confocal microscopy analysis.

PubMed

Oliveira, Dayane; Prieto, Lúcia; Araújo, Cíntia; Coppini, Erick; Pereira, Gisele; Paulillo, Luís

2014-12-01

To evaluate the influence of a fluorescent dye (rhodamine B) on the physical and mechanical properties of three different luting cements: a conventional adhesive luting cement (RelyX ARC, 3M/ESPE), a self-adhesive luting cement (RelyX U-200, 3M/ESPE), and a self-etching and self-adhesive luting cement (SeT PP, SDI). The cements were mixed with 0.03 wt% rhodamine B, formed into bar-shaped specimens (n = 10), and light cured using an LED curing unit (Radii, SDI) with a radiant exposure of 32 J/cm(2) . The Knoop hardness (KHN), flexural strength (FS), and Young's modulus (YM) analyses were evaluated after storage for 24 h. Outcomes were subjected to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (P = 0.05) for multiple comparisons. No significant differences in FS or YM were observed among the tested groups (P ≥ 0.05); the addition of rhodamine B increased the hardness of the luting cements tested. The addition of a fluorescent agent at 0.03 wt% concentration does not negatively affect the physical-mechanical properties of the luting cement polymerization behavior. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adaptive Machine Vision.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-18

developed by Fukushima . The system has potential use for SDI target/decoy discrimination. For testing purposes, simulated angle-angle and range-Doppler...properties and computational requirements of the Neocognitron, a patern recognition neural network developed by Fukushima . The RADONN effort builds upon...and Information Processing, 17-21 June 1991, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, New Hampshire.) 5.0 References 1. Kunihiko Fukushima , Sei Miyake, and

Single Event Effect Hardware Trojans with Remote Activation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

kinetically as in the SDI approach. These high-energy directed energy weapons have been studied and developed largely for the purpose remote sensing and...Single Event Effect Hardware Trojans with Remote Activation Paul A. Quintana; John McCollum; William A. Hill Microsemi Corporation, San Jose...space qualified semiconductors the use of SEE sensitive circuits may represents a latent and remotely -triggered hardware Trojan which would be

The number of flares patients experience impacts on damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from a multiethnic Latin American cohort.

PubMed

Ugarte-Gil, Manuel F; Acevedo-Vásquez, Eduardo; Alarcón, Graciela S; Pastor-Asurza, Cesar A; Alfaro-Lozano, José L; Cucho-Venegas, Jorge M; Segami, Maria I; Wojdyla, Daniel; Soriano, Enrique R; Drenkard, Cristina; Brenol, João Carlos; de Oliveira e Silva Montandon, Ana Carolina; Costallat, Lilian T Lavras; Massardo, Loreto; Molina-Restrepo, José F; Guibert-Toledano, Marlene; Silveira, Luis H; Amigo, Mary Carmen; Barile-Fabris, Leonor A; Chacón-Díaz, Rosa; Esteva-Spinetti, Maria H; Pons-Estel, Guillermo J; McGwin, Gerald; Pons-Estel, Bernardo A

2015-06-01

To determine the association between the number of flares systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients experience and damage accrual, independently of other known risk factors. SLE patients (34 centres, nine Latin American countries) with a recent diagnosis (≤2 years) and ≥3 evaluations were studied. Disease activity was ascertained with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and damage with the SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI). Flare was defined as an increase ≥4 points in the SLEDAI between two study visits. An ambidirectional case- crossover design was used to determine the association between the number of flares and damage accrual. 901 patients were eligible for the study; 500 of them (55.5%) experienced at least one flare, being the mean number of flares 0.9 (SD: 1.0). 574 intervals from 251 patients were included in the case-crossover design since they have case and control intervals, whereas, the remaining patients did not. Their mean age at diagnosis was 27.9 years (SD: 11.1), 213 (84.9%) were women. The mean baseline SDI and SLEDAI were 1.3 (1.3) and 13.6 (8.1), respectively. Other features were comparable to those of the entire sample. After adjusting for possible confounding variables, the number of flares, regardless of their severity, was associated with damage accrual (SDI) OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.94, p<0.001 (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.31 to 5.24, p=0.006 for severe and OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.83, p=0.001 for mild-moderate). The number of flares patients experience, regardless of their severity, increases the risk of damage accrual, independently of other known risk factors. 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.

Prolonged remission in Caucasian patients with SLE: prevalence and outcomes.

PubMed

Zen, Margherita; Iaccarino, Luca; Gatto, Mariele; Bettio, Silvano; Nalotto, Linda; Ghirardello, Anna; Punzi, Leonardo; Doria, Andrea

2015-12-01

To assess the prevalence of prolonged remission in Caucasian patients affected with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its relationship with damage accrual. Caucasian patients diagnosed with SLE between 1990 and 2009 and quarterly seen from 2009 to 2013 were included in the study. We defined remission as prolonged when lasting ≥5 consecutive years. Three levels of remission were defined using the SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K): complete remission: no disease activity in corticosteroid-free and immunosuppressant-free patients; clinical remission off corticosteroids: serologically active clinical quiescent (SACQ) disease in corticosteroid-free patients and clinical remission on corticosteroids: SACQ disease in patients taking prednisone 1-5 mg/day. Damage was measured by the SLICC/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). 224 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria: 196 (87.5%) were women, mean±SD disease duration 11.2±6.8 years. During the 5-year follow-up, 16 patients (7.1%) achieved prolonged complete remission, 33 (14.7%) prolonged clinical remission off corticosteroids and 35 (15.6%) prolonged clinical remission on corticosteroids. At the multivariate analysis, vasculitis (OR 4.95), glomerulonephritis (OR 2.38) and haematological manifestations (OR 2.19) over the patients' disease course were associated with an unremitted disease. SDI increased more frequently in unremitted (72/140, 51.4%) than in remitted patients (22/84, 26.2%; p=0.001); SDI median increase was higher in unremitted than in remitted patients: 1 (0-3) vs 0 (0-2), respectively (p<0.001). At multivariate analysis, unremitted disease (OR 2.52) and high-dose corticosteroid intake (OR 2.35) were risk factors for damage accrual. Thirty-seven percent of our Caucasian patients achieved a prolonged remission, which was associated with a better outcome in terms of damage accrual. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already

Data Publishing Services in a Scientific Project Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeder, Matthias; Stender, Vivien; Wächter, Joachim

2014-05-01

Data-intensive science lives from data. More and more interdisciplinary projects are aligned to mutually gain access to their data, models and results. In order to achieving this, an umbrella project GLUES is established in the context of the "Sustainable Land Management" (LAMA) initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The GLUES (Global Assessment of Land Use Dynamics, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Ecosystem Services) project supports several different regional projects of the LAMA initiative: Within the framework of GLUES a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is implemented to facilitate publishing, sharing and maintenance of distributed global and regional scientific data sets as well as model results. The GLUES SDI supports several OGC webservices like the Catalog Service Web (CSW) which enables it to harvest data from varying regional projects. One of these regional projects is SuMaRiO (Sustainable Management of River Oases along the Tarim River) which aims to support oasis management along the Tarim River (PR China) under conditions of climatic and societal changes. SuMaRiO itself is an interdisciplinary and spatially distributed project. Working groups from twelve German institutes and universities are collecting data and driving their research in disciplines like Hydrology, Remote Sensing, and Agricultural Sciences among others. Each working group is dependent on the results of another working group. Due to the spatial distribution of participating institutes the data distribution is solved by using the eSciDoc infrastructure at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). Further, the metadata based data exchange platform PanMetaDocs will be used by participants collaborative. PanMetaDocs supports an OAI-PMH interface which enables an Open Source metadata portal like GeoNetwork to harvest the information. The data added in PanMetaDocs can be labeled with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) to publish the data and to

Comparing effects of a low-energy diet and a high-protein low-fat diet on sexual and endothelial function, urinary tract symptoms, and inflammation in obese diabetic men.

PubMed

Khoo, Joan; Piantadosi, Cynthia; Duncan, Rae; Worthley, Stephen G; Jenkins, Alicia; Noakes, Manny; Worthley, Matthew I; Lange, Kylie; Wittert, Gary A

2011-10-01

Abdominal obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with sexual and endothelial dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and chronic systemic inflammation. To determine the effects of diet-induced weight loss and maintenance on sexual and endothelial function, LUTS, and inflammatory markers in obese diabetic men. Weight, waist circumference (WC), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score, Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI) score, International Prostate Symptom Scale (IPSS) score, plasma fasting glucose and lipids, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP] and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and soluble E-selectin, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured at baseline, 8 weeks, and 52 weeks. Over 8 weeks, 31 abdominally obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2) , WC ≥ 102 cm), type 2 diabetic men (mean age 59.7 years) received either a meal replacement-based low-calorie diet (LCD) ∼1,000 kcal/day (N = 19) or low-fat, high-protein, reduced-carbohydrate (HP) diet (N = 12) prescribed to decrease intake by ∼600 kcal/day. Subjects continued on, or were switched to, the HP diet for another 44 weeks. At 8 weeks, weight and WC decreased by ∼10% and ∼5% with the LCD and HP diet, respectively. Both diets significantly improved plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), SHBG, IIEF-5, SDI and IPSS scores, and endothelial function (increased FMD, reduced soluble E-selectin). Erectile function, sexual desire, and urinary symptoms improved by a similar degree with both diets. CRP and IL-6 decreased with the HP diet. At 52 weeks, reductions in weight, WC, and CRP were maintained. IIEF-5, SDI, and IPSS scores improved further. Diet-induced weight loss induces rapid improvement of sexual, urinary, and endothelial function in obese diabetic men. A high-protein, carbohydrate-reduced, low-fat diet also reduces systemic inflammation and sustains these beneficial

Ambient Seismic Imaging of Hydraulically Active Fractures at km Depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malin, P. E.; Sicking, C.

2017-12-01

Streaming Depth Images of ambient seismic signals using numerous, densely-distributed, receivers have revealed their connection to hydraulically active fractures at 0.5 to 5 km depths. Key for this type of imaging is very high-fold stacking over both multiple receives and periods of a few hours. Also important is suppression of waveforms from fixed, repeating sources such as pumps, generators, and traffic. A typical surface-based ambient SDI survey would use a 3D seismic receiver grid. It would have 1,000 to 4,000 uniformly distributed receivers at a density of 50/km2over the target. If acquired by borehole receivers buried 100 m deep, the density can be dropped by an order of magnitude. We show examples of the acquisition and signal processing scenarios used to produce the ambient images. (Sicking et al., SEG Interpretation, Nov 2017.) While the fracture-fluid source connection of SDI has been verified by drilling and various types of hydraulic tests, the precise nature of the signal's origin is not clear. At the current level of observation, the signals do not have identifiable phases, but can be focused using P wave velocities. Suggested sources are resonances of pressures fluctuations in the fractures, or small, continuous, slips on fractures surfaces. In either case, it appears that the driving mechanism is tectonic strain in an inherently unstable crust. Solid earth tides may enhance these strains. We illustrate the value of the ambient SDI method in its industrial application by showing case histories from energy industry and carbon-capture-sequestration projects. These include ambient images taken before, during, and after hydraulic treatments in un-conventional reservoirs. The results show not only locations of active fractures, but also their time responses to stimulation and production. Time-lapse ambient imaging can forecast and track events such as well interferences and production changes that can result from nearby treatments.

Seizure disorders in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Hanly, John G.; Urowitz, Murray B.; Su, Li; Gordon, Caroline; Bae, Sang-Cheol; Sanchez-Guerrero, Jorge; Romero-Diaz, Juanita; Wallace, Daniel J; Clarke, Ann E.; Ginzler, E.M.; Merrill, Joan T.; Isenberg, David A.; Rahman, Anisur; Petri, M.; Fortin, Paul R.; Gladman, D. D.; Bruce, Ian N.; Steinsson, Kristjan; Dooley, M.A.; Khamashta, Munther A.; Alarcón, Graciela S.; Fessler, Barri J.; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Manzi, Susan; Zoma, Asad A.; Sturfelt, Gunnar K.; Nived, Ola; Aranow, Cynthia; Mackay, Meggan; Ramos-Casals, Manuel; van Vollenhoven, R.F.; Kalunian, Kenneth C.; Ruiz-Irastorza, Guillermo; Lim, Sam; Kamen, Diane L.; Peschken, Christine A.; Inanc, Murat; Theriault, Chris; Thompson, Kara; Farewell, Vernon

2015-01-01

Objective To describe the frequency, attribution, outcome and predictors of seizures in SLE Methods The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) performed a prospective inception cohort study. Demographic variables, global SLE disease activity (SLEDAI-2K), cumulative organ damage (SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI)) and neuropsychiatric events were recorded at enrollment and annually. Lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, anti-β2 glycoprotein-I, anti-ribosomal P and anti-NR2 glutamate receptor antibodies were measured at enrollment. Physician outcomes of seizures were recorded. Patient outcomes were derived from the SF-36 mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summary scores. Statistical analyses included Cox and linear regressions. Results The cohort was 89.4% female with a mean follow up of 3.5±2.9 years. 75/1631 (4.6%) had ≥1 seizure, the majority around the time of SLE diagnosis. Multivariate analysis indicated a higher risk of seizures with African race/ethnicity (HR(CI):1.97 (1.07–3.63); p=0.03) and lower education status (1.97 (1.21–3.19); p<0.01). Higher damage scores (without NP variables) were associated with an increased risk of subsequent seizures (SDI=1:3.93 (1.46–10.55)); SDI=2 or 3:1.57 (0.32–7.65); SDI≥4:7.86 (0.89–69.06); p=0.03). There was an association with disease activity but not with autoantibodies. Seizures attributed to SLE frequently resolved (59/78(76%)) in the absence of anti-seizure drugs. There was no significant impact on the MCS or PCS scores. Anti-malarial drugs in absence of immunosuppressive agents were associated with reduced seizure risk (0.07(0.01–0.66); p=0.03). Conclusion Seizures occurred close to SLE diagnosis, in patients with African race/ethnicity, lower educational status and cumulative organ damage. Most seizures resolved without a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Anti-malarial drugs were associated with a protective effect. PMID:22492779

Health related quality of life in Mexican women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a descriptive study using SF-36 and LupusQoL(C).

PubMed

García-Carrasco, M; Mendoza-Pinto, C; Cardiel, M H; Méndez-Martínez, S; García-Villaseñor, A; Jiménez-Hernández, C; Alonso-García, N E; Briones-Rojas, R; Ramos-Álvarez, G; López-Colombo, A

2012-10-01

The LupusQoL© questionnaire is a disease-specific health related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument for adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The Short Form-36 (SF-36) is a generic instrument that captures the physical, psychological, and social impact. We conducted a descriptive study of women aged ≥ 18 years attending our Lupus Clinic. HRQOL was assessed by applying the LupusQoL© and SF-36. Lupus activity was measured using the Mexican Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (Mex-SLEDAI) and chronic damage using the Systemic Lupus Collaborative Clinics Damage Index (SDI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. A total of 127 patients were included with a mean age of 40.5 ± 12.6 years. The mean disease duration was 8.2 ± 5.6 years, the mean disease activity score was 2.4 ± 3.0, and the mean SDI score 0.77 ± 1.06. The mean SF-36 score was 58.1 ± 21.1 and the mean LupusQoL© score was 69 ± 22.7. The correlation between global scores of the SF-36 and LupusQoL© was rho = 0.73 (p < 0.001). The correlation between lupus disease activity and the SF-36 and the LupusQoL© was -0.26 (p = 0.003) and -0.25 (p = 0.004), respectively. The correlation between the SDI and the SF-36 and the LupusQoL© was -0.28 (p = 0.001) and -0.38 (p < 0.0001), respectively. In conclusions: both LupusQoL© and SF-36 were useful instruments in assessing HRQOL in Mexican lupus female patients. The usefulness of the LupusQoL© should be evaluated in lupus patients with moderate to severe disease activity.

Longitudinal evaluation of the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children with congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Tamayo, Catalina; Manlhiot, Cedric; Patterson, Katie; Lalani, Sheliza; McCrindle, Brian W

2015-02-01

Regarding long-term cardiovascular health, obesity may have greater implications for children with congenital heart disease (CHD). We sought to determine trends in anthropometry over time and its association with exercise capacity. Medical records of pediatric patients with CHD were randomly sampled. Serial measurements of weight and height were abstracted, body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and measurements were converted to percentiles and z scores. Analyses of trends were performed using regression models adjusted for repeated measures. Median follow-up after diagnosis for 725 patients was 7.1 years (interquartile range, 1.9-12.8 years). The median initial weight z score was -1.1 (fifth/95th percentile, -3.6/+1.1) and increased over time (+0.103 [0.007] standard deviations [SD]/y; P < 0.001). BMI and height z scores could only be calculated for patients > 2 years old; at that age, the median BMI z score was -0.2 (fifth/95th percentile, -2.6/+1.9) and increased over time (+0.042 [0.007] SD/y; P < 0.001), whereas the median height z score was -0.3 (fifth/95th percentile, -2.7/+1.4) with no change over time (-0.007 [0.006] SD/y; P = 0.18). Using standard BMI percentile cut points to define overweight and obesity, 28% of patients had at least 1 BMI measurement indicating overweight and 17% indicating obesity. Available exercise test results (n = 153) showed that overweight/obese patients had lower percent predicted maximum oxygen consumption (-16 [2]%; P < 0.001), higher peak systolic blood pressure (+11 [4] mm Hg; P = 0.002), and higher systolic blood pressure response (+7 [3] mm Hg; P = 0.01) than normal weight patients. In conclusion, children with repaired CHD have an important risk of overweight/obesity over time that may increase their cardiovascular risk and impair their exercise capacity. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of long-term irrigation patterns on phosphorus forms and distribution in the brown soil zone.

PubMed

Liu, Chang; Dang, Xiuli; Mayes, Melanie A; Chen, Leilei; Zhang, Yulong

2017-01-01

Continuous application of P fertilizers under different irrigation patterns can change soil phosphorus (P) chemical behavior and increase soil P levels that are of environmental concern. To assess the effect of long-term different irrigation patterns on soil P fractions and availability, this study examined sequential changes in soil organic P and inorganic P from furrow irrigation (FI), surface drip irrigation (SUR), and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in the brown soil zone (0-60 cm) during 1998 to 2011. Analyses of soil P behavior showed that the levels of total P are frequently high on top soil layers. The total P (TP) contents of the entire soil profiles under three irrigation treatments were 830.2-3180.1 mg/kg. The contents of available P (AP) were 72.6-319.3 mg P/kg soil through soil profiles. The greatest TP and AP contents were obtained within the upper soil layers in FI. Results of Hedley's P fractionation indicate that HCl-P is a dominant form and the proportion to TP ranges from 29% to 43% in all three methods. The contents of various fractions of P were positively correlated with the levels of total carbon (TC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), and calcium (Ca), whereas the P fractions had negative correlation with pH in all soil samples. Regression models proved that NaHCO3-Po was an important factor in determining the amount of AP in FI. H2O-Po, NaHCO3-Po, and NaOH-Pi were related to available P values in SUR. NaHCO3-Po and NaOH-Po played important roles in SDI. The tomato yield under SUR was higher than SDI and FI. The difference of P availability was also controlled by the physicochemical soil properties under different irrigation schedule. SUR was a reasonable irrigation pattern to improve the utilization efficiency of water and fertilizer.

Evaluation of the Radar Stage Sensor manufactured by Forest Technology Systems—Results of laboratory and field testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kunkle, Gerald A.

2018-01-31

Two identical Radar Stage Sensors from Forest Technology Systems were evaluated to determine if they are suitable for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic data collection. The sensors were evaluated in laboratory conditions to evaluate the distance accuracy of the sensor over the manufacturer’s specified operating temperatures and distance to water ranges. Laboratory results were compared to the manufacturer’s accuracy specification of ±0.007 foot (ft) and the USGS Office of Surface Water (OSW) policy requirement that water-level sensors have a measurement uncertainty of no more than 0.01 ft or 0.20 percent of the indicated reading. Both of the sensors tested were within the OSW policy requirement in both laboratory tests and within the manufacturer’s specification in the distance to water test over tested distances from 3 to 15 ft. In the temperature chamber test, both sensors were within the manufacturer’s specification for more than 90 percent of the data points collected over a temperature range of –40 to +60 degrees Celsius at a fixed distance of 8 ft. One sensor was subjected to an SDI-12 communication test, which it passed. A field test was conducted on one sensor at a USGS field site near Landon, Mississippi, from February 5 to March 29, 2016. Water-level measurements made by the radar during the field test were in agreement with those made by the Sutron Accubar Constant Flow Bubble Gauge.Upon the manufacturer’s release of updated firmware version 1.09, additional SDI-12 and temperature testing was performed to evaluate added SDI-12 functions and verify that performance was unaffected by the update. At this time, an Axiom data logger is required to perform a firmware update on this sensor. The data confirmed the results of the original test. Based on the test results, the Radar Stage Sensor is a suitable choice for USGS hydrologic data collection.

Analyzing existing conventional soil information sources to be incorporated in thematic Spatial Data Infrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual-Aguilar, J. A.; Rubio, J. L.; Domínguez, J.; Andreu, V.

2012-04-01

New information technologies give the possibility of widespread dissemination of spatial information to different geographical scales from continental to local by means of Spatial Data Infrastructures. Also administrative awareness on the need for open access information services has allowed the citizens access to this spatial information through development of legal documents, such as the INSPIRE Directive of the European Union, adapted by national laws as in the case of Spain. The translation of the general criteria of generic Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) to thematic ones is a crucial point for the progress of these instruments as large tool for the dissemination of information. In such case, it must be added to the intrinsic criteria of digital information, such as the harmonization information and the disclosure of metadata, the own environmental information characteristics and the techniques employed in obtaining it. In the case of inventories and mapping of soils, existing information obtained by traditional means, prior to the digital technologies, is considered to be a source of valid information, as well as unique, for the development of thematic SDI. In this work, an evaluation of existing and accessible information that constitutes the basis for building a thematic SDI of soils in Spain is undertaken. This information framework has common features to other European Union states. From a set of more than 1,500 publications corresponding to the national territory of Spain, the study was carried out in those documents (94) found for five autonomous regions of northern Iberian Peninsula (Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Navarra and La Rioja). The analysis was performed taking into account the criteria of soil mapping and inventories. The results obtained show a wide variation in almost all the criteria: geographic representation (projections, scales) and geo-referencing the location of the profiles, map location of profiles integrated with edaphic

The differences in temperament-character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I and II.

PubMed

Izci, Filiz; Fındıklı, Ebru Kanmaz; Zincir, Serkan; Zincir, Selma Bozkurt; Koc, Merve Iris

2016-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to compare the differences in temperament-character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I (BD-I) and bipolar disorder II (BD-II). Fifty-two BD-I patients and 49 BD-II patients admitted to Erenköy Mental and Neurological Disease Training and Research Hospital psychiatry clinic and fifty age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. A structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Axis I Disorders, Temperament and Character Inventory, Barrett Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), Hamilton Depression Inventory Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Bipolar Disorder Functioning Questionnaire (BDFQ) were administered to patients and to control group. No statistically significant difference in sociodemographic features existed between the patient and control groups (P>0.05). Thirty-eight subjects (37.62%) in the patient group had a suicide attempt. Twenty-three of these subjects (60.52%) had BD-I, and 15 of these subjects (39.47%) had BD-II. Suicide attempt rates in BD-I and II patients were 60.52% and 39.47%, respectively (P<0.05). Comparison of BD-I and II patients with healthy control subjects revealed that cooperativeness (C), self-directedness (Sdi), and self-transcendence (ST) scores were lower and novelty seeking (NS1 and NS2), harm avoidance (HA4), and reward dependence (RD2) subscale scores were higher in patients with BD-I. When BD-I patients were compared with BD-II patients, BIS-11 (attention) scores were higher in patients with BD-II and BIS-11 (motor and nonplanning impulsivity) scores were higher in patients with BD-I. According to BDFQ, relations with friends, participation in social activities, daily activities and hobbies, and occupation subscale scores were lower and taking initiative subscale scores were higher in patients with BD-I. Social withdrawal subscale scores were higher in

Development of Fluidic Guidance for KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapon) Projectiles

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-30

commanded to a hit-to-kill on a hostile ICBK booster. A novel application of-the photo-acoustic effect is used for laser detection. An acoustic wave...Hughes High Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Concept.. 2 3 Conceptual SDI KE projectile ........................ 3 4 Schematic of photo-acoustic effect ...practical, KEWs must be lightweight, able to withstand high "g" forces, and insensitive to nuclear and electro-magnetic effects . Laser command guidance can

Report to the Congress on the Strategic Defense Initiative 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

thermoacoustic drivers, pulse tube coolers, and sorption coolers. High efficiency is 7-4 I Technology Base expected from the magnetic cooler work, currently in...generated by SDI research, the degree to which certain types of defensive systems discourage an adversary from attempting to overwhelm them with additional...energy interceptor that has replaced earlier approaches. Nevertheless, development of an earlier approach known as SBI (referring to a specific type of

Simulation Fidelity Issues for Nuclear Survivability Validation Protocols.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-01

Explosive MILSTAR Military, Strategic and Tactical Relay satellite NTB National Test Bed PORTS Portable Radiation/Redout Testbed for Sensors RV Reentry...Vehicle SDI Strategic Defense Initiative SE System Element SEP System Element Platform SGEMP System Generated Electromagnetic Pulse S/N Signal-to...ELECTRONIC SCIENCES DIV ATTN: ACTL ATTN: CHIEF SCIENTIST ATTN: DDIR ATTN: DEP DIR RESEARCH ATTN: DFOP ATTN: DIR AEROSPACE & STRATEGIC TECH Dist-1 DNA-TR-92

Selection of UAS Personnel (SUPer) Phase I Report: Identification of Critical Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics and Recommendations for Test Battery Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-20

also considered, it was excluded because the SMEs felt it did not measure any personality traits not covered by current Navy tests (Navy Computer...Adaptive Personality Scales [NCAPS] or the Naval Aviation Trait Facet Inventory [NATFI] 5 ). Descriptions of the tests and their subtests are... personality trait tests (e.g., NAFTI, SDI+, and NCAPS) to reduce fakeability and increase reliability. 4. Of the tests considered here, the MTT

JPRS Report, Arms Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-12

Revised SDI Program [V. Chernyshev; TASS 1 Feb] 25 CONVENTIONAL FORCES IN EUROPE Batenin Views Future European Security Strategy [G. Batenin...Iraq Detailed [A. Schwartzbrod; LES ECHOS 1 Feb] 41 Assistance to Iraqi Scud Program Described [L’EXPRESS 8 Feb] 42 GERMANY Government Office...on German Aid to Iraqi Missile, CW Program 45 DER SPIEGEL Report [DER SPIEGEL 28 Jan] 45 Minister Confirms Aid [DPA 30 Jan] 48 TV Program

Pope AFB, Fayetteville, North Carolina Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

TEMPERATURE DEPRESION (P) ITOTAL TOTAL ___ (F) * 1 .2 3.4 9.6 7-L 9.10 11.121* 1 3-1 I5 171,,IV.2021.2223.,42S.2627.209.2S 831 .S..SDyBb hWet b.Ib...WEATHIER SERVICE/MAC 723030 POPE AFB MC STINNM74-83 vm * PAGE I wnEDnn. T.... ____ ___ WET SUL& TEMPERATURE DEPRESION (F) TOTAL ___TOTAL *(F) 0 1.2

Worldwide Report, Arms Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-20

originate with the source. Times within items are as given by source. The contents of this publication in no way represent the poli- cies, views or...jj U.S. Responsible for Deadlock 16 Weekly Moscow Discussion Show Views Talks ’ _ (Moscow Domestic Service, 17 May 85) Lavrentyev, Shishkin...Avoid Space Militarization (A. Kozyrev ; Moscow MEZHDUNARODNAYA ZHIZN*. No 4 A*r85> .......: :. 3i Soviet Chief of Staff Says SDI Violates ABM

An Ontology-Based Approach to Incorporate User-Generated Geo-Content Into Sdi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, D.-P.; Lemmens, R.

2011-08-01

The Web is changing the way people share and communicate information because of emergence of various Web technologies, which enable people to contribute information on the Web. User-Generated Geo-Content (UGGC) is a potential resource of geographic information. Due to the different production methods, UGGC often cannot fit in geographic information model. There is a semantic gap between UGGC and formal geographic information. To integrate UGGC into geographic information, this study conducts an ontology-based process to bridge this semantic gap. This ontology-based process includes five steps: Collection, Extraction, Formalization, Mapping, and Deployment. In addition, this study implements this process on Twitter messages, which is relevant to Japan Earthquake disaster. By using this process, we extract disaster relief information from Twitter messages, and develop a knowledge base for GeoSPARQL queries in disaster relief information.

Super-Resolution of Multi-Pixel and Sub-Pixel Images for the SDI

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-08

where the phase of the transmitted signal is not needed. The Wigner - Ville distribution ( WVD ) of a real signal s(t), associated with the complex...B. Boashash, 0. P. Kenny and H. J. Whitehouse, "Radar imaging using the Wigner - Ville distribution ", in Real-Time Signal Processing, J. P. Letellier...analytic signal z(t), is a time- frequency distribution defined as-’- 00 W(tf) Z (~t + ) t- -)exp(-i2nft) . (45) Note that the WVD is the double Fourier

Modes of War and Modes of Social Address: The Text of SDI.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manoff, Robert Karl

1989-01-01

Takes a single television news report and inquires into the strategies that governed the way it made its subject into a story. Suggests how to regard the discourse of television journalism in the nuclear era by attempting to describe the logic governing the creation of meaning. (MS)

PubMedAlertMe - Standalone Windows-based PubMed SDI Software Application

PubMed Central

Ma’ayan, Avi

2008-01-01

PubMedAlertMe is a Windows-based software system for automatically receiving e-mail alert messages about recent publications listed on PubMed. The e-mail messages contain links to newly available abstracts listed on PubMed describing publications that were selectively returned from a specified list of queries. Links are also provided to directly export citations to EndNote, and links are provided to directly forward articles to colleagues. The program is standalone. Thus, it does not require a remote mail server or user registration. PubMedAlertMe is free software, and can be downloaded from: http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/PubMedAlertMe/PubMedAlertMe_setup.zip PMID:18402930

Self-reported sexual desire in homosexual men and women predicts preferences for sexually dimorphic facial cues.

PubMed

Welling, Lisa L M; Singh, Kevin; Puts, David A; Jones, Benedict C; Burriss, Robert P

2013-07-01

Recent studies investigating the relationship between self-reported sexual desire and attraction to same- and opposite-sex individuals have found that homosexual men's sexual desire is positively correlated with their self-reported attraction to own-sex individuals only, while homosexual women's sexual desire is positively correlated with their self-reported attraction to both men and women. These data have been interpreted as evidence that sexual desire strengthens men's pre-existing (i.e., dominant) sexual behaviors and strengthens women's sexual behaviors in general. Here we show that homosexual men's (n = 106) scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2) were positively correlated with their preferences for exaggerated sex-typical shape cues in own-sex, but not opposite-sex, faces. Contrary to the hypothesis that sexual desire strengthens women's preferences for sexual dimorphism generally, homosexual women's (n = 83) SDI-2 scores were positively correlated with their preferences for exaggerated sex-typical shape cues in opposite-sex faces only. Together with previous research in heterosexual subjects, our findings support the proposal that sexual desire increases the incidence of existing sexual behaviors in homosexual and heterosexual men, and increases the incidence of sexual responses more generally in heterosexual women, although not necessarily in homosexual women.

Real-time embedded atmospheric compensation for long-range imaging using the average bispectrum speckle method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curt, Petersen F.; Bodnar, Michael R.; Ortiz, Fernando E.; Carrano, Carmen J.; Kelmelis, Eric J.

2009-02-01

While imaging over long distances is critical to a number of security and defense applications, such as homeland security and launch tracking, current optical systems are limited in resolving power. This is largely a result of the turbulent atmosphere in the path between the region under observation and the imaging system, which can severely degrade captured imagery. There are a variety of post-processing techniques capable of recovering this obscured image information; however, the computational complexity of such approaches has prohibited real-time deployment and hampers the usability of these technologies in many scenarios. To overcome this limitation, we have designed and manufactured an embedded image processing system based on commodity hardware which can compensate for these atmospheric disturbances in real-time. Our system consists of a reformulation of the average bispectrum speckle method coupled with a high-end FPGA processing board, and employs modular I/O capable of interfacing with most common digital and analog video transport methods (composite, component, VGA, DVI, SDI, HD-SDI, etc.). By leveraging the custom, reconfigurable nature of the FPGA, we have achieved performance twenty times faster than a modern desktop PC, in a form-factor that is compact, low-power, and field-deployable.

Community Needs Assessment and Portal Prototype Development for an Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, H. V.; Warnick, W. K.; Hempel, L. C.; Henk, J.; Sorensen, M.; Tweedie, C. E.; Gaylord, A. G.

2007-12-01

As the creation and use of geospatial data in research, management, logistics, and education applications has proliferated, there is now a tremendous potential for advancing science through a variety of cyber-infrastructure applications, including Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and related technologies. SDIs provide a necessary and common framework of standards, securities, policies, procedures, and technology to support the effective acquisition, coordination, dissemination and use of geospatial data by multiple and distributed stakeholder and user groups. Despite the numerous research activities in the Arctic, there is no established SDI and, because of this lack of a coordinated infrastructure, there is inefficiency, duplication of effort, and reduced data quality and search ability of arctic geospatial data. The urgency for establishing this framework is significant considering the myriad of data that is being collected in celebration of the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007-2008 and the current international momentum for an improved and integrated circum-arctic terrestrial-marine-atmospheric environmental observatories network. The key objective of this project is to lay the foundation for full implementation of an Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) through an assessment of community needs, readiness, and resources and through the development of a prototype web-mapping portal.

Architecture of a spatial data service system for statistical analysis and visualization of regional climate changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, A. G.; Okladnikov, I. G.; Gordov, E. P.

2017-11-01

The use of large geospatial datasets in climate change studies requires the development of a set of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) elements, including geoprocessing and cartographical visualization web services. This paper presents the architecture of a geospatial OGC web service system as an integral part of a virtual research environment (VRE) general architecture for statistical processing and visualization of meteorological and climatic data. The architecture is a set of interconnected standalone SDI nodes with corresponding data storage systems. Each node runs a specialized software, such as a geoportal, cartographical web services (WMS/WFS), a metadata catalog, and a MySQL database of technical metadata describing geospatial datasets available for the node. It also contains geospatial data processing services (WPS) based on a modular computing backend realizing statistical processing functionality and, thus, providing analysis of large datasets with the results of visualization and export into files of standard formats (XML, binary, etc.). Some cartographical web services have been developed in a system’s prototype to provide capabilities to work with raster and vector geospatial data based on OGC web services. The distributed architecture presented allows easy addition of new nodes, computing and data storage systems, and provides a solid computational infrastructure for regional climate change studies based on modern Web and GIS technologies.

Independent association of glucocorticoids with damage accrual in SLE.

PubMed

Apostolopoulos, Diane; Kandane-Rathnayake, Rangi; Raghunath, Sudha; Hoi, Alberta; Nikpour, Mandana; Morand, Eric F

2016-01-01

To determine factors associated with damage accrual in a prospective cohort of patients with SLE. Patients with SLE who attended the Lupus Clinic at Monash Health, Australia, between 2007 and 2013 were studied. Clinical variables included disease activity (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2K, SLEDAI-2K), time-adjusted mean SLEDAI, cumulative glucocorticoid dose and organ damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI)). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with damage accrual. A total of 162 patients were observed over a median (IQR) 3.6 (2.0-4.7) years. Seventy-five per cent (n=121) of patients received glucocorticoids. Damage accrual was significantly more frequent in glucocorticoid-exposed patients (42% vs 15%, p<0.01). Higher glucocorticoid exposure was independently associated with overall damage accrual after controlling for factors including ethnicity and disease activity and was significant at time-adjusted mean doses above 4.42 mg prednisolone/day; the OR of damage accrual in patients in the highest quartile of cumulative glucocorticoid exposure was over 10. Glucocorticoid exposure was independently associated with damage accrual in glucocorticoid-related and non-glucocorticoid related domains of the SDI. Glucocorticoid use is independently associated with the accrual of damage in SLE, including in non-glucocorticoid related domains.

Laboratory and field tests of the Sutron RLR-0003-1 water level sensor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fulford, Janice M.; Bryars, R. Scott

2015-01-01

Three Sutron RLR-0003-1 water level sensors were tested in laboratory conditions to evaluate the accuracy of the sensor over the manufacturer’s specified operating temperature and distance-to-water ranges. The sensor was also tested for compliance to SDI-12 communication protocol and in field conditions at a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgaging site. Laboratory results were compared to the manufacturer’s accuracy specification for water level and to the USGS Office of Surface Water (OSW) policy requirement that water level sensors have a measurement uncertainty of no more than 0.01 foot or 0.20 percent of the indicated reading. Except for one sensor, the differences for the temperature testing were within 0.05 foot and the average measurements for the sensors were within the manufacturer’s accuracy specification. Two of the three sensors were within the manufacturer’s specified accuracy and met the USGS accuracy requirements for the laboratory distance to water testing. Three units passed a basic SDI-12 communication compliance test. Water level measurements made by the Sutron RLR-0003-1 during field testing agreed well with those made by the bubbler system and a Design Analysis Associates (DAA) H3613 radar, and they met the USGS accuracy requirements when compared to the wire-weight gage readings.

Application of Dynamic naïve Bayesian classifier to comprehensive drought assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, D. H.; Lee, J. Y.; Lee, J. H.; KIm, T. W.

2017-12-01

Drought monitoring has already been extensively studied due to the widespread impacts and complex causes of drought. The most important component of drought monitoring is to estimate the characteristics and extent of drought by quantitatively measuring the characteristics of drought. Drought assessment considering different aspects of the complicated drought condition and uncertainty of drought index is great significance in accurate drought monitoring. This study used the dynamic Naïve Bayesian Classifier (DNBC) which is an extension of the Hidden Markov Model (HMM), to model and classify drought by using various drought indices for integrated drought assessment. To provide a stable model for combined use of multiple drought indices, this study employed the DNBC to perform multi-index drought assessment by aggregating the effect of different type of drought and considering the inherent uncertainty. Drought classification was performed by the DNBC using several drought indices: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Streamflow Drought Index (SDI), and Normalized Vegetation Supply Water Index (NVSWI)) that reflect meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural drought characteristics. Overall results showed that in comparison unidirectional (SPI, SDI, and NVSWI) or multivariate (Composite Drought Index, CDI) drought assessment, the proposed DNBC was able to synthetically classify of drought considering uncertainty. Model provided method for comprehensive drought assessment with combined use of different drought indices.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence to the Strategic Defense Initiative’s Battle Management/Command and Control Objective.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

technology issue is expected to take years of research (20:11). According to Lt Gen James A. Abrahamson, director of the SDI organization heading up...from occurring (14:79). A Wqhite House Panel known as the (Dr. James ) Fletcher Defensive Technologies Study Group has pointed out that, in the past...Handbook of Artificial Intelligence. Volume I. Los Altos CA: WilliamKaufmann Inc., 1981. 5. Basden , Andrew. "On the Application of Expert Systems,N

West Europe Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-02-19

hours , to move away from things nuclear, to reject the SDI and missiles, to establish a dialogue with Eastern Europe, a new ...meeting of the leadership, Antonio Bassolino announced that the PCI was proposing a reduction of the workweek to 35 hours (until then it had been...budgetary work to become the prelude to a new 4 -year period for the Four-Leaf-Clover government and a continuation and expansion of the

Building a North American Spatial Data Infrastructure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coleman, D.J.; Nebert, D.D.

1998-01-01

This paper addresses the state of spatial data infrastructures within North America in late 1997. After providing some background underlying the philosophy and development of the SDI concept, the authors discuss effects of technology, institutions, and standardization that confront the cohesive implementation of a common infrastructure today. The paper concludes with a comparative framework and specific examples of elements and initiatives defining respective spatial data infrastructure initiatives in the United States and Canada.

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, World Economy & International Relations, No. 3, March 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-15

Efficiency Promotion in Industry (pp 28-40) (E. Vilkhovchenko) (not translated) •Star Wars ’ and Washington’s Allies Western Europe on SDI (pp 41-48) (G...sets of complex problems. The first is the problem S war and peace, pollution of environment and the socio-economic gap between industrially...developed capitalist countries and the developing world. The second -has taken shape as a result of the evolution of state-monopolistic capitalism and

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

Piepenbrink, J.O.

The short time available to attack ballistic missiles with a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) weapon system will preclude traditional national-level decision making. A unique command and control (C2) concept is required to best serve the balance between effectiveness and weapon system safety. This article develops that concept with a blend of autonomous operation with man in the loop and advocates early resolution to ensure C2 strategy and tactics push technology development.

A Replacement for the Silt Density Index: Permanganate Demand to Predict Reverse Osmosis Membrane Fouling.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-13

Acid, Tannin , and Lignin in Natural Waters. Water Res. 14, 373 (1980). 85. Willard,H.,Furman,N.H.,Bacon,E.K. A Short Course in Quantitative Analysis , Van...63 c. Experimental Procedure 64 2. Results of the Preliminary Investigation of the SDI 74 a. Results of Before and After Membrane Filtration Analysis ...Permanganate Demand Test A. Literature Review 1. Permanganate to Predict Fouling 81 2. Detection and Analysis of Permanganate 83 a. Spectrophotometry

Recommendations for Evaluating Multiple Filters in Ballast Water Management Systems for US Type Approval

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

is extremely unlikely to be practicable . A second approach is to conduct a full suite of TA testing on a BWMS with a “base filter” configuration...that of full TA testing. Here, three land-based tests would be conducted, and O&M and component testing would also occur. If time or practicality ... Practical salinity units SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SDI Silt density index SOP Standard operating procedure STEP Shipboard Technology

FY 1990/FY 1991 Biennial Budget Descriptive Summaries for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

size, weight , power consumption, and radiation hardness, and on software algorithm validity and efficiency. 3. (U) Collection of radar, ctical, and...which have potential to achieve cooling requirements for LWIR sensors with far smaller weight and power penalties. (U) FY1989 Planned Program: o (U...two dollars for every SDI dollar. o (U) Inverted gaili--n arsenide by growing a razor-thin layer of silicon on GaAs and thus cut power loss by two

Nanoparticle light scattering on interferometric surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayrapetyan, K.; Arif, K. M.; Savran, C. A.; Nolte, D. D.

2011-03-01

We present a model based on Mie Surface Double Interaction (MSDI) to explore bead-based detection mechanisms using imaging and scanning. The application goal of this work is to explore the trade-offs between the sensitivity and throughput among various detection methods. Experimentally we use thermal oxide on silicon to establish and control surface interferometric conditions. Surface-captured gold beads are detected using Molecular Interferometric Imaging (MI2) and Spinning-Disc Interferometry (SDI).

Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2017-07-15

National levels of personal health-care access and quality can be approximated by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care (ie, amenable mortality). Previous analyses of mortality amenable to health care only focused on high-income countries and faced several methodological challenges. In the present analysis, we use the highly standardised cause of death and risk factor estimates generated through the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to improve and expand the quantification of personal health-care access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We mapped the most widely used list of causes amenable to personal health care developed by Nolte and McKee to 32 GBD causes. We accounted for variations in cause of death certification and misclassifications through the extensive data standardisation processes and redistribution algorithms developed for GBD. To isolate the effects of personal health-care access and quality, we risk-standardised cause-specific mortality rates for each geography-year by removing the joint effects of local environmental and behavioural risks, and adding back the global levels of risk exposure as estimated for GBD 2015. We employed principal component analysis to create a single, interpretable summary measure-the Healthcare Quality and Access (HAQ) Index-on a scale of 0 to 100. The HAQ Index showed strong convergence validity as compared with other health-system indicators, including health expenditure per capita (r=0·88), an index of 11 universal health coverage interventions (r=0·83), and human resources for health per 1000 (r=0·77). We used free disposal hull analysis with bootstrapping to produce a frontier based on the relationship between the HAQ Index and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a measure of overall development consisting of income per capita, average years of education, and total fertility rates. This

The differences in temperament–character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I and II

PubMed Central

Izci, Filiz; Fındıklı, Ebru Kanmaz; Zincir, Serkan; Zincir, Selma Bozkurt; Koc, Merve Iris

2016-01-01

Background The primary aim of this study was to compare the differences in temperament–character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I (BD-I) and bipolar disorder II (BD-II). Methods Fifty-two BD-I patients and 49 BD-II patients admitted to Erenköy Mental and Neurological Disease Training and Research Hospital psychiatry clinic and fifty age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. A structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Axis I Disorders, Temperament and Character Inventory, Barrett Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), Hamilton Depression Inventory Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Bipolar Disorder Functioning Questionnaire (BDFQ) were administered to patients and to control group. Results No statistically significant difference in sociodemographic features existed between the patient and control groups (P>0.05). Thirty-eight subjects (37.62%) in the patient group had a suicide attempt. Twenty-three of these subjects (60.52%) had BD-I, and 15 of these subjects (39.47%) had BD-II. Suicide attempt rates in BD-I and II patients were 60.52% and 39.47%, respectively (P<0.05). Comparison of BD-I and II patients with healthy control subjects revealed that cooperativeness (C), self-directedness (Sdi), and self-transcendence (ST) scores were lower and novelty seeking (NS1 and NS2), harm avoidance (HA4), and reward dependence (RD2) subscale scores were higher in patients with BD-I. When BD-I patients were compared with BD-II patients, BIS-11 (attention) scores were higher in patients with BD-II and BIS-11 (motor and nonplanning impulsivity) scores were higher in patients with BD-I. According to BDFQ, relations with friends, participation in social activities, daily activities and hobbies, and occupation subscale scores were lower and taking initiative subscale scores were higher in patients with BD-I. Social withdrawal

Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method based on Streptococcus agalactiae rSip-Pgk-FbsA fusion protein for detection of bovine mastitis.

PubMed

Bu, Ri-E; Wang, Jin-Liang; Wu, Jin-Hua; Xilin, Gao-Wa; Chen, Jin-Long; Wang, Hua

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to establish a rapid and accurate method for the detection of the Streptococcus agalactiae antibody (SA-Ab) to determine the presence of the bovine mastitis (BM)-causative pathogen. The multi-subunit fusion protein rSip-Pgk-FbsA was prokaryotically expressed and purified. The triple activities of the membrane surface-associated proteins Sip, phosphoglycerate kinase (Pgk), and fibronectin (FbsA) were used as the diagnostic antigens to establish an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the detection of SA-Ab in BM. The optimal antigen coating concentration was 2 μg/mL, the optimal serum dilution was 1:160, and the optimal dilution of the enzyme-labeled secondary antibody was 1:6000. The sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability tests showed that the method established in this study had no cross-reaction with antibodies to Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis in the sera. The results of the sensitivity test showed that a positive result could be obtained even if the serum dilution reached 1:12,800, indicating the high sensitivity and good repeatability of the method. The positive coincidence rate of this method was 98.6%, which is higher than that of previous tests established with the Sip or Pgk mono-antigen fusion protein, respectively, demonstrating the relatively higher sensitivity of this newly established method. The detection rate for 389 clinical samples was 46.53%. The indirect ELISA method established in this study could provide a more accurate and reliable serological method for the rapid detection of S. agalactiae in cases of BM.

Drought propagation in the Paraná Basin, Brazil: from rainfall deficits to impacts on reservoir storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, D. D.; Wendland, E.

2017-12-01

The sensibility and resilience of hydrologic systems to climate changes are crucial for estimating potential impacts of droughts, responsible for major economic and human losses globally. Understanding how droughts propagate is a key element to develop a predictive understanding for future management and mitigation strategies. In this context, this study investigated the drought propagation in the Paraná Basin (PB), Southeast Brazil, a major hydroelectricity producing region with 32 % (60 million people) of the country's population. Reservoir storage (RESS), river discharge (Q) and rainfall (P) data were used to assess the linkages between meteorological and hydrological droughts, characterized by the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and Streamflow Drought Index (SDI), respectively. The data are from 37 sub-basins within the PB, consisting of contributing areas of 37 reservoirs (250 km3 of stored water) within the PB for the period between 1995 and 2015. The response time (RT) of the hydrologic system to droughts, given as the time lag between P, Q and RESS, was quantified using a non-parametric statistical method that combines cumulative sums and Bootstrap resampling technique. Based on our results, the RTs of the hydrologic system of the PB varies from 0 to 6 months, depending on a number of aspects: lithology, topography, dam operation, etc. Linkages between SPI and SDI indicated that the anthropogenic control (dam operation) plays an important role in buffering drought impacts to downstream sub-basins: SDI decreased from upstream to downstream despite similar SPI values over the whole area. Comparisons between sub-basins, with variable drainage sizes (5,000 - 50,000 km2), confirmed the benefice of upstream reservoirs in reducing hydrological droughts. For example, the RT for a 4,800 km2 basin was 6 months between P and Q and 9 months between Q and RESS, under anthropogenic control. Conversely, the RT to precipitation for a reservoir subjected to natural

Outcome of childhood lupus nephritis in Saudi children.

PubMed

Al-Mayouf, Sulaiman Mohammed; AlAmeer, Ali; Alfattani, Areej; Alsonbul, Abdullah

2017-01-01

Our aim in this study is to report the long-term renal outcome of a cohort of Saudi children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). All patients with childhood lupus nephritis (cLN) proved by renal biopsy seen between January 2000 and June 2015 were reviewed. The renal outcome was assessed according to serum creatinine level, protein/creatinine ratio at the last follow-up visit, and/or evidence of renal impairment during follow-up period and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Additional outcome measures include accrual damage measured by pediatric adaptation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (pSDI), and death related to SLE was determined. A total of 84 (72 females) cLN patients with follow-up duration of 9.3 years (±5.2) were included in this study. The mean current age was 19.4 years (±5.5) and mean age at onset was 9.2 years (±2.4). The most frequent histopathological class was proliferative glomerulonephritis (64.3%) followed by membranous nephritis (27.4%). The mean activity and chronicity indices were 5.9 (±3.9) and 2.9 (±2.2), respectively. Renal microthrombosis was found in 9 (10.7%) patients. All patients treated with immunosuppressive medications; cyclophosphamide used in 64 followed by mycophenolate mofetil in 42, then azathioprine in 19 patients, while rituximab used in 24 patients. At the last follow-up visit, the mean serum creatinine was 147 umol/L (±197) and the mean protein/ creatinine ratio was 0.8 (± 1.1) while the mean total pSDI was 1.9 (±1.9) and mean renal SDI was 0.7 (±1.1). Sixteen (19%) patients had ESRD and eight of them had class IV nephritis. However, there was no significant difference in ESRD by histological class. The overall survival rates were five years: 94% and 10 years: 87%. Infection was the leading cause of mortality. Our patients had severe cLN and required intensive treatment. Despite the survival rate is comparable to other studies, ESRD is more

Foundational Data Products for Europa: A Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archinal, B. A.; Laura, J.; Becker, T. L.; Bland, M. T.; Kirk, R. L.

2017-12-01

Any Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), including a Planetary SDI (PSDI [1]), includes primary components such as "policy, access network, technical standards, people (including partnerships), and data" [2]. Data is largely categorized into critical foundational products and framework data products. Of data themes [3] previously identified for the U. S. National SDI, we identify [4] three types of products that are foundational to a PSDI: geodetic coordinate reference systems, elevation information, and orthomosaics. We previously listed examples of such products for the Moon (ibid.). Here, we list the current state of these three foundational products for Europa, a key destination in the outer Solar System. Geodetic coordinate reference systems for Europa are based on photogrammetric control networks generated from processing of Voyager and Galileo images, the most recent being that created by M. Davies and T. Colvin at The RAND Corporation in the late 1990s. The Voyager and Galileo images provide insufficient stereo coverage to derive a detailed global topographic model, but various global ellipsoidal shape models have been derived using e.g. the RAND network or limb profile data. The best-known global mosaic of Europa is a controlled orthomosaic produced by the U.S. Geological Survey [5], based on the RAND network and triaxial ellipsoid shape model. Near future needs include comparing the resolution and accuracy of these products with estimates for newer products that might supersede them, including released or unreleased regional products (such as digital terrain models or mosaics) and products that could be made by processing of extant data. Understanding these PSDI fundamental needs will also improve assessing and prioritizing products that are planned for by the upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission. This effort is not only useful for Europa science, but is also a first step toward developing such summaries for all Solar System bodies with relevant data, which

Cross-cultural validation of Lupus Impact Tracker in five European clinical practice settings.

PubMed

Schneider, Matthias; Mosca, Marta; Pego-Reigosa, José-Maria; Gunnarsson, Iva; Maurel, Frédérique; Garofano, Anna; Perna, Alessandra; Porcasi, Rolando; Devilliers, Hervé

2017-05-01

The aim was to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) in five European countries and to assess its acceptability and feasibility from the patient and physician perspectives. A prospective, observational, cross-sectional and multicentre validation study was conducted in clinical settings. Before the visit, patients completed LIT, Short Form 36 (SF-36) and care satisfaction questionnaires. During the visit, physicians assessed disease activity [Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment (SELENA)-SLEDAI], organ damage [SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI)] and flare occurrence. Cross-cultural validity was assessed using the Differential Item Functioning method. Five hundred and sixty-nine SLE patients were included by 25 specialists; 91.7% were outpatients and 89.9% female, with mean age 43.5 (13.0) years. Disease profile was as follows: 18.3% experienced flares; mean SELENA-SLEDAI score 3.4 (4.5); mean SDI score 0.8 (1.4); and SF-36 mean physical and mental component summary scores: physical component summary 42.8 (10.8) and mental component summary 43.0 (12.3). Mean LIT score was 34.2 (22.3) (median: 32.5), indicating that lupus moderately impacted patients' daily life. A cultural Differential Item Functioning of negligible magnitude was detected across countries (pseudo- R 2 difference of 0.01-0.04). Differences were observed between LIT scores and Physician Global Assessment, SELENA-SLEDAI, SDI scores = 0 (P < 0.035) and absence of flares (P = 0.004). The LIT showed a strong association with SF-36 physical and social role functioning, vitality, bodily pain and mental health (P < 0.001). The LIT was well accepted by patients and physicians. It was reliable, with Cronbach α coefficients ranging from 0.89 to 0.92 among countries. The LIT is validated in the five participating European countries. The results show its reliability and cultural invariability across countries. They suggest that LIT can be used in routine

Does Nintendo Wii Balance Board improve standing balance? A randomized controlled trial in children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Gatica-Rojas, Valeska; Méndez-Rebolledo, Guillermo; Guzman-Muñoz, Eduardo; Soto-Poblete, Alex; Cartes-Velásquez, Ricardo; Elgueta-Cancino, Edith; Cofré Lizama, L Eduardo

2017-08-01

Evidence on the effect of systemic exercise programs to improve the standing balance with the Nintendo Wii system is very limited and its post-treatment effectiveness is unknown in cerebral palsy (CP) patients. Primary aim was to compare the effect of Nintendo Wii balance board (Wii-therapy) and standard physiotherapy (SPT), on the performance of standing balance in children and adolescents with CP. Secondary aim was to determine the post-treatment effectiveness of Wii-therapy and SPT. Two-arm, matched-pairs, parallel-groups, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Outpatient Rehabilitation Centre in the city of Talca. Patients with CP type spastic hemiplegia (SHE) and spastic diplegia (SDI), aged 7 to 14 years, and level I or II of GMFCS or GMFCS-ER. Were excluded patients with FSIQ<80, epilepsy, previous surgeries and application of Botulinum Toxin-A in the lower limb, uncorrected vision and hearing disorders. Thirty-two CP patients (10.7±3.2 years old) were randomly assigned to either Wii-therapy (SDI=7; SHE=9) or SPT intervention (SDI=7; SHE=9). In each group, patients received three sessions per week over a period of 6 weeks. Standing balance was assessed at baseline and every 2 weeks. Additionally, two follow-up assessments (4 additional weeks) were performed to determine post-treatment effectiveness. Standing balance was quantified on force platform obtaining the outcomes area of center-of-pressure (CoP) sway (CoPSway), standard deviation in the medial-lateral (SDML) and the anterior-posterior (SDAP) directions, and velocity in both directions (VML and VAP). Compared to SPT, Wii-therapy significantly reduced the CoPSway (P=0.02) and SDAP in the eyes-open condition (P=0.01). However, the effects wane after 2-4 weeks. Post-hoc analysis revealed that only SHE children benefited from Wii-therapy. Wii-therapy was better than SPT in improving standing balance in patients with CP, but improves the balance only in SHE patients. Also, Wii-therapy effectiveness waned

Organisational aspects of spatial information infrastructure in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bielecka, Elzbieta; Zwirowicz-Rutkowska, Agnieszka

2013-06-01

One of the more important elements of spatial information infrastructure is the organisational structure defining the obligations and dependencies between stakeholders that are responsible for the infrastructure. Many SDI practitioners and theoreticians emphasise that its influence on the success or failure of activities undertaken is significantly greater than that of technical aspects. Being aware of the role of the organisational structure in the creating, operating and maintenance of spatial information infrastructure (SII), Polish legislators placed appropriate regulations in the Spatial Information Infrastructure Act, being the transposition of the INSPIRE Directive into Polish Law. The principal spatial information infrastructure stakeholders are discussed in the article and also the scope of cooperation between them. The tasks and relationships between stakeholders are illustrated in UML, in both the use case and the class diagram. Mentioned also are the main problems and obstructions resulting from imprecise legal regulations. Jednym z istotniejszych komponentów infrastruktury informacji przestrzennej (IIP) jest struktura organizacyjna określająca m.in. zależności pomiędzy organizacjami tworzącymi infrastrukturę. Wielu praktyków i teoretyków SDI podkreśla, że wpływ aspektów organizacyjnych na sukces lub porażkę SDI jest dużo większy niż elementów technicznych. Mając świadomość znaczącej roli struktury organizacyjnej w tworzeniu, funkcjonowaniu i zarządzaniu infrastrukturą przestrzenną w Polsce, legislatorzy umieścili odpowiednie zapisy w ustawie z dnia 4 marca 2010 r. o infrastrukturze informacji przestrzennej, będącej transpozycją dyrektywy INSPIRE do prawa polskiego. W artykule omówiono strukturę organizacyjną IIP w Polsce, podając (m.in. w postaci diagramów UML) obowiązki poszczególnych organów administracji zaangażowanych w jej budowę i rozwój, a także omówiono zależności i zakres współpracy pomi

The influence of storage time and pH variation on water sorption by different composite resins.

PubMed

Gusmão, George Mário de Araújo Silva; De Queiroz, Thiago Vinicius Veras; Pompeu, Guilherme Ferrer; Menezes Filho, Paulo Fonseca; da Silva, Cláudio Heliomar Vicente

2013-01-01

The objective of this work was to assess the influence of storage time and pH cycling on water sorption by different composite resins. Nine resin brands were selected and divided into groups: G1-ROK (SDI), G2-ICE (SDI), G3-GLACIER (SDI), G4-Z350 (3M/ESPE), G5-Z250 (3M/ESPE), G6-TPH 3 (DENTSPLY), G7-ESTHET X (DENTSPLY), G8-SUPRAFILL (SSWHITE), and G9-MASTERFILL (BIODINΒMICS). Ninety specimens, ten per group, were obtained using an aluminum matrix. Specimens measured 10 mm diameter × 2 mm width. The groups were divided into subgroups according to the immersion solution: A - control (n = 05) stored in artificial saliva pH = 7.0 and B-test (n = 05) submitted to seven consecutive days of pH cycling (cariogenic challenger) that consisted of immersion in a pH° = 4.3 solution for 6 h followed by immersion in a pH¹ =7.0 solution for 18 h and stored in artificial saliva pH = 7.0 until the end of the experiment. The specimens were weighed on six occasions: T 0 (after fabrication), T 1 (24 h), T 2 (7 days), T 3 (15 days), T 4 (30 days), T 5 (60 days), and then analyzed. The water sorption was determined by the weight difference between the specimens at the time intervals. The mean weight gain was exactly the same for both the subgroups within group G4. The highest means for the control subgroup were found in groups: G1, G5, G7, G8, and G9. For the pH cycling subgroup, the highest means were found in G2, G3, and G6; however, significant differences between the subgroups compared to the mean-weight gain were found for G1, G5, and G7. The water sorption of composite resins is dependent upon their storage time. The pH cycling created a significant impact on resins G1, G5, and G7. The sorption and solubility of composite resins vary according to their chemical composition.

Sedimentary sulfur geochemistry of the Paleogene Green River Formation, western USA: Implications for interpreting depositional and diagenetic processes in saline alkaline lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tuttle, M.L.; Goldhaber, M.B.

1993-01-01

The sulfur geochemistry of the lacustrine Paleogene Green River Formation (Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, USA) is unlike that of most marine and other lacustrine rocks. Distinctive chemical, isotopic, and mineralogical characteristics of the formation are pyrrhotite and marcasite, high contents of iron mineral sulfides strikingly enriched in 34S, cyclical trends in sulfur abundance and ??34S values, and long-term evolutionary trends in ??34S values. Analyses that identified and quantified these characteristics include carbonate-free abundance of organic carbon (0.13-47 wt%), total iron (0.31-13 wt%), reactive iron (>70% of total iron), total sulfur (0.02-16 wt%), acid-volatile monosulfide (SAv), disulfide (SDi > 70% of total sulfur), sulfate (SSO4) and organosulfur (SOrg); isotopic composition of separated sulfur phases (??34SDi,Av up to +49???); and mineralogy, morphology and paragenesis of sulfide minerals. Mineralogy, morphology, ??34SDi,Av, and ??34SOrg have a distinctive relation, reflecting variable and unique depositional and early diagenetic conditions in the Green River lakes. When the lakes were brackish, dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria in the sediment produced H2S, which initially reacted with labile iron to form pyrite framboids and more gradually with organic matter to form organosulfur compounds. During a long-lived stage of saline lake water, the amount of sulfate supplied by inflow decreased and alkalinity and pH of lake waters increased substantially. Extensive bacterial sulfate reduction in the water column kept lake waters undersaturated with sulfate minerals. A very high H2S:SO4 ratio developed in stagnant bottom water aided by the high pH that kinetically inhibited iron sulfidization. Progressive removal of H2S by coeval formation of iron sulfides and organosulfur compounds caused the isotopic composition of the entire dissolved sulfur reservoir to evolve to ??34S values much greater than that of inflow sulfate, which is estimated to have

Multicenter study to assess presenteeism in systemic lupus erythematosus and its relationship with clinical and sociodemographic features.

PubMed

Cosatti, M A; Muñoz, S; Alba, P; Helling, C A; Roverano, S; Sarano, J; Malm-Green, S; Danielsen, M; Medina Bornachera, D; Alvarez, A; Eimon, A; Pendón, G; Mayer, M; Marin, J; Catoggio, C; Pisoni, C N

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to measure presenteeism (productivity impairment while the patient is at work) and the related risk factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from Argentina. Methods A total of 130 consecutive (1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria) working patients with SLE were assessed using a standardized data collection form. Sociodemographic, disease and work-related variables were collected. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire was performed. Results Overall, 130 patients were included in the analysis; 91% were women, and the mean age was 39 years (range 19-77). A total of 43% were White, 43% Mestizo and 13% Amerindian. Overall, 38% were single and 38% were married. A total of 75% had more than 12 years of formal education. The median disease duration was 7 years (interquartile range 25-75 (IQR) 4-13). Median Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score was 0 (IQR 0-2), and median Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SLICC-SDI) score was 0 (IQR 0-1). Lupus quality of life (LupusQoL) domains scores were: physical health 87 (IQR 70-96), emotional health 78 (IQR 54-91), burden to others 75 (IQR 50-92), intimate relationships 87 (IQR 50-100), and body image 85 (IQR 70-100). Absenteeism was 8%, presenteeism was 19%, and overall work impairment (absenteeism + presenteeism) was 26%. In the multiple regression analysis, considering presenteeism as dependent variable, (adjusting by age, disease duration, >12 years of education, Non-white race, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain, VAS fatigue, SLICC-SDI, LupusQoL, physical and emotional domains), we found that SLICC-SDI (odds ratio (OR) 1.68, confidence interval (CI) 1-2.7) and Non-white race (OR 3.27, CI 1.04-10) were related to presenteeism and >12 years of education (OR 0.30, CI 0.09-0.98) and higher scores of LupusQoL emotional health domain (OR 0.95, CI 0.92-0.98) were protective

Circulating CD4+CD28null and extra-thymic CD4+CD8+ double positive T cells are independently associated with disease damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Ugarte-Gil, M F; Sánchez-Zúñiga, C; Gamboa-Cárdenas, R V; Aliaga-Zamudio, M; Zevallos, F; Tineo-Pozo, G; Cucho-Venegas, J M; Mosqueira-Riveros, A; Medina, M; Perich-Campos, R A; Alfaro-Lozano, J L; Rodriguez-Bellido, Z; Alarcón, G S; Pastor-Asurza, C A

2016-03-01

To determine whether circulating CD4+CD28null and extra-thymic CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) T cells are independently associated with damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2013 and April 2014 in consecutive SLE patients from our Rheumatology Department. CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T-cell frequencies were analyzed by flow-cytometry. The association of damage (SLICC/ACR Damage Index, SDI) and CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells was examined by univariable and multivariable Poisson regression models, adjusting for possible confounders. All analyses were performed using SPSS 21.0. Patients' (n = 133) mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 35.5 (16.8) years, 124 (93.2%) were female; all were mestizo (mixed Caucasian and Amerindian ancestry). Disease duration was 7.4 (6.8) years. The SLE Disease Activity Index was 5.5 (4.2), and the SDI 0.9 (1.2). The percentages of CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells were 17.1 (14.4) and 0.4 (1.4), respectively. The percentage of CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells were positively associated with a higher SDI in both univariable (rate ratio (RR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.03 and 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.27, respectively; p < 0.001 for both) and multivariable analyses RR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03, p = 0.001 for CD4+CD28null T cells and 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.44, p < 0.001 for CD4+CD8+ DP T cells). Only the renal domain remained associated with CD4+CD28null in multivariable analyses (RR 1.023 (1.002-1.045); p = 0.034). In SLE patients, CD4+CD28null and CD4+CD8+ DP T cells are independently associated with disease damage. Longitudinal studies are warranted to determine the predictive value of these associations. © The Author(s) 2015.

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, USA: Economics, Politics, Ideology, No. 5, May 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-15

In 1984 the respective indicators for these countries were 73.2, 78, 77.1, and 84.5 quintals per hectare.7 There is no question that these high...Consumpti« (Commercial) millions of quintals millions reserves, millions millions for fodder, millions hectares per hectare of tons millions of tons...Disarmament [V.M. Berezhkov; pp 3- 10 ] 1 U.S. Pacific Strategy Examined [B.N. Zanegin; pp 11-18] 6 U.S. Space Doctrine, SDI [M.I. Gerasev

EASCON '88; Proceedings of the Twenty-first Annual Electronics and Aerospace Conference, Arlington, VA, Nov. 9-11, 1988

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The capabilities of present and future space and terrestrial communication systems are examined in reviews and reports. Topics addressed include competition between space and terrestrial technologies, remote sensing, carrier services in public switched telephone networks, surveillance and warning systems, telescience and telerobotics, integrated networks and systems, and military communication systems. Consideration is given to navigation and geolocation services; high-definition TV broadcasting; technical, economic, marketing, and strategic aspects of VSATs; future technology drivers; and SDI technologies.

Department of Defense Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1986.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-04

will subside. Because of its unrelenting military investment coupled with an opportunistic foreign policy, the Soviet Union will remain the most serious...responsibility to those who follow us. Many of our investments in research and development, including SDI, will not pay dividends for a number of years. If we...neglect to invest today in strong defenses for the future, we will be blamed by future leaders and, indeed, by our own children for denying them the peace

EPSAT - A workbench for designing high-power systems for the space environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuharski, R. A.; Jongeward, G. A.; Wilcox, K. G.; Kennedy, E. M.; Stevens, N. J.; Putnam, R. M.; Roche, J. C.

1990-01-01

The Environment Power System Analysis Tool (EPSAT) is being developed to provide space power system design engineers with an analysis tool for determining the performance of power systems in both naturally occurring and self-induced environments. This paper presents the results of the project after two years of a three-year development program. The relevance of the project result for SDI are pointed out, and models of the interaction of the environment and power systems are discussed.

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, Foreign Military Review, No. 12, December 1987.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-11

on the cargo bed of the five-ton Unimog vehicle of the West German firm of Mercedes - Benz . It has four smoothbore barrels, each 3 m long and con...Center. The tactic of "quietly creeping" into SDI of course was not advertised . Moreover, excuses were heard when particular facts attesting to...productivity growth rates. Japanese export grew at outstripping rates, which led to a sharp aggravation of both countries’ rivalry in world markets . A

Safety and environmental constraints on space applications of fusion energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, J. Reece

1990-01-01

Some of the constraints are examined on fusion reactions, plasma confinement systems, and fusion reactors that are intended for such space related missions as manned or unmanned operations in near earth orbit, interplanetary missions, or requirements of the SDI program. Of the many constraints on space power and propulsion systems, those arising from safety and environmental considerations are emphasized since these considerations place severe constraints on some fusion systems and have not been adequately treated in previous studies.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-02-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index ( EPI ), the ecological occupancy index ( EOI ), the ecological economic coordination index ( EECI ), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index ( CEI ), the water resources stress index ( WSI ), and the sustainable development index ( SDI ). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family

PubMed Central

Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-01-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index (EPI), the ecological occupancy index (EOI), the ecological economic coordination index (EECI), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index (CEI), the water resources stress index (WSI), and the sustainable development index (SDI). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions. PMID:29389886

Independent association of glucocorticoids with damage accrual in SLE

PubMed Central

Apostolopoulos, Diane; Kandane-Rathnayake, Rangi; Raghunath, Sudha; Hoi, Alberta; Nikpour, Mandana; Morand, Eric F

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine factors associated with damage accrual in a prospective cohort of patients with SLE. Methods Patients with SLE who attended the Lupus Clinic at Monash Health, Australia, between 2007 and 2013 were studied. Clinical variables included disease activity (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2K, SLEDAI-2K), time-adjusted mean SLEDAI, cumulative glucocorticoid dose and organ damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI)). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with damage accrual. Results A total of 162 patients were observed over a median (IQR) 3.6 (2.0–4.7) years. Seventy-five per cent (n=121) of patients received glucocorticoids. Damage accrual was significantly more frequent in glucocorticoid-exposed patients (42% vs 15%, p<0.01). Higher glucocorticoid exposure was independently associated with overall damage accrual after controlling for factors including ethnicity and disease activity and was significant at time-adjusted mean doses above 4.42 mg prednisolone/day; the OR of damage accrual in patients in the highest quartile of cumulative glucocorticoid exposure was over 10. Glucocorticoid exposure was independently associated with damage accrual in glucocorticoid-related and non-glucocorticoid related domains of the SDI. Conclusions Glucocorticoid use is independently associated with the accrual of damage in SLE, including in non-glucocorticoid related domains. PMID:27933196

Impacts of a participatory approach to developing national level sustainable development indicators in Finland.

PubMed

Rosenström, Ulla; Kyllönen, Simo

2007-08-01

The paper explores the role of a participatory approach in the outcome of the Finnish sustainable development indicator (SDI) exercise in 1998-2002. The process is analysed through three main objectives: to achieve stronger democracy, better quality of the end product and a more effective process. The analysis is further structured by a set of criteria needed for successful participation and differentiation of types of participants. The criteria comprise three main aspects: fairness, competence and social learning. In addition to the normally mentioned stakeholders (e.g. citizens and interest groups) participants also include experts and civil servants. Using the set of criteria above the participatory approach of the Finnish SDI process is then evaluated, and in the light of this evaluation the paper also discusses the specifications needed as evaluation criteria for national level policy programme processes like developing the SDIs. The results are based on documentation of the indicator task force meetings, written comments and a study of the putative end-users conducted after the publication of the indicators. The results show that the intense and broad participation of experts and civil servants increased the competence of the outcome and led to greater efficiency in working methods. However, this led to technocratic participation, absence of democratic participation and absence of social learning. Thus the ultimate goal of SDIs to contribute to achieving sustainability was not reached.

A study of the sea-salt chemistry using size-segregated aerosol measurements at coastal Antarctic station Neumayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teinilä, K.; Frey, A.; Hillamo, R.; Tülp, H. C.; Weller, R.

2014-10-01

Aerosol chemical and physical properties were measured in 2010 at Neumayer research station, Antarctica. Samples for chemical analysis (ion chromatography) were collected using a Teflon/Nylon filter combination (TNy) sampler, and with a multi stage low pressure impactor (SDI). Particle number concentration was measured continuously with a Grimm OPC optical particle counter. Total particle number concentration varied largely throughout the year, and the highest number concentrations for particles larger than 0.3 μm were observed simultaneously with the highest sea salt concentrations. About 50% of the sea salt aerosol mass was found in the submicron size range. Below 0.2 μm of particle aerodynamic diameter the contribution of sea salt aerosols was negligible. Further analysis showed that sea salt aerosols had undergone physico-chemical processes, either during the transportation, or during their formation. High degree of chloride depletion was observed during austral summer, when the presence of acidic gases exhibit their characteristic seasonal maximum. Apart from chloride depletion, excess chloride relating to sodium was also detected in one SDI sample, indicating actually a sodium depletion by mirabilite formation on freshly formed sea ice areas. Analysis of selected episodes showed that the concentration of sea salt particles, their modal structure, and their chemical composition is connected with their source areas, their formation mechanisms, and local transport history.

Navy Activity-Level Energy Systems Planning Procedure (A-LESP) Users Manual.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

1-in. stucco, air space 1.95 0.512 0.5-in. gypsum or plasterboard 0.56 1.78 Insulating drapes 1.72 0.58 ROOFS 2-in. insulation, 1-in. wood, air space...3 Annual Dry Bulb Degree Hours Above 780 F ............................ 267 -’ Table SDI Energy Conversion Units...A-LESP SURVEY DATE 5/83 Langleys 400 OPT. FEASIBILITY (YES/NO) Yes Dry bulb degree hours greater NES 180 MBtu/yr than 780 F 10,000 SIR 1.81_ Cooling

JPRS Report, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-25

to property. Destruction would be far greater than in World War II. Who would want to suffer such a catastrophe ? It is because people fear nuclear...Period, Sun Zi, referred to the idea of "sub- duing the enemy without fighting" in the offensive strategy chapter of his The Art of War. Among other...preliminary SDI system to be deployed, not only would a great military expenditure be required, but not many prob- lems would be solved. Thus, the U.S

Worldwide Report, Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-12

85) Belgium’s Science Minister on Eureka, SDI Prospects (Frank De Moor; Brussels KNACK, 17 Jul 85) Japan, PRC Foreign Ministers Talk; Wu Opposes...PROSPECTS Brussels KNACK in Dutch 17 Jul 85 pp 21-25 [Article by Frank De Moor: "Eureka And Europe Are First With Us."] TText] On 17 July the...be especially afraid of what he calls "getting bogged down in bureaucracy." It will not escape anyone that bureaucracy in this context is partly

Worldwide Report Arms Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-02-04

implementing SDI. The results of the investigations are secret, of course. But, as the magazine ATLANTIC writes, it is clear from what has seeped into the...Apparently it means not in accordance with Soviet people’s wishes and bidding of people on the other side of the Atlantic , ideas accepted in the...Christian Social Union, was even prepared to make a pilgrimage "with a candle in his hands" to Altoetting (a place of worship of the Holy Virgin Mary

Design Calculation Procedure for Passive Solar Houses at Navy Installations in Regions with Cold Climate. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

8217.nd So,,,g.YPFREO T1 PRO CVRC Design Calculation Procedure for Passive Preliminary Solar Houses at Navy Installations in Apr zO STpiPOR NUBE Regions...unlimited I7 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (of the WAtract ente~red InI 81-1, 20, it diferent from Report) 18 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 19P KEY WORDS ( Con ,,nUe on~df -1...agl Figure ~ ~ 5. Deiiino ybl sdi Swot pcn aclto 59/ condition) for oorthern latitudes and different times of da are listed in .11 lable 5.4

Grape Ripening Is Regulated by Deficit Irrigation/Elevated Temperatures According to Cluster Position in the Canopy

PubMed Central

Zarrouk, Olfa; Brunetti, Cecilia; Egipto, Ricardo; Pinheiro, Carla; Genebra, Tânia; Gori, Antonella; Lopes, Carlos M.; Tattini, Massimiliano; Chaves, M. Manuela

2016-01-01

The impact of water deficit on berry quality has been extensively investigated during the last decades. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of knowledge on the performance of varieties exposed to a combination of high temperatures/water stress during the growing season and under vineyard conditions. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of two irrigation regimes, sustained deficit irrigation (SDI, 30% ETc) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI, 15% ETc) and of two cluster positions within the canopy (east- and west-exposed sides) on berry ripening in red Aragonez (Tempranillo) grapevines. The study was undertaken for two successive years in a commercial vineyard in South Portugal, monitoring the following parameters: pre-dawn leaf water potential, berry temperature, sugars, polyphenols, abscisic acid (ABA) and related metabolites. Additionally, expression patterns for different transcripts encoding for enzymes responsible for anthocyanin and ABA biosynthesis (VviUFGT, VvNCED1, VvβG1, VviHyd1, VviHyd2) were analyzed. In both years anthocyanin concentration was lower in RDI at the west side (RDIW- the hottest one) from véraison onwards, suggesting that the most severe water stress conditions exacerbated the negative impact of high temperature on anthocyanin. The down-regulation of VviUFGT expression revealed a repression of the anthocyanin synthesis in berries of RDIW, at early stages of berry ripening. At full-maturation, anthocyanin degradation products were detected, being highest at RDIW. This suggests that the negative impact of water stress and high temperature on anthocyanins results from the repression of biosynthesis at the onset of ripening and from degradation at later stages. On the other hand, berries grown under SDI displayed a higher content in phenolics than those under RDI, pointing out for the attenuation of the negative temperature effects under SDI. Irrigation regime and berry position had small effect on free

Grape Ripening Is Regulated by Deficit Irrigation/Elevated Temperatures According to Cluster Position in the Canopy.

PubMed

Zarrouk, Olfa; Brunetti, Cecilia; Egipto, Ricardo; Pinheiro, Carla; Genebra, Tânia; Gori, Antonella; Lopes, Carlos M; Tattini, Massimiliano; Chaves, M Manuela

2016-01-01

The impact of water deficit on berry quality has been extensively investigated during the last decades. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of knowledge on the performance of varieties exposed to a combination of high temperatures/water stress during the growing season and under vineyard conditions. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of two irrigation regimes, sustained deficit irrigation (SDI, 30% ET c ) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI, 15% ET c ) and of two cluster positions within the canopy (east- and west-exposed sides) on berry ripening in red Aragonez (Tempranillo) grapevines. The study was undertaken for two successive years in a commercial vineyard in South Portugal, monitoring the following parameters: pre-dawn leaf water potential, berry temperature, sugars, polyphenols, abscisic acid (ABA) and related metabolites. Additionally, expression patterns for different transcripts encoding for enzymes responsible for anthocyanin and ABA biosynthesis ( VviUFGT, VvNCED1, Vv β G1, VviHyd1, VviHyd2 ) were analyzed. In both years anthocyanin concentration was lower in RDI at the west side (RDIW- the hottest one) from véraison onwards, suggesting that the most severe water stress conditions exacerbated the negative impact of high temperature on anthocyanin. The down-regulation of VviUFGT expression revealed a repression of the anthocyanin synthesis in berries of RDIW, at early stages of berry ripening. At full-maturation, anthocyanin degradation products were detected, being highest at RDIW. This suggests that the negative impact of water stress and high temperature on anthocyanins results from the repression of biosynthesis at the onset of ripening and from degradation at later stages. On the other hand, berries grown under SDI displayed a higher content in phenolics than those under RDI, pointing out for the attenuation of the negative temperature effects under SDI. Irrigation regime and berry position had small effect on free

TANK 21 AND TANK 24 BLEND AND FEED STUDY: BLENDING TIMES, SETTLING TIMES, AND TRANSFERS

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

Lee, S.; Leishear, R.; Poirier, M.

2012-05-31

The Salt Disposition Integration (SDI) portfolio of projects provides the infrastructure within existing Liquid Waste facilities to support the startup and long term operation of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). Within SDI, the Blend and Feed Project will equip existing waste tanks in the Tank Farms to serve as Blend Tanks where salt solutions of up to 1.2 million gallons will be blended in 1.3 million gallon tanks and qualified for use as feedstock for SWPF. In particular, Tanks 21 and 24 are planned to be used for blending and transferring to the SDI feed tank. These tanks weremore » evaluated here to determine blending times, to determine a range of settling times for disturbed sludge, and to determine that the SWPF Waste Acceptance Criteria that less than 1200 mg/liter of solids will be entrained in salt solutions during transfers from the Tank 21 and Tank 24 will be met. Overall conclusions for Tank 21 and Tank 24 operations include: (1) Experimental correction factors were applied to CFD (computational fluid dynamics) models to establish blending times between approximately two and five hours. As shown in Phase 2 research, blending times may be as much as ten times greater, or more, if lighter fluids are added to heavier fluids (i.e., water added to salt solution). As the densities of two salt solutions converge this effect may be minimized, but additional confirmatory research was not performed. (2) At the current sludge levels and the presently planned operating heights of the transfer pumps, solids entrainment will be less than 1200 mg/liter, assuming a conservative, slow settling sludge simulant. (3) Based on theoretical calculations, particles in the density range of 2.5 to 5.0 g/mL must be greater than 2-4 {micro}m in diameter to ensure they settle adequately in 30-60 days to meet the SWPF feed criterion (<1200 mg/l). (4) Experimental tests with sludge batch 6 simulant and field turbidity data from a recent Tank 21 mixing evolution suggest

Evaluation of the Eureka Manta2 Water-Quality Multiprobe Sonde

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Evan F.

2017-11-08

Two Eureka Manta2 3.5 water-quality multiprobe sondes by Eureka Water Probes were tested at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) against known standards over the sonde operating temperatures to verify the manufacturer’s stated accuracy specifications for pH, specific conductance (SC) at 25 degrees Celsius (°C), dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity. The Manta2 sondes were evaluated for compliance with the USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (NFM) criteria for continuous water-quality monitors, and for compliance with the manufacturer’s technical specifications. The Manta2 was also evaluated for its compliance to Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud (SDI-12) version 1.3.The Manta2 met the NFM recommendations and manufacturer’s accuracy specifications for DO and turbidity at all values tested. The Manta2 pH sensors met the NFM recommendations and manufacturer’s accuracy specification for nominal pH values of 10 and lower. One of the two sensors was out of compliance by 1.2 units for pH 11.16 at 15 °C and by 0.25 unit for pH 10.78 at 40 °C. The Manta2 sensors were within the NFM recommendations for SC, except at 100 microsiemens (μS/cm) at 40 °C, where the SC sensor exceeded the test standard value by as much as 25 percent. One of two sensors was within manufacturer’s accuracy specifications at 25 °C for all the tested SC values, while the other SC sensor was outside the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications at 100 μS/cm, exceeding the test standard value by 9 percent. One of two sensors was outside the manufacturer’s accuracy specifications at 10,000 μS/cm at 15°C, exceeding the test standard value by 3 percent. One Manta2 passed SDI-12 compliance testing with a NR Systems SDI-12 Verifier. One Manta2 was field tested for 6 weeks at USGS station 02492620, National Space Technology Laboratories (NSTL) Station, Mississippi, on the Pearl River and showed overall good agreement

Utilizing Multi-Ensemble of Downscaled CMIP5 GCMs to Investigate Trends and Spatial and Temporal Extent of Drought in Willamette Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadalipour, A.; Beal, B.; Moradkhani, H.

2015-12-01

Changing climate and potential future increases in global temperature are likely to have impacts on drought characteristics and hydrologic cylce. In this study, we analyze changes in temporal and spatial extent of meteorological and hydrological droughts in future, and their trends. Three statistically downscaled datasets from NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP), Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA), and Bias Correction and Spatial Disagregation (BCSD-PSU) each consisting of 10 CMIP5 Global Climate Models (GCM) are utilized for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Further, Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) hydrologic model is used to simulate streamflow from GCM inputs and assess the hydrological drought characteristics. Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and Streamflow Drought Index (SDI) are the two indexes used to investigate meteorological and hydrological drought, respectively. Study is done for Willamette Basin with a drainage area of 29,700 km2 accommodating more than 3 million inhabitants and 25 dams. We analyze our study for annual time scale as well as three future periods of near future (2010-2039), intermediate future (2040-2069), and far future (2070-2099). Large uncertainty is found from GCM predictions. Results reveal that meteorological drought events are expected to increase in near future. Severe to extreme drought with large areal coverage and several years of occurance is predicted around year 2030 with the likelihood of exceptional drought for both drought types. SPI is usually showing positive trends, while SDI indicates negative trends in most cases.

Probabilistic seismic demand analysis using advanced ground motion intensity measures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tothong, P.; Luco, N.

2007-01-01

One of the objectives in performance-based earthquake engineering is to quantify the seismic reliability of a structure at a site. For that purpose, probabilistic seismic demand analysis (PSDA) is used as a tool to estimate the mean annual frequency of exceeding a specified value of a structural demand parameter (e.g. interstorey drift). This paper compares and contrasts the use, in PSDA, of certain advanced scalar versus vector and conventional scalar ground motion intensity measures (IMs). One of the benefits of using a well-chosen IM is that more accurate evaluations of seismic performance are achieved without the need to perform detailed ground motion record selection for the nonlinear dynamic structural analyses involved in PSDA (e.g. record selection with respect to seismic parameters such as earthquake magnitude, source-to-site distance, and ground motion epsilon). For structural demands that are dominated by a first mode of vibration, using inelastic spectral displacement (Sdi) can be advantageous relative to the conventionally used elastic spectral acceleration (Sa) and the vector IM consisting of Sa and epsilon (??). This paper demonstrates that this is true for ordinary and for near-source pulse-like earthquake records. The latter ground motions cannot be adequately characterized by either Sa alone or the vector of Sa and ??. For structural demands with significant higher-mode contributions (under either of the two types of ground motions), even Sdi (alone) is not sufficient, so an advanced scalar IM that additionally incorporates higher modes is used.

Peripheral vascular damage in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from LUMINA, a large multi-ethnic U.S. cohort (LXIX).

PubMed

Burgos, P I; Vilá, L M; Reveille, J D; Alarcón, G S

2009-12-01

To determine the factors associated with peripheral vascular damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and its impact on survival from Lupus in Minorities, Nature versus Nurture, a longitudinal US multi-ethnic cohort. Peripheral vascular damage was defined by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI). Factors associated with peripheral vascular damage were examined by univariable and multi-variable logistic regression models and its impact on survival by a Cox multi-variable regression. Thirty-four (5.3%) of 637 patients (90% women, mean [SD] age 36.5 [12.6] [16-87] years) developed peripheral vascular damage. Age and the SDI (without peripheral vascular damage) were statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.08; P = 0.0107 and OR = 1.30, 95% CI 0.09-1.56; P = 0.0043, respectively) in multi-variable analyses. Azathioprine, warfarin and statins were also statistically significant, and glucocorticoid use was borderline statistically significant (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.10-1.06; P = 0.0975). In the survival analysis, peripheral vascular damage was independently associated with a diminished survival (hazard ratio = 2.36; 95% CI 1.07-5.19; P = 0.0334). In short, age was independently associated with peripheral vascular damage, but so was the presence of damage in other organs (ocular, neuropsychiatric, renal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and integument) and some medications (probably reflecting more severe disease). Peripheral vascular damage also negatively affected survival.

Three-Dimensional Maps for Disaster Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandrova, T.; Zlatanova, S.; Konecny, M.

2012-07-01

Geo-information techniques have proven their usefulness for the purposes of early warning and emergency response. These techniques enable us to generate extensive geo-information to make informed decisions in response to natural disasters that lead to better protection of citizens, reduce damage to property, improve the monitoring of these disasters, and facilitate estimates of the damages and losses resulting from them. The maintenance and accessibility of spatial information has improved enormously with the development of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs), especially with second-generation SDIs, in which the original product-based SDI was improved to a process-based SDI. Through the use of SDIs, geo-information is made available to local, national and international organisations in regions affected by natural disasters as well as to volunteers serving in these areas. Volunteer-based systems for information collection (e.g., Ushahidi) have been created worldwide. However, the use of 3D maps is still limited. This paper discusses the applicability of 3D geo-information to disaster management. We discuss some important aspects of maps for disaster management, such as user-centred maps, the necessary components for 3D maps, symbols, and colour schemas. In addition, digital representations are evaluated with respect to their visual controls, i.e., their usefulness for the navigation and exploration of the information. Our recommendations are based on responses from a variety of users of these technologies, including children, geospecialists and disaster managers from different countries.

Influence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium ssrB on Colonization of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as Revealed by a Promoter Probe Screen

PubMed Central

Cox, Clayton E.; Wright, Anita C.; McClelland, Michael

2015-01-01

Although Salmonella has been isolated from 7.4 to 8.6% of domestic raw oysters, representing a significant risk for food-borne illness, little is known about the factors that influence their initial colonization by Salmonella. This study tested the hypothesis that specific regulatory changes enable a portion of the invading Salmonella population to colonize oysters. An in vivo promoter probe library screen identified 19 unique regions as regulated during colonization. The mutants in the nearest corresponding downstream genes were tested for colonization defects in oysters. Only one mutation, in ssrB, resulted in a significantly reduced ability to colonize oysters compared to that of wild-type Salmonella. Because ssrB regulates Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2)-dependent infections in vertebrate macrophages, the possibility that ssrB mediated colonization of oyster hemocytes in a similar manner was examined. However, no difference in hemocyte colonization was observed. The complementary hypothesis that signal exchange between Salmonella and the oyster's native microbial community aids colonization was also tested. Signals that triggered responses in quorum sensing (QS) reporters were shown to be produced by oyster-associated bacteria and present in oyster tissue. However, no evidence for signal exchange was observed in vivo. The sdiA reporter responded to salinity, suggesting that SdiA may also have a role in environmental sensing. Overall, this study suggests the initial colonization of live oysters by Salmonella is controlled by a limited number of regulators, including ssrB. PMID:26497459

The French-Canadian validation of a disease-specific, patient-reported outcome measure for lupus.

PubMed

Bourré-Tessier, J; Clarke, A E; Kosinski, M; Mikolaitis-Preuss, R A; Bernatsky, S; Block, J A; Jolly, M

2014-12-01

The objective of this paper is to perform the cross-cultural validation of the French version of the LupusPRO, a disease-targeted patient-reported outcome measure, among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Canada. The French version of the LupusPRO and the MOS SF-36 were administered; demographic, clinical and serological characteristics were obtained. Disease activity (SELENA-SLEDAI and the Lupus Foundation of America definition of flare) and damage (SLICC/ACR SDI) were assessed. Physician disease activity and damage assessments were ascertained using visual analog scales. Internal consistency reliability (ICR), test-retest reliability (TRT), convergent and discriminant validity (against corresponding domains of the SF-36), criterion validity (against disease activity, damage or health status) and known group validity were tested. A total of 99 French-Canadian SLE patients participated (97% women, mean (SD) age 45.2 (14.5) years). The median (IQR) SELENA-SLEDAI and SDI were 3.5 (6.0) and 1.0 (2.0), respectively. The ICR of the LupusPRO domains ranged from 0.81 to 0.93 (except for lupus symptoms, procreation and coping), while TRT ranged from 0.72 to 0.95. Convergent and discriminant validity, criterion validity and known group validity against disease activity, damage and health status measures were observed. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit. The LupusPRO has fair psychometric properties among French-Canadian patients with SLE. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Reclamation of a lignite combustion waste disposal site with alders (Alnus sp.): assessment of tree growth and nutrient status within 10 years of the experiment.

PubMed

Pietrzykowski, Marcin; Woś, Bartłomiej; Pająk, Marek; Wanic, Tomasz; Krzaklewski, Wojciech; Chodak, Marcin

2018-06-01

Combustion wastes are characterised by extremely low N contents. Therefore, introduction of nitrogen-fixing species at the first stage of their biological reclamation is required. This paper presents an assessment of the growth parameters of alders (Alnus sp.) 10 years after their introduction to a disposal site of lignite combustion waste in Central Poland. Black (Alnus glutinosa) and grey alders (Alnus incana) were planted directly in the combustion waste. The soil amendment included three variants: control with pure combustion waste, admixture of lignite culm and addition of acid sand. Both alder species displayed good growth parameters comparable to those of alders in natural habitats. However, black alder had better growth parameters, such as stand density index (SDI), diameter at breast height (DBH) and height (H) than grey alder. The lignite amendment exerted a positive effect on tree growth, reflected in a higher SDI and H, whereas the acid sand amendment did not affect any of the growth parameters of the studied alder species. Despite the good growth parameters, the measured N:P and N:K ratios in the alder leaves largely differed from the optimal values indicating insufficient P and K supply at the combustion waste disposal site. This may pose a threat to further development of the introduced tree plantings. The introduction of alders along with the lignite addition into the planting holes seems to be a successful method of combustion waste revegetation.

Essays on Strategy 6

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

nations. Such views are ex- pressed by Peter Drucker , a professor of social science and management at the Claremont Graduate School in Cali- fornia. He... management . Drucker maintains that Japan must now choose between its traditional way or the Westernized way 127 I J1 p r i m m l HAJIME MATSUSAKI and BRIAN...ON tva Y ’ll.’’, I f it’s$tj NW.Or Effects*bf the’Vieftoa’m’ ar The- Future of SDI, Superpower War Terminati n Managing Security Assista ce Europe

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Deployment Area Selection and Land Withdrawal/Acquisition DEIS. Chapter III. Part I. Affected Environment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

soohonnUera Tept 1461 M. 2a-Cainrk- han-ea! Aeneara- hS 808)-sig to Mntano A -sdy species of Jane- ra- -,c o 0cm falls 1GresM1 maheenfthre Idaho southtn A...behind growth in Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho . More than half of the state’s population reside in Salt Lake and Utah counties. The annual...Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon Wash- Year Montana, Utah, and and ington California and Idaho New Mexico Nevada 1973 86.34 72.45 65.61 64.7, 83.1] 1974 89.6 62.3

Low Temperature Pulsed Plasma Deposition. Part 2. The Production of Novel Amorphous Compounds of Germanium in Thin Film

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-12

been suggested to occur in amorphous GeS thin films [13]. A change in bond energy and band gap could also account for the measured decrease in optical...the financial support of the US Naval Weapons Center, China Lake and US SDI/IST through the Office of Naval Research. We also acknowledge the...forward power, 210 sTorr chamber pressure, gas flows GeH4/PH3/H2S in acca as given in table, together with 500 sccm Ar. DC bias potential approx. 2kV

Diphenylureas for Treatment of Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

M. Cooper. C.A. Stein. R.V. Li Rocca, M.M. [181 D.B. Hinshaw, J.M. Burger, R.E. Delius, P.A. Hyslop , G.M. Walther. G. Weiss. P’. Clioykc. N. D~awson...Biochem. 102 ( 1980 ) 344-352. 15I A.R. Gagliardi, 1-1. l-add. D.C. Collins. Inhibition of’ angto- [20] T. Peters Jr., Serum albutmin, Adv. Protein...lipid a1ccimmul111ttioii in the rat, IProc. Nat]. Acad. Sdi. USA 77 [28] K. Rotbbcrgp, Y. Ying, B.A. Kamen, R.G.W. Anderson, Cho- ( 1980 ) 3700--3704

Engineering and Environmental Geology of the Indian Wells Valley Area.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-06

Institute, 1975. Pp. 145-55. 53. E. L. Harp, K. Tanaka, J . Sarmiento , and D. K. Keefer. Landslides from the May 25-27, 1980, Mammoth Lakeq, California...NH UELLES LE lENRUNAL EOLOG OENTE INANKEC J MLNIER "E NOV 7 NN-TP-6954 SDI-NO-E90 762 m INSSIFIED F/O 9/? ML mhhmmhhomhmhu E~hEE~E~hhAE 1111 * m 3...Read J . A. BURT Research R rtmnot Capt., U.S. Navy r N7Commnder Released for publication by a. Rt. SCHIKFR Technical Director J IWC Technical

Results of the Advanced Space Structures Technology Research Experiments (ASTREX) hardware and control development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cossey, Derek F.

1993-01-01

Future DOD, NASA, and SDI space systems will be larger than any spacecraft flown before. The economics of placing these Precision Space Systems (PSS) into orbit dictates that they be as low in mass as possible. This stringent weight reduction creates structural flexibility causing severe technical problems when combined with the precise shape and pointing requirements associated with many future PSS missions. Development of new Control Structure Interaction (CSI) technologies which can solve these problems and enable future space missions is being conducted at the Phillips Laboratory, On-Location Site, CA.

Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders during 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2017-11-01

Comparable data on the global and country-specific burden of neurological disorders and their trends are crucial for health-care planning and resource allocation. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study provides such information but does not routinely aggregate results that are of interest to clinicians specialising in neurological conditions. In this systematic analysis, we quantified the global disease burden due to neurological disorders in 2015 and its relationship with country development level. We estimated global and country-specific prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) for various neurological disorders that in the GBD classification have been previously spread across multiple disease groupings. The more inclusive grouping of neurological disorders included stroke, meningitis, encephalitis, tetanus, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, migraine, tension-type headache, medication overuse headache, brain and nervous system cancers, and a residual category of other neurological disorders. We also analysed results based on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a compound measure of income per capita, education, and fertility, to identify patterns associated with development and how countries fare against expected outcomes relative to their level of development. Neurological disorders ranked as the leading cause group of DALYs in 2015 (250·7 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 229·1 to 274·7] million, comprising 10·2% of global DALYs) and the second-leading cause group of deaths (9·4 [9·1 to 9·7] million], comprising 16·8% of global deaths). The most prevalent neurological disorders were tension-type headache (1505·9 [UI 1337·3 to 1681·6 million cases]), migraine (958·8 [872·1 to 1055·6] million), medication overuse headache (58·5 [50·8 to 67·4 million

"SDI--Where are We? The Challenge of the Future." The Information Dissemination Center View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carmon, James L.

The historical and current status of information dissemination centers and the problem of user interface are reviewed. During the past decade, the problems of technical data processing have been conquered; information dissemination has evolved from a loosely knit group of experimental centers to an organization of established centers, many…

Global, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2016-10-08

Established in 2000, Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) catalysed extraordinary political, financial, and social commitments to reduce under-5 mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. At the country level, the pace of progress in improving child survival has varied markedly, highlighting a crucial need to further examine potential drivers of accelerated or slowed decreases in child mortality. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides an analytical framework to comprehensively assess these trends for under-5 mortality, age-specific and cause-specific mortality among children under 5 years, and stillbirths by geography over time. Drawing from analytical approaches developed and refined in previous iterations of the GBD study, we generated updated estimates of child mortality by age group (neonatal, post-neonatal, ages 1-4 years, and under 5) for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational geographies, from 1980-2015. We also estimated numbers and rates of stillbirths for these geographies and years. Gaussian process regression with data source adjustments for sampling and non-sampling bias was applied to synthesise input data for under-5 mortality for each geography. Age-specific mortality estimates were generated through a two-stage age-sex splitting process, and stillbirth estimates were produced with a mixed-effects model, which accounted for variable stillbirth definitions and data source-specific biases. For GBD 2015, we did a series of novel analyses to systematically quantify the drivers of trends in child mortality across geographies. First, we assessed observed and expected levels and annualised rates of decrease for under-5 mortality and stillbirths as they related to the Soci-demographic Index (SDI). Second, we examined the ratio of recorded and expected levels of child mortality, on the basis of SDI, across geographies, as well as differences in recorded and expected annualised rates of change for under-5 mortality

Global, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Summary Background Established in 2000, Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) catalysed extraordinary political, financial, and social commitments to reduce under-5 mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. At the country level, the pace of progress in improving child survival has varied markedly, highlighting a crucial need to further examine potential drivers of accelerated or slowed decreases in child mortality. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides an analytical framework to comprehensively assess these trends for under-5 mortality, age-specific and cause-specific mortality among children under 5 years, and stillbirths by geography over time. Methods Drawing from analytical approaches developed and refined in previous iterations of the GBD study, we generated updated estimates of child mortality by age group (neonatal, post-neonatal, ages 1–4 years, and under 5) for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational geographies, from 1980–2015. We also estimated numbers and rates of stillbirths for these geographies and years. Gaussian process regression with data source adjustments for sampling and non-sampling bias was applied to synthesise input data for under-5 mortality for each geography. Age-specific mortality estimates were generated through a two-stage age–sex splitting process, and stillbirth estimates were produced with a mixed-effects model, which accounted for variable stillbirth definitions and data source-specific biases. For GBD 2015, we did a series of novel analyses to systematically quantify the drivers of trends in child mortality across geographies. First, we assessed observed and expected levels and annualised rates of decrease for under-5 mortality and stillbirths as they related to the Soci-demographic Index (SDI). Second, we examined the ratio of recorded and expected levels of child mortality, on the basis of SDI, across geographies, as well as differences in recorded and expected annualised rates of

Integration of biofiltration and advanced oxidation processes for tertiary treatment of an oil refinery wastewater aiming at water reuse.

PubMed

Nogueira, A A; Bassin, J P; Cerqueira, A C; Dezotti, M

2016-05-01

The combination of biological and chemical oxidation processes is an interesting approach to remove ready, poor, and non-biodegradable compounds from complex industrial wastewaters. In this study, biofiltration followed by H2O2/UV oxidation (or microfiltration) and final reverse osmosis (RO) step was employed for tertiary treatment of an oil refinery wastewater. Biofiltration alone allowed obtaining total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), ammonium, and turbidity removal of around 46, 46, 23, 50, and 61 %, respectively. After the combined biological-chemical oxidation treatment, TOC and UV254 removal amounted to 88 and 79 %, respectively. Whereas, the treatment performance achieved with different UV lamp powers (55 and 95 W) and therefore distinct irradiance levels (26.8 and 46.3 mW/cm(2), respectively) were very similar and TOC and UV254 removal rates were highly affected by the applied C/H2O2 ratio. Silt density index (SDI) was effectively reduced by H2O2/UV oxidation, favoring further RO application. C/H2O2 ratio of 1:4, 55 W UV lamp, and 20-min oxidation reaction corresponded to the experimental condition which provided the best cost/benefit ratio for TOC, UV254, and SDI reduction from the biofilter effluent. The array of treatment processes proposed in this study has shown to be adequate for tertiary treatment of the oil refinery wastewater, ensuring the mitigation of membrane fouling problems and producing a final effluent which is suitable for reuse applications.

Accrual of organ damage over time in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Gladman, Dafna D; Urowitz, Murray B; Rahman, Proton; Ibañez, Dominique; Tam, Lai-Shan

2003-09-01

To determine the pattern of accumulation of damage in an inception cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) followed yearly for at least 15 years, and to identify damage items that might be related to corticosteroid therapy. An inception cohort was identified from among patients with SLE followed prospectively in the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic. Only patients who had at least yearly evaluations and were followed for at least 15 years were included. Using the SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) accumulated damage was calculated at yearly intervals. Each new organ system involved was designated as either definitely, possibly, or not at all related to corticosteroid therapy. Of the 73 patients, 85% were women and 87.7% were Caucasian. Their mean age at diagnosis was 34.9 years. The mean (range) SLEDAI at presentation was 11.9 (0-37). Prednisone was used by 87.7% of the patients (mean maximum dose 37.7 mg/day, mean cumulative dose 36.8 g) for a mean of 117.1 months. Antimalarial drugs were used by 70% of the patients and 50% were taking immunosuppressive agents. The mean SDI for the whole cohort increased over time from 0.33 (0.89) during the first year to 1.90 (1.99) at 15 years. A significant proportion of the damage both early and late could be attributed to corticosteroid therapy, and this damage accumulated over time such that it constituted most of the damage at 15 years. While the overall accrual of damage is gradual, the specific systems demonstrate varying patterns of damage accrual.

Equipment and water treatment considerations for the provision of quotidian home hemodialysis.

PubMed

Mehrabian, Shawn; Morgan, Dale; Schlaeper, Christian; Kortas, Claude; Lindsay, Robert M

2003-07-01

Whereas clinical benefits of more frequent hemodialysis (HD) treatment are well documented, little information is available about technical aspects involved in setting up a patient's home for home HD. Technical considerations include the home infrastructure, as well as required plumbing modifications and electrical hook-ups. Twenty home HD installations were supported for the London Daily/Nocturnal Hemodialysis Study. The Fresenius 2008H (Fresenius Medical Care, North America, Lexington, MA) HD machine was used for all home HD installations in conjunction with a Service Deionization Tank (SDI) water treatment system composed of pretreatment, purification, and posttreatment components. To ensure that SDI systems provided high-quality water and dialysate, standard bacteriological testing was performed throughout the study, and patient serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were tracked as an indicator of nonspecific inflammation. The annual number of hours of work required for each home HD installation and service/maintenance was approximately 75 and 58 hours, respectively. Water quality proved high because there were only 4 occurrences of failed endotoxin and bacterial tests; all were subsequently retested and provided satisfactory results. Serum CRP levels showed no significant difference comparing home HD patients with conventional in-center HD control patients. Although support of 20 home HD installations was economically feasible within the constraints of the London Health Sciences Centre Department of Biomedical Engineering, resources were strained by the final year of the study. This suggests that any sustained growth beyond the current study design may require a review of staffing, resources, and model of service delivery needs.

Burden of Skin and Subcutaneous Diseases in Iran and Neighboring Countries: Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

Karimkhani, Chante; Dellavalle, Robert P; Karimi, Seyed M; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa; Pourmalek, Farshad; Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A; Sahraian, Mohammad Ali; Roshandel, Gholamreza; Fereshtehnejad, Seyed Mohammad; Qorbani, Mostafa; Radfar, Amir; Farvid, Maryam S; Asayesh, Hamid; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Djalalinia, Shirin; Kasaeian, Amir; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Malekzadeh, Reza; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Krohn, Kristopher J; Mokdad, Ali H; Vos, Theo; Naghavi, Mohsen

2017-07-01

Iran and its neighboring countries represent four world regions with unique cultures and geography. Skin diseases span a wide diversity of etiologies including infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, vascular, neurogenic, and oncologic. The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2015 measures the burden from skin diseases in 195 countries. Epidemiologic data were collected from literature review, survey data, and hospital inpatient/outpatient claims data. These raw data entered modeling using a Bayesian meta-regression tool, DisMod MR-2.1, which yielded prevalence estimates by age/sex/location/year. Prevalence estimates were combined with disability weights to yield years lived with disability (YLDs). YLDs are combined with years of life lost (YLLs), from mortality estimates, to yield disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). DALYs were obtained for 16 skin conditions and both sexes in Iran and 15 surrounding countries. The sociodemographic index (SDI) for each country was also correlated with skin disease DALY rate using the Pearson coefficient (r) with two-tailed P-value. There was no significant correlation between individual skin diseases and SDI. Acne and dermatitis caused the greatest burden and BCC the lowest burden of skin diseases in Iran and the other 15 countries. SCC and BCC were responsible for the largest discrepancy by sex, with higher burden in males compared to females. Skin diseases, particularly dermatitis and acne, cause considerable burden in Iran and surrounding regions. Objective and transparent epidemiologic data such as GBD has the potential to inform and impact many facets of healthcare, research prioritization, public policy, and international partnerships.

Perceived discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage and refraining from seeking medical treatment in Sweden.

PubMed

Wamala, Sarah; Merlo, Juan; Boström, Gunnel; Hogstedt, Christer

2007-05-01

To analyse the association between perceived discrimination and refraining from seeking required medical treatment and the contribution of socioeconomic disadvantage. Data from the Swedish National Survey of Public Health 2004 were used for analysis. Respondents were asked whether they had refrained from seeking required medical treatment during the past 3 months. Perceived discrimination was based on whether respondents reported that they had been treated in a way that made them feel humiliated (due to ethnicity/race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability). The Socioeconomic Disadvantage Index (SDI) was developed to measure economic deprivation (social welfare beneficiary, being unemployed, financial crisis and lack of cash reserves). Swedish population-based survey of 14,736 men and 17,115 women. Both perceived discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantage were independently associated with refraining from seeking medical treatment. Experiences of frequent discrimination even without any socioeconomic disadvantage were associated with three to nine-fold increased odds for refraining from seeking medical treatment. A combination of both frequent discrimination and severe SDI was associated with a multiplicative effect on refraining from seeking medical treatment, but this effect was statistically more conclusive among women (OR = 11.6, 95% CI 8.1 to 16.6; Synergy Index (SI) = 2.0 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.2)) than among men (OR = 12, 95% CI 7.7 to 18.7; SI = 1.6 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.1)). The goal of equitable access to healthcare services cannot be achieved without public health strategies that confront and tackle discrimination in society and specifically in the healthcare setting.

Small satellite technologies and applications II; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 21, 22, 1992

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horais, Brian J.

The present conference on small satellite (SS) systems and their supporting technologies discusses the Medsat SS for malaria early warning and control, results of the Uosat earth-imaging system, commercial applications for MSSs, an SS family for LEO communications, videosignal signature-synthesis for fast narrow-bandwidth transmission, and NiH battery applications in SSs. Also discussed are the 'PegaStar' spacecraft concept for remote sensing, dual-cone scanning earth sensor processing algorithms, SS radiation-budget instrumentation, SDI's relevance to SSs, spacecraft fabrication and test integration, and cryocooler producibility. (For individual items see A93-28077 to A93-28100)

Biophysical processes leading to the ingress of temperate fish larvae into estuarine nursery areas: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodósio, Maria Alexandra; Paris, Claire B.; Wolanski, Eric; Morais, Pedro

2016-12-01

A series of complementary hypotheses have been proposed to explain the recruitment of marine and temperate pelagic fish larvae originated from pelagic eggs in coastal environments. In this review, we propose a new and complementary hypothesis describing the biophysical processes intervening in the recruitment of temperate fish larvae into estuaries. This new hypothesis, the Sense Acuity And Behavioral (SAAB) hypothesis, recognizes that recruitment is unlikely if the larvae drift passively with the water currents, and that successful recruitment requires the sense acuity of temperate fish larvae and their behavioral response to the estuarine cues present in coastal areas. We propose that temperate fish larvae use a hierarchy of sensory cues (odor, sound, visual and geomagnetic cues) to detect estuarine nursery areas and to aid during navigation towards these areas. The sensorial acuity increases along ontogeny, which coincides with increased swimming capabilities. The swimming strategies of post-flexion larvae differ from offshore areas to the tidal zone. In offshore areas, innate behavior might lead larvae towards the coast guided by a sun compass or by the earth's geomagnetic field. In areas under limited influence of estuarine plumes (either in energetic nearshore areas or offshore), post-flexion larvae display a searching swimming behavior for estuarine disconnected patches (infotaxis strategy). After finding an estuarine plume, larvae may swim along the increasing cue concentration to ingress into the estuary. Here, larvae exhibit a rheotaxis behavior and avoid displacement by longshore currents by keeping bearing during navigation. When larvae reach the vicinity of an estuary, merging diel rhythms with feeding and predator avoidance strategies with tidally induced movements is essential to increase their chances of estuarine ingress. A fish larva recruitment model developed for the Ria Formosa lagoon supports the general framework of the SAAB hypothesis. In

Global, regional, and national deaths, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years, and years lived with disability for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2017-09-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are common diseases with a heterogeneous distribution worldwide. Here, we present methods and disease and risk estimates for COPD and asthma from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) 2015 study. The GBD study provides annual updates on estimates of deaths, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), a summary measure of fatal and non-fatal disease outcomes, for over 300 diseases and injuries, for 188 countries from 1990 to the most recent year. We estimated numbers of deaths due to COPD and asthma using the GBD Cause of Death Ensemble modelling (CODEm) tool. First, we analysed data from vital registration and verbal autopsy for the aggregate category of all chronic respiratory diseases. Subsequently, models were run for asthma and COPD relying on covariates to predict rates in countries that have incomplete or no vital registration data. Disease estimates for COPD and asthma were based on systematic reviews of published papers, unpublished reports, surveys, and health service encounter data from the USA. We used the Global Initiative of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease spirometry-based definition as the reference for COPD and a reported diagnosis of asthma with current wheeze as the definition of asthma. We used a Bayesian meta-regression tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, to derive estimates of prevalence and incidence. We estimated population-attributable fractions for risk factors for COPD and asthma from exposure data, relative risks, and a theoretical minimum exposure level. Results were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite measure of income per capita, mean years of education over the age of 15 years, and total fertility rate. In 2015, 3·2 million people (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1 million to 3·3 million) died from COPD worldwide, an increase of 11·6% (95% UI 5·3 to 19·8) compared with 1990. There was a decrease in age-standardised death rate of

A Real Time AI Approach to Discrimination Boost Phase Optical Sensor Systems in SDI Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloggett, David R.

1990-04-01

Interest has been rekindled in the potential utility of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) systems 1,2 and their ability to enhance the existing NATO strategic defence posture 3,4. Whereas in the past BMD systems have been thought to be vulnerable to relatively simple offence countermeasures, technological developments that have occurred over the past 20 years offer the potential to solve some of the main criticisms that have bedeviled BMD research since its inception in the early 1950s. One of the key areas where dramatic developments have taken place is in the field of electro-optic sensor technologies where developments in device sensitivity and packing density offer new solutions to threat detection, tracking and discrimination that complement data traditionally associated with radar based systems. Analysis has shown 5 that optical sensor systems can make a significant contribution to threat analysis in the boost and mid course phases of flight of ballistic missile systems. In the Boost phase the large amounts of energy contained within the plume of a ballistic missile system provides a signature that must be detected against cloud and earth backgrounds - necessitating viewing from space. The process of detection is complicated by reflected sunlight and other sources of false alarms. The optical sensor systems must therefore be adaptable and capable of reasoning about the location of the signatures, their persistence and temporal variations. Much of this processing is ideally carried out at the sensor system - in order to eliminate false alarms and reduce the communications bandwidths required to transfer the sensor data to centralised early warning and battle management facilities. In the mid course phase optical sensor systems can be used to detect warm objects against the background of deep space. These sensor systems can form tracks on these objects that can be merged into 3D tracks as data from individual sensor systems are combined. As closely spaced objects are resolved by sensor systems feature data can be extracted on individual objects that can be used by the defence system to attempt to discriminate between warheads, decoys and other penetration aids. This paper reviews work that has arisen from joint US SDIO and UK MOD research programmes into the feasibility of Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) systems that would be suitable for deploy ment and operation in a European theatre. The paper focuses on the problems of threat classification and discrimination in TtD systems and highlights the role of optical sensors. The paper discusses the integration of data derived from optical and radar sensors 6 and expands upon work previously reported into the use of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach to object classification and discrimination.

Borderless Geospatial Web (bolegweb)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetl, V.; Kliment, T.; Kliment, M.

2016-06-01

The effective access and use of geospatial information (GI) resources acquires a critical value of importance in modern knowledge based society. Standard web services defined by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) are frequently used within the implementations of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) to facilitate discovery and use of geospatial data. This data is stored in databases located in a layer, called the invisible web, thus are ignored by search engines. SDI uses a catalogue (discovery) service for the web as a gateway to the GI world through the metadata defined by ISO standards, which are structurally diverse to OGC metadata. Therefore, a crosswalk needs to be implemented to bridge the OGC resources discovered on mainstream web with those documented by metadata in an SDI to enrich its information extent. A public global wide and user friendly portal of OGC resources available on the web ensures and enhances the use of GI within a multidisciplinary context and bridges the geospatial web from the end-user perspective, thus opens its borders to everybody. Project "Crosswalking the layers of geospatial information resources to enable a borderless geospatial web" with the acronym BOLEGWEB is ongoing as a postdoctoral research project at the Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb in Croatia (http://bolegweb.geof.unizg.hr/). The research leading to the results of the project has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7 2007-2013) under Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2011-COFUND. The project started in the November 2014 and is planned to be finished by the end of 2016. This paper provides an overview of the project, research questions and methodology, so far achieved results and future steps.

Living in "Cold Spot" Communities Is Associated with Poor Health and Health Quality.

PubMed

Liaw, Winston; Krist, Alex H; Tong, Sebastian T; Sabo, Roy; Hochheimer, Camille; Rankin, Jennifer; Grolling, David; Grandmont, Jene; Bazemore, Andrew W

2018-01-01

Little is known about incorporating community data into clinical care. This study sought to understand the clinical associations of cold spots (census tracts with worse income, education, and composite deprivation). Across 12 practices, we assessed the relationship between cold spots and clinical outcomes (obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, pneumonia vaccination, cancer screening-colon, cervical, and prostate-and aspirin chemoprophylaxis) for 152,962 patients. We geocoded and linked addresses to census tracts and assessed, at the census tract level, the percentage earning less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, without high school diplomas, and the social deprivation index (SDI). We labeled those census tracts in the worst quartiles as cold spots and conducted bivariate and logistic regression. There was a 10-fold difference in the proportion of patients in cold spots between the highest (29.1%) and lowest practices (2.6%). Except for aspirin, all outcomes were influenced by cold spots. Fifteen percent of low-education cold-spot patients had uncontrolled diabetes compared with 13% of noncold-spot patients ( P < .05). In regression, those in poverty, low education, and SDI cold spots were less likely to receive colon cancer screening (odds ratio [CI], 0.88 [0.83-0.93], 0.87 [0.82-0.92], and 0.89 [0.83-0.95], respectively) although cold-spot patients were more likely to receive cervical cancer screening. Living in cold spots is associated with worse chronic conditions and quality for some screening tests. Practices can use neighborhood data to allocate resources and identify those at risk for poor outcomes. © Copyright 2018 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

CEDAR/TIMED: Thermospheric Vertical Wind Observations from Three Sites in the Northern Auroral Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lummerzheim, D.

2005-01-01

The objective of this project was to operate ground based Fabry-Perot Interferometers at several points under the auroral zone to analyze and quantify the vertical wind in the thermosphere. These measurements were made in conjunction with TIMED, especially GUVI data, to relate the observed wind to the resulting mixing and compositional changes in the thermosphere. The ground based wind measurements were obtained from a scanning Doppler imager (SDI) in Poker Flat, and a vertically aligned Fabry Perot Imager (FPI) in Inuvik. A third FPI at Eagle, Alaska, was operated for a brief overlapping period as well. The SDI at Poker Flat had been in operation for several years, and was continued to run with little support from this grant. The much more expensive operation, maintenance, and data acquisition of the remote Inuvik FPI was made possible with funds from this project. During the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, we operated the Inuvik FPI from September to April during hours of darkness. Two trips to service the instrument were required per year, and a local caretaker was funded to help keep the instrument going during the winter seasons. The data were transfered via modem and phone line to Poker Flat and were then analyzed to obtain wind and temperature at the altitude of the auroral green line OI(557.7 nm). The final data product was archived and transferred to the GEDDS system at Poker Flat were it is available on the web: http://gedds.pfrr.alaska.edu/. The data set is also available from the CEDAR data base: http://cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu/.

Trend of Socio-Demographic Index and Mortality Estimates in Iran and its Neighbors, 1990-2015; Findings of the Global Burden of Diseases 2015 Study.

PubMed

Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Karimi, Seyed M; Khalili, Narjes; Djalalinia, Shirin; Karimkhani, Chante; Krohn, Kristopher; Afshin, Ashkan; Farzadfar, Farshad; Kiadaliri, Aliasghar Ahmad; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen; Asayesh, Hamid; Esteghamati, Ali Reza; Farvid, Maryam S; Fereshtehnejad, Seyed-Mohammad; Heydarpour, Pouria; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kasaeian, Amir; Rana, Saleem M; Mahdavi, Mahdi; Masoudifarid, Habib; Mohammadi, Alireza; Pourmalek, Farshad; Qorbani, Mostafa; Radfar, Amir; Rahimi, Kazem; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa; Roshandel, Gholamreza; Safi, Sare; Salamati, Payman; Tehrani-Banihashemi, Arash; Bazargan-Hejazi, Shahrzad; Vos, Theo; Malekzadeh, Reza; Mokdad, Ali H; Murray, Christopher J L; Naghavi, Mohsen

2017-07-01

The Global burden of disease and injuries study (GBD 2015) reports expected measures for years of life lost (YLL) based on socio-demographic index (SDI) of countries, as well as the observed measures. In this extended GBD 2015 report, we reviewed total and cause-specific deaths and YLL for Iran and all its neighboring countries between 1990 and 2015. We extracted data from the GBD 2015 database. Observed YLL measures were calculated by multiplying the number of deaths by standard life expectancy at each age. SDI was a composite index, calculated based on income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. The GBD world population was used for age standardization. All-ages crude death rate in Iran reduced from 665.6 per 100,000 population (95% uncertainty interval: 599.3-731.6) in 1990 to 487.2 (414.9-566.1) in 2015. The ratio of observed to expected YLL (O/E ratio) for all-causes ranged between 0.54 (Turkey) and 1.95 (Russia) in 2015. For Iran, the all-causes O/E ratio was less than 1 in all years (1990-2015), except 2003. However, cause-specific O/E ratio was more than 1 for some causes, including the top leading causes of YLL (ischemic heart disease, road injuries, and cerebrovascular disorders). Ischemic heart disease was the first or second cause of YLL in all comparator countries except Afghanistan. The leading YLL causes with high O/E ratios should be prioritized in public health efforts. In addition to research evidence, countries with low O/E ratios should be scrutinized to find feasible innovative interventions.

Differential processing: towards a unified model of direction and speed perception.

PubMed

Farrell-Whelan, Max; Brooks, Kevin R

2013-11-01

In two experiments, we demonstrate a misperception of the velocity of a random-dot stimulus moving in the presence of a static line oriented obliquely to the direction of dot motion. As shown in previous studies, the perceived direction of the dots is shifted away from the orientation of the static line, with the size of the shift varying as a function of line orientation relative to dot direction (the statically-induced direction illusion, or 'SDI'). In addition, we report a novel effect - that perceived speed also varies as a function of relative line orientation, decreasing systematically as the angle is reduced from 90° to 0°. We propose that these illusions both stem from the differential processing of object-relative and non-object-relative component velocities, with the latter being perceptually underestimated with respect to the former by a constant ratio. Although previous proposals regarding the SDI have not allowed quantitative accounts, we present a unified formal model of perceived velocity (both direction and speed) with the magnitude of this ratio as the only free parameter. The model was successful in accounting for the angular repulsion of motion direction across line orientations, and in predicting the systematic decrease in perceived velocity as the line's angle was reduced. Although fitting for direction and speed produced different best-fit values of the ratio of underestimation of non-object-relative motion compared to object-relative motion (with the ratio for speed being larger than that for direction) this discrepancy may be due to differences in the psychophysical procedures for measuring direction and speed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Community Needs Assessment and Portal Prototype Development for an Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI): A Contribution to an IPY Data Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, H. V.; Warnick, W. K.; Hempel, L. C.; Henk, J.; Sorensen, M.; Tweedie, C. E.; Gaylord, A.; Behr, S.

2006-12-01

As the creation and use of geospatial data in research, management, logistics, and education applications has proliferated, there is now a tremendous potential for advancing the IPY initiative through a variety of cyberinfrastructure applications, including Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and related technologies. SDIs provide a necessary and common framework of standards, securities, policies, procedures, and technology to support the effective acquisition, coordination, dissemination and use of geospatial data by multiple and distributed stakeholder and user groups. Despite the numerous research activities in the Arctic, there is no established SDI and, because of this lack of a coordinated infrastructure, there is inefficiency, duplication of effort, and reduced data quality and search ability of arctic geospatial data. The urgency for establishing this framework is significant considering the myriad of data that is likely to be collected in celebration of the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007-2008 and the current international momentum for an improved and integrated circumarctic terrestrial-marine-atmospheric environmental observatories network. The key objective of this project is to lay the foundation for full implementation of an Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) through two related activities: (1) an assessment - via interviews, questionnaires, a workshop, and other means - of community needs, readiness, and resources, and (2) the development of a prototype web mapping portal to demonstrate the purpose and function on an arctic geospatial one-stop portal technology and to solicit community input on design and function. The results of this project will be compiled into a comprehensive report guiding the research community and funding agencies in the design and implementation of an ASDI to contribute to a robust IPY data cyberinfrastructure.

Dietary restraint and self-discrepancy in male university students.

PubMed

Orellana, Ligia; Grunert, Klaus G; Sepúlveda, José; Lobos, Germán; Denegri, Marianela; Miranda, Horacio; Adasme-Berríos, Cristian; Mora, Marcos; Etchebarne, Soledad; Salinas-Oñate, Natalia; Schnettler, Berta

2016-04-01

Self-discrepancy describes the distance between an ideal and the actual self. Research suggests that self-discrepancy and dietary restraint are related, causing a significant impact on the person's well-being. However, this relationship has been mostly reported in female and mixed populations. In order to further explore dietary behaviors and their relations to self-discrepancy and well-being-related variables in men, a survey was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 119 male students from five Chilean state universities (mean age=21.8, SD=2.75). The questionnaire included the Revised Restraint Scale (RRS) with the subscales weight fluctuations (WF) and diet concern (DC), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Satisfaction with Food-Related Life Scale (SWFL), the Nutrition Interest Scale (NIS), and the Self-discrepancy Index (SDI). Questions were asked about socio-demographic characteristics, eating and drinking habits, and approximate weight and height. A cluster analysis applied to the Z-scores of the RRS classified the following typologies: Group 1 (22.7%), men concerned about weight fluctuations; Group 2 (37.0%), men concerned about diet and weight fluctuations; Group 3 (40.3%), unconcerned about diet and weight fluctuations. The typologies differed in their SDI score, restriction on pastry consumption and reported body mass index (BMI). Students with higher DC and WF scores had a higher BMI, and tended to report high self-discrepancy not only on a physical level, but also on social, emotional, economic and personal levels. This study contributes to the literature on subjective well-being, dietary restraint and self-discrepancy in men from non-clinical samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smart POI: Open and linked spatial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerba, Otakar; Berzins, Raitis; Charvat, Karel; Mildorf, Tomas

2016-04-01

The Smart Point of Interest (SPOI) represents an unique seamless spatial data set based on standards recommended for Linked and open data, which are supported by scientist and researchers as well as by several government authorities and European Union. This data set developed in cooperation of partners of SDI4Apps project contains almost 24 millions points of interest focused mainly on tourism, natural features, transport or citizen services. The SPOI data covers almost all countries and territories over the world. It is created as a harmonized combination of global data resources (selected points from OpenStreetMap, Natural Earth and GeoNames.org) and several local data sets (for example data published by the Citadel on the Move project, data from Posumavi region in the Czech Republic or experimental ontologies developed in the University of West Bohemia including ski regions in Europe or historical sights in Rome). The added value of the SDI4Apps approach in comparison to other similar solutions consists in implementation of linked data approach (several objects are connected to DBpedia or GeoNames.org), using of universal RDF format, using of standardized and respected properties or vocabularies (for example FOAF or GeoSPARQL) and development of the completely harmonized data set with uniform data model and common classification (not only a copy of original resources). The SPOI data is published as SPARQL endpoint as well as in the map client. The SPOI dataset is a specific set of POIs which could be "a data fuel" for applications and services related to tourism, local business, statistics or landscape monitoring. It can be used also as a background data layer for thematic maps.

Effect of acidity of in-office bleaching gels on tooth sensitivity and whitening: a two-center double-blind randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Loguercio, A D; Servat, F; Stanislawczuk, R; Mena-Serrano, A; Rezende, M; Prieto, M V; Cereño, V; Rojas, M F; Ortega, K; Fernandez, E; Reis, A

2017-12-01

The study aimed to compare the tooth sensitivity (TS) and bleaching efficacy of two hydrogen peroxide gels with different pHs (acid pH [Pola Office, SDI] and the neutral pH [Pola Office+, SDI]) used for in-office bleaching. Fifty-four patients from Brazil and Chile, with right superior incisor darker than A2, were selected for this double-blind, split-mouth randomized trial. Teeth were bleached in two sessions, with 1-week interval. Each session had three applications of 8 min each, according to the manufacturer's instructions. The color changes were evaluated by subjective (Vita Classical and Vita Bleachedguide) and objective (Easy shade spectrophotometer) methods. Participants recorded TS with 0-10 visual analog scale. Color change in shade guide units (SGU) and ΔE was analyzed by Student's t test (α = 0.05). The absolute risk and intensity of TS were evaluated by McNemar's test and Wilcoxon-paired test, respectively (α = 0.05). All groups achieved the same level of whitening after 30 days of clinical evaluation. The use of a neutral in-office bleaching gel significantly decreases the absolute risk of TS (28%, 95% CI 18-41) and intensity of TS when compared to the acid bleaching gel (absolute risk of 50%, 95% CI 37-63). The use of a neutral in-office bleaching agent gel produced the same whitening degree than an acid bleaching gel but with reduced risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity. Clinicians should opt to use in-office bleaching with a neutral gel than an acid product because the former causes a significant lower risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity.

Associated factors and impact of myocarditis in patients with SLE from LUMINA, a multiethnic US cohort (LV). [corrected].

PubMed

Apte, M; McGwin, G; Vilá, L M; Kaslow, R A; Alarcón, G S; Reveille, J D

2008-03-01

To examine the factors associated with myocarditis and its impact on disease outcomes in SLE patients. SLE patients aged > or = 16 yrs, disease duration < or = 5 yrs from LUMINA (LUpus in Minorities: NAture vs nurture), a multiethnic US cohort, were studied. Myocarditis was defined as per the category 3 of the pericarditis/myocarditis item of the SLAM-Revised (SLAM-R). Patients with concurrent pericardial involvement were excluded. Patients with myocarditis were compared with those without myocarditis or its sequelae in the preceding year. The association between myocarditis and baseline variables (T(0)) was first examined. The impact of myocarditis on disease activity over time (SLAM-R), damage accrual [SLICC Damage Index (SDI)] at last visit (T(L)) and mortality was evaluated. Fifty-three of the 496 patients studied had myocarditis. African American ethnicity [Odds ratio (OR) = 12.6; 95% CI 1.6, 97.8] and SLAM-R at diagnosis (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0, 1.1) were significantly and independently associated with myocarditis. Myocarditis did not predict disease activity over time, but approached significance as a predictor of SDI at T(L) in multivariable analyses P = 0.051. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that myocarditis was associated with shorter survival (log-rank = 4.87, P = 0.02), particularly in patients with > or = 5 yrs disease; however, myocarditis was not retained in the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Ethnicity and disease activity at diagnosis were associated with the occurrence of myocarditis in SLE. Myocarditis did not significantly impact on disease activity over time, but impacts some on damage accrual and survival, reflecting overall the more severe disease those patients experience.

Damage in the Multiethnic Malaysian Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Cohort: Comparison with Other Cohorts Worldwide

PubMed Central

Shaharir, Syahrul Sazliyana; Hussein, Heselynn; Rajalingham, Sakthiswary; Mohamed Said, Mohd Shahrir; Abdul Gafor, Abdul Halim; Mohd, Rozita; Mustafar, Ruslinda

2016-01-01

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease and despite the improvement in the survival in the past few decades, the morbidity due to disease damage remains significant. The objectives of this study were to investigate the disease damagepattern and determine the associated factors of damage in the multi-ethnic Malaysian SLE patients. We consecutively 424SLE patients who attended a consistent follow-up at the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre and Putrajaya Hospital were recruited. Disease damage was assessed using the SLICC/ACR (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology) Damage Index (SDI) scores. Information on their demographics and disease characteristics were obtained from the clinical record. Univariate analysis was performed and the best model of independent predictors of disease damage was determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 182 patients (42.9%) had disease damage (SDI ≥1). A significantly higher number of Indian patients had disease/organ damage and they predominantly developed steroid-induced diabetes mellitus (SDM). Patients with corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis (CIOP) were more likely to be Malayswhile majority of patients who developed malignancy were Chinese (p<0.05). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, disease damage was significantly associated with age, Indian ethnicity, lower mean cumulative C3 level, neuropsychiatry lupus (NPSLE), and antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS). Patients who had ever and early treatment with hydroxychloroquine(HCQ)were less likely to develop disease damage while more patients who had received oral prednisolone ≥1mg/kg daily over 2 weeks had disease damage (p<0.05). In conclusion, there were inter-ethnic differences in the damage pattern and risks among SLE patients. PMID:27846298

Phytoaccumulation, interaction, toxicity and remediation of cadmium from Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower).

PubMed

Mani, Dinesh; Sharma, Bechan; Kumar, Chitranjan

2007-07-01

An investigation was conducted to study the interaction between Cd and Ca, Zn and organic matter for Cd-phytoremediation in sunflower on the alluvium soil of the Sheila Dhar Institute (SDI) experimental farm, Allahabad (India). Application of 40 ppm Zn produced 11.18% extra dry matter (DM) content and 5.8% extra seed yield over the control. We recommended 1.0% Ca, 40 ppm Zn and 20 tons/ha of compost to enhance dry matter yield and diminish the Cd accumulation in 15 ppm Cd- ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA)-treated plots up to 1/12 folds in sunflower (<0.21 ppm), which indicated phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil through soil-plant-rhizospheric processes.

Computationally efficient algorithms for real-time attitude estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pringle, Steven R.

1993-01-01

For many practical spacecraft applications, algorithms for determining spacecraft attitude must combine inputs from diverse sensors and provide redundancy in the event of sensor failure. A Kalman filter is suitable for this task, however, it may impose a computational burden which may be avoided by sub optimal methods. A suboptimal estimator is presented which was implemented successfully on the Delta Star spacecraft which performed a 9 month SDI flight experiment in 1989. This design sought to minimize algorithm complexity to accommodate the limitations of an 8K guidance computer. The algorithm used is interpreted in the framework of Kalman filtering and a derivation is given for the computation.

Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

PubMed

2018-06-02

A key component of achieving universal health coverage is ensuring that all populations have access to quality health care. Examining where gains have occurred or progress has faltered across and within countries is crucial to guiding decisions and strategies for future improvement. We used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) to assess personal health-care access and quality with the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index for 195 countries and territories, as well as subnational locations in seven countries, from 1990 to 2016. Drawing from established methods and updated estimates from GBD 2016, we used 32 causes from which death should not occur in the presence of effective care to approximate personal health-care access and quality by location and over time. To better isolate potential effects of personal health-care access and quality from underlying risk factor patterns, we risk-standardised cause-specific deaths due to non-cancers by location-year, replacing the local joint exposure of environmental and behavioural risks with the global level of exposure. Supported by the expansion of cancer registry data in GBD 2016, we used mortality-to-incidence ratios for cancers instead of risk-standardised death rates to provide a stronger signal of the effects of personal health care and access on cancer survival. We transformed each cause to a scale of 0-100, with 0 as the first percentile (worst) observed between 1990 and 2016, and 100 as the 99th percentile (best); we set these thresholds at the country level, and then applied them to subnational locations. We applied a principal components analysis to construct the HAQ Index using all scaled cause values, providing an overall score of 0-100 of personal health-care access and quality by location over time. We then compared HAQ Index levels and trends by quintiles on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary measure of overall development. As derived from the broader

Distinct Subtypes of Microparticle-containing Immune Complexes Are Associated with Disease Activity, Damage, and Carotid Intima-media Thickness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Fortin, Paul R; Cloutier, Nathalie; Bissonnette, Vincent; Aghdassi, Ellie; Eder, Lihi; Simonyan, David; Laflamme, Nathalie; Boilard, Eric

2016-11-01

Microparticles (MP) are small extracellular vesicles present in body fluids. MP originate from different cellular lineages, principally from platelets in blood, and may expose phosphatidylserine (PS). In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), MP harbor immunoglobulin G (IgG), thereby forming MP-containing immune complexes (mpIC). We aimed to verify an association between SLE disease activity, damage, and surrogate markers of atherosclerosis and MP harboring IgG, taking into account the platelet origin and PS exposure of MP. MP expressing surface IgG, platelet antigen (CD41+), and PS were quantified using flow cytometry in plasma of 191 women with SLE. Carotid ultrasounds (US) were available in 113 patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze whether levels of MP were associated with the following outcomes: SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI), and carotid US plaques and intima-media thickness (CIMT) as surrogates for vascular damage. We found CD41+ MP harboring IgG present in SLE. A positive correlation was found between SLEDAI-2K and levels of CD41+ MP harboring IgG and exposing (p = 0.027) and non-exposing PS (p = 0.001). Conversely, SDI (p = 0.024) and CIMT (p = 0.016) correlated with concentrations of CD41- MP harboring IgG and exposing PS. Associations were independent of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, body mass index, and antimalarial drug use. Different subtypes of mpIC are produced in SLE and are associated with distinct clinical characteristics such as disease activity and vascular damage. The assessment of MP subtypes might serve for the design of predictive markers of disease activity and vascular damage in patients.

Mood Disorders in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Hanly, John G.; Su, Li; Urowitz, Murray B.; Romero-Diaz, Juanita; Gordon, Caroline; Bae, Sang-Cheol; Bernatsky, Sasha; Clarke, Ann E.; Wallace, Daniel J.; Merrill, Joan T.; Isenberg, David A.; Rahman, Anisur; Ginzler, Ellen M.; Petri, Michelle; Bruce, Ian N.; Dooley, M. A.; Fortin, Paul; Gladman, Dafna D.; Sanchez-Guerrero, Jorge; Steinsson, Kristjan; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Khamashta, Munther A.; Aranow, Cynthia; Alarcón, Graciela S.; Fessler, Barri J.; Manzi, Susan; Nived, Ola; Sturfelt, Gunnar K.; Zoma, Asad A.; van Vollenhoven, Ronald F.; Ramos-Casals, Manuel; Ruiz-Irastorza, Guillermo; Lim, S. Sam; Kalunian, Kenneth C.; Inanc, Murat; Kamen, Diane L.; Peschken, Christine A.; Jacobsen, Soren; Askanase, Anca; Theriault, Chris; Thompson, Kara; Farewell, Vernon

2015-01-01

Objective To determine the frequency, clinical and autoantibody associations and outcome of mood disorders in a multi-ethnic/racial, prospective, inception cohort of SLE patients. Methods Patients were assessed annually for mood disorders (4 types as per DSM-IV) and 18 other neuropsychiatric (NP) events. Global disease activity (SLEDAI-2K), SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) and SF-36 subscale, mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summary scores were collected. Time to event, linear and ordinal regressions and multi-state models were used as appropriate. Results Of 1,827 SLE patients, 88.9% were female, 48.9% Caucasian, mean ± SD age 35.1±13.3 years, disease duration 5.6±4.8 months and follow-up 4.73±3.45 years. Over the study 863 (47.2%) patients had 1,627 NP events. Mood disorders occurred in 232/1827 (12.7%) patients and 98/256 (38.3%) events were attributed to SLE. The estimated cumulative incidence of any mood disorder after 10 years was 17.7% (95%CI=[15.1%,20.2%]). There was a greater risk of mood disorder in patients with concurrent NP events (p ≤ 0.01) and lower risk with Asian race/ethnicity (p=0.01) and immunosuppressive drugs (p=0.003). Mood disorders were associated with lower mental health subscale and MCS scores but not with SLEDAI-2K, SDI scores or lupus autoantibodies. Antidepressants were used in 168/232 (72.4%) patients with depression. 126/256 (49.2%) mood disorders resolved in 117/232 (50.4%) patients. Conclusion Mood disorders, the second most frequent NP event in SLE patients, have a negative impact on HRQoL and improve over time. The lack of association with global SLE disease activity, cumulative organ damage and lupus autoantibodies emphasize their multifactorial etiology and a role for non-lupus specific therapies. PMID:25778456

Association between African American race/ethnicity and low bone mineral density in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Lee, Chin; Almagor, Orit; Dunlop, Dorothy D; Chadha, Anurekha B; Manzi, Susan; Spies, Stewart; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind

2007-05-15

To determine the association between race/ethnicity and bone mineral density (BMD) in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Women with SLE (n = 298), including 77 African Americans and 221 whites, completed this cross-sectional study conducted from 1996 to 2002. Hip and lumbar spine BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Study participants completed a self-administered questionnaire and a physician completed the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). BMD results were expressed as Z scores. Analyses were performed to identify factors, including race/ethnicity, associated with low BMD defined as a Z score -1.0 or less at the hip or lumbar spine. African Americans compared with whites were younger at study visit (mean +/- SD 39.7 +/- 8.4 years versus 42.9 +/- 11.6 years) and had higher SDI (mean +/- SD 1.8 +/- 2.0 versus 1.0 +/- 1.6), but similar proportions of women were postmenopausal (31.2% versus 38.0%). African Americans had significantly lower mean BMD Z scores at the hip (-0.49 versus -0.07; group difference -0.41; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] -0.70, -0.13) and at the lumbar spine (-1.03 versus 0.10; group difference -1.13; 95% CI -1.48, -0.78) compared with whites. African American race/ethnicity was strongly associated with low BMD at the lumbar spine (adjusted odds ratio 4.42; 95% CI 2.19, 8.91) but not at the hip, adjusting for factors associated with low BMD. African American women compared with white women with SLE had lower BMD at the hip and lumbar spine. African American race/ethnicity was associated with low BMD at the lumbar spine controlling for relevant clinical covariates.

A methodological approach to characterise Landslide Periods based on historical series of rainfall and landslide damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrucci, O.; Pasqua, A. A.

2009-10-01

Landslide Periods (LPs) are defined as periods, shorter than a hydrological year, during which one or more landslide damage events occur in one or more sectors of a study area. In this work, we present a methodological approach, based on the comparative analysis of historical series of landslide damage and daily rainfall data, aiming to characterise the main types of LPs affecting selected areas. Cumulative rainfall preceding landslide activation is assessed for short (1, 2, 3, and 5 days), medium (7, 10, and 30 days) and long (60, 90, and 180 days) durations, and their Return Periods (RPs) are assessed and ranked into three classes (Class 1: RP=5-10 years; Class 2: RP=11-15; Class 3: RP>15 years). To assess landslide damage, the Simplified Damage Index (SDI) is introduced. This represents classified landslide losses and is obtained by multiplying the value of the damaged element and the percentage of damage affecting it. The comparison of the RP of rainfall and the SDI allows us to indentify the different types of LPs that affected the study area in the past and that could affect it again in the future. The results of this activity can be used for practical purposes to define scenarios and strategies for risk management, to suggest priorities in policy towards disaster mitigation and preparedness and to predispose defensive measures and civil protection plans ranked according to the types of LPs that must be managed. We present an application, performed for a 39-year series of rainfall/landslide damage data and concerning a study area located in NE Calabria (Italy); in this case study, we identify four main types of LPs, which are ranked according to damage severity.

Intersex Occurrence in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Male Fry Chronically Exposed to Ethynylestradiol

PubMed Central

Depiereux, Sophie; Liagre, Mélanie; Danis, Lorraine; De Meulder, Bertrand; Depiereux, Eric; Segner, Helmut; Kestemont, Patrick

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the male-to-female morphological and physiological transdifferentiation process in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to exogenous estrogens. The first objective was to elucidate whether trout develop intersex gonads under exposure to low levels of estrogen. To this end, the gonads of an all-male population of fry exposed chronically (from 60 to 136 days post fertilization – dpf) to several doses (from environmentally relevant 0.01 µg/L to supra-environmental levels: 0.1, 1 and 10 µg/L) of the potent synthetic estrogen ethynylestradiol (EE2) were examined histologically. The morphological evaluations were underpinned by the analysis of gonad steroid (testosterone, estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone) levels and of brain and gonad gene expression, including estrogen-responsive genes and genes involved in sex differentiation in (gonads: cyp19a1a, ER isoforms, vtg, dmrt1, sox9a2; sdY; cyp11b; brain: cyp19a1b, ER isoforms). Intersex gonads were observed from the first concentration used (0.01 µg EE2/L) and sexual inversion could be detected from 0.1 µg EE2/L. This was accompanied by a linear decrease in 11-KT levels, whereas no effect on E2 and T levels was observed. Q-PCR results from the gonads showed downregulation of testicular markers (dmrt1, sox9a2; sdY; cyp11b) with increasing EE2 exposure concentrations, and upregulation of the female vtg gene. No evidence was found for a direct involvement of aromatase in the sex conversion process. The results from this study provide evidence that gonads of male trout respond to estrogen exposure by intersex formation and, with increasing concentration, by morphological and physiological conversion to phenotypic ovaries. However, supra-environmental estrogen concentrations are needed to induce these changes. PMID:25033040

Effect of Salt Stress on Growth, Na+ Accumulation and Proline Metabolism in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Cultivars

PubMed Central

Jaarsma, Rinse; de Vries, Rozemarijn S. M.; de Boer, Albertus H.

2013-01-01

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a major crop world-wide and the productivity of currently used cultivars is strongly reduced at high soil salt levels. We compared the response of six potato cultivars to increased root NaCl concentrations. Cuttings were grown hydroponically and treated with 0 mM, 60 mM and 180 mM NaCl for one week. Growth reduction on salt was strongest for the cultivars Mozart and Mona Lisa with a severe senescence response at 180 mM NaCl and Mozart barely survived the treatment. The cultivars Desiree and Russett Burbank were more tolerant showing no senescence after salt treatment. A clear difference in Na+ homeostasis was observed between sensitive and tolerant cultivars. The salt sensitive cultivar Mozart combined low Na+ levels in root and stem with the highest leaf Na+ concentration of all cultivars, resulting in a high Na+ shoot distribution index (SDI) for Mozart as compared to Desiree. Overall, a positive correlation between salt tolerance and stem Na+ accumulation was found and the SDI for Na+ points to a role of stem Na+ accumulation in tolerance. In stem tissue, Mozart accumulated more H2O2 and less proline compared to the tolerant cultivars. Analysis of the expression of proline biosynthesis genes in Mozart and Desiree showed a clear reduction in proline dehydrogenase (PDH) expression in both cultivars and an increase in pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase 1 (P5CS1) gene expression in Desiree, but not in Mozart. Taken together, current day commercial cultivars show promising differences in salt tolerance and the results suggest that mechanisms of tolerance reside in the capacity of Na+ accumulation in stem tissue, resulting in reduced Na+ transport to the leaves. PMID:23533673

Performance characteristics of UV imaging instrumentation for diffusion, dissolution and release testing studies.

PubMed

Jensen, Sabrine S; Jensen, Henrik; Goodall, David M; Østergaard, Jesper

2016-11-30

UV imaging is capable of providing spatially and temporally resolved absorbance measurements, which is highly beneficial in drug diffusion, dissolution and release testing studies. For optimal planning and design of experiments, knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of the imaging system is required. The aim of this study was to characterize the performance of two commercially available UV imaging systems, the D100 and SDI. Lidocaine crystals, lidocaine containing solutions, and gels were applied in the practical assessment of the UV imaging systems. Dissolution of lidocaine from single crystals into phosphate buffer and 0.5% (w/v) agarose hydrogel at pH 7.4 was investigated to shed light on the importance of density gradients under dissolution conditions in the absence of convective flow. In addition, the resolution of the UV imaging systems was assessed by the use of grids. Resolution was found to be better in the vertical direction than the horizontal direction, consistent with the illumination geometry. The collimating lens in the SDI imaging system was shown to provide more uniform light intensity across the UV imaging area and resulted in better resolution as compared to the D100 imaging system (a system without a lens). Under optimal conditions, the resolution was determined to be 12.5 and 16.7 line pairs per mm (lp/mm) corresponding to line widths of 40μm and 30μm in the horizontal and vertical direction, respectively. Overall, the performance of the UV imaging systems was shown mainly to depend on collimation of light, the light path, the positioning of the object relative to the line of 100μm fibres which forms the light source, and the distance of the object from the sensor surface. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of depressive/anxiety symptoms with quality of life and work ability in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Mok, Chi Chiu; Chan, Kar Li; Ho, Ling Yin

2016-01-01

To study the association of depressive/anxiety symptoms with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work ability in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Consecutive patients with ≥4 ACR criteria for SLE were recruited. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). HRQoL was assessed by the Chinese version of MOS-Short Form (SF)-36. Disease activity of SLE was assessed by the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and organ damage was assessed by the ACR/SLICC damage index (SDI). The relationship between HAD scores, work ability and HRQoL was studied. A total of 367 SLE patients were studied (95% women; age 40.2±12.9 years; disease duration 9.3±7.2 years). Fifty-five (15%) patients had HADS-depression score ≥10 and 70 (19%) patients had HADS-anxiety score ≥10. Patients with either score ≥10 had significantly lower SF36 score (physical and mental component) than those with score <10. In separate linear regression models, the mental and physical component scores of SF36 were significantly associated with the HAD-depression and HAD-anxiety score after adjustment for age, sex, SLE duration, years of education, religious belief, marital status, employment status, poverty, SDI and mean SLEDAI score in the preceding year. Among those who were working in the preceding year (n=190), 30(16%) patients either quitted their job (n=22) or reduced working hours (n=8). Patients with work disability had significantly higher HAD-depression score than those without (6.31±5.51 vs 3.93±3.72; p=0.03). Depressive/anxiety symptoms were fairly common in SLE patients and independently associated with poorer HRQoL. Patients with more depressive symptoms were more likely to experience work disability.

Gut microbiome composition is associated with temperament during early childhood

PubMed Central

Christian, Lisa M.; Galley, Jeffrey D.; Hade, Erinn M.; Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah; Kamp-Dush, Claire; Bailey, Michael T.

2014-01-01

Background Understanding the dynamics of the gut-brain axis has clinical implications for physical and mental health conditions, including obesity and anxiety. As such disorders have early life antecedents, it is of value to determine if associations between the gut microbiome and behavior are present in early life in humans. Methods We used next generation pyrosequencing to examine associations between the community structure of the gut microbiome and maternal ratings of child temperament in 77 children at 18-27 months of age. It was hypothesized that children would differ in their gut microbial structure, as indicated by measures of alpha and beta diversity, based on their temperamental characteristics. Results Among both boys and girls, greater Surgency/Extraversion was associated greater phylogenetic diversity. In addition, among boys only, subscales loading on this composite scale were associated with differences in phylogenetic diversity, the Shannon Diversity index (SDI), beta diversity, and differences in abundances of Dialister, Rikenellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Parabacteroides. In girls only, higher Effortful Control was associated with a lower SDI score and differences in both beta diversity and Rikenellaceae were observed in relation to Fear. Some differences in dietary patterns were observed in relation to temperament, but these did not account for the observed differences in the microbiome. Conclusions Differences in gut microbiome composition, including alpha diversity, beta diversity, and abundances of specific bacterial species, were observed in association with temperament in toddlers. This study was cross-sectional and observational and, therefore, does not permit determination of the causal direction of effects. However, if bidirectional brain-gut relationships are present in humans in early life, this may represent an opportunity for intervention relevant to physical as well as mental health disorders. PMID:25449582

Toward a nuclear weapons free world?

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

Maaranen, S.A.

Doubts about the wisdom of relying on nuclear weapons are as old as nuclear weapons themselves. But despite this questioning, nuclear weapons came to be seen as the indispensable element of American (indeed Western) security during the Cold War. By the 1970s and 1980s, however, discontent was growing about the intense US-Soviet nuclear arms competition, as it failed to provide any enduring improvement in security; rather, it was seen as creating ever greater risks and dangers. Arms control negotiations and limitations, adopted as a means to regulate the technical competition, may also have relieved some of the political pressures andmore » dangers. But the balance of terror, and the fears of it, continued. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) under President Reagan was a very different approach to escaping from the precarious protection of nuclear weapons, in that it sought a way to continue to defend the US and the West, but without the catastrophic risks of mutual deterrence. As such, SDI connoted unhappiness with the precarious nuclear balance and, for many, with nuclear weapons in general. The disappearance of the Warsaw Pact, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the sudden end of the Cold War seemed to offer a unique opportunity to fashion a new, more peaceful world order that might allow for fading away of nuclear weapons. Scholars have foreseen two different paths to a nuclear free world. The first is a fundamental improvement in the relationships between states such that nuclear weapons are no longer needed. The second path is through technological development, e.g., missile defenses which could provide effective protection against nuclear attacks. The paper discusses nuclear weapon policy in the US, views of other nuclear states, the future of nuclear weapons, and issues in a less-nuclear world.« less

Work disability in Argentinian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is prevalent and it is due to ethnic, socioeconomic and disease-related factors.

PubMed

Pisoni, Cecilia N; Muñoz, Sebastián A; Tamborenea, María N; García, Mercedes; Curti, Ana; Cappuccio, Ana; Rillo, Oscar; Imamura, Patricia M; Schneeberger, Emilce; Ballent, Marcela; Cousseau, Mario L; Velasco Zamora, Jorge; Saurit, Verónica; Toloza, Sergio; Danielsen, María C; Bellomio, Verónica I; Graf, Cesar; Paira, Sergio; Cavallasca, Javier; Pons Estel, Bernardo; Moreno, José L C; Díaz, Mónica; Alba, Paula; Verando, Marcela; Tate, Guillermo; Mysler, Eduardo; Sarano, Judith; Civit, Emma E; Risueño, Fabián; Álvarez Sepúlveda, Pablo; Larroude, María S; Méndez, Marcos F; Conforti, Andrea; Sohn, Débora

2018-04-02

To study the prevalence and the associated factors of work disability (WD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. A sample of 419 SLE patients from an observational cross-sectional multicenter study was included. Sociodemographic features, disease characteristics, comorbidities, quality of life, unhealthy behaviors, and work-related factors were measured in a standardized interview. Work disability was defined by patient self-report of not being able to work because of SLE. To identify variables associated with work disability, two different multivariate regression models using a stepwise backward method were performed. Prevalence of WD due to SLE was 24.3%. Eighty-nine percent were female and 51% were Caucasians. Mean disease duration was 8.9 ± 7.2 years, and median System Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index SLICC-SDI was 1.5 (range 0-17). In stepwise multivariate logistic regression, living below the poverty line (odds ratio [OR] = 4.65), less than 12 years of education (OR = 2.84), Mestizo ethnicity (OR = 1.94) and SLICC-SDI (OR = 1.25) were predictors of WD. A second model was performed including patient-derived measures; in this model sedentary lifestyle (OR = 2.69) and lower emotional health domain score of the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire (OR = 1.03) were found to be associated to WD and a higher score in LupusQoL physical health domain (OR = 0.93) was protective. The prevalence of WD in Argentinian SLE patients was 24.3%. WD was associated with ethnic (Mestizo), socioeconomic (poverty) and disease-related factors. Patient-related outcomes such us sedentary lifestyle and poor emotional quality of life were also associated with WD. © 2018 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Enamel Mineral Content Changes After Bleaching With High and Low Hydrogen Peroxide Concentrations: Colorimetric Spectrophotometry and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Analyses.

PubMed

Pinto, Avd; Bridi, E C; Amaral, Flb; França, Fmg; Turssi, C P; Pérez, C A; Martinez, E F; Flório, F M; Basting, R T

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) content in enamel bleached with high and low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP) using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) and colorimetric spectrophotometry (SPEC). Forty-eight sound human third molars were used. Their roots were embedded in polystyrene resin and immersed for seven days in an artificial saliva solution. Then they were distributed into six groups to receive the bleaching treatments. The agents of high HP concentration (for in-office use) evaluated were Whiteness HP Maxx/FGM (35% HP), Whiteness HP Blue/FGM (35% HP, 2% calcium gluconate), Pola Office+/SDI (37.5% HP, 5% potassium nitrate), and Opalescence Boost/Ultradent (38% HP, 1.1% ion fluoride, 3% potassium nitrate); these agents were applied to enamel in three sessions. The agents of low HP concentration (for home use) evaluated were Pola Day/SDI (9.5% HP) and White Class 10%/FGM (10% HP, potassium nitrate, calcium, fluoride), and these agents were applied for 14 days. Enamel microbiopsies were evaluated by TXRF and SPEC analysis before the bleaching treatment (baseline), during the treatment, and 14 days after the end of the treatment. For TXRF, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that Ca and P were not influenced by agent (p>0.05). For SPEC, Pola Office+, Opalescence Boost, Pola Day, and White Class 10% caused a decrease of Ca over time; there was a significant decrease of P over time to Pola Office+ and White Class 10%. The Spearman test showed no correlation between the Ca (p=0.987; r 2 =-0.020) and P (p=0.728, r 2 =0.038) obtained by SPEC and TXRF. For TXRF and SPEC, changes in Ca and P during bleaching occurred independently of the HP concentration used.

Quantifying the sensitivity of aerosol optical depths retrieved from MSG SEVIRI to a priori data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulgin, C. E.; Palmer, P. I.; Merchant, C. J.; Siddans, R.; Poulsen, C.; Grainger, R. G.; Thomas, G.; Carboni, E.; McConnell, C.; Highwood, E.

2009-12-01

Radiative forcing contributions from aerosol direct and indirect effects remain one of the most uncertain components of the climate system. Satellite observations of aerosol optical properties offer important constraints on atmospheric aerosols but their sensitivity to prior assumptions must be better characterized before they are used effectively to reduce uncertainty in aerosol radiative forcing. We assess the sensitivity of the Oxford-RAL Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) optimal estimation retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) to a priori aerosol data. SEVIRI is a geostationary satellite instrument centred over Africa and the neighbouring Atlantic Ocean, routinely sampling desert dust and biomass burning outflow from Africa. We quantify the uncertainty in SEVIRI AOD retrievals in the presence of desert dust by comparing retrievals that use prior information from the Optical Properties of Aerosol and Cloud (OPAC) database, with those that use measured aerosol properties during the Dust Outflow and Deposition to the Ocean (DODO) aircraft campaign (August, 2006). We also assess the sensitivity of retrieved AODs to changes in solar zenith angle, and the vertical profile of aerosol effective radius and extinction coefficient input into the retrieval forward model. Currently the ORAC retrieval scheme retrieves AODs for five aerosol types (desert dust, biomass burning, maritime, urban and continental) and chooses the most appropriate AOD based on the cost functions. We generate an improved prior aerosol speciation database for SEVIRI based on a statistical analysis of a Saharan Dust Index (SDI) determined using variances of different brightness temperatures, and organic and black carbon tracers from the GEOS-Chem chemistry transport model. This database is described as a function of season and time of day. We quantify the difference in AODs between those chosen based on prior information from the SDI and GEOS

Analysis of Serum Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Mende, Rachel; Vincent, Fabien B; Kandane-Rathnayake, Rangi; Koelmeyer, Rachel; Lin, Emily; Chang, Janet; Hoi, Alberta Y; Morand, Eric F; Harris, James; Lang, Tali

2018-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by biological and clinical heterogeneity. The interleukin (IL)-1 superfamily is a group of innate cytokines that contribute to pathogenesis in many autoimmune diseases. IL-1β and IL-18 are two members that have been shown to play a role in murine lupus-like models, but their role in human SLE remains poorly understood. Here, IL-1β and IL-18 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serum of healthy controls (HCs) and SLE patients from a prospectively followed cohort. Disease activity and organ damage were assessed using SLE disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and SLE damage index scores (SDI), respectively. 184 SLE patients (mean age 44.9 years, 91% female, 56% double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid positive) were compared to 52 HC. SLE patients had median [IQR] SLEDAI-2K of 4 [2,6], and SDI of 1 [0-2]. Serum IL-18 levels were statistically significantly higher in SLE patients compared to HCs. Univariable linear regression analyses showed that patients with active renal disease or irreversible organ damage had statistically significantly elevated serum IL-18 levels. The association between serum IL-18 and active renal disease was confirmed in multivariable analysis after adjusting for ethnicity and organ damage. High baseline serum IL-18 levels were associated with organ damage at the subsequent visit. Serum IL-1β levels were not significantly elevated in SLE patients when compared to HCs and had no association with overall or organ-specific disease activity or organ damage in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Our data suggest that serum IL-18 and IL-1β have different clinical implications in SLE, with IL-18 being potentially associated with active renal disease.

Assessment of clinical manifestations, disease activity and organ damage in 996 Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: comparison with other Asian populations.

PubMed

Joo, Young Bin; Bae, Sang Cheol

2015-02-01

To describe the clinical manifestations, disease activity and organ damage in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR damage index (SDI) were assessed in patients with SLE from 1998 to 2012. A total of 996 SLE patients were analyzed. The common accrual of ACR criteria included: immunologic (93%), hematologic (93%), arthritic (66%) and nephritic (50%). In the inception cohort over 10 years of follow-up (n = 120), the number of ACR criteria increased significantly (5.0 ± 1.2 to 5.7 ± 1.3), and nephritis, serositis and neuropsychiatric symptoms tended to increase continuously over time. SLEDAI-2K decreased significantly (5.6 ± 3.4 to 4.1 ± 1.2), but the percentage of patients with SLEDAI scores ≥ 12 did not decrease over time. The common organ damages were musculoskeletal (14.9%) and renal (11.1%). The mean SDI score increased significantly (0.4 ± 0.8 to 1.1 ± 1.6) and renal damage had two peaks in 1 and 6-10 years, musculoskeletal and neuropsychiatric damage were predominant from 1 to 5 years, and ophthalmic damage increased sharply over 10 years. Compared to other Asian cohorts, disease activity was lower and organ damage was less in our Korean cohort. Nephritis, serositis and neuropsychiatric symptoms increased continuously over time. Overall disease activity decreased significantly, but a small portion of severe disease activity continued during the disease course. The most common organ damage was musculoskeletal. The time in organ damage development varied, which reflects the possible causality, such as disease itself and/or treatment. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Influence of Education on Disease Activity and Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Data From the 1000 Canadian Faces of Lupus.

PubMed

George, Angela; Wong-Pak, Andrew; Peschken, Christine A; Silverman, Earl; Pineau, Christian; Smith, C Douglas; Arbillaga, Hector; Zummer, Michel; Bernatsky, Sasha; Hudson, Marie; Hitchon, Carol; Fortin, Paul R; Nevskaya, Tatiana; Pope, Janet E

2017-01-01

To determine whether socioeconomic status assessed by education is associated with disease activity and the risk of organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Data from the 1000 Canadian Faces of Lupus, a multicenter database of adult SLE patients, was used to compare education as either low (did not complete high school) or high (completed high school or further) for disease activity and damage. Education was also studied as a continuous variable. The relationships between education and SLE outcomes (any organ damage defined as a Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index [SDI] score ≥1, serious organ damage [SDI score ≥3], and end-stage renal disease) were evaluated using logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and disease duration. A total of 562 SLE patients met inclusion criteria (mean age 47 years, 91% female, and mean disease duration of 10 years); 81% had high education. The low education group was twice as likely to be work disabled (30%; P < 0.0001); they had higher disease activity and reduced renal function. Linear regression analysis revealed that low education was significantly associated with higher disease activity at enrollment into the 1000 Canadian Faces of Lupus database, after adjustment for age (at entry and at diagnosis), race/ethnicity, and sex (B 1.255 + 0.507 [SE], β = 0.115, P = 0.014). In our adjusted logistic regression models we were unable to demonstrate significant associations between education and SLE damage. Results did not change when varying the education variable. In this cohort, low education was associated cross-sectionally with higher disease activity and work disability, but not damage. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Changes in bioactive compounds and oxidative enzymes of fresh-cut pomegranate arils during storage as affected by deficit irrigation and postharvest vapor heat treatments.

PubMed

Peña-Estévez, María E; Gómez, Perla A; Artés, Francisco; Aguayo, Encarna; Martínez-Hernández, Ginés Benito; Galindo, Alejandro; Torecillas, Arturo; Artés-Hernández, Francisco

2016-12-01

The effect of postharvest vapor heat treatments at 95℃ (4, 7, and 10 s) regarding a conventional sanitizing treatment with 100 mg NaClO l -1 on enzyme activities (phenylalanine ammonia lyase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase), phenolic content, and total antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut pomegranates arils throughout 18 days at 5℃ was studied. Furthermore, the effect of two sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) strategies, compared to a standardly irrigated control (CTRL), was also studied on such quality parameters throughout storage. Arils from CTRL-irrigated fruit registered phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase initial activities of 60.6, 382, and 14.4 U g -1  fw, respectively. Arils from sustained deficit irrigation fruit registered 46-58% lower phenylalanine ammonia lyase values while polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities did not register great variants (<9%) among both sustained deficit irrigation treatments. Postharvest vapor heat treatments enhanced phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in those samples from sustained deficit irrigation fruit although no great peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase (<2-5%) increases were observed. Arils from SDI 1 fruit registered higher phenolic content than those values reported for CTRL samples. However, phenolic compounds decreased during storage, in a greater extent for sustained deficit irrigation samples, although 7 s arils achieved better phenolic compounds retention in sustained deficit irrigation samples. Vapor heat treatments reduced up to twofold the total antioxidant capacity losses observed in samples sanitized by conventional NaOCl treatment during shelf life. Conclusively, postharvest vapor heat treatment for 7 and 10 s used to extend the shelf life of pomegranate arils up to 18 days at 5℃ reduced the losses of health-promoting compounds during storage compared to conventional NaOCl sanitizing treatment. © The Author(s) 2016.

Occlusal adjustment using the bite plate-induced occlusal position as a reference position for temporomandibular disorders: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Many researchers have not accepted the use of occlusal treatments for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, a recent report described a discrepancy between the habitual occlusal position (HOP) and the bite plate-induced occlusal position (BPOP) and discussed the relation of this discrepancy to TMD. Therefore, the treatment outcome of evidence-based occlusal adjustments using the bite plate-induced occlusal position (BPOP) as a muscular reference position should be evaluated in patients with TMD. Methods The BPOP was defined as the position at which a patient voluntarily closed his or her mouth while sitting in an upright posture after wearing an anterior flat bite plate for 5 minutes and then removing the plate. Twenty-one patients with TMDs underwent occlusal adjustment using the BPOP. The occlusal adjustments were continued until bilateral occlusal contacts were obtained in the BPOP. The treatment outcomes were evaluated using the subjective dysfunction index (SDI) and the Helkimo Clinical Dysfunction Index (CDI) before and after the occlusal adjustments; the changes in these two indices between the first examination and a one-year follow-up examination were then analyzed. In addition, the difference between the HOP and the BPOP was three-dimensionally measured before and after the treatment. Results The percentage of symptom-free patients after treatment was 86% according to the SDI and 76% according to the CDI. The changes in the two indices after treatment were significant (p < 0.001). The changes in the mean HOP-BPOP differences on the x-axis (mediolateral) and the y-axis (anteroposterior) were significant (p < 0.05), whereas the change on the z-axis (superoinferior) was not significant (p > 0.1). Conclusion Although the results of the present study should be confirmed in other studies, a randomized clinical trial examining occlusal adjustments using the BPOP as a reference position appears to be warranted. PMID:20346167

Automatic treatment of flight test images using modern tools: SAAB and Aeritalia joint approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaelldahl, A.; Duranti, P.

The use of onboard cine cameras, as well as that of on ground cinetheodolites, is very popular in flight tests. The high resolution of film and the high frame rate of cinecameras are still not exceeded by video technology. Video technology can successfully enter the flight test scenario once the availability of solid-state optical sensors dramatically reduces the dimensions, and weight of TV cameras, thus allowing to locate them in positions compatible with space or operational limitations (e.g., HUD cameras). A proper combination of cine and video cameras is the typical solution for a complex flight test program. The output of such devices is very helpful in many flight areas. Several sucessful applications of this technology are summarized. Analysis of the large amount of data produced (frames of images) requires a very long time. The analysis is normally carried out manually. In order to improve the situation, in the last few years, several flight test centers have devoted their attention to possible techniques which allow for quicker and more effective image treatment.

Early Oscillation Detection for Hybrid DC/DC Converter Fault Diagnosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Bright L.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a novel fault detection technique for hybrid DC/DC converter oscillation diagnosis. The technique is based on principles of feedback control loop oscillation and RF signal modulations, and Is realized by using signal spectral analysis. Real-circuit simulation and analytical study reveal critical factors of the oscillation and indicate significant correlations between the spectral analysis method and the gain/phase margin method. A stability diagnosis index (SDI) is developed as a quantitative measure to accurately assign a degree of stability to the DC/DC converter. This technique Is capable of detecting oscillation at an early stage without interfering with DC/DC converter's normal operation and without limitations of probing to the converter.

Space nuclear power systems 1989; Proceedings of the 6th Symposium, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 8-12, 1989. Vols. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Genk, Mohamed S. (Editor); Hoover, Mark D. (Editor)

1992-01-01

The present conference discusses such space nuclear power (SNP) issues as current design trends for SDI applications, ultrahigh heat-flux systems with curved surface subcooled nucleate boiling, design and manufacturing alternatives for low cost production of SNPs, a lightweight radioisotope heater for the Galileo mission, compatible materials for uranium fluoride-based gas core SNPs, Johnson noise thermometry for SNPs, and uranium nitride/rhenium compatibility studies for the SP-100 SNP. Also discussed are system issues in antimatter energy conversion, the thermal design of a heat source for a Brayton cycle radioisotope power system, structural and thermal analyses of an isotope heat source, a novel plant protection strategy for transient reactors, and beryllium toxicity.

Study of exhaust emissions from 1978-1980 model year three way catalyst vehicles in Los Angeles. Final report

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

Moore, L.L.; Jones, A.D.

This report presents and summarizes exhaust emission data and other information obtained as a result of the testing and inspection of 350 in-use passenger cars. The test fleet was made up of 1978, 1979 and 1980 automobiles manufactured by Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Saab, Toyota, Volkswagen/Audi and Volvo. Each vehicle was equipped with a three way catalyst control system. They were obtained randomly from private owners in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. The testing was completed December, 1979. Each vehicle was tested only in as-received condition. The test sequence consisted of the 1975 Federal Test Procedure (exhaust emissionsmore » only), a Highway Fuel Economy test, a Two-Speed Idle test, a Federal Three Mode test, and a Loaded Two Mode test. After the initial test sequence, each vehicle was subjected to a thorough underhood inspection.« less

Moral and morale benefits of the Strategic Defense Initiative. Student report

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

Poston, J.R.

1986-04-01

This writer finds strategic defense a moral advance over the present nuclear deterrence policy as well as a probable boost to national and military morale because of the broad-based popular support attendant to the inherent moral suasion. Popular support is nearly inevitable because of the moral superiority of strategic defense over nuclear retaliation, as well as the sheer compulsion of common sense about a protective defense. Criticism of the SDI abounds, but not without adequate answers from proponents. One of the best morale-building supports for those experiencing mixed moral feelings about nuclear deterrence is that strategic defense avoids or pointsmore » to a way out of the moral problems facing nuclear deterrence and its grim companion--nuclear retaliation.« less

Analysis of closed cycle megawatt class space power systems with nuclear reactor heat sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, A. J.; Jones, B. I.

1987-01-01

The analysis and integration studies of multimegawatt nuclear power conversion systems for potential SDI applications is presented. A study is summarized which considered 3 separate types of power conversion systems for steady state power generation with a duty requirement of 1 yr at full power. The systems considered are based on the following conversion cycles: direct and indirect Brayton gas turbine, direct and indirect liquid metal Rankine, and in core thermionic. A complete mass analysis was performed for each system at power levels ranging from 1 to 25 MWe for both heat pipe and liquid droplet radiator options. In the modeling of common subsystems, reactor and shield calculations were based on multiparameter correlation and an in-house analysis for the heat rejection and other subsystems.

Battle of the big shots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznik, Frank

1993-09-01

A development history and current status evaluation is presented for large-bore, hypervelocity-range projectile acceleration 'cannon', giving attention to the various operating principles that may be employed; these range from ordinary, breech-charge propelled guns and ramjet-effect tubes to electromechanical accelerators and light-gas guns. Attention is given to the pioneering work of the late Gerald Bull and the role of the SDI program in launcher development during the 1980s. All of the devices discussed are characterized by payload accelerations of the order of 1000 Gs, and are therefore restricted to the most rugged cargo; they compensate for this with the promise of very inexpensive operation relative to rockets, and may be ideal for lofting space station construction materials into orbit.

Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2016-10-08

Improving survival and extending the longevity of life for all populations requires timely, robust evidence on local mortality levels and trends. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive assessment of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015. These results informed an in-depth investigation of observed and expected mortality patterns based on sociodemographic measures. We estimated all-cause mortality by age, sex, geography, and year using an improved analytical approach originally developed for GBD 2013 and GBD 2010. Improvements included refinements to the estimation of child and adult mortality and corresponding uncertainty, parameter selection for under-5 mortality synthesis by spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, and sibling history data processing. We also expanded the database of vital registration, survey, and census data to 14 294 geography-year datapoints. For GBD 2015, eight causes, including Ebola virus disease, were added to the previous GBD cause list for mortality. We used six modelling approaches to assess cause-specific mortality, with the Cause of Death Ensemble Model (CODEm) generating estimates for most causes. We used a series of novel analyses to systematically quantify the drivers of trends in mortality across geographies. First, we assessed observed and expected levels and trends of cause-specific mortality as they relate to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary indicator derived from measures of income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Second, we examined factors affecting total mortality patterns through a series of counterfactual scenarios, testing the magnitude by which population growth, population age structures, and epidemiological changes contributed to shifts in mortality. Finally, we attributed changes in life expectancy to changes in cause of death. We documented each step of the GBD 2015 estimation

Cardiac resynchronization therapy by multipoint pacing improves response of left ventricular mechanics and fluid dynamics: a three-dimensional and particle image velocimetry echo study.

PubMed

Siciliano, Mariachiara; Migliore, Federico; Badano, Luigi; Bertaglia, Emanuele; Pedrizzetti, Gianni; Cavedon, Stefano; Zorzi, Alessandro; Corrado, Domenico; Iliceto, Sabino; Muraru, Denisa

2017-11-01

To characterize the effect of multipoint pacing (MPP) compared to biventricular pacing (BiV) on left ventricle (LV) mechanics and intraventricular fluid dynamics by three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and echocardiographic particle imaging velocimetry (Echo-PIV). In 11 consecutive patients [8 men; median age 65 years (57-75)] receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with a quadripolar LV lead (Quartet,St.Jude Medical,Inc.), 3DE and Echo-PIV data were collected for each pacing configuration (CRT-OFF, BiV, and MPP) at follow-up after 6 months. 3DE data included LV volumes, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), strain, and systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI). Echo-PIV was used to evaluate the directional distribution of global blood flow momentum, ranging from zero, when flow force is predominantly along the base-apex direction, up to 90° when it becomes transversal. MPP resulted in significant reduction in end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes compared with both CRT-OFF (P = 0.02; P = 0.008, respectively) and BiV (P = 0.04; P = 0.03, respectively). LVEF and cardiac output were significant superior in MPP compared with CRT-OFF, but similar between MPP and BiV. Statistical significant differences when comparing global longitudinal and circumferential strain and SDI with MPP vs. CRT-OFF were observed (P = 0.008; P = 0.008; P = 0.01, respectively). There was also a trend towards improvement in strain between BiV and MPP that did not reach statistical significance. MPP reflected into a significant reduction of the deviation of global blood flow momentum compared with both CRT-OFF and BiV (P = 0.002) indicating a systematic increase of longitudinal alignment from the base-apex orientation of the haemodynamic forces. These preliminary results suggest that MPP resulted in significant improvement of LV mechanics and fluid dynamics compared with BiV. However, larger studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. © Crown copyright 2016.

Clinical composite measures of disease activity and damage used to evaluate patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Castrejón, Isabel; Rúa-Figueroa, Iñigo; Rosario, María Piedad; Carmona, Loreto

2014-01-01

To determine the most appropriate indices to evaluate the disease activity and damage in patients with sytemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A systematic literature search was performed to identify validation studies of indices used to evaluate disease activity and damage. We collected information for each instrument on every aspect of validation including feasibility, reliability, validity and sensitivity to change using ad hoc forms. A total of 38 articles were included addressing the validation of 6 composite indices to evaluate disease activity (BILAG, ECLAM, SLAM, SLEDAI, LAI and SLAQ); and 3 indices to evaluate damage (SLICC/ACE-DI, LDIQ and BILD). Only the SLAQ, LIDIQ and the BILD were self-administered. Feasibility and internal consistency was only studied in 3 indices (BILAG, SLAQ and SDI) with a Cronbach's α ranging from 0.35 to 0.87. The intra-observer reliability was examined by the intraclass correlation coefficient for BILAG with a result of 0.48 (95%CI: 0,23-0,81) and using analysis of variance for SLAM-R (0,78), SLEDAI (0,33) and the LAI (0,81). The inter-observer feasibility was evaluated using the correlation coefficient for ECLAM (0,90-0,93), the SLAM (0,86) and MEX-SLEDAI (0,97-0,89). The construct validity was examined by means of convergence with other instruments, specifically with global assessment by the physician, with similar results between indices (0,48-0,75). Lastly, responsiveness was tested in all indices except LAI, SDI and LDIQ, with a standardized response mean ranging from 0.12 to 0.75. Although multiple instruments have been validated for use in SLE it was not possible to find direct evidence of which is the most appropriate. BILAG and SLEDAI, with moderate feasibility and low responsiveness, are the 2 indices with a most complete validation and more extensively used. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Saudi children: long-term outcomes.

PubMed

Al-Mayouf, Sulaiman M

2013-02-01

To report the long-term outcome of Saudi children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Charts of all children with SLE treated between 1990 and 2010 at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh, were reviewed. The long-term outcome measured by pediatric adaptation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (pSDI) and death related to SLE were determined. The data included: gender, age at disease onset, clinical features and treatment at last follow-up visit. One hundred and fifty-two patients (129 girls and 23 boys) were included. The mean age at onset of SLE was 8.8 ± 2.6 years, while the mean age at diagnosis was 9.5 ± 2.6 years and the mean disease duration was 7.5 ± 4.6 years. All patients were treated with corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drugs. Eighty (52.6%) patients had damage with a mean SDI score of 1.3 ± 1.7. Damage accrual was mostly in the growth (26.8%), renal (17.1%) and neuropsychiatric (15.8%) domains. Due to progressive renal disease, 14 patients required dialysis; five of them underwent renal transplant. There were nine deaths related to SLE, eight of them due to infection. Based on logistic regression, patient disease damage was significantly associated with young age at disease onset and long disease duration. Similarly, death related to SLE was influenced by early-onset disease. In contrast, gender, disease duration and therapy did not affect the suggested outcome measures. Our results are comparable to reports from other tertiary centers. Early-onset disease probably influences the long-term outcome of SLE in children. Infection remains an important cause of death in children with SLE. © 2012 The Author International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2012 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

On the Need for Paid Maternity Leave in the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, C. L.

2007-12-01

Maternity leave policies in the U.S. are among the worst in the world. The 12 weeks of un-paid family leave that the U.S. grants are only surpassed by South Korea's 8 un-paid weeks as the worst treatment to mothers and newborns in the developed world. California is the only state in the U.S. where two programs exist, the State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL), which cover up to $840/week for up to 12 weeks (excluding a waiting period of 7 un-paid days combined for both SDI and PFL). Even with these State contributions, the average parent of a newborn in California receives less than the 100% paid 6 weeks of Portugal and the 100% paid 12 weeks of Mexico, with all other countries providing better treatment. For mothers and fathers, time at home during the first precious months after birth or adoption is critical to getting to know their babies. It can provide long-term benefits that improve a child's brain development, social development and overall well being. Parental leave results in better prenatal and postnatal care and more intense parental bonding over a child's life. It also improves the chance that a child will be immunized; as a result, it is associated with lower death rates for infants. But lawmakers and employers are denying those benefits to most families by refusing to provide paid parental leave. For some families, the economic burden of caring for a newborn alone results in financial hardship or ruin. Fortunately, about 12% of companies in the U.S. voluntarily choose to offer some sort of paid and/or longer maternity and family care leaves. Some companies offer on-site child care as a way to facilitate breastfeeding and bonding between new mothers and their babies. Other companies allow new parents to reduce their work schedule temporarily and to telecommute from their homes, both effective ways to guarantee work productivity without requiring the sacrifice of a newborn's right to better health through breastfeeding and bonding

Web catalog of oceanographic data using GeoNetwork

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinova, Veselka; Stefanov, Asen

2017-04-01

Most of the data collected, analyzed and used by Bulgarian oceanographic data center (BgODC) from scientific cruises, argo floats, ferry boxes and real time operating systems are spatially oriented and need to be displayed on the map. The challenge is to make spatial information more accessible to users, decision makers and scientists. In order to meet this challenge, BgODC concentrate its efforts on improving dynamic and standardized access to their geospatial data as well as those from various related organizations and institutions. BgODC currently is implementing a project to create a geospatial portal for distributing metadata and search, exchange and harvesting spatial data. There are many open source software solutions able to create such spatial data infrastructure (SDI). Finally, the GeoNetwork open source is chosen, as it is already widespread. This software is free, effective and "cheap" solution for implementing SDI at organization level. It is platform independent and runs under many operating systems. Filling of the catalog goes through these practical steps: • Managing and storing data reliably within MS SQL spatial data base; • Registration of maps and data of various formats and sources in GeoServer (most popular open source geospatial server embedded with GeoNetwork) ; • Filling added meta data and publishing geospatial data at the desktop of GeoNetwork. GeoServer and GeoNetwork are based on Java so they require installing of a servlet engine like Tomcat. The experience gained from the use of GeoNetwork Open Source confirms that the catalog meets the requirements for data management and is flexible enough to customize. Building the catalog facilitates sustainable data exchange between end users. The catalog is a big step towards implementation of the INSPIRE directive due to availability of many features necessary for producing "INSPIRE compliant" metadata records. The catalog now contains all available GIS data provided by BgODC for Internet

Definition and initial validation of a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS).

PubMed

Franklyn, Kate; Lau, Chak Sing; Navarra, Sandra V; Louthrenoo, Worawit; Lateef, Aisha; Hamijoyo, Laniyati; Wahono, C Singgih; Chen, Shun Le; Jin, Ou; Morton, Susan; Hoi, Alberta; Huq, Molla; Nikpour, Mandana; Morand, Eric F

2016-09-01

Treating to low disease activity is routine in rheumatoid arthritis, but no comparable goal has been defined for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We sought to define and validate a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS). A consensus definition of LLDAS was generated using Delphi and nominal group techniques. Criterion validity was determined by measuring the ability of LLDAS attainment, in a single-centre SLE cohort, to predict non-accrual of irreversible organ damage, measured using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI). Consensus methodology led to the following definition of LLDAS: (1) SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)-2K ≤4, with no activity in major organ systems (renal, central nervous system (CNS), cardiopulmonary, vasculitis, fever) and no haemolytic anaemia or gastrointestinal activity; (2) no new lupus disease activity compared with the previous assessment; (3) a Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment (SELENA)-SLEDAI physician global assessment (scale 0-3) ≤1; (4) a current prednisolone (or equivalent) dose ≤7.5 mg daily; and (5) well tolerated standard maintenance doses of immunosuppressive drugs and approved biological agents. Achievement of LLDAS was determined in 191 patients followed for a mean of 3.9 years. Patients who spent greater than 50% of their observed time in LLDAS had significantly reduced organ damage accrual compared with patients who spent less than 50% of their time in LLDAS (p=0.0007) and were significantly less likely to have an increase in SDI of ≥1 (relative risk 0.47, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.79, p=0.005). A definition of LLDAS has been generated, and preliminary validation demonstrates its attainment to be associated with improved outcomes in SLE. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Three-dimensional and thermal surface imaging produces reliable measures of joint shape and temperature: a potential tool for quantifying arthritis

PubMed Central

Spalding, Steven J; Kwoh, C Kent; Boudreau, Robert; Enama, Joseph; Lunich, Julie; Huber, Daniel; Denes, Louis; Hirsch, Raphael

2008-01-01

Introduction The assessment of joints with active arthritis is a core component of widely used outcome measures. However, substantial variability exists within and across examiners in assessment of these active joint counts. Swelling and temperature changes, two qualities estimated during active joint counts, are amenable to quantification using noncontact digital imaging technologies. We sought to explore the ability of three dimensional (3D) and thermal imaging to reliably measure joint shape and temperature. Methods A Minolta 910 Vivid non-contact 3D laser scanner and a Meditherm med2000 Pro Infrared camera were used to create digital representations of wrist and metacarpalphalangeal (MCP) joints. Specialized software generated 3 quantitative measures for each joint region: 1) Volume; 2) Surface Distribution Index (SDI), a marker of joint shape representing the standard deviation of vertical distances from points on the skin surface to a fixed reference plane; 3) Heat Distribution Index (HDI), representing the standard error of temperatures. Seven wrists and 6 MCP regions from 5 subjects with arthritis were used to develop and validate 3D image acquisition and processing techniques. HDI values from 18 wrist and 9 MCP regions were obtained from 17 patients with active arthritis and compared to data from 10 wrist and MCP regions from 5 controls. Standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for each quantitative measure to establish their reliability. CVs for volume and SDI were <1.3% and ICCs were greater than 0.99. Results Thermal measures were less reliable than 3D measures. However, significant differences were observed between control and arthritis HDI values. Two case studies of arthritic joints demonstrated quantifiable changes in swelling and temperature corresponding with changes in symptoms and physical exam findings. Conclusion 3D and thermal imaging provide reliable measures of

Integration of Remotely Sensed Data Into Geospatial Reference Information Databases. Un-Ggim National Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arozarena, A.; Villa, G.; Valcárcel, N.; Pérez, B.

2016-06-01

Remote sensing satellites, together with aerial and terrestrial platforms (mobile and fixed), produce nowadays huge amounts of data coming from a wide variety of sensors. These datasets serve as main data sources for the extraction of Geospatial Reference Information (GRI), constituting the "skeleton" of any Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Since very different situations can be found around the world in terms of geographic information production and management, the generation of global GRI datasets seems extremely challenging. Remotely sensed data, due to its wide availability nowadays, is able to provide fundamental sources for any production or management system present in different countries. After several automatic and semiautomatic processes including ancillary data, the extracted geospatial information is ready to become part of the GRI databases. In order to optimize these data flows for the production of high quality geospatial information and to promote its use to address global challenges several initiatives at national, continental and global levels have been put in place, such as European INSPIRE initiative and Copernicus Programme, and global initiatives such as the Group on Earth Observation/Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEO/GEOSS) and United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). These workflows are established mainly by public organizations, with the adequate institutional arrangements at national, regional or global levels. Other initiatives, such as Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), on the other hand may contribute to maintain the GRI databases updated. Remotely sensed data hence becomes one of the main pillars underpinning the establishment of a global SDI, as those datasets will be used by public agencies or institutions as well as by volunteers to extract the required spatial information that in turn will feed the GRI databases. This paper intends to provide an example of how institutional

Toward electronic health recording: evaluation of electronic patient reported outcome measures (e-PROMs) system for remote monitoring of early systemic lupus patients.

PubMed

El Miedany, Y; El Gaafary, M; El Aroussy, Nadia; Bahlas, S; Hegazi, M; Palmer, D; Youssef, S

2017-11-01

The study aimed to assess the value of evaluation of electronic patient reported outcome measures (e-PROMs) in the assessment and management of SLE disease activity flares, its association with adherence to therapy as well as organ damage. A randomized, controlled crossover study was carried out over a 24-month duration. One hundred forty-seven SLE patients meeting the revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were enrolled. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) was used to assess disease activity, whereas organ damage was scored using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/ACR Damage Index. In the first 12 months, the patients were assessed every 3 months. At 12 months, the patients were randomized into a cohort of 73 patients who continued their care in the same style and 74 patients who completed an online e-PROMs questionnaire on monthly basis for another 12-month period. The data captured were then retrospectively analyzed at the end of the 24-month study period. At the end of the first year of the study, the mean SLEDAI and SDI scores were 8.72 (6.1) and 1.9 (2.2). At the end of the second year, the mean SLEDAI and SDI scores in the e-PROMs cohort were 3.1 (2.6) and 1.2 (1.3), whereas in the control group, the scores were 7.63 (6.7) and 1.8 (2.3), respectively (p < 0.01). Adjusting for possible confounding variables, the number of flares, regardless of their severity, was associated with damage accrual (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.83, p < 0.001). Adherence to therapy was significantly (p < 0.1) higher in the e-PROMs group. e-PROMs was equivalent to PROMs paper format and has a potential disease-modifying effect as it facilitated close monitoring of disease activity with an option of management escalation whenever indicated.

Examination of the expanding pathways for the regulation of p21 expression and activity.

PubMed

Jung, Yong-Sam; Qian, Yingjuan; Chen, Xinbin

2010-07-01

p21(Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1) was originally identified as an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, a mediator of p53 in growth suppression and a marker of cellular senescence. p21 is required for proper cell cycle progression and plays a role in cell death, DNA repair, senescence and aging, and induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming. Although transcriptional regulation is considered to be the initial control point for p21 expression, there is growing evidence that post-transcriptional and post-translational regulations play a critical role in p21 expression and activity. This review will briefly discuss the activity of p21 and focus on current knowledge of the determinants that control p21 transcription, mRNA stability and translation, and protein stability and activity. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Power source selection for neutral particle beam systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, Sidney W.; Chi, John W. H.; Hill, Gregory

Space based neutral particle beams (NPB) are being considered for use as an SDI weapon as well as a mid-course discriminator. These systems require a radio frequency (RF) power source. Five types of amplifiers were considered for the RF power source: the klystron, the klystrode, the tetrode, the cross field amplifier, and the solid state amplifier. A number of different types of power source systems (nuclear and non-nuclear) were considered for integration with these amplifiers. The most attractive amplifier power system concepts were identified through comparative evaluations that took into account the total masses of integrated amplifier power source systems as well as a number of other factors that consisted of development cost, technology risk, vulnerability, survivability, reliability, and impacts on spacecraft stabilization. These concepts are described and conclusions drawn.

Long-distance transport of signals during symbiosis

PubMed Central

Xie, Zhi-Ping; Illana, Antonio

2011-01-01

Legumes enter nodule symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia), whereas most flowering plants establish symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Once first steps of symbiosis are initiated, nodule formation and mycorrhization in legumes is negatively controlled by a shoot-derived inhibitor (SDI), a phenomenon termed autoregulation. According to current views, autoregulation of nodulation and mycorrhization in legumes is regulated in a similar way. CLE peptides induced in response to rhizobial nodulation signals (Nod factors) have been proposed to represent the ascending long-distance signals to the shoot. Although not proven yet, these CLE peptides are likely perceived by leucine-rich repeat (LRR) autoregulation receptor kinases in the shoot. Autoregulation of mycorrhization in non-legumes is reminiscent to the phenomenon of “systemic acquired resistance” in plant-pathogen interactions. PMID:21455020

[Research on hyperspectral remote sensing in monitoring snow contamination concentration].

PubMed

Tang, Xu-guang; Liu, Dian-wei; Zhang, Bai; Du, Jia; Lei, Xiao-chun; Zeng, Li-hong; Wang, Yuan-dong; Song, Kai-shan

2011-05-01

Contaminants in the snow can be used to reflect regional and global environmental pollution caused by human activities. However, so far, the research on space-time monitoring of snow contamination concentration for a wide range or areas difficult for human to reach is very scarce. In the present paper, based on the simulated atmospheric deposition experiments, the spectroscopy technique method was applied to analyze the effect of different contamination concentration on the snow reflectance spectra. Then an evaluation of snow contamination concentration (SCC) retrieval methods was conducted using characteristic index method (SDI), principal component analysis (PCA), BP neural network and RBF neural network method, and the estimate effects of four methods were compared. The results showed that the neural network model combined with hyperspectral remote sensing data could estimate the SCC well.

Architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure for regional climate change research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, Alexander; Gordov, Evgeny

2013-04-01

Georeferenced datasets (meteorological databases, modeling and reanalysis results, etc.) are actively used in modeling and analysis of climate change for various spatial and temporal scales. Due to inherent heterogeneity of environmental datasets as well as their size which might constitute up to tens terabytes for a single dataset studies in the area of climate and environmental change require a special software support based on SDI approach. A dedicated architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure aiming at regional climate change analysis using modern web mapping technologies is presented. Geoportal is a key element of any SDI, allowing searching of geoinformation resources (datasets and services) using metadata catalogs, producing geospatial data selections by their parameters (data access functionality) as well as managing services and applications of cartographical visualization. It should be noted that due to objective reasons such as big dataset volume, complexity of data models used, syntactic and semantic differences of various datasets, the development of environmental geodata access, processing and visualization services turns out to be quite a complex task. Those circumstances were taken into account while developing architecture of the local spatial data infrastructure as a universal framework providing geodata services. So that, the architecture presented includes: 1. Effective in terms of search, access, retrieval and subsequent statistical processing, model of storing big sets of regional georeferenced data, allowing in particular to store frequently used values (like monthly and annual climate change indices, etc.), thus providing different temporal views of the datasets 2. General architecture of the corresponding software components handling geospatial datasets within the storage model 3. Metadata catalog describing in detail using ISO 19115 and CF-convention standards datasets used in climate researches as a basic element of the

Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2016-10-08

In September, 2015, the UN General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs specify 17 universal goals, 169 targets, and 230 indicators leading up to 2030. We provide an analysis of 33 health-related SDG indicators based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015). We applied statistical methods to systematically compiled data to estimate the performance of 33 health-related SDG indicators for 188 countries from 1990 to 2015. We rescaled each indicator on a scale from 0 (worst observed value between 1990 and 2015) to 100 (best observed). Indices representing all 33 health-related SDG indicators (health-related SDG index), health-related SDG indicators included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG index), and health-related indicators not included in the MDGs (non-MDG index) were computed as the geometric mean of the rescaled indicators by SDG target. We used spline regressions to examine the relations between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI, a summary measure based on average income per person, educational attainment, and total fertility rate) and each of the health-related SDG indicators and indices. In 2015, the median health-related SDG index was 59·3 (95% uncertainty interval 56·8-61·8) and varied widely by country, ranging from 85·5 (84·2-86·5) in Iceland to 20·4 (15·4-24·9) in Central African Republic. SDI was a good predictor of the health-related SDG index (r 2 =0·88) and the MDG index (r 2 =0·92), whereas the non-MDG index had a weaker relation with SDI (r 2 =0·79). Between 2000 and 2015, the health-related SDG index improved by a median of 7·9 (IQR 5·0-10·4), and gains on the MDG index (a median change of 10·0 [6·7-13·1]) exceeded that of the non-MDG index (a median change of 5·5 [2·1-8·9]). Since 2000, pronounced progress occurred for indicators such as met need with modern contraception, under-5 mortality, and neonatal mortality, as well as the indicator for

PEPSI deep spectra. I. The Sun-as-a-star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strassmeier, K. G.; Ilyin, I.; Steffen, M.

2018-04-01

Context. Full-disk solar flux spectra can be directly compared to stellar spectra and thereby serve as our most important reference source for, for example stellar chemical abundances, magnetic activity phenomena, radial-velocity signatures or global pulsations. Aim. As part of the first Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) key-science project, we aim to provide well-exposed and average-combined (viz. deep) high-resolution spectra of representative stellar targets. Such deep spectra contain an overwhelming amount of information, typically much more than what could be analyzed and discussed within a single publication. Therefore, these spectra will be made available in form of (electronic) atlases. The first star in this series of papers is our Sun. It also acts as a system-performance cornerstone. Methods: The Sun was monitored with PEPSI at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Instead of the LBT we used a small robotic solar disk integration (SDI) telescope. The deep spectra in this paper are the results of combining up to ≈100 consecutive exposures per wavelength setting and are compared with other solar flux atlases. Results: Our software for the optimal data extraction and reduction of PEPSI spectra is described and verified with the solar data. Three deep solar flux spectra with a spectral resolution of up to 270 000, a continuous wavelength coverage from 383 nm to 914 nm, and a photon signal to noise ratio (S/N) of between 2000-8000:1 depending on wavelength are presented. Additionally, a time-series of 996 high-cadence spectra in one cross disperser is used to search for intrinsic solar modulations. The wavelength calibration based on Th-Ar exposures and simultaneous Fabry-Pérot combs enables an absolute wavelength solution within 10 m s-1 (rms) with respect to the HARPS laser-comb solar atlas and a relative rms of 1.2 m s-1 for one day. For science demonstration, we redetermined the disk-average solar Li abundance to 1.09 �

Prototype of a subsurface drip irrigation emitter: Manufacturing, hydraulic evaluation and experimental analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souza, Wanderley De Jesus; Rodrigues Sinobas, Leonor; Sánchez, Raúl; Arriel Botrel, Tarlei; Duarte Coelho, Rubens

2013-04-01

Root and soil intrusion into the conventional emitters is one of the major disadvantages to obtain a good uniformity of water application in subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). In the last years, there have been different approaches to reduce these problems such as the impregnation of emitters with herbicide, and the search for an emitter geometry impairing the intrusion of small roots. Within the last this study, has developed and evaluated an emitter model which geometry shows specific physical features to prevent emitter clogging. This work was developed at the Biosystems Engineering Department at ESALQ-USP/Brazil, and it is a part of a research in which an innovated emitteŕs model for SDI has been developed to prevent root and soil particles intrusion. An emitter with a mechanical-hydraulic mechanism (opening and closing the water outlet) for SDI was developed and manufactured using a mechanical lathe process. It was composed by a silicon elastic membrane a polyethylene tube and a Vnyl Polychloride membrane protector system. In this study the performance of the developed prototype was assessed in the laboratory and in the field conditions. In the laboratory, uniformity of water application was calculated by the water emission uniformity coefficient (CUE), and the manufacturer's coefficient of variation (CVm). In addition, variation in the membrane diameter submitted to internal pressures; head losses along the membrane, using the energy equation; and, precision and accuracy of the equation model, analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), and by Willmott's concordance index (d) were also calculated with samples of the developed emitters. In the field, the emitters were installed in pots with and without sugar cane culture from October 2010 to January 2012. During this time, flow rate in 20 emitters were measured periodically, and the aspects of them about clogging at the end of the experiment. Emitters flow rates were measured quarterly to calculate

Short-term soil nutrient impact in a real-time drain field soil moisture controlled SDI wastewater disposal system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Alabama Black Belt area is widespread of Vertisols that are generally unsuitable for conventional septic systems; nonetheless, systems of this type have been widely used in this region for decades. In order to explore alternatives for these conventional septic systems, a real-time soil moisture ...

SDI-Flex: a new technique of allocating growing stock for developing treatment prescriptions in uneven-aged forest stands

Treesearch

Wayne D. Shepperd

2007-01-01

One of the difficulties of apportioning growing stock across diameter classes in multi- or uneven-aged forests is estimating how closely the target stocking value compares to the maximum stocking that could occur in a particular forest type and eco-region. Although the BDQ method had been used to develop uneven-aged prescriptions, it is not inherently related to any...

The Role of Congress in the Strategic Posture of the United States, 1980-1990: Force Modernization and SDI

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

for the program was a fiction. The senator “salute[ d ] the Commission for shooting down essentially the ‘window of vulnerability’ bugaboo that has...Bill Hostyn (ASCO) 2. TYPE OF MATERIAL: [8) PAPER D PRESENTATION D ABSTRACT D OTHER SUSPENSE: DATE: DATE: DATE: 3. OVERALL CLASSIFICATION: [8...Authority § Proprietary Information Test and Evaluation Software Documentation Critical Technology Defense Threat Reduction Agency D C

Mining and Utilizing Dataset Relevancy from Oceanographic Dataset (MUDROD) Metadata, Usage Metrics, and User Feedback to Improve Data Discovery and Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y.

2015-12-01

Oceanographic resource discovery is a critical step for developing ocean science applications. With the increasing number of resources available online, many Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) components (e.g. catalogues and portals) have been developed to help manage and discover oceanographic resources. However, efficient and accurate resource discovery is still a big challenge because of the lack of data relevancy information. In this article, we propose a search engine framework for mining and utilizing dataset relevancy from oceanographic dataset metadata, usage metrics, and user feedback. The objective is to improve discovery accuracy of oceanographic data and reduce time for scientist to discover, download and reformat data for their projects. Experiments and a search example show that the propose engine helps both scientists and general users search for more accurate results with enhanced performance and user experience through a user-friendly interface.

Evaluation of fault-tolerant parallel-processor architectures over long space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Sally C.

1989-01-01

The impact of a five year space mission environment on fault-tolerant parallel processor architectures is examined. The target application is a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) satellite requiring 256 parallel processors to provide the computation throughput. The reliability requirements are that the system still be operational after five years with .99 probability and that the probability of system failure during one-half hour of full operation be less than 10(-7). The fault tolerance features an architecture must possess to meet these reliability requirements are presented, many potential architectures are briefly evaluated, and one candidate architecture, the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory's Fault-Tolerant Parallel Processor (FTPP) is evaluated in detail. A methodology for designing a preliminary system configuration to meet the reliability and performance requirements of the mission is then presented and demonstrated by designing an FTPP configuration.

Using a small hybrid pulse power transformer unit as component of a high-current opening switch for a railgun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, E. M. W.; Bailey, R. E.; Michels, P. H.

1989-03-01

The hybrid pulse power transformer (HPPT) is a unique concept utilizing the ultrafast superconducting-to-normal transition process of a superconductor. When used in the form of a hybrid transformer current-zero switch (HTCS), this creates an approach in which the large, high-power, high-current opening switch in a conventional railgun system can be eliminated. This represents an innovative application of superconductivity to pulsed power conditioning required for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The authors explain the working principles of a 100-KJ unit capable of switching up to 500 kA at a frequency of 0.5 Hz and with a system efficiency of greater than 90 percent. Circuit analysis using a computer code called SPICE PLUS was used to verify the HTCS concept. This concept can be scaled up to applications in the several mega-ampere levels.

Mid-course multi-target tracking using continuous representation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zak, Michail; Toomarian, Nikzad

1991-01-01

The thrust of this paper is to present a new approach to multi-target tracking for the mid-course stage of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). This approach is based upon a continuum representation of a cluster of flying objects. We assume that the velocities of the flying objects can be embedded into a smooth velocity field. This assumption is based upon the impossibility of encounters in a high density cluster between the flying objects. Therefore, the problem is reduced to an identification of a moving continuum based upon consecutive time frame observations. In contradistinction to the previous approaches, here each target is considered as a center of a small continuous neighborhood subjected to a local-affine transformation, and therefore, the target trajectories do not mix. Obviously, their mixture in plane of sensor view is apparent. The approach is illustrated by an example.

Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

PubMed

2017-09-16

Monitoring levels and trends in premature mortality is crucial to understanding how societies can address prominent sources of early death. The Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specific mortality for 264 causes in 195 locations from 1980 to 2016. This assessment includes evaluation of the expected epidemiological transition with changes in development and where local patterns deviate from these trends. We estimated cause-specific deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) by age, sex, geography, and year. YLLs were calculated from the sum of each death multiplied by the standard life expectancy at each age. We used the GBD cause of death database composed of: vital registration (VR) data corrected for under-registration and garbage coding; national and subnational verbal autopsy (VA) studies corrected for garbage coding; and other sources including surveys and surveillance systems for specific causes such as maternal mortality. To facilitate assessment of quality, we reported on the fraction of deaths assigned to GBD Level 1 or Level 2 causes that cannot be underlying causes of death (major garbage codes) by location and year. Based on completeness, garbage coding, cause list detail, and time periods covered, we provided an overall data quality rating for each location with scores ranging from 0 stars (worst) to 5 stars (best). We used robust statistical methods including the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm) to generate estimates for each location, year, age, and sex. We assessed observed and expected levels and trends of cause-specific deaths in relation to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary indicator derived from measures of average income per capita, educational attainment, and total fertility, with locations grouped into quintiles by SDI. Relative to GBD 2015, we expanded the GBD cause hierarchy by 18 causes of death for GBD 2016. The quality of available data varied by location. Data quality

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

PubMed

2017-09-16

Measurement of changes in health across locations is useful to compare and contrast changing epidemiological patterns against health system performance and identify specific needs for resource allocation in research, policy development, and programme decision making. Using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016, we drew from two widely used summary measures to monitor such changes in population health: disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE). We used these measures to track trends and benchmark progress compared with expected trends on the basis of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI). We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost and years of life lived with disability for each location, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using age-specific death rates and years of life lived with disability per capita. We explored how DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends when compared with the SDI: the geometric mean of income per person, educational attainment in the population older than age 15 years, and total fertility rate. The highest globally observed HALE at birth for both women and men was in Singapore, at 75·2 years (95% uncertainty interval 71·9-78·6) for females and 72·0 years (68·8-75·1) for males. The lowest for females was in the Central African Republic (45·6 years [42·0-49·5]) and for males was in Lesotho (41·5 years [39·0-44·0]). From 1990 to 2016, global HALE increased by an average of 6·24 years (5·97-6·48) for both sexes combined. Global HALE increased by 6·04 years (5·74-6·27) for males and 6·49 years (6·08-6·77) for females, whereas HALE at age 65 years increased by 1·78 years (1·61-1·93) for males and

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2016-10-08

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors-the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56�

Removal of recalcitrant organic matter content in wastewater by means of AOPs aiming industrial water reuse.

PubMed

Souza, Bianca M; Souza, Bruno S; Guimarães, Tarsila M; Ribeiro, Thiago F S; Cerqueira, Ana C; Sant'Anna, Geraldo L; Dezotti, Márcia

2016-11-01

This paper comes out from the need to provide an improvement in the current oil refinery wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aiming to generate water for reuse. The wastewater was pretreated and collected in the WWTP after the biological treatment unit (bio-disks) followed by sand filtration. Ozonation (ozone concentration from 3.0-60 mgO 3  L -1 ), UV (power lamp from 15 to 95 W), H 2 O 2 (carbon:H 2 O 2 molar ratio of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4), and two advanced oxidation processes (UV/O 3 and UV/H 2 O 2 ) were investigated aiming to reduce the wastewater organic matter and generate water with suitable characteristics for the reverse osmosis operation and subsequent industrial reuse. Even after the biological and filtration treatments, the oil refinery wastewater still presented an appreciable amount of recalcitrant organic matter (TOC of 12-19 mgC L -1 ) and silt density index (SDI) higher than 4, which is considered high for subsequent reverse osmosis due to membrane fouling risks. Experiments using non combined processes (O 3 , H 2 O 2 , and UV only) showed a low degree of mineralization after 60 min of reaction, although the pretreatment with ozone had promoted the oxidation of aromatic compounds originally found in the real matrix, which suggests the formation of recalcitrant compounds. When the combined processes were applied, a considerable increase in the TOC removal was observed (max of 95 % for UV/O 3 process, 55 W, 60 mgO 3  L -1 ), likely due the presence of higher amounts of reactive species, specially hydroxyl radicals, confirming the important role of these species on the photochemical degradation of the wastewater compounds. A zero-order kinetic model was fitted to the experimental data and the rate constant values (k, mgC L -1  h -1 ) ranged from 4.8 < k UV/O3  < 11 ([O 3 ] 0  = 30-60 mg L -1 ), and 8.6 < k UV/H2O2  < 11 (C:H 2 O 2 from 1:1 to 1:4). The minimum and maximum electrical energy per order (E EO ) required for 60 min of

The global burden of tuberculosis: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.

PubMed

2018-03-01

An understanding of the trends in tuberculosis incidence, prevalence, and mortality is crucial to tracking of the success of tuberculosis control programmes and identification of remaining challenges. We assessed trends in the fatal and non-fatal burden of tuberculosis over the past 25 years for 195 countries and territories. We analysed 10 691 site-years of vital registration data, 768 site-years of verbal autopsy data, and 361 site-years of mortality surveillance data using the Cause of Death Ensemble model to estimate tuberculosis mortality rates. We analysed all available age-specific and sex-specific data sources, including annual case notifications, prevalence surveys, and estimated cause-specific mortality, to generate internally consistent estimates of incidence, prevalence, and mortality using DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool. We assessed how observed tuberculosis incidence, prevalence, and mortality differed from expected trends as predicted by the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator based on income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. We also estimated tuberculosis mortality and disability-adjusted life-years attributable to the independent effects of risk factors including smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes. Globally, in 2015, the number of tuberculosis incident cases (including new and relapse cases) was 10·2 million (95% uncertainty interval 9·2 million to 11·5 million), the number of prevalent cases was 10·1 million (9·2 million to 11·1 million), and the number of deaths was 1·3 million (1·1 million to 1·6 million). Among individuals who were HIV negative, the number of incident cases was 8·8 million (8·0 million to 9·9 million), the number of prevalent cases was 8·9 million (8·1 million to 9·7 million), and the number of deaths was 1·1 million (0·9 million to 1·4 million). Annualised rates of change from 2005 to 2015 showed a faster decline in mortality (-4·1% [-5·0 to

SIGNATURES OF ILLICIT NUCLEAR PROCUREMENT NETWORKS: AN OVERVIEW OF PRELIMINARY APPROACHES AND RESULTS

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

Webster, Jennifer B.; Erikson, Luke E.; Gastelum, Zoe N.

2014-05-12

The illicit trafficking of strategic nuclear commodities (defined here as the goods needed for a covert nuclear program excluding special nuclear materials) poses a significant challenge to the international nuclear nonproliferation community. Export control regulations, both domestically and internationally, seek to inhibit the spread of strategic nuclear commodities by restricting their sale to parties that may use them for nefarious purposes. However, export controls alone are not sufficient for preventing the illicit transfer of strategic nuclear goods. There are two major pitfalls to relying solely on export control regulations for the deterrence of proliferation of strategic goods. First, export controlmore » enforcement today relies heavily on the honesty and willingness of participants to adhere to the legal framework already in place. Secondly, current practices focus on the evaluation of single records which allow for the necessary goods to be purchased separately and hidden within the thousands of legitimate commerce transactions that occur each day, disregarding strategic information regarding several purchases. Our research presents two preliminary data-centric approaches for investigating procurement networks of strategic nuclear commodities. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been putting significant effort into nonproliferation activities as an institution, both in terms of the classical nuclear material focused approach and in the examination of other strategic goods necessary to implement a nuclear program. In particular, the PNNL Signature Discovery Initiative (SDI) has codified several scientific methodologies for the detection, characterization, and prediction of signatures that are indicative of a phenomenon of interest. The methodologies and tools developed under SDI have already been applied successfully to problems in bio-forensics, cyber security and power grid balancing efforts and they have now made the nonproliferation

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) System Architecture and Key Tradeoff Studies, Phase IIC, IDEF0 Functional Decomposition Flows; Appendix D

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-15

Number: MDA903-85-C-0065 Document Type: HC Number of Copies In Library : 000001 Record ID: 21248 o o I CO CO I Q CO CO r ^ CO 5 Q o CO...8217 • eg 2 CO <D 2? il n S.2 I a 0) c? *- CD a C3i.t fit mooc I- Q_ 8 £ CO « 3 Sa CO o F* c JS a. »| s-s CD U CO •o 2

A Simple Example of an SADMT (SDI-Strategic Defense Initiative) Architecture Dataflow Modeling Technique) Architecture Specification. Version 1.5.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-21

Layton Senior Software Engineer Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace MS L0425 P.O. Box 179 Denver, CO 80201 Larry L. Lehman Integrated Systems Inc. 2500...Mission College Road Santa Clara, CA 95054 Eric Leighninger Dynamics Research 60 Frontage Road Andover, MA 01810 . Peter Lempp Software Products and

Prevalence of remission and its effect on damage and quality of life in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Mok, Chi Chiu; Ho, Ling Yin; Tse, Sau Mei; Chan, Kar Li

2017-08-01

To study the prevalence of remission and its effect on damage and quality of life (QOL) in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients who fulfilled ≥4 American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE were identified. Their remission status at last clinic visits was determined by the European consensus criteria (complete/clinical remission ± immunosuppressive drugs). The increase in SLE damage index (SDI) in the preceding 5 years was compared between patients who were and were not in remission for ≥5 years. QOL of patients as assessed by the validated Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form-36 (SF36) and the LupusPRO was also compared between the remission and non-remission groups by statistical analysis. 769 SLE patients were studied (92% women; age: 46.4±14.6 years; SLE duration: 12.6±8.1 years). At last visit, clinical remission was present in 259 (33.7%) patients and complete remission was present in 280 (36.4%) patients. Clinical and complete remissions for ≥5 years were achieved in 64 (8.3%) and 129 (16.8%) of the patients, respectively. Patients remitted for ≥5 years were older, and had significantly lower prevalence of renal involvement, leucopenia or thrombocytopaenia. Fifty-three (6.9%) patients in remission ≥5 years were taken off all medications, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) (drug-free). Patients who remitted for ≥5 years but off-therapy (except HCQ) had significantly less SDI increment than those who did not remit (0.17±0.53 vs 0.67±1.10; p<0.001). Among 453 patients who had QOL assessment, remission for ≥5 years was associated with significantly higher SF36 and the total health-related scores of the LupusPRO. Durable remission can be achieved in a quarter of patients with SLE. Patients with remission for ≥5 years have significantly less damage accrual and better QOL. Prolonged remission is an appropriate criterion for outcome assessment in SLE. © Article author(s) (or their

The 40-Something randomized controlled trial to prevent weight gain in mid-age women.

PubMed

Williams, Lauren T; Hollis, Jenna L; Collins, Clare E; Morgan, Philip J

2013-10-25

Obesity prevention is a major public health priority. Despite the health risks associated with weight gain, there has been a distinct lack of research into effective interventions to prevent, rather than treat, obesity particularly at high risk life stages such as menopause in women. This paper describes the rationale for and design of a 2-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) (the 40-Something Study) aimed at testing the feasibility and efficacy of a relatively low intensity intervention designed to achieve weight control in non-obese women about to enter the menopause transition. The study is a parallel-group RCT consisting of 12 months of intervention (Phase 1) and 12 months of monitoring (Phase 2). Non-obese pre-menopausal healthy females 44-50 years of age were screened, stratified according to Body Mass Index (BMI) category (18.5-24.9 and 25-29.9 kg/m²) and randomly assigned to one of two groups: motivational interviewing (MI) intervention (n = 28), or a self-directed intervention (SDI) (control) (n = 26). The MI intervention consisted of five consultations with health professionals (four with a Dietitian and one with an Exercise Physiologist) who applied components of MI counselling to consultations with the women over a 12 month period. The SDI was developed as a control and these participants received print materials only. Outcome measures were collected at baseline, three, 12, 18 and 24 months and included weight (primary outcome), waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, plasma markers of metabolic syndrome risk, dietary intake, physical activity and quality of life. Analysis of covariance will be used to investigate outcomes according to intervention type and duration (comparing baseline, 12 and 24 months). The 40-Something study is the first RCT aimed at preventing menopausal weight gain in Australian women. Importantly, this paper describes the methods used to evaluate whether a relatively low intensity, health professional led

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Belimumab in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Continuation of a Seventy-Six-Week Phase III Parent Study in the United States.

PubMed

Furie, Richard A; Wallace, Daniel J; Aranow, Cynthia; Fettiplace, James; Wilson, Barbara; Mistry, Prafull; Roth, David A; Gordon, David

2018-06-01

We undertook this US multicenter continuation study (GlaxoSmithKline study BEL112233; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00724867) to assess long-term safety and efficacy of belimumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who completed the Study of Belimumab in Subjects with SLE 76-week trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00410384). Patients continued to receive the same belimumab dose plus standard therapy; patients previously receiving placebo received 10 mg/kg belimumab. The primary outcome measure was long-term safety of belimumab (frequency of adverse events [AEs] and damage assessed using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index [SDI], evaluated every 48 weeks [1 study year]). Other assessments included the SLE Responder Index (SRI), flare rates (using the modified SLE Flare Index [SFI]), prednisone use, and B cell levels. Of 268 patients, 140 completed the study and 128 withdrew. The mean ± SD score on the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment version of the SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) at baseline was 7.8 ± 3.86. The mean ± SD SDI score increased by 0.4 ± 0.68 from its value at baseline (1.2 ± 1.51). The overall incidence of treatment-related and serious AEs remained stable or declined through study year 7. An SRI response was achieved by 41.9% and 75.6% of patients at the study year 1 and study year 7 midpoints, respectively. At the study year 7 midpoint, relative to baseline, 78.2% had achieved a ≥4-point reduction in the SELENA-SLEDAI score, 98.4% had no new British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) A organ domain score and no more than 1 new BILAG B organ domain score, 93.7% had no worsening in the physician's global assessment of disease activity, 20.6% had experienced ≥1 severe SFI flare, the mean decrease in prednisone dose was 31.4%, and the median change in CD20+ B cell numbers was -83.2%. These long-term exposure results

Whole-genome typing and characterization of blaVIM19-harbouring ST383 Klebsiella pneumoniae by PFGE, whole-genome mapping and WGS.

PubMed

Sabirova, Julia S; Xavier, Basil Britto; Coppens, Jasmine; Zarkotou, Olympia; Lammens, Christine; Janssens, Lore; Burggrave, Ronald; Wagner, Trevor; Goossens, Herman; Malhotra-Kumar, Surbhi

2016-06-01

We utilized whole-genome mapping (WGM) and WGS to characterize 12 clinical carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (TGH1-TGH12). All strains were screened for carbapenemase genes by PCR, and typed by MLST, PFGE (XbaI) and WGM (AflII) (OpGen, USA). WGS (Illumina) was performed on TGH8 and TGH10. Reads were de novo assembled and annotated [SPAdes, Rapid Annotation Subsystem Technology (RAST)]. Contigs were aligned directly, and after in silico AflII restriction, with corresponding WGMs (MapSolver, OpGen; BioNumerics, Applied Maths). All 12 strains were ST383. Of the 12 strains, 11 were carbapenem resistant, 7 harboured blaKPC-2 and 11 harboured blaVIM-19. Varying the parameters for assigning WGM clusters showed that these were comparable to STs and to the eight PFGE types or subtypes (difference of three or more bands). A 95% similarity coefficient assigned all 12 WGMs to a single cluster, whereas a 99% similarity coefficient (or ≥10 unmatched-fragment difference) assigned the 12 WGMs to eight (sub)clusters. Based on a difference of three or more bands between PFGE profiles, the Simpson's diversity indices (SDIs) of WGM (0.94, Jackknife pseudo-values CI: 0.883-0.996) and PFGE (0.93, Jackknife pseudo-values CI: 0.828-1.000) were similar (P = 0.649). However, the discriminatory power of WGM was significantly higher (SDI: 0.94, Jackknife pseudo-values CI: 0.883-0.996) than that of PFGE profiles typed on a difference of seven or more bands (SDI: 0.53, Jackknife pseudo-values CI: 0.212-0.849) (P = 0.007). This study demonstrates the application of WGM to understanding the epidemiology of hospital-associated K. pneumoniae. Utilizing a combination of WGM and WGS, we also present here the first longitudinal genomic characterization of the highly dynamic carbapenem-resistant ST383 K. pneumoniae clone that is rapidly gaining importance in Europe. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial

Global, Regional, and National Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life-Years for 29 Cancer Groups, 1990 to 2016: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

PubMed

Fitzmaurice, Christina; Akinyemiju, Tomi F; Al Lami, Faris Hasan; Alam, Tahiya; Alizadeh-Navaei, Reza; Allen, Christine; Alsharif, Ubai; Alvis-Guzman, Nelson; Amini, Erfan; Anderson, Benjamin O; Aremu, Olatunde; Artaman, Al; Asgedom, Solomon Weldegebreal; Assadi, Reza; Atey, Tesfay Mehari; Avila-Burgos, Leticia; Awasthi, Ashish; Ba Saleem, Huda Omer; Barac, Aleksandra; Bennett, James R; Bensenor, Isabela M; Bhakta, Nickhill; Brenner, Hermann; Cahuana-Hurtado, Lucero; Castañeda-Orjuela, Carlos A; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Choi, Jee-Young Jasmine; Christopher, Devasahayam Jesudas; Chung, Sheng-Chia; Curado, Maria Paula; Dandona, Lalit; Dandona, Rakhi; das Neves, José; Dey, Subhojit; Dharmaratne, Samath D; Doku, David Teye; Driscoll, Tim R; Dubey, Manisha; Ebrahimi, Hedyeh; Edessa, Dumessa; El-Khatib, Ziad; Endries, Aman Yesuf; Fischer, Florian; Force, Lisa M; Foreman, Kyle J; Gebrehiwot, Solomon Weldemariam; Gopalani, Sameer Vali; Grosso, Giuseppe; Gupta, Rahul; Gyawali, Bishal; Hamadeh, Randah Ribhi; Hamidi, Samer; Harvey, James; Hassen, Hamid Yimam; Hay, Roderick J; Hay, Simon I; Heibati, Behzad; Hiluf, Molla Kahssay; Horita, Nobuyuki; Hosgood, H Dean; Ilesanmi, Olayinka S; Innos, Kaire; Islami, Farhad; Jakovljevic, Mihajlo B; Johnson, Sarah Charlotte; Jonas, Jost B; Kasaeian, Amir; Kassa, Tesfaye Dessale; Khader, Yousef Saleh; Khan, Ejaz Ahmad; Khan, Gulfaraz; Khang, Young-Ho; Khosravi, Mohammad Hossein; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Kopec, Jacek A; Kumar, G Anil; Kutz, Michael; Lad, Deepesh Pravinkumar; Lafranconi, Alessandra; Lan, Qing; Legesse, Yirga; Leigh, James; Linn, Shai; Lunevicius, Raimundas; Majeed, Azeem; Malekzadeh, Reza; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Mantovani, Lorenzo G; McMahon, Brian J; Meier, Toni; Melaku, Yohannes Adama; Melku, Mulugeta; Memiah, Peter; Mendoza, Walter; Meretoja, Tuomo J; Mezgebe, Haftay Berhane; Miller, Ted R; Mohammed, Shafiu; Mokdad, Ali H; Moosazadeh, Mahmood; Moraga, Paula; Mousavi, Seyyed Meysam; Nangia, Vinay; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Nong, Vuong Minh; Ogbo, Felix Akpojene; Olagunju, Andrew Toyin; Pa, Mahesh; Park, Eun-Kee; Patel, Tejas; Pereira, David M; Pishgar, Farhad; Postma, Maarten J; Pourmalek, Farshad; Qorbani, Mostafa; Rafay, Anwar; Rawaf, Salman; Rawaf, David Laith; Roshandel, Gholamreza; Safiri, Saeid; Salimzadeh, Hamideh; Sanabria, Juan Ramon; Santric Milicevic, Milena M; Sartorius, Benn; Satpathy, Maheswar; Sepanlou, Sadaf G; Shackelford, Katya Anne; Shaikh, Masood Ali; Sharif-Alhoseini, Mahdi; She, Jun; Shin, Min-Jeong; Shiue, Ivy; Shrime, Mark G; Sinke, Abiy Hiruye; Sisay, Mekonnen; Sligar, Amber; Sufiyan, Muawiyyah Babale; Sykes, Bryan L; Tabarés-Seisdedos, Rafael; Tessema, Gizachew Assefa; Topor-Madry, Roman; Tran, Tung Thanh; Tran, Bach Xuan; Ukwaja, Kingsley Nnanna; Vlassov, Vasiliy Victorovich; Vollset, Stein Emil; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Williams, Hywel C; Yimer, Nigus Bililign; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Younis, Mustafa Z; Murray, Christopher J L; Naghavi, Mohsen

2018-06-02

The increasing burden due to cancer and other noncommunicable diseases poses a threat to human development, which has resulted in global political commitments reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases. To determine if these commitments have resulted in improved cancer control, quantitative assessments of the cancer burden are required. To assess the burden for 29 cancer groups over time to provide a framework for policy discussion, resource allocation, and research focus. Cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were evaluated for 195 countries and territories by age and sex using the Global Burden of Disease study estimation methods. Levels and trends were analyzed over time, as well as by the Sociodemographic Index (SDI). Changes in incident cases were categorized by changes due to epidemiological vs demographic transition. In 2016, there were 17.2 million cancer cases worldwide and 8.9 million deaths. Cancer cases increased by 28% between 2006 and 2016. The smallest increase was seen in high SDI countries. Globally, population aging contributed 17%; population growth, 12%; and changes in age-specific rates, -1% to this change. The most common incident cancer globally for men was prostate cancer (1.4 million cases). The leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs was tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (1.2 million deaths and 25.4 million DALYs). For women, the most common incident cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs was breast cancer (1.7 million incident cases, 535 000 deaths, and 14.9 million DALYs). In 2016, cancer caused 213.2 million DALYs globally for both sexes combined. Between 2006 and 2016, the average annual age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers combined increased in 130 of 195 countries or territories, and the average annual age

Pleuropulmonary involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from a Latin American inception cohort (GLADEL).

PubMed

Haye Salinas, M J; Caeiro, F; Saurit, V; Alvarellos, A; Wojdyla, D; Scherbarth, H R; de O E Silva, A C; Tavares Brenol, J C; Lavras Costallat, L T; Neira, O J; Iglesias Gamarra, A; Vásquez, G; Reyes Llerena, G A; Barile-Fabris, L A; Silveira, L H; Sauza Del Pozo, M J; Acevedo Vásquez, E M; Alfaro Lozano, J L; Esteva Spinetti, M H; Alarcón, G S; Pons-Estel, B A

2017-11-01

Objectives The objectives of this study were to examine the demographic and clinical features associated with the occurrence of pleuropulmonary manifestations, the predictive factors of their occurrence and their impact on mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Materials and methods The association of pleuropulmonary manifestations with demographic and clinical features, the predictive factors of their occurrence and their impact on mortality were examined in GLADEL patients by appropriate univariable and multivariable analyses. Results At least one pleuropulmonary manifestation occurred in 421 of the 1480 SLE patients (28.4%), pleurisy being the most frequent (24.0%). Age at SLE onset ≥30 years (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.10-1.83), the presence of lower respiratory tract infection (OR 3.19; 95% CI 2.05-4.96), non-ischemic heart disease (OR 3.17; 95% CI 2.41-4.18), ischemic heart disease (OR 3.39; 95% CI 2.08-5.54), systemic (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.37-2.91), ocular (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.16-2.14) and renal manifestations (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.09-1.83) were associated with pleuropulmonary manifestations, whereas cutaneous manifestations were negatively associated (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.29-0.76). Non-ischemic heart disease (HR 2.24; 95% CI 1.63-3.09), SDI scores ≥1 (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.10-2.17) and anti-La antibody positivity (OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.39-4.57) independently predicted their subsequent occurrence. Cutaneous manifestations were protective of the subsequent occurrence of pleuropulmonary manifestations (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.43-0.90). Pleuropulmonary manifestations independently contributed a decreased survival (HR: 2.79 95% CI 1.80-4.31). Conclusion Pleuropulmonary manifestations are frequent in SLE, particularly pleuritis. Older age, respiratory tract infection, cardiac, systemic and renal involvement were associated with them, whereas cutaneous manifestations were negatively associated. Cardiac compromise, SDI scores ≥1 and anti-La positivity at disease onset were

Thermal control surfaces experiment flight system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, Donald R.; Hummer, Leigh L.; Zwiener, James M.

1991-01-01

The Thermal Control Surfaces Experiment (TCSE) is the most complex system, other than the LDEF, retrieved after long term space exposure. The TCSE is a microcosm of complex electro-optical payloads being developed and flow by NASA and the DoD including SDI. The objective of TCSE was to determine the effects of the near-Earth orbital environment and the LDEF induced environment on spacecraft thermal control surfaces. The TCSE was a comprehensive experiment that combined in-space measurements with extensive post flight analyses of thermal control surfaces to determine the effects of exposure to the low earth orbit space environment. The TCSE was the first space experiment to measure the optical properties of thermal control surfaces the way they are routinely measured in a lab. The performance of the TCSE confirms that low cost, complex experiment packages can be developed that perform well in space.

Study of using microfiltration and reverse osmosis membrane technologies for reclaiming cooling water in the power industry.

PubMed

Li, J; Xu, Z Y; An, H G; Liu, L Q

2007-07-01

A study of using dual membrane technologies, microfiltration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO), for reclaiming blowdown of the cooling tower was conducted at ZJK power plant, Hebei province, China. The study shows that the combined MF-RO system can effectively reduce water consumption in the power industry. The results indicate that MF process is capable of producing a filtrate suitable for RO treatment and achieving a silt density index (SDI) less than 2, turbidity of 0.2 NTU. The water quality of RO effluent is very good with an average conductivity of about 40 micros/cm and rejection of 98%. The product water is suitable for injection into the cooling tower to counteract with cooling water intrusion. After adopting this system, water-saving effectiveness as expressed in terms of cycles of concentration could be increased from 2.5-2.8 times to 5 times.

An Accreting Protoplanet: Confirmation and Characterization of LkCa15b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Follette, Katherine; Close, Laird; Males, Jared; Macintosh, Bruce; Sallum, Stephanie; Eisner, Josh; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Morzinski, Katie; Hinz, Phil; Weinberger, Alycia; Rodigas, Timothy J.; Skemer, Andrew; Bailey, Vanessa; Vaz, Amali; Defrere, Denis; spalding, eckhart; Tuthill, Peter

2015-12-01

We present a visible light adaptive optics direct imaging detection of a faint point source separated by just 93 milliarcseconds (~15 AU) from the young star LkCa 15. Using Magellan AO's visible light camera in Simultaneous Differential Imaging (SDI) mode, we imaged the star at Hydrogen alpha and in the neighboring continuum as part of the Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPplanetS) in November 2015. The continuum images provide a sensitive and simultaneous probe of PSF residuals and instrumental artifacts, allowing us to isolate H-alpha accretion luminosity from the LkCa 15b protoplanet, which lies well inside of the LkCa15 transition disk gap. This detection, combined with a nearly simultaneous near-infrared detection with the Large Binocular Telescope, provides an unprecedented glimpse at a planetary system during epoch of planet formation. [Nature result in press. Please embargo until released

Global, regional, and national under-5 mortality, adult mortality, age-specific mortality, and life expectancy, 1970-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

PubMed

2017-09-16

-specific and sex-specific death rates for each location-year. Using various international databases, we identified fatal discontinuities, which we defined as increases in the death rate of more than one death per million, resulting from conflict and terrorism, natural disasters, major transport or technological accidents, and a subset of epidemic infectious diseases; these were added to estimates in the relevant years. In 47 countries with an identified peak adult prevalence for HIV/AIDS of more than 0·5% and where VR systems were less than 65% complete, we informed our estimates of age-sex-specific mortality using the Estimation and Projection Package (EPP)-Spectrum model fitted to national HIV/AIDS prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance systems. We estimated stillbirths, early neonatal, late neonatal, and childhood mortality using both survey and VR data in spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression models. We estimated abridged life tables for all location-years using age-specific death rates. We grouped locations into development quintiles based on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and analysed mortality trends by quintile. Using spline regression, we estimated the expected mortality rate for each age-sex group as a function of SDI. We identified countries with higher life expectancy than expected by comparing observed life expectancy to anticipated life expectancy on the basis of development status alone. Completeness in the registration of deaths increased from 28% in 1970 to a peak of 45% in 2013; completeness was lower after 2013 because of lags in reporting. Total deaths in children younger than 5 years decreased from 1970 to 2016, and slower decreases occurred at ages 5-24 years. By contrast, numbers of adult deaths increased in each 5-year age bracket above the age of 25 years. The distribution of annualised rates of change in age-specific mortality rate differed over the period 2000 to 2016 compared with earlier decades: increasing annualised

Flying Quality Analysis of a JAS 39 Gripen Ministick Controller in an F/A-18 Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, John F.; Stoliker, P. C.

2000-01-01

NASA Dryden conducted a handling qualities experiment using a small displacement centerstick controller that Saab-Scania developed for the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft. The centerstick, or ministick, was mounted in the rear cockpit of an F/A-18 aircraft. Production support flight control computers (PSFCC) provided a pilot-selectable research control system. The objectives for this experiment included determining whether the mechanical characteristics of the centerstick controller had any significant effect on the handling qualities of the F/A-18, and determining the usefulness of the PSFCCs for this kind of experiment. Five pilots evaluated closed-loop tracking tasks, including echelon and column formation flight and target following. Cooper-Harper ratings and pilot comments were collected for each maneuver. This paper describes the test system, including the PSFCCs, the Gripen centerstick, and the flight test experiment. The paper presents results of longitudinal handling qualities maneuvers, including low order equivalent systems, Neal-Smith, and controls anticipation parameter analyses. The experiment showed that, while the centerstick controller provided a different aircraft feel, few handling qualities deficiencies resulted. It also demonstrated that the PSFCCs were useful for this kind of investigation.

A Qualitative Comparison of South Africa's Geomatics Professional Body's Academic Model against Industry's Understanding of SDI Knowledge and Skills Requirements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzee, Serena; Rautenbach, Victoria; du Plessis, Heindrich

2015-01-01

The South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) was established in 2003.Registration of geographical information science (GISc) practitioners by the South African geomatics professional body followed in 2004 and accreditation of university GISc programmes in 2012. In 2010, the Committee for Spatial Information identified inadequate knowledge…